章 307: Moment of Glory
As Juventus restarted the game, only 40 seconds of stoppage time remained. However, the referee was sure to add a bit more time at his discretion. Aldrich wasn't particularly concerned about this, as long as it wasn't excessively over two minutes, he could accept it.
At that moment, the situation on the field had completely reversed, especially in terms of mentality. Millwall's spirits soared after they scored, while Juventus' conceded goal in stoppage time hit them like a thunderclap.
Most importantly, Millwall was no longer afraid of conceding. Even if they did, it would just mean going into extra time. On the other hand, if Juventus couldn't score in the dwindling moments, they were surely heading out.
Juventus' formation looked more like a rugby team's formation when they kicked off again. Except for the goalkeeper, all other players lined up on the midfield line, preparing to sprint. When Inzaghi kicked the ball to Del Piero, all the Juventus players rushed towards the opponent's goal.
Millwall set up a compact defensive stance with a sweeper, four defenders, four defensive midfielders, and a lone striker, effectively protecting their net.
Zidane controlled the ball at the midfield line and waited with bated breath. At the moment when all Juventus players poured into the penalty area, he kicked out like a thunder, and the ball flew into the penalty area like a cannonball! The ball dropped beautifully near the penalty spot, with Juventus players scrambling for it. But wait—Bart is lightning fast! He jumped up, leaping high, and the ball was hit out of the dangerous area and flew to the right, leaving the Juventus player behind!
Ballack rushed in to gather the loose ball, controlling it before playing a ground through ball just as Juventus' attacking players bore down on him like wolves.
Larson received the ball from the wing and charged forward, almost causing a 1-on-1 situation. But the Juventus defender immediately began to drop back to defend. As players from both sides got closer and felt the pressure, Larson cleverly chose to use moderate force to kick the ball toward the sideline near the baseline.
The ball rolled out slowly, eating up precious seconds, and despite Peruzzi's desperate chase, he couldn't catch up. By the time he got to the sideline to take the throw-in, he had to wait for his Juventus teammates to return and support.
Pesotto received the throw-in and turned to deliver a long ball forward, but it was intercepted by Nedvěd, who cleared it. Larsson regained control but decided against rushing forward, opting instead to send a long shot toward the goal. As Peruzzi took his throw-in, Juventus' net was unguarded.
However, the distance was too far; Larsson's long-range lob missed the target badly.
As Peruzzi ran back to his goal to take a goal kick, the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the match.
"What a spectacle we witnessed at the Alpi Stadium in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal! Millwall, the underdogs from England, managed to pull off a stunning 1-1 away draw against Juventus with an injury-time killer goal, securing a spot in the semis with a 3-2 aggregate! This is Millwall's debut in the Champions League, and young gaffer Aldrich Hall has just written his name in the history books. Not only will this go down in the annals of English football, but it's a landmark moment for the competition as well—a mere 21-year-old coach leading his team to the last four! What's even more impressive? They did it by taking down Juventus, the champions and runners-up from the last two years! Today's hero, Italian maestro Pirlo, made the difference with his goal. Yet, we must not overlook the vital contributions from Makelele and Southgate, whose crucial tackles during Millwall's aggressive push were game-changers. Without those vital plays, Juventus could very well have fended them off. Regardless, Millwall is electrifying and sure to be a team to watch in the semifinals; we can't wait to see what they'll do next!"
As the final whistle blew, all Millwall players let out a sigh of relief before celebrating their hard-fought victory.
Southgate knelt on the ground, raising his arms in triumphant celebration, while Schneider, utterly exhausted, lay flat on the grass with his eyes closed, revealing a smile that could captivate any woman. Larsson crouched on the field, suddenly heaving a few mouthfuls of bile. After being substituted, Pirlo, who had been standing at the sidelines, finally took a seat, leaning back on his hands, breathing heavily but wearing a broad smile, clearly delighted with the match's outcome.
Aldrich, trying to suppress his overwhelming excitement, walked over to shake hands with Lippi. Lippi encouraged him with a few words in his ear before giving him a pat on the shoulder and leaving first. Aldrich graciously accepted his congratulations and walked back onto the field, with cameras closely following him, capturing his every move.
After a long time without a passionate celebration, Aldrich delivered a classic moment for the press today, one born of genuine emotion, impossible to be guided by reason.
Aldrich approached Larsson, who was being examined by the team doctor. With a smile, Aldrich inquired, "How are you feeling? Do you need an extended break?"
Larsson was simply fatigued; Millwall's tactics required forward players to frequently track back, and he had diligently fulfilled his role, amassing the second-highest running distance on the team, just behind Nedved.
"Ha! There's no way I'm missing the semifinals and finals," he replied confidently.
With a weary tone, Larsson replied, and just then, Nedved came over to help him up. The two shared an embrace, celebrating their advancement to the semifinals—another step closer to conquering Europe!
Pirlo was also pulled up by Materazzi, while Gattuso held two bottles of water, opening the caps and pouring water over Pirlo's head from behind.
Aldrich approached Schneider, bent down to pat him on the chest, and asked, "How are you feeling?"
Schneider groaned and sat up, "I feel pain all over my body. So, boss, who will we face in the semifinals?"
Aldrich shrugged casually and grinned, "Who knows? It doesn't really matter."
Schneider smiled heartily and nodded: "That's right! Who cares? No one can stop us from reaching the finals!"
"Wrong, wrong! No one can stop us from taking the trophy home!"
Once all the players had recovered from the intense fatigue of the match, they gathered at the sidelines to thank the fans.
At this moment, Aldrich noticed that there were only about a thousand scattered Millwall fans in the stands, while the seats he noticed being empty before the match were all occupied by away fans.
It was strange; the official sale of away tickets had exceeded two thousand five hundred, plus some scattered fans who must have bought tickets on the black market, suggesting there should have been at least three thousand five hundred visiting fans in attendance today.
Aldrich set aside his questions and joined the players in thanking the away fans with linked arms.
These Millwall fans were ecstatic, some crying tears of joy, others clapping non-stop, while others cheered enthusiastically.
They had witnessed a great match that, while lacking in viewing pleasure, was enough to stir the soul. Millwall, despite trailing in score, relentlessly pushed forward, and their persistence was rewarded.
The Lions of Millwall had reached the semi-finals; if they could defeat two more opponents over three matches, they would reign over Europe!
Once everything concluded, with the players heading to the dressing room to gather their belongings, Aldrich prepared to attend the post-match press conference.
The English journalists were feeling proud, as Millwall had not let them down, carrying the flag for England in defeating their opponents in the highly regarded Italian league champion's home ground—a difficult yet monumental victory.
Italian journalists, on the other hand, felt quite gloomy. With Parma eliminated in the group stage and Juventus falling short of the semi-finals, Italy's Champions League ambitions had concluded for the year.
After six consecutive years of Italian teams reaching the Champions League final, their streak was ended by Millwall. To put it into perspective, in the past nine years, Italian teams had only missed the final once, and counting this year, they had made it to the finals eight times over ten years—a remarkable feat demonstrating the dominance of Serie A teams in European competitions.
There were no sharp exchanges in the postgame interview. Aldridge remained calm. Even after eliminating Lippi's team, he did not show contempt for his opponents. Instead, he praised Juventus and Lippi, admitting that his team relied on Will and luck. He admitted that the players' belief in victory ultimately determined the outcome of the game, while expressing deep respect for Lippi, emphasizing that he still has a long way to go before reaching Lippi's level.
His humble attitude won over the Italian media, which was widely acknowledged.
As for the match itself, anyone who watched would not believe that Millwall won through sheer dominance, or that they had any significant advantage. The last-minute goal indeed came with an element of luck, while Juventus squandered two golden opportunities that could have turned the tide.
When it came to summarizing the game, Aldrich maintained his demeanor and answered each question, but when asked about the semi-finals, he smiled.
"When you advance past a team like Juventus, your confidence receives a huge boost, and you can see the shadow of the trophy. We'll find out our semi-final opponent tomorrow—Monaco or Manchester United? I'm not particularly concerned; no matter who it is, we will give it our all to reach the finals. My team is young, but because of that youth, we need to prove ourselves with trophies! I believe Millwall has reached the top level in Europe, but this level is not in an absolute sense; I think there is a gap between us and Juventus, but it's not large. There is a similar situation between us and the other teams in the semi-finals. It will be a battle of the strong, but no one will have an easy victory. Without putting in more effort than usual, you cannot overcome your opponents!"
"Will Millwall now focus on the Champions League, given that the team is only in third in the Premier League? Are you giving up on defending your title?"
This was a question from a journalist from Fleet Street.
In this setting of the UEFA-arranged press conference, journalists from other countries weren't too concerned about news pertaining to the Premier League.
Nevertheless, Aldrich answered the question.
"The players' energy is limited, and I can't hypocritically say they should evenly distribute their effort and stamina to maintain the same level in both league and Champions League—that's impossible. We are fully committed to the Champions League, and perhaps we can perform at 90%, but if we try to average it out, it might only be 70%. The league isn't over yet; we are facing challenges with a congested schedule, but the club will maximize its resources in difficult situations, responding appropriately to the upcoming fixtures. I firmly believe there is still hope for retaining our league title, but Millwall does not hold the initiative."
His answer was a sincere one; with Millwall trailing in points and sitting in third place, they certainly lacked the initiative.
After the press conference ended, Aldrich boarded the bus with the players, preparing to leave Turin for the airport.
Just as he sat down on the bus and took out his phone, he realized there were many missed calls and messages. After quickly reading the messages, he immediately told the driver to stop. He got off the bus and took a taxi to the police station in Turin.
It was quite odd; Brady, Fred, and Sol, along with a group of Lions fans, had been taken into custody at the police station...
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