Chapter 261: A Show of Genius Part 2
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The Forest team's attack on Old Trafford was a bit monotonous. They could not break through from both flanks, which was what they were best at. Albertini was restrained in the back and the Forest team could not even attack from the center. In that way, the flanks could not break open, the center was a no-go, and the Forest team's two strikers had become completely extraneous, not being seen in action for a long time.
At that point, Twain had a desire to have an attacking midfielder on the team who could share the responsibility of organizing the offense. It did not have to be an attacking midfielder, but it did have to be a midfielder who could organize.
Ribéry dribbled the ball across the flank to break through, but his pass to Eastwood soon after was suddenly intercepted by a figure behind him.
"Cristiano Ronaldo! He rushed back from the front field and cut off Ribéry's pass!"
The impatient kid had actually acted on his own to snatch the ball.
The Forest team's offense was suddenly terminated, and the entire team hurried back to their positions. Ronaldo would not give them time to return to their defense set up. After his successful interception, he turned and broke through along the flank, hoping to use his speed and skills to dribble the ball directly to the Forest team's penalty area.
After poking the football out, he saw a figure appear to his side.
It's that boastful number 13! It's good you're here… block me if you can!
Ronaldo dribbled and charged towards Wood, then made a dazzling scissor move that was fast and lethal. Wood was swayed until his center of gravity became unstable.
This is it!
Ronaldo jabbed the football to the side and accelerated. When he tried to immediately cut inside and use his back to block against Wood, he suddenly felt his body leaning against a barrier.
"Ronaldo wants to make a breakthrough! But George Wood has a tight grip on him."
After running a few paces alongside Wood, Ronaldo found that it was difficult to rely purely on his speed to break through number 13. It looked like he would need to use his best step-over move to seek a breakthrough.
Ahead of him was the Forest team's center back, Matthew Upson. Ronaldo came up with another plan. His back would push against Wood while he ran, and then he would cut inward to make Wood think that he was going to force a breakthrough; that would cause his opponent to speed up.
Wood was fooled. After feeling that Ronaldo was going to break through, he immediately sped up and raced to Ronaldo's front; he then looked back and saw Ronaldo use his right heel to knock the football on the outside of his foot towards inside of his foot. At the same time, he did a sudden stop and pivot and bypassed Wood.
"Look at that! What a thrilling breakthrough... This is Ronaldo's moment! At the Theatre of Dreams at Old Trafford, a genius play is being staged!"
Seeing how easily Ronaldo shook off Wood, the commentator heaped all the praise he could think of onto the Portuguese player, as though he were in a theater tossing flowers at an actor.
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The Nottingham Forest fans booed loudly in the south stands of Old Trafford.
Skinny Bill took off his headphones and said to Fat John, "The commentator said this was the moment for Ronaldo's genius performance!"
"Bulls**t! We have a genius too!" John hurled an empty paper cup that he had in his hands. He was fed up with the commentator's nauseating adulation. "Come on, lads! Don't let those Manchester United bastards look down on us! Sing with me!"
"Wood! Wood! Wood Wood Wood! Grow into a Forest! Wood! Wood! Wood Wood Wood! Let your opponents struggle! If you want to bypass, the ball stays! Stays! Stays! Wood! Wood! Wood Wood Wood! Grow into a Forest! Forest! Forest! Victory! Go, Go, Go! Forest Forest!"
Ronaldo heard the loud cheers coming from the Old Trafford stands. He liked to hear spectators cheering on his performance. This really is The Theater of Dreams.
Matthew Upson was up ahead. When he saw Ronaldo bypass Wood as he knocked the ball some distance away from himself, Upson wanted to rush up and intercept the ball. But he underestimated the Portuguese's speed. He was just a half step earlier than him to touch the football, and then he leaped and did a Marseille Turn, dragged the football, and brushed past Upson!
"Ah! It's beautiful! A genius performance!" The commentator was shouting uncontrollably, as though he had seen the unveiling of a good passing performance by several players, like the scene with Thierry Henry's shot into Tottenham Hotspur's goal. That terrific goal had been exciting enough to repeatedly broadcast as an opening title on the BBC for a year.
Ronaldo, who just used the Marseille Turn to rotate past Upson, thought that he already had a clear expanse ahead of him. But he was suddenly caught unawares and was hit, almost losing his balance. Fortunately, he reacted quickly, and the ball at his foot scuttled to the left flank from the force of the impact.
It was then that he was free to see who had knocked into him. He was startled by who he saw: George Wood!
The Forest team number 13 had taken advantage of the chance to chase him again when he had used the Marseille Turn to rotate past Upson and had had to slow down!
This guy… Is it over yet?
Seeing how he had gone from directly facing the goal to facing the flank with just one knock from Wood, Ronaldo was now competing with Wood. Even if van Nistelrooy was not far behind him and was coming up to assist him, he would not pass the ball. He was bent on fighting it out with number 13.
With a sudden halt, he stopped the football with his heel, turned around, and looked up to see George Wood again!
There was no other way. He turned again and simply kicked the football to continue towards the end line and break through. At first, he was ahead of Wood, but after two steps, Wood was parallel with Ronaldo.
In terms of running ability, Ronaldo was not as good as the man in front of him. His stamina was horrifying!
The secret to Wood's defense was using his supernatural physical fitness, firmly sticking to the opponent, not letting him break through easily, and shooting into the goal with ease. So, in reality, to deal with him, one needed to handle the ball immediately. Once the football stayed at their feet for too long, it would get increasingly difficult to manage.
That was Ronaldo's mistake.
Even though he could see the end line getting closer, he was getting farther from the goal and could only cross the ball.
The brilliant one-man show that he had wanted to perform was no more.
The commentator's interest had also gone from lavishing Ronaldo with praise to marveling at Wood's defensive ability.
"This is unbelievable! Ronaldo was completely unable to get rid of George Wood!'
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Watching the game with his headphones on, Bill screamed, "Of course he can't! Because George is a genius! It's just that you guys don't understand a genius like him at all!"
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Close to the end line, Ronaldo discovered that the other player had no intention of slowing down. So he simply accelerated, and then swung his leg to cross!
This was his last opportunity to lose his opponent. After all, only Upson was in the Forest team's penalty area. As long as he could trick Wood, he could still find the perfect opportunity to be one-on-one with the Forest goalkeeper. He was not willing to exchange a beautiful breakthrough for a corner kick in the end....
When Wood saw that Ronaldo was going to cross, without thinking, he extended his leg to block the ball's path. Ronaldo was waiting for him to do that; he immediately stopped and used his heel to place the football on the end line, because he and Wood were going to slip.
The only difference was that Wood's whole body slid out, and Ronaldo's center of gravity was not lost, since he was already prepared for it. He only needed to adjust himself with two steps, and he was back in control of the ball!
As for Matthew Upson, who had sprung forward? He had at least ten ways to break through those blocks.
Wood saw that Ronaldo did not cross. Instead, he left the football inside the field, knowing that he had been fooled. So, when he slid out, his hands became claw-like and grabbed the turf to slow his pace. He clawed ten gouges on the field! It was like tire prints left on the road when brakes are applied.
In the end, Wood's hands were stuffed with chunks of turf.
Ronaldo finally stopped his dash. He took a small step, preparing to stride forward and kick the ball.
Wood's hands pushed hard and he sprang back into the field again.
Ronaldo's second step was bigger than the first; he was still adjusting his center of gravity.
Matthew Upson rushed up recklessly.
Van Nistelrooy ran towards the goal, raising his hand to call for the ball. Currently, the Forest team did not have any defenders in front of their goal. As long as the ball was passed there, a fatal blow could be dealt. At that point, it would be 3:0, and the Forest team would be finished.
Wood raised his hands and tossed the turf he had gripped in his hands onto the photojournalists' camera lens behind him. He seemed to shoot out like a bullet and while he still at a distance from the football, he flew across with a tackle!
Ronaldo finally stepped back on the field. The football was closer to him. It didn't look like Wood had a chance. Looking down at the football, he did not notice Wood's movements at all, and extended his foot to kick the ball. Suddenly, a leg appeared in his vision; that foot was closer to the ball than his!
Who the hell is this?!
The yellow-clad figure charged like a train into his field of vision, and the football was kicked off!
"George Wood! Incredible steal! No one expected that he would seize that opportunity when everyone had given up!
The number 13 streaked past Ronaldo, who had completely forgotten what he was going to do. He lifted his leg in that spot, but did not respond.
From the beginning to the end, he had never completely gotten rid of number 13, and his opponent had successfully intercepted in the end! He could not believe his eyes.
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When they saw Wood steal the ball from Ronaldo in advance, the singing and applause of the Theater of Dreams vanished everywhere except in one spot.
The Nottingham Forest fans in the South Stands were reaching fever pitch. They loudly sang the song written for Wood, and finally shouted together at the end of the song, "He's the real genius!"