Chapter 123: The Consequence Of Provocation Part 2
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
You will see a completely different world...
Rebrov looked up at Millwall's goal. The opposing goalkeeper stood in the front and there were very few defenders. He could envision countless routes that the ball could be launched from his current position to the goal across the huge expanses of empty space,
Yes! I see it!
Taylor trapped Phillips behind him, and he looked up at the ball and spied Rebrov from the corner of his eyes. His teammate in the yellow visitor jersey was waving at him, and his gesture indicated to him to pass the ball back with a header.
I'll pass it to you!
Taylor suddenly leapt and pressed Philips down. Then he headed the long pass that came from Reid to assist Rebrov who was charging forward!
Wise had tried to keep up with the opponents' preparation, but he did not expect the Forest team number 10 to suddenly accelerate and shake him off in two strides! He tried to catch up, but he found his body ignored his command. He was getting old... He could only stumble and watch Rebrov receive the ball flying toward him, leap sideways, swing open his leg, and whip his leg toward the football...
"Taylor, a header..."
I see it, this is the path to the goal, this is... a whole new world!
"Rebrov... Rebrooooooooooooooooooooooooov!"
Tony Warner, Millwall's goalkeeper, did not think that Rebrov would directly kick the ball while it was still so high in the air outside the penalty area, which was still 30 meters away from the goal! He was positioned too far ahead. Even if he leapt high with all his might and stretched out his arms, he still could not stop the powerful force of the shot from that leg! The football swept past the top of his hands, then rapidly fell and hit the net as the commentator was yelling!
"Incredible! It's unbelievable! A super long shot! From Serhiy Rebrov--!"
A tremendous cheer erupted in the visitors' stands, heavily surrounded by the police. At that moment, they quelled the Millwall fans' singing and jeering. At that moment Nottingham Forest shut the Millwall fans' mouths!
"This is Rebrov! What a magnificent goal! Tony Twain's team showed us their remarkable nerve! They have leveled the score in this away match! There's absolute silence in the home team grandstand. Everyone's stunned by this amazing long shot! Beautiful shot! Beautiful! The Millwall goalkeeper Tony Warner is speechless with this loss!"
After finishing the shot, Rebrov got up from the ground and looked up at the goal. The football had just hit the net. He knew he had succeeded! He was so excited that he did not hug Taylor for his assist. Instead, he turned and ran toward Tony Twain, his team manager who was on the sidelines, celebrating the goal with Walker. He wanted to thank this man for giving him a new lease of life!
He was not good with words and unable to say anything too sappy. At this moment the only way for him to express his gratitude... was to hold the man firmly in his arms. His arms tightly clasped and almost crushed the breath out of Tony Twain. Behind him, his teammates flocked around them and knocked him and the manager down, and then they all piled on...
"Ah! Damn it! My ribs!" Tang En, who was the one crushed at the bottom, howled in pain.
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"...This is the quarter finals of the EFL Cup! Millwall versus Nottingham Forest in a home ground match! After the fan riots at the end of the first half, the second half of the game continues! We're just less than five minutes in, and we have already seen this beautiful goal! This is a value for the price of the ticket goal!"
Motson's animated voice boomed from the television set in the bar, and it was a sea of cheers under the television. A few excited fans jumped onto the tables and poured down the large mugs of beer in their hands. And more people imitated them and splashed their beer into the air. Beer was raining down in the bar and the beer showered on everyone. But they did not care. They drank the beer that fell from the air with their mouths wide open, fists pumping and hollered, "Well done! Ukrainian! Good job! Tony! This is the best way to retaliate against those b*stards!"
"No one can get away safe and sound after provoking us! No one!"
"Those Millwall idiots will regret it! You should not have mentioned Gavin's name!"
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The cheers and celebrations of the Forest fans in the stands still continued. The game had started again, and the Millwall fans' resentful hissing started again.
After the score was equalized, McLeary went to the sidelines in a panic and tried to redeem the situation. Tang En gave him a disdainful glance. This man did not pose a threat to him at all.
After leading the First Team to play more than a dozen games, the only manager that deeply impressed him was the Sheffield United manager, Neil Warnock. Because that old chap defeated him in the most crucial match, which left him with a failure that he would never forget.
Having equalized the score with a breathtaking kick, Nottingham Forest was completely playing in peak condition. Even Wise was helpless when faced with the rush of the Forest players. For the first time in his 19-year career, he felt a sense of powerlessness surge from the bottom of his heart... He was getting old, the field belonged to the young.
Seven minutes after the Forest team's equalizer, they successfully reversed the score. This time it was Andy Reid who scored the goal. As a result of a beautiful coordination by the Forest team in the penalty area, he was able to dribble the ball into the penalty area, and then he kicked a low shot into the net from the left wing!
After taking the lead at 2:1, the Forest team played even more aggressively. The Millwall players could also see that their opponents were hooked on the offense and would not give up at this point.
Because Mark Phillips was unable to defend against Gareth Taylor, Kevin Muscat was instructed by Manager McLeary to mark Nottingham Forest number 18, who was 10 centimeters taller than him! The disparity was not only reflected in height, but also reflected in physical strength.
Muscat spent all his energy in his entanglement with Taylor, and his temper was rising as fast as a thermometer that was put into boiling water. He really wanted to boot this big guy's leg. At the most he would be sent off with a red card, but the opponent might end up in the hospital for up to half a year.
When he slide-tackled Gareth Taylor from the back again, Taylor screamed and fell to the ground. Then he held his ankle in agony and rolled around. It looked as if his leg was really broken.
The referee's whistle rang, and the Australian defender, Muscat, accepted his ending with a smile—second yellow card and a red card. This was what he had anticipated, and he did not even make any excuses. When his teammates surrounded the referee and still pleaded on his behalf, he tugged his jersey out of his shorts and smiled at Taylor, who was lying on the ground.
Boy, I'm walking off the field and you're being carried off, these are our respective endings. Which one do you think is better?
He had just finished his thoughts when he saw the big guy, who had just been tossing and turning and desperately calling out for a stretcher, stand up before the team doctor. And he even walked off the field on his own!
Of course, he did not forget to turn his head around and give Muscat a smile.
My friend, we're all walking off the field. But I can come back up after this and you... will go back to the locker room, get dressed, and then go straight home!
The smile on Kevin Muscat's face froze.
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Short of a player and behind in the score at the same time, Millwall did not give up the game and were prepared to go on a frenzied counterattack with their fans cheering them on.
However, their fighting spirit had not even been ignited before it was extinguished in their hearts.
Muscat had just slowly shuffled to the sidelines when another immense cheer came from the visitors' stands.
"Gareth Taylor! What a stunning header! Poor Mark Phillips could not defend against Taylor who is of the same height. Nottingham Forest's number-one scorer this season, just added the eleventh goal to his personal goals! 3:1! The away team, Nottingham Forest is leading by 3:1 at The Den!"
Upon seeing Taylor hugging his teammates to celebrate the goal together, Muscat angrily struck the railing beside him. He was duped by this big guy, no, fundamentally speaking, he was duped by that other person!
He turned his gaze toward the Nottingham Forest technical area. Tony Twain jumped up and pumped both fists in excitement.
All of a sudden, he felt that not only was he tricked, but Mr. McLeary, manager of his team, was also caught in Twain's trap.
This... son of a b*tch!
At the urging of the fourth official, Muscat, who was sent off by the red card, finally reluctantly left the field and entered the player's corridor.
Next, the Millwall fans in the stands gradually quieted down. They could only powerlessly watch their team being slaughtered by the sudden eruption of the Forest team. Why had they used the name "Gavin" to provoke Tony Twain's team?
Look what happened!
4:1!
5:1!
6:1!
7:1!
The Forest team went on a frenzy as if they could just score a goal with any random shot. No matter what kind of substitution adjustment McLeary had made, he was unable to save the team from the fate of their disastrous defeat on their home ground.
He stood dumbstruck on the sidelines and could hardly believe everything he was looking at. How... How did it come to this? He was feeling smug and complacent before the match. He had bright prospects at the halftime interval and now... everything that was happening now was a disgrace to him!
The referee finally blew the whistle at the end of the match, and the nightmare of the 38-year-old Millwall manager, Alan McLeary, and his team, as well as the Millwall fans in the stands, had come to an end.