Chapter 37: The Dire Consequences of Complacency

The first round’s 4-0 score had left little suspense for the return leg between Evergrande and Kashiwa Reysol in the AFC Champions League. Were it not for the fact that the match was to be played at Tianhe Stadium, as a gesture to thank the home fans, Cannavaro would have considered resting all his starters on the bench.

From the start, both teams sought to seize control of the pitch. The opening moments were fiercely contested; Kashiwa Reysol, emboldened by their underdog status, launched an unexpected and aggressive attack. Barely a minute into the game, their striker Cristiano connected with a cross in the penalty area, heading the ball just over the bar from close range.

Evergrande, faced with Reysol’s offensive surge, did not rush to attack but instead opted to control the tempo and advance steadily. In the eighth minute, Dai Zhiwei and Goulart exchanged a one-two; Goulart’s deft chip found Dai Zhiwei, who was brought down in the area by a defender. Unfortunately, the foul occurred outside the box, and Elkson’s ensuing free kick sailed wide.

Kashiwa Reysol’s efforts bore fruit in the sixteenth minute. Yasuhiro Tsuda received the ball centrally just outside the box and cleverly distributed it to the left. Evergrande’s defense lost their mark, and Cristiano, having escaped his defender at the far post, unleashed a powerful shot. Zeng Cheng blocked it, but Shojin Kudo was quick to follow up, slotting the rebound into the empty net. Reysol led 1-0!

The aggregate score narrowed to 1-4, keeping a faint glimmer of hope alive for Reysol.

Conceding the goal spurred Evergrande into a fierce counterattack, but Reysol fought hard in midfield, frequently going to ground with sliding tackles.

“Go! These damned scoundrels!” Dai Zhiwei, having spent considerable time in Guangzhou, had picked up quite a bit of Cantonese.

Moments earlier, he had been brought down while breaking through by Reysol’s defenders. Confronted with their aggressive defense, Dai Zhiwei, wary of injury, began to hold back.

After all, “I still have the AFC semifinals and the final rounds of the Super League to play. I’m aiming for the championship; it’s not worth it to risk everything against these scoundrels!”

In the thirty-second minute, Zheng Zhi orchestrated an attack, his pass finding Dai Zhiwei precisely. But under pressure from Reysol’s defenders, Dai Zhiwei headed the ball off target, it grazing past the goal.

Frustrated, Dai Zhiwei kicked the turf fiercely, then flashed a thumbs-up to Zheng Zhi.

Vent and thumbs-up—without realizing it, Dai Zhiwei had mastered the combination moves so favored by the seasoned Super League veterans.

Neither side produced any significant opportunities until stoppage time in the first half, when Huang Bowen, surging forward with the ball, unleashed a sudden long-range shot from the edge of the penalty area. The Reysol goalkeeper, caught unawares, barely reacted as the ball struck the post and bounced out of bounds.

Disappointed fans groaned, and Huang Bowen, devastated, held his head in his hands—he had been sure it would go in, but fate had played a joke on him.

At halftime, neither coach made substitutions; the players on the pitch were their best, tactics already set, and all that remained was to see who would rise to the occasion.

The second half resumed, and after ten minutes without a goal, both sides ceased attacking and settled into a peaceful game.

When the final whistle blew, neither team had managed to score in the second half. Despite their victory in the second leg, Reysol could only accept the result that no one wanted—winning but still unable to advance.

As the match ended, Shojin Kudo approached Dai Zhiwei to exchange jerseys, and Dai Zhiwei readily agreed when his counterpart said in English, “You’re a better striker than me!”

As they parted, Shojin Kudo suddenly declared, “You’re strong, but next time I’ll beat you!”

“Let’s talk about it next time,” Dai Zhiwei replied nonchalantly, confident that his abilities would have evolved by their next meeting.

And so the match concluded, but Dai Zhiwei was unaware that his performance in this game was not much different from what fans had come to expect of Chinese male footballers.

Three days after the second match with Kashiwa Reysol, Evergrande was set to face R&F in the twenty-fifth round of the Super League.

It was the final match of the round; earlier, Shanghai SIPG had unexpectedly lost, lending new significance to this Guangzhou derby.

If Evergrande could win, they would clinch the league title with four rounds to spare!

In the first derby earlier that season, Evergrande had triumphed thanks to Dai Zhiwei’s brace.

Back at Yuexiu Mountain Stadium, R&F, facing an Evergrande side that had just advanced despite defeat, saw things moving in their favor.

The stadium was packed to capacity. R&F fans dominated the stands, with a contingent of Evergrande supporters tucked away, their presence dwarfed by the home crowd—the atmosphere of the city derby seemed somewhat lacking.

The match kicked off, and the home side took possession. Bokila gently tapped the ball forward, Wang Song received it, and Bokila charged ahead, leaving the ball behind. Wang Song quickly returned the ball to Michel in defense.

Michel wasted no time, sending the ball to the left flank as soon as it arrived.

Renardinho stopped the ball, glanced up, and immediately swung his leg, striking it fiercely.

A long pass!

Nearly half the pitch was covered with this sweeping ball!

As soon as Renardinho received the ball, R&F supporters sensed what was coming, rising to their feet with a wave of cheers.

As the ball soared, Bokila burst onto the scene like a bomber breaking through clouds, emerging from behind Evergrande’s defensive line.

An Evergrande player raised his arm to signal offside to the assistant referee, but the official ignored him, tracking Bokila’s run.

Zeng Cheng reacted faster than his defensive teammates. Seeing Bokila break through, he decisively abandoned his goal to intercept.

Regardless of whether Bokila was offside, Zeng Cheng had to protect the net.

The ball dropped rapidly between Bokila and Zeng Cheng, but it was clearly closer to Bokila.

In the next moment, Bokila leapt into the air!

Simultaneously, Zeng Cheng recognized Bokila’s intent. Though he was still some distance from the ball and unlikely to grab it, he had no choice but to leap, spreading his body and arms wide in midair, diving toward Bokila like a net.

Bokila, suspended in the air, met the ball with his head, subtly redirecting it past Zeng Cheng’s armpit and toward the goal.

Though Bokila’s header lacked both angle and power, the goal was unguarded.

Zeng Cheng, sprawled atop Bokila, looked back to see the ball already nestled in the net—undeniably a goal!

“Oh! Unbelievable! Seventeen seconds! R&F has scored just seventeen seconds after kickoff! This goal is lightning-fast!” the commentator cried out in excitement. “Renardinho’s pinpoint long pass, Bokila’s perfect header! Bokila heralds his triumphant return!”

The situation had caught not only Cannavaro off guard but also the Evergrande players—the speed of R&F’s goal stunned them.

Conceding a goal was expected, but so early? It was surprising, despite their thorough preparations and anticipation of difficulties.

R&F’s improvement and strength were greater than anticipated.

But Evergrande was no pushover, and after falling behind, their players quickly regrouped.

It was only a one-goal deficit; as long as they equalized, the aggregate score would be level.

Before the match, R&F’s new manager, Stojkovic, repeatedly emphasized two Evergrande players who warranted special attention: Goulart, the midfield maestro, and Dai Zhiwei, currently leading both the AFC and Super League scoring charts.

The pattern was clear—Evergrande’s attacks were orchestrated by Goulart, while Dai Zhiwei anchored the frontline.

Dai Zhiwei received a pass from a teammate outside the box.

He felt uncomfortable in this match—the opposing defense was high, making him prone to offside, and the two central defenders marked him tightly. He had little opportunity in the box, forced to drop back for the ball, but was far less threatening outside the area.

He looked for a passing option, but his view was filled with R&F jerseys.

A moment’s hesitation, and the defender dispossessed him.

The game returned to a stalemate, with both teams locked in midfield combat.

Both sides committed heavily, fiercely contesting the center.

R&F had no complaints about the deadlock; indeed, they welcomed it.

R&F did not fear a stalemate, especially while leading. They were content to wear down their opponents’ patience and morale, make them restless, and then strike with a counterattack—two-goal lead, and the situation would be even more favorable.

Michel, under pressure from two opponents, passed the ball to the right, where Renardinho awaited. After a quick exchange with Jiang Zhipeng on the wing, Jiang Zhipeng pressed forward, drawing Evergrande’s attention. Renardinho, however, suddenly played the ball to the center.

Bokila, with a surprise run, broke forward without being offside, receiving the pass!

In the next instant, Yuexiu Mountain Stadium erupted with thunderous cheers once again!