green star

Chapter 429 Athens, Champions Cup final!

Van der Sar stands in front of the goal, adopting the posture that most goalkeepers will adopt: low weight, hands slightly opened, eyes fixed on the ball.

Gilardino put the football down, took half a step back, then walked back, wrapped the football in the jersey and wiped it vigorously twice, and then put it away seriously, as if feeling dissatisfied, Gilardino again After posing it again, he didn't get up until he felt that it was almost done, then he got up and backed up to run up.

Gilardino's actions, its purpose is to put pressure on Van der Sar, however, does not deny Gilardino's own inner tension.

Now everyone's eyes are locked on the two people in front of the door.

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The referee Thomason glanced at Gilardino, meaning you are ready, Gilardino nodded slightly, and he waited for the referee's whistle.And Van der Sar was like a big mountain in front of the goal, standing there motionless.

"Beep!" The referee's whistle sounded.

Gilardino's run-up distance is relatively long, and he almost ran five or six steps before reaching the penalty spot. He lifted his right foot, pumped it on the football, and shot at the upper left of the goal!

The football flew towards the lower left corner of the goal, but Van der Sar seemed to have expected that Gilardino would shoot the upper left corner. When Gilardino shot the football, he had already dived towards the football. .

Amidst the loud sighs of frustration from the Milan fans, Van der Sar threw the ball away!
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"Van der Sar!! He saved it!! He saved Gilardino's penalty!!!" Lineker yelled, "He is a hero! Thank you Van der Sar!! Manchester United accounted for it Take the lead! Let’s see Manchester United’s next free-throw shooter!” Only the coaches and referees of both sides know who will take the penalty kick, so Lineker doesn’t know that Manchester United’s next free-throw shooter is Casa promise.

Boom!

The Manchester United fans in the visiting stands at San Siro erupted in cheers, while the Milan fans fell silent. They can only hope that Dida can save the next ball!

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The Manchester United players all jumped up together, arms raised in cheers.Li Rui even waved his fists and shouted, "Well done, I love you so much!" ! ', of course, he shouted in Chinese.

Van der Sar, who saved the penalty kick, slapped his gloves vigorously, and slapped the sky fiercely, venting his inner excitement.

Gilardino, who missed a penalty kick, looked extremely frustrated. He walked back with his head drooped. Seedorf, the next free thrower for the Milan team, came up and patted him on the shoulder, indicating that he had himself.Gilardino looked at Seedorf gratefully and said nothing. Now nothing can make up for the regret and annoyance in his heart.

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Cassano looked at the night sky of San Siro, then walked towards the penalty spot with his head down. At this time, the Italian journalists in the press box were all excited. Cassano was considered by the Italians to be Baggio's successor, which shows that the Italians are very interested in the goal. The expectations of this young man are so high. However, Cassano's perverse personality and bad temper almost ruined this Barry boy. Since he transferred to Manchester United, Cassano's performance is still good. Now, Cassano, who represented Manchester United, will face AC Milan, the last team in Serie A in this Champions Cup. The reporters in the press box also had mixed feelings.

Dida, who was already standing in front of the goal, raised his hands horizontally and moved left and right in front of the goal, staring closely at Cassano who came up to play. This is not the first time the two have played against each other. When Cassano was in Rome , and once broke the goal of Dida's handle. Of course, Dida also performed well to save Cassano's shot, but it was the first time that the two faced off in such a tense and important scene.

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"beep!"

The referee Thomason's whistle sounded.

After a short run-up, Cassano pushed the ball directly to the lower right corner. His shot was very firm and the ball was fast. Dida misjudged the direction and threw himself in the opposite direction. The ball went in!

In the second round of the penalty shootout, AC Milan striker Gilardino missed a penalty kick, while Manchester United striker Cassano scored a penalty kick-

AC Milan 6:7 Manchester United, penalty kick - AC Milan 1:2 Manchester United!

Dida patted the post angrily, and then walked away. Now, the Milan team is one point behind, and everyone feels a big stone in their hearts.

Cassano returned to the middle of the team, gave each player a high-five to celebrate, and then stood in line with everyone, watching the next kick.

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The third appearance of the AC Milan team is the veteran Seedorf. This Dutch veteran can be said to be a legendary star in the Champions League. In Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan, he has played for these three teams Team, he has won the "Big Ear Cup" with the team, the only exception is that when he was in Inter Milan, he was not able to get his hands on the highest honor in European football.

Of course, Van der Sar was very aware of the strength of his compatriot Seedorf, he did not dare to neglect, his eyes never moved from Seedorf's feet from the moment Seedorf stood at the penalty spot.

Seedorf looked smart, his eyes were on the left side of the goal, Manchester United keeper Dida's right side.Of course Van der Sar saw this, but it also made him puzzled. He didn't know if Seedorf was really going to kick to that side, or if it was a suspicious formation.

Van der Sar knew that Seedorf was an extremely experienced player, or simply cunning, so he couldn't decide to pay attention.

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"Seedorf is also under a lot of pressure now. If he doesn't score this penalty, AC Milan will be very dangerous." Taibi said loudly. Hearing him say this, the Manchester United fans in front of the TV shouted. , that's right, that's it!

However, Seedorf still used his performance to repay the trust of the coach and fans in him.

When the referee Thomasson's whistle sounded, Seedorf first took two quick steps, then slowed down for the last step, raised his right foot and shot. Van der Sar's saving action was obviously half a beat slower, although he judged the right direction. , but it has not been able to stop the football from entering the net. Seedorf's small action just now still interfered with Van der Sar's judgment.

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"Aww——" Seeing Seedorf resisting the pressure and throwing the football in, the AC Milan fans burst into cheers. Now, before Manchester United's players in this round have made free throws, the score of the two sides is the same.

Van der Sar failed to save the ball. He suppressed the tension and disappointment in his heart. As he walked away from the goal, he clapped his gloves vigorously to cheer for himself.

Next, Manchester United's third appearance is the veteran Solskjaer.

For some reason, seeing that it was Solskjaer standing at the penalty spot, many Manchester United fans felt a little relieved in their hearts. Although the Norwegian veteran is not the main player of Manchester United, but in such a critical situation On any occasion, he has never disappointed Manchester United fans.

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Dida is still standing in front of the goal, with his arms outstretched, moving left and right, like a big bird, ready to pounce on the chicken at any time.

Solskjaer took the football and wrapped it in the jersey habitually, wiped it, and then kissed it heavily, then put the football on the white spot with care, and started to take three or four steps back .

The referee Thomason's whistle sounded, Solskjaer's run-up was fast, and his shot was extremely fast and powerful. It can be said that Solskjaer is by far the most resolute shot by a player who took a penalty kick.

He shot in the upper left corner of the goal. Although Dida judged the right direction, Solskjaer's shot was extremely powerful and the ball was fast, but he still couldn't touch the football.

At the end of the third round of the penalty shootout, AC Milan midfielder and veteran Seedorf hit a penalty kick, and Manchester United's penalty player Solskjaer did not live up to the trust of the coach and scored a penalty kick.

This round of penalty shootout is over, AC Milan 7:8 Manchester United, penalty kick - AC Milan 2:3 Manchester United!

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After the third round of the penalty shootout, the home team AC Milan fell behind the visiting team Manchester United 1:2.This is really a terrible result for them. In this way, the pressure on the two players who took the penalty in the fourth round, especially AC Milan's penalty shooter Brocchi, will be much greater, because once Brocchi takes the penalty If Manchester United's penalty shooter Carrick makes a penalty kick, there is no need for a fifth round of penalty kicks, and AC Milan will be eliminated.

In the fourth round of the penalty shootout, AC Milan took the first penalty. Their penalty shooter was Brocchi, who came off the bench in this game. Brocchi, who is not tall, also had a strong shot. So choosing Brockey to take the penalty is also considering that Brockey came off the bench at the last moment of the 90-minute game and has plenty of physical strength. At this time, facing huge pressure, Brockey's ability to withstand may be better .

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Van der Sar faced Brocchi, the Dutch goalkeeper seemed very excited, he jumped in front of the goal, and also punched the crossbar with a single punch, making a buzzing sound, and then Van der Sar stood in front of the goal, tightly He kept staring into Brocchi's eyes, as if he wanted to see through the Italian player.

After Brocchi took a long time to set up the football, he raised his head and met Van der Sar's eyes. The confident and determined eyes of the old Dutch goalkeeper made Brocchi's heart skip a beat.Is this Dutchman so confident?He thought he would be able to save my penalty?
No, I can definitely get in!

Brockey secretly clenched his fists, he decided to pursue the angle as much as possible for this penalty, so as to be safe.As everyone knows, Brocchi has too many thoughts, and this is also Van der Sar's trick. When taking a penalty kick, the most important thing is not to be impatient, especially not to be disturbed by the various movements or eyes of the opponent's goalkeeper. , and Brockey obviously did not do well enough.

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Sure enough, the Danish referee Thomason blew a whistle, and after a brief run-up, Brockey raised his foot and shot——

Brocchi's shot was very tricky. Although Van der Sar judged the right direction, he really failed to touch the football. However, although Van der Sar failed to save the ball, he missed the goal. Ji's ball was too angled, and the football just hit the junction of the beam and the column, making a muffled sound——

This muffled sound, like a thunder, rang in the hearts of the Milan fans, and everyone's hearts were suspended. Brocchi missed the penalty kick, which means that if Manchester United's next If the penalty shooter makes a penalty kick, AC Milan will be eliminated! !
"God! Brocchi! He didn't score! He pursued the angle too much! In this way, AC Milan's foot has already stepped on the edge of the cliff. It's up to Dida, if he can Save Manchester United's kicker's shot, AC Milan will have a chance, otherwise, they can only be out!"

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Manchester United's fourth appearance was the England midfielder Carrick, and the reason why Ferguson chose Carrick to take the fourth goal is the same as Ancelotti's choice of Brocchi to take the penalty. In the same way, Ferguson also considered that Carrick came off the bench at the end of the half-time and was full of energy. At this time, in the face of huge pressure, players with energy may be better able to bear it.

Carrick looked at the goal subconsciously. Dida stood in front of the goal, with two big hands swinging up and down, which created an illusion for Carrick, as if the entire goal seemed to be occupied by the Brazilian goalkeeper.

Carrick felt that his breathing was even a bit short of breath, and now he was even looking forward to the referee's whistle sounding quickly, so as to end this difficult moment.He had never faced such a difficult moment in his career, breathing seemed to be a stone on his heart, making him exhausted.And those legs were so heavy that he could barely walk.

"This is the most important penalty in my life. It must not be missed, it must not be missed! If it is scored, we will enter the final! It must be scored! God!!" Carrick thought in his heart praying!

With Carrick's mentality, the result of taking the penalty can be imagined.

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The referee Thomason's whistle sounded, and Carrick started to run. It should be said that Carrick is quite experienced. He deliberately looked at the top right of the goal when he shot, but he intended to push the goal into the middle of the goal. , His eyes really confused Dida, Dida jumped to his left side, and then realized that after being fooled, his right foot stuck behind, tried his best to go towards the football fence.

At this time, Carrick's lack of confidence in taking the penalty kick determined the success or failure of this time. Although he pushed the shot in the middle, the power of this shot was only average, so that Dida's second right The first step of the foot still barely blocks the football!

In the fourth round of the penalty shootout, AC Milan midfielder Brocchi's penalty hit the post, while Manchester United player Carrick's penalty was saved by Dida!
In this round, neither of the penalty shooters from both sides was able to score the football!
The fourth round of the penalty shootout ends, AC Milan 7:8 Manchester United, penalty kick - AC Milan 2:3 Manchester United!

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Dida was able to save Carrick's penalty. For AC Milan, it was definitely a life-saving pounce!
"Long live! Long live!!" The entire San Siro stadium erupted into cheers, and the desperate Milan fans cheered in unison, and Dida also appeared very 'violent', excitedly going up and down the stands Wave his arms as a way to stir up emotions in the audience.

Carrick watched his shot being saved by Dida. His feet softened and he knelt on the ground. He couldn't accept the result.He knew that as long as he scored a penalty kick, Manchester United would eliminate AC Milan and enter the final. However, he failed to withstand the pressure and was unable to stand firm at the critical moment!

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Ferguson on the sidelines had a very bad expression. He was going to cheer the team to advance, but he didn't expect Carrick to miss the penalty kick. The reason why he chose Carrick to take the penalty kick was because he liked him. With plenty of physical strength, there shouldn't be any mistakes, but I didn't expect that this kind of pressure was unbearable for Carrick, who was facing this scene for the first time.

At this time, Ferguson thought of Li Rui as the last penalty kick of the Manchester United team, so now all the pressure will be on Li Rui, this young man under 23 years old is also facing such a situation for the first time scene -

Can Li Rui withstand the pressure? !

Ferguson subconsciously looked at Li Rui who was standing with his teammates. From Li Rui's face, the old Scottish man couldn't see any expression.

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And Ancelotti raised his arms and cheered at this time. When Brocchi missed the penalty just now, Ancelotti closed his eyes in pain. He thought that his team was about to be eliminated. Unexpectedly Dida saved Carrick's shot at a critical moment, which made Milan see the light again.

And Ancelotti believes that this will be a turning point!

Now, all Milan's hope lies in Kaka, who is the fifth to take the penalty, and goalkeeper Dida. If Kaka can withstand the pressure and score a penalty, Dida saves Manchester United's fifth penalty. If the penalty kick is taken by hand, the score of the double serve will be tied again, and the penalty will have to continue.

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Kaka is AC Milan's fifth player to take a penalty kick. In Ancelotti's view, Kaka should be the player with the highest insurance factor among Milan's penalty kicks.

Kaka's state this season is exceptionally good, and AC Milan's ability to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, more than half of the credit should be credited to Kaka's account. The Rossoneri have come to this point in the Champions League.

Therefore, Ancelotti put Kaka in the fifth place to take the penalty. However, Ancelotti originally counted on Kaka to help Milan seal the victory, but he did not expect that Gilardino, who played second, would Missed the penalty kick, and then Brockey also missed the penalty kick. Although Dida saved Carrick's penalty kick well, but now even if Kaka made the penalty kick, he just kept it. Just a silver lining.

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This time, the pressure is all on Kaka. If AC Milan wants to enter the final, at least Kaka must take this penalty! !

Comparatively speaking, Van der Sar's pressure is slightly less than that of Kaka. Of course, this is only a relative comparison. It is different from Milan who will be eliminated if Kaka misses a penalty. Without this penalty kick, Manchester United still has a chance. As long as Li Rui scores a penalty next, Manchester United will be able to eliminate AC Milan and enter the final. Therefore, the greatest pressure on Manchester United is the subsequent Li Rui who just stood in front of the goal! !

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The San Siro stadium fell into silence again.

There was silence even in front of the TV.

Whether it is the Manchester United fans far away in Manchester, or the Milan fans who can only watch the game in bars, at home, or wherever they can watch the game without tickets, everyone is holding their breath at this time, nervous Stare at the TV screen! !

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Kaka tried his best to calm down his breathing, he knew how much pressure he was under, and he had to keep Milan's hope! !

Kaka looked up and met Van der Sar's eyes. The Brazilian golden boy went up to him without fear. Van der Sar was also surprised. He read a strong self-confidence from Kaka's eyes. , he suddenly lacked confidence in saving this penalty——

The facts are like this, the temptation of confidence is one that ebbs and flows!
Kaka looked towards the referee Thomason, meaning that it can start!

"Beep!" The referee Thomasson's whistle sounded!

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Kaka started to run up——

step!
Two steps! !
Three steps! ! !

Lift your feet and shoot! ! !
He chose a low shot from the lower right corner of the goal, and Van der Sar also moved, he threw himself sideways to the left, which was the direction of Kaka's shot, and Van der Sar judged the right direction, but the power of Kaka's shot It's big, the ball is fast, and before Van der Sar fell to the ground completely, the football has already passed quickly and got into the net! !
The ball went in! ! !
In the fifth round of penalty shootout, before Li Rui took the penalty, Kaka withstood the pressure and scored a penalty kick. The current score is AC Milan 8:8 Manchester United!

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There was a burst of cheers at the San Siro Stadium. Kaka withstood the pressure and scored a penalty kick. He kept hope for AC Milan. Now, all Milan fans put their hopes on goalkeeper Dida, Brazil If the goalkeeper saves the next penalty, Milan will draw with Manchester United on aggregate, and the penalty will be penalized. If Dida fails to save the football, Milan will be eliminated!

The atmosphere at the scene was suddenly suppressed to the extreme, and the commentators in the commentary booth were also infected by this atmosphere.

"Now, it's the most critical moment! Ah——Li Rui! As expected, it's Li Rui, who is the fifth Manchester United player to take a penalty kick! He still wears the Manchester United captain's armband on his arm , and this young man really put the greatest pressure on his shoulders at this time? But, can he bear this pressure?"

"We all know that in normal games, Li Rui does not take penalty kicks. At this time, he is standing at the penalty spot. I don't know what the result will be. Who will stay in the Champions League? Come on, maybe, the result will come out!!"

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Li Rui walked slowly towards the penalty spot. He walked very slowly. He could not experience this feeling without being there. To put it a little harshly, it was similar to the feeling of stepping into the execution ground. The statement may be a bit pessimistic, after all, life and death are on the line, and the hard work of a season depends on these few seconds!

Li Rui picked up the football at the penalty spot. Then, he wrapped the football in his jersey and wiped it vigorously. Then he kissed the football first, lifted it up with his hand, tapped it gently on his forehead, and then bent down. Putting the football on the white dot, he placed it very carefully until he was satisfied, then stood up, took another look at AC Milan goalkeeper Dida standing in front of the goal, and then backed away.

While doing this, Li Rui didn't say a word, silently, feeling very depressed. Only when he shoots this kick, whether he is alive or dead, is it time to vent! !

After standing still, Li Rui glanced at the referee and waited for the referee to blow his whistle.

He also didn't expect that in the end, it would be decided by a penalty shootout. Li Rui never took the initiative to ask for a penalty kick. This is because in his opinion, a penalty kick is the easiest way. However, now Li Rui But don't think so, of course he understands how much pressure he has, he can almost hear his own heartbeat! !

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The entire stadium fell silent.

Everyone's breathing stopped, and all sounds died out.Li Rui felt that he could not hear anything in his ears. He could only hear his own heartbeat, which was like the ticking sound of an old-fashioned wall clock. This sound almost drove him crazy! !
I have tasted the taste of failure last year, so today, I must win!
This ball will definitely go in! ! !
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Dida stared at Li Rui. This experienced goalkeeper hoped that his sharp eyes could put pressure on the young shooter in front of him. Of course Dida knew how scary this young man was. After Milan was eliminated by Manchester United last season , When Dida faced the media, he praised Li Rui as the most terrifying shooter on the planet. However, Dida knew that no matter how good a shooter is usually, no matter how good his shooting skills are, in the penalty shoot-out Time doesn't matter anymore!
The important thing is the confrontation of psychological quality! !

Boy, you have no hope! !

No, victory is ours, and this goal will definitely be scored! !

The eyes of the two seem to be talking to each other!

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Li Rui felt that his blood was about to burst from his veins at this moment... He forced himself to calm down! ! !

The corner of the mouth was bitten due to excessive force! !

A trace of salty liquid flowed into his mouth... red blood mixed with sweat... let him start to calm down! !

The referee Thomason looked at the two people in the penalty area, and then blew the whistle in his mouth.

"beep!"

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Li Rui took a deep breath, and then started to run——

step……

two steps...

Three steps...

The right foot swung up quickly, then slowly swung down...

Kiss with the right foot and the black and white elf!
The moment Li Rui kicked, Dida threw himself to the right and left of the goal without hesitation!He was betting. In fact, a large part of the goalkeeper's penalty kick was also gambling!Bet on your luck, bet on your own judgment!From the perspective of Li Rui's running posture and the shape of his foot, Dida bet that Li Rui kicked to the upper right corner of the goal! !

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However, when he had already dived towards his left side, Dida in the air was desperate to see that the football kicked by Li Rui flew to the center of the goal, and it was a perfect——

spoon!

It turned out that the moment Li Rui kicked the football, he turned into a twitch, and the football flew beautifully to the unguarded middle.

The ball is in! !

with no doubt! !
In the fifth round of the penalty shootout, both Kaka and Li Rui scored penalties. However, the total score was AC Milan 8:9 Manchester United, and AC Milan 3:4 Manchester United on penalties!

Manchester United advance to the Champions League final! !

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beep! ! ! !

The goal is valid! ! ! !
Manchester United fans throughout the San Siro stadium are going crazy! ! !
An outburst of complete passion! !
Volcano eruption! ! !

earthquake! !
Tsunami! !
bring it on! ! !

bring it on! !
"Spoons! Spoons!! Spoons! Great Spoons!! Great Goals!!!!"

"goooooooooooooaaaaaaaa-l!!!!!! Li Rui!!!!!! Spoon!!!! God!! Help us!!! He is an undisputed genius!! Great Spoon!!! Great football!! Great strike!!! 9:8 (penalty 4:3) Long live Manchester United!! They are in the final, one more game and they will be on top of Europe! Congratulations to them! "

"GOOOOOAL!! GOOOOOAL!! GOOOOOOOOOAL!!! It's Manchester United in the final of the Champions League! Li Rui is the biggest hero of this game, he withstood the pressure! Fantastic spoon!! Really great! If Manchester United this season Can win the Champions Cup, then Li Rui will be the most powerful contender for the European Footballer of the Year! Congratulations to him, congratulations to Manchester United! They will continue to chase the final champion in the final in Athens!! There is the final stage!! !"

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Li Rui, who scored the goal, was stunned for a moment, and then he heard the referee's whistle, and then he realized what happened. There was a roar from his mouth, and he ran screaming. Just want to run, want to vent, want to vent!Want to have a good roar! !
At this moment, the players of Manchester United rushed into the pitch like crazy! !

Li Rui was pulled down by Ryan Giggs, and the Welsh veteran stepped up immediately, followed by more people.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa! ! ! !

Li Rui roared like a lion king, the glory he was after! !Pursue passion! !Pursue the dream! !
burning! !
Make a crackling sound——

The flames are high! !
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When Kaka watched Li Rui roaring and running on the San Siro field, his mind went blank.

Failed?This is the San Siro Stadium, which is his home field, but was eliminated?
Originally, AC Milan had every hope of eliminating their opponents in the 90-minute game, but who could have imagined that at the last moment, Li Rui took a free kick for a foul in a seemingly harmless position, tying the total score. This dragged into overtime.

Then, the development of the situation is beyond the control of any party.

The penalty shootout itself is a gamble, a torture, a psychological battle that makes people suffer!

Unfortunately, it was Milan who lost!
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While the Manchester United players were cheering frantically to celebrate their promotion, the Milan players were suffering. Gilardino, who missed a penalty kick, was even sobbing. Faced with pain, this is the closest the Italian star has come to the 'Big Ear Cup'. He did not expect that he would not be able to hold on at the critical moment, and he would not be able to grasp this difficult opportunity!
AC Milan's old captain Maldini and coach Ancelotti had to come up to comfort the Milan players. Maldini hugged Gilardino, who was still crying, and comforted him, saying that he would have a chance to come back next year, but , this does not reduce Gilardino's pain and guilt.

On the other side, veteran Inzaghi stood there, looking at the night sky, with a look of loneliness and unwillingness, and his eyes were also red.

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Manchester United's players have come out of the ecstasy of qualifying for the final. After all, this is San Siro and AC Milan's territory. If they want to celebrate, they have to wait until they return to Manchester.

And what Ferguson said was very correct, the old Scottish man smiled excitedly, clapped his hands and called everyone together, "Okay, boys, we have reached the final, but this is not the final game. Athens, there is still one most important game waiting, if you want to celebrate, wait until you win that game, and then celebrate! After winning that game, you will find out what is the real cheer!!"

The Manchester United team came to the stands of the visiting fans at San Siro to thank the Manchester United fans who went to San Siro.

After doing all this, Li Rui turned his head and wanted to find Kaka to exchange jerseys. The two exchanged jerseys at Old Trafford, but today, at the San Siro Stadium, the meaning is different.

However, Li Rui took a look and found Kaka with a lonely face. He thought about it and decided not to bother Kaka. Li Rui understood the pain. When Li Rui was eliminated by Barcelona at Camp Nou, he knew that if he asked Kaka to exchange his jersey, Kaka would not refuse.

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The Manchester United players who returned to the hotel where they stayed had a carnival in the team. The head coach Ferguson also rarely agreed with the players to drink some beer in moderation. The wheat yellow beer flowed down the throat and into the stomach, which felt so refreshing ——

Athens, Champions League final, this is really not a dream! !
(End of this chapter)