Chapter 43: First Time Stained Crimson

Dai Zhiwei surged down the flank at full speed, deftly dribbling past Gamba Osaka’s left back with a flick of his left foot, effortlessly slipping by his opponent and continuing forward with the ball. Seeing his teammate beaten, Keisuke Iwashita hurried over to intercept. But Dai Zhiwei was not about to let this golden opportunity slip away—he lightly tapped the ball with the inside of his right foot, shifting it to the right, then cut diagonally with his left. Iwashita, rushing in too hastily, couldn’t slow himself in time and was left trailing behind, once again outmaneuvered with ease.

Having dribbled past two Gamba Osaka defenders in quick succession, Dai Zhiwei found himself presented with a brilliant chance to score. Seizing the moment, he burst into the right side of the penalty area. Both Goulart and Elkeson were also inside, raising their hands to signal for a pass as they scrambled for advantageous positions.

Yasuyuki Konno was caught between a rock and a hard place—he had to keep an eye on Goulart at his side while simultaneously shifting laterally to block Dai Zhiwei’s potential shooting angles. Defending was no easy task; after all, there was only so much one man could do. Simply marking Goulart—one of the most dangerous attacking players in Asian club football—was already stretching Konno’s limits, let alone splitting his attention further.

Dai Zhiwei took a large stride forward with his left foot, even passing the ball as he wound up his right leg, making it look as though he was wholly committed to shooting. Konno couldn’t quite figure out Dai Zhiwei’s intentions, but as a defender, he had to be prepared for anything. Even if Dai Zhiwei wasn’t going to shoot, he still had to block.

So, Konno lunged forward, stretching his right leg toward the ball.

“Isn’t Dai’s left foot planted a bit too far forward? That can’t be good for the shot’s power. No… Wait!” Goulart realized something was off and took a few steps back.

Here was the difference between Goulart and Dai Zhiwei—had it been Elkeson, he might never have anticipated Dai Zhiwei’s next move.

Just as Dai Zhiwei’s right foot was about to strike the ball, his taut instep suddenly relaxed, and with a deft flick of his right heel, he nudged the ball behind his left leg and over to the left.

The ball rolled perfectly into Goulart’s path. Goulart, having anticipated Dai Zhiwei’s intention the moment the pass was made, had already repositioned himself and was ready to receive the reverse cut-back.

Shielding the Gamba Osaka defender with his back, Goulart met the ball and calmly slotted it into the net with a gentle push of his instep.

“Goal!”

“In the 59th minute of the second half, Goulart scores! This marks the complete collapse of Gamba Osaka—they are utterly powerless to resist, and Evergrande is surely set to win tonight’s match!” The commentator at Tianhe Stadium practically roared as he called the goal.

Though this goal was neither classic nor particularly glamorous, the Evergrande players—and even the coaches and substitutes on the bench—leapt to their feet in celebration.

“Catch me!” Dai Zhiwei sprinted over to Goulart, who scooped him up in jubilation.

Dai Zhiwei had been the focal point of Gamba Osaka’s defensive efforts all match. Though he hadn’t yet scored, he’d already provided two assists—the free kick for Paulinho’s goal was also won by Dai Zhiwei.

He had proven to everyone that even without scoring, he was the indispensable core of the team’s attack.

Trailing by two, Gamba Osaka was now even more passive. The idea of pulling back two goals in just thirty minutes was unrealistic; even scoring once would be a challenge. They decided it would be wiser to focus on shoring up their defense, reasoning that taking a 0-2 deficit home might still allow for a comeback on their own turf.

With this mindset, Gamba Osaka abandoned all thoughts of attacking and withdrew en masse into their own half.

They had finally realized that if they continued to play openly, the match might look entertaining, but it would likely end in a heavy defeat. It was better to defend deep and avoid conceding further.

Cannavaro wanted to make the most of this period and signaled for Zheng Long and substitute striker Gao Lin to warm up, preparing to keep pressing Gamba Osaka’s backline.

When the clock reached the 74th minute, the fourth official raised the substitution board: Zheng Long replaced Huang Bowen and pushed up to play left winger; Dai Zhiwei moved to the right wing, and Gao Lin came on for Elkeson as center forward.

Cannavaro was clearly concerned about the recently recovered Elkeson getting injured again, especially given his less-than-stellar form tonight.

“Old Cannavaro didn’t take me off?” Dai Zhiwei felt a flicker of happiness. “Looks like I’ll still have time to score.”

Though he’d already contributed two assists, Dai Zhiwei still believed that goals were the true measure of a striker. With less than twenty minutes left, he had no intention of giving up on finding the net.

Evergrande attacked again. Paulinho received the ball in the center circle and, with a simple burst of acceleration, left the opposing midfielders behind. After glancing quickly across the pitch to assess his teammates’ positions, he struck the ball with the instep of his right foot, sending it toward the left touchline.

Zheng Long rocketed off like a released arrow, sprinting at full speed toward the goal line.

Ball and man arrived almost simultaneously.

Zheng Long pinned the ball to the white line with his left foot as Yasuyuki Konno closed in quickly. Zheng Long instantly set off, using his left foot to control the ball, taking a large stride with his right, spinning to shield the ball from Konno. With another spin and a deft left-footed pull, he glided past his opponent and drove into the left channel of the penalty area.

Koki Yonekura rushed over to cover, attempting to block Zheng Long’s path, but Zheng Long used the outside of his right foot to nudge the ball diagonally as Yonekura slid in desperately.

Yet Zheng Long was a predator, a fierce beast denied a starting spot not for lack of ability, but due to the strength of his teammates. A long absence from competition hadn’t dulled his instincts. With a swift left-footed drag-back, the ball was returned to its starting position, leaving Yonekura on the ground, unable to recover.

Without pausing, Zheng Long cut inside with his right foot, surging into the left side of the six-yard box.

Higashiguchi, Gamba Osaka’s goalkeeper, was already positioned at the near post, lowering his center of gravity and watching Zheng Long intently, preparing for his next move.

Only three to five meters separated Zheng Long and Higashiguchi, but every shooting angle was blocked—there seemed to be no way through.

Cursing inwardly, Zheng Long raised his left foot to cross. But just as he was about to strike the ball, he noticed Higashiguchi had shifted back a few steps, opening up a narrow angle—small, but just enough.

Zheng Long changed his mind in an instant and lashed a shot with the outside of his foot.

Higashiguchi’s heart skipped a beat as he dropped to the ground. Fortunately, in excellent form tonight, he managed to parry the shot with his right hand, sending the ball rebounding into the middle of the six-yard box.

But as Higashiguchi allowed himself a brief moment of relief, he glanced toward the goal and his heart sank into darkness.

“Goal! Dai Zhiwei reacts quickest to the rebound, scoring his eleventh goal of this AFC Champions League season! He stands atop the scorers’ list! What more can be said about such a rookie campaign? Apart from admiration, I am lost for words!”

Zheng Long’s shot had been parried straight into Dai Zhiwei’s path. With a burst of acceleration, Dai Zhiwei shook off his marker and hammered the ball into the net, bulging it with a thunderous strike.

Though he knew removing his shirt would earn him a yellow card, Dai Zhiwei tore it off anyway, waving it energetically in his left hand, then embracing his teammates in a tight, jubilant huddle, unable even to articulate his excitement.

3–0!

This goal shattered Gamba Osaka’s last remnants of hope. The players on the pitch became casual and careless in both attack and defense, errors multiplying rapidly.

When play resumed, Gamba Osaka were still reeling, and Evergrande nearly scored again. This time, Goulart broke down the right, cut inside successfully, and chipped a pass to Gao Lin in the right side of the box.

Gao Lin let Goulart down—his shot hit Higashiguchi square in the chest, and his follow-up was also saved.

That save could well be voted the best in Asian football this week.

Sadly, as a striker, Gao Lin was little more than a bystander in this match.

The game wore on, the end drawing near, yet Evergrande continued to batter Gamba Osaka’s penalty area with overwhelming force.

Tonight’s undisputed star was Dai Zhiwei. Every time he touched the ball, he sent tremors through Gamba Osaka’s defensive line, leaving them on the brink of disaster.

As the match entered stoppage time, Paulinho surged through the center, drawing two defenders before unleashing a fierce shot that curled rapidly to the right.

Goulart trapped the ball securely with the inside of his left foot, executed a “powerful feint,” deftly shaking off his marker, took a quick diagonal step to create space, and sent a precise 45-degree pass into the box.

Gao Lin and Yonekura both leaped for the header, but the ball skimmed off their heads and continued on.

Dai Zhiwei, alive to the opportunity, reacted instantly, darting forward to meet the ball, launching himself sideways in a diving header.

The ball slipped neatly through Higashiguchi’s fingertips and into the net.

“Another goal! 4–0! Evergrande claim a resounding victory! Dai Zhiwei scores his twelfth goal of the AFC Champions League season! This is simply astonishing! Who can say how many more he might score?” Even the Gamba Osaka fans were won over by Dai Zhiwei’s remarkable rookie season!

Dai Zhiwei, eyes fixed on the ball’s path as it hit the net, broke free from his teammates and, despite the light drizzle over Tianhe Stadium, tore off his shirt, sprinted to the corner flag, and launched himself into a diving slide along the turf, arms outstretched for balance.

His teammates followed, one after another, mimicking his celebration in spectacular fashion.

The Evergrande fans went wild, waving their fists and cheering their heroes on the pitch.

But after a reminder from the assistant referee, the match official realized what had happened. With a complicated look, he approached Dai Zhiwei and showed him a second yellow card.

Two yellows make a red!

“What?!”