Chapter 208: Surging Popularity, Over Five Million Fans
In the end, thanks to Lin Quan's astonishing bicycle kick goal during injury time, the two teams ended up with a 2-2 draw.
Manchester City left Chelsea's home ground with a draw.
Although their winning streak was interrupted, they still maintained an undefeated record.
The fact that Manchester City's fans were quite satisfied with this result despite the team's incomplete lineup.
During the post-match press conference, Pellegrini took a minute to praise Lin Quan's performance, calling him the most outstanding player he had ever coached, without a doubt!
"As a head coach, I'm delighted that my team has a player like Lin Quan. He's the kind of player who can bring you infinite surprises, just like Messi from Barcelona and Ronaldo from Real Madrid. I believe Lin is definitely of that caliber!"
The annual Ballon d'Or award was about to be announced, and Pellegrini was already building momentum for him.
Although Lin Quan's historical records and honors were not as good as those of several big favorites, it was still necessary to build momentum, and the topic needed to be hyped.
Regarding Pellegrini's words, netizens started discussing:
"The Engineer's words are spot on. Lin Emperor indeed has the aura of the two legends!"
"Keep it low-key. We shouldn't invite criticism for Lin Emperor. He should at least win a Champions League trophy and a Ballon d'Or before being compared to the legends. Before that, Lin Emperor still lacks a lot in terms of honors!"
"Haha, I think Lin Emperor can take a shortcut, like winning a World Cup next year. In that case, wouldn't he surpass Messi directly?"
"That's possible. The World Cup trophy carries more weight than the Champions League trophy, but winning the World Cup is very difficult!"
"Next year's World Cup has many strong teams. The host Brazil goes without saying, South American powerhouses like Argentina, and European traditional strong teams like France, England, the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany, are all formidable opponents.
"To emerge from such a lineup of strong teams will be quite challenging!"
"You missed one. The strength of the European Red Devils, Belgium, should not be underestimated, and Croatia, where Modric and Mandzukic are, also has decent strength. Indeed, there are many strong teams in Europe!"
"True, many European teams have been placed in the second or even third tier. There might even be a super group of death in the group stage. If, by any chance, you have bad luck and draw into the group of death, with Spain's slow start tendency, they might get eliminated in the group stage!"
"Really? Spain is still the defending champion and currently ranked first by FIFA. It's impossible for them not to advance from the group stage, right?"
"In theory, there is indeed a possibility of not advancing, but the probability is small."
After the game, the video of Lin Quan's bicycle kick spread rapidly on the internet.
He also topped the trending list on Twitter with this divine shot.
As a result, Lin Quan's fame and influence rose another level.
The number of followers on Twitter also quickly soared, surpassing 5 million, overtaking a large group of active players.
...
While some were rejoicing, others were feeling down. After Pellegrini's interview ended, Chelsea's head coach had not yet appeared.
This made the reporters below whisper:
"Could Mourinho be a coward and not dare to show up?"
"Hehe, that's possible!"
"He boasted before the match that he would definitely win against Manchester City at home. As a result, he was only able to draw against a Manchester City with a depleted lineup. Now everyone is waiting to see him make a fool of himself. I don't think he has the courage to show up!"
Where Mourinho is, there is no shortage of news. The madman's personality easily clashes with reporters.
And every clash can be widely reported by the media.
After waiting for a while, Mourinho finally arrived late, with a grim expression, looking like he had just argued with someone.
"I bet Mourinho must have lost his temper in the locker room!"
"Hehe, maybe he had a friendly exchange with Abramovich?"
The reporters speculated one after another.
These guys didn't intentionally lower their voices, so they could be heard clearly below by Mourinho.
He snorted coldly, sat down behind the interview table, and then spoke:
"I know what you want to ask, but my team put an end to the opponent's eight-game winning streak. I think this is an acceptable result!"
He anticipated the questions from the reporters and wanted to speak first to shut them up.
However, the Fleet Street reporters would not let him off so easily.
"But Manchester City was missing many key players in this match. At best, it was just a weakened team. If you can't even win against such a Manchester City, then when you visit the Etihad Stadium in the 24th round of the league, does Chelsea still stand a chance?"
Mourinho glanced at the reporter who asked the question and found that he was from The Times. So, he gave him a bit of face and didn't lash out directly:
"My team is the best team, and we can beat any opponent!"
The reporter from The Independent asked:
"After this match, Manchester City still leads Chelsea by 7 points, and Arsenal also leads you by 3 points. Is Chelsea's goal for this season still the championship?"
Mourinho disdainfully responded:
"Of course, my and the team's goal has always been to win the championship. The league has just begun, with 29 rounds left, which is enough for my team to catch up!"
A reporter from The Guardian was not satisfied with Mourinho's answer and countered with data:
"But in these nine rounds of matches, Chelsea lost one game, drew three games, and the team's frontline issues remain unsolved. Among the traditional powerhouses in the Premier League, Chelsea's current goal tally is only higher than the unstable Manchester United, lagging behind the other three teams, and far behind Manchester City!"
Mourinho sneered, "Wenger's Arsenal is always strong at the beginning of each season, giving people the feeling that they're about to win the championship. But what does Arsenal look like in the second half of the season? You've all seen it!"
"I admit that Manchester City's current record is good, but they lack experience and will soon make mistakes in competing on multiple fronts, which my team won't!"
The reporters present couldn't help but roll their eyes. How thick-skinned can this person be? Who was it that suffered a big loss in the first away game of the Champions League against Basel?
Manchester City is now undefeated in the Champions League, with a bright prospect of advancing from the group stage.
Chelsea still has to compete with Werder Bremen for first place in the group. It's not even certain if they can secure first place in the group, let alone advance!
And yet, he dares to say that his team won't make mistakes.
I think Mourinho is just being stubborn!
Seeing Mourinho bragging like this, a journalist from The Sun spoke up:
"Coach Mourinho, before the match, you said you would definitely win against Manchester City at home, but you failed. How do you evaluate your pre-match boast?"
This is a direct slap in the face! Mourinho could be slightly polite to reporters from The Times and other mainstream newspapers, but with tabloids like The Sun,
he wouldn't be polite at all! "I can stand on the sidelines at Stamford Bridge and command the team, while you can only hide in the dark corner and speak ill of others.
Chelsea hired me as their head coach because I'm better than you, better than all of you here. Otherwise, why didn't they hire you?"
After saying this, he left, ending the press conference directly.
...
As the focal point of this round of the Premier League, after the match ended, the entire Fleet Street news media reported on the game.
And Lin Quan's goal was unquestionably selected as the best goal of this round of the Premier League.
In Manchester City's history, perhaps only Aguero's last-minute goal against Queens Park Rangers in the final round of the 2011-2012 season can rival Lin Quan's goal!
Of course, in terms of brilliance, Lin Quan's goal obviously surpasses it.
But in terms of excitement and importance to the team,
Aguero's goal is obviously more important, after all, that goal brought a championship trophy.
After the match, Aguero, who was sidelined due to illness, praised Lin Quan's performance on social media.
"It's incredible. Lin did what every forward wants to do but can't. I think I'll have to learn from him how to do a bicycle kick when I return to the team!"
A certain unnamed forward from Real Madrid secretly liked Aguero's tweet. Lin Quan's shooting skills, if learned, are really useful. Who uses it knows!
After seeing Aguero's tweet, Lin Quan also posted a tweet:
"A bicycle kick is so simple, isn't it? You just need to jump up, lift your foot, aim at the ball, and kick it hard!"
Aguero: "??? Is it really that simple? I'm not well-educated, don't lie to me!"
Reus: "This guy is lying. When he shoots with his right foot, the height he lifts it exceeds his own height. To complete a shot like his, first, you have to be able to jump that high!"
Is jumping high enough?
A certain hundred-million-euro winger from Real Madrid was eager to try after hearing this, wanting to try it on the field.
A certain problem player who is world-class from the neck down in Serie A, after learning this news, also wanted to give it a try.
So, in the match between AC Milan and Parma, he really tried to replicate Lin Quan's goal on the field.
And then...
Balotelli received a yellow card because he didn't hit the ball but kicked the opponent's defender straight on...
...
As the losing side, Chelsea fans were feeling bitter.
However, it wasn't all bad news. Torres, who scored in two consecutive games, was clearly in better form.
This gave Chelsea fans a little comfort. If Torres can maintain this form, then Chelsea may still have a chance to reverse and win the championship.
The draw for the World Cup group stage is about to take place. Before that, some journalists found Torres and asked him about his views on the club and national team.
"I feel my form is recovering. I have confidence that I can help the team continue to win!"
Torres didn't seem to be greatly affected by this match. At least from the confidence he showed, it was much better than during the goal drought of the previous few months.
But for this answer, the journalists were clearly not satisfied.
What the journalists wanted was sensational news.
"Fernando, we know you were an absolute key player for Spain in the South Africa World Cup and the Euro 2012, but after Lin Quan joined the team, you lost that position.
But your recent form has been so good. If you can continue this excellent form in the upcoming league and Champions League matches, do you think Coach Bosque will put you back in the starting lineup?"
The journalists obviously had ulterior motives. They wanted to stir up trouble between Lin Quan and Torres.
Torres, as a famous football star, couldn't possibly have no complaints about losing his starting position.
As long as he expressed any dissatisfaction in the interview, the journalists could turn it into a big news story, exaggerating it into a major conflict within the Spanish national team.
As the defending champions and the current number one team in FIFA rankings, the Spanish national team has a large following.
There are many audiences interested in their news. If they could create some sensational news, their newspapers would definitely sell out!
In addition, the British also wanted to take this opportunity to disrupt the stability and unity of the Spanish national team's locker room, adding some variables to the defending champions' journey to the World Cup next year.
Among all the countries participating in the World Cup, except for Spanish fans, probably no one hopes for their successful defense.
The British are naturally no exception!
Torres is not a rookie just starting out. He has played in the Premier League for several years and knows very well the unscrupulousness of these Fleet Street journalists.
So, he carefully chose his words and answered cautiously:
"I have confidence in maintaining this form. I know how hard it is to come by."
Torres' goal drought lasted not just for a day or two, but for one or two years. Since he arrived at Chelsea, he couldn't find the same scoring form he had at Liverpool, so he particularly cherished this return to form.
"As for the starting position in the national team, it depends on the coach's personnel selection and tactical approach. I will try my best to show my strength and convince the coach with my best form."
This answer was already quite cautious, but Torres still overestimated the decency of Fleet Street journalists.
"Sanchez Unhappy with Lin Quan - He Took Away My Starting Position!"
Seeing the unethical journalist's report, Torres was stunned: These journalists really have no ethics or bottom line at all!
His answer didn't even express such meaning, and these guys deliberately distorted the facts!
But after this news report came out, it immediately caused a sensation in the football world.
Media from various countries either reprinted or followed up on the report, making this news widely known.
After all, the Spanish national team is the number one team in the world rankings, and after winning multiple championship trophies in a row, their popularity and influence far surpass those of other competitors.
This made people very interested in the striker competition in the Spanish national team, and many of Torres' fans began to speak out for him.
"Strongly demand that Bosque put Torres in the starting lineup. Torres deserves a starting spot!"
"With Torres' level, it's no problem to say he's the strongest forward in Spain? It's really absurd that he can't even get into the starting lineup!"
"Don't talk about Torres, even Villa is sitting on the bench. Since Lin Quan joined the team, the opportunities for these players to play have indeed greatly diminished."
"Ah, these veteran players have made so many contributions to the Spanish national team, and now they are being kicked aside. It's really heartbreaking!"
"The actions of the Spanish coaching staff are indeed questionable. I think they should give more opportunities to the old players, instead of like now, stubbornly favoring Lin Quan. Even if Lin Quan is a great player, he can't handle starting every game!"
Doubts about the Spanish coaching staff began to appear online because the strength of the Spanish national team is so strong. There has always been a voice outside saying that even a tied-up dog could win games in Bosque's position.
In this situation, the work of the Spanish coaching staff is easily overlooked.
After all, their tactical style is just copying Barcelona, and most of the players are from Barcelona.
It's more accurate to say it's a Barcelona B team rather than the Spanish national team.
Seeing the situation getting out of control, Torres realized that he had made a mistake, regardless of whether those unethical journalists had distorted the facts or not.
At this point, he had to come forward to clarify the rumors as soon as possible and not let the wrong rumors continue to spread.
However, the public did not believe Torres' public clarification. Many people felt that he was under pressure from the Spanish national team and had to publicly refute it under pressure.
Seeing the situation about to get out of control, Bosque stepped forward:
"Torres and Lin are both outstanding players. I won't compare who is better between them.
As for the issue of the starting lineup, I will try to use a 4-4-2 formation in the upcoming matches to give them both a chance to start!"
This was giving both of them a fair chance to compete. Under the formation of two forwards, whoever has a stronger scoring ability will naturally be evident after playing a few games! (End of this chapter)
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