Chapter 192: Ronaldinho Back-Head Flick — Xia Qi Toying with the Keeper
After Atlético scored, Arsenal attacked even more fiercely.
In the 18th minute, Xia Qi received the ball just outside the box and played a beautiful through pass.
Mario Balotelli, meeting Xia Qi's pass at the near post, was nearly through on goal, but his shot drifted wide of the near post and struck the side netting. Many fans in the stadium thought it had gone in and let out deafening cheers — only to be disappointed.
Three minutes later Kevin De Bruyne found a chance near the edge of the area and unleashed a sudden screamer that startled everyone except Thibaut Courtois.
Courtois probably had that save ready from the start.
Because De Bruyne's shot came so unexpectedly, Courtois, despite being prepared, could only parry it hurriedly and couldn't clear it cleanly.
The ball skidded outward diagonally. While everyone was marveling that De Bruyne's "revenge for the stolen wife" hadn't succeeded, a red figure like lightning dashed toward the first drop point of the ball, didn't trap it, and swung his leg to strike straight away!
"Xia… Qi—Qi—Qi!!!!"
Zhan Jun stretched the shout; he thought Xia Qi's follow-up was in.
However, though Lü Bu is brave, someone braver still existed.
A great bird of prey traced a shadow in the air and lunged at Xia Qi's powerful rebound.
He struck with both fists mid-air and blocked Xia Qi's heavy follow-up.
"Courtois!!!"
"A double save. Maybe his private life is questionable, but his match attitude is absolutely admirable."
Atlético fans in the red-and-white striped stands cheered loudly; their applause could be heard a long way off.
But the next moment, Xia Qi and his teammates grew angry — those Atlético fans were chanting in unison: "Courtois, give me a joy I've never had."
On the surface they seemed to be celebrating Courtois's double save, but that phrase came from the time Kevin De Bruyne's girlfriend was caught cheating — when the media asked her, "Kevin is so perfect, why did you do this?" she replied after thinking for a moment: "Courtois, give me a joy I've never had."
In an instant De Bruyne turned pale.
Xia Qi ran down to the away stand and made a shushing gesture to the Atlético fans, but they jeered even louder.
Positions decide right or wrong.
After this episode, the pitch grew suddenly volatile!
When play resumed, the intensity of Arsenal's actions increased dramatically and the body contact became fierce, with the close camera picking up "thud-thud" sounds of physical collisions from time to time.
On the touchline, Diego Simeone was grinning like a flower in bloom — Arsenal abandoned their flowing passing style and began tearing at each other with these "mad dogs." Such a foolish tactic of attacking the opponent's strengths with your weaknesses pleased Simeone immensely.
Simeone not only smirked privately but kept waving his arms toward Atlético fans to make their cheers or boos louder, hoping to enrage Arsenal's players further.
He himself would occasionally thrust his hips toward his own players on the pitch (doing that to Xia Qi would earn a card), which is one reason Xia Qi and others couldn't cool their anger.
Wenger, meanwhile, frowned. Pat Rice bent over and asked Wenger whether to bring the players back under control, but Wenger refused.
A family grudge,
revenge for a stolen wife!
Irreconcilable!
In the end Atlético fans and Simeone had gone too far — this was a "dirty" side.
Wenger thought that rather than letting the players stew with a ball of anger inside, it would be better to let it spill out.
Since De Bruyne had forgiven Courtois and allowed him to stay in the Belgium national team, he would surely try to calm his teammates for the good of the side.
If management intervened, players might resent it and create discord, but if the protagonist himself stepped forward, it could unite the team.
Now they could only pray that De Bruyne calmed down quickly.
Thus, amid Simeone's glee and Wenger's worry,
in the 32nd minute Diego Costa dropped back into midfield to pick up the ball.
Receiving a pass, Diego Costa lifted his head to check his teammates' runs.
Suddenly he seemed to hear a rush of wind and a drumbeat.
Curiosity killed the cat!
He turned and saw Xia Qi eyeing his handsome face like a man starved for a decade throwing himself hungrily at him.
There wasn't time to cry "assault," let alone pass the ball.
"BANG!"
A huge crash!
Diego Costa, strong as an ox, felt as if he'd been hit by a speeding truck and was thrown aside.
He stared unbelievingly at Xia Qi with eyes wide, his expression loudly saying: "Impossible, absolutely impossible."
After the match the image of that expression, overlaid with a voice clip from actor Chen Jianbing, went viral online.
After knocking Diego Costa flying, Xia Qi pushed the ball forward preparing to activate his "grass sprint" mode, but referee Nicola Rizzoli's whistle blew.
Not only did he stop play, Rizzoli also produced a yellow gemstone war card for Xia Qi.
No joke.
In Arsenal eyes this was a war god card.
The instant Diego Costa flew, Arsenal fans leapt from their seats and roared toward the pitch, waving everything they had — even omens…
Unfortunately their passion was instantly doused by the referee; cheers turned to boos.
Wenger was furious and stormed to the fourth official shouting: "Xia Qi's action had no arms involved — yellow card? Diego Costa knocked Gustavo away and that had a shove; that's okay? Do I misunderstand the rules of football, or have you redefined them?"
The fourth official gave a helpless smile and asked Wenger to calm down.
"You are desecrating football; how can I calm down?"
On the other side, Simeone felt as if he had been handed a heaven-sent gift.
Xia Qi had gotten an early yellow; there was plenty he could do with that.
He jumped up from the dugout, put two little fingers to his mouth and blew a whistle gesture; Gabi came over.
"Xia Qi is yellow-carded. Surround him and do something to get him off the pitch — think how to get him sent off; tonight and next leg we have it secured…"
To Simeone, that tactic was entirely legitimate.
So he didn't whisper; he spoke loudly, and Wenger, returning from his protest, heard it.
Wenger, enraged, bellowed at Simeone: "Don't you think that's shameful? Why don't you be a fighting coach then?"
Simeone replied righteously: "It's tactics. It's within the rules."
The referee ran over from the field and separated the two about to shove each other, warning both and ordering them straight back to their bench.
After checking with the fourth official, he eventually booked Simeone.
Simeone believed it was fair and square — that's what he thought.
Some things can be done but not loudly proclaimed.
On the pitch, trying to use tricks aimed at a booked player to get him sent off is common, but you can't loudly announce, "I'm going to get him sent off."
After all, football's purpose isn't to scheme people.
"Wow! Xia Qi is so fierce! He knocked Costa flying."
"Players with physicals like Xia Qi or Costa mustn't be given space to pick up speed; once they accelerate they're terrifying — almost a godslayer."
"Ah, a yellow? The standards are inconsistent — not only did Arsenal not get the usual home help from the ref, they were on the losing end."
"Coach Zhang, that yellow on Xia Qi?"
"It can be given, but when Costa knocked Gustavo over earlier that should have been honored too… huh, why are Wenger and Simeone arguing?"
"The referee's coming…"
"Maybe Simeone said something and got booked."
On the field, the foul on Xia Qi gave Atlético a free kick from deep.
Koke took it, played to Thiago, who dribbled a few steps then laid the ball to David Villa.
Villa is a light, practical player — substance over fame.
He took the ball on his right foot and surged down Atlético's left at speed; Arsenal's midfield line parted like bean curd in water, easily bypassed.
When Villa arrived at the right side of the box and looked to combine with Diego Costa through the middle,
Serge Aurier, defending him, impatiently stuck a leg out to block his pass.
Villa grinned inwardly, thinking: "Youngsters are impulsive."
He immediately cut the ball back to prepare an inside move into the box.
Who knew a leg that didn't belong to him suddenly shot out from behind.
A gentle touch — the ball.
The ball rolled toward Aurier. Prepared, Aurier collected it with a grin and immediately turned play away.
It turned out his advance intercept was a ruse — a planned defensive tactic he set when he noticed Theo Walcott quietly creeping up on Villa.
The ball reached Santi Cazorla's feet.
At this moment the match was in transition — Cazorla didn't dare dawdle; following countless training repetitions he played an "east-wind courier," finding the man furthest forward.
Up front, Xia Qi and Mario Balotelli had just completed an off-the-ball crossing run and were Arsenal's most advanced players.
"Beautiful front press turnover!"
"Arsenal on the counter!"
"Xia Qi and Balotelli, one in front, one behind, left and right, surging forward at speed.
"Thiago and García also sprint toward the landing spot."
In the Emirates, Arsenal fans watched the ball and the few sprinting players anxiously, clutching their chests.
Tonight Arsenal's luck wasn't great, or maybe Courtois's form was just that godlike.
Fans worried Xia Qi wouldn't win the ball and even more that if he did win it he might not convert.
The ball's landing spot was precisely on the arc outside Atlético's box.
At that spot Atlético center-back Diego Godín had already positioned himself, and his two teammates were about to arrive.
From every angle Xia Qi looked disadvantaged.
Yet when Godín saw Xia Qi charging like a heavy tank, his mind involuntarily pictured Diego Costa clutching his chest and coughing, and a sense of unease emerged.
In a moment of hesitation he lost his edge.
Fortune favors the brave!
This timidity made his movement sluggish, and Xia Qi saw he wouldn't get the ball with the usual routine.
Thinking of Al's (Al might refer to a legendary player's) flashy moves,
Xia Qi launched himself forward at a three-meter distance in front of Godín.
Godín was stunned — there really are people who'll die for the ball.
He was contesting the ball; Xia Qi was contesting his life.
The gap between them was obvious — Xia Qi arrived with late but decisive momentum.
As the ball descended, Godín leapt from the ground while Xia Qi rocketed between them — a very dangerous move. If Godín had been tougher he could have shoved Xia Qi off.
But Godín, at the crucial moment, faltered and was half a beat late, which changed everything.
In mid-air under the ball, before Godín, Xia Qi got to it first and flicked the ball with the back of his head.
It was a clever, inspired flick — the ordinary technique would have been a backward header to set up Balotelli, but Xia Qi wanted to continue the attack himself.
That flick sent the ball forward again.
Xia Qi landed and, without waiting to settle his balance, shot out like a cheetah.
Godín made a second mistake — after landing he didn't immediately foul; he thought "if the ball passes the man, it passes."
Nice thought, harsh reality.
Xia Qi was ruthless and didn't care about injury; he surged forward even from an unstable stance.
At this point,
Atlético keeper Thibaut Courtois found himself square in Xia Qi's range; Xia Qi just needed one "shell."
When Xia Qi flicked the ball, Courtois's danger sense had already made him abandon his line — if Xia Qi had hesitated half a second the attack would have been over.
Now,
Courtois and Xia Qi both sprinted full tilt toward the second drop point.
Courtois had slightly more distance but was faster.
Xia Qi was a bit slower because his balance was unstable; running required correcting his center of gravity and he sacrificed a little speed.
They arrived under the ball almost simultaneously.
At this moment many had already pronounced Xia Qi dead.
Anyone with a head knows the next second Courtois would snatch the ball over Xia Qi's head.
At the last instant, Xia Qi launched himself again.
But even so,
it still looked impossible.
Courtois still seemed able to pluck the ball over Xia Qi's head.
Courtois didn't care whether he snatched it from Xia Qi's forehead or the back of his head.
However in the next second his hand to take the ball was forcibly pushed aside by Xia Qi's skull.
Courtois didn't know what trick Xia Qi had up his sleeve, but he knew that abnormal events hide demons.
He tried desperately in mid-air to stabilize and seek a second grab, but not everyone is an aerial acrobat like Michael Jordan.
Courtois fell.
The ball fell too; it struck Xia Qi's back and Xia Qi controlled it with Courtois behind him.
This chest/back control trick will be familiar to fans of the 80s and 90s.
"Ronaldinho's back flick!"
Ronaldinho's name and signature move echoed over the Emirates, unlocking some dusty memories. To older fans Xia Qi was beginning to overlap with that football elf.
Xia Qi landed, overtook the panicked Courtois, chased the ball and converted into an open-net finish.
Retribution for his brothers in the most humiliating way!!!
Boom!
The stadium exploded!
What a divine operation!
Indeed,
where princes lead, flair follows!
In front an ice prince, behind an ice-cream prince!
Not like ordinary mortals.
At the instant Xia Qi scored, Simeone collapsed theatrically at the touchline as if struck by a bullet.
"Beautiful!"
"So beautiful!"
"Beautiful!"
"So beautiful!"
Zhan Jun was so excited he was speechless, repeating just two words: beautiful and so beautiful.
Spectators clamored for a replay and began recording.
After a long while Zhan Jun calmed and continued: "In the 42nd minute Xia Qi scored one of the most spectacular goals in Champions League final history. I believe this goal will make the decade's top ten."
"In football history there are many unforgettable goals — if they are brilliant stars, then Xia Qi's goal is the moon."
"..."
On the pitch, after scoring, Xia Qi ran again toward the away stand and asked Atlético fans to shut up.
Atlético fans of course refused and booed, but this time the boos sounded a little hollow…
Kevin De Bruyne ran over and hugged Xia Qi from behind, whispering: "Thank you!"
Xia Qi patted the arm that hugged him and gave the unrepentant Atlético fans a thumbs-down.
One would have expected louder boos, but there were none.
Truth is found in people's hearts; only stance makes us blind to right and wrong…
(END CHAPTER)
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