Capítulo 187: Chapter 187 Capture Madrid Again! Incredible Goal!
"Diego, do we need to adjust? Should we make a final push in the first half and try to steal a goal?" asked Germain Bourg, Simeone's assistant, from the home team's bench at Calderón Stadium.
With halftime approaching, the players might lose focus. Typically, Atletico Madrid capitalizes on their opponent's slack during the latter part of the first half to score. It was a familiar scoring routine for them.
But Diego Simeone shook his head, frowning. "No, we need to stabilize the score in the first half."
For this UEFA Champions League semi-final, Simeone had taken great care in his appearance. His clothes were sharp, exuding the aura of a "thug in a suit," with his hair slicked back.
Across the field, Union Berlin's coach Neuhaus and his assistant Hofstadter looked much less polished. Their sports training clothes were faded, and their hair was messy, as if they hadn't bothered to groom it.
Simeone glanced at them, feeling an inexplicable sense of foreboding. Did the opposing coach have some hidden tactics? Or was it something about the Chinese player, Su Luo, whose confidence was almost unsettling?
In the last minute of the first half, Su Luo was still running all over the field, hoping to get the ball. Atletico Madrid players set up a defense near the center circle to limit him. Su Luo couldn't find a chance to shoot and was aiming for a long shot from about 30 meters out.
Gabi's fierce tackle knocked Su Luo to the ground with the ball.
"Su Luo... Gabi fouled him! What? The referee didn't call it?" He Wei was dumbfounded. Su Luo clutched his ankle and lay on the ground, but no foul was given.
Atletico Madrid seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack, with Griezmann dribbling towards the penalty area. Fortunately, Lisandro Martinez intervened, using precise positioning to easily steal the ball from Griezmann.
Lima passed to Kimmich, whose route was blocked. Su Luo gritted his teeth, got up, and limped a few steps. Kimmich quickly handed the ball to Su Luo.
Su Luo, now on the left, faced a double-team from Gabi and Saul. He planned to use Ronaldinho's skills to break through, but every time he put weight on his right ankle, pain shot through him.
"Damn..." Su Luo gritted his teeth, flicked the ball to the right near the left sideline, and swayed slightly. When Saul lunged for the ball, Su Luo picked it up and, from a rather awkward angle 40 meters from the goal, volleyed with his left foot.
"Su's got the ball... what's he doing?"
"Berlin's No. 9, Su, shoots directly!!"
"Su———Take the shot! Unbelievable!"
"Su Luo tries a shot from near the sideline!"
Su Luo's move puzzled many commentators, except for those familiar with his style, like the German commentator and CCTV's He Wei. They knew that Su Luo would act decisively whenever he sensed an opportunity.
Most players' random shots are seen as poor decisions. For Su Luo, they were brilliant attempts. His incredible volley from the left flank arced high in the air, seemingly destined to miss the goal.
Atletico Madrid's goalkeeper, Oblak, was positioned high. Confident in his experience and prediction skills, he assumed the ball would fly wide.
"Que? Jesus!" Oblak exclaimed as the ball suddenly dipped unexpectedly. He reacted quickly, sprinting back to the goal and attempting a save, but he was too late. The ball grazed his fingertips and landed in the net.
"Careless!" Oblak cursed himself. His confidence in his prediction skills had interfered with his decision-making.
The Calderón Stadium erupted in gasps and disbelief. How could this Asian player be so threatening?
"T-ooor! Our Bundesliga team leads in the Champions League semi-final!"
"Goooooooal! Su Luo again, scoring against two Madrid teams in a row!"
"Su Luo's incredible volley! This shot will surely be one of the top 5 goals of his career! But... his right ankle is injured!"
He Wei immediately noticed Su Luo's condition. After scoring, Su Luo didn't celebrate but fell to the grass, unable to get up.
His teammates, initially rushing to celebrate with him, quickly realized something was wrong. They called for the team doctor on the sidelines. The referee, noticing the situation, came over to check on Su Luo.
The team doctor's diagnosis sent a chill through Union Berlin's players. "Ankle sprain, partially torn ligament. He can't play today; he needs treatment immediately."
The confrontation with Gabi had finally taken its toll on Su Luo's ankle. The referee, understanding the situation, belatedly gave Gabi a yellow card.
No one cared about Gabi's yellow card now. Su Luo was injured—how would the team proceed without him?
Fortunately, Su Luo's goal came during stoppage time in the first half. The referee blew the whistle, ending the chaotic last minute of the half.
Atletico Madrid 0:1 Union Berlin at home!
"If Su Luo is injured and substituted, it will be great news for Atletico Madrid. They can even consider letting go of the attack and finishing the game strong in the second leg," the Madrid TV commentator remarked happily about Su Luo's injury.
Union Berlin with Su Luo and Union Berlin without him are completely different teams. German TV commentators and CCTV's He Wei were closely monitoring Su Luo's condition.
"As you saw, Su Luo insisted on getting up after his injury and seized the opportunity to score," He Wei explained. "These movements may have aggravated his ankle injury. Fortunately, his efforts weren't wasted; he scored a valuable away goal!"
Meanwhile, in the locker room at the Calderon Stadium, Neuhaus frowned and stopped Su Luo.
"I'll replace you," he said firmly.
"Coach, I'm fine. Give me a painkiller, and I can keep playing."
"No, you have to come off. Do you want to risk your career? Even if this were the Champions League final against the reigning champions, I wouldn't let you take that risk," Neuhaus said with unwavering determination.
He usually listened to Su Luo unconditionally, but this time, he asserted his authority as head coach. Playing on an injured leg could lead to irreversible damage. Su Luo had the potential to dominate football in the future, and Neuhaus couldn't be the one responsible for jeopardizing that. The world needed a healthy Su Luo, not just a win or two.
"Okay, Coach," Su Luo conceded, realizing the seriousness of his condition.
Getting up and shooting earlier had been a struggle. His right foot felt numb, not painful. The more he thought about it, the more he feared the consequences of playing through the injury.
He had only one thought when he scored: to take advantage of his momentum and score. Atletico Madrid's defense was too stable, making it difficult to find opportunities. Su Luo's desire to win had driven him.
The team doctor confirmed that Su Luo's injury wasn't too serious. He needed a month to recover. But this was the crucial sprint stage at the end of the season.
Su Luo's hands were pale as he slammed them on the chair. "The Champions League is so close... Damn it!"
"Su, you're still young," said the old captain Matuschka, who had been on the fringes of the team for a long time. He lightly patted Su Luo's shoulder. "With your growth rate, you'll definitely reach the finals next season. If you don't, I'll swim the Rhine live."
Matuschka's eyes were firm as he tried to lighten the mood with a joke. Success or failure in one season was nothing. They could come back stronger next season.
"Besides, we were just a Bundesliga team before, and now we're in the semi-finals of the Champions League. I can't believe it every day. I'm afraid I'm dreaming."
"Sometimes, it feels like we can't keep up with you," he continued. "So, Su, don't risk your career and delay your recovery. If it affects your future, we'll feel guilty for the rest of our lives."
Matuschka's words resonated in the locker room. The surrounding players and head coach Neuhaus listened quietly. The more Su Luo excelled, the more his teammates felt they were holding him back. They also blamed themselves for not being strong enough. If they were better, Su Luo wouldn't be frequently fouled and injured.
"Yeah, if we were stronger, maybe we could get rid of Atletico Madrid," Sane smiled confidently.
"We're already satisfied with reaching the semi-finals. Next season, you'll take us to the Champions League final," Quining said emotionally. Without Su Luo, he wasn't confident they could eliminate Atletico Madrid.
"What are you talking about? Maybe Su can recover and still play in the final!" Kimmich smiled optimistically.
Looking at his teammates, Su Luo nodded. "I'll do my best to recover and come back as soon as possible. If not this season, then next season, we'll reach the top of Europe!"
"Top of Europe!" the team echoed, their morale lifting.
In the second half, Union Berlin made substitution adjustments. Christopher Quining replaced Su Luo. Verhorst remained up top, with Sane and Quining on the wings and Forsberg as the attacking midfielder.
Su Luo's ankle was initially treated by the team doctor, and he sat on the bench to watch the game. Seeing this, Union Berlin fans expressed their helplessness.
With Su Luo injured and off the field, Simeone didn't seize the opportunity to attack aggressively. Atletico Madrid played conservatively, focusing on defense. The game became dull, with few threatening opportunities for either side. Sane and Quining attempted several shots, while Griezmann and Torres also had chances. Both goalkeepers, Oblak and Pickford, performed well, continuously blocking the opponent's attacks.
The score remained unchanged at the end of the 90-minute game. Su Luo's goal helped Union Berlin beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 away! His Champions League goal tally was now 25. Despite the victory, Su Luo felt dissatisfied.
"Damn it!" he muttered. Without him, Atletico Madrid might take advantage in the next round, posing a danger to Union Berlin.
However, Su Luo suddenly felt a surge of energy. The frustration of being injured and the anger at Atletico Madrid's rough defense accumulated into a significant change.
"Wait, is this... the unparalleled mode?" Standing at the Calderon Stadium, Su Luo fell into deep thought.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to [KB Hardison] for joining my Patreon page!🎉 Your support means the world to me. 🙏
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!
There are 90+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder