The strongest blade in football

Chapter 110
At 4:8 pm on April 3, it was overcast.

It wasn't too cold, but Fankos donned a classic red scarf.

This is the year he got married, and his wife bought it for him from the fan shop. Every time he wears it, the team always wins.

Before going out, Fan Kos browsed the fan forum again, and the letter of apology was still at the top.

Those extreme fans in the last game thought they had gone too far, and they were asking Wang Nuo for forgiveness on the Internet.

"Go to hell, bitches!"

Fan Kos cursed secretly, and turned off the computer.

As the vice president of the PHK fans club, he hates these little-brained guys the most. They are not worthy of being standard Liege fans.

But those clowns are not today's protagonists.

Fan Kos soon became excited again, and today Standard Liege will step on Hamburg to enter the semi-finals of the Europa League!
Today is an exciting day!

He walked out of the house, as he did every game day in the past, and went to the bar for a drink or two.

The people there are like family and brothers, nice to talk, drinking and chatting happily for two hours, and then assembled in a slightly drunk state to go to the stadium.

Along the way, they will see fans wearing red jerseys, like streams flowing into the sea, gradually gathering together to witness the team's new breakthrough in the European war.

Wang Nuo set foot on the lawn of the stadium, Dufrasen's home atmosphere will never disappoint.

Countless pieces of colored paper whirled in the air, people waved display boards and banners, and players chanted as they lined up on the field.

Wang Nuo couldn't hear anything at first, then he understood, the fans were singing their love for Standard Liege.

Unlike the last round, Wang Nuo heard the fans cheering for him again.

Such a voice is simply great!

At the same time, he could vaguely see several identical banners on the stands, which read "Wang Nuo will always be the pride of Liege".

Most fans are not fools, without Wang Nuo, the team will not return to Dufrasen with a victory.

Such a turning point almost broke Wang Nuo's defense, which shows that the fans behind him still love him!
There are also sporadic banners with words like "Good luck, Wang Nuo", as if this is Wang Nuo's farewell match.

Standing on the court, Wang Nuo felt that he was motivated. He deliberately put his hand to his ear, as if to say: "Speak up, louder!"

Wang Nuo's mentality is very relaxed, and everyone is very optimistic. Everyone agrees that Hamburg cannot take away a victory from here!
Everything looked like a stage set for a big show, the perfect setting for a hearty game.

At 8:[-] p.m. sharp, the game kicked off and the noise from the fans grew louder.

The situation was a bit unexpected.

In this game, the Hamburg team's starting lineup and formation did not change in any way, but the players seemed to have changed a group of people. Whether it was technical and tactical coordination or personal ability, they were not comparable to the first round.

Hamburg quickly took control of the game and they got one chance after another.

Standard Liege was pressed and beaten, and persisted for half an hour in pain.

However, luck is on Standard Liege's side.

In the 35th minute of the game, Wang Nuo made a breakthrough along the sidewalk, dribbled the ball to the bottom line, made a cross, and Limangala jumped high in the penalty area.

Competing with him was No. 5 Matheson of the Hamburg team, but Mangala obviously had a better position. He pressed against Matheson's body and rubbed lightly with the top of his head.

The football changed its direction and flew in from the left side of the goal!

Standard Liege took the lead at home!
This is Mangala's first European goal. He rushed to Wang Nuo excitedly, and his teammates also rushed over. Everyone was smiling. The Europa League semi-finals seemed to be waving to them!

The fans in the stands fell into a carnival. They put their arms around their shoulders and started dancing with their backs to the court. The cheerful atmosphere continued until the end of the first half.

Standard Liege played an ugly first half, were pressed for most of the time, but they scored and Hamburg didn't, so no one cares!

In the eyes of many people, after scoring the first goal, there will be a second and a third behind, and everything will become easier!
This optimism spread to the locker room. Boloni was still analyzing the game with a piece of paper in his hand as usual, but many people went in one ear and out the other.

"We have to defend next, and we must withstand Hamburg's counterattack at the beginning of the second half. We cannot take it lightly. Hamburg only needs to score two consecutive games, and the game can still be dragged into overtime."

The players are all nodding in agreement, but in fact, what many people think is that I don't want to defend, and score another one in the second half, once and for all!
This Standard Liege team is the team with the youngest average age in the Europa League quarter-finals, and the young guys like to take advantage of the victory to pursue.

Sure enough, at the beginning of the second half, Standard Liege launched a "violent attack".

Boloni was dumbfounded, but the audience was overjoyed.

They feel that Standard Liege is still the team with pursuit. Only a strong team will keep attacking when there are only 45 minutes left in the round and the total score is 3:1.

"Liege, Liege, oh oh oh, Liege!" they sang happily from the sidelines.

The Hamburg players were also happy, seeing the space behind Standard Liege and the hope of saving the game.

In the 18th minute of the second half, Ze Roberto made a breakthrough from the left and made a pass. Liege goalkeeper Borat made a mistake. Petric scored with a header from close range, equalizing the score for Hamburg!

With the arrival of this goal, the audience on the sidelines felt as if they were hit hard, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

But Liege still has an advantage. As long as they can maintain the score, then everything is not a problem.

The players finally realized that the boss was right, and quickly gathered up their formation under the command of Boloni from the sidelines, and refocused on the competition and defense in the midfield.

It's a pity that Hamburg didn't give Liege much respite. They were like a battering ram that couldn't stop, constantly looking for loopholes, and the flood of attacks made it difficult for Liege to parry.

Liege also got an occasional chance or two. On one occasion, Wang Nuo and Boateng crowded together and were brought down in the penalty area.

The line referee raised the flag to remind the referee that there was a situation, but after communicating with the assistant referee, the referee finally judged that it was a reasonable collision.

While the Liege fans were still chattering in the stands over the controversial decision, Van Nistelrooy shut everyone up.

The Hamburg team launched a quick counterattack, Ogo made a cross from the left, Ruud van Nistelrooy scored with a beautiful barb, and Hamburg took the lead!

Except for the Hamburg fans in the visiting team's fan area, the rest of the Dufrasen Stadium fell into absolute silence.

This kind of game process is unacceptable. Standard Liege is like a roller coaster that was supposed to soar into the sky, but suddenly dived down from the highest point.

Even the players on the field couldn't bear such a blow. The moment the goal was scored, Mabokani covered his face, and Borat kicked a football hard to vent his emotions.

Boloni did not complain about the team, but kept encouraging everyone on the sidelines, repeatedly shouting "gardez votre calme" (keep calm) and "Restez concentré!" (focus).

He removed Dalma and replaced him with the more impactful Brazilian Carmen, commanded Witsel and Casella to exchange positions, and made some simple tactical arrangements.

Standard Liege finally withstood the continuous offensive of the Hamburg team and played 1-2 with Hamburg in regular time.

The total score of the two teams remained at 3 to 3, and the game was dragged into overtime.

After the start of extra time, the entire auditorium was praying to God for help. The atmosphere on the field was very tense. Both sides created some dangers, but neither scored.

Both legs of Wang Nuo seemed to be filled with lead. He was the one who ran the most distance in the field. When Wang Nuo's last shot slipped out, he was so tired that he lay on his back on the lawn.

A voice hovered in his mind, a penalty shootout is coming!

The penalty shootout is really here!

Wang Nuo has not experienced a penalty shootout since he came to Standard Liege. This is his first time, but Boloni chooses to believe him.

It didn't take long for the order of the penalty shooters of the two sides to be determined. Wang Nuo was ranked third, and everyone returned to the court.

As usual, many in the audience didn't even have the guts to watch a penalty kick, and a few started biting their thumbnails.

The referee signaled to use the goal under the South Stand!
The standard Liege penalty first, Mabokani calmly walked into the penalty area, set the ball, took a few steps back, looked at the goal, started, shot to the lower right corner of the goal, the ball hit the net, 1:0!

Petric of the Hamburg team also achieved it overnight despite the crazy boos of the home team fans!

Both of them are penalty kick experts. Watching them kick penalty kicks is like watching the ticket inspector stamp the tickets. Wang Nuo finished the work while chatting.

In the second round, Camargo and Yarolim also performed steadily and scored all the goals, 2:2!

Next, it was Wang Nuo's turn, and the eyes of the audience fell on him as if they were real, and the pressure increased exponentially.

Wang Nuo was a little nervous, his heart was beating uncontrollably, but he didn't feel panic anyway, everything was still under control.

He kept taking deep breaths, but tried not to let others see, he wanted to appear like a calm assassin.

Wang Nuo once read a book that said: Is it not easy to take a penalty kick?The penalty spot is only 11 meters from the goal, you just need to put the ball in place and shoot, the goal looks huge!
At this moment, Wang Nuo didn't think so. In his eyes, the huge one was the goalkeeper.

Although Rost is 36 years old, there is no doubt that he is still a top goalkeeper. When he moved to Schalke 04, he set a transfer record for a German goalkeeper.

When it comes to penalty kicks, Rost's age has turned from a disadvantage to an advantage in a sense. He is more stable and experienced.

Taking a deep breath, Wang Nuo put aside the distracting thoughts in his heart, did not look into the goalkeeper's eyes, adjusted his rhythm, and placed the football firmly on the penalty spot.

Everything is going well, Wang Nuo took a few steps back, making the final choice, is it the left?Or right?Or kick a spoon?
Wang Nuo was overwhelmed by a strange feeling that hit him in a split second as he ran towards the ball.

The moment he lifted his foot to shoot, it seemed that even he himself could not predict where the ball would be kicked.

He made a big mistake, kicked the ball limp, and it was over!Wang Nuo thought to himself.

However, an incredible thing happened, Rost threw the wrong direction, and the ball still rolled into the goal!

For a moment, Wang Nuo seemed to have walked through the gate of hell. He almost became the team's sinner!

There was a new burst of cheers from the sidelines of the court, but Wang Nuo didn't notice it at all, and he immediately ran back to the middle circle after the disaster.

Shortly after, Peter Roipa of Hamburg also scored the ball, 3:3!

The pressure was increasing, and Wang Nuo was glad that he was the third one to take the free throw instead of the fourth or fifth, otherwise he really didn't know if he could take it!

For the fourth penalty, it was Jovanovic's turn. The Serbian walked from the center circle to the penalty spot, set up the ball, kicked it casually, and the ball scored!

While many people were intimidated by his casual attitude, Yovanovic was relaxed, as if it didn't matter if he got in or not.

The Serb was less cheered than the others, a long and lonely walk from the penalty spot to the center circle.

The fourth penalty of the Hamburg team was Van Nistelrooy, who also kicked in, 4:4!

Unlimited pressure came to the shoulders of Dufour, the fifth penalty shooter of Standard Liege.

Before he set off, he received encouragement from several teammates, but those encouragements didn't seem to work, and Wang Nuo found that his smile was a bit forced.

Wang Nuo watched him walk over and felt that something was wrong. His body was stiff and he seemed to be in a bad condition.

Through his body language, Wang Nuo sensed the fear deep in his heart.

This premonition was quickly fulfilled, and Dufour kicked the ball over the crossbar with one kick!

The Dufrasen home fans fell into a deathly silence.

Damn it!The Hamburgers are ready to celebrate!

All they needed was the final blow, and it was Ze Roberto who last went to the penalty spot for Hamburg.

On the bench of Standard Liege, Rocha put his vest on his head, and some players turned their backs, not daring to see the situation on the field, just like a death row prisoner who wants to cover his eyes with a black cloth.

Standard Liege has almost been sentenced to death!
Only the Ivorian boy Gosibi stared at Ze Roberto.

On the court, everyone's reaction was similar. There were several sighs from Wang Nuo's side, and someone had already squatted down covering their faces.

Wang Nuo stared blankly at the goal, with only one thought in mind, don't score the penalty!Don't make a penalty!
Wang Nuo hopes that Ze Roberto will slip, hope that he makes a mistake, and hope that he kicks the ball away!
The fans were in tears, but they were still making the final struggle. They whistled and yelled all kinds of unknown meanings, constantly disturbing Ze Roberto.

Ze Roberto puts the ball down.

back.

He starts to run.

He stood on his supporting leg and lowered his head.

Don't make a penalty, kick it away!Don't make a penalty, kick it away!Wang Nuo's throat also started to hurt, and his vision was a bit blurred.

Ze Roberto made a smooth kick and kicked the ball to the left. The ball spins inwards. The quality of the ball is not high!
For the goalkeeper, this height is ideal. Borat once performed a miracle at the end of the Champions League group stage, and he quickly made a save.

Unfortunately, he threw himself in the opposite direction.

The ball is in.

In an instant, Wang Nuo seemed to be hit on the head by a huge hammer!
He couldn't control his tear ducts anymore, everything became blurred, and his teammates cursed a few foul words and fell to the ground one after another.

Dufour lay on the lawn, shaking and crying.

Witsel squatted halfway, almost burying his head in the ground.

The entire stadium was shrouded in a great sadness.

Vaguely, Wang Nuo saw Boloni in a suit running to everyone, comforting the injured teammates one by one.

Wang Nuo knew that this moment not only represented the end of the road to the Europa League, but also represented that Boloni was about to leave the team.

Logically speaking, the boss had nothing to do with the club after losing this game.

But he still came to comfort everyone, he is really a personable person.

Boloni worked hard for a while, but to no avail, and everyone was still immersed in grief.

He simply stood up and came to the crowd.

"Stop crying, boys!"

"What is there to be sad about? You are still young, and you still have countless opportunities. This season, everyone is one step away from reaching the semi-finals. You should be proud of yourself!"

"Cheer up! Look at the audience, they cheered for the team for the whole game, how many lovely fans you have!"

"We just lost a game! It's not the end of the world! You will have the Europa League, even the Champions League, the European Cup, and the World Cup in the future!"

"There are plenty of opportunities! Stand up for me! You are all men! Right!"

"What we should do is to let the fans continue to support us like unyielding fighters! Stand up, stand up!"

I have to say that Boloni's words are very powerful. He can always mobilize everyone's emotions and make everyone more positive.

After a few minutes, the players were back to normal, or at least no more tears.

Everyone did not go back to the locker room, but at the request of Boloni, all gathered near the South Stand.

The fans there didn't leave either. They were dressed in red and waved flags and display boards. They were diehard fans of the fan club and supported the team unconditionally no matter they won or lost.

When the fans saw the players walking towards them, they wiped away their tears one after another, and regained their spirits under the loud shouts of several leaders.

The anthem of Standard Liege rang out in the South Stand.

"Liege, oh - Liege, oh oh oh - Liege, Liege, oh - Liege, oh oh oh - Liege."

"We have gone through all the twists and turns, we have lost our way countless times, but our faith supports us to persevere, we fight bloody battles, we are fearless—"

"Liege, the great, the great, the invincible Liege!"

The singing voice seemed a little weak at first, but after a few sentences, the audience in the other stands who hadn't left seemed to have been pressed on the switch, and they were all activated.

New voices continued to join in, and the singing became louder and louder. After a while, it became a torrent spreading across the entire Dufrasen!

Wang Nuo and his teammates held hands tightly, raised their arms above their heads, and sang along with the fans!
After the first song, everyone maintained an amazing tacit understanding without any pause, and another more passionate battle song rang out again!
"The flame burns our passion, here is the fiery Liege!"

"Victory always belongs to the great warriors, and the Red Army's way forward is lit by itself!"

"You will see our flag fly high!"

"You will hear with your own ears, we cheer for the joy of victory!"

"Glory, glory, glory to Liege!"

"Past, present, future!"

"Glory, glory, glory to Liege!"

"Work together to defeat the enemy!"

On this night of being eliminated, at a moment that should have been occupied by sadness and pain, everyone in the Dufrasen Stadium gradually regained their courage!
Fan Kos stood on the front guardrail of the stands. He was the one who sang the hardest. Even after 120 minutes, his voice was a little hoarse, but it did not affect his singing for his beliefs!

With his back to the court, he kept waving the red scarf that was originally tied around his neck, as if he was waving a dancing flame!

Wang Nuo watched the entire stadium in the crowd. At this moment, he finally understood a truth——

The love of Liege fans for the team has been deeply rooted in their bones, and they are not influenced by the team's record. When the Dufrasen Stadium can always be filled with red lights, Standard Liege will always have hope!

———The red end of the first volume of Du Frasen——

(End of this chapter)