The Road to the Promised Land: Chapter 56

They Never Give Up :Previous «Home Page» Next: The Promised Land
==Legends Are Born==
"If any modern team manages to do what that class of '99 did, they deserve to be lauded to the heavens." – Jim Rosenthal (Sports broadcaster).
...
Sunday June 2
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Manchester United (UEFA Champions League final)
Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France
Second half injury time expired – VAR penalty check in progress
Many twists and turns had already happened in the final thus far. First, PSG took a 2-goal lead and appeared to be in total control until a thunderstorm with heavy rain interrupted the match so close to halftime. Then the action restarted at 11:15 PM, which was 2 hours and 15 minutes after kickoff time. Manchester United cut the deficit down to a single goal early in the second half, but Mikiya Tono managed to shut the door for PSG ever since. We already exceeded midnight and thus entered Sunday by the time the final few seconds of injury time for the second half had expired. However, one more twist came up as the video assistant referee (VAR) demanded a check for a potential penalty incident against PSG.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"This could be a huge moment in the final. They're checking on VAR right now, and that has to be a penalty. Oh God..." Noriko narrated in front of her camera.
"I hope they get this right." Mito said.
"Me too." Eiko added.
"They must have good reasons to do so. They never call the referee unless they have potentially enough to reverse a decision." Noriko replied.
As time went by with the referee watching his monitor, anxiety and expectation were raising among the Manchester United supporters. At the other end, the joy of a memorable victory at home made way to serious concern among PSG supporters. When everything was decided between the referee on the field and the VAR, the former walked back towards the pitch, blew his whistle, and made the TV screen-like gesture to declare a closure to the video review.
PEEEEEP!!!
Blowing his whistle for the second time in quick succession, the referee pointed towards the penalty spot!
Clive Tyldesley: PENALTY GIVEN!!!
Joy suddenly erupted among the tens of thousands of Manchester United supporters in the stands. A lifeline was thrown to their team when hope appeared to have vanished with time expiring moments ago.
"YEEEAAAHHH!!! PENALTY GIVEN TO MANCHESTER UNITED!!!" Noriko narrated to the camera.
"SECOND CHANCE!!" Mito added.
Meanwhile on the pitch, the Manchester United players could not contain themselves.
"YES! YES!" Nana shouted, throwing fist pumps in the air.
"Well done, Seven!" Kakeru congratulated with a hug.
"Well done, Witch!" Matthias ruffled Nana's hair.
"Thanks, guys." Nana replied.
"I will take this." Kakeru finished.
On the other hand, the PSG players mobbed the referee to demand an explanation.
"Mais c'est quoi ça? (What is that?)" Kylian Mbappé asked?
"What is going on? How?" Leonardo asked in English.
"No! No! This is wrong!" Marco pleaded his case.
"Comment ça penalty? (How is that a penalty?)" Thiago Silva asked.
"Marco a frappé le pied de Mishima au lieu du ballon. Je ne pouvais pas le voir à vitesse réelle, mais c'est clairement une faute et un penalty (Marco hit Mishima's foot instead of the ball. I couldn't see it in real time, but it's definitely a foul and a penalty)." the referee replied, making a gesture to indicate a point of contact on the foot to explain the decision.
"Ce n'est pas sérieux! (You can't be serious!)" Thiago Silva retorted to the referee.
"C'est n'importe quoi! (It's hogwash!)" Mbappé said out loud.
"Meu Deus (Oh, God)!" Marco exclaimed as he walked away, overwhelmed with disbelief and despair.
"Aún no está hecho. Tenemos que confiar en Mickey ahora (It's not done yet. We have to trust in Mickey now)." Leonardo tried to comfort his younger brother.
Despite a few more protests from the PSG players, they were quickly brushed away by the referee. Both teams but for the shooter and the defending goalkeeper were ordered to move outside of the penalty area. Within seconds, it all came down to Kakeru and Mikiya under the rainy sky. The referee came to give his last instructions prior to the penalty kick, first to the shooter.
"You know the rules: you're the only one allowed to take the shot. No pass to a teammate. Play is dead if the ball is held by the goalkeeper or gone out of bounds. Do you understand?" the referee asked.
"Yes." Kakeru replied.
"Good luck."
Then the referee walked over to the goalkeeper in order to deliver his instructions.
"Remember the rules: you're allowed to move before the shot, but only if you have a foot on the goal line. If you jump too early while the penalty does not go in, it will be retaken. Understand?" the referee asked.
"Yes, it's clear." Mikiya replied.
"Good luck."
Clive Tyldesley: You have to wonder what is going through the minds of those 2 Japanese internationals because one of them will emerge as the first Asian-born player to win the European Cup.
Meanwhile, Kakeru worked to clear his mind although he knew this would be the biggest penalty kick of his lifetime thus far. However, the task was monumental for various potential distractions that could derail the shot: the crowd, the goalkeeper, the wet pitch, the rain, and many more.
'You know where to hit this, Kakeru. You took penalties in training against him before.' Kakeru thought to himself.
Meanwhile, Mikiya was also trying to guess the next move.
'You're a tough one to predict, Aizawa, but I have stopped you before in training. I will win the Champions League here and now.' Mikiya thought.
Clive Tyldesley: Step up, Kakeru Aizawa... with the chance to equalise. Yes, equalise for Manchester United. This last kick of the ball may either extend or end this breathtaking final. It's Kakeru Aizawa against Mikiya Tono.
Seconds felt like minutes as the referee walked back to the edge of the PSG penalty area while making sure no player other than Kakeru and Mikiya was inside the penalty area. Feeling that everything was in proper order, the referee gave the long-awaited and yet dreaded signal to proceed.
PEEEEP!!!
Kakeru made his run before he took the low shot towards the goalkeeper's right. However, Mikiya went diving to the right. Then hearts sunk for millions of Manchester United supporters when the ball struck Mikiya.
Clive Tyldesley: OH, SAVED BY TONO...
But because the ball was wet on top of the pitch being greasy, Mikiya was unable to control the ball as he was caught between either parrying it away or catching it. As a result, the loose ball bounced back in front of goal.
'Oh no!' Mikiya thought.
'This is mine this time!' Kakeru thought.
Kakeru ran towards the loose ball with Mikiya down on the grass and the goal gaping.
Clive Tyldesley: KAKERU AIZAWAAAAA!!!
Without any bit of hesitation, Kakeru blasted the ball past Mikiya and into the open net to send half of the stadium wild behind the PSG goal at that moment. From a 0-2 deficit before halftime, Manchester United supporters were allowed to dream once again at 2-2 as injury time was already expired in the second half!
Clive Tyldesley: SENSATIONAL FINISH!!! KAKERU AIZAWA, THE HERO ON SO MANY OCCASIONS FOR MANCHESTER UNITED, HAS SCORED THE GOAL BEYOND ANY TIME TO SAVE THEIR SKINS IN THE FINAL!! TONO HAS BEEN BEATEN TWICE WITHOUT REPLY; IT'S 2-2!
Kakeru ran towards the nearby Manchester United supporters' end as he celebrated his goal with his trademark pose – right arm raised and finger pointing, identical to how Manchester United legend Denis Law used to celebrate most of his 237 goals for the club.
"YATTA!!! (I DID IT!!!)" Kakeru exclaimed.
"WAY TO GO, KAKERU!!!" Nana congratulated Kakeru by jumping on his back.
Within a few seconds, Kakeru was mobbed by the rest of his team. Active players and substitutes alike rushed to congratulate the hero of the moment under the loud beat of Jack White's "Seven Nation Army" ringing throughout the stadium. Then the players in red celebrated with their fans in very close proximity, roaring and shouting all kinds of stuff as they got rid of the accumulated frustration despite the proximity of TV cameras.
"COME ONNNN!!! LET'S GO!!" Kakeru shouted before he roared a primal cry while pounding his own chest like a madman.
"LET'S GO!! WE'LL GET THOSE WANKERS!!" Nana shouted as well.
"YEEEEEEAAH!!! LET'S GO!! LET'S GO!!" Yusuke shouted, pumping his fists.
The passion from the players in red was in full display. At the other end of the spectrum of emotions, Mikiya was cursing at himself for giving away a juicy rebound on a silver platter for Kakeru at the worst possible time.
Alan Keegan: UNITED'S GOAL... SCORED BY NUMBER TEN... KAKERUUUU AIZAWAAAA!!!
Meanwhile in the stands:
"IT'S 2-2!!! YES, 2-2!!!" Noriko shouted to her own camera in wild euphoria.
"COME ONNNN!!!" Mito exclaimed in total joy to the camera as well.
"From nowhere to parity! Kakeru Aizawa's penalty was saved by Mikiya Tono, but then the rebound was pounced in! Name on the trophy!" Noriko narrated.
"It's not over yet!" Mito added.
"Far from it!" Noriko finished the narration.
"Your little brother scored the biggest goal of his life to save his team once again, Suguru. Can you see it?" Eiko said out loud, holding Suguru's picture as proudly as ever.
Noriko managed to film the reaction from Kakeru's parents, the Mishimas, and the Saekis as well. In a different part of the stadium, Eiichiro and Natsu gave high fives to Usain Bolt and other celebrities who support Manchester United. Fans from all around the world were jubilating regardless of where they were watching the match.
Clive Tyldesley: He scored in the round of 16, he scored in the quarterfinal, he scored in the semi-final, and now Kakeru Aizawa has scored in the Champions League final. His 44th goal of this remarkable season for Manchester United puts him on par with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Mohamed Salah for most goals scored in all club competitions for a single season by a Premier League-based player, but Aizawa won't care about that now.
Back on the pitch:
"We can now think about winning this." Kakeru said, wrapping his arm around Nana's shoulder.
"Right. We must stay calm and composed, but the hardest part is done indeed." Nana replied.
"How do you think PSG players feel now?"
"Shell-shocked. That is why we must strike at them as soon as possible, and we can do it."
"Let's go and win this." Kakeru finished.
Walking on the way back for the restart, Nana was not going to walk by Marco without delivering a little verbal jab of her own as a retaliation Marco's earlier accusation of her being a diving cheat.
"Attaboy, you loudmouthed moron!" Nana said to Marco, who was lost for words.
The Manchester United players went back across the halfway line for the restart while the PSG players were still distraught by the outcome. As soon as the referee allowed PSG to kick the restart, the proceeding was only academic as the final whistle was immediately blown afterwards.
PEEP PEEP PEEEEEEEP!!!
Cheers erupted from the Manchester United half of the stadium as they were happy to see their team still alive after all hope appeared lost merely a few minutes ago.
Clive Tyldesley: Well, you have just witnessed 90 of the most griping minutes of European club football you will ever see. This fantastic conclusion to the second half means you've got another 30 minutes of nail-biting football coming your way, and you will not miss a second of it in just a moment. The full-time score: Paris Saint-Germain 2-2 Manchester United.
In the following few minutes, both teams took the opportunity to rest a few muscles, to reenergize, and to prepare themselves for one last effort that promised to be the most demanding of all in any European club's campaign. Among PSG players, the captain Thiago Silva took a moment to deliver a team talk revolving around the need to stick together, to remain calm, to give it all both with and without the ball, to remain in control of their own fate, and to create their own luck just like they did in the first half.
On the other side, the Manchester United players had to get off the high of the late equalizer and to re-focus on the task ahead of them. Matthias gathered all of his teammates around him for one final team talk.
"This is down to it, fellas: 30 minutes left to this long season. I know you're pumped up with that big late goal, but we can't let our emotions take over this close to our goal. We have to be clever when using whatever bit of energy we have left. Just like when we came back against Bayern and Arsenal, let's keep it simple. PSG will come out strong because they are at home, but we can beat them in many ways. Let's hit them back if they come at us. And if they don't, we have learned to be patient in possession. We earned the right to be where we are now. So we have to earn it again, alright?" Matthias said.
"RIGHT!" the players shouted.
"It's a brand new mini-match now. It's all about heart and determination. If we bring those, if we outmatch them on those, we will come out on top. You know what you have to do. No matter what happens, let's score more goals than they do. Let's ****ing punish them! Let's go!"
"Let's do this, fellas!" Yusuke added to Matthias' rally cry.
"YEAH!!!" the other Mancunian players replied.
As both teams prepared to return on the pitch, the referee asked both captains over for a coin toss as to which side will kick extra time off and then where both sides will restart the action. Meanwhile, Kakeru and Nana took a few seconds to make sure they were both ready.
"Thirty minutes to go. How do you feel, Kakeru?" Nana asked.
"I'm feeling good. And you?" Kakeru asked back.
"I'm ready to leave everything out there."
"You know... I wouldn't be here this without you. Everything we have done together between our childhood and now has led us to this moment. I know I must have said this to you so many times, but I had to say it again."
"I'm really happy to be here on this pitch and next to you, Kakeru. There's no one else I'd have next to me while chasing this dream."
"Let's finish this story together with something to remember then." Kakeru said.
"Yeah!" Nana replied.
Then Kakeru gave Nana a good luck kiss on top of her head.
The coin decided as such: PSG won the right to kick things off in extra time, but then Manchester United chose to set up camp behind their own supporters for the first 15 minutes only to attack towards their own supporters in the other 15 minutes. Within seconds, both teams moved into their respective halves. In the context of a Champions League final, there was no golden rule. It was all up to which side would score more goals than the other by the end of extra time.
Clive Tyldesley: Manchester United won the European Cup in extra time in 1968, with goals from George Best, Brian Kidd, and Sir Bobby Charlton in Wembley. It was their first European Cup triumph back then. Manchester United also won the trophy on penalties in Moscow in 2008. And for the 18th time, the European Cup final goes into extra time.
As both sides stood ready, the referee blew his whistle to call the restart on.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Here we go. You have to wonder what must be going through the minds of PSG players. They have to do win the match again but with heavier legs and scrambled brains. On the other hand, you have to wonder how much energy Manchester United have left in their legs after surviving extra time and penalties against Bayern Munich, winning the Premier League deep in injury time, and winning the FA Cup while down to 10 men in extra time. We will soon find out.
As expected, both teams began extra time on a more tentative note. Neither side was willing open themselves up too early as everyone was concerned about energy levels at such a very late stage of both sides' respective campaigns. The rain was beginning to die down, but it took a few minutes before either side would get a decent scoring chance.
In the 95th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Mishima... finds Araya...
With the action taking inside the PSG half, the Manchester United players were looking for gaps to exploit. After a few passes around and outside the PSG penalty area, Nana made a pass to Santiago. The South American makeshift right wingback whipped the ball across with the intent to find a teammate, but Mikiya grabbed the ball in mid-air instead.
Clive Tyldesley: Crossed in, but it's grabbed by Tono...
Instead of slowing the play down, Mikiya spotted Julian Draxler initiating a run towards the halfway line. Without any hesitation, Mikiya threw a long pass to Draxler. But as soon as Draxler faced Jeremy, the PSG player chose to slow down the play with the ball.
Clive Tyldesley: Here's Draxler...
Buying some time, Draxler waited for attacking support to arrive. Then the German made a through pass into the path of Leonardo Silva. The Brazilian playmaker charged deep inside the Manchester United half with Matthias attempting to isolate him in a 1v1 situation.
Clive Tyldesley: Good pass for Leonardo Silva. No flag...
Nevertheless, Leonardo Silva managed to advance just inside the Manchester United area. After a couple of feints, Leonardo whipped a side pass for Marco to shoot on the volley. That was a play that they rehearsed in training.
Clive Tyldesley: Whips it for Marco Antonio!
But as soon as Marco struck the left-footed volley, Yusuke threw his body in the way to block the shot albeit it at the expense of a corner kick.
Clive Tyldesley: What a crucial block by Yusuke Saeki! It is a corner though.
'Este tipo (This guy).' Marco thought.
"I'm also here to defend against you, not just your brother." Yusuke said.
"Well played, Fury." Matthias congratulated his teammate.
"Yeah, thanks." Yusuke replied.
In a matter of seconds, both teams got set up for the upcoming corner kick. As usual, Kakeru and Nana were guarding the goalposts for United. On the other hand, Leonardo was ready to take the corner kick.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Leonardo Silva takes...
Leonardo whipped the ball into the mass of humanity clogging up around the penalty area. On a rare occasion though, it was Marquinhos reaching the ball before the Manchester United defenders. With a clean header, the ball went towards the Manchester United goal. However...
Clive Tyldesley: It's Marquinhos! Cleared off the line by Aizawa!
Kakeru, standing on guard at the near post, cleared the ball immediately as the shot went straight to him. In the immediate aftermath, a second Manchester United player kicked the ball out of bounds and in the middle third of the pitch to clear whatever danger was left.
Clive Tyldesley: Big chance for PSG. Kakeru Aizawa often helps his team in the attacking half of the pitch, but he has denied a goal on his own goal line.
"Well played, Knight!" Jan thanked Kakeru.
"Good play, Knight!" Erik added.
"That's right, but we need to be careful now." Kakeru replied.
Meanwhile, Nana was reflecting on the course of events.
'The expected storm from PSG came late, but we better be ready because they will come at us again.' Nana thought.
Just as predicted, PSG came out with the first serious attack in extra time to start getting emboldened. Feeling that momentum was on their side, the Parisians didn't wait for long before they launched their next serious attack on the Mancunian goal.
In the 97th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Here's Kurzawa... finds Leonardo Silva...
With PSG in control of the ball and preparing their attack, Layvin Kurzawa passed to Leonardo while the Manchester United players were retreating. Nevertheless, Yusuke was waiting for Leonardo at the halfway line.
"You again!" Leonardo said.
"Yes, me again." Yusuke replied.
Leonardo slowed his movement a little bit before he burst a speedy run to try getting around Yusuke on the outside. Yusuke was still shadowing Leonardo, but that was enough for the Brazilian to make a pass to his own brother.
Clive Tyldesley: Marco Antonio...
Finding himself on the left wing for PSG, Marco Antonio came up against Erik. Nevertheless, Marco performed a few dribbles the ball to force Erik to retreat inside the Manchester United penalty area. Coming to help Erik was Santiago, but Marco dribbled his way past Santiago and then turned Erik inside out.
Clive Tyldesley: He gets away from Araya, from Johansson...
With skill, Marco created enough space to take a right-footed shot. The ball was aimed at the top corner to the goalkeeper's left, but Jan managed to parry the ball away.
Clive Tyldesley: ANTONIO!!! GOOD SAVE BY FARKAS!
However, the ball was retrieved by Julian Draxler just before it would have gone out of play on the other side. PSG was maintaining the pressure at that moment.
Clive Tyldesley: Recovered by Draxler... now to Kehrer with the cross...
Draxler made a back pass to set up Kehrer to cross the ball back inside the Manchester United penalty area. The ball was going towards a mass of players in front of Jan's goal, but the Slovakian goalkeeper grabbed the ball in the air albeit colliding with Kylian Mbappé in the process.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Caught by Farkas. The referee gives a free kick to Manchester United because Mbappé collided with the Slovak, but Manchester United were all over the place.
Some Manchester United players demanded a yellow card against the French forward, but the referee deemed it not necessary to take further action. However, Jan was not happy at the way the team was performing in front of him thus far in extra time.
"COME ON! WAKE UP! We have to play better!" Jan shouted.
"Wolf is right: we need to start playing for real. Let's go, guys!" Matthias rallied his teammates.
After PSG earned their second chance of the extra frame, Manchester United saw it as the wake-up call they needed. Interestingly, substitutes who came off the bench for Manchester United at any point in the match took the initiative in restoring their team's attacking potency.
In the 100th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Köhler with the ball...
United were controlling the ball inside the PSG half. After a few passes around the halfway line, Matthias spotted Sean making a run on the right wing. Seeing that the PSG defense was holding somewhat a high line, Matthias launched a long aerial diagonal pass towards Sean.
Clive Tyldesley: That's a great ball for Sean MacKinnon. Look at the space he's given.
As soon as Sean received the pass, he was already within 5 yards from the side of the PSG penalty area. But instead of pushing a run towards the goal, he waited for support to arrive.
"Kinner!" Nana called for a pass.
Nana was quickly rushing inside the PSG penalty area, luring 2 PSG players with her. Sean made a short pass that rolled towards the byline. It appeared for a split second that the ball would go out of bounds, but Nana instinctively made a quick backheel pass into the 6-yard box. Mikiya tried to run after the loose ball, but chose to assume a stopping position when he saw Marius arriving.
Clive Tyldesley: That was a clever backheel pass...
Instead of taking a shot with several PSG players nearby, Marius chose to tee up Sean in a better shooting position. Out of a sudden, the PSG defenders realized that there was genuine danger as Sean struck the left-footed shot.
Clive Tyldesley: MACKINNON!!!
The shot flew towards the top corner on the goalkeeper's right. Mikiya was beaten, but Thiago Silva came to the rescue for PSG by putting his head in the way. The end result saw the ball bouncing out of play, much to the disbelief of the Manchester United players.
Clive Tyldesley: It's blocked by Thiago Silva! He had to get there because Sean MacKinnon's shot was goal-bound. It is a corner.
"Come on, man." Sean said out loud.
"Good try, Kinner. Good try." Kakeru replied.
"Let's go at them again!" Marius added.
At the very same time, the Manchester United supporters in the stadium roared to cheer their team up as there was still an opportunity to grab a vital lead in extra time. Within seconds, both teams stood ready. The Red Devils sent 5 players to create havoc in front of Mikiya's goal.
Clive Tyldesley: Köhler, Aizawa, Johansson, MacKinnon, and Van Leeuwen are in the box. Mishima to take the corner...
PEEP!
Nana whipped the ball with a curling effect to propel the ball away from the 6-yard box. In that area, Matthias managed to outjump Thiago Silva for that ball. In a flash, the German captain in red fired a powerful header of a shot. However, the shot ended up smacking the nearest goalpost...
Clive Tyldesley: OHH, IT'S AGAINST THE POST!!!
The rebound then went very quickly off Kakeru's shin pad and back into the hands of Mikiya, who was down on the grass after attempting to stop the first shot. Regardless, the linesman pulled the offside flag up as Kakeru was in an offside position when Matthias redirected the ball onto the goalpost.
Clive Tyldesley: And somehow saved on the line by Tono. The offside flag is up anyway, but what a chance by Matthias Köhler to power Manchester United in front. Köhler was so unfortunate, but Tono was so fortunate.
"So close!" Kakeru said out loud.
"Good header, Skipper. We'll go at them again." Marius tried to cheer Matthias up.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"AAAARGH!!! SO CLOSE!" Noriko shouted before she regained her composure to give her lice reaction about recent events. "We're in the 100th minute, and United just wasted 2 glorious chances of taking the lead. The first was from Sean MacKinnon after a great setup by Mishima and Van Leeuwen; the second was a thumping header from Köhler right into the post. It's still 2-2 somehow."
The Manchester United half of the crowd was still left with disbelief by the turn of events.
"I hope that doesn't bite us back later." Mito said.
"It's a good thing that we're piling the pressure right on PSG, but you're right. It's a matter of making the most out of our chances because they will if we don't." Noriko replied.
"I would feel a lot better if United score the next goal no matter how indeed." Mrs. Mishima finished.
With momentum now moving back in favor of Manchester United, the English side controlled the ball to lay the siege against the PSG goal. The "home" team found themselves on the back foot, so much that PSG supporters were becoming anxious. However, Leonardo Silva didn't need much of an opportunity to create a piece of magic out of nothing.
In the 103rd minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Aizawa... passing back to Kristiansen...
With the action taking place close to one of the corner flags deep inside the PSG half, Kakeru was denied further movement by several PSG defenders in the vicinity. With nowhere to go, Kakeru passed the ball to Nikolaj behind him. Then the Danish midfielder whipped a long ball that was intended for Marius, but Thiago Silva managed to head the ball away from the big Dutch striker in red.
Clive Tyldesley: Headed away by Thiago Silva... falls for Mishima...
Unfortunately for Thiago, the ball was headed towards Nana on the prowl outside of the PSG penalty area. Without hesitation, Nana took the shot on the spot. Unfortunately for her, the shot was blocked by a PSG defender.
Clive Tyldesley: Shot blocked by Kimpembe.
After the ball bounced off the PSG defender, it rolled back in the opposite direction for Leonardo to take. Initiating the counterattacking run, Leonardo managed to avoid Nikolaj's tackle. Then Jeremy attempted a tackle of his own as well before meeting the same outcome.
'They have committed too many men forward. Perfect.' Leonardo thought.
Clive Tyldesley: Leonardo Silva. He can shift...
The situation was becoming increasingly dangerous for Manchester United as only Matthias and Erik stood guard behind. Meanwhile, Leonardo had Marco Antonio, Mbappé and Draxler supporting him on the counterattack. Kakeru and Yusuke were springing back as quickly as possible to support the defenders.
Clive Tyldesley: Leonardo Silva has 3 others with him here. Manchester United are a little bare here.
"COME ON! STOP HIM!!" Noriko shouted from the stands.
Sprinting at full speed, Yusuke was closing the gap between him and Leonardo. As both players entered the final third of the pitch, Yusuke attempted to take Leonardo in a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge.
"You won't!" Yusuke said.
"This is my time." Leonardo replied.
Matthias also came in to support Yusuke in their attempt to stop Leonardo. However, Leonardo also managed to shrug both Manchester United players off with nifty moves and dribbles. And suddenly, it came down to Erik having to hold the line against 4 PSG players inside the penalty area!
Clive Tyldesley: Silva... He's got away from Köhler. He's got 3 to cross to...
Picking the spot, Leonardo made the side pass towards one of his teammates. The ball rolled out of reach of Erik's foot and behind Kylian Mbappé as well, but it was right on cue for Marco to fire into a wide open goal.
Clive Tyldesley: MARCO ANTONIOOO!!!
The Manchester United half of the crowd were left in stunned silence as they just witnessed a solo play that was probably worthy of winning any final. At the far end of the stadium, the thousands of PSG supporters were jubilating for the first time since the first half, which seemed to be ages ago.
Clive Tyldesley: Paris Saint-Germain have regained the lead at the end of the first period of extra time! Marco Antonio is the goalscorer, but the difference is Leonardo Silva! He may have given the final its defining moment. Stunning effort by Leonardo Silva to set up the goal for Marco Antonio! And Manchester United must come from behind again.
"VAMOS, MARCO! (LET'S GO, MARCO!)" Leonardo congratulated his younger brother.
"BIEN JOUÉ, MARCO! (WELL PLAYED MARCO!)" Kylian Mbappé added.
"Grande gol! Muito bem, vocês dois! (Big goal! Well played, you two!)" Thiago congratulated his fellow countrymen.
"Obrigado! (Thanks!)" Marco replied.
"On les tient maintenant, les gars (We have them now, guys)." Leonardo said to all of his PSG teammates in French. 
Michel Montana: BUUUUUT!!! BUUUUUUT!!! BUUUUUUUUUUT POUR PARIIIIIIIIIS!!!
Most of the Manchester United players were left speechless and disgusted as they watched the PSG players celebrate in front of the thousands of Manchester United supporters. However, one of the players in red immediately made sure to not let his teammates get discouraged by the new challenge, especially with time being of the essence.
"THERE'S STILL ENOUGH TIME! LET'S TIE AND TURN THE SCORE AROUND!!" Yusuke shouted.
Yusuke picked the ball in the back of the net before he ran with it towards the center circle for the restart to be taken as quickly as possible.
"Yusuke." Kakeru said softly.
"Right, Yusuke!" Nana replied to Yusuke's rally cry.
"FURY IS RIGHT! WE CAN DO THIS AGAIN, GUYS!" Matthias shouted.
"LET'S GET BACK IN THIS!" Nikolaj added.
"YEEEAAH!!!" the other Manchester United players responded.
Kakeru looked at his long-time friend preaching the example.
'Yusuke... It's your first season in this club, and yet you're already showing the heart of a captain we can rely on. That's great.' Kakeru thought.
'If he can already lead like this, then we can follow his lead and even more.' Nana thought.
Just as the Manchester United players rushed towards their restarting positions, Michel Montana gave the official announcement of the 3rd PSG goal. 
Michel Montana: Troisième but parisien... un très gros par le plus jeune de notre duo de frères brésiliens talentueux... le numéro trente-neuf (Third Parisian goal... a very big one by the youngest one of our pair of talented Brazilian brothers... number 39) ...MARCO!!!
PSG supporters: ANTONIO!!!
Michel Montana: MARCO!!!
PSG supporters: ANTONIO!!!
Michel Montana: MARCOOOOOOO!!!
PSG supporters: ANTONIOOOOOOO!!!
Meanwhile in the Manchester United supporters' end:
"In the 104th minute, and Marco Antonio scored a goal to make it PSG 3-2 Manchester United. But all of that came out of a crazy solo effort by Leonardo Silva to move past so many players. This is just crazy." Noriko said to the camera.
"I just don't believe this! This is probably the one time I wish Leonardo Silva wasn't this good." Mito lamented.
"It only took one guy to hook him down at all costs. It's cynical, but we have to be ready to take a yellow card for the team. That is what drives me nuts." Noriko replied.
"It's through team work that PSG can be defeated. When Enoshima played in the final against Tokyo Shuukyuu Academy, people said Enoshima had no chance because they didn't have Silva's individual talent. But then Enoshima came out on top because they supported each other as a team instead of relying on individual brilliance, even when they were down in extra time. We have to hope they can do it again." Eiko said.
"They better show it quickly, Mom. We have a little more than 15 minutes left to get something." Mito replied.
"If all of those comebacks in our season have taught us something by now though, it would be that we must never counted out until the final whistle is blown. You can be sure of that." Noriko said.
"Kuwabara kuwabara (Knock on wood)." Mito finished.
As soon as the teams were set for the restart, Manchester United had only one thing in mind: attack the PSG goal straight away and make sure that PSG would not have time to settle down defensively. The short period that follows a goal was the moment when a team could be very vulnerable.
Clive Tyldesley: United moving up quickly on the attack. Aizawa...
With Kakeru carrying on the ball on the left flank, United were pushing quickly inside the PSG half. However, Kakeru was forced to temper his intentions with many PSG players falling back to defend their own penalty area. Kakeru passed the ball back to Nikolaj, who then made a sideways pass to Nana.
Clive Tyldesley: Kristiansen... to Mishima...
Nana found herself facing Marquinhos while knowing that Leonardo was arriving from behind as well. But instead of keeping her distance with Marquinhos, Nana was inching closer to him.
'Let's see how he deals with this.' Nana thought.
Although Nana was deemed right-footed, she moved her ball onto her left foot. After a quick body move that feinted a shift to her left (and sent Marquinhos to his right), Nana quickly shifted the ball from her left foot to her right foot before unleashing a burst of acceleration to move past the PSG player. It is a skill move named "La Croqueta", pioneered by Michael Laudrup and then popularized by Andrés Iniesta.
Clive Tyldesley: She gets past Marquinhos...
Within a single second, Leonardo Silva scramble to prevent Nana's attack from going further. The Brazilian playmaker was left with little choice but to knock Nana down from behind.
PEEEEEEP!!!
Clive Tyldesley: Knocked over by Leonardo Silva. Free kick to Manchester United in a very good position here.
The biggest problem was not the foul rather than the location of it; the point of infringement gave a direct free kick with the PSG goal well in sight and in a perfect range of 25 yards. Leonardo tried to protest the referee's decision but to no avail.
"Come on. I didn't do much on that." Leonardo pleaded.
"Next time, don't run into a player's back. Feel lucky that was not yet worth a yellow card because the next foul could be. No more chances after that." the referee warned.
"Newsflash: that was my render of Andrés Iniesta's La Croqueta, but not quite my best move yet." Nana quipped at Leonardo.
"Laugh all you want for now." Leonardo replied.
Without further due, the PSG players moved into defensive positions starting with a 6-man wall just inside the penalty area. Meanwhile, Nana and Yusuke were conspiring about the approach to take on the free kick.
"Fancy it?" Yusuke asked.
"Around the wall and into that top corner on the right." Nana replied, covering her mouth to prevent prying eyes from guessing the strategy on her lips.
"I can make them second-guess by setting up the ball. Some of them might think that I will take it."
"Run above the ball as well. That will make them stand even more flatfooted."
"All set then." Yusuke finished.
Then the right-footed Nana and the left-footed Yusuke moved in opposite sides of the ball, but not before Yusuke set the ball once more to add to the confusion. Within seconds, the referee deemed that everything was okay to move forward.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Saeki...
Just as planned, Yusuke made the first run above the ball while Nana followed suit just a second after. With the PSG wall not knowing what to do, it was all that Nana needed to whip the ball above and around the PSG wall before the curling effect swirled the ball towards the top corner of the goal. Mikiya sensed trouble at the very last second.
'This is going to be tight.' Mikiya thought.
Mikiya threw the full reach of his arms and hands in an attempt to stop the shot. The ball finally grazed the tip of his fingers before it hit the post and then bounced out of play by the side of the goal.
Clive Tyldesley: OOOHH!! Off the post and out on Mishima's shot! Twice Manchester United have hit the woodwork in extra time!
PEEEP!
After the blowing of the whistle, the referee pointed towards the corner flag to confirm a corner kick for Manchester United. It was the slightest of touches by Mikiya, but the referee saw it well enough to give the right decision. Total disbelief turned into expectation among the Manchester United supporters in a second.
Clive Tyldesley: The referee says it's a corner. Tono must have had the slightest touch on the tip of the fingers before the ball hit the post.
Knowing that there was left than 30 seconds to the final period of the first period of extra time, the Manchester United players quickly moved into their assigned positions. The PSG players tried to stall as much as possible, but the referee ordered them to hurry up. Then all eyes were either on the referee or on Nana's position as corner kick taker.
Clive Tyldesley: This could be the last kick to the first period of extra time. Nana Mishima is ready to take the corner kick.
PEEEP!
Nana whipped the ball towards the largest group of players in front of the 6-yard box, but Mikiya went up to punch the ball high and far away from the penalty area. Then Nikolaj headed the ball back inside the penalty are and towards the PSG goal.
Clive Tyldesley: Punched by Tono. Headed back in by Kristiansen...
The ball appeared to be harmless as PSG had Mikiya and Kimpembe ready to intervene. But then Kimpembe missed the ball, prompting Matthias to go for it.
Clive Tyldesley: Köhler still in there...
While Kimpembe fell on his own, the ball bounced off the grass before Mikiya jumped up and got his hands on it. Then Matthias rammed into Mikiya merely 0.1 second later while Mikiya was still in mid-air.
Clive Tyldesley: Missed by Kimpembe, caught by Tono, and Köhler went for it. Heavy collision there...
The end result saw Mikiya down on his back while Matthias was crouching. However, that incident drew the ire of several PSG players, who didn't like the German's rugby-like tackle on their goalkeeper.
"HÉ! Dégage, ducon! (HEY! Beat it, schmuck!)" Thiago shouted at Matthias.
"No one asked you, Schweinehund (pig-dog)!" Matthias retorted, standing on his feet again.
Then some pushing and shoving began between the 2 sides. Erik, Nikolaj, Yusuke, and Marius were quick to protect their captain. The referee also came in quickly to calm things down in front of the escalation.
"Calm! Calm down! On se calme!" the referee ordered.
Clive Tyldesley: Tempers are flying out there. Well, the referee had to step in there quickly because there were PSG players, who are not happy at Matthias Köhler going for that ball.
"You have a serious problem, Köhler!" an angry Mikiya blasted at Matthias.
"Yeah, and YOU are the problem!" Matthias retorted unapologetically.
"Just piss off, you!" Leonardo said.
"Or what? You want to wake me up? I'm coming at ya! You want to go at me and wake me up? Do it, but it won't be pretty. You're next." Matthias replied.
"Calm down, Skipper! We need you out there." Yusuke held his captain.
Matthias' gaze was one of a wounded animal, summing up the mixture of fire and frustration due to the turn of events so far. Nevertheless, the implicit message behind his actions was clear among the other Manchester United players: everything has to be thrown at the opposition in order to win no matter what the cost may be. For the moment, the only cost to that incident was a yellow card against the Manchester United captain.
Clive Tyldesley: Yellow card against Köhler.
By the time everyone had cleared the PSG penalty area away for Mikiya to take the free kick, it was obvious that it would be the final action of the first period of extra time. The referee confirmed it as soon as the ball crossed the halfway line.
PEEP PEEP PEEP!!!
Clive Tyldesley: It's the end of the first period of extra time. We're 15 minutes away from finding out the conclusion of this extraordinary final. Paris Saint-Germain have taken the lead from a goal by Marco Antonio after an astonishing solo effort from his brother, Leonardo Silva. Manchester United also had their chances, but they have been kept at bay by the brilliance of Mikiya Tono. We still have 15 promising minutes of great football coming up.
In the very short break between both periods of extra time, players on both sides took a moment to have a short drink or to have a quick muscle massage from the physios if necessary. Both managers gave instructions to a few individual players as well. Among teammates, not many words were said as they all knew what had to be done.
'Just 15 minutes left to play. No matter what, we have to give it all.' Kakeru thought.
'We have come back from behind to win so many times before. We can do this once more.' Nana thought.
'Either we can become legends at the end of the night or we will die trying. It's the only way now.' Yusuke thought.
In the stands, Noriko’s mind was set on a famous Shakespearean quote that basically meant "let us try one more time."
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends." Noriko said out loud.
Meanwhile, the Manchester United supporters' end began to chant loud to lift their team up. Sung to the tune of "O Christmas Tree", it was a song that also took roots in the long history of protests and unions that characterized the industrial past of many British cities like Manchester.
WE'LL NEVER DIE, WE'LL NEVER DIE,WE'LL NEVER DIE, WE'LL NEVER DIE,WE'LL KEEP THE RED FLAG FLYING HIGH,'CAUSE MAN UNITED WILL NEVER DIE!
Both teams switched halves prior to the restart. For the final time in the competition, each team was going to attack towards its own set of supporters sitting behind the opposition's goal. Manchester United were set to kick the second period of extra time off.
PEEEP!!!
Clive Tyldesley: Here we go again. So many twists and turns already after 105 minutes of football, but we may not have seen the last twist just yet. Is there something more? We have 15 minutes to find an answer.
Maintaining the momentum on their side, the Red Devils launched their attacks against the Parisian fortress, forcing PSG to play on the back foot. The champions of England didn't have to wait for long to seriously threaten Mikiya's goal again.
In the 107th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Here's Köhler...
Starting from his own half, the Manchester United captain advanced a couple of yards before launching a long diagonal pass that went towards Kakeru. The Japanese forward in red had to jump up to chest the ball down, but he maintained the ball within the boundaries of the pitch nevertheless.
Clive Tyldesley: ...finds Aizawa.
Kakeru came up facing Thilo Kehrer. Nevertheless, Kakeru carried the ball further while forcing Kehrer to backpedal a little more. Then Kakeru stopped his run to make a 90-degree turn towards the PSG penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Gets past Kehrer...
Then Kakeru made a no-look pass towards Marius, who stood his ground inside the PSG penalty area with 3 PSG defenders nearby. But instead of shooting, Marius chose to make a drop pass into the path of Nana. The Little Witch had plenty of space to take the shot from outside the penalty area.
'I have it.' Nana thought.
Clive Tyldesley: Van Leeuwen... guides it in to MISHIMA!!!
Nana fired a low and fast shot that was destined to hit the bottom corner of the net to Mikiya's right, but the big Japanese goalkeeper managed to get just enough of a hand on the shot. However, the rebound went in a very dangerous area for Marius to try his luck.
Clive Tyldesley: AND VAN LEEUWEN!!!
With Mikiya desperately throwing his large frame in a dive, Marius lobbed the ball above him. Unfortunately for United though, the ball went above the crossbar and out of play. Manchester United players and fans alike put their hands on their heads in disbelief.
Clive Tyldesley: OHHH, HE'S MISSED!!! Marius van Leeuwen had to score! He was bound to score, but he couldn't put the ball underneath the crossbar! Mikiya Tono was clearly beaten on the rebound, but the result is a goal kick.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"It's the 107th minute, and United had 2 great chances. The first was on a good low shot from Nana Mishima that was stopped by Mikiya Tono, and then Van Leeuwen put the rebound at point blank above the goalkeeper and the crossbar... I honestly can't believe that." Noriko narrated for her own vlog.
"I'm just... lost for words, really." Mito said.
"Same for me." Mrs. Mishima replied.
"I was sure it was going in too." Noriko added.
"We still have 13 minutes left to play. Don't despair just yet, people." Mamoru said.
"Indeed. We haven't seen the last miracle from Kakeru and Nana just yet. I'm sure they have one last thing in their bag of tricks somewhere." Eiko added.
"Hopefully someone out there is listening to our prayers." Noriko finished.
Far from having the stuffing knocked out of them, the Manchester United players maintained the pressure on PSG. Nearly a couple of minutes later, they came back knocking at the door for more.
In the 109th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Manchester United looking to have another go here. It's Köhler... now to Johansson...
Controlling the ball just inside the Manchester United half, PSG were being pinned down by their opponents in red. Erik came up facing Marco Antonio after receiving the ball, but the Swede managed to relay the ball to Santiago nonetheless.
Clive Tyldesley: It goes to Araya...
Then Santiago fired an aerial forward pass towards Marius. Presnel Kimpembe arrived to stand in the way on the edge of the penalty area, but Marius made a quick flick of the ball with his head before spinning his way around the PSG defender. All of sudden, the Dutch striker had an opening for a split second.
Clive Tyldesley: Oh, Van Leeuwen peeling away from Kimpembe...
Marius took the shot without any hesitation, but Mikiya already closed enough of the gap between them to make a reflex kick save. But then the ball rolled back outside the PSG penalty area for Nana to pick up.
Clive Tyldesley: GOOD SAVE! But it's back to Mishima...
Seeing that Mikiya was somewhat vulnerable, Nana fired the low shot towards the bottom corner to the goalkeeper's right. However, Mikiya's long reach allowed to parry the ball again!
Clive Tyldesley: DRIVEN IN!! Kept out by Tono again!
The loose rebound was finally kicked out of play beyond the sidelines to eliminate any immediate danger.
"Bien joué, Mickey! (Well played, Mickey!)" Thiago Silva congratulated the Japanese goalkeeper.
"Pas de quoi, mon frère (Anytime, brother)." Mikiya replied with a double high-five handshake.
Meanwhile, Nana could only look aimlessly in disappointment.
'Damn, I had the goal right on my foot. What more has to be done?' Nana thought.
"Seven, stay cool! We'll have another chance." Kakeru cheered Nana up.
"Yeah, we have to keep piling up the pressure. They have to break at some point."
"That's the spirit." Kakeru finished.
Manchester United have had the best chances so far in the second period of extra time, but PSG were still holding onto that slender lead. Thousands of PSG supporters in the crowd were getting nervous as the Red Devils grew more confident on the attack. However, an unseen shadow of controversy was still lurking upon the final.
In the 112nd minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Draxler... back to Kehrer...
In a phase of ball control by PSG, the ball traveled from the PSG defenders to the PSG midfielders in the middle of the pitch. When the ball arrived to Thilo Kehrer, the following pass as intended for Kylian Mbappé.
Clive Tyldesley: Towards Mbappé...
Instead of receiving the ball for himself, Mbappé attempted to flick a sideways pass for a teammate, but it became a race between Erik and Leonardo for the loose ball. The Swede stretched his leg to boot the ball away from Leonardo, but the Brazilian collided with him a split second later. However, the referee let the play continue despite protests from the Manchester United players.
Clive Tyldesley: The referee says "play on."
The ball that was deflected by Erik was retrieved by Leandro Paredes, who passed the ball towards Leonardo. With the Swedish defender still down, Leonardo took advantage of the situation to attack.
Clive Tyldesley: PSG have numbers with them. Saeki scrambling back...
Leonardo rushed forward with the ball as Yusuke was attempting to scramble his way back. Nevertheless, the Brazilian playmaker saw the opportunity to make a lobbed pass as he arrived around a dozen yards from the Mancunian penalty area. The ball flew up and down into the path of Marco Antonio.
Clive Tyldesley: Oh, it finds a way through...
Arriving right on cue, Marco attempted to hit the ball on the left-footed volley. However, Marco sliced the shot wide to the Manchester United goal.
Clive Tyldesley: MARCO ANTONIO, WHAT A CHANCE!! What a chance!
Immediately after the ball went out of play, the majority among the Manchester United players surrounded the referee to demand why a foul was no called against Leonardo Silva.
"Why is it not a foul? Silva clearly fouled our guy here." Matthias protested.
"Are you serious? That should never have been allowed!" Jan added to the protests.
"I didn't see enough to give a free kick because Johansson was already down outstretched. Antonio's shot went wide and it's a goal kick for you, that's only it." the referee replied.
"You are lucky that we didn't get scored on that. That was poor to begin with." Nikolaj protested.
"That was reckless, and you know it." Nana added.
Clive Tyldesley: The Manchester United players are furious at the referee. They want to know why Leonardo Silva was not penalized for that contact on Johansson. Silva was a little late, but the referee somehow deemed there was not enough to give the free kick.
Needless to say, Noriko and the other Japanese guests next to her were incensed by the referee's decision. There was not much to talk about them while Yusuke took the opportunity to give a stark warning towards Leonardo on the pitch.
"You think you can always get away with it?" Yusuke asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Leonardo dryly replied.
"You are like some of those superstars I've faced before. They act as if they can do whatever they want, but they often shrink inside their shorts when they face a real hard man in front of them."
"Try me then. You're just talk so far." Leonardo said.
"Before this game ends, I will have another shot on you." Yusuke replied.
Then Yusuke added the gesture of 2 V-sign fingers, first at his own eyes and then towards Leonardo. It basically meant a very menacing "I'm watching you" message, to which Leonardo chose to ignore by walking away impassibly.
After a quick checkup by the physio, Erik was deemed able to carry on. However, the last attack was a reminder of how actively dangerous PSG can be if they are given the opportunity. With time running out, United were in a situation where there was no longer anything to lose by going all out attack. It was either a certain defeat or one last chance of turning things around. As in many times in the previous months of the long season, United needed its leaders to make a difference.
In the 114th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: PSG looking to break out here...
In an attempt to launch a counterattack, Leandro Paredes moved forward with the ball before he spotted Marco Antonio running beyond the center circle. The Argentine defensive midfielder fired a through pass that appeared to be perfect for Marco to receive, but then Matthias came in with a crunching tackle that took the ball away and threw the Brazilian forward down on the ground.
Clive Tyldesley: Great challenge by Köhler on Marco Antonio!
Marco remained down on the ground, holding his knee while the action was allowed to continue by the referee. Meanwhile, Matthias passed the ball towards Santiago on the right wing to maintain the attack. Then the Chilean-Colombian winger advanced by 20 yards before he attempted to reach Kakeru with a along ball across the width of the pitch. Unfortunately, the pass was cut short by Thilo Kehrer.
Clive Tyldesley: Araya... a little short for Aizawa...
Feeling the pressure arriving from both Kakeru and Nikolaj, Kehrer made a short pass towards Leonardo Silva. But just before Leonardo could control the ball at his feet, Yusuke came in with a strong and perfectly timed tackle to strip the ball away. Much to the dismay of PSG supporters, the referee saw nothing worth calling a foul as the play continued with Kakeru retrieving the loose ball.
Clive Tyldesley: Leonardo Silva is down. No foul though...
Kakeru edged his way with the ball inside the PSG penalty area. Thilo Kehrer and Julian Draxler stood in the way, forcing Kakeru to stop his run.
'Gotta try something. One stepover and a run towards the byline.' Kakeru thought.
Just as Kakeru predicted, his stepover feint gave him the split second he needed before he burst a fresh run towards the byline. Then Kakeru floated a quick pass in the air towards the area in front of the 6-yard box at the far post, where Nana was quickly arriving.
Clive Tyldesley: Aizawa with speed... MISHIMA!!!
Having slipped her way through the PSG defenders, Nana headed the ball downwards and towards the goal. Then Mikiya was forced into making a difficult save as his left hand parried the ball out of danger and yet at the expense of a corner kick.
Clive Tyldesley: WHAT A CHANCE! Mishima denied by Tono at point blank! It is a corner.
"COME ON!" Nana shouted.
In a direct response to Nana's plea, thousands of Mancunian supporters behind the PSG goal pumped up the volume with a roar of expectation.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"So close, Nana! Keep pushing!" Noriko said out loud.
"Give a good ball in there, Nana-nee!" Mito added.
Some PSG players complained to the referee as to why no foul was given on any of the previous 2 tackles, but the referee replied that the ball was touched before the player in both cases. Nevertheless, Leonardo and Marco both managed to get on their feet by themselves albeit still stung by the physicality of the tackles received. Both teams quickly moved into positions inside the PSG penalty area while Nana stood ready at the corner flag.
PEEP!
Clive Tyldesley: Nana Mishima with the corner...
Nana whipped the ball towards the mass of players at the near post, but it was repelled by a PSG defender. Then the ball was retrieved by Santiago, who then passed the ball back to Nana.
Clive Tyldesley: Second take by Mishima...
The Little Witch whipped a second aerial pass in the penalty area. However, the ball was deflected off a PSG defender only to go to the opposite side of the penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: It came off a PSG head...
Yusuke ran after the loose ball before he retrieved it on the side edge of the penalty area. But Leonardo Silva came in to keep the Japanese midfielder in check.
"OK, Suguru's kōhai. It's you and me now." Leonardo said.
'Gotta shield the ball first.' Yusuke thought.
Instead of standing face to face with Leonardo, Yusuke turned his back to the Brazilian as means to shield the ball. Then Leonardo moved in to try taking the ball away from Yusuke, who stood firm.
'He's right where I want him to be.' Yusuke thought.
Finding the moment, Yusuke feinted to play a backwards pass for a teammate, but then swivelled through 180 degrees, transferring his weight to his standing foot, rotating his shoulders with a cat's agility, and dragging the ball back behind the standing foot all at the same time. The end result saw Yusuke accelerating in one direction while Leonardo was fooled into the opposite direction.
"Cruyff turn!" Kakeru and Nana exclaimed at the same time as they recognized the move.
Clive Tyldesley: Great turn by Saeki!
With Leonardo clearly left in the dust, Yusuke managed to cut his run towards the goal before he made a rolling pass into the path of the unmarked Matthias. The German captain was in a good shooting position.
Clive Tyldesley: Driven in for KÖHLER!!!
Without any hesitation, Matthias rifled the shot beyond a helpless Mikiya and into the back of the net in order to send thousands of Manchester United supporters in the stadium and millions more worldwide into wild euphoria.
Clive Tyldesley: IT'S MATTHIAS KÖHLER WITH THE CAPTAIN'S GOAL!!! IT'S 3-3!!
As soon as the ball went hit the back of the net, Matthias immediately picked it up instead of celebrating the goal. Then Matthias ran with the ball towards the center circle amidst the eruption of deafening noise behind the PSG goal.
"ONE MORE GOAL!" Matthias rallied his teammates.
'Skipper...' Kakeru and many of his teammates thought.
"HE'S RIGHT! IF WE WANT TO AVOID PENALTIES, WE MUST SCORE!" Yusuke added to the rally cry.
"Spot on, you two! Let's go!" Kakeru replied.
"Yeah!" Nana added.
"We have time to get one more! Let's go!" other Manchester United players said.
Alan Keegan: UNITED'S GOAL... SCORED BY NUMBER FIVE... MATTHIAS KÖHLEEEERR!!!
Back to Clive Tyldesley:
Clive Tyldesley: Köhler with the goal, but it came from a superb piece of individual skill by Yusuke Saeki to get past Leonardo Silva! And Manchester United had to come back from 0-2 in normal time and then from 2-3 in extra time to level things up. Hold on tight! This could be quite a ride with a little more than 5 minutes remaining now!
Meanwhile in the stands:
"3-3!!! COME OOOOOOOONNNN!!!" Noriko shouted out loud, filming her reaction.
"UNBELIEVABLE!!!" Mito shouted as well.
"WELL DONE, YUSUKE!" M. Saeki proudly threw a fist up in the air to acknowledge his son's clever effort in setting up the goal.
After the initial euphoria, Noriko managed to get a grip of herself to describe the event for her vlog through the wall of noise within the Manchester United half of the crowd in the stadium.
"What a play by Yusuke Saeki! We thought the ball was lost after the corner kick, but then he totally baffled Leonardo Silva with the Johan Cruyff turn, got his way into the penalty area, and found Matthias Köhler all alone in front of goal. It's 3-3 with less than 6 minutes plus stoppages to go. What a final!" Noriko said.
"It's not finished!" Mito added.
"United have picked up the ball. They want more! PSG are looking crushed right now. COME ON, UNITED!" Noriko finished.
All Manchester United players ran towards their positions beyond the halfway line in a matter of seconds while Matthias quickly dropped the ball on the center point before he retreated further back. The Mancunian players looked at their opponents with fire in the eyes.
'Come on in, PSG. We’re ready for the ride.' Kakeru thought, just like any of his teammates.
Despite the push by Manchester United for a quick restart, PSG were visibly shell-shocked by the turn of events. As the Parisians looked to re-establish the pace of the match on their own terms, the Mancunians responded with energetic pressure that added to the former's frustration. The match approached boiling point as Leonardo Silva became a target for physical play by the Red Devils again.
In the 117th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Thiago Silva... across the halfway line to Leonardo Silva...
With PSG in control of the ball, they were looking to edge their way towards the Manchester United penalty area. But as soon as Leonardo Silva received the ball in the center circle, he was confronted by both Yusuke and Nana standing in front of him.
"You are sure persistent, both of you!" Leonardo said.
"Go on." Yusuke replied.
"Try us." Nana added.
Seeing no way to move forward, Leonardo chose to pass the ball backwards to Paredes. Then the Argentine midfielder make a short lateral pass to Marquinhos.
Clive Tyldesley: Paredes... Marquinhos...
Marquinhos passed the ball ahead to the advancing Leonardo, but then the Brazilian playmaker was met with a strong sliding tackle from Yusuke. Obviously, the referee saw the foul as soon as Leonardo went to ground.
PEEEEP!!!
Clive Tyldesley: Leonardo Silva has been fouled...
"I told you I'd get a shot at you." Yusuke said.
However, Yusuke's words drove Leonardo Silva raging mad on top of being tackled hard. After getting back on his feet straight away, Leonardo walked straight towards Yusuke with anger.
"I'm done with your bullshit!" Leonardo said.
Clive Tyldesley: Oh, it could boil over here.
Then Yusuke and Leonardo threw hands to shove each other. In a matter of seconds, all players on both sides came in to separate the belligerents. However, Nana came in a little forcefully by pushing both Leonardo and Yusuke away from each other.
"Back off, you!" Nana said to Leonardo.
"Not your business!" Leonardo batted Nana's hand away.
"My teammates, my business!" Nana retorted.
At that point, Nana found in a position to almost butt her head into Leonardo's nose. However, Kakeru promptly restrained Nana from potentially doing something bonkers.
"Don't, Seven! Don't do it!" Kakeru said.
Clive Tyldesley: Now it has gotten totally out of hand here. Totally out of hand. Leonardo Silva has lost his composure for a moment after Saeki came sliding with that strong tackle. The referee did call a foul, but that's not an excuse for the reaction.
Insults and shoves were thrown between the 2 sides as the referees pushed their way in to calm things down. Both managers shouted at their respective players to remain disciplined, but their orders were drowned by the noise of the majority of the capacity crowd that wanted a fight. Nevertheless, the referee managed to calm things down before summoning both Yusuke and Leonardo only.
"You have acted immature, both of you." the referee said.
"He threw a dangerous tackle at me!" Leonardo protested.
"Now you shut up and listen." the referee replied to Leonardo.
"What a crybaby." Yusuke mocked Leonardo in Japanese.
"Enough. Saeki, that was a really bad tackle to begin with. Leo, the reaction was totally unnecessary. This is the very last chance you two have to stay on the pitch. You do something bad again, and I'll make sure you take the long walk out. No more chances, that's all." the referee warned.
Then the referee showed a yellow card to Yusuke before doing the same towards Leonardo.
Clive Tyldesley: Leonardo Silva yellow carded... and a yellow card for Yusuke Saeki as well. Capital punishment has been avoided for both, but only just.
Meanwhile in the stands:
"HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT, SILVA?! I'M LOVING ALL OF IT, YOU MARDY SNAIL-EATING TOSSER!! OFF YOU POP, YOU PRICK!!" Noriko hurled loud Mancunian insults at Leonardo.
"That's my son for you!" M. Saeki proudly exclaimed.
"That was risky. Why is Yusuke even doing that?" Mito asked Noriko.
"He gets under his opponents' skin. That's his job."
"Yeah, but what if the players on the other team go after him?" Mito asked.
"I was asking that same question myself earlier this season, but Yusuke has shown that he can hold his ground against virtually anybody including the toughest players in England. He will stick to them and make their life miserable all day long." Noriko replied.
"For as long as he doesn't get sent off, nastiness and bite are fine." M. Saeki said.
"Indeed." Noriko finished.
The action carried on with not much of a threat following the free kick for PSG. Moments later, both managers decided to make their final substitutions to insert better penalty kickers with fresh legs as the prospect of a penalty shootout looming ever closer at the end of extra time. An extra substitution was allowed for each side in the case a match is played in extra time. As such, Andrew replaced left-back Jeremy Williams with centre-back Didier Kamara. On the other hand, Presnel Kimpembe made way for a better and fresher penalty-taking player for PSG. The vast majority of people were already preparing themselves for a penalty shootout as we entered the final few seconds prior to injury time.
Late in the 120th minute:
Clive Tyldesley: Manchester United looking for one last crack at goal. Mishima... now Araya...
With United on the attack inside the PSG half, the Parisians brought numbers back to defend. As soon as Santiago received Nana's pass, the Chilean-Colombian dribbled his way past Layvin Kurzawa albeit the ball was pushed a little far ahead. At the very same time though, the 4th official came up with the amount of added time on his electronic board: there were 3 minutes.
PA announcer: The additional time is 3 minutes. Le temps additionnel est de 3 minutes.
Leandro Paredes booted the loose ball in an intent to clear it out of play, but the ensuing deflection off Santiago's foot transformed a clearance into a pass for Leonardo in the middle of the pitch.
Clive Tyldesley: Cleared by Paredes off Araya. Now Leonardo Silva...
Knowing that Kylian Mbappé was already making one of his trademark speedy runs, Leonardo punted a through pass into his run. The PSG half of the crowd roared in expectation as it was becoming dangerous for the Manchester United defenders.
Clive Tyldesley: That's a good ball forward! Mbappé in pursuit, onside...
Erik tried to slow Mbappé down, but the Frenchman easily shrugged the Swede off the wing. Mbappé continued his run with the ball until he entered the Manchester United penalty area, where Matthias arrived to stand in the way of any potential shot. But instead of taking the shot, Mbappé cut a pass back towards the middle. The ball was set for Leonardo Silva to shoot.
Clive Tyldesley: Kylian Mbappé... LEONARDO SILVA!!
Leonardo Silva took the shot straight away, but Jan managed to snare the ball between his hands on a diving save. PSG supporters and players alike were left in disbelief as the Slovakian held onto the ball.
"Maldição! (Damn it!)" Leonardo cursed.
Clive Tyldesley: Jan Farkas to Manchester United's rescue! That could have given the European Cup to PSG.
"Good save, Wolf!" Matthias congratulated Jan.
"Push forward, y'all! Let's go!" Jan urged his teammates to move back on the attack.
Almost as soon as Jan got up to his feet with the ball, the Slovak threw a pass forward to initiate a new attack. Tens of thousands of Manchester United supporters roared as their team moved forward. Those supporters, who saw many late goals over the years and during this long season, wished nothing more than one more to seal the deal in this legendary Champions League final.
Clive Tyldesley: Manchester United are moving forward. One final attack maybe...
Jan's long throw reached Nikolaj, who advanced with the ball and beyond the halfway line. However, the Danish midfielder in red was stalled by Julian Draxler and forced to send a back pass to Yusuke.
Clive Tyldesley: Kristiansen... back to Saeki...
"Run, Nana!" Yusuke gave the heads-up.
In order to keep a quick-moving attack alive while avoiding any opportunity for Leonardo to get involved defensively, Yusuke made a one-touch pass to propel the ball forward to Nana. The Little Witch received the ball only a dozen yards in front of the PSG penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: Now Mishima...
"Couverture! (Cover!)" Leonardo called for support from his teammates.
Almost immediately, Leandro Paredes and Marquinhos rushed towards Nana while Marius was tightly marked ahead of her by Thiago Silva. In order to evade the defensive pressure, Nana turned her back to the goal in order to shield the ball. However, Leonardo was also arriving from the middle of the pitch to complete a triangulating pressure.
'She's trapped now.' Leonardo thought.
'Don't underestimate me, PSG.' Nana thought.
"SEVEN!" Kakeru called for a pass.
Although Nana could not exactly see Kakeru at that specific moment, she knew that her fiancé would initiate a run as it is customary of him on the left flank in anticipation of a pass.
'I know you can pick a good pass, Seven. Do it.' Kakeru thought.
'It's up to you now, Kakeru. Give 'em hell.' Nana thought.
Letting her instinct be her guide, Nana scooped the ball on top of her right boot's laces a split second before she made a fancy flick pass with the outside of her boot. The ball was catapulted above a couple of PSG defenders and towards Kakeru's path as the latter entered inside the PSG penalty area.
Clive Tyldesley: It's a great ball...
Arriving unmarked in a dangerous position, Kakeru let the ball bounce on his chest to move the ball slightly ahead of him. At the very same time, Mikiya's huge frame was rushing quickly towards Kakeru.
'I will stop you.' Mikiya thought.
'Only one way to hit this.' Kakeru thought.
With the action happening within the same second and with no time to think, Kakeru whipped the ball with the left-footed volley. The ball had not touched the ground since before Nana made the pass.
Clive Tyldesley: ...to find KAKERU AIZAWAAAAA!!!
With Mikiya wrong-footed to his right, the ball went to his left before it hit the back of the net. In a split second, the Manchester United half of the 80,000+ crowd erupted into an explosion of joy as they realized what just happened.
Clive Tyldesley: HOW GOOD WAS THAT?! THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL GETS THE PERFECT FINISH FROM KAKERU AIZAWA!!!
In the midst of all the noise, Kakeru pointed to the sky as he ran towards the corner flag in celebration. Then Kakeru pulled the corner flagpost off the ground before he mimicked a baseball batter hitting a home run and then flipping the bat – the flagpost ostentatiously (José Bautista style).
"You did it, Kakeru! You did it!" Nana exclaimed.
Then Kakeru caught a jumping Nana into his arms, sending both on the ground.
"I knew you could pass that ball, Seven!" Kakeru said.
"I knew you could do it, Kakeru!" Nana replied.
Clive Tyldesley: IT'S 4-3!!! A BRILLIANT STRIKE... BY KAKERU AIZAWA TO GET THE LEAD!! BUT WHAT A PASS! WHAT A PASS FROM NANA MISHIMA TO PUT HIM IN! AND JAPAN'S FOOTBALLING SWEEHEARTS HAVE PUT MANCHESTER UNITED ON THE VERGE OF HISTORY IN STOPPAGE TIME IN EXTRA TIME!!!
Within a few seconds, Kakeru and Nana were mobbed by all of their teammates – active players and substitutes alike. With not much time left to play in stoppage time, the players in red finally took the lead for the very first time in the final. With 2 minutes of stoppage time still left to play, the Promised Land entered within touching distance.
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