An Unjust Case Through the Ages: Moyes! Manchester United's Single-Match 81 Crosses Record About to Be Broken?
Icardi seemed to go crazy at the start of the game, taking a shot from the center circle.
The referee, watching the shot, was stunned. His eyes followed the ball intently, and he thought in surprise, "This... it's allowed by the rules, he can kick it like that!"
The football was traveling at a very high speed in the air, and it was also spinning. Its descent was particularly sudden, making it an absolutely unexpected and high-quality long-range shot!
Icardi felt the ball contact perfectly the moment he kicked it, and his eyes lit up with anticipation for a goal. "Goal! It has to go in!"
Snap!
Manchester City goalkeeper Bravo used both hands to catch the ball in mid-air, deflecting the force of the shot without holding it, letting it fall before stepping on it with his foot.
"Is he crazy?!" Bravo sneered, then passed the ball to Stones, letting the latter organize the offense.
Splash~
The applause of the Red Devils fans echoed through Old Trafford, everyone cheering for the long-range shot.
But Guardiola and Chivu laughed and exchanged a smile.
Icardi's shot was certainly brilliant; given his long-range shooting ability, it was an exceptional performance. His control of the ball was precise, and even though the ball traveled over 50 meters, it still landed within the goal frame.
But it's impossible to score a goal like that!
Not to mention, the opposing goalkeeper is of Premier League caliber; if a 50-meter shot could score, it would be incredibly disrespectful.
Moreover, it's only the beginning of the game, Manchester City's defense hasn't pushed out yet, and Bravo hasn't left the penalty area; he's standing inside the six-yard box.
No matter how fast the ball is or how accurate the shot is, once the ball has crossed half the field and is affected by air resistance, it will feel light and airy when it reaches the goal, posing no threat to a professional goalkeeper.
Therefore, Bravo viewed this kind of shot from the center circle as a deliberate humiliation by his opponent, and he responded with his own body language—he didn't catch the ball, but just dragged it with his hand, and then stomped on it after it hit the ground, thinking disdainfully, "You really underestimate me!"
No wonder Owen laughed so hard, "Goodness, Mauro thinks he's Cristiano Ronaldo!"
Ronaldo said, "This was a warning shot, indicating that Manchester United needs a strong start. The symbolic meaning of the shot outweighs its practical significance."
Diletta laughed and said, "Really? I think it's just for the show. That kind of shot only happens in the Premier League. If it were in Serie A, this player would be substituted at halftime because he gave the opponent possession for nothing."
Bang!
Five minutes into the game, in the middle, facing a seemingly evenly matched ball, Icardi and Tang Long both made sliding tackles, their studs pressing together like two dragons playing with a pearl. In the end, the ball bounced out of bounds, their studs gliding past each other behind their ears as their bodies shifted away.
Extremely dangerous!
However, after they got up, they looked at each other and there was no conflict between them.
In football matches, there's a common saying about these 50/50 situations: whoever is afraid and pulls back their foot early will get injured!
Neither player would give way on this ball, and both made dangerous sliding tackles, but in the end, neither of them was hurt.
The ball went out of bounds and was no longer within the control of the two forwards in the center circle, so they could take a short walk.
Icardi walked up to Tang Long with a smug look on his face and said to him:
"How was my opening long-range shot, Tang? Not bad, right?"
Tang Long pondered for a moment and said, "Not bad, it has about three-tenths of my skill."
Icardi, who unleashed that stunning long-range shot, originally wanted a definite answer, but seeing Tang Long only say he had three-tenths of his skill, he was greatly displeased and angrily said:
"Thirty percent? Hah, I clearly kicked it so accurately... You try kicking it yourself!"
He just thought Tang Long was showing off and was deliberately refusing to admit it.
In fact, although Icardi was arrogant, he also knew that his long-range shooting skills were not as good as Tang Long's.
But he absolutely could not accept the claim that Tang Long only accounted for 30% of the goal; he felt it was at least 80%.
Tang Long knew perfectly well that Icardi's shot was very accurate. The shot itself wasn't the problem; the key was the timing of the anticipation!
Tang Long didn't want to engage in a war of words with Icardi, so he just smiled faintly and ignored him. Just then, the ball came to Kolarov on the left, and several midfielders followed. Tang Long also took the opportunity to move to the left, away from Icardi.
"Even if you don't say it, you have to admit it in your heart, Don. I, Icardi, am not much worse than you. In many ways, I am even better than you!" Icardi thought resentfully.
Fifteen minutes have passed since the start of the game.
Guardiola had a pretty good grasp of Manchester United's tactics and finally understood why Icardi, who had been out of the starting lineup for a long time, would suddenly start in the derby.
"A direct header down the wing, that's too brutal. When did Pellegrini start using such low-level EFL Championship tactics? Speechless."
Bang bang bang!
Bang bang bang!
Manchester United made an astonishing eight crosses from the wings in just 15 minutes!
The football, like a howitzer, kept hurtling from the bushes on both sides of the road toward the densely populated central area.
To be fair, although Manchester City's central defense was densely packed, Icardi naturally couldn't get to the ball every time. However, he did manage to get to the ball three times, and all three attempts resulted in shots, two of which were on target, forcing Bravo to make saves.
Owen analyzed, "Manchester City's defense can do without Stones, but not without Kompany. Without the Belgium, their aerial defense drops a level."
Ronaldo said, "Popping into the box is Icardi's strength. Although he's not tall, his judgment of where the ball will land is top-level in the Premier League."
Manchester City had basically figured out their opponent's attacking patterns, so they took their high press to another level, and their players started running more.
Guardiola knew this would be a test of the players' stamina, but allowing them to cross the ball freely down the wings Guardiola, despite his disdain for EFL Championship tactics, uneasy. "What if, by sheer luck, Icardi scores a goal..."
Moments later, Manchester United winger Ashley Young delivered a cross, and Icardi suddenly accelerated through the middle, getting in front of Stones before diving to head the ball into the net!
Manchester United lead 1-0 at home!
"Haha, I Mauro, scored!" Icardi was so excited that he wanted to take off his shirt, but remembering that he might score more goals, he decided to keep the yellow card for now.
Guardiola also put his hand to his forehead and sighed softly.
He knew perfectly well that with Kompany out, Manchester City had to be wary of high balls. But Stones and Otamendi were simply too inexperienced and too short, respectively.
Owen slapped his thigh and said:
"Ashley Young's cross was actually very decisive!"
"Manchester City clearly intensified their pressing, with two players surrounding him. He managed to force a cross with his weaker foot before being completely surrounded!"
"The ball just came off perfectly; the arc and landing were both top-notch."
"If I let him juggle ten more balls in training, he might not be able to pass them even once, haha!"
Ronaldo sighed, "But he still managed to pass it to them. That's football; anything can happen. Also, Mauro's header was powerful. Stones made the mistake of watching the ball instead of the player."
After scoring, Manchester United did not retreat but instead intensified their attack, continuing to cross from the wings!
Bang bang bang!
Bang bang bang!
The football flew like a meteor into Manchester City's penalty area.
Icardi alone wreaked havoc in Manchester City's penalty area, and with Rooney's active running and support around him, Manchester United's attack, though seemingly simple, was played with remarkable ease!
Live stream room.
-[Guess who I'm reminded of? Moyes!]