After the players were ready, the referee blew the whistle.
BEEP!
The formations of the two teams instantly converged, fiercely contesting possession.
Bruno Fernandes had barely received the ball before Sissoko knocked him down from the side, sending him tumbling onto the turf.
Stunned.
Starting with such intensity from the beginning — was this not too much?
"Stay sharp, everyone! Tottenham aren't Villa. They're good at physical battles!" Ling shouted to his teammates.
Bruno Fernandes nodded.
Immediately, he set aside all underestimation and took the match seriously.
The rest of the Manchester United players did the same.
Tottenham had suffered a heavy defeat to Bayern.
If Manchester United lost to this Tottenham side, then any talk of a Champions League three-peat would be pointless.
They might as well call it a night early.
Manchester United took the midfield free kick and attempted to advance down the flanks.
Tottenham's pressing in midfield and attack remained sharp.
After all, this was the tactical system Pochettino had spent several seasons developing.
Moreover, today's match carried extraordinary significance.
The Tottenham players had also set aside their differences, uniting to resist the "big bad."
As the ball crossed the halfway line, Ling did not drop back to receive as he usually did. Instead, he positioned himself in front of Alderweireld.
He needed to suppress Tottenham's defensive line.
The most crucial aspect of coordinated pressing was coordination. Otherwise, pressing without synchronization only created a system full of holes.
Beyond midfield and forward pressing, Tottenham's pressing system emphasized shortening the distance to the defensive line as much as possible.
Why?
If an opponent broke through the pressing net, they could immediately press again.
Otherwise, it would be troublesome once the opponent formed a multi-pronged attack.
"Fucking annoying."
Alderweireld was irritated.
Ling kept hovering around him like a buzzing fly.
Oh, right.
The reason he despised Ling so much was simple.
He was the ultimate Messi fanboy!
"In front of Messi, I feel like a clown, a waste."
"Nothing I do can stand up to him. No matter how much I train, it's just a waste of time."
"I can't even get close to him."
These were Alderweireld's fanboy quotes.
Suddenly, just as he was still mentally praising Messi, Bruno Fernandes dribbled the ball to the right side of the penalty area.
Faced with the double coverage of Winks and Vertonghen, and seeing multiple defenders behind Ling, Bruno frowned.
There was no real opportunity since Ling was triple-marked.
Even if he received the ball, he would not be able to turn.
Without turning, he could not threaten the goal.
Bruno Fernandes shared the same thought.
But just as he prepared to attempt a shot, he saw Ling's gesture.
Almost instinctively, he played a sideways pass.
This was blind trust.
Under the spotlight of Wembley Stadium, Manchester United's number 7 fixed his gaze on the ball.
Three-dimensional.
Football was never just a two-dimensional game.
Alderweireld accelerated from behind, closing him down.
In front of Ling was Sissoko tracking back.
Behind him was Davinson Sánchez covering defensively.
In goal, Gazzaniga was ready.
What could he possibly do?
At most, he could trap the ball in front of him and attempt a speculative shot.
And with the distance between the two, Ling would not even have time to shoot before Alderweireld intercepted him.
Alderweireld had already scripted the scene in his mind.
However, the next second, it was as if God had pressed the slow-motion button.
Time seemed to stretch.
A delicate flick with the toe, adjustment of the body.
The ball, along with mud and grass clippings, rose into the air, spinning and dancing in mid-flight.
Alderweireld was left utterly stunned.
Where was the ball?
Where was the man?
What the hell just happened?
When he came back to his senses, he looked up ahead.
Manchester United's number 7 jersey fluttered in the wind as Ling turned and struck a perfect pose!
Right-footed bicycle kick!
Thump!
Immediately after, the ball flew past Davinson Sánchez, slipped beyond Gazzaniga, and drilled straight into the net.
0–1!
For a moment, Wembley seemed to freeze.
Then the away end exploded.
Peter Drury's voice detonated with it.
"LING—OH, THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS!"
"HE HAS TURNED WEMBLEY INTO A CANVAS AND PAINTED WITH HIS BACK TO GOAL!"
"A FLICK, A FLIGHT, A FALLING STAR FROM THE BOOT OF THE BALLON D'OR WINNER!"
"Tottenham surrounded him with bodies, with plans, with fear — and he answered with imagination beyond language!"
"THAT IS A POSTCARD FROM THE IMPOSSIBLE!"
Jim Beglin could only exhale.
"That's ridiculous, Peter. You can talk tactics all you like, but there are moments where a player simply does something outside the plan. Alderweireld thinks he has him. He doesn't. Nobody does."
Pochettino slumped helplessly in his chair.
It was over.
Everything was over.
Following Antonio Conte at Chelsea and Wenger at Arsenal, Ling would personally orchestrate the third manager's dismissal ceremony!
Yes.
It would be him, Pochettino!
...
On the neighboring bench, Mourinho also gaped in astonishment.
He knew Ling was strong.
But compared to before, the current Ling had not only gained more confidence, but also a touch of brilliance.
"Boss, Ling has evolved again," Faria said, rubbing his eyes. "He's turning into an alien."
In a situation with an extremely low chance of scoring, Ling had seized the opportunity purely through individual ability.
What was a superstar? This was a superstar.
On the pitch, Ling had just finished celebrating and was receiving admiration from his teammates.
"Ling, I want to learn that move. I really do!"
"Can I borrow your brain for a few days?"
"Dude, you're really putting in effort for the wedding at the end of the month!"
Even Manchester United players familiar with Ling could not help feeling shocked after seeing that spectacular goal.
How could he even think of a move like that?
Bruno Fernandes took a deep look at Ling, feeling the gap between them.
'Forget it.'
He would stick to playing a supporting role from now on and stop dreaming of becoming the core.
He was not worthy!
...
Meanwhile, Alderweireld, who had witnessed everything firsthand, felt the little golden Messi statue in his heart begin to crack because of this goal.
He could not help doubting his life's beliefs.
Was Messi still the best?
Ling had no idea about the inner turmoil in Alderweireld's mind.
If he knew, he would only ask: You're useless in front of Messi, but you thought you wouldn't be useless in front of me?
Of course you would.
And even more useless!
Son Heung-min also sighed, hands on hips, knowing that catching up to Ling was almost impossible.
Well, since the club could not win, they would meet again in national-team matches.
There was no reason South Korea should lose.
Son Heung-min regained his confidence and shouted to his teammates, "It's just one goal. We haven't lost the match yet!"
Silence was the theme of Wembley tonight.
Son Heung-min's status at Tottenham was not the same as Ling's at Manchester United.
Soon, amidst scattered cheers, Tottenham kicked off again.
The Tottenham fans in the stands were no longer as spirited as before.
The occasional cheers were even drowned out by Manchester United fans.
"Ah, Sissoko has made a passing error in the back!"
"How has he passed that straight to McTominay?"
"Scott McTominay slips it through to Ling!"
"Beautiful — the ball gets through!"
The camera quickly locked onto the sprinting Manchester United number 7.
After receiving the ball, Ling took one touch toward the outside.
It was a simple step.
But explosive!
That one touch gave him a half-body lead over Alderweireld.
Aiming for the far corner, he unleashed a powerful shot.
The instep connected perfectly with the football, delivering a precise and ferocious burst of power.
Bang!
The ball brushed past Gazzaniga's fingertips.
Once again, it crashed into the back of Tottenham's net.
0–2!
Only six minutes had passed since the first goal.
Peter Drury did not hold back.
"LING AGAIN!"
"Six minutes apart, two wounds in Tottenham's night!"
"The first was art. The second is execution."
"He smells hesitation, he hunts the mistake, and before Wembley can even catch its breath, Manchester United's golden No.7 has struck twice!"
"This is what fear looks like in football form — one bad pass, one red shirt moving, and suddenly the scoreboard has changed forever."
Jim Beglin nodded.
"That's ruthless! Tottenham make the mistake, but Ling still has plenty to do. The first touch gives him the lane, and the finish is sharp. Gazzaniga gets close, but not close enough."
Tottenham had paid a painful price for their defensive passing error.
Would Argentine goalkeeper Gazzaniga be left with psychological scars?
Fortunately, in the 2–7 defeat to Bayern, Tottenham's starting goalkeeper had been Lloris, not him.
Otherwise, this season might have haunted him forever.
📰 Sky Sports: Ling Stuns Tottenham With Two Early Goals at Wembley!
📰 BBC Sport: Ballon d'Or Winner Produces Bicycle-Kick Masterpiece Against Spurs
📰 Manchester Evening News: Ling's Post-Coronation Rampage Continues as United Tear Into Tottenham
📰 The Athletic: Pochettino's Spurs Collapse Under United Pressure
📱 @UnitedStand ✔
Ling just scored a bicycle kick and then scored again six minutes later. The Ballon d'Or gave him a power-up. This is ridiculous.
| ↳ 📱 @StretfordEndTom
| Reply: "A postcard from the impossible." Drury is having the time of his life.
📱 @SpursTalk
Can the season end now?
📱 @NeutralPremWatch
The first goal was art. The second was punishment lol! Tottenham look emotionally finished already.
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