Chapter 97: A Head-On Encounter on a Narrow Path (Second Update)

"This is the 2015–16 Europa League semifinal between Villarreal and Liverpool, brought to you by Penguin Live. In the first half, our countryman Dai Zhiwei gave Villarreal the opening goal. Liverpool equalized in the dying moments of the half, and the score remains unchanged for now: Villarreal are still level with Liverpool at 1–1."

"The second half has been far duller than the first. There have been almost no thrilling moments to speak of. But there have been far more fouls than before, and it is precisely these whistles from the referee that have disrupted both sides’ attacking rhythm."

"In the first half, only Ruiz had picked up a yellow card, but barely had the second half begun before Milner was booked for a sliding foul on Suarez."

"Ten minutes later, Bruno refused to be outdone and was shown a yellow for hacking down Moreno."

"In the 56th minute, Liverpool’s yellow-card brigade returned once more, as Lovren was cautioned for a blocking foul on Soldado."

"Although the second half has been played with far more ferocity and brutality, it is clearly more suited to Liverpool’s style. After all, compared with the technical traditions of La Liga clubs, the Premier League has always relied more heavily on physical confrontation."

"Milner used his body to hold off Mario Gaspar on the flank, then laid the ball back in a cutback to Coutinho."

"Coutinho had no defender within three meters when he received it, so he let fly at once. It was a fine strike, and Asenjo could do nothing about it."

"But Coutinho’s shot slipped past the goalkeeper’s fingertips only to fail to find the net, thudding against the right-hand post. Firmino then tried a powerful effort from fifteen yards to complete a second goal, but this time Asenjo, perfectly placed, launched himself to parry it away from the lower right corner."

"Coincidentally, not long after Liverpool had struck the post, Villarreal launched a quick counterattack from midfield. Dos Santos sent a through ball from the edge of the box, Dai Zhiwei timed his run to beat the offside trap, and after shaking off Kolo Toure on the right side of the area, he unleashed a fierce drive from sixteen yards."

"Go in!"

"Dai Zhiwei had struck it beautifully and, seeing Mignolet a half-step late, he was already preparing to celebrate. But..."

"Bang!"

"The ball crashed viciously against the left-hand post."

"Even so, he reacted instantly, sprinting in to try for the rebound. Unfortunately, Lovren was closer to the ball, and he hacked it behind for a corner with a huge clearance beside the post."

"Ha!"

"Left helpless, Dai Zhiwei could only slap the post hard with his right palm. This time he was truly frustrated. He had finally understood the misery of hitting the woodwork; better not to let a man dream at all."

"It was exactly like finding a fly in your meal, or discovering there is no toilet paper after you have already finished in the bathroom."

"With nearly half of the second half gone, both Marcelino and Klopp on the touchline began making their moves. For the Yellow Submarine, Leo came on for Dos Santos."

"Unlike Villarreal, who had simply made a like-for-like change, Klopp was more aggressive. He replaced the out-of-form Coutinho with the forward Ibe."

"The final battle of this match was about to begin."

"After the substitutions, play resumed, and Liverpool chose to press Villarreal with attack after attack. Klopp’s arrangements caught Marcelino somewhat off guard, and for a time the Yellow Submarine’s goal was in a state of alarm."

"In the 68th minute, Firmino switched the play, and Lallana’s shot from the edge of the box was blocked before Asenjo gathered it."

"In the 72nd minute, Lucas played it wide. Moreno crossed from the right edge of the six-yard box, and Ibe, who had just come on, sent a long-range effort from thirty yards skimming just wide."

"Two minutes later, Erna’s right-wing free-kick sparked a scramble. Villarreal’s defense managed only the barest clearance in the chaos, and Lallana’s left-footed drive from outside the edge of the box drifted past the left post."

"Although Liverpool’s attacking momentum surged higher and higher, with a goal and the lead seemingly just around the corner, football is full of matches in which one side dominates without scoring. And when the opponent also possesses a blade sharp enough to kill with a single stroke, such matters become all the more dangerous."

"Then came the sight Liverpool least wanted to see: a mistake suddenly crept into their attacking combination. Lallana tried to take Bruno on himself, but failed to beat him, and so he rolled the ball back to Joe Allen beside him, looking for another opening."

"It should have been a perfectly ordinary passage of play. But the instant he played the ball, Soldado suddenly burst out, like a leopard lying in ambush on the grassland for far too long, pouncing with ruthless speed on his prey. Lallana was dispossessed."

"And that meant Villarreal’s counterattack had begun!"

"The stands at the Estadio de la Cerámica erupted in cheers as well. The home fans had long been stifling their frustration while watching Liverpool’s waves of attacks. Soldado’s brilliant tackle lit up their eyes and unleashed, in an instant, the passion they had been holding inside!"

"If there was one man in Villarreal’s ranks who most desperately wanted to produce a superb performance in this match, it was unquestionably Soldado."

"In years gone by, it was his failed spell in the Premier League that had turned this once beloved Spanish striker from a darling into a fading star. Now, facing English giants Liverpool, he was determined to prove through his own brilliance that he was not incapable, that he had not failed to adapt to the Premier League, and that it had all been nothing more than a cruel twist of fate."

"Lallana tried to step up and win the ball back, but this time he had miscalculated. Soldado gave him no chance to close in, and without the slightest hesitation he sent the ball ahead to Dai Zhiwei, who was already waiting in front."

"Counterattack!"

"Dai Zhiwei drove forward with the ball in ecstatic fashion, charging toward Liverpool’s half. His feet exploded with unprecedented speed. One moment ago he had still been receiving the ball near the center circle in his own half; the next, he had already burst into the attacking zone and surged into Liverpool’s defensive territory."

"Once again, Dai Zhiwei’s pace told the watching crowd that he really ought to have been on the track, sprinting, rather than lurking behind the offside line."

"He dribbled with the ball at his feet, while his eyes, in a sweep of the corner of his vision, continually measured the positions and runs of the players around him. Yet the Liverpool defenders behind him found it almost impossible to close the distance."

"With astonishing speed, Dai Zhiwei arrived at the edge of Liverpool’s box. He had long since sensed the chase from behind, but at that moment there was no other Villarreal player in his eyes, and he had no intention of passing."

"Kolo Toure had been toyed with by Dai Zhiwei many times before, and he wanted to use this chance to wash away his humiliation once and for all."

"But wanting was one thing, being able to do it was another. Dai Zhiwei’s burst of speed was not something he could stop. With a light touch on the ball and the force of his acceleration, Dai Zhiwei simply tore past Kolo Toure."

"Following close behind Toure was his center-back partner Lovren. Seeing Dai Zhiwei break through Toure’s challenge, and the ball now a little too far from control, Lovren went straight into a slide in an attempt to ruin the attack."

"Seeing Lovren’s choice, Dai Zhiwei did not back down. He slid as well, a tackle without the slightest hesitation, but it was a sliding shot."

"In a narrow path, the brave prevail. All out for it!"

"End of chapter."