Godfather Of Champions

“George Wood has just eaten his third yellow card. This means he will be automatically barred from the next round of the competition. If the Forest Team… and we’re saying ‘if’ Forest Team truly eliminates Arsenal and gets into the finals, they would lose an outstanding defensive midfielder as well as a captain.”

The commentator’s voice sounded from the television in the luxury box. Evan Doughty turned to look at the person on his right.

There sat George Wood’s mother. She was staring at her son on the field in a daze.

Could she understand what her son was thinking when he had slammed into Henry?

“Ma’am…” Evan said to her, “Your son is outstanding and remarkable. I’m very regretful about his yellow card…”

Sophia turned to look at him and shook her head, politely smiling. She replied, “It’s no matter, Mr. Chairman. This is just his job.”

※※※

George Wood seemingly forgot in a hurry about getting the yellow card.

As Tang En said, the match was still ongoing. It was not yet the time to be depressed or pained about being absent from the next match. They did not even know if there was going to be a next match. If there was to be pain, there first needed to be a reason for it.

Arsenal’s free-kick did not pose any threat to Nottingham Forest’s goal. Henry’s shot was off the mark.

Following that, Nottingham Forest’s players absorbed their lesson and did not press forward on offense blindly. Arsenal, on the other hand, mustering up their last energies along with the earlier gusto, launched into a series of attacks on Forest.

Only this time, Forest’s defensive line performed stably under George Wood’s leadership. There were not many opportunities for Arsenal to directly threaten Forest’s goal. Most of the time, they were forced to take long shots from the outside.

If they wished to get a goal from such attacks, they could only be pinning their hopes on two things: one, that Nottingham Forest’s defensive players would make a mistake on their own; and two, God’s assistance.

The first was unlikely, and the latter even more farfetched.

Both Wenger and Tang En were standing at the sidelines now with their assistants busying themselves behind them. The two teams had started preparing for the penalty shoot-out.

After George Wood headed Ashley Cole’s pass to the center out of the sidelines, the referee finally blew the whistle signaling the end of the match that had already been extended 30 minutes.

“The match has ended. We’re officially headed into the penalty shoot-out segment! Neither party was able to defeat the other in a 120-minute match. So, they will have to undergo this cruel trial to decide the victor.”

The players lay on the grass and grabbed every bit of available time to rest. The team doctors were currently massaging the players who would be fielded for the penalty kicks.

Wood sat on the ground. He was the tallest among them now; everyone else besides him was lying on the ground. He was not on the penalty kicker list, so he did not need to undergo the massage to help with recovery. In front of him was Tang En, busying away. He was counseling each of the players who were preparing to take the kicks, helping to ease some of their pressure and build their confidence.

At the same time, the goalkeeper coach grabbed Edwin van der Sar and explained in detail about the penalty kicking habits of Arsenal’s players. Perhaps feeling that saying it was not enough to help Edwin van der Sar remember, he even shoved a piece of paper into his hands.

“This is…” Edwin van der Sar was confused.

“The Boss’s idea.” The goalkeeper coach pointed to Tang En behind him. “He made us research in detail everyone’s unique habits in penalty kicking and then wrote it down here. If you can’t remember, or can’t match their numbers, just look at this. Anyway, the rules don’t say anything about not being able to look at notes.”

That’s right. This was Tang En’s idea. And the one who inspired him was Arsenal’s main goalkeeper, Lehmann.

Prior to this match, Tang En’s plan had already included a segment called “penalty kicks.” He prepared to go up against Arsenal in a penalty shoot-out and included more penalty kick practice in their training sessions. Later, when he saw Arsenal’s player list, he suddenly remembered that Lehmann had been the main goalkeeper for Germany’s National Team during the 2006 World Cup match. He had taken over Kahn’s core player position. From this, Tang En thought back to the quarter-finals between Germany and Argentina. The victor of that match was decided upon through a penalty shoot-out. And, the secret to Germany’s victory lay in the small piece of paper given to Lehmann by his goalkeeping coach. On it were the quirks of all Argentina’s players when taking a penalty kick. Based on the points written on the note, Lehmann matched them to the players and adjusted accordingly. He successfully blocked out consecutive penalty shots and ushered Germany into the top four in the end.

After that match, the note became a major topic many media groups fought to report and stir up stories about.

That was how Tang En recalled this particular story. Today, he decided to copy it exactly the way it was and use it to deal with Lehmann and Arsenal. For that, he instructed the goalkeeping coach to research Arsenal players’ unique points when taking penalty kicks. After summarizing all the results, he wrote it on a note. If they truly got to the point of a penalty shoot-out, he was to give it to Edwin van der Sar and ask him to use it.

It turned out to be of use.

After hearing his goalkeeping coach explain, Edwin van der Sar opened the note. In it were some simple words describing the penalty kicking tendencies of each Arsenal player.

He thought it was amazing and could not figure out how the Boss had managed to think it up. He did not know if using small notes in a penalty shoot-out was considered cheating; anyhow, he had never tried this method in the past. Everyone used to say that stopping penalty kicks depended on a goal keeper’s experience and reaction speed. But now it was turning out to be a precision test on the backstage work carried out by the managerial team earlier on. He only needed to leap out as it was written on the paper; low left, high right, middle…

He was uncertain if this was good or bad for a goalkeeper, but he could not afford to care so much now. Winning was more important.

Edwin van der Sar carefully placed the note in his sock, not daring to let anyone else catch sight of it; he was not sure if doing this was against the regulations.

※※※

Tang En finally finished mentally prepping every player on the list. As he got up, he saw George Wood sitting on the ground, resting.

He walked over and squatted in front of Wood.

“Hm… George, you know, I was not in the least bit angry watching you foul and get that yellow card.”

Wood looked at Tang En and said nothing.

“Thank you.” Tang En patted Wood’s leg and stood up, walking away.

He had just left when Albertini walked over. He sat down cross-legged in front of Wood.

“George, I’m extremely curious. At that point, what were you thinking… no, don’t tell me.” He stretched out a hand, asking Wood not to speak. “That’s the path you chose… Do you know how many players there are in this world dreaming of being able to participate in the finals of the Champions League? Even when I was playing in AC Milan, when I had numerous remarkable teammates by my side with superior abilities and who were world-class football stars, many of them could not even get through the gates of the Champions League finals.”

“I’m… I’m sorry, Demi…” Wood stuttered a little, seeing Albertini with such a stern face.

Seeing him that way, Albertini unexpectedly smiled instead.

“What are you afraid of? You’re a little brat who isn’t afraid of anything… If it were me, in that sort of situation, I would have done the same thing as you. Good job, George.” He ruffled Wood’s hair and smiled at the boy before him. Just like watching a child grow up day by day, his heart was filled with pride and a sense of achievement incomprehensible to outsiders.

※※※

The assistant managers of both teams submitted their list of penalty kickers. After the referee counterchecked each of the names to ensure no mistakes, non-relevant personnel would be removed from the field.

George Wood stood up again from the ground. Together with Henry, he walked toward the main referee. They were going to carry out a coin toss to determine which team would kick first. While Henry and he were coin guessing, his teammates had walked to the center circle. Over there, they had their arms over each other’s shoulders, stuck closely next to one another. They used both their arms to convey their strength and faith in facing an unknown future together.

Wood emerged the victor in the battle against Henry. He chose to take the kicks first.

The first person fielded by Nottingham Forest was Eastwood. Forest had no lack of penalty kickers, and Eastwood was the first candidate in line. So long as he was on the field, the penalty kicks awarded to Forest in matches must be taken by him.

Faced with Lehmann, Eastwood kicked a steady and straight shot down the center. He kicked it in.

Following Eastwood’s fist pumping into the air, City Ground rang with cheers.

Arsenal’s first player was a fullback, Lauren. Although Arsenal’s number one penalty kicker was Henry, he had a habit: he never took a penalty kick that was awarded because of him. So, in the majority of the situations, Arsenal’s first kicker was, in fact, this Cameroonian defender. In penalty shoot-outs, putting Lauren first and Henry last was a double insurance.

Edwin van der Sar saw Lauren walk up. Taking the opportunity when his opponent was lowering his head to set the football, he dug out the slip of paper and speedily scanned it once. Then, he stuffed it back in.

“Lauren is taking the kick… and the ball goes in!”

Two thousand Arsenal fans cheered. Edwin van der Sar furiously slammed his fist on the ground. He had gone according to what the paper said. Though it was the correct direction, it needed just a bit more to bump out the ball…

However, that moment also made him resolute in following what was written on the paper.

The second player representing Nottingham Forest was the forward, Anelka. He shot at the lower left corner of the goal. The ball rolled rapidly across the grass. Lehmann got the direction right but was helpless against the difficult angle. The football hit the goalpost and bounced into the goal.

“The score is currently 2:1! Nottingham Forest takes the lead temporarily…”

After scoring, Anelka waved his fist aggressively at Lehmann before retreating.

Edwin van der Sar took out the slip of paper again. The second person to come forward for Arsenal was the Dutch champion, Robin van Persie. Van der Sar glanced up at Robin Van Persie and looked down at the paper again. It said, “Bottom right.”

The right side for shooters meant the left side for goalies.

Edwin van der Sar stuffed the paper back in again. He knew what to do.

Standing in front of the goal and gazing at his own comrades, Edwin van der Sar stretched out both of his arms slowly. He was like a wall.

Robin van Persie glanced at the referee. Upon the whistle, he took off running, and shot! The instant his foot contacted the ball, Edwin van der Sar threw himself to the left. As expected, the shot from Robin van Persie flew directly towards him.

“Edwin van der Sar! He takes out Robin van Persie’s penalty shot!! Beautiful!”

On the sidelines, Tang En, who was closely watching the goal, leaped up. Their work was reaping some success. His idea was showing effect! Most importantly, Nottingham Forest had gotten the upper hand both in the score and psychologically. The scales of victory were gradually beginning to tilt towards him.

Robin van Persie looked despondently at Edwin van der Sar, who had successfully defended his penalty kick. He was different from Henry. His penalty kicks often lacked change. He did not know how to use Panenka kicks or fake movements to deceive the opposing goalie. His shooting was just like his temper – straightforward and direct. This time, it was caught by Edwin van der Sar, or, in actuality, Forest’s managerial team.

Nottingham’s third player was Franck Ribéry. The Frenchman’s performance against Lehmann stayed stable. His direct shot made Lehmann err in judging the direction.

“The ball went in! Now, the pressure is on the side of Arsenal’s players…”

Arsenal’s third representative was Fàbregas.

The Spanish champion calmly kicked the ball in. Although Edwin van der Sar got the direction right, he was a bit too slow. The ball slipped right past his fingers and got in.

This time, however, Edwin van der Sar did not pound the ground in frustration; he was confident.

The fourth player for Forest was the young champion, Gareth Bale. This was his first time participating in such an important match. From how he looked, his expression seemed a little too severe. This child, who could make such a calm breakthrough in the match with Chelsea, appeared to be a little nervous when faced with the Champions League semi-finals penalty shoot-out.

Bale shifted the football twice. Seeing him do this, Tang En could not help but drop his jaw. He could even hear his own heartbeat in such a noisy environment. A forbidding sense slowly crept in.

Bale ran up and drew back his leg. Shoot! Lehmann got the correct direction, but he was too far from getting the ball, much too far…

“Ah– Young Bale has kicked this ball straight towards the spectators’ stands! He misses the penalty kick!”

From the side of Arsenal’s substitutes’ bench came a wave of cheers. Evidently, their joy was built on their opponent’s pain.

Bale raised both his hands, clutching at his hair on the back of his head. His eyes shone with tears. No matter how one looked at him, he was still a young child who had yet to grow up.

Edwin van der Sar came up to him and rubbed his head. “Don’t worry, kid. Go back and wait to celebrate our victory.” As he said that, he saw the fourth penalty kicker walking over. It was the Brazilian, Gilberto Silva.

He was switched in by Wenger at the final moments of the match to take this penalty kick. Before Lauren, Gilberto used to be Arsenal’s number two penalty kicker. His level of penalty kicking could not be underestimated.

But Edwin van der Sar was not afraid. He had a card up his sleeve.

Bale walked back to the team with tears in his eyes. Naturally, it was warm hands that welcomed him back. No one blamed him for missing the kick.

Edwin van der Sar stood before the gates and tightened his gloves.

Gilberto began his run-up as soon as he heard the whistle from the referee. Edwin van der Sar stayed there, unmoving.

The Brazilian raised his foot and shot!

Edwin van der Sar did not leap out. He dropped down at where he was standing. The ball hit his legs and rebounded out!

“Edwin van der Sar! An incredible save! His judgment was right on the money! Right in the center, Gilberto’s shot was saved by the Netherlander door god!”

City Ground rang with loud cheers again. This time, it was almost deafening.

Having missed the shot, Gilberto hung his head. In front of him, Edwin van der Sar put up both his arms, looking as if he was a general returning in victory.

“The situation isn’t looking good for Arsenal. If Nottingham Forest scores the next one, then Arsenal’s fifth person won’t even need to come forward. They would have been eliminated.”

Henry stood right in front of the team, prepared to step up and take the crucial shot. But he could not move up yet. It still depended on Lehmann’s performance.

The final player sent out by Nottingham Forest was their second-best penalty kicker, Mikel Arteta. If he could send the ball in, then the match would end here with Forest Team attaining the qualification to enter the finals of the UEFA Champions League. If he did not get it in, Arsenal would then have one opportunity to decide their fate — if Henry scored, both teams would end in a draw, and they would need to continue the shoot-out; if Henry missed, Arsenal would be eliminated.

Suddenly, everyone could feel the tension in the air. This atmosphere emanated from the penalty spot and spread through the entire stadium.

Arsenal’s fans quieted. Nottingham Forest’s fans also held their breaths and fell silent. They were terrified they would somehow disrupt Arteta’s performance.

“This could be the ball that decides the future of the two teams. Arteta is currently shouldering a thousand pound burden…”

Tang En stared at Arteta, wishing he could perceive every single tiny action he made. But Arteta did nothing. After setting the ball down in position, he stood up, awaiting the referee’s whistle.

Arsenal’s main manager, Wenger, was as nervous as Tang En. Both stared hard at the front of the goal, their expressions curiously similar.

If it went in, it would be heaven for Forest’s Team.

If it did not, it would be Arsenal’s redemption.

In or not?

Arteta turned to look at the main referee. He was like a car waiting for the signal lights. A crisp whistle sounded. It sounded particularly clear within the silence in City Ground.

“Arteta takes his run-up… and shoots! The ball goes in—It’s a goal!!”

City Ground, which had just been silent, erupted like a volcano following the commentator’s shriek.

Lehmann had predicted the right direction, but it was a pity that Arteta’s shot was much too tricky. It was beyond his abilities.

“Nottingham Forest enters the final of the Champions League! They did it! After their promotion from the EFL Championship, they attained the qualifications to the Champions League. A year later, they managed to fight their way into the UEFA Champions finals! Everything seems just like that summer 26 years ago. From here, Brian Clough’s Red Forest walked towards an era of glory!”

The spectators’ stands started shaking; everyone was jumping and cheering with their arms in the air.

The players from the substitutes’ bench could not help themselves, all of them were already rushing up into the field. Tang En was also grabbed in a sudden hug from Kerslake.

“We did it, Tony!”

“This is unbelievable. The biggest dark horse for this season’s Champions League is going dark all the way. On their journey, they have eliminated countless strong opponents; Benfica, Rangers Football Club, Inter Milan… And now, Arsenal! Tony Twain’s team has achieved what some people would not even think of…”

The Nottingham Forest players on the field had already rushed straight into the penalty area, crushing Arteta and Edwin van der Sar beneath them, celebrating their tremendous victory in a frenzy. As the previous season’s newly promoted team, they became the dark horse in the English Premier League then. This season, they were also the darkest dark horse in the UEFA Champions League. This group of young players were creating a future that no one dared to dream of.

“Congratulations to Nottingham Forest. This familiar name shall once again appear at the finals of the UEFA Champions League… I feel as if time is turning back. The young manager Tony Twain has made history again. He’s the youngest manager ever to lead a team into the finals of the Champions League!”

After ending his hug with Kerslake, Tang En walked into the field. With his arms raised high, he enjoyed the moment of glory that belonged to him. At his ears, the cheers were loud enough to shake heaven and earth. Looking up, the night sky had also seemingly become incomparably brilliant.

No, it’s not just seemingly. It truly was incomparably brilliant… bursts of resplendent fireworks shot up into City Ground’s skies. Crackling loudly, the fireworks lit up exhilarated and smiling faces.