Every AC Milan fan rose to their feet, their eyes fixed in unison on their own penalty area.
In the stadium box, Moratti and Facchetti also stopped talking, both of them staring intently at Lin Feng.
Was this kid really about to score against AC Milan in his first appearance for Inter Milan?
Wasn't this opening a little too explosive?
The AC Milan players still refused to give up!
Nesta abandoned Adriano and charged toward Lin Feng.
But by the time he got close, it was already too late. Lin Feng had carried the ball into the penalty area.
Nesta had always been known for his fierce defending and ruthless tackles.
But with the opposing player already dribbling into the box, did he still dare to slide in?
A huge question mark appeared in countless fans' minds!
The facts proved that Nesta really did dare!
The Milan Iron Guard acted decisively, as if he had forgotten that his opponent was already inside the box. Without hesitation, he slid at Lin Feng, who was carrying the ball!
Danger!
Moratti shot to his feet, unable to stop himself from worrying for Lin Feng!
Nesta's tackle was extremely clean and crisp. He got the ball first, then brought Lin Feng down.
The ball was tackled out over the end line. The referee made no call and merely awarded the attacking side a corner kick.
The AC Milan fans in the stands near the goal all stood up, applauding and cheering Nesta's brilliant display.
Lin Feng felt somewhat disappointed. That had been a perfect chance to score.
But Nesta was simply too monstrous. He had actually remained so calm and confident when making a sliding tackle inside the penalty area.
And he had really pulled it off!
The world's best center-back really had something special!
"Lin, you should have passed the ball to me just now. I was wide open!"
At that moment, Adriano, who had just rushed into the penalty area, spread his hands and complained to Lin Feng.
The guy thought he had found space and had no defender in front of him. If Lin Feng had passed to him, he would have had a One-on-One chance.
The moment Lin Feng heard him, he was speechless.
Do you have no fucking clue why you were wide open?
If you had run a little faster just now, would Nesta have dared to leave you and tackle me?
But judging from Adriano's expression, he was not joking or being sarcastic. He genuinely believed it.
Combined with the outside world's assessment of Adriano, Lin Feng gradually formed a suspicion.
"Sorry, Ade. I didn't see your position. Next time, run faster, and I promise I'll pass the ball to you!"
"Really? Lin, you're such a good guy. From now on, you're my friend!"
A guileless smile appeared on Adriano's face, and he immediately accepted Lin Feng as his friend.
Inter Milan had a corner, and Rui Costa sent the ball in.
Chaos erupted inside the penalty area as both sides fought for the ball's landing spot.
Lin Feng's height gave him no advantage among the group of center-backs all over six foot three, so he took the initiative to leave the box and moved to the edge of the penalty area.
But sometimes, when you did not go after the ball, the ball came looking for you instead.
Lin Feng had just pulled away from the crowd when someone headed the ball clear, and it happened to drop right at his feet.
Could something this good really happen?
Lin Feng was overjoyed. Without a second thought, he swung his leg and unleashed a long-range shot.
AC Milan's goalkeeper had just blocked a headed attempt and had not even had time to catch his breath before he saw the ball screaming toward the goal.
He was shocked and quickly launched himself into a save.
But the shot carried tremendous power and blistering speed.
Dida could only watch helplessly as the ball flew into the net.
Seeing their own goal breached, Stam, Nesta, Maldini, and the others were all dumbfounded.
They had fought desperately to defend inside the box, only for their goal to be breached just like that?
"Great goal! What a strike!"
Inside the stadium box, Facchetti sprang to his feet and clapped hard, his face filled with excitement.
He had just thought Mancini was taking too much of a risk by putting Lin Feng in the starting lineup, but he no longer thought so at all.
Mancini's decision had been incredibly wise!
Mancini also felt that his decision to put Lin Feng in the starting lineup had been wise.
"This kid is great at seizing chances. There were so many people on the team, but he was the only one who found that opening!"
The assistant coach beside him applauded as he echoed,
"Yes, exactly. And he's pretty lucky too."
Back home, the fans staying up late to watch the match were all incredibly fired up when they saw Lin Feng score.
"Brother Linzi is awesome! That long-range shot was insane!"
"Heh, what belongs to Lin Feng will always belong to Lin Feng!"
"Brother Linzi scored in his Inter Milan debut, and he scored against AC Milan too. This start is just perfect!"
"Too bad this is only a warm-up match. If he scored against AC Milan in the Italian Cup or Serie A, I can't even imagine how huge the uproar back home would be!"
"I don't know how much of an impact it would have back home, but if Brother Linzi can score in his Serie A debut, it would greatly help him establish himself within Inter Milan!"
On the pitch, after Lin Feng scored, his teammates all came forward to congratulate him.
Mihajlović looked at Lin Feng with increasing fondness. He rubbed Lin Feng's head and encouraged him,
"Kid, that was a fine shot. Keep it up!"
Captain Zanetti gave Lin Feng a warm hug.
"Beautifully done. Try to score another against them and make them remember your name!"
And Adriano, the "friend" Lin Feng had only just made, happily ran over and gave him a bear hug.
"Lin, I didn't know you were this good. You could have taken that shot yourself earlier too. I don't blame you anymore!"
Lin Feng was covered in black lines. This guy was still hung up on that chance Nesta had ruined.
But seeing the sincerity on Adriano's face, Lin Feng truly could not get angry.
At the same time, he became even more certain of his earlier judgment.
Adriano was a very simple person. He was not bad by nature.
Eight words described him perfectly: strong limbs, simple mind.
The reason he had fallen into such undisciplined habits as drinking in bars, partying at nightclubs, and skipping training was entirely because, after his father died, no one around him had given him proper guidance.
The match continued, and the trailing AC Milan launched an even fiercer counterattack against Inter Milan.
The Tim Cup lasted only forty-five minutes, with no halftime break.
More than half the match had already passed, and AC Milan did not have much time left.
It might only have been a warm-up match, but they could lose to anyone except Inter Milan.
That was the bottom line in the hearts of the AC Milan players!
To strengthen their attack, AC Milan took off Inzaghi and brought on former Inter Milan player Vieri, who had only joined them that summer.
Vieri had once been Italy's top striker, known as the Apennine Tank. He had scored five goals at the 1998 World Cup in France.
After he came on, AC Milan's attacking threat grew even stronger.
Vieri possessed tremendous explosiveness and physical impact. He was not only good at fighting alone, but could also serve as a target man, laying off balls and providing cover for teammates arriving from deep.
In the thirty-sixth minute, it was Vieri's back-to-goal hold-up play and return pass that allowed Kaka to score with a long-range shot and level the score.
That goal showed everyone Kaka's all-around ability. He was not only fast, but his technique was also first-class.
The slightest lapse in concentration could allow him to change the course of the match.
Interestingly, both Lin Feng's earlier goal and Kaka's goal just now had come in exactly the same way.
Both had scored from long range.
This further deepened the outside world's stereotype that the two were very similar.
After Kaka equalized, there was very little time remaining in the match.
Neither side managed to score in the remaining time. Since the Tim Cup had no extra time, the match went directly to a Penalty Shootout.
Both sides converted their first five penalties, but AC Milan missed in the sixth round.
In the end, Inter Milan won the match through the Penalty Shootout and got off to a winning start.
After the match, Kaka took the initiative to find Lin Feng and asked to exchange shirts.
Lin Feng had been thinking the same thing and readily agreed.
When the reporters saw the two exchanging shirts, they swarmed over with cameras and video recorders.
Both men had already taken off their jerseys, leaving only white undershirts on their upper bodies.
Their handsome looks, youthful sunny smiles, and the firm, defined muscle lines beneath their white undershirts.
Standing together, they could have captivated countless young women.
How could the reporters possibly let such an opportunity go? They raised their cameras and snapped away wildly at the pair.
Thus, the photos accompanying newspaper reports that night were all shots of Kaka and Lin Feng together.
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