From Arsenal to the Ball God

The players understand that losing in the final to Arsenal is not disgraceful. Already two goals behind, they could choose to give up, and no one would blame them.

Conversely, fans of other teams would praise them, encourage them, and feel sorry that they couldn’t go all the way as the underdog.

However, for the unwillingness in their hearts and the faint expectations of their fans, they want to try again!

In terms of individual ability, they are incomparable to Ma’el, who scored over 40 goals this season, and even compared to Ma’el of last season, they are far behind.

In terms of club size and fan base, they are even more out of reach compared to Arsenal.

But there are so many miracles of underdogs triumphing, so much beauty in the world, it’s worth their all-out effort to fight!

As long as they pursue victory, pursue the championship, they will gain a lifelong inspiration and an emotional high they’ve never reached!

”Dun, dun, dun!”

The players of Cardiff City ran tirelessly, using their unwavering belief, and finally managed to temporarily suppress Arsenal before the end of the first half, frequently creating dangers in front of Arsenal’s goal.

This is what they wanted; even if they only had the upper hand for 3-5 minutes, they would have a chance.

If Arsenal wants to lure them into committing players forward, to create an even-handed attack through balls from the back..... then Arsenal must bear the scenario of being unable to get the ball out for a period.

This is the time for them to launch an attack, and it’s their only chance.

”Pa!”

This time, Mertesacker’s long pass to Gervinho was intercepted by Cardiff City’s midfielder Conway, who then made a long pass and switched it to their right winger Joe Mason’s feet.

Joe Mason initially wanted to cross, but Kyle Walker didn’t want him to cut inside or go to the byline, sealing all his routes tightly.

”Boom.”

Knowing he couldn’t beat Walker one-on-one, he tapped the ball to center-forward Kenny Miller, then made an off-ball run towards the corner of the opponent’s penalty area.

Kenny Miller, familiar with him, faked a shot at the goal and suddenly passed the ball back.

”Boom!!”

Joe Mason struck the incoming ball directly with his left foot for a powerful shot, causing the football to dart into Arsenal’s penalty area, instantly attracting many defenders to instinctively dive to block it.

”Bang!” What blocked the ball was Koscielny, whose trailing leg hooked it, disrupting the original path of the football.

”Swish!” Unfortunately, after the deflection, the ball still flew towards their goal, and moreover, it flew in the opposite direction of the goalkeeper’s dive.

Deflection!!

One to two!

”Yeah...!!” Cardiff City’s fans finally welcomed their long-awaited moment, shouting and leaping wildly, no longer needing to worry about the gazes of Arsenal fans.

Joe Mason’s entire posture suddenly changed; he straightened his chest, raised his head, and ran with a trembling finger pointed towards the corner flag area.

A teammate went to fetch the ball for the team, while others followed him to celebrate together.

The whole team’s state instantly transformed, as if everyone had been pumped full of adrenaline.

”Beep! Beep——!”

Soon, the referee blew the whistle to end the first half, and Cardiff City’s players, urged by the coach, quickly ran into the dressing room, seemingly to undergo some emergency tactical training.

Ma’el and a group of Arsenal players were not in a hurry; they still had a lot of confidence in themselves.

So, could this be considered a first half that both sides could accept?

Back in the locker room, Wenger quickly pulled out the tactics board and talked about some details, mainly focusing on the ball distribution from the back, rather than the front.

After finishing this, Wenger didn’t say much else, simply standing in the middle of the locker room with his hands on his waist.

”Woo...”

After a long pause, he let out a deep breath, ”Perhaps today is the day. We will regain the championship. Come on, guys, I believe in you.”

He spoke very calmly. After speaking, he turned around and went outside the locker room.

Just after stepping out, he returned with a smile, saying, ”First, let’s talk about one thing. The dance I promised you is for the end of the season, not now.”

”Oh...!” Cheers erupted inside the locker room, smiles appearing on every player’s face.

...

”Beep!”

A few minutes later, the second half kicked off, and Arsenal’s players refocused, seriously engaging in the match.

Cardiff City’s players were also fully concentrated, their eyes glinting with the desire for victory, each frequently glancing at Arsenal’s goal.

The midfield became the primary battlefield for both teams during this phase.

”Arteta’s pass! Intercepted, Conway from Cardiff City is performing exceptionally on defense today!

”Pushing forward..... couldn’t get past the advancing Kyle Walker! Now Ramsey has the ball..... a beautiful tackle! The ball is intercepted by Gunnarsson with one kick!

”But Ramsey is countering the tackle! A new round of tussle begins, with midfielders from both teams running back and forth, which is a huge strain on their physical abilities!

”We’ll see who gives in first. As soon as physical strength declines, it will provide an opportunity for the opposition!”

”.....”

Off the field, Ma’el also started to retreat constantly to join the midfield battle, providing support for his teammates.

In this tussle and confrontation, the gap between football players is not very large, at most in aspects of speed burst and physique, anticipation, burst strength, etc.

Running to some extent can make up for this gap, which is the reason Cardiff City can compete with them.