"Let's watch this game."
Inside the tv studio, Derek Rae and Craig Burley are taken aback as they witnessed Werder Bremen suddenly accelerating and launching a counterattack.
"Prodl successfully steals the ball and passes it to De Bruyne. Dortmund is retreating rapidly! De Bruyne delivers a beautifully executed pass, penetrating Dortmund's defense and putting them in a vulnerable position!
Lucas receives the ball, dribbles past Leitner, and then evades Gunter. His dribbles are precise and clean, frustrating the opposing defender!"
"He's going for the goal!" but gets tackled!"
Craig quickly comments, "I wonder how the referee will judge this situation. Dortmund's center-back Hummels tackles Lucas from the behind. Whether he touches the ball or not doesn't matter. It's a dangerous move, and there's a chance of a card being shown. If he makes contact with Lucas first, it could be a red card and a penalty kick!" "Indeed, the referee awards a penalty kick
and issues a red card to Dortmund's defender, although the latter argues with the referee that he didn't intend to commit a foul, the referee stands firm and signals for him to leave the field." "The Dortmund players appear quite agitated, surrounding the referee to dispute the penalty decision.
"Lucas seems to have sustained an injury. The Werder Bremen players are all rushing into the penalty area!"
Derek expresses more concern about Lucas's injury than the penalty decision:
"Lucas seems to be seriously hurt. He hasn't made any movements after falling to the ground. We don't know the specific nature of the injury yet. As for Hummels red card, the penalty is well-deserved."
"Yes, tackles from behind can be very dangerous for players, as they cannot anticipate the tackler's movements and find it difficult to react in time.
Once tackled, they are susceptible to injuries, potentially career-threatening ones!"
After expelling Hummels, the referee approaches the injured Lucas on the ground, examines him briefly, and then signals for a stretcher to be brought onto the field.
The medical team of Werder Bremen rushes forward immediately.
Upon witnessing the pained expression on Lucas's face, the medical staff members become alarmed and inquire, "Lucas, how are you feeling?"
Having anticipated the opponent's tackle, Lucas managed to dodge in advance. Although he is still brought down, he avoided direct impact.
In reality, he fell to the ground primarily because his thighs cramped due to energy depletion after the intense sprint. He was temporarily weakened, unable to stand up immediately.
Upon learning this, the medical team breathes a sigh of relief.
They promptly assist Lucas in straightening his legs and relaxing his muscles.
While muscle cramps after exertion are not a major issue, they can be quite uncomfortable.
The home fans boo Lucas, believing it to be a theatrical dive and the referee's penalty to be unfair.
However, at this moment, the previous play is replayed on the giant screen, silencing their criticism.
On the screen, Hummels tackle from behind clearly fails to make contact with the ball and strikes Lucas directly.
Even someone with little knowledge of the game can recognize that it is an obvious foul.
No longer able to maintain their silence, the fans cannot accuse Lucas of diving and label the referee as biased.
Nonetheless, regardless of their opinions, it was the opposing player's No. 10 who caused the red card and penalty, so it is only natural for them to express their discontent!
Boos echo throughout the stadium as Lucas is carried off the field.
The moment Lucas is injured and fell to the ground, Coach Schaaf instructs the substitute players on the bench to warm up and prepare for entry.
By the time Lucas is carried to the sidelines for treatment, Werder Bremen's No. 14 winger, Aaron Hunt, has already stepped onto the field.
"Is the injury serious?"
Coach Schaaf, paying no attention to the penalty kick's outcome, approaches the sidelines and asks the head of the team's medical staff.
"At the moment, the injury doesn't appear to be serious, but we need to conduct further examinations to determine the exact nature of the injury!"
"Very well, then arrange a comprehensive set of examinations for him. Let's not overlook any details!"
At the instant Lucas was injured and fell to the ground, Coach Schaaf felt a tightening in his heart.
He worried that this promising young star the team had recently acquired would have his career jeopardized under his watch.
Therefore, he places special emphasis on Lucas's well-being.
Young players might think they are in good health and can recover quickly, often not giving sufficient attention to their injuries.
This mindset is unquestionably flawed. Neglecting early-career injuries can result in significant latent risks.
In the future, as injuries accumulate and worsen, or even recur, they may deeply regret their carelessness.
Football has seen countless talented players whose careers were shattered by injuries. Consequently, major clubs have recently placed great importance on their medical teams, hiring professional sports experts and medical experts at high salaries.
Practices like employing unqualified individuals as doctors, which occurred in the past, have long disappeared.
Schaaf isn't the only one concerned about Lucas's injury.
In Munich, Guardiola, who is some distance away, witnesses Lucas fall to the ground on live TV. Suddenly, his face shows signs of anxiety and panic.
He knows all too well what an injury can mean for players at this stage of their careers—it could potentially destroy them!
Lucas's career has just begun, and if it crumbles so easily, Guardiola fears that he may never fully recover.
"I'm sorry, Manager Hoeness, I have an urgent matter to attend to. We can discuss the things you mentioned earlier at a later time!" He rises, apologizes to the others in the conference room, and departs.
"Uh, Coach Guardiola, your son's injury shouldn't be serious. We have nearly finalized the intended contract, and we just need to sign it. Should we proceed with the contract first and then..." Hoeness is somewhat speechless. Even though he understands Guardiola's concern for his son, he shouldn't be in such a rush!
"How long does it take to sign?"
Guardiola has already left the conference room without listening, leaving only Hoeness and Guardiola's agent staring at each other.
"By the way, does Coach Guardiola always have such a sense of urgency?" Hoeness felt a bit annoyed. After all, he is the general manager of Bayern Munich.
"I've been talking with you all day, showing you the team's structure, youth training, facilities, even the locker room. And now, when it's time to sign, you just say a word and leave, making me feel underestimated and lacking respect from you."
Jose Maria Orobitg shook his head and replied, "That's not entirely true. Pep is usually a very humble person, and he wouldn't be rude under normal circumstances. However, when it comes to someone he truly cares about, he can sometimes lose his composure. It's a matter of the situation."
Hoeness inquired, "Are there many people who can make him pay such great attention? I don't mean to invade Coach Guardiola's privacy, but I need to mitigate risks for the team, and I can't casually let go of my head coach. Does the team care about this?"
Orobitg responded solemnly, "You can rest assured on this point. Although Pep is passionate, his professionalism is unquestionable.
I can tell you that there are very few individuals who can command his level of attention, apart from family members. And on the field, there are only two people who have received that level of attention from him!"
Curious, Hoeness asked, "Oh, who are they?"
"Barcelona's No. 10 player Messi, and the one you just saw injured and fall to the ground!"