Chapter 218: The Golden Boy Award Ceremony, Lin Quan's First Trophy!
David Silva did not waste the chance Lin Quan gave him. He calmly scored the penalty, putting the team ahead 1-0.
After scoring, David Silva finally breathed a sigh of relief, and his nervousness eased considerably.
"David, well done!"
Lin Quan ran over to high-five him, but David Silva gave him a hug instead.
"Thank you, Lin!"
"Don't mention it, we're teammates. Taking care of each other is what we should do."
Lin Quan smiled and patted his shoulder, speaking nonchalantly.
David Silva nodded heavily and said no more.
Actions speak louder than words. If he wanted to repay the kindness, it shouldn't just be words.
After the game restarted, Viktoria Plzeň's players noticed that the opponent's number 21 suddenly seemed like a different person.
Previously, he had been somewhat afraid of physical confrontations, but now he seemed completely unafraid.
After overcoming this psychological barrier, David Silva began to show his true impact on the field.
In the 42nd minute, David Silva and Lin Quan performed a brilliant combination play in the front. The two completed successive one-twos, taking on two, even three defenders.
Finally, Lin Quan scored with a deft shot from about 8 meters out.
This attack saw the two practically passing their way through the opponent's defense, making a mockery of all their defenders.
Seeing this combination play and goal, the City fans in the stadium were thrilled.
Such passing combinations, usually seen only with Barcelona, had been replicated by their own team.
This was the kind of attacking play they had been dreaming of! They wished for more of such combinations and goals.
It seemed their wishes were heard, as in the second half, Lin Quan and David Silva repeated such a brilliant combination play.
Even though Viktoria Plzeň was prepared, they were still outplayed by these two top-level intelligent players.
In the 67th minute, Manchester City extended their lead. The goal was once again scored by Lin Quan, with the assist from David Silva.
All three goals on the field were connected to them!
Seeing this goal, Pellegrini was very satisfied, standing up and applauding the players.
"With David back, Lin Quan can now be freed up. We no longer fear other teams' defensive walls!"
Pellegrini was full of confidence, ready to lead the team to great achievements.
However, just as he was feeling pleased with himself, some changes occurred on the field.
Despite being three goals down, Viktoria Plzeň did not give up attacking. Instead, they capitalized on City's complacency, seizing two counterattack opportunities to score twice, reducing City's lead to one goal.
This made the home City fans nervous.
What's wrong with this team? Four defeats in the first four rounds, three goals down in this game, and now they suddenly explode? Surely, our team won't lose at home, will they?
Of course, such a scenario was impossible.
In the 82nd minute, Lin Quan dribbled through the middle, drawing several defenders' attention before passing to Negredo.
Negredo volleyed the ball into the net without stopping, extending City's lead again.
In the end, City defeated their opponents 4-2 at home, winning all five group stage matches, accumulating 15 points, and increasing their goal difference to 12.
Meanwhile, in the freezing temperatures of Moscow, Bayern held off their opponents' attacks and won 3-1.
After this round, Bayern also gained 2 goal difference points and secured their advancement with one round to spare.
Thus, the gap in points and goal difference between the two teams remained small.
City still held a 3-point and 2-goal difference advantage.
However, this slight lead seemed unsafe against Bayern.
As long as Bayern could beat City by two goals at home, they would top the group!
After the fifth round of the Champions League, the progression scenarios for each group became clear.
In Group A, Manchester United secured an 11-point lead with a 5-0 away victory over Bayer Leverkusen, advancing with one round to spare.
The other qualifying spot would be between Shakhtar Donetsk and Leverkusen.
Although Shakhtar had one more point than Leverkusen, their final match was against Manchester United, while Leverkusen's opponent was the weakest team in the group, Real Sociedad.
Therefore, the public favored Leverkusen, though it wasn't impossible for Manchester United, having already qualified, to ease up at home.
In Group B, Real Madrid's 4-1 home victory over Galatasaray not only ensured their advancement but also secured the top spot.
The remaining three teams all had a chance to advance, with Juventus, on 6 points, having the advantage. As long as they could beat Galatasaray in the final match, they would secure the second spot in Group B.
However, considering Juventus' poor performance in the Champions League this season, the public was skeptical about their ability to conquer Galatasaray's formidable home ground.
In Group C, PSG advanced with one round to spare, and the final spot would be between Olympiacos and Benfica.
In Group E, initially thought to be Chelsea's easy group, it turned out to be their troublesome group.
In this round, Chelsea was again defeated by Basel, with Mourinho's team suffering a home-and-away loss to their opponents!
This surprising result shocked everyone; no one expected Chelsea to be crushed by a non-top five league underdog in the group stage.
Interestingly, the player who scored the winning goal against Chelsea in this round was a 21-year-old young talent named Mohamed Salah.
In the two matches against Chelsea, Salah scored two goals and wreaked havoc on their defense.
This drew Mourinho's interest, and he even planned to bid for Salah during the winter break to bring the Egyptian to Stamford Bridge!
Although they lost, Chelsea's next direct competitors, Werder Bremen and Basel, would face each other.
With 7 and 8 points respectively, regardless of the outcome, Chelsea's 9 points would still put them ahead of one of these teams, securing their advancement with one round to spare.
However, whether they could top Group E would depend on the next match's result.
Group F, the "group of death," lived up to its name, with a complicated progression scenario even after five rounds.
Arsenal, with 4 wins and 1 loss, had 12 points and topped the group. Dortmund and Napoli, both with 9 points, were second and third.
Despite Arsenal's 3-point lead, they hadn't secured advancement yet.
In the next match, Arsenal would face Napoli.
If they lost by a 3-goal margin and Dortmund won, Arsenal would be eliminated.
Dortmund would face winless Marseille in the next match. As long as they won, their 4-goal difference advantage would secure their advancement, and they might even top the group.
For Napoli, they not only had to beat Arsenal but also had to widen the goal margin. Otherwise, even if they reached 12 points, they could still be eliminated due to goal difference if Dortmund won.
If Napoli were eliminated with 12 points, it would be the highest points elimination in Champions League history since its reform; no team had ever been eliminated with such a high score.
Compared to Group F, Group G was at the other extreme.
While Napoli might set the record for the highest points elimination, Group G's Zenit St. Petersburg might set the record for the lowest points qualification.
After five rounds, Atletico Madrid had 4 wins and 1 draw, securing advancement with 13 points two rounds early.
Second place Zenit had 6 points, third place Porto had 5, and last place Vienna had 2.
In the final round, Atletico would host Porto. If they won, even if Zenit lost to Vienna, they could still advance with the lowest points in history, 6 points.
In Group H, Barcelona's situation was similar to Chelsea's.
Though they unexpectedly lost to Ajax, their 10 points still secured their advancement with one round to spare.
AC Milan fans were furious with this result.
If Barcelona doesn't slip up and defeats Ajax, AC Milan could also advance one round in advance.
Now, after defeating Barcelona, Ajax's points reached 7, while AC Milan's points are 8.
The next match between the two teams will directly determine their fate. If AC Milan loses, they will be eliminated by the opponent.
Conversely, if AC Milan wins and Barcelona loses in the last round, they could even snatch the top spot in the group from Barcelona.
After reviewing the points and performances of each group, fans engaged in lively discussions.
"Manchester City has won all five matches, obtaining the highest 15 points among 32 teams, yet they still haven't secured the top spot in the group. Instead, teams like PSG, Real Madrid, and Atletico have fewer points than Manchester City but have already secured the top spot. Where's the justice in this?"
"Heh, be content. You should take a look at Group F. Fans of those three teams are probably on tenterhooks right now. All three teams could potentially be eliminated in the final round. At least Manchester City has already advanced."
"Groups F and G are two extremes. Zenit can advance with 6 points, but Napoli with 12 points can't. Isn't that absurd?"
"Barcelona is so annoying, aren't they? Apart from bullying AC Milan every year, they even deliberately lost to Ajax. Are they trying to sabotage AC Milan?"
"Maybe they didn't intentionally lose, maybe they're just not good enough?"
"Come on, with Messi, Neymar, Xavi, and Iniesta, you're telling me they're not good enough?"
"Conspiracy, it's definitely a conspiracy!"
Apart from discussing team points and qualification situations, many fans are also paying close attention to individual player statistics.
"Ling scored two goals and provided an assist in this match, bringing his total goals to 7. He's only one goal behind the leader!"
"If he hadn't missed that penalty, he would have tied with Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic by now!"
"Enough with penalties, it's better not to have them at all. At least he won't be criticized for it, and with Ling's current goal-scoring efficiency, I bet he'll score in the next match too!"
"Counting this match, Ling has scored in five consecutive Champions League matches, right?"
"Yes, Ling's efficiency and consistency are remarkable. If he scores in the next match, he will be the only player since the Champions League restructuring to score in all six group stage matches!"
"Applause, applause, it feels like we're witnessing history again!"
"Hehe, ever since Ling appeared on the scene, all kinds of records have been broken by him!"
"I would call him Ling, the Record Breaker!"
"By the way, Messi and Ronaldo were both silent this round!"
"Yeah, neither of them scored, giving Ling a chance to close the gap. But what about Aguero? How did he score again?"
"8 goals in 5 matches, and no penalties, Aguero is too strong!"
"Heh, he may be strong, but he was completely overshadowed by Ronaldo in the national team!"
"Tsk tsk, don't be too proud, when PSG meets Real Madrid in the knockout stage, we'll show you what cruelty means!"
"Anyone can boast, let's first make it to the quarter-finals. If we fall in the first stage of knockout, it'll be a laughingstock!"
...
Shortly after the end of the fifth round of the Champions League matches, the Turin Sports Daily, responsible for selecting the European Golden Boy Award for this year, finally announced the final list of winners.
The number 10 player from Manchester City, Ling, overwhelmingly defeated numerous young talents such as Pogba from Juventus, Draxler from Schalke, Varane from Real Madrid, and Coutinho from Liverpool in the media and expert selections, becoming the 11th player to win the European Golden Boy Award.
Although the European Golden Boy Award may not be as prestigious as the Ballon d'Or, for players under 21, this award is the highest recognition for them.
Many professional media outlets participated in the selection this season, including France's L'Equipe, Spain's Marca, Germany's Bild, England's The Times, the Netherlands' De Telegraaf, Spain's Mundo Deportivo, and France Football.
The experts from these media outlets scored the players based on their performances throughout the season in the league, cup matches, and national team games.
Because of its professionalism, the results of the selection carry great authority.
Among the players who previously won the Golden Boy Award, except for a few who turned out to be duds, most of them have made a name for themselves in football.
This includes names like Messi, Rooney, Fabregas, and Aguero.
It is worth mentioning that the president born in 1985 did not receive the Golden Boy Award.
Cristiano Ronaldo was unlucky. In 2004, he encountered the in-form Rooney, and in 2005, he faced the emergence of Messi.
Moreover, his performance in these two seasons was not particularly outstanding, so he missed the opportunity to win the Golden Boy Award regretfully.
As for winning the Golden Boy Award, Ling was not surprised.
However, his relatives, friends, and even teammates all expressed their congratulations to him after learning of the result.
Morata: "Ling, you're awesome!"
David Silva: "Impressive, this should be the youngest Golden Boy Award winner, right?"
Reus: "Congratulations, unfortunately, I'm a bit older, otherwise, I would compete with you!"
Ling: "Sure, the Ballon d'Or has no age limit, why don't you try?"
Reus: "(╯°Д°)╯︵┻━┻"
Seeing the expression Reus sent, Ling chuckled.
Just after replying to Reus' message, De Bruyne also messaged him.
"By the way, can you win the Golden Boy Award multiple times? You're not even 18 yet this year, if you win this year, can you win it again next year?"
Ling hadn't thought about this question: "Probably not, right? But it's hard to say, I guess the organizers haven't thought of a player like me, hehe!"
De Bruyne sent a speechless expression, "I just asked casually, why are you boasting about yourself?"
"You keep it up, aim for another trophy next year!"
"The Ballon d'Or? That's very challenging!"
"The challenge makes it more precious, go for it, young man!"
Ling was about to reply to his message when a call came in.
Glancing at the caller ID, he found it was Guardiola's call.
"Well done, son, I'm proud of you!"
Guardiola called specifically to congratulate him because Ling won an honor that Guardiola didn't.
Guardiola didn't receive any significant personal honors during his playing career. At that time, there was no Golden Boy Award, and he wasn't qualified for the Ballon d'Or either.
Moreover, unfortunately, he played as a defensive midfielder, a role that wasn't the most eye-catching or prominent. So until he retired, the outside world's evaluation of him was not very high. Only those who had truly seen him play knew his value.
"Tsk tsk, just verbal praise? Isn't that insincere
If Barcelona doesn't mess up and beats Ajax, AC Milan could also announce their advancement one round early.
But now, after defeating Barcelona, Ajax has 7 points, while AC Milan has 8.
The next match between the two teams will directly determine their fate. If AC Milan loses, they will be eliminated by the opponent.
On the contrary, if AC Milan wins and Barcelona loses in the last round, they could even snatch the top spot in the group from Barcelona.
After checking the points and records of each group, fans engaged in heated discussions.
"Manchester City won all five matches, getting the highest 15 points among 32 teams, but still couldn't secure the top spot in the group. Instead, teams like PSG, Real Madrid, and Atletico, with fewer points than Manchester City, have already secured the top spot. Where's the fairness in this?"
"Heh, be content. You should take a look at Group F. Fans of those three teams are probably on tenterhooks right now. All three teams could potentially be eliminated in the final round. At least Manchester City has already advanced."
"Groups F and G are just two extremes. Zenit can advance with 6 points, but Napoli with 12 points can't. Isn't that ridiculous?"
"Barcelona is too annoying, right? They bully AC Milan every year, and now they even deliberately lost to Ajax. Are they trying to sabotage AC Milan?"
"Maybe they didn't intentionally lose, maybe they're just not good enough?"
"Come on, with Messi, Neymar, Xavi, and Iniesta in Barcelona, are you telling me they're not good enough?"
"Conspiracy, it's definitely a conspiracy!"
Apart from discussing team points and qualification situations, many fans are also paying close attention to individual player statistics.
"Ling scored two goals and had one assist in this match, bringing his total goals to 7, just one goal behind the leader!"
"If he hadn't missed that penalty, he would have caught up with Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic by now!"
"Fair enough, not having penalties is also good. At least he won't be criticized for it, and with Ling's current goal-scoring efficiency, I bet he'll score in the next match too!"
"Counting this match, Ling has scored in five consecutive Champions League matches, right?"
"Yes, Ling's efficiency and consistency are remarkable. If he scores in the next match, he will be the only player since the restructuring of the Champions League to score in all six group stage matches!"
"Applaud, applaud, it feels like we're witnessing history again!"
"Hehe, ever since Ling appeared on the scene, all kinds of records have been broken by him!"
"I would call him Ling, the Record Breaker!"
"By the way, Messi and Ronaldo were both silent this round!"
"Yeah, neither of them scored, giving Ling a chance to close the gap. But what about Aguero? How did he score again?"
"8 goals in 5 matches, and no penalties, Aguero is too strong!"
"Heh, he may be strong, but he was completely overshadowed by Ronaldo in the national team!"
"Tsk tsk, don't be too proud, when PSG meets Real Madrid in the knockout stage, we'll show you what cruelty means!"
"Anyone can boast, let's first make it to the quarter-finals. If we fall in the first stage of knockout, it'll be a laughingstock!"
...
Shortly after the end of the fifth round of the Champions League matches, the Turin Sports Daily, responsible for selecting the European Golden Boy Award for this year, finally announced the final list of winners.
Number 10 player Ling from Manchester City, with overwhelming superiority, defeated numerous young talents such as Pogba from Juventus, Draxler from Schalke, Varane from Real Madrid, and Coutinho from Liverpool in the media and expert selections, becoming the 11th player to win the European Golden Boy Award.
Although the European Golden Boy Award may not be as prestigious as the Ballon d'Or, for players under 21, this award is the highest recognition for them.
Many professional media outlets participated in the selection this season, including France's L'Equipe, Spain's Marca, Germany's Bild, England's The Times, the Netherlands' De Telegraaf, Spain's Mundo Deportivo, and France Football.
The experts from these media outlets scored the players based on their performances throughout the season in the league, cup matches, and national team games.
Because of its professionalism, the results of the selection carry great authority.
Among the players who previously won the Golden Boy Award, except for a few who turned out to be flops, the rest have mostly made a name for themselves in the football world.
Names like Messi, Rooney, Fabregas, and Aguero are among them.
It's worth mentioning that the President, born in '85, didn't manage to get the Golden Boy Award.
Cristiano Ronaldo had bad luck. In 2004, he faced the explosive form of Rooney, and in 2005, he encountered the emergence of Messi.
And his performances in these two seasons were not particularly outstanding, so he regrettably missed the chance to win the Golden Boy Award.
As for getting the Golden Boy Award, Lin Quan wasn't surprised.
However, his relatives, friends, and even his teammates all congratulated him upon learning of this result.
Morata: "Lin bro, awesome!"
David Silva: "Impressive, this must be the youngest Golden Boy Award, right?"
Reus: "Congratulations, but it's a pity I'm a bit older, otherwise, I'd compete with you for it!"
Lin Quan: "Sure, the Ballon d'Or has no age limit, come on!"
Reus: "(╯°Д°)╯︵┻━┻"
Seeing the expression Reus sent, Lin Quan chuckled.
Just as he finished replying to Reus' message, De Bruyne also messaged him.
"By the way, can you receive the Golden Boy Award multiple times? You're not even 18 this year, if you get it this year, can you still get it next year?"
Lin Quan hadn't considered this question: "Probably not, right? But it's hard to say. I guess the organizers never expected a freakish player like me, hehe!"
De Bruyne sent a speechless expression: "I just casually asked, why are you boasting?"
"Keep it up, aim for another trophy next year!"
"The Ballon d'Or? That's tough!"
"It's tough, which makes it more valuable. Go for it, youngster!"
Lin Quan was about to reply to him when a call came in.
Glancing at the caller ID, he found it was Guardiola's call.
"Well done, son, I'm proud of you!"
Guardiola specifically called to congratulate him because Lin Quan got an honor that Guardiola himself hadn't.
Guardiola didn't receive any significant personal honors during his playing career. There was no Golden Boy Award at that time, and he wasn't eligible for the Ballon d'Or. Moreover, unfortunately, he played as a defensive midfielder, a role that wasn't the most eye-catching or headline-grabbing. So, until he retired, the outside world's evaluation of him wasn't very high, and only those who had truly watched him play knew his value.
"Tsk tsk, just verbal praise? Isn't that insincere?"
"Of course not, Serra and I have prepared a gift for you, I'll give it to you when you have a break for Christmas!"
"Cough cough, Comrade Guardiola, I need to remind you, there's no winter break in the Premier League, I still have to play matches during Christmas!"
"Okay, I sympathize with you in my heart!"
"Thank you, in appreciation of your 'sincerity,' I'll go easy on you when we visit the Etihad Stadium next time!"
"Hehe, you little rascal, playing mind games, huh? I've already found a way to contain you!"
"Really? What's the way?"
"You'll find out when you come!"
After that, he hung up the phone.
Hearing the dial tone from the other end of the phone, Lin Quan spat out a mouthful of saliva. Guardiola said Lin Quan was playing mind games, but wasn't he playing mind games himself?
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