[football] walk side by side

Shortly after returning from Manchester, there were only a few days left before the team training camp where the two belonged, and the vacation plan was ruined. They could only rest at home for a period of time, and then returned to their respective clubs.

Before the end of the transfer period, Chelsea also had several transactions: Deco transferred from Barcelona, ​​and Portuguese right-back Bosingwa also came from Porto. Compared with Chelsea's madness in previous years, this year's transfer has been considered low-key.

It's not that Abramovich is reluctant to spend money, but that he thinks that Chelsea's lineup is good enough-Drogba, Shevchenko, and Kalu in the frontcourt.There are Ballack, Lampard and Cyril in the midfield, Terry always sticks to the defense, Cech is still the pinnacle of the backcourt.Most importantly, the wish of superstar that he has always been thinking about has been fulfilled to some extent.

After the European Cup, although his performance in the Champions League in 08 was inferior to that of Ronaldo, his stable performance since the European Cup has brought him to another level in the evaluation of authoritative media, not to mention that he also grabbed the No. [-] from Manchester United. One award - European Cup MVP.

The lore goal against Spain in the finals made Cristiano the best player in the finals, but considering the overall performance of the European Cup, UEFA finally chose Cyril as the MVP of the European Cup.

Not only Abramovich, but also many Chelsea fans, because of Cyril's brilliance in the European Cup, they have once again ignited their confidence in Chelsea this year. After losing to Manchester United in the Champions League last year, the attendance at Stamford Bridge Not only has there been no decline, but there are signs of a gradual rise.

Chelsea in the new season did not live up to their expectations.

In the Premier League, Chelsea firmly occupied the top of the standings with eight victories. This brilliant start continued until Old Trafford. However, even Manchester United could not stop Chelsea's steady progress At the same time that the referee blew his whistle, Chelsea took a point from Old Trafford without any risk.

After the draw with Manchester United, Chelsea once again drew with the "old friend" Liverpool at Anfield. When the British tabloids were discussing that Chelsea should be dead, Chelsea began to continue their terrible winning streak.

In the No.11 round of the league, Chelsea beat Arsenal 1-0, shutting up all the media who were bad-mouthing Chelsea.

In the No. 12 round of the league, Chelsea won Aston Villa steadily with a score of 3:0, widening the point difference with the second-ranked Manchester United in the league to 6 points.

Not only that, Chelsea also achieved quite good results in the FA Cup and Champions League competitions that their peers are gradually approaching.

The FA Cup has entered the quarter-finals. Considering that their next group opponent is Hull City, which is sinking on the edge of the relegation zone, the semi-finals seem to be nothing more than a matter of Chelsea. In the Champions League group stage, they won all three games and advanced to the knockout round first. , and then successfully entered the semi-finals!

All the reality seems to be telling Chelsea fans: Today's Chelsea is no longer the original Chelsea!

With this series of achievements, no matter how picky the fans are, they can't ask for anything more from Chelsea today. There is no doubt that they have done the best they can.Cautious fans put good wishes in their hearts, while bold fans have begun to fantasize about the first big ear cup injured in Chelsea's history.

Under such circumstances, they ushered in their opponents in the semi-finals of the Champions League-Guardiola's Barcelona.

……

Cyril pursed his lips and got up from the ground without saying a word.

The faint pain in his calf clearly reminded him of the authenticity of the collision with the opposing player just now.But the referee didn't blow the whistle. The referee from Norway didn't even say a word to warn the opposing player, but waved his hand, indicating that there was no impact and the game was going on normally.

Noticing something wrong with Cyril's expression, Lampard on the side asked worriedly: "Cyril, are you okay?"

Cyril ran forward a few steps. The pain in his calf did not disappear, but it was not unbearable. He silently glanced at the scoreboard above the field.

0:1.

In that first game at the Nou Camp, the score was 0:0, and in this game, Barcelona scored an away goal, in other words, Chelsea want to win this game, At least two goals must be scored.

"Nothing." He finally replied so briefly.

Lampard still wanted to say something, but the situation on the field was urgent, and they couldn't allow them to talk and chat, so he could only forcefully suppress the worries in his heart, and nodded slightly.

The game continues.

Angry Chelsea fans booed the referee overwhelmingly - if they didn't want to cheer for the heroes of the team, perhaps no blue car fan would mind booing the referee The referee spends the entire game.

"Black whistle! Black whistle! Black whistle!"

"Is the referee blind? Can't he see the foul by Eto'o? It's a handball! Handball! This goal should have been disallowed! Such an obvious handball can't be seen, this level Are you also qualified to judge the Champions League knockout? I will see it better than him when I go up!"

"Stupid referee! He's looking for balance again!! Because Barcelona suffered a loss at the Nou Camp last round, so this round has to compensate them? If you have the ability, don't judge blindly in the last round!"

"Abidal's action against Cyril just now was obviously a foul! Such a dangerous tackle action, he didn't seem to have seen it? Why did we all receive two yellow cards, but Barcelona didn't even commit a single foul?"

In the stands of Stamford Bridge, there was a lot of complaints among Chelsea fans at this time, and all the dissatisfaction was given to the referee on the field and the Barcelona players.

Was it really the referee's mistake?Did the Norwegian really not see Eto'o's handball?

Powell was also among the wildly booing Chelsea fans, but he still retained a sense of reason in his heart, but this reason brought him an indescribable worry at the moment.He doesn't think it's all the referee's fault like other Chelsea fans.

If it was really the referee who made a mistake, then this mistake would be too obvious.

Every referee starts as an assistant referee and rises up step by step. How can an ordinary referee make a penalty for such a major Champions League semi-final, especially a matchup between Chelsea and Barcelona?And how could the chief referee sent to preside over this game be so careless that he made so many low-level mistakes?

Reminiscent of Chelsea's many failures in the Champions League in recent years, it is really difficult for Powell to comfort himself not to think too much.

Think about the incident when Mourinho was inexplicably suspended against Barcelona... Is everything really just a coincidence?

In the 306th minute of the game, when Lampard was knocked down by Yaya Toure outside the penalty area, the Chelsea fans couldn't bear it anymore and yelled!

"Who is this referee? After the game is over, he'd better take a dozen security guards with him, or I'll beat him to death!"

"Miscellaneous! He better not let me know where he lives!"

"#￥%&*#@#!"

Powell didn't yell at the referee with them, because at this moment, his heart has been replaced by an indescribable panic. This kind of unreasonable feeling not only did not gradually dissipate with the game, but intensified, so strong that He couldn't ignore it at all.

"Beep-"

In the 401st minute of the game, the referee Herning finally blew his whistle. Just three seconds ago, Abidal hit Cyril's calf with a frontal tackle. The latter couldn't dodge and was knocked to the ground.The referee came slowly and finally awarded Chelsea a free kick and gave Barcelona player Abidal a yellow card.

But obviously, this penalty did not satisfy the fans of both sides, but instead caused the entire stadium to explode!

"Dive! Dive! This is obviously a flop!!"

"Fuck you flopping!! That tackle just hit your leg! Are you fucking blind!! What is a yellow card? This action should be a red card in the Premier League!"

Whether it is the away fans or the home fans, the stands of the Stamford Bridge Stadium are in chaos at this time. If there are not security guards on both sides trying to maintain order, there is no guarantee that the fans of both sides will directly fight in the middle!

"Damn it, can this be called a home game?" Powell heard a male fan next to him yelling cursingly: "I'm so fucking aggrieved!"

"Give me a wooden barn, and I can kill that blind man right now!"

Compared with the chaotic and violent atmosphere in the stands, the atmosphere on the court at this moment seems a bit frozen.

As soon as Carvalho saw that Cyril in front was hit, he ran back from the frontcourt. He originally wanted to reach out and push Abidal hard, but he found that Germany, who had quickly run back from the frontcourt Luo Ba was even more excited than him, with a ferocious expression on his face, as if he was about to beat him up, so he quickly grabbed him!

"Calm down!! Drogba!! Calm down! Did you see that idiot?? If you dare to do something, even if you don't do anything to that bastard opposite, he will give you a red card!!" Valio growled, he didn't bother to care so much at the moment, and directly called the referee an idiot, "We are already behind now!! We can't lose one more person!"

Carvalho's roar finally made Drogba's movements pause. Taking advantage of his hesitation for a while, Carvalho and Lampard quickly pulled Drogba back.At the same time, the Barcelona players arrived almost at the same time, silently separating the players from both sides.

Although Abidal is not as excited as Drogba, after all, he is not such a person who is uprooted to the ground. The Barcelona players who came over looked extremely aggrieved at this time.

Yes, aggrieved.

Whether it was the first round at the Nou Camp or the game from the beginning to the present, not only the fans, but also the players on both sides felt aggrieved, and the Barcelona players felt aggrieved after the last round. Finally, the feeling of "recovering the field" in this round did not make them feel so refreshed, and they still felt aggrieved.

Whether it's Abidal's tackle or Pique's handball, it can be said that the foul component can't be more obvious-it doesn't need to be washed at all.Even if Barcelona has the advantage at this moment, it is really hard to say anything to the furious Chelsea players at this moment.

guilt?No, they also played in the Nou Camp last round and couldn't be more aggrieved.Happy?It's not that shameless, after all, their lead is really not that clean.

It's just too frustrating.

For the Barcelona players, perhaps only the advantage in the score at this moment is the only thing that can make them feel gratified.

Not long after, the referee Herning finally rushed over.It's hard to say whether he heard the growl that Terry scolded him, but at least he didn't take out a red card from his pocket again in the name of "insulting the referee".Instead, he signaled the captains of the two teams to pull people away, and Chelsea was about to make a free throw.

"Ha! Should I be glad the Norwegian gave us a free-kick anyway?"

"Be content, a free kick is already good. Penalties? Nonexistent."

Free kicks are not Cyril's strong point. At this moment, Lampard walked to the penalty spot. Barcelona's players began to line up the wall, and Chelsea's players also stood in their positions, ready to cooperate.

Cyril did not rush to the front to meet him like his teammates.

With the help of Barack, he stood up, and just ran a few steps forward when he sensed something was wrong, stopped hurriedly, and walked slowly instead.

Maybe it was because Abidal's tackle was too hard this time, or it just happened to hit the same position as last time. He began to feel the throbbing pain from his calf, and it was a dull pain when he walked slowly. , When running, there was a burst of tearing pain.

From the moment Cyril fell to the ground, Scolari jumped up nervously, walked to the sidelines in a few steps, and carefully observed the situation on the field. Seeing that Cyril was frowning, he stopped. , My heart sank, and I hurriedly summoned the team doctor, taking advantage of Lampard's free throw time, let Cyril come to the sideline alone for examination.

"Mr. Sellers, what's wrong with Cyril's injury? Can he continue the game?" Scolari asked anxiously as soon as the team doctor withdrew his hand.

Now that the game is at a critical moment, Chelsea simply cannot accept losing any player, let alone Cyril, who is the core of the team.At present, this is only the semi-finals of the Champions League, and the league and the FA Cup are not over. Once Cyril is seriously injured, the impact on Chelsea will not only be this game.

"It's a muscle strain. At present, it is speculated that the muscle fiber is partially broken," said the Chelsea team doctor. While wrapping the prepared towel with ice and applying cold compresses to Cyril's calf, he shook his head heavily: "For the player's personal For the sake of his professional future, I suggest that you should replace him immediately - it is not serious now, but if you continue to play in this environment, it will very likely cause irreparable damage to the player's body."

Scolari's face turned pale.

Muscle strain is one of the most common sports injuries. Mild ones are okay, but severe ones, such as tendon or muscle belly rupture, may even require a doctor to suture immediately.As the team doctor said, Cyril's injury at the moment is not too serious, but if the game continues, no one can guarantee whether his calf will cause a tendon rupture.

In addition, the recuperation date of this injury is as long as one month, that is to say, regardless of whether Cyril can continue in this game, he will miss Chelsea's game for the next month.

"I..." As soon as Cyril spoke, Scolari and the team doctor Cyrus looked at him in unison, with one brow furrowed and the other unquestionable.The former is hesitating how to make a decision, while the latter, as a doctor, hates the stubbornness of players who insist on playing when they know their health is not good.

Sure enough, Cyril hesitated for a while in silence, but couldn't help but said: "I think I can hold on for a while...?"

Scolari didn't say yes or no, but turned his questioning gaze to the team doctor.

Cyrus sighed helplessly.

As a team doctor, he had seen too many players who insisted on playing even though they knew they were injured. He was not surprised to hear that Cyril asked to continue to persevere.In fact, with Cyril's current injury, it is not impossible to persist for another 10 minutes normally, but...

Cyrus turned his head to look at the court, but there was deep worry in his eyes.

This game is so special.

It's not because this Champions League is too important, but this round of the Champions League semi-finals is not normal since the Camp Nou game. Just like the fans cursed angrily, the referee is like a black whistle. When blowing, he turned a blind eye to all kinds of fouls. At this time, the players on both sides were more impatient, and the overall atmosphere was full of gunpowder.

The environment is terrible.

Nobody on the field cares if you get hurt.If you dare to play with an injury, you must be mentally prepared for your opponent to attack your wound.This is still the case in ordinary games, let alone this Champions League semi-final where the referee did nothing?

He wanted to refuse, but he looked up at Cyril again, he didn't speak, just sat there quietly, waiting for Scolari's choice.But Sellers clearly saw in his eyes that there was no doubt—he wanted to play, and he would continue to play.

He couldn't stop him.

At the same time, Lampard on the other end also successfully sent the ball into the net. The Chelsea fans who cursed for most of the game finally cheered! 1-1!They tied Barcelona!

The referee announced the stoppage time of the first half at the same time, 3 minutes.

"If you must play, take a break at halftime and continue for another 20 minutes in the second half." Sellers was silent for a while, and finally made a concession.If Cyril insists on playing no matter what he says, it is better for his side to agree to the player's decision, and then add some qualifications to this decision: "Maximum 20 minutes, no more. Once the game happens What an accident, I hope Mr. Scolari you can replace him at any time."

Hearing that he didn't need to be substituted directly, Cyril breathed a sigh of relief, and sincerely thanked him: "Thank you, Doctor Cyrus."

The team doctor twitched his lips and shook his head deeply: "If you really thank me, then it's best not to play."

——However, this is the only point that Cyril cannot tolerate.

He could only shake his head silently, smiling and rejecting the team doctor's kindness.

Scolari saw that Cyril had made up his mind, so he didn't dissuade him anymore. Given the choice, he didn't want to replace Cyril at this time.Especially a free kick from Lampard managed to get the score back.

As long as Cyril is present, even if he doesn't attack, as long as he can persist for a while...

"In this case, then I will give you 20 minutes. If the situation on the field is not right, I will replace you at any time, understand?" Scolari communicated with Cyril cautiously: "In addition, if you feel uncomfortable , can't hold on, and remember to tell me anytime. This game is very important - but your health is more important to Chelsea."

Cyril nodded.

The moment they were delayed on the sidelines immediately attracted the attention of the fans on the sidelines.Originally, Lampard took the free kick, and most of the focus of attention was still on Lampard, but now the goal was scored, and soon many fans noticed that they were standing with the team doctor on the sidelines, wrapping their legs with a towel Cyril.

"What's going on? Look at the sidelines! Is Cyril injured? Don't! If there is no Cyril at this time..."

"With Cyril's character, if it's a normal injury, he must have insisted on staying on the court..." Powell said hesitantly, but he didn't dare to think about it.How is Cyril's injury?is it serious?Will it affect this game, or even all of Chelsea's next games?

Similar questions quickly appeared in the minds of every Chelsea fan. In the midst of their nervousness, the 3 minutes of stoppage time in the first half ended calmly. During this period, Cyril didn't even intend to return to the court. Only the team doctor changed him to a towel and continued to apply ice cubes for cold compresses.

During the intermission, Cyril and Scolari returned to the locker room together. Before Scolari explained the tactics of the second half, the players gathered beside Cyril.

"Cyril, are you okay? What did the team doctor say? Did that bastard Abidal kick you?" This was Carvalho, who was planning to roll up his sleeves and have a fight with the opponent. He stared nervously. Looking at Cyril's calf, he waved his arms angrily: "If I had known earlier, I should have given him a shot..."

"If you give him a shot, then you will be the one who ends up on the field." Cyril couldn't laugh or cry, and explained his wound lightly: "Mr. Sellers said, I have a muscle strain, and I may not be able to persist in the second half of the game." It's been too long." He didn't mention Abidal's impact, and mentioning it at this time will only arouse the anger of his teammates-because the other party did it on purpose.

Cyril narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking calmly.

That tackle was not aimed at the ball from the very beginning, because at that time, with Abidal's speed and technical level, it was impossible to steal the ball from Cyril's feet. After all, his speed had already soared. In terms of speed, Abidal couldn't catch up with him.If you can't keep the ball, then you can only keep people.

Moreover, in this game, the presence of the referee Henning is indeed very strong-the referee chose to ignore the fouls and collisions between Barcelona and Chelsea without exception, and only when it was serious, he would give a penalty A free kick and a yellow card, more often than not, is just a simple verbal warning.

Throughout the first half of the game, Chelsea didn't even get a penalty.The only free kick was the one Abidal fouled him on.