The Hawthorns is the stadium with the highest altitude in Premier League. The stands are compact and the fans are very close to the venue. The home fans have been noisy since the warm-up stage. West Brom fans wear blue and white striped shirts and keep making noise in the stands.
But Manchester United's expedition fans were not to be outdone. More than 2,000 red fans occupied the visiting team's stands, with flags fluttering in the breeze.
One of the flags has the number 33 Zhang Kuang painted on it, with a line underneath. "Our King, Your Nightmare."
August 14, 2011, 3:45 pm.
Screens from various TV stations and the scene cut into a panoramic shot of the Hawthorns, with players from both sides standing in formation in the tunnel.
The voices of Martin·Tyler sounded along with the opening scene, "Good afternoon, dear viewers, welcome to the Hawthorns. This is the first round of the 2011-12 season England Football Premier League, where Manchester United challenges West Bromwich away from home."
Gary·Neville answered, "The new season has finally begun. After more than two months of offseason, we are very curious about what the defending champion Manchester United will look like. Especially since they made a lot of signings in the summer, the lineup has changed a lot."
Martin: "That's right, let's take a look at the starting lineups of both sides first. On Manchester United's side, Jazz Ferguson still has a 433 formation.
The goalkeeper is the 20-year-old Spain new star David·De Gea introduced from Atlético Madrid this summer. This young man has high hopes from the outside world and is considered the long-term successor of Van der Sar."
Neville: "De Gea is indeed very talented, but Premier League's goalkeeper position has never been easy to play, especially in the first season.
Today he has to face the impact of West Brom forward Shane Lang. Shane Lang is famous for his speed and fighting. This will be the first big test for De Gea's judgment in attacking."
Martin continued to read, "The defense line from left to right: No. 3 Evra, No. 15 Vidić serve as captains, No. 5 Ferdinand, No. 12 Smalling.
In the midfield: No. 23 Cleverley, No. 8 Anderson, and No. 13 Park Ji-sung. There is a change here. Last weekend Community Shield started Carrick and Pogba in this game. Ferguson is obviously debugging the midfield combination at the beginning of the season."
Neville nodded. "Park Ji-sung's starting start is noteworthy. His running coverage ability can well balance the midfield defense of Manchester United's 433 formation.
Anderson and Cleverley are both offensive players, and Park Ji-sung's task is to protect them."
Martin: "The frontcourt trident: No. 33 Zhang Kuang is on the left, No. 14 Hernández is in front, and No. 10 Rooney is on the right.
This is a brand new offensive line combination, last season's main center Berbatov is on the bench for this game."
Neville: "This trident is very interesting. Zhang Kuang's explosive ability on the left is Manchester United's first choice for offense. Hernández's sense of grabbing points in the middle is impeccable. Rooney can cut in or pull wide to pass from the right.
The three of them have flexible movement and can change positions at any time, which is a big trouble for West Brom's defense."
Martin: "Let's take a look at West Brom. Hodgson's formation is 4-4-1-1. The goalkeeper is Ben Foster. The former Manchester United goalkeeper faced his old club today, and his performance deserves attention.
Defence: No. 3 Olsson, No. 30 Tamaș, No. 12 Reid, No. 20 Shorey. Midfielder: No. 11 Brunt, No. 21 Mulumbu, No. 33 Scharner, No. 7 Morrison.
The shadow forward is No. 5 Sonn Scharner, and the lone forward is No. 9 Shane Long."
Neville: "Hodgson's team is always known for its discipline and tactical execution. Their defense is well organized. Midfielders Mulumbu and Scharner are both strong defensive players.
West Brom hopes to use the stranglehold in the midfield to limit Manchester United's passing rhythm, especially Zhang Kuang's ability to get the ball. Once the steal is successful, they will quickly find Shane Long and use his speed to counterattack."
Martin: "There is a piece of information worth noting before the game: West Brom has lost all its last seven home games against Manchester United. The last time it defeated Manchester United at home was in 1984. Hodgson definitely hopes to rewrite this record today."
Neville: "It's not easy to rewrite records. Manchester United's away record last season was the best in Premier League, and Ferguson's team has always been stable in the first round of the season. In the past ten seasons, it has only lost once in the first round."
The camera swept over Manchester United's team: Vidić stood at the front wearing the familiar captain's armband, followed by Ferdinand, Evra, Smalling, and new aid De Gea.
Spain The goalkeeper took a deep breath and patted his gloves with a focused expression.
Zhang Kuang stood in the middle and back of the team, with his head lowered, hands on his hips, and chewing gum in his mouth.
Rooney stood next to him and whispered something. Zhang Kuang listened carefully and shook his head with a smile.
The camera turned to West Brom's queue: Ben Foster stood at the end of the team. The former Manchester United goalkeeper will face his old club today. His expression looked neither nervous nor excited, with the indifference unique to professional players.
But he glanced in the direction of Zhang Kuang, and his eyes stayed on the red No. 33 jersey for two seconds.
Then, under the leadership of the referee, the players from the two teams led the ball boys to enter the stadium, and the pre-match process officially started.
He Wei's voice was clear and calm. "China Central Television, China Central Television, good afternoon, dear viewers, and welcome to the first round of the 2011-12 season England Football Premier League focus battle.
I am He Wei, and today I will give you the explanation together with Xu Yang. We are in the BJ studio, and on the other end of the screen is United Kingdom West Bromwich's the Hawthorns. The showdown between Manchester United and West Brom is about to begin."
Xu Yang: "Hello everyone, my name is Xu Yang. This game is very interesting. The defending champion Manchester United has partially updated the lineup in the summer window. The previous starting trident also saw a personnel change today.
As for West Brom, Hodgson's team is known for its solid defense. Of course, their Shane Lang is a very impactful forward, and his speed is a test for Manchester United's high defense."
He Wei: "Players from both sides have entered the field. The chief referee of this game is Mike·Jones. The assistant referees are John Flynn and Mike·McDonough. The fourth official The players are Kevin·Forlán Germany. Mike·Jones's law enforcement style is known for his toughness. He is not easy to call off physical confrontations, which may make the game more open."
Xu Yang: "This may be a double-edged sword for Manchester United. Manchester United's offensive players need more protection, especially Zhang Kuang, who is often strangled tightly on the wing. But at the same time, the loose scale also means that the rhythm of defensive counterattacks will be faster."
He Wei: "There are two points that the news and public opinion are most concerned about before the game: First, whether Manchester United's new goalkeeper De Gea can prove himself in Premier League's debut today.
Second, I heard that Berbatov is renegotiating the contract with the club, and it seems a little unsatisfactory, so he was taken off the starting position today. I don't know if it's true."
He Wei: "Okay, the players from both sides have completed the pre-match ceremony. The referee blew the whistle! In the first round of the 2011-12 season Premier League, the away game between Manchester United and West Brom has officially begun!"
--
The turf of the Hawthorns glows with a light golden luster in the afternoon sun.
Zhang Kuang stood on the right side of the center circle, hands on hips, watching the referee place the ball at the midpoint.
Rooney stood next to him, bouncing the ball twice with his feet, and then flicked the ball to the ground.
The whistle sounded.
Rooney passed the ball to Hernández, who passed it back to Anderson. Zhang Kuang quickly ran towards West Brom's half.
The game officially begins.
West Brom's forward Shane Lang immediately pressed forward. Instead of chasing the ball, he rushed straight at Anderson, forcing Brazil's man to play the ball immediately.
This is the tactic Hodgson emphasized repeatedly before the game: start applying pressure from the frontcourt and not allow Manchester United's midfield to organize calmly.
Anderson didn't panic and passed the ball to Park Ji-sung.
Now Anderson has no reason to panic or act randomly, because there is an 18-year-old Pogba below waiting for him to make a mistake.
South Korea stops the ball, turns around, and distributes the ball to Evra on the left before Mulumbu approaches.
Evra took the ball two steps forward and looked up. Zhang Kuang was cutting forward from the left, but Reid was following him closely, giving him no room to catch the ball.
Evra did not force the pass, but called back to Park Ji-sung.
Martin·Tyler: "Manchester United played relatively steadily at the beginning. They did not rush forward, but first used passes to test West Brom's defensive rhythm."
Neville: "This is a smart move. West Brom's high-post press is very strong. If Manchester United is eager to pass the long ball, it is easy to lose the ball. Sir Ferguson obviously requires the players to stabilize the situation first."
In the stands, West Brom fans started beating drums and cheering.
A long banner was pulled out in the home fans' stand and read "Here to Win, Not to Entertain" (come to win, not to please the audience). This is the football philosophy that West Brom has always pursued under the rule of Hodgson.
Manchester United fans in the visiting team's stands were singing "GloryGloryManUnited" and the flags were flapping in the wind.
In the 3rd minute, Cleverley, the young guy who had just returned from loan to Manchester United, intercepted Brunt's pass in the middle circle and hit it straight to the left, Zhang Kuang started extremely quickly, but Reid's reaction was not slow either. He had already predicted the route before Cleverley passed the ball, blocking Zhang Kuang's forward route in advance.
When Zhang Kuang got the ball, he was already blocked by Reid from cutting inside, and there was Shorey behind him to help defend.
He caught the ball with his left foot, turned on the spot, and passed the ball back to Evra who was covering him. Evra made a pass and was cleared by Olsson with a header.
Xu Yang: "He was restricted the first time he got the ball. West Brom obviously made special arrangements for Zhang Kuang. Reid's position never gave him room to turn around."
He Wei: "This is what happens when players from strong teams face intensive defense, but truly top players will not be restricted all the time and only need one chance."
In the 5th minute, when west Anderson got the ball in the middle, he was flanked by Scharner and Mulumbu at the same time, and the ball was poked away. After Morrison got the ball, he immediately gave it to Brunt, who passed the ball and hoisted it into the penalty area.
Shane·Lang took off between Vidić and Ferdinand and headed the goal!
The ball went over the crossbar!
But West Brom fans still burst into cheers.
"West Brom's first threatening attack came from a clean midfield steal," Martin commented, "This is the style of play that Hodgson's team is best at. Manchester United's midfielder has a new combination today, and the tacit understanding still needs to be adjusted."
Neville said, "But the existence of Park Ji-sung makes Manchester United's defensive coverage in the midfield less vulnerable. Look at his movement just now. In When Anderson was flanked, he had already retreated to the front of the defense, cutting off Morrison's route to the top of the penalty area. If he had not retreated, Morrison would have had a long-range shot opportunity."
In the 7th minute, after Park Ji-sung intercepted Sonn Scharner's cross pass in the midfield, he did not hesitate and sent a pass straight to the left where Zhang Kuang was.
Zhang Kuang received the ball at a slightly lower position than before, but he accelerated as soon as he got the ball. Reid missed the ball, and Shorey was forced to cover up laterally.
Zhang Kuang made a pass before Shorey's defense was in place, and the ball flew to the front of the penalty area with an outward arc.
Hernández sprinted to the spot, but his shot was blocked by Olsson who stretched his foot in advance and blocked the baseline.
Neville said, "Corner kick! Manchester United's offense is starting to feel good. Zhang Kuang's start just now was so sudden that Reid didn't react at all. This kind of explosive power is considered the top level in football."
Martin said, "Hodgson is now faced with a multiple-choice question: Should we continue to use single defense to limit Zhang Kuang, or should we send additional defense?"
But adding more helpers means there will be gaps in other positions. Rooney is on the right and Hernández is in the penalty area. They are both deadly players."
A corner kick was taken, Zhang Kuang ran around to open up the defense, and Vidić headed the ball over the goal.
The sighs of Manchester United fans floated over the Hawthorns.
He Wei: "We still have to let Zhang Kuang take charge of corner kick headers. Zhang Kuang's header ability is top-notch in the world..."
On the electronic scoreboard of the Hawthorns, the time jumped to the 8th minute.
West Brom's attack had just ended. Morrison's long shot from the top of the penalty area was blocked by Vidić's body, and the ball rolled towards the center circle.
Vermelison was very angry. Manchester United's midfielder and backcourt gave West Brom too many opportunities.
"Don't let their ball pass through the midfield. Control it. How many times did West Brom threaten them?"
When the players on the field heard Ferguson's reprimand, they all tried their best.
Cleverley seized control of the ball before Scharner. He almost didn't pause, turned around and made a long diagonal pass to the left.
Zhang Kuang is already running.
This time he started from a deeper position than before, closer to the midline, but there was a problem with Reid's position. West Brom's right back pressed too far forward when Morrison shot just now, and he didn't have time to retreat to the position.
In front of Zhang Kuang is an open grassland, like a straight corridor leading directly to the restricted area.
The ball fell from the air. Zhang Kuang looked up while running to determine where it would land, but Reid was desperately trying to catch up, with less than two bodies left.
Zhang Kuang did not stop the ball.
He stretched out his right foot at the moment the ball hit the ground and pushed the ball forward with the instep of his outside foot. The unloading force on the ball was extremely light at that time. The ball barely rebounded after it hit the ground. It rolled forward naturally and smoothly, as if it was pushed by an invisible hand.
The Hawthorns's home fans let out a cry of surprise.
"This... one touch of the ball directly stops the ball and moves forward! Zhang Kuang's handling of the ball is so simple!" Martin·Tyler's voice rose.
Zhang Kuang speeds up.
His pace is extremely fast, and the force of each step is precisely in line with the rolling rhythm of the ball. The ball and man are connected as if they are being held by a thread.
Reid chased after him desperately, but the distance between the two people not only did not shorten, but instead widened.
Shorey moved sideways from the center to cover the defense, and Tamaș rushed out from the penalty area to support.
West Brom's defense line is shrinking rapidly, trying to form an encirclement before Zhang Kuang enters the penalty area.
But Zhang Kuang is one step ahead of them.
The moment Shorey rushed over, he buckled in with his right foot and pushed out with his left foot. He used a simple change of direction to throw off Shorey's center of gravity, and then used his left foot to volley into the far corner.
He Wei: "Zhang Kuang stops the ball and moves forward. He is accelerating, changing direction, and shooting..."
The entire movement was smooth and smooth, with no extra movement from change of direction to shooting.
The ball drew an inward arc, bypassed Olsson's outstretched leg, flew close to the turf, went outside the trajectory of Foster's save, and entered the blind corner on the right side of the goal. It rubbed the inside of the goal post and crashed into the net.
1:0.
The Hawthorns was quiet for a full second.
Then the visiting team's stand exploded.
Martin·Tyler: "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL...Zhang Kuang! In just nine minutes, he opened the scoring for Manchester United!
A perfect personal breakthrough, from the start to the shot, West Brom's defense was completely torn apart by him alone! Ben Foster was helpless!"
Gary·Nevi: "Oh my god... this ball is so beautiful. Look at his timing, Cleverley ran away as soon as he intercepted the ball.
Reid can't catch up at all, and Shorey can't stop him either. This kind of speed, this kind of explosive power, coupled with his way of just advancing the ball without stopping... I can only say one thing: the best in the world."
In the away stands of the Hawthorns, the cheers of Manchester United fans poured down like a tsunami.
Some fans raised their mobile phones and yelled at the camera, "Did you see it! Did you see it! Nine minutes! Zhang Kuang! This is his strength! What are you West Brom fans still shouting? Your defense is like paper in front of him!"
Zhang Kuang ran towards the corner flag area, jumped up, turned around in the air, moved his hands down, and roared into the sky!
The iconic celebration is done in one go.
Rooney was the first to rush up and hug him, followed by Hernández, Cleverley, Park Ji-sung... The red crowd drowned him on the grass in the corner flag area.
Ferguson stood on the sidelines, chewing gum, with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm but his eyes full of satisfaction.
He Wei: "Opportunities are born in the blink of an eye. West Brom's defensive line presses forward, leaving a huge space behind it. Zhang Kuang understands the gap and keeps pushing the ball forward. Even though the pursuers behind him run hard, they are still unable to close the distance.
He continuously got rid of the defenders and calmly pushed the ball into the far corner. The ball accurately penetrated into the blind corner of the goal. He rode up the wing to chase the wind and shot the arc to set the lead.
The most fascinating picture in football is such a smooth long-distance run. With his sharp running position, delicate touch and powerful finishing ability, Zhang Kuang showed everyone why he became the world's top scorer last season."
Xu Yang: "Ah, this ball is so beautiful. It is a complete display of the star's personal abilities. I never thought that one day we would be able to watch a China player score such a beautiful goal..."
Hodgson stood on the sidelines, frowning.
He quickly drew a few strokes on the tactical board, and then shouted to the field, "Reid! Hold down the position! Don't let him start!"
Reid stood on the court with his hands on his hips, panting and looking a little dazed. He looked back at goalkeeper Foster, who was taking the ball out of the net and kicking the ball towards the center circle with an expressionless face.
The camera returns to the Hawthorns.
West Brom's players gathered in the middle circle, and Morrison was talking to Shane Lang.
In the 12th minute, Scharner got the ball in the middle and broke through Anderson's defense. He took a long shot from the top of the arc in the penalty area. The ball was very powerful, but it missed the right post.
De Gea moved two steps on the goal line. After judging the path of the ball, he did not save it. He just watched steadily as the ball flew out of the baseline.
Martin: "De Gea's performance was very calm. In the young man's first Premier League game, he didn't show any nervousness."
Neville: "He doesn't need to make too many saves to be at his best, which shows that Manchester United's defense is controlling the game.
However, Anderson's defense is still weak. How can you let your opponent take a shot from such a position?"
Martin: "It's very simple. Manchester United retreated too far. West Brom shouldn't have been allowed to go deep into Manchester United's area. Manchester United still lacks a general in the midfield!"
And Phelan on the sidelines was also shouting something.
In the 14th minute, Zhang Kuang took the ball from the left, but this time West Brom reacted significantly faster. Reid and Shorey moved towards him at the same time, and Mulumbu also came to help defend from the inside. The three of them formed a triangular encirclement.
Zhang Kuang did not force a breakthrough, but passed the ball back to Evra, and France hit Cleverley in the middle.
Cleverley caught the ball and hit it diagonally to the right. Rooney got the ball from the right and broke into the penalty area. Under the defense of Tamaș, he forced the shot!
However, the ball was saved by Foster.