On the field, Deng Kai was excitedly celebrating with his teammates.
He wasn't excited because of an own goal or equalizing the score, he was simply using this method to awaken his teammates' fighting spirit.
Throughout the game, the Black Panther team had been severely suppressed by Team Figo, and the players had lost their morale, which affected the quality of their play.
But now, under Deng Kai's lead and the last-minute equalizer's halo effect in regular time, the Black Panther team's morale began to surpass Team Figo's.
Trigella was very satisfied with this ability to control and adjust his teammates' emotions.
It was a high-level art of leadership, typically only mastered by seasoned head coaches, and entirely different from mindless encouragement.
It was hard to believe that a thirteen or fourteen-year-old child understood these things.
Perhaps it was due to the boosted morale that, in the next few minutes of added time, the Black Panther team actually became the dominant side in the game.
Their players were constantly on the move, while Team Figo's players were struggling to cope.
The 94th minute.
Almeida of Team Figo demonstrated the pivotal role that a center-forward should play.
He dropped back to midfield to receive the pass from his teammates, then fended off the pressing of two Black Panther players to send the football away.
Ronaldo held the ball.
At the same time, Team Figo launched a full attack, preparing for a final onslaught.
Less than a minute was left for them, and there was no need to worry about defense anymore.
After all, it was Ronaldo on the ball, whose dribbling and speed were absolutely reliable. All others needed to do was to help Ronaldo create space and then wait for his shot.
Bang!
Deng Kai made a key interception from Ronaldo.
Figo: ...
Eusebio: ...
Rui Costa: ...
Guardiola: "He nailed it, Deng Kai really got a hold of Chris! He intercepted just four times, and each time he took the ball from Chris, the toughest one to steal from!"
Everyone had a reason to be stunned; Ronaldo could have easily passed Deng Kai by cooperating with a teammate.
But Deng Kai made a confident move, convinced that Ronaldo wouldn't pass the ball.
And Ronaldo, indeed, kept the dribble, delivering possession right to Deng Kai's feet.
The scene was so surreal that many couldn't react.
After the interception, Deng Kai immediately pushed Ronaldo away and drove the ball towards Team Figo's penalty area.
Ronaldo stumbled and signaled that the opponent had pushed and fouled him.
But the main referee considered it to be a normal body contact.
He even thought Ronaldo's acting was poor.
After all, Deng Kai was only 1.4 meters tall; how could a slight push make you, a 1.65-meter-tall figure, act as if you were hit by a force majeure?
Ronaldo was speechless. He really wasn't acting!
Had everyone forgotten about Deng Kai's "hand grenade" throws?
He might be short, but he was not weak!
Ronaldo shook his head helplessly and chased after Deng Kai.
After getting the ball, Deng Kai and the right-back teammate Pereira performed another wall pass, successfully crossing midfield to arrive outside the penalty box.
From the noise behind him, Deng Kai could tell that Ronaldo was catching up.
The angry sounds from the other's nostrils and throat could be heard from meters away.
It had to be admitted that at this time, Ronaldo's speed was not just outstanding among his peers.
In Portugal, it was hard to find a younger player faster than him, plus or minus two years. Many people would say Messi is talented, and Ronaldo works hard, but the reverse is also true.
Ronaldo's talent was terrifying as well, and Messi's effort was beyond the reach of ordinary people.
If Deng Kai's flat speed was fifty, at this stage, Ronaldo's was at least seventy-five.
Ronaldo was about to overtake Deng Kai in full force.
"Sorry, Ronaldo, this is part of football!" At the critical moment, Deng Kai suddenly shifted the ball and blocked Ronaldo's path.
A "traffic accident" happened.
Ronaldo rear-ended Deng Kai.
The latter dived forward, rolled over twice after hitting the ground, then while wailing in pain, clutched his ankle as though the scene couldn't be more tragic.
Meanwhile, a flabbergasted Ronaldo braked behind him and watched Deng Kai's antics.
If he hadn't been certain he hadn't touched Deng Kai, he might have even felt a strong sense of guilt.
Chris Acris, how could you knock someone over like that?
"No! I didn't... he fell by himself... really... you have to believe me..." Ronaldo explained continuously to the approaching main referee, he was telling the truth, even more real than a Harbour Glory steamed cake.
But the look the main referee gave him grew increasingly unfriendly.
It's inhumane.
To knock someone down like that and then claim they fell on their own?
Even a big truck doesn't hit as hard as you did.
Are you so used to acting that you think everyone else is performing too?
Ronaldo is aggrieved but can't voice his pain, what's he got to simulate?
It was the other side diving!
Don't you guys have any clue about the Chinese team's diving level?
You, Deng Jingjing, you, Tian Kai, get up!
The spectators in the stands also became tense.
The team doctor immediately entered the field with a stretcher and began to examine Deng Kai.
Even the commentator noted, "Deng Kai is most likely injured and the injury must be serious, his expression of pain is just too severe. That cry of agony even made it through the microphone despite the distance."
"Of course, we shouldn't be too quick to blame Chris either, as he certainly didn't mean it. It's just that he's too fast, tall and strong, and couldn't brake in time."
"This is why some say that players at Chris's level should be playing U14 instead of U12. He's so dominant that it not only unbalances the game but could also potentially hurt other children."
"Oh! The referee is reaching for his chest. Chris is in trouble now!"
"Yellow card! The referee has shown Chris a yellow card, which is his second yellow card of the match."
"And both of these yellow cards... wait, penalty kick!"
"The referee has also awarded a penalty kick!"
"My goodness! It does seem like Deng Kai had entered the penalty area when he was knocked down by Chris. The image on the big screen is too blurry to see clearly, but judging by where Deng Kai landed, he was well inside the area, so he most likely was already inside when it happened."
Only at this moment did Ronaldo understand why Deng Kai had exaggeratedly flown so far and rolled so many times.
It wasn't just about framing him, he was also trying to con a penalty kick!
Chris swore that when he collided with Deng Kai, Deng Kai might not even have reached the penalty area line.
Ah spit, he didn't even collide with Deng Kai at all.
At most there was slight contact.
Force is mutual, and Ronaldo was sure he really just brushed against him lightly, without exerting any force!
However, no matter how much Ronaldo argued, he couldn't escape the fate of two yellows turning into one red.
He felt extremely wronged and stood defiantly still, glaring at Deng Kai as if he wanted to devour him.
It wasn't until Figo came on the field that Ronaldo was pulled away.
On the other side.
After the referee had awarded the penalty kick, Deng Kai's agony apparently lightened considerably.
The referee's decision seemed to be more effective than Ibuprofen.
Sitting on the ground, Deng Kai clutched his ankle with his left hand while holding the football and communicating with the team doctor.
"That's too crafty! I really doubt whether he has trained at La Masia," Guardiola laughed from the stands.
The people around him looked at him; La Masia is Barcelona's youth academy.
Guardiola explained, "That was a clear dive, Chris had no intention of charging into Deng Kai, and his path did not change. It was Deng Kai who actively changed his movement direction and blocked Chris."
"In this case, it should be considered that Deng Kai initiated the physical contact, and the scale of the penalty should be adjusted accordingly. The scale isn't fixed; the intent of the player with the ball greatly influences the decision. The same situation, if it were Chris changing his path and charging in, then a foul should indeed be called."
"But just now, as soon as they touched, Deng Kai's fall was too theatrical; such level of contact clearly shouldn't result in a foul against Chris."
"It should've been Deng Kai losing ball possession during the challenge."
"Moreover, a truly severely injured player may scream terribly, but would not roll so violently, as that would make the injury worse. This also corroborates the fact that Deng Kai was simulating."
"And from the moment the team doctor got involved, he's been holding onto the football, which makes his intentions even clearer."
"He wants to take the penalty himself."
Guardiola's explanation was an eye-opener for everyone.
That's too sly!
Setting aside the accuracy of the foul decision, under normal circumstances, even if Deng Kai wasn't injured, the resulting penalty should be taken by the team's primary penalty taker.
With the Black Panthers having been assembled temporarily, the default penalty taker is usually the striker or the oldest team member with the most stable mentality, the captain, Feng Te.
It wouldn't be Deng Kai's turn.
But now, with Deng Kai not letting go, you couldn't just go and interrupt his conversation with the team doctor and ask him, already in pain, to hand over the football, could you?
Would you still be a human being?
And when the referee announced the penalty could be taken, Deng Kai held the football and took his place at the penalty spot. Who could refuse a player who, though injure,d insisted on taking the penalty with such determination and had contributed greatly to the team?
Nobody could refuse!
At that moment, Rui Costa and the others clicked their tongues in wonder.
This isn't football playing at all.
This is all about plotting and scheming, overt and covert power struggles!