Chapter 53: The Critical Hour

Quan Jingyuan launched a long pass, the ball dropping only at the edge of Evergrande’s penalty area. Feng Xiaoting strained to force Lima off balance, but the Al Ahli striker’s skills were formidable. In their tussle, Lima suddenly stopped short and changed direction, leaving the off-balance Feng behind him.

Having missed the previous match due to suspension, Kim Young-gwon saw Lima pass Feng and rushed toward him in haste. Lima glanced at the rapidly approaching Kim, then noticed Zeng Cheng was slightly off his line. While on the move, Lima deftly nudged the ball, sending it in a beautiful arc toward the top right corner of the goal.

Just as Zeng Cheng was about to charge out, he realized Lima was shooting instead of dribbling. He leapt back desperately, but it was too late—the ball just skimmed past his fingertips and flew toward the goal.

At the moment when Zeng Cheng felt all hope was lost, a sharp “thud” rang out—a sound that, in that instant, was music to his ears. The ball struck the crossbar and bounced out over the end line. The entire crowd of Evergrande fans gasped in unison.

Watching the ball rebound off the crossbar, Dai Zhiwei, up front, realized his back was soaked with cold sweat. In a sense, this Al Ahli counterattack had originated from his less-than-subtle pass, which allowed the opposition to launch their assault.

Had that shot found the net, he would have borne a share of the blame. Of course, in such moments, few outside observers care whether a defender is at fault due to a forward’s poor decision.

After this scare, Cannavaro sprang up from his seat on the sidelines, ran to the edge of the pitch, and shouted instructions at his players, gesturing with both hands to steady them—reminding them that, even in attack, they must defend, stay calm, and control the tempo.

As Evergrande settled down and sought to control the flow of the match, the game returned to a balanced midfield battle, with both sides trading steady attacks and counterattacks. Thus the first half ended.

A score of 0-0 was far from unfavorable for Evergrande, but for Al Ahli—desperate for two goals—it was agony.

After halftime, Al Ahli, with their backs to the wall, immediately intensified their attack, launching wave after wave toward the Evergrande goal.

Yet it was Evergrande who nearly broke the deadlock first. In the 57th minute, the home side was in possession at the back.

Seeing Lima approach, Feng Xiaoting dared not risk playing with the ball in defense. He quickly sent a long pass forward to Goulart.

Recently, Goulart had been largely ineffective, a pent-up frustration boiling within him. Now, facing Sangour, he pushed the ball ahead and accelerated, hoping to outpace his opponent.

But Sangour was not to be outdone; the two sprinted over thirty meters in tandem. Near the end line, Goulart, unable to shake Sangour, was forced into a sudden stop, letting the overcommitted Sangour rush past him. He then passed to the arriving Dai Zhiwei.

Surrounded by defenders, Dai Zhiwei opted not to dribble but instead delivered a sharp through ball, threading it past Al Ahli’s defense toward Elkeson.

Seeing Elkeson about to receive the ball, Hamis and Quan Jingyuan hurriedly closed in from both sides, only for Elkeson to push the ball laterally back to Dai Zhiwei.

“Great pass!”

Ignoring Quan Jingyuan’s frantic attempt to block him, Dai Zhiwei unleashed a powerful shot at the ball.

“A tiger’s strike!”

Quan Jingyuan, seeing the shot, dove in with arms outstretched, sliding in an attempt to block.

A crisp sound—Dai Zhiwei’s shot deflected off Quan Jingyuan’s body, yet continued its trajectory toward goal with blistering speed. Mahmoud, stationed in front of the net, could only surrender.

With a resounding “thump,” a beautiful sound to Mahmoud’s ears, the ball struck the post and bounced out over the end line.

Mahmoud felt his whole body go weak, sweat beading on his palms and down his back. As the Evergrande fans sighed in disappointment, the Al Ahli supporters let out a collective gasp of relief.

Seeing his nearly certain goal denied by the post, Dai Zhiwei could only vent his frustration by pulling at the grass of Tianhe Stadium.

After nearly being scared out of his wits by Dai Zhiwei’s shot, the first thing Mahmoud did after getting up was not to shout at his defenders but to give the goalpost a deep, grateful kiss.

At that moment, what Mahmoud most wanted to say was surely, “I love you, goalpost!”

A post for a post—no one could complain of injustice.

By the 70th minute, the match erupted into drama once more. After Goulart was dispossessed by Sangour on the wing, Sangour launched a long pass to Lima, who was dropping back to help defend.

Somewhat unexpectedly, but driven by a striker’s instinct, Lima turned with the ball and surged toward Evergrande’s penalty area. When he reached Feng Xiaoting, instead of challenging him one-on-one as before, he nudged the ball to the advancing Khalil and spun into the box.

For the first time in the match, Al Ahli’s forwards showed their full pace. Khalil, receiving the ball, accelerated and drew level with the defending Kim Young-gwon. With Feng Xiaoting racing back to cover Lima, Al Ahli’s two strikers found themselves in a two-on-two situation.

Sensing the mounting pressure, Khalil did not dare continue dribbling, opting instead for a diagonal ground pass. Zeng Cheng, initially poised to rush out, retreated back into goal as he saw the play unfold.

Lima, sprinting at full speed, accelerated to gain a step on Feng Xiaoting. The latter, wary of conceding a penalty, could only watch as Lima calmly collected Khalil’s pass inside the box.

Without hesitation, Lima shifted the ball with a natural change of direction, evading Feng’s defense, then suddenly swung his right foot, driving a low shot toward the bottom left corner of the goal.

Caught off guard, Zeng Cheng flung himself sideways, hoping for a miracle. The ball, however, bounced off the turf, skipped over Zeng’s outstretched hand, and continued toward the goal.

The sound of the ball hitting the net was music to Al Ahli supporters’ ears.

After scoring, Lima and Khalil refrained from excessive celebration, sharing only a brief embrace before picking up the ball and heading to midfield, signaling Evergrande to restart play quickly.

Though Al Ahli had pulled one back, making the aggregate 2-2, Evergrande still led on away goals. For Al Ahli to be crowned champions, they needed one more goal.

“Trying to turn the tables? I won’t let you spoil my masterpiece!” Dai Zhiwei, preparing to kick off, clenched his fists.

From the moment Evergrande restarted play, the fans at Tianhe Stadium erupted in unending roars. Many left their seats empty, standing like a forest of bristling spears, their presence exuding a palpable sense of danger.

From the 70th minute on, thunderous chants echoed over Tianhe Stadium, making it feel less like a football ground and more like an ancient coliseum.

Their expressions were akin to the frenzied crowds in ancient Rome, the air thick with wild, contagious passion.

This was a truly mad home ground.

Yet who could deny that this was the purest essence of football?

Though Evergrande still held the advantage of away goals, the margin had shrunk to just one. Even in the 70th minute, any lapse in concentration could render all their efforts in this year’s Asian Champions League meaningless.

With less than twenty minutes remaining, Al Ahli, still behind, pressed their attack relentlessly.

At this critical juncture, Evergrande wisely shifted their focus to defense, but never abandoned their attacking intent.

Zeng Cheng came off his line, leaping high to snatch the ball from above Lima’s head before the striker could make contact. He immediately raised his hand and, after a few quick steps, launched the ball deep with a powerful kick.

Evergrande counterattacked!

The ball landed at Goulart’s feet on the right flank. Without hesitation, the midfield maestro burst forward at full speed.

But as Goulart crossed into the opposition half and lifted his head, his brow furrowed—Al Ahli’s defenders had already fallen back with surprising speed.

Goulart’s advance had been lightning quick, yet Al Ahli’s defense transitioned instantly, with five defenders already in position.

Hesitating between pushing forward alone or waiting for support—knowing that charging ahead would mean facing the defense alone and likely losing possession—Goulart paused.

At that moment, a hand shot up high on the left.

Somehow, an Evergrande player had already penetrated deep into Al Ahli’s territory, inside the penalty area.

Goulart didn’t need to look closely to know who it was.

Within the Evergrande squad, who could outrun Goulart at full speed with the ball?

Only Dai Zhiwei.