Bab 270: Chapter 270: Only scored 2 goals? Not enough!
Hamsik and Cavani had been playing together for a year.
Similar in age and temperament, the two had developed a great understanding on the pitch.
As Cavani positioned himself and rose for the header, Hamsik anticipated his move and didn't stop the ball. Instead, he directly returned Cavani's header with a header of his own, sending it right back to him.
Cavani, standing on the left edge of the penalty arc, didn't turn around immediately after landing. Instead, he held his position, shielding the ball. When Hamsik's header came back, he spun around, controlling the ball mid-air with his right foot, stopping it to his left rear. Without hesitation, he surged forward, catching up with the ball near the penalty spot, and fired off a powerful shot.
A thunderous crack echoed through the stadium as Cavani's boot connected with the ball.
Like a lightning bolt, the ball sped towards Udinese's goal.
Udinese's goalkeeper Chimenti, who had just saved Cavani's earlier header, wasn't quick enough this time. As he rushed off his line towards the edge of the six-yard box, Cavani unleashed his shot. Chimenti dove, but it was too late.
The ball rocketed into Udinese's goal.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"
"Fourteen minutes in, and Napoli takes the lead! 1-0!"
"What a fierce volley from Edinson Cavani! A beautiful setup by Hamsik with that header, and Cavani's control and finishing were exceptional."
"You have to admire this Uruguayan striker. Not only is he strong and tall, but his footwork is impeccable. That ball control was pure class."
"Cavani has now scored his second Serie A goal!"
"Scoring in back-to-back games, Cavani's performances have been nothing short of impressive."
"And with this goal, Napoli moves up to third place in the live Serie A standings!"
...
Upon seeing Cavani's goal, Gao Shen clenched his fists in celebration.
He had been waiting for that breakthrough, fully confident in his team's ability to score.
Udinese's central defenders may have been up-and-coming talents, the kind of players Gao Shen used to scout in "Football Manager". Back then, they were always highly regarded prospects, but they weren't quite the finished article yet.
But now, against the experienced and sharp Napoli, they were completely outmatched.
Gao Shen turned around and high-fived his assistants before turning back to the field, signaling his players to press forward and continue applying pressure on Udinese.
"Let's see how much fight you've got left!" he shouted toward the pitch.
As the players finished their celebrations and jogged back to their positions, they glanced toward the bench, where Gao Shen yelled loudly, encouraging them to push even harder.
The players responded by clenching their fists and nodding at their coach.
...
The game resumed.
Napoli, full of confidence after the goal, pushed forward with even more intensity, their morale through the roof.
On the other hand, Udinese looked rattled after conceding, their play becoming disorganized.
From the sidelines, Marino frantically tried to steady his team, urging them to regain control, but under Napoli's relentless pressure, Udinese's defense continued to crumble.
Time and again, Napoli found ways to break through.
The truth was undeniable: without enough strength to counter Napoli's aggressive attack, trying to withstand them was as futile as trying to light a candle in the wind.
Just seven minutes after the first goal, Napoli earned a corner on the left side of the pitch.
Di Maria attempted a cross but was blocked by Udinese's right-back Messito, sending the ball out of bounds.
Napoli quickly took a short corner. Di Maria and Vargas tried a combination on the left flank, but it was unsuccessful. Vargas had no choice but to pass the ball back to the defense.
David Luiz and Bonucci, anchoring the backline, quickly pushed the ball forward after receiving it, both crossing the halfway line with ease.
At this point, Napoli's only man behind the halfway line was goalkeeper Handanovic, who stood near the penalty spot.
Marino, watching from the sidelines, desperately hoped his forwards could win the ball back and launch a quick counterattack. With Udinese's attacking talent, if they could execute a counter, they might have a chance to score.
And the Udinese players shared the same desire.
Their front line began to press aggressively, pushing the team higher up the pitch.
They couldn't afford to keep being pushed back by Napoli like this, it was too passive, and sooner or later, their defense would break.
Quagliarella rushed toward David Luiz, while Flores closed in on Vargas, trying to pin Napoli's defenders and force an error.
But David Luiz, ever the composed Brazilian, wasn't fazed.
Dribbling on the left side, David Luiz spotted Flores approaching. With a sudden stop and a quick turn, he used his body to shield the ball from Quagliarella. With a deft touch, he controlled the ball with his right foot and quickly passed it to Bonucci.
As Bonucci advanced, he scanned the field.
Udinese's defense had pushed too far forward, leaving a huge gap behind them.
To his left, Di Maria was hugging the touchline, unmarked.
What are they thinking? Bonucci wondered briefly.
Did they really think Naples only had one playmaker in David Luiz?
Bonucci calmly stopped the ball, took a moment to adjust, and sent a long, sweeping pass across the field.
The ball flew over half the pitch, dropping perfectly into the open space on the left flank.
Di Maria controlled the ball with his chest and saw Zapata and the right-back rushing over to close him down. Without hesitation, he dribbled the ball into the left side of the penalty area, then, at the perfect moment, cut a pass back to the top of the box.
Hamsik arrived in full stride, receiving the ball. Inler tried to close him down, but Hamsik sidestepped horizontally with a quick shuffle of his feet. He didn't give Inler a chance to react before unleashing a powerful curler with his right foot.
From the first touch to the final shot, the entire sequence was flawless fluid, fast, and precise.
The ball soared in a graceful arc toward the top-right corner of Udinese's goal.
Chimenti dove desperately, but there was no stopping it.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"
"2-0!!!"
"In the 21st minute, Napoli strikes again!"
"Hamsik scores! Napoli now leads 2-0!"
Hamsik sprinted toward the sideline in celebration, performing his signature dance as his teammates rushed to join him.
Who would have thought? In just under ten minutes, Napoli had scored twice!
...
As Hamsik's goal hit the back of the net, Gao Shen lifted his head and closed his eyes.
The boos from Udinese's fans reverberated around the stadium.
Marino, standing by the home team's bench, was shouting furiously at his players, helplessly venting his frustration.
Behind him, Gao Shen's assistants were cheering wildly for the second goal.
Everyone knew that this second goal was as good as sealing the victory.
But Gao Shen didn't think so.
Only two goals? That's not enough!
Opening his eyes and fixing his gaze on the field once more, his eyes gleamed with determination.
The knife he had sharpened was meant to do more damage.
He signaled for his players to keep pressing, to maintain their relentless pressure on Udinese.
On the field, Napoli's players saw their coach's gesture and understood. They could feel his hunger, his unwavering resolve. They knew what was expected of them, keep attacking!
Gao Shen wanted to see just how devastating Napoli's attack could be.
At the same time, he wanted to send a message to the rest of Serie A: this is what it costs to challenge Napoli!
And so, Napoli's players continued to press hard, covering the field with their tireless running and constant pressure, creating chance after chance.
Udinese, rattled after conceding two quick goals, began to fall apart. Their positioning was in disarray.
The most telling sign was their reluctance to push forward. Anytime they gained possession, Napoli's pressing would immediately force them to pass back.
Meanwhile, Napoli, buoyed by their momentum, continued to storm Udinese's penalty area.
From the sidelines, Marino kept urging his players to push forward, but they couldn't find a way through Napoli's pressure.
Long balls? Those would just fall back to Napoli's feet.
And they couldn't simply boot the ball up the field without any thought, either.
...
In the 37th minute, Napoli launched another attack. After receiving the ball with his back to goal, Sanchez spun around and unleashed a powerful shot.
But Napoli didn't relent. Under heavy pressure, Chimenti couldn't find a passing option and was forced to throw the ball to center-back Felipe, who passed it to Zapata on the right. But Di Maria was already closing in fast.
Messito, wary of Cavani lurking near Zapata, avoided passing to his center-back partner and instead passed the ball back to the goalkeeper.
Cavani, seeing this, sprinted directly toward the penalty area, charging at Chimenti.
"Napoli's pressing is relentless they're even chasing down the goalkeeper!"
"Look at Chimenti..."
As Chimenti controlled the ball, Cavani was already closing in, forcing the keeper to rush his pass. He aimed for the Brazilian left-back Siqueira, who had dropped back.
But before the ball could reach Siqueira, Sanchez darted in from behind and intercepted it, stabbing the ball back into the penalty area.
Sanchez's touch was slightly heavy, sending the ball rolling ahead of him. Cavani, already in the box, considered going for it but saw Sanchez sprinting forward unimpeded. He slowed down, letting the Chilean winger take charge.
Sanchez caught up with the ball and, without stopping, fired a powerful shot.
The ball flew in a straight line, zipping past Chimenti and into the Udinese net.
3-0!!!!!!
The entire stadium fell into a stunned silence.
The first half wasn't even over yet, and Udinese had already conceded three goals!
Everyone could feel the overwhelming firepower of Napoli's relentless attack, especially under their suffocating high press.
Over by the home team's bench, Marino's arms were frozen in mid-air, as if he'd been paralyzed.
At that moment, he finally understood why teams like Cagliari had no choice but to play defensively when facing Napoli.
He was still too inexperienced, too naïve. He had been riding a wave of success for too long.
*****
Noticed I haven't dropped a bonus in a while lmao, well you guys haven't reached the PS goal for bonus lmao. Anyways dropping 2 bonus chapters for you guys today because I felt like, and I hope I am doing a good job with this FF? Trying my best to keep the names and locations correspond to irl but there's bound to be little mistakes here and there is you do notice any let me know, as long as you guys enjoy reading it. Also if you're interested in reading ahead or supporting me check out my Patreon bye.
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