From Arsenal to the Ball God

”Löf need not be mentioned, with only a one-goal gap behind, they are definitely going to try again!

”If they can score one more goal to drag the match into extra time, then everything is still up for grabs! The final is not out of reach!

”As for Deschamps, he probably doesn’t want any more changes, he’s seen countless teams equalize at the last minute and then reverse the score in extra time over the years!

”Even though he has an advantage in substitutions, he doesn’t want the match to go into extra time, as it is full of unknowns!

”Ending the battle during regular time is the ideal result for them!”

”...”

”Hoo hoo hoo.....!”

”Dang dang dang! Bang bang bang.....!”

At Liv Stadium, when the time reached the last 2 minutes of extra time, the atmosphere here reached its peak of oppression, with fans of both teams screaming wildly and beating the drums in their hands, making it seem like a hellish realm.

Players from both teams showed signs of physical fatigue, there’s no choice, the tournament’s schedule is too tight, and by now, everyone is already very tired.

But they cannot give up, they must drag their heavy legs and keep running, taking deep breaths of oxygen to maintain their state.

”Ha-che....ha-che.....!”

Ma’el’s chest heaved violently as he jogged behind Boateng, ready at any moment to take a deep breath and launch into an anaerobic sprint mode.

”Boom!” Yohan Cabaye’s pass came, heading towards the place he wanted.

”Dun dun dun!!”

Ma’el’s shoe spikes quickly pinned to the ground and lifted again swiftly, as he worked hard with each step, he could feel some pain at the balls of his feet, surely the soles were worn.

”Siii!” Boateng, who was marking him, reacted quickly, turned around and directly slid with his feet out, using his calf to block the ball, making it roll slowly towards the goal line.

At this moment, Hummels from the center of the three center-backs ran quickly and slid down, attempting to shovel the ball from the goal line out to the sidelines, transforming a corner into an out-of-bounds ball.

But he failed, the ball still crossed the goal line first, giving France team a corner opportunity!

He regrettably stood up, knowing that France team would take the opportunity to waste a lot of time again.....and a sense of foreboding arose in his heart, he could only hope it was just his imagination.

”Hoo hoo.....!”

Under the boos from the Germany fans, Nasri carelessly walked toward the goal line, subject to a lot of water bottle attacks from Germany fans along the way.

Honestly, he wished he would get hit so he could lie down to waste a minute, but the throwing skills of Germany fans obviously need improvement.

Nasri thus swaggered to the corner flag area and posed as if waiting for teammates to enter the penalty area, showing no hurry to serve.

”Beep!” The referee held back for a while but couldn’t take it anymore, ran over and gave Nasri a yellow card, the latter shrugged, and stalled a few more seconds before getting ready to serve.

”Boom!!”

At the 93 minutes 14 seconds mark of the match, Nasri raised his right hand, sending a cross-body curve ball with the inside of his foot toward the front point of the penalty area.

”Mine!!” *5-7

Several shouts rang out inside the penalty area, for those unaware, it might seem like a dozen footballs flew into the penalty area, everyone had their share.

Ma’el was standing right at the front point, honestly, he had no expectations of achieving a hat trick, but seeing the ball dropping, his legs were as if injected with adrenaline, moving rapidly toward Boateng.

This ball had potential!

One step, two steps, three steps!!

Jump!

Turning head moon!

Smash toward the far corner!!!

”Boom!”

His right forehead contacted the ball, giving the ball the impetus to fly sideways and backward.

At the moment of landing, actually, Ma’el had not yet realized all that had happened just now, he just saw the opportunity to score and instinctively moved up to fight for the header.

A spinning ball rolled toward the far corner, passing over the head of Hummels who leaped to block, and over Neuer’s black gloves, facing now only the crossbar or the post.

”Clang!” When this sound rang, Ma’el had a vigorous heartbeat, raising his hands which were also placed again alongside him.

”Whoosh!” But when the ball bounced to hit the net again, he felt as if he suddenly contracted some crazy disease, everything in front of him hazed, the breeze even stung his face and eyes.

Unconsciously, he started running, heading to the often-visited sideline area.

”YeahAhaha...!!” Out of control, he started to scream together with the people celebrating inside the field, he saw numerous arms waving for him, saw Nasri kneeling at the corner flag area and pointing both hands to the sky.

The ball was in!

Ninth European Cup goal!

Hat trick!

”Ah ah ah Ma’el.....!!”

”Mon Diel.....!!!”

”Vamos.....!”

Voices rose one after another, Ma’el couldn’t distinguish which were his teammates, nor did he have time to care what he actually screamed, he just wanted to release well.

Ma’el pulled off his jersey, passed by the France team fans’ area, waving his hands hysterically and shouting, ”Ahaaa....!!”

This moment, he was like Aguero in history’s summer, helping Manchester City to an epic last-minute win over Queens Park Rangers, lifting the Premier League trophy, running his own parade in the fan zone.

He knew this was only a goal that decided France team’s entry into the European Cup final, not some last-minute winning goal for the team.

But completing a hat trick just as the match was about to end, accomplishing Platini’s record of 5 matches and 9 goals in the European Cup, to him personally, why wouldn’t it be a winning goal!

He did it!

In the Premier League, Championship League, English League Cup matches, and now the European Cup semi-final, he had completed the highest honors of a striker, a hat trick!

”Goooaaallll.....!!”

”Amazing Goal.....!! Ab.....!”

”Ma’el, he has equaled Platini’s record from the 1984 European Cup! Now, on the single tournament goal leaderboard in European Cup history, he is tied for first with Platini!”

Inside the commentary booth, commentators from around the world screamed together, ”At the same time, he also accomplished the miracle of Germany’s legendary striker Gerd Muller’s hat trick in a European Cup semi-final!

”That was the Yugoslav European Cup, way back in 1976, Gerd Muller came on as a substitute and eventually completed a hat trick in extra time!

”One can say, in the history of European Cup semi-finals, there is now only one player with a hat trick during regular time!

”Five to three! This super goal battle may be coming to an end! Germany has no time to chase 2 more goals!

”I don’t know what Platini would feel seeing this, nor do I know what Gerd Muller would feel, one can only surmise they would undoubtedly acknowledge that world football has seen a superior striker!

”The 1976 European Cup belonged to a 22-year-old Gerd Muller, the 1984 European Cup belonged to 27-year-old Platini, the 2012 European Cup belongs to Ma’el!

”Whether or not he wins the championship, it belongs to him! His dazzling timeless brilliance perhaps no longer needs the final trophy to adorn him!”

”...”

Liv Stadium was in utter chaos, players from France team’s bench charged onto the pitch to celebrate prematurely, several assistant coaches followed, as if victory was already in hand.

But under the referee’s warning and Deschamps’ shouts, they restrained their emotions and left the pitch.

Not long after Germany’s distraught restart, the referee officially sounded the three long whistles that symbolize the end of the match, ”Beep! Beep! Beep——!!”

”Fola.....!!”

”Fola.....!!”

”Yeah.....!!”

All those on France team’s bench unable to sit any longer raised their arms high, like shield and sword bearers holding shields and swords, once again rushing into Liv Stadium.

But they were not going up to meet the enemy with bayonets, rather to greet their eleven warriors returning in triumph.

France team will meet the Bullfighter Army Spain team in the final European Cup showdown!

They go further, formally launching an assault on the ultimate championship trophy!

On the flank, Ma’el leaned against an advertising board with his eyes closed, indulging in the feeling of standing at the pinnacle of Europe at this moment.

Dozens of cameras quickly gathered around him, broadcast lenses also aimed at him, it seems those wildly celebrating on the field are not too attention-grabbing, he alone, unusually quiet, is the true protagonist.

...

ps: I was called to celebrate my grandfather’s birthday halfway through writing, had a meal so the update was late, but two articles are definite, writing till 4 or 5 am to finish.