From Arsenal to the Ball God

The team bus drove into the underground parking lot amidst the singing of Arsenal fans, and the players took the elevator to the field for final preparations.

When Ma’el came to the field for warm-up, it seemed that it was not yet time for the fans to enter, and the place appeared empty.

But it was magnificent and awe-inspiring... much more grand than outside, and everyone seemed particularly small under such a giant.

Seeing that Arsenal’s coaching staff had not yet come out, Ma’el went onto the field with a few footballs, practicing passing along with Arteta.

”Boom boom...!”

Curling a grounded curve ball, he looked at Arteta and asked, ”Have you been here before?”

”Not yet.” Arteta shook his head, with excitement in his eyes, ”Apart from playing in the Premier League for many years, many of my experiences are similar to yours.”

Ma’el smiled slightly, saying no more.

After a pass, Arteta looked around the stadium and then said, ”I can’t imagine what it would feel like to hear the cheers of Arsenal fans and lift the trophy here.”

”No worries.”

Ma’el tapped the ball back and also looked around, ”It will soon become reality.”

...

”Well, welcome to the broadcast of the 11-12 season English League Cup final by ESPN!”

In the broadcast booth at Wembley Stadium, the old partners Zhan Jun and Zhang Lu appeared, looking refreshed with vibrant smiles on their faces.

Usually, they commentate in domestic studios, and it’s rare for them to come to the venue like today.

Being able to commentate and witness a big showdown here, it’s also a great life experience for them.

”Both teams have finished their warm-ups and returned to the dressing rooms for the entrance ceremony.

”Let’s take a look at the starting lineups. For Arsenal, the goalkeeper is Szczeny, the left-back is Kyle Walker, the center-backs are Koscielny and Mertesacker, and the right-back is Sagna.

”In midfield, we have Alexander Song in the middle, with Arteta and Ramsey on either side.

”On the forward line, Van Persie is at the front, with Ma’el and Gervinho on either side.”

After speaking, he turned to Zhang Lu, asking, ”Mr. Zhang, let me ask a question that everyone may be concerned about. Why do you think Walcott isn’t starting in this match?”

Mr. Zhang looked at the starting list and guessed, ”I think Arsenal is still cautious. They’re afraid Cardiff City will start with a barrage, making aggressive pushes at the start.

”Compared to Walcott, Gervinho has the traits of a wing-back, and placing him in the right-wing position makes the attack and defense more balanced.”

Zhan Jun nodded, continuing, ”So, Arsenal has defensive duties assigned to him... And I also want to ask, will Ma’el have defensive duties in this match?

”We all know his physical ability is outstanding. In the match against Manchester United, he set two records.

”This is also an important match today, will he fight hard?”

Zhang Lu laughed, considering for a moment, ”Surely, he’ll fight hard, but whether he’ll defend is uncertain.

”Cardiff City can’t be compared to Manchester United; their players’ individual abilities aren’t outstanding... But we can imagine them fighting Arsenal with strong spirit and conviction, maybe seizing some counterattack opportunities.

”However, it’s unlikely they’ll exert such pressure on Arsenal to force Ma’el to defend.

”Besides, with Kyle Walker on the field, Arsenal’s defense on the right has significantly improved. In the last Champions League match, they conceded 5 goals, 3 on the left and 2 in the middle.”

”Haha.....”

”Right? Kyle Walker’s defensive capability on this side is trustworthy.

”Wenger signed him to match Ma’el, to allow Ma’el to be more flexible in the front field and launch attacks, creating threats.”

Zhan Jun didn’t respond immediately. He picked up another information sheet, ”Let’s look at the starting lineup of the dark horse Cardiff City, which is set up in a 4-3-3 formation today.

”The goalkeeper is Heaton, with defenders from left to right being Bentner, Hudson, Andrew Taylor, and McNorton.

”In the midfield, Whittingham is on the left, Conway in the center, and Gunnarsson on the right.

”The center forward is Kenny Miller, with Gestede on the left and Joe Mason on the right.”

”A very aggressive lineup arrangement.” Mr. Zhang immediately commented after hearing this, ”I watched a few of their matches where they eliminated Premier League teams, and they generally played five defenders.

”I didn’t expect them to have shifted to a four-defender formation upon reaching the final, they must be going all-out.”

”Hehe...” Zhan Jun let out a sly laugh too, ”Nobody doesn’t want to make a name for themselves in the finals, hoping to defy expectations. Clearly, they want to bring something special to this match.”

...

Above the stadium, in a luxurious box suite.

”Psh...!”

Isabella boldly opened several bottles of beer, placing them on the table and handing one to everyone present.

Today, not only were she and her best friend Aisha present, but also Gilbert and the five-member team of Ma’el were there.

They would watch this great match together, hoping to witness Arsenal lifting the trophy later on.

Gilbert reached out to take it, took a couple of sips, burped, and put it down, curiously looking at Harry beside him, ”Harry, did Ma’el have any unusual behavior the day before the final?

”Or this morning, was he particularly excited, or did he do anything special like praying?”