Chapter 142: There's Someone Up There
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Warning! This is our territory. Trespassing will be considered an illegal invasion. Please withdraw immediately. Otherwise, it will be regarded as a provocation, and I will break you!
I repeat! This is our territory. Trespassing will be considered an illegal invasion. Please withdraw immediately. Otherwise, it will be regarded as a provocation, and I will break you in three seconds!
One!
Two!
Three!
Boom!
There was a muffled thud, and beads of sweat sprayed everywhere. Cut grass scattered.
The Reading player, who was wearing a horizontally striped white and blue jersey, was pathetically hurled sideways. And George Wood stood at the point of the collision, with the football he had just seized lying still beneath his foot.
"Foul—" The Reading fans could not finish speaking before they were drowned out by louder cheers.
"Well done; beautiful!" The Forest fans all stood up and shouted.
The referee also seemed to hear the cries of the home fans. He wagged his finger at the prone Reading player, who was demanding a free kick as he ran backwards away from him.
"Give me the ball!" Gunnarsson called out next to Wood. This was a great opportunity for the Forest team to fight back.
Wood did as he was told and passed the ball, but did not follow. He firmly remembered Twain's request to him: defend, and don't let the opponents get past him to threaten the goal. The vast area between the halfway line and the line at the penalty area is my territory, he seemed to be saying. I'm the ruler here, and anyone who wants to pass through must ask for my permission! The kid from Reading just now did not get my permission.
"What a beautiful defensive block!" exclaimed Motson. "Steve Sidwell is a player with a great physique on the Reading team, but he doesn't stand a chance in front of George Wood! Coppell is furious at the referee's penalty decision. But in fact, this was actually a reasonable collision. If he were to question why his player had flown so far... Well, there's only one explanation, and that is that George Wood is too strong! Poor Sidwell hit a wall directly while he was dribbling the ball at high speed!"
When he saw Coppell stomping in front of the technical area as though he were a monkey robbed of its banana, Tang En could not suppress his inner delight. He looked at Coppell, who had been clapping for Wood's performance a moment ago, and said to Walker beside him, "Des, did you see that, Mr. Nice Guy is getting impatient."
Walker smiled and said, "I think he flew into a rage during halftime."
"This is good. I know he wants to beat me here, so the longer the score remains at 0:0, the better it is for us."
※※※
Both Tang En and Walker were right. Coppell wanted to defeat Twain so badly that he was almost insane with the thought of it. During the halftime interval, he had berated all the players in the locker room, as the combined force of Reading's entire main lineup had been unable to take down the Forest team's substitute lineup in the first half. His plan was not just to obtain the three points from this match, but to obtain them beautifully. Whether it was through the gameplay or the score, he wanted to leave that cunning Tony Twain speechless.
"Don't tell me you guys can't even beat the damn Nottingham Forest Second Team! Those two center backs have never been partnered before. They've probably spent less time practicing together than you all have f**king spent in women's beds! Break through those two stupid center backs! They will collapse at the first attack!"
The players sat in the locker room with their heads lowered. Who knew what was going on in their minds?
It was not that they didn't want to win. Indeed, they launched a frenzy of offense against the home team the moment the second half started, but the two defensive midfielders were simply too powerful. Most of the offense ended in front of them, and even if they were able to get other passes through, they were collectively resisted by the Forest team's defense. They knew that the two first-time center back partners were the Forest team's Achilles' heel for the game, but still, it was as if they had formed a steel barricade in front of the Forest team's penalty area.
Sidwell's courage was admirable, but the outcome was disappointing.
The one wearing the Nottingham number 33 jersey was not a player, but a wall. A wall that ran from one sideline of the field to the other.
Sidwell still clearly saw him defending on the right wing. After a three-touch pass, the football was passed to the left wing. The Reading player was about to speed up to break through the Forest defensive line, but just as he kicked the football out, he was tackled. When he finally got up from the ground, he looked at the back number on the jersey... It was number 33 again.
The game had already been going on for seventy-nine minutes, but his speed had not varied at all!
This is terrifying!
This was the only thing Sidwell could think when he saw George Wood for the first time.
Wood could be seen repeatedly doing lateral sprints in the 30-meter zone for the duration of the match. He might look silly playing this way, simply following the football, but he still terrified his opponents. He and Gunnarsson were like a pair of steel jaws, ceaselessly opening and closing, and snapping off the Reading team's offense route.
Wood rendered Reading completely helpless, so they simply lobbed the ball from the backfield to pass it to the striker in the front. This happened to fit with Robert Huth's intention. George Wood's hyper style of play had kept him idle for too long.
Now, as he watched the football fall from the sky, he and Hill jumped up and took turns cleaning up the overhead zone of Nottingham Forest's penalty area.
Reading, who had lost Goater, was completely unable to pose any threat to the Forest team's defensive line. If they intended to break through the Forest team's intensive defense from the wings, then at least one of the two defensive midfielders would immediately help the backs defend the wings. If they were going to take a long shot from the midfield, it was highly likely that the moment the striker swung his leg, the football at his feet would be tackled by Wood and Gunnarsson.
At the eightieth minute, the latest game statistics were displayed on the television screen. Twain's team had the absolute disadvantage for ball possession, at only 31%. The Reading team had 69% of the ball control, but they still had only eight shots on goal.
"This is insane! I know that before this match, there were a lot of Forest fans looking forward to fantastic goals from their new favorite, Freddy Eastwood. But this game has become the stage for this eighteen-year-old, George Wood! I think it's worth reminding you once again that this young man wearing the number 33 is playing for Forest's First team for the first time today! This is his maiden battle, but it's so perfect that it leaves you speechless! We may be seeing the rise of another star player!" The fervor in Motson's voice could be heard across the United Kingdom through the satellite signal.
Tang En did not know how many people would watch a League One match on the television, but he knew that Wood had succeeded. The kid's performance was better than he had imagined. Much better.
Next to Twain, Walker said excitedly, "Tony, I saw you pull Wood aside and speak to him for a while in the locker room. What did you say to him that made him so energetic in the second half? It's like he's on drugs!"
Tang En shrugged. "I told him that because he was transferred to the First Team, I would consider giving him a new contract to replace the original youth contract."
"Is that all?" Walker was a little disappointed.
"Of course not. I also told him that the better his performance is, the higher his weekly wage on the contract would be."
Walker paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.
※※※
In the VIP box, Evan was congratulating Sophia. "Madam, you have a talented son! Tony's never wrong about people."
Sophia smiled. "Thank you for your compliment, Mr. Chairman."
On their other side, the Reading chairman was depressed. He could hear Evan Doughty's laughter from several seats away. Before the game, he had been looking forward to a beautiful victory when he heard that Twain was going to send out his substitute lineup.
Damn it! Even a draw can make you so happy, you good-for-nothing Yankee!
※※※
From the 85th minute onwards, Tang En began his substitution plan. He basically let the players on the substitutes' bench do their warm-ups to drag out the game time. So, he did not bring on three substitutes at once, but rather brought on a substitute once every one or two minutes.
The score was still 0:0, and his purpose had been achieved. Next, he could reasonably make use of the rules to prolong the game time, and he could obtain a point that way.
In fact, it was not pointless for the Reading team to tie the game today. Although it seemed like the Forest team had deployed a lot of new substitutes, most players on the team would be the main force in the latter half of this season. For example, Tang En had decided to fully promote George Wood to the First Team. With such a fantastic performance in his first game, he was certain that no one would question that decision. At the same time, he was not concerned at all that letting Wood play for the First Team so soon would ruin the young man... "The Cautionary Tale of Zhongyong" would not apply to George Wood.
Rebrov stood on the sidelines and waited for a dead ball. He was going to replace Eastwood. For tactical reasons, the Romani had not had much to do in this match. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that the Forest team's spotlight had simply been on George Wood alone in this game. Before this game, the critics were worried that Twain would lose. Now that they had seen this, would they have anything else to add? Or would they have to eat their words?
The Reading team launched another attack. They were unwilling to draw a tie with the Forest team for this match.
But George Wood's invisible wall emerged once again. Compared to the exhausted Reading team, who were staggering along in their dribbling, he looked as if he had just been brought on, vigorous and swift.
Pop! Wood intercepted the ball from the Reading attacking midfielder, James Harper. He then took a big step forward to bypass his opponent and kicked the ball before he could even react, completely thrusting the football out of the other's range of control.
Then Wood caught up with the football and got it back. But what should he do next?
Over the past year or so, he had only practiced defense. Other than the basic techniques of passing, he knew nothing about attacking tactics. What could he do?
He did not see the emptiness in Reading's defensive line, nor did he see Eastwood, who intended to outmaneuver them from the wing. Suddenly, he heard a roar.
"What are you doing? Pass the ball! Kick the ball forward!!"
Tang En was waving his arms and shouting at him from the sidelines.
That's right, now is a good time for the team to attack. But who do I to pass it to?
"Don't worry so much, damn it! Just kick it to the front! Use all your strength!" Tang En, who was standing on the sidelines at that point, wished he could personally go on the field to replace Wood to kick the ball.
Now was the best chance for the Forest team to fight back and seize this opportunity. Maybe they could emerge victorious from the match!
But if the opportunity was wasted due to Wood's hesitation, and the team lost the chance to score... Tang En wouldn't know whether to cry or laugh.
"Kick towards the goal!"
Wood snapped to attention from Tang En's tone. He no longer cared about the chaotic situation in the Reading team's front field. He kicked the ball with all of his strength. The football flew high into the air and drew a rainbow-like arc, hurtling towards the goal.
The cheering in the stands grew louder and louder. Amidst the cheering, the Reading goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown turned and ran towards the goal.
Seeing this scene on the field, even Tang En was stunned. Was he possessed by the spirits of David Beckham and Xabi Alonso? Even during training, this kid had never kicked such an accurate shot!
"George Wood passes... My God! Is that a direct shot?"
In the VIP box, even Evan Doughty could not help but stand up to lean over and watch the football flying across the stadium.
Coppell rushed out of the technical area and almost dashed straight to the field. He clutched his fists and shouted, "Damn it! Don't let the ball in!"
Ashdown looked up at the descending football and muttered to himself, "You will not go in, will not go in, will not... go in!"
He watched and timed his opportunity to move backwards and leap. He raised his hands with the intention knocking the football off the beam. That way, everything would be over.
But he underestimated the power and speed with which Wood had kicked the ball. The football did not strike his fingertips, but slammed into his wrists. Then Ashdown fell into the goal, and the football did not fly out off the beam as intended. Instead, it bounced back to the front of the goal.
Damn it! There was still a chance ... Ashdown struggled to untangle from the net and got up to pounce towards the football. At the same time, as he heard the cheering from the stands suddenly get much louder than before, there was a sudden whoosh beside his ears as if a supersonic plane had just flown over his head.
A shadowy figure appeared in front of the football. Due to the backlighting, he could not see the man's jersey color or appearance. Was it his teammate, a Reading center back coming to defend?
Tang En jumped on the sidelines.
Motson stood up from his seat with the microphone in his hands.
Evan Doughty's hands pressed tightly against the box window, and his fingers made a squeaking sound from pressing so hard.
Ashdown saw the dark shadow swing his leg, and fiercely kick the football. He watched in despair as the ball flew past him. The clamor from the stands reached a climax and he could not hear anything else that followed.
"Goooooal!! Oh my God! Nottingham Forest takes the lead against Reading at the last moment of the game! Freddy Eastwood appeared like a ghost in front of the goal! What a beautiful assisted shot! I bet even Twain did not expect to win the game! Look at him on the sidelines! He's going nuts! He's hugging everyone he sees! This is truly an incredible goal! A sixty-meter indirect assist shot from the eighteen-year-old George Wood, who made his debut in this match! Beautifully done, kid! This is your first game; continue to play like this, you will have an incomparably brilliant and bright future!" Motson howled along without any regard. He had every reason to be impulsive after such a goal.
The Nottingham Forest players, who had been waiting in the backfield without any expectations, spread their arms and roared as they rushed towards Eastwood in the front to celebrate the goal that had ignited the City Ground.
Gunnarsson punched the back of his midfield partner in excitement. And when Wood turned to look at him, he laughed and shouted, "Are you stupid? We scored! Nice work, lad! It's your assist!" Afterwards, he ran towards Eastwood, just like everyone else.
While everyone else was going wild, Wood still had no reaction. He stood in the center circle in a daze, in the exact spot where he had just taken the shot. He looked at his celebrating teammates around him, looked at Eastwood who was crushed underneath, looked at Tony Twain who was hugging everyone on the sidelines, and saw the cheering fans in the City Ground stands.
Apart from gasping for breath, he was only thinking about one question: How much can this performance increase my weekly salary on that contract?
※※※
Walker shook Twain's shoulder with all his strength, screamed at Twain with the tip of his nose almost in his face. "Tony! Tony! He's a genius! I swear! I swear by my twenty-year career, he's going to be a great player! You know who I'm talking about, right?"
When Tang En finally calmed down, he grabbed Walker by the shoulder and replied, "Of course I know, Des!" Then he turned and looked at George Wood, who was in a daze on the field.
Kid, from the moment you were alone on the youth team training ground, thinking of ways to practice your passing; from the moment you went to Gavin's grave alone to give him flowers; from that time you came to my doorstep and said to me, "Sir, you should sign the best player in England," I knew damn well you were going to succeed, George!
Gavin's idol can't be an insignificant nobody!
Kid, you've got a fantastic start, now are you ready? Stride forward on this road ... No, run! Charge at full speed!
※※※
That wonderful goal had completely crushed Reading. Nottingham Forest defeated Reading, with their last-minute "lucky ball," and received an unplanned three points.
At the post-match press conference, a reporter suggested that even God did not want Nottingham Forest to lose, and had helped the team at the last moment. Tang En was not angry, he joked good-naturedly, "In fact, when I need to, I will always ask God for help. Mr. Coppell is a good man, and I want to thank him again for delivering the three points to my team when I needed them."
Coppell was a little embarrassed. "I agree with Mr. Twain's words. This time, my team did not lose to Nottingham Forest, but to God." He pointed above with a wry smile.
He was right. There was someone up there for Tony Twain!