The ball arced sharply through the air, soaring at high speed.
Ronaldo didn't have time to deliver a clean pass for his teammates—just keeping it in play was already good enough.
Only Guti was in position to pick up Ronaldo's through ball.
If it had been Su Hang chasing, the ball would've gone out long before.
But precisely because Ronaldo's kick was "casual" and unpredictable, Terry failed to anticipate its path and missed the chance to clear.
In the middle, Su Hang clashed with Portuguese international Ricardo Carvalho before leaping into the air!
Aerial domination!
Carvalho had just won the Champions League under Mourinho at Porto, then followed him to Chelsea, forming a formidable central defensive pairing with Terry. He was at the peak of his career, having been selected for both the Euro Team of the Tournament and the UEFA Team of the Year, and even crowned UEFA Club Defender of the Year for the 2003–04 season.
But he had one fatal flaw—he stood only 1.82 meters tall.
Aerial defense was his weakness.
Though Su Hang was just 1.80 meters himself, his jumping power and heading ability—boosted by his "ramen hairstyle" advantage—meant that once he rose for an aerial battle, it was devastating!
Bang!
Su Hang connected perfectly with the header.
The power was immense.
He smashed Chelsea's goal with unstoppable force.
"GOAL!!!"
The Bernabéu erupted instantly!
A white wave surged like a tide.
"Su Hang has stepped up!"
"His aerial bombardment is here!"
"Carvalho is completely crushed! He couldn't stop the Crown Prince of Real Madrid from taking off!"
"What a brilliant goal!"
"Real Madrid's decision to bring on Guti has paid off! It gave them the ability to launch straight from the back, catching Chelsea completely off guard!"
"Ronaldo's speed is still unstoppable—when he sprints, nobody can match him."
"Ronaldo saved the ball and crossed, Su Hang finished it!"
"This goal is huge! The aggregate is now 3–2!"
"Real Madrid just needs one more to equalize!"
"Oh! Su Hang isn't celebrating! He's rushed into the goal, grabbed the ball, and wants the restart immediately."
"Cech tried to block him, but Su Hang slipped past."
"Terry pulled Su Hang back, sparking a confrontation!"
"Su Hang's urgency clearly angered Terry. He must be thinking, 'What, you think Madrid can just score again that easily?'"
"Still, Su Hang fighting for every second is perfectly normal."
"The referee quickly stepped in, warning both Terry and Su Hang."
The scuffle wasn't really a scuffle at all—it flared up and ended just as quickly. Both were just fighting for their team's interests, nothing more.
The goal lifted Real Madrid's morale.
Anyone who's played knows the feeling: when you're two goals up, you're relaxed. But once the opponent pulls one back, you suddenly feel they'll get another soon, panic sets in, and it feels like you're the ones behind.
Chelsea had fallen right into that trap. They were nervous.
...
In the 56th minute, Figo used "Su's Dribbling Technique—Vertical Burst" to glide past Makélélé in the center and slipped a through pass.
Ronaldo darted in and shot—almost certain to score.
But Cech, the spider-like monster, miraculously stretched his fingers to tip the ball wide.
In the 64th minute, Figo and Zidane exchanged positions seamlessly, and Figo found Zidane with a pass. Zidane, with his back to goal, flicked the ball over Carvalho, then lofted it into the box.
Su Hang battled fiercely with Terry for position, but Terry pinned his hips, stopping him from leaping freely.
Though Su Hang still made contact with the ball, the header was weak and floated tamely into Cech's arms.
Su Hang gave Terry a speechless look—basically saying, "Man, your dirty tricks never end."
Terry just raised his eyebrows: "The more tricks, the better."
In the 69th minute, Roberto Carlos carried the ball down the flank, searching for a cross. His former teammate Geremi cut him off and eventually cleared the ball out of bounds.
Real Madrid won a throw-in deep in Chelsea's half.
All Chelsea players had dropped back, crowding the area and leaving Carlos unsure who to throw to.
Su Hang ran over, signaling that he would take it himself.
Carlos left the ball and moved inside to take up position.
It didn't really make sense—Su Hang was taller and a forward. Having him take the throw wasted an attacking presence. After all, a frontcourt throw-in, if used well, can create scoring chances.
Many didn't understand what Su Hang was doing. Luxemburgo fumed on the sidelines. In his tactical setup, Su Hang was not supposed to be the one throwing the ball. No coach likes seeing their players change the plan on the fly.
But Zidane, who had built a growing chemistry with Su Hang, glanced over. Su Hang's eyes flicked toward the box. Zidane understood, slowly drifting into the area, slipping between defenders.
Chelsea's defenders didn't pay him much mind—he was too far from the throw-in point, already on the right side of the box. With Su Hang throwing from the left, unless he had superhuman strength, there was no way the ball could reach Zidane.
So they ignored him.
Instead, they focused on Ronaldo, who was moving toward Su Hang and looked far more dangerous.
Then suddenly—after feinting toward Ronaldo, Carlos, and Figo—Su Hang stepped back twice, wound up, and hurled the ball with all his might.
He launched it toward the box!
A thunderous long throw—straight out of Cannavaro's playbook!
Ronaldo and the others froze.
"What the hell are you throwing at? Trying to lob it straight into the goal? Do you even have that kind of strength?"
All eyes turned to the ball.
Damn! He really did!
The throw rocketed to the far post.
Unmarked, Zidane leapt and connected with his shining bald head.
A thunderous header!
He sent the ball screaming into the far corner.
Cech dived full stretch—but he was too late.
The ball ripped into the net.
Zidane spread his arms wide and sprinted straight for Su Hang.
"GOAL! It's in!"
"Zidane with the header!"
"Su Hang just threw in a grenade of a long throw!"
"What a shocker!"
"Chelsea never saw that coming—they completely overlooked Zidane!"
"A flash of genius! Su Hang and Zidane, two generations of brilliance, on the same wavelength! Their chemistry is unbelievable!"
"The score is now 2–1! Aggregate 3–3!"
"With each side holding one away goal, it's a dead tie!"
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser