The Road to the Promised Land: Chapter 34

The Battle of Old Trafford - 2nd Half :Previous «Home Page» Next: The Best Fixture in the Land
== The Italian Job - Part 1 ==
"Everybody wrote us off because nobody went to Juventus and won." – Denis Irwin on the build-up to the 2nd leg of the 1999 Champions League semi-final.
...
Friday January 15
JFA House, Tokyo, Japan
In the fallout of the unpleasant events at the end of the Manchester United/Arsenal match, several sports media worldwide ran stories about the events. Japanese media did not escape the frenzy as headlines included words such as "Civil War" to describe how Kakeru, Yusuke, Nana, and Ryoma got involved into altercations both on and off the pitch. Furthermore, several Japanese media called Ryoma a disgrace for the stamping on Nana. The overwhelming majority of Japanese football fans, mainly those who support United, attacked Ryoma on social media. However, the Arsenal-supporting minority in Japan was also critical of Yusuke and Nana. Heated exchanges also took place on Japanese social media.
The topic did not go into deaf ears of Japanese football authorities at the JFA headquarters. The JFA president, the JFA vice-presidents, all members of the board of directors, and head coach Raimond van der Meijde were among the people attending a private meeting to discuss about the course of actions to take afterwards.
"Gentlemen... I think you saw and heard everything that has been discussed over the last 4 days. So I will go straight to the point: the most aggravating case involves Ryoma Oda. Oda has been found guilty of instigating the incident with a deliberate stamping on Nana Mishima out of frustration. Then he and Yusuke Saeki threw punches at each other. Lastly, video footage leaked on social media shows that Oda went after Mishima and Saeki in the tunnel. After that, things got sour even though there were no punches thrown. Kakeru Aizawa fell out with Oda right for the world to see." JFA president Isamu Tomonaga said.
The people in the room responded with a collective "hmm" sound when thinking.
"Now, I want to ask everyone's opinion about the next step to take regarding the 3 players' involvement with the Men's National Team, especially Ryoma Oda. Raimond-san, what's your take?" Tomonaga asked.
"President Tomonaga, I have seen teammates from the same national team getting at odds with each other. Normally, those players would be told to take it on the chin and go back to business. However, Ryoma Oda did the unacceptable by any standard as it was both selfish and gratuitous. On top of that, Oda was already on a very short leash after AFC Asian Cup final. With everything taken into consideration, I will submit my recommendation to this committee." Raimond said.
"What would it be?" Tomonaga asked Raimond.
"My opinion will probably disappoint some people in this room, but I think the JFA must severely punish Oda. After the events at the AFC Asian Cup in which he was about to publicly criticize me and a couple of teammates, I gave him the chance to join an experimental side for the upcoming Copa America in June. As you already know, that team will go to the next summer Olympics. In the light of recent events, Ryoma Oda will not be among the 3 players aged 23 or older. Furthermore, I believe that Oda should be banned by the JFA from participating in international football until July of next year."
The proposal earned many perplexed reactions among the people inside the room.
"Are you aware of what that would mean? This could have repercussions on the senior team's performances." Vice-president Keizo Takeyama replied.
"Please explain yourself, Takeyama-san." Tomonaga said.
"We're talking about a ban that would last nearly 17 months. Between now and then, the men's senior squad will play over 15 matches – including 8 qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup. Japan cannot afford to sideline such a fierce competitor."
"I have assessed all of our options in midfield. I have full confidence that Yusuke Saeki will take the pole as our defensive midfielder, but we also have other midfielders lined up for the job."
"What about you, Murai-san?" Tomonaga asked.
"Takeyama-san is right. Ryoma Oda is one of the most talented players we have with valuable European experience. Did Raimond-san not say he was essential in providing internal competition with Yusuke Saeki for the defensive midfielder role?" Vice-president Masahiro Murai asked in return.
"From my position as a national coach, it is my duty to maintain excellent dynamics in the dressing room as well. I cannot afford to have Oda as a distraction, especially not with the way he challenged my authority in Abu Dhabi and now this. That is not the kind of player any coach would want in his team." Raimond replied.
"What about you, Sawada-san?" Tomonaga asked.
"I have to agree with Raimond-san. On a public relations point of view, it would be a bad idea to have him around the team when people and media are screaming for blood. In that 17-month suspension, I also suggest that he doesn't feature on official JFA promotional videos and merchandise." JFA General secretary Kenji Sawada added.
"I hope you're also aware that some of Ryoma Oda's sponsors will be angry at the JFA if we do that. They also give money to the JFA." one of the members from the board of directors said.
"Perhaps it's time you tell the sponsors to do their job and for them to let me do mine. Until further notice, it's their poster boy who did plenty of wrong. They should warn him about his future conduct." Raimond replied.
"You're calling out the sponsors? With all due respect, Coach, sometimes I think you don't understand the culture in this country." the member of the board said.
"Perhaps. However, I have the balls to make the tough decisions that are in the best interest for the team unlike some people here who may have lost theirs." Raimond bluntly replied.
"That's enough." Tomonaga called for order before turning back to Raimond. "Raimond-san, how would you deal the situation personally with the players?"
"First of all, I will tell Oda that he has 2 choices on the table: 1) he accepts the suspension like a man and then reintegrates the team when I feel he's ready to do so; or 2) he doesn't take my decision too well and will simply never play again for Japan." Raimond replied.
"And what about Aizawa and Saeki?" Tomonaga asked.
"They will remain in my plans for the friendly matches in March unless they are injured. They also have a shot at both the Copa America and thus the Olympics. Nevertheless, I will make my position clear about team discipline on and off the pitch. If I see something wrong with the mood of the dressing room, they will see bench time."
"Raimond-san... We know that you have your own methods and a very good record to show your good work. However, I just hope your decision will not destroy an international career. Ryoma Oda is the embodiment of someone who genuinely hates to lose, and we need such players in our team for the future." Tomonaga said.
"I'm not destroying anyone's career, Tomonaga-san. It's about making sure there are limits that must never be crossed. Playing for the country is an honor that has to be earned through respect of certain values. I was brought here because you trust my management skills. So I'm asking you to trust me on that decision as well. I could have signed anywhere, but I believe in the huge potential of this Japanese team. I know how much discipline they need in order to achieve that potential. If Ryoma Oda has that fire in him, he will get on the pitch again for Japan with his own potential intact. However, he will have to master his volatile personality because no respected coach will ever accept such behavior on any team. Any questions?"
Raimond's last question was met with silence. There was not much to do but accept it as the best course of action to take.
"Very well. Ryoma Oda will be banned from international duty for the next 17 months. We will release a full statement later in the day, and Oda will be notified around morning in England." Tomonaga said.
From there, the discussion continued further. At the end of the day, Ryoma's fate with the national team was sealed for the next 17 months. Beyond the suspension, Ryoma was also visually scratched out of anything that promoted the JFA, which ranged from websites, posters, promotional videos, sponsored items, etc.
Friday February 15
Didsbury, Manchester, UK
8:35 AM GMT
In that sunny morning of February in Didsbury, Kakeru and Nana joined the people from Adidas who would spend the day filming both players in various familiar environments. The filming was a part of the new contracts of which Kakeru and Nana both signed with Adidas Football. As Kakeru and Nana's agent, Miwa also came by to keep a watchful eye on the sponsorship-related work. The first part of the shooting involved Kakeru and Nana walking in the streets not far away from their place; it was a way to show how both players are well integrated to everyday life in Manchester.
"Watashi wa Aizawa Kakeru desu, Manchesutā Yunaiteddo de purē shite imasu (My name is Kakeru Aizawa, and I play for Manchester United)."
"My name is Nana Mishima, and I play for Manchester United."
"And cut! Very good intro, you two." Corey Dubois, the brand director, said.
"I agree. It was really good." Miwa added.
Then Kakeru moved into a position where he would have the landmark known as the Didsbury Clock Tower well in sight behind him.
"Now, we'll just go with Kakeru saying what you have written about yourself, and in Japanese too. People will appreciate that." Corey said.
"OK. I'm ready." Kakeru said.
Then everyone set up to be ready.
"Ready... and action!" Corey ordered.
"I was born and raised in Kamakura, Japan; it's a small city by the sea. I played for local schools in Kamakura and in the neighboring city of Fujisawa from elementary to high school. I had the most wonderful time in high school because I was able to grow as a player, become more confident, and have the belief that I can succeed anywhere. I signed for Manchester United after I graduated at age 18. I remember my first senior game for United; it was in the Europa League and I was 21. I was a little nervous because I didn't know what to expect. The crowd, the passion, the atmosphere… it is special being at Old Trafford. But once the game starts, I keep my focus. The key as a footballer is to not overthink things when I'm on the ball. You don't realize it, but you can have many ideas on the pitch. When I put on my boots, I'm here to create... goals, wins, and joy." Kakeru said in Japanese.
"And cut! Well done, Kakeru. One would believe you have done that all your life." Corey said.
"It is always easy speaking about oneself though." Kakeru replied.
"No, you look really good." Miwa said.
"Nana, you're next." Corey said.
"Coming." Nana replied.
Then Kakeru walked away from the shooting area before he checked his smartphone. Kakeru noticed that he received a message from Mito on Messenger.
'Mito... I wonder what she is up to.' Kakeru thought.
The message said "The JFA did this to Oda-san." before it was followed by a link, of which Kakeru clicked on it. When the link unfolded itself, Kakeru saw the official statement by the JFA regarding the lengthy ban imposed against his former Enoshima High School teammate.
'This is what happens when you mess around like you did. That's your problem, you fool.' Kakeru thought about what he would have said to Ryoma if the latter was there at the time.
"What is going on?" Miwa asked Kakeru.
"Oda has been banned from all international duty for the next 17 months. Mito gave me the news."
"What? That would be until July of next year. Before here and then, there must be at least..." Miwa said.
"At least 15 senior matches, including 8 World Cup qualifying matches for 2022. Furthermore, he's been removed from anything that promotes the JFA." Kakeru replied.
"I really didn't expect the JFA to be that harsh." Miwa said.
"The old guys at the JFA, no. But I think Van der Meijde is extremely serious about laying down the law. After what happened in Abu Dhabi, I'm not surprised that the incident on Sunday was the last straw in Van der Meijde's point of view."
"I can't wait to hear about Nana-chan on this." Miwa said.
Kakeru and Miwa then quietly watched Nana telling her own short story in English. The Little Witch was arriving to the part where she explains what it takes to be creative player.
"In order to be a creative player, I feel that you need to have the flow of the game within you. When you're in that state of mind, you can see endless opportunities. I feel free to move my way towards the highest levels in football. When I have those boots on, I'm here to create." Nana said.
"And cut! Good job, Nana." Corey said.
"Thanks." Nana replied.
"So... What comes next?" Kakeru asked.
"First, we'll set up cameras so we can film you juggling and dribbling the ball on the sidewalk next to the clock tower. Then we will be shooting a little while you practice in Carrington. And in the afternoon, we will film you two doing all kinds of creative moves on the pitch against our football extras at a local pitch and in the studio. Express yourselves." Corey said.
"We can do that." Kakeru said.
"It will be fun." Nana added.
"You can have a break for now. Just give us a few minutes." Corey said.
"OK." Nana replied before she turned towards Kakeru. "What's the matter? You were reading something on your phone."
"Oda has been banned by the JFA until July of next year." Kakeru said.
"Wow... That is big." Nana replied.
"Looks like Coach Van der Meijde has had enough. Oda only has himself to blame."
"I feel the same, Kakeru. Let's make sure we rub more salt in the wound by winning more matches for club and country without him." Nana said.
"Yep. I'm on board." Kakeru finished.
For the rest of their sponsorship obligations on the day, Kakeru and Nana showcased the full extent of their combined talent in front of the cameras. For the last step of the shooting at the studio in the afternoon, Kakeru and Nana posed for photos with Adidas products, especially boots. When everything was done, photos and videos were sent to the post-production people for editing before the final product would appear on various media platforms in due time.
On the following day, Kakeru, who was not suspended after the Arsenal match, scored his 26th, 27th, and 28th goals of the campaign in a 7-0 crushing of Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford (FA Cup 5th round, February 16). For United, it was a sweet revenge for the earlier EFL Cup defeat to Forest back in October. With the FA Cup out of the way until March, the Red Devils shifted their attention to the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
In the second half of the 1990s, Juventus were the strongest side in Italy and the benchmark in Europe. Between 1996 and 2003, United and Juventus played a total of 8 official matches in the Champions League. Sir Alex Ferguson saw "La Vecchia Signora" (The Old Lady) as the model team to follow and overcome when his own young United team started showing promise on the European front.
Although Juve have not won the Champions League since 1996, their recent experience as runners-up in 2015 and in 2017 makes them a tough opponent for anybody. The addition of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was made with the purpose of taking Juve over the finish line in this specific competition. Juventus fell second in their group to a red hot Borussia Dortmund, and thus relinquished home advantage for this round. Nevertheless, the Italian side was still regarded as one of the favorites because of their experience. Just like the old days, we can expect a good matchup when United and Juventus cross swords.
Tuesday February 19
Juventus vs. Manchester United (UEFA Champions League round of 16, 1st leg)
Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy
8:52 PM Italy time (7:52 PM GMT)
Opened in September 2011, the Juventus Stadium was built on the site of the club's former home, the Stadio delle Alpi (Stadium of the Alps). Despite the change in scenery, the Italian giants enjoyed an excellent home record in all competitions in that stadium, which coincided with their rise back to the top of Italian football after a march in the desert for 5 seasons following the 2006 Italian football scandal.
Andrew Butler entrusted the task of breaching the impregnable fortress to the following 11 starters for the Red Devils: Jan Farkas (goalkeeper), Diogo Blanco (right-back), Erik Johansson (centre-back), Matthias Köhler (centre-back and captain), Andrew Shaw (left-back), Francisco Serrano (central midfielder), Yusuke Saeki (central midfielder), Nikolaj Kristiansen (central midfielder), Kakeru Aizawa (right winger), Marius van Leeuwen (striker), and Santiago Araya (left winger). Nana was starting this match from the bench. Since Nana and Yusuke's suspensions didn't apply to European club competitions, they were available to play against Juventus.
Meanwhile, the following players were send to start the match for "I Bianconeri" (the White-Blacks): Wojciech Szczęsny (goalkeeper), João Cancelo (right-back), Leonardo Bonucci (centre-back), Giorgio Chiellini (centre-back and captain), Alex Sandro (left-back), Rodrigo Bentancur (central midfielder), Miralem Pjanić (central midfielder), Blaise Matuidi (central midfielder), Federico Bernardeschi (right winger), Paulo Dybala (striker), and Cristiano Ronaldo (left winger).
The Manchester United field players were wearing their midnight blue kits. Meanwhile, the Juventus field players had their classic black and white striped shirts, completed by white shorts and white socks. Unlike English clubs, Italian clubs showcase the domestic cup (Coppa Italia) winners' patch and/or the little shield (scudetto) that honours the Italian league (Serie A) winners from the previous season. As for Juventus, winners of both the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, their kits displayed both decorations even though the Champions League was an UEFA-sanctioned competition.
Before the players were given the OK to follow the referee out of the players' tunnel, most of them stood without saying a word. At the very same time the official Juventus club anthem started being played inside the stadium, Kakeru and Yusuke had a little chat between themselves.
"Feel a little jittery?" Kakeru asked.
"I'm excited." Yusuke replied. "I grew up watching those knockout stages in the Champions League. It feels like I've been training all my life for nights like this."
"If that reassure you, I always feel the same before every single European match." Kakeru said.
"At least, you played in the Europa League all the way to win it. So you have valuable European experience for a match like tonight's." Yusuke replied.
"Don't worry. When that first whistle is blown, it is just another day at the office." Kakeru finished and gave a friendly tap on Yusuke's shoulder.
Meanwhile inside the stadium, the majority of Juventus supporters were holding or waving their scarves proudly. Juventus supporters located at both ends of the pitch were waving black-white striped flags. The vast majority of the 41,000+ spectators were singing the club anthem, entering the final 2 stanzas.JUVE, STORIA DI UN GRANDE AMORE (JUVE, STORY OF A GREAT LOVE)BIANCO CHE ABBRACCIA IL NERO (WHITE THAT EMBRACES THE BLACK)TORO CHE SI ALZA DAVVERO (BULL THAT REALLY STANDS UP)JUVE PER SEMPRE SARÀ (JUVE WILL BE FOREVER)
JUVE, STORIA DI UN GRANDE AMORE (JUVE, STORY OF A GREAT LOVE)BIANCO CHE ABBRACCIA IL NERO (WHITE THAT EMBRACES THE BLACK)TORO CHE SI ALZA DAVVERO (BULL THAT REALLY STANDS UP)JUVE PER SEMPRE SARÀ (JUVE WILL BE FOREVER)JUVE PER SEMPRE SARÀ (JUVE WILL BE FOREVER)JUVENTUS PER SEMPRE SARÀ (JUVENTUS WILL BE FOREVER)
As the song ended, both teams walked out of the tunnel under raucous cheers from the very partisan crowd. Fitting with Italian tradition, the crowd displayed a massive card stunt (tifo) that covered the whole stadium but for the away supporters' section. On the Tribuna Est (East Stand), the words "PRIDE OF ITALY" were displayed. On the opposite Tribuna Ovest (West Stand), giant stripes of black and white were displayed. In the end known as the Curva Nord, the card stunt displayed a giant Italian flag. And in the opposite end known as the Curva Sud, the same giant Italian flag pattern was displayed only with the shape of the European Cup on top of it.
Your commentator is Daniel Mann.
Daniel Mann: We have quite a prospect here in the Juventus Stadium this evening: Juventus against Manchester United. These two teams have played a knockout tie against one another only once back in 1999, but there's a rich history between them. Tonight, a new chapter of this classic European confrontation will be written.
Following the customary playing of the UEFA Champions League anthem, the coin toss saw Juventus taking the opportunity to kick the match off. Both teams moved into their respective positions. The crowd roared, wanting the match to start. Finally, the referee blew his whistle.
PEEEEEP!!!
Daniel Mann: And we are under way!
The match started with Juventus applying pressure on the Manchester United players quite early on. The visitors were trying to weather the storm as part of their game plan, but it was a huge task against such a dangerous side. Soon enough, Juventus earned the first serious scoring chance.
In the 4th minute:
Daniel Mann: Ronaldo wants it...
Taking the action inside the Manchester United half, Paulo Dybala ran with the ball a few yards across the width while Santiago was applying some defensive pressure. The Argentine forward then made a short pass to Cristiano Ronaldo, who dropped a little deeper to provide ball support. The Portuguese superstar soon found himself facing both Yusuke and Francisco, forcing him to pass the ball to Blaise Matuidi on the left.
Daniel Mann: Matuidi...
The French midfielder received the ball on the left side. Although Matuidi was still a few yards away from the Manchester United penalty area with Mancunian players in front of him, the Frenchman launched a long ball towards the far post while Ronaldo, Dybala, and Bernardeschi.
Daniel Mann: In early, Ronaldo at the back post...
Matthias and Shawzy attempted to prevent a shot on goal by sandwiching Ronaldo. Nevertheless, the Portuguese winger managed to reach the ball first with a well-timed jump. Instead of redirecting the ball towards the goal, Ronaldo cushioned a pass across and in front of the 6-yard box. Running after the ball was Federico Bernardeschi.
Daniel Mann: Oh! An opportunity for Bernardeschi!
The Italian wrapped a left-footed shot past Erik, but the shot missed the goal by a few inches. The referee gave a goal kick, but a couple of Juventus players argued that the ball was slightly touched by Erik. The TV replay confirmed the Juventus players' claim, but the referee stood by his decision instead of reversing it into a Juventus corner kick.
Daniel Mann: They're suggesting that it got a touch off a Manchester United player. It may have gone off Johansson, but the referee is having none of it.
Meanwhile at 1,178 km (732 miles) from there, Noriko and Sarah were watching the match among several United supporters inside Victoria Warehouse, in Manchester. The event space colloquially known to United supporters as "Red Square" is the unofficial fan zone where fans can gather in numbers and watch important matches on a giant screen.
"As expected, they are attacking early." Noriko said. She was already dressed with the midnight blue Manchester United shirt that bore Yusuke's surname and number in the back.
"Cristiano is always such a danger out there. He gets better with age, it seems." Sarah said. She was wearing a replica of the 2008 red Manchester United shirt as well.
"The only thing I hope is that we weather the storm, and then we attack them hard."
"I hope so too, Noriko." Sarah finished.
The play continued in the other direction, but the tone was set with Juventus looking to attack Manchester United early on. With the momentum on their side, the Bianconeri kept on pressing the Red Devils hard. Not too long after Bernardeschi's missed opportunity, Juventus launched another dangerous attack.
In the 7th minute:
Daniel Mann: Miralem Pjanić...
Running slightly on the right side of the Juventus setup, the Bosnian took the ball towards the final third of the Manchester United half while Nikolaj was running after him. Nevertheless, Pjanić launched the long ball ahead and towards the far post. The ball appeared to be going towards no Juventus player, but Diogo took no chance by chesting the ball out of play as he thought that Ronaldo was closer behind him.
Daniel Mann: Put behind by Blanco...
"There was no one pressing. Ronaldo stopped." Jan said to the young Portuguese defender.
"Sorry. I couldn't see it." Diogo apologized.
"Let's defend this! Defend!" Matthias asked his teammates to get ready.
All Manchester United players moved into defensive positions, but Juventus sent their big guys – Chiellini, Ronaldo, Bonucci, Sandro, and Bentancur –  in the penalty area. Miralem Pjanić was ready to take the corner kick on the referee's whistle.
Daniel Mann: Pjanić with the corner.
PEEP!
The Bosnian whipped the ball towards the Manchester United penalty area, but the ball appeared to swirl away from goal at the far post. However, Giorgio Chiellini escaped Nikolaj's man-marking momentarily. The big Italian defender only needed that split second to give a good header of a shot.
Daniel Mann: Chiellini getting FREE!
Jan stopped the shot at full stretch, but the rebound was within range for Leonardo Bonucci to strike. The Italian defender appeared to have the Slovakian goalkeeper at his mercy, but Jan took a slide to make a kick save a very short split second after the shot was taken.
Daniel Mann: OHH! Well, Bonucci was in there! But Farkas was in there with a moment of heroism!
The second rebound bounced out of bounds on the side. Jan stayed frosty after the save, but Matthias was not impressed at the way Nikolaj let the Juventus captain go free.
"Nicky, come on! Stick on him like glue!" Matthias reprimanded the Dane, who responded with an apologetic gesture.
Meanwhile on the Manchester United bench:
"Thank goodness that we have Wolf, but we are making it too easy." Nana said.
"You're right: we look too nervous out there." Michael replied.
"What we need is to play tighter out there." Kevin added.
"I know, Kev. We can hope to hold on, but that's not a good way to start a match against Juve." Nana said.
"If we can hold them out of dangerous positions a little longer, then we can start building on something." Michael replied. "We only need the away goal while keeping them away from our goal as much as possible."
"I hope you're right." Nana finished.
However, Juventus kept on pushing even harder. The Manchester United players tried to slow things down as much as they could when they got the ball, but the Juventus players were quick to recover the ball before other attacks are launched. The visitors were holding onto the 0-0 scoreline, but they were still on the back foot.
In the 13th minute:
Daniel Mann: Bentancur... Ronaldo...
Rodrigo Bentancur ran with the ball across the halfway line before he passed the ball on the right to Ronaldo. But as soon as the Portuguese superstar received the ball, he came up against Yusuke ahead of him.
"I will stop you." Yusuke said.
"We'll see." Ronaldo replied.
Ronaldo made a pass to his right. João Cancelo received the ball as he went on the attack. At the same time, Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala ran their way towards the Manchester United penalty area.
"Watch the 7!" Yusuke shouted, demanding his teammates to mark Ronaldo.
Cancelo continued running forward with the ball until he arrived only 5 yards away from the penalty area. Then Cancelo suddenly launched a dink pass towards the far post despite Yusuke's attempt to block the pass. Surprising Erik completely with speed, Ronaldo arrived right on cue at the end of Cancelo's pass.
Daniel Mann: That's a good ball in. RONALDOOO!!!
Cristiano Ronaldo headed the ball with both power and accuracy to the goalkeeper's left. Jan was left with no chance, and then the vast majority inside Juventus Stadium erupted in a flash.
Daniel Mann: HAD TO BE! Against his old club, he was never going to leave the stage without making an impact... and THAT is exactly why Juventus signed him.
Trying to not display too much exuberance by respect for his former club, Cristiano celebrated his goal by showing off his six-pack abs instead of going for his trademark "SIUUU!" celebration. As the Juventus supporters in the stadium celebrated, the sound of thousands of cheers and the sound of drums from the Chelsea Dagger song made way for the voice of the Italian PA announcer, Marco Dejana, asking the crowd to shout the name of the goal scorer.
Marco Dejana: JUVENTUS... A SEGNATO DAL NUMERO SETTE (SCORED BY NUMBER SEVEN), CRISTIANO!!!
Juventus supporters: RONALDO!!!
Marco Dejana: CRISTIANO!!!
Juventus supporters: RONALDO!!!
Marco Dejana: CRISTIANO!!!
Juventus supporters: RONALDO!!!
After the announcement, the well-known onomatopoeia chorus of "Chelsea Dagger" was played loudly through the speakers as it has become customary for a few years now.
As the Juventus players made their way back towards their own half, The Manchester United players were still looking at each other in disbelief. However, Marius tried to get his teammates' focus back on the job to do.
"Come on, guys! Let's pick it up!" Marius clapped his hands.
"We knew it was going to be a battle! Wake up and carry on!" Yusuke added to the rally cry.
"Fury is right. Let's go!" Matthias also added.
"YEAH!" the other Manchester United players replied.
'Just give us, forwards, something to work with. We'll go for goal if you give us the ball.' Kakeru thought.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse, in Manchester:
The Manchester United supporters were collectively moaning in disappointment at the goals. Some of them started swearing stuff at Juventus from the ground floor.
"Bollocks! We screwed up big time there." Noriko said.
"All we did so far is to sit back. We should have gone at them much earlier than that." Sarah replied. "We need to throw the kitchen sink at them."
"Still early for that, but we need to feed Kakeru, Araya, and Van Leeuwen with the ball first." Noriko said.
"While we talk about them, they barely touched the ball after 13 minutes. That's a problem."
"Old habits die hard, even with Italian sides nowadays." Noriko said. "I wouldn't be surprised if Juventus would now sit back on the ready for counterattacks. Italian sides always do that, so we just need to be clever when we go forward."
"I hope you're right. After all, you have seen a lot more football than I ever did." Sarah said.
"We have 77 minutes left to score at least one without conceding too many in return. Let's take this one step at the time." Noriko finished.
The early goal stunned the Red Devils, but it also had the effect of a wake-up call in a way. Following the goal, Manchester United started controlling the ball a little better while Juventus were content to sit and wait for opportunities to hit back on the counterattack. From there, the football match became a game of chess.
In the 24th minute:
Daniel Mann: Saeki... Blanco...
Pushing a sustained pressure inside the Juventus half for the first time in the match, the Manchester United were able to pass the ball around. From midfield, Yusuke passed forward and on the right for Diogo. Then the Portuguese right-back in dark blue advanced a few yards before he passed the ball o the left for Kakeru, who then entered the Juventus penalty area.
Daniel Mann: Aizawa...
Advancing while making a no-touch dribble, Kakeru had to deal against both Blaise Matuidi and Alex Sandro. Nevertheless, Kakeru managed to slip a short pass across towards Marius. The Dutch striker had to shield the ball while literally having Chiellini on his back and nowhere to go forward.
Daniel Mann: So many feet around. Van Leeuwen...
Just as Marius worked hard to shield the ball and find space, Kakeru was making a run across inside the penalty area. Finding the right moment, Marius made a nutmeg side pass between Chiellini's legs. Kakeru arrived in position to shoot.
Daniel Mann: Oh, brilliant play!
Kakeru took the shot, but the ball was slowed down off Leonardo Bonucci. The loose ball rolled its way toward a dangerous area when both Santiago and João Cancelo ran after it. The goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny also rushed towards the loose ball. Outstretching his right leg, Santiago tried to lift the ball over the goalkeeper. However, the ball went far above the crossbar and out.
Daniel Mann: OH! And Araya was in there... Well, goal kick is the final outcome.
The Juventus supporters sighed in relief. At the other end of the spectrum of emotions, the Manchester United players, coaches, and supporters could only look in disbelief. Nevertheless, Kakeru felt the urge to cheer his teammates up.
"Let's go! We're getting there!" Kakeru shouted.
"Good effort, Santi!" Marius gave a thumbs-up sign to Santiago.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse:
"Bloody hell, Santiago! You have to score that!" Noriko shouted out loud.
"He didn't need to lift the ball that high." Sarah said.
"I think he could have tried a direct low shot, and that would have been more dangerous."
"It took us 24 minutes to get our first serious chance at goal. What we need to do now is to keep bringing the action inside their half."
"Spot on, Sarah. As long as we keep the ball inside the Juventus half, we will have more chances. That was how to beat them." Noriko said.
United continued to bring most of the action inside the Juventus half. The visitors were looking to build up some momentum, hoping to score the crucial away goal that all teams search in any away match of the Champions League knockout stages. However, Juventus were an experienced side that could take advantage of a short moment when their opponents lack concentration.
In the 30th minute:
Daniel Mann: Saeki...
Yusuke had again full control of the ball inside the Juventus half. He then looked around for passing options ahead of him, and saw Marius in a position to slip in-between the Juventus defenders. The Japanese midfielder threaded a very accurate through ball towards the Dutchman.
Daniel Mann: That's a beautiful pass for Van Leeuwen...
Marius entered the penalty area when he moved past Leonardo Bonucci. The Dutchman was about to take the shot, but Juventus right-back João Cancelo made a well-timed tackle to take the ball away before Giorgio Chiellini kicked it out.
Daniel Mann: Very important challenge by Cancelo!
The ball then went to Paulo Dybala around the halfway line. The Argentine forward passed the ball back to Pjanić, who then completed the give-and-go at the beginning of a counterattack. Crossing the ball, Dybala passed the ball towards Matuidi, who then passed the ball towards Alex Sandro on the left wing.
Daniel Mann: Matuidi... Alex Sandro...
Alex Sandro crossed the ball inside the Manchester United area, but the ball was easily cleared by Matthias. Nikolaj tried to get to the loose ball, but Pjanić came in to poke the ball back towards the Manchester United penalty area
Daniel Mann: Back in for Bernardeschi. No flag...
The ball went into the path of Federico Bernardeschi, but the Italian forward had to hold his idea of shooting the ball as Erik stood in the way. Instead of shooting the ball, Bernardeschi made a layoff pass towards his Bosnian teammate entering the penalty area.
Daniel Mann: Here's a chance for PJANIĆ!!!
The Bosnian midfielder took the shot first time on his right foot, but the contact with the ball was not a clean one. As a result, the shot rolled way wide to the goal. The vast majority in the crowd reacted with a huge sigh of disappointment.
Daniel Mann: Well, is that a moment he'll look back on with regret?
The Juventus supporters and players had their hands on their heads in disbelief. Nobody among the Manchester United players said anything as they knew about how lucky they were.
Meanwhile on the Manchester United bench:
"That was too close for comfort." Nana said.
"Aye. We were a little too aggressive, and we almost got punished for that." Michael replied. "The Boss has every right to shout right now."
From his own technical area, Andrew Butler was shouting to his players about what he didn't like.
"Now that we are where we are, we should not stop attacking." Nana said.
"We just need our back 4 to hold the line unlike that last play. After that, we can continue controlling the ball inside their half." Michael replied.
"Except for a shaky start and that last moment, we are starting to grasp that Italian game of chess." Nana finished.
Despite that slight lapse of concentration, the Red Devils carried on with the approach they had taken ever since they conceded the first goal of the match: they kept on pushing forward. In the following minutes, the Manchester United players took a few shots that either went wide to the goal or were easily caught by the Juventus goalkeeper. Nevertheless, the home supporters were starting to feel tense as they saw their team increasingly losing the initiative. All it needed for United was to get one shot on target.
In the 40th minute:
Daniel Mann: Shaw with the throw...
Maintaining the attack inside the Juventus half, Shawzy made the throw-in towards Santiago. Then the Chilean-Colombian forward made a short pass on the right and towards Nikolaj. At that moment, Kakeru and Marius entered the Juventus penalty area in an attempt to provide passing options. However, Nikolaj chose to make the pass to Shawzy on the left.
Daniel Mann: Kristiansen... Back to Shaw...
The English left-back ran a little further before he whipped the cross. However, the ball was deflected off the Juventus right-back, João Cancelo. The loose ball then looped high in the air before it was due to land around 10 yards in front of the Juventus penalty area. Yusuke was about to unleash a strike when he saw Blaise Matuidi rushing in front of him to block the shot.
'Can't shoot there. Try something different.' Yusuke thought.
"Fury!" Santiago called for a pass on Yusuke's left.
Yusuke held his shooting motion before he promptly passed the ball towards Santiago on the left. Then Santiago moved a couple of yards on his right with the ball, making sure it would be ready for a right-footed strike.
Daniel Mann: It's opening up for Araya...
Santiago took a shot that curled around his nearest opponent before it flew with dip, curl, and great speed towards the bottom corner of the goal. Wojciech Szczęsny could not stop the shot this time, and it was suddenly 1-1!
Daniel Mann: OHH! STUNNING!!! WHAT A REPONSE THAT IS! WHAT AN ANSWER! JUST MANCHESTER UNITED NEEDED!! And Santiago Araya, this bright young star, has produced a moment of brilliance!
On the pitch as on the bench, all Manchester United players jubilated. The stadium was reduced to silence except for the pocket of Manchester United supporters. Santiago was quickly mobbed by his ecstatic teammates as well.
"Huge goal, Santi! Cracking!" Kakeru exclaimed.
"Get in! Well done!" Yusuke added.
"Thanks!" Santiago replied.
"We have the goal. Well done, Santi!" Nikolaj said.
"That's how to do it! Let's go at them for more." Matthias added.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse, the crowd erupted:
"YEAH! Well done, United!" Noriko exclaimed.
In the midst of the wild celebrations, a few cups and cans of beer were thrown up in the air inside the auditorium. Noriko got some beer spilled on her, but she didn't mind.
"Wow! Beer everywhere!" Noriko chuckled.
"Good thing that Yusuke didn't take the shot himself." Sarah said.
"Yeah, he made the right choice just in time. Santiago must have called the pass just before Yusuke was about to shoot." Noriko replied.
"With the away goal scored, what do you think United will do?" Sarah asked.
"If we have a chance, I say we go forward to score another one. However, the most important thing to do now is to stop Juventus from scoring. Why? Because you can be sure the Italians are now feeling the urgency." Noriko replied.
"Well, let's finish off the first half with at least a 1-1 tie." Sarah finished.
The Red Devils held their ground to end the first half on equal terms. At the other end, the Bianconeri knew that a 1-1 scoreline was not advantageous for them should the score remain intact by the end of the night because the goal that is scored by an away team counts twice the weight of a goal scored by the home team should the result end in a draw. Juventus were already plotting to come back stronger in the second half.
In the Manchester United dressing room:
"Recover well. Take a few moments." Andrew said to his players.
"We're fine, guys. We're doing good." Matthias said to all of his teammates.
Just as Yusuke walked by Andrew Butler, the Japanese midfielder got a quick talk with the manager.
"Boss, can I ask you a request for the second half?" Yusuke asked.
"Sure. What is it?" Andrew asked.
"I want Cristiano Ronaldo, Boss."
"Are you sure?"
"Our defenders are doing their best, but it is not enough against him. So far, we're lucky he has not been more involved. I can go in there to mark him, to slow him down, and do whatever it takes to stop him. That would free one of the full-backs to attack." Yusuke said.
Andrew took a moment to ponder Yusuke's request. Finally, it didn't take long for the Manchester United manager to give his decision.
"Very well. You will get Ronaldo. Follow him everywhere. Wherever he goes, you go after him. Even if he goes for a leak, you follow him." Andrew said.
"Thank you, Boss." Yusuke replied.
Then Andrew left his players alone for 4 minutes before he came in to give his players the halftime speech.
"Just a couple of things here, people. We're tied 1-1, thanks to Santi's big goal. But we gave them too much space. Put strong pressure on them when they get inside our half. They will definitely try to give the ball to Cristiano Ronaldo, so I will have Yusuke following him everywhere. If Yusuke has to drop deep when he does his job, I want to see someone supporting him. Pressure and recover! When we get on the attack, I want everyone to be ready to shoot. Their goalkeeper is not that good, so don't be afraid to take shots at that guy. Be clever, support your teammates, and stick our game into them. Got it? Let's go!"
The Manchester United players responded with an applause before they prepared themselves for the upcoming half.
"Let's run at them even more. Come on!" Kakeru rallied his teammates.
"Spot on, Knight. Let's show them what we can do." Matthias added.
"Let's get the next goal!" Nana said.
"Make sure you're ready to come on, Seven." Kakeru said to Nana.
"I will. I can't wait to go out there." Nana replied before she walked her way out of the dressing room to warm up with her fellow substitutes on the pitch for the last minutes of halftime.
The Manchester United players later came out of the dressing room focused on the task at hand, but so were the Juventus players. The soldiers of the Old Lady of Italy came out with the intention of regaining the lead early in the second half.
In the 47th minute:
Daniel Mann: Bernardeschi...
Recovering the ball inside the Manchester United half, Bernardeschi ran with the ball for some distance on the left flank until he arrived in front of Diogo, just 5 yards outside of the penalty area. Then the Italian forward launched a cross towards the far post on the right without any hesitation.
Daniel Mann: Good ball at the far post...
Ronaldo was about to slip himself between Shawzy and Matthias to head the ball on goal. Fortunately for United though, Yusuke time his jump perfectly to deflect the ball out of play before it could reach Ronaldo.
Daniel Mann: Oh, that is vital! Brilliant piece of defending by Saeki!
"Well done, Fury." Matthias congratulated Yusuke.
"Thanks, Skipper!"
Daniel Mann: Juventus have a corner though.
Both teams moved into positions while Miralem Pjanić stood on the ready to take the corner kick.
PEEP!
The Bosnian midfielder struck the ball with pace as it went towards the penalty spot. Ronaldo and Yusuke both ran together after the same ball. The Portuguese superstar struck the ball on the volley, but Yusuke also stuck a leg out to block the shot. It was another corner kick to Juventus.
Daniel Mann: To Ronaldo! Blocked by Saeki again!
"You don't give up. Do you?" Cristiano Ronaldo said.
"You're stuck with me." Yusuke replied.
Indeed, Yusuke continued his tight man-marking on Ronaldo before the next corner kick would be taken. And again Miralem Pjanić was set to kick the ball on the referee's signal.
PEEP!
Pjanić whipped the ball towards a group of players in front of the 6-yard box. Bentancur outjumped Francisco to reach the ball, but the bad timing of the Uruguayan's header got the ball bouncing on the ground almost at his feet.
Daniel Mann: Oh, Bentancur... didn't get his timing right.
After the ball bounced off the grass, it went up before it went down again. This time, Matthias went to head the ball away from the penalty area.
Daniel Mann: Köhler away...
But as the ball arrived just outside of the penalty area, Alex Sandro made a pass off his chest and towards the dangerous Paulo Dybala. After the ball bounced once, Dybala struck a left-footed volley towards the Manchester United goal.
Daniel Mann: Dybala...
The shot had the accuracy as it flew towards the bottom corner, but not quite the pace. In the end, Jan made the catch for the cameras and much to the disappointment of the Juventus supporters.
Daniel Mann: Good strike.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse:
"What a save!" Sarah exclaimed.
"Nah, that was an easy ball for Farkas." Noriko replied.
"I just hope we will go at them. I really don't want us to wait as long as we did in the first half."
"I have a feeling that we'll see something different if Yusuke is really tasked to mark Ronaldo like he just did." Noriko finished.
After that early scare, Andrew Butler's men started playing a more proactive approach. The battle for dominance in midfield brought its lot of contacts and tackles from both sides. Nevertheless, the plan was starting to work as United were beginning to take advantage of Juventus' mistakes.
In the 55th minute:
Daniel Mann: Alex Sandro with the throw.
Just inside the Juventus territory, Alex Sandro took the throw-in pass towards Miralem Pjanić. However, the Bosnian midfielder was soon hounded by both Kakeru and Marius. Then Pjanić attempted a pass across for a Juventus teammate, but it was intercepted by Santiago in the center circle.
Daniel Mann: Oh, given away very cheaply there by Pjanić...
What was worse for Juventus than the interception is the fact that they were caught playing with a high defensive line. It meant that United launched a counterattack with only 4 Juventus players hustling up to protect their own goal. Santiago continued running forward with the ball until he arrived within 5 yards in front of the Juventus penalty area. Although surrounded by 3 Juventus players, Santiago managed to drag the ball back a little bit to buy enough time for support to arrive.
Daniel Mann: Araya... Kristiansen...
Santiago made a back pass to Nikolaj, who then saw Kakeru going free inside the Juventus penalty area. Alex Sandro was too slow to catch Kakeru up, so Nikolaj didn't need an invitation to make a quick pass towards his Japanese teammate.
Daniel Mann: ...and a chance on HERE!
Kakeru advanced a few yards ahead after he received the ball. Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini rushed to deny Kakeru a shooting angle on the far post (to Kakeru's left), but Kakeru took a high shot towards the top corner at the near post. However, Wojciech Szczęsny managed to get his entire left hand on the ball, and then the ball dropped down for the goalkeeper to collect.
Daniel Mann: Oh! And Aizawa denied ultimately by Wojciech Szczęsny.
"Damn! I should have done better there!" Kakeru said out loud, both hands on his head in disbelief.
Meanwhile on the touchlines:
'I really thought that was in. Kakeru was not lucky on that shot.' Nana thought as she saw the action from the touchlines in the midst of her warmup exercises.
"Knight almost had it. Hope we won't miss too many chances." Kevin said.
"Hope it too." Nana replied.
Little by little, United exerted a snuffing stranglehold upon Juventus. Yusuke's tight man-marking on Cristiano Ronaldo was depriving the Italian side of its most dangerous asset on the pitch. Despite all of their experience, Juventus players were surprised to see their opponents being so energetic and so aggressive in the second half. The players in midnight blue were everywhere.
In the 63rd minute:
Daniel Mann: There's Blaise Matuidi... towards Ronaldo...
From just inside the Manchester United half, Matuidi attempted a pass forward to Ronaldo. But just like it happened since the second half started, Yusuke confronted the Portuguese superstar again.
"You again!" Ronaldo said.
"Come on!" Yusuke replay.
Ronaldo made his trademark stepover feint to fake going one side before he tried going on the other side of Yusuke. But the Japanese midfielder didn't bite on the feint at all. Yusuke let Ronaldo come before giving a strong standing tackle. Ronaldo went down on the tackle, but Yusuke recovered the ball. The referee allowed the play to continue, much to the discontent of the Juventus supporters.
Daniel Mann: Saeki retrieving possession...
Yusuke ran a few yards with the ball before he passed the ball forward to Kakeru. The Japanese forward made his way on the right inside the Juventus territory before he started drifting towards his left. Matuidi ran after Kakeru, but the Japanese forward managed to pass the ball on his left before he got tackled down.
Daniel Mann: Advantage played here.
The ball rolled towards Nikolaj on the left. Several Juventus players scrambled around and inside the penalty area, but no one was exactly willing to go after the Dane. That was the window of opportunity that Nikolaj needed as he looped the ball above everybody. The ball was flying, curling, and dipping towards the top corner of the goal at the far post.
Daniel Mann: Kristiansen... given time to SIZE IT UP!
But in a desperate attempt to reach the ball, Wojciech Szczęsny tipped the ball away and out of play. The corner kick was conceded though, but the United players were still struck in disbelief.
Daniel Mann: And Szczęsny there again! Well, if Juventus do find a way through, they will have a lot to thank him for.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse:
"Man, that guy stopped us twice!" Noriko lamented.
"We are dominating right now, but we need to score those goals." Sarah said.
"Yeah. I just hope we take advantage of the momentum to send Nana in soon." Noriko replied.
"But wouldn't that mean she would take on Blaise Matuidi? That would be tough for her."
"I think she can get the better against Matuidi, especially when he already has 63 minutes of running in his legs. He is getting worn down, so she can take the advantage."
"Let's all hope so, Noriko." Sarah finished.
Back to Juventus Stadium, on the Manchester United bench:
"Nana!" Andrew called over from the group of substitutes warming up on the touchlines.
"Yes, Boss!"
"You're coming on. I'll call Frankie back, but I think he got Matuidi tired as well. So you provide attacking creativity in there."
"OK, Boss. I'll get ready." Nana replied.
The following corner led to nothing, but the Juventus coach felt that a change had to be made to hope swinging momentum. As such, Federico Bernardeschi was replaced by the veteran Croatian striker, Mario Mandžukić. However, Andrew responded by replacing Francisco with Nana in the 65th minute.
Daniel Mann: Francisco Serrano comes off. Nana Mishima comes on.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse:
"Nana is coming on!" Sarah exclaimed.
"Now this will get really interesting." Noriko said.
"I can't wait to see what she will do." Sarah finished.
Back to Juventus Stadium:
Nana ran to her assigned position, ready for action. She then locked gazes with Kakeru at some distance.
'Glad you made it, Seven. Let's show them how we mean business.' Kakeru thought.
'Let's do this, Kakeru.' Nana thought.
One of the tactical orders given by Andrew was for Kakeru and Santiago to interchange wings at will. Combined to Nana's arrival, it only took a few minutes before the tactical changes started having an effect. It was a nervous time for the home supporters in Turin.
In the 70th minute:
Daniel Mann: Köhler... Kristiansen.
From within his own half, Matthias passed the ball across the halfway line to Nikolaj. The Dane, then facing Bentancur, left the ball to Shawzy nearby. The English full-back launched a ball forward for Marius to receive at some distance in front of the Juventus penalty area.
Daniel Mann: Interesting ball for Van Leeuwen...
However, Marius was showing his back to the Juventus goal. As a result, the Dutchman passed the ball back to Yusuke, who then flicked the ball forward to Nana on the right. Blaise Matuidi arrived in front of the Little Witch, forcing her to stop with the ball.
Daniel Mann: Saeki... to Mishima...
Nana tried to look for support, but Santiago was already marked by Alex Sandro. She quickly thought about her next move.
'Let's see if he's ready for this.' Nana thought.
Nana attempted to go at the right of Matuidi with a roulette, but then stopped her turn to swiftly spin the other direction. The Little Witch left Matuidi flatfooted as she spun onto his left.
Daniel Mann: In some space...
"Witch Turn!" Noriko exclaimed as she saw the action unfold on the big screen at Victoria Warehouse.
"She has some space." Sarah said.
Thanks to the Witch Turn, Nana started running across the width and towards the inside. Miralem Pjanić scrambled to stop Nana, but she had time to make her move when she saw Kakeru making a run on the left and towards the far post (to Szczęsny's right).
'Get there, Kakeru!' Nana thought.
Nana immediately unleashed a long left-footed cross in that direction. Szczęsny and Bonucci ran into a position to stop any direct shot or volley as the shooting angle became more and more acute.
Daniel Mann: Good ball...
'No choice! I have to try this.' Kakeru thought.
Instead of attempting to touch the ball with his foot, Kakeru chose to make the contact on the ball with his head. Following the contact, the ball bounced off the very top of his forehead.
Daniel Mann: Can Aizawa get to it?
The looping ball first appeared as destined to miss the net although it went above both Szczęsny and Bonucci, but the spin effect after the bounce created a dip that led the ball towards the goal at the post opposite Kakeru's position. Giorgio Chiellini attempted to make a desperate jump towards the ball, but missed the vital touch. The end result stunned the whole Juventus Stadium and anyone else watching the match from around the world as it became Juventus 1-2 Manchester United with 20 minutes to go.
Daniel Mann: OHHH, HE HAS!!! OHHHH, HE HAS!!! A SENSATIONAL GOAL BY THE SENSATIONAL MARKSMAN FROM JAPAN!! Well, aside the voices of the United supporters filling the air, it's stunned silence! And that's the reason why.
The only noise that was heard in the stadium were the cheers coming from the enclave of away supporters and from the Manchester United players. On the pitch, Kakeru was quickly mobbed by his teammates.
"YATTA! (I DID IT!)" Kakeru shouted out loud.
"Great goal, Kakeru!" Nana congratulated.
"Well done, Knight!" several Manchester United players added.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse:
"Great goal, Kakeru! GREAT GOAL!" Noriko exclaimed.
"That was incredible!" Sarah added as she hugged Noriko.
"Incredible? That's a contender for the goal of the season!"
It was bedlam inside Red Square as the few hundreds of Manchester United supporters were cheering, jumping, and dancing after Kakeru's goal. Beer flew around for the second time of the night as typical of a crowd reaction in those events.
"I didn't think Kakeru would make it when he headed that ball. The angle was almost impossible, and there were a few players in front of him too." Sarah said.
"That was probably the only way he could score." Noriko replied. "The only way he could score was to let the pass bounce off his head, above goalkeeper and defenders."
"Now that we have the lead, I can't wait to see what comes next for us."
"Juventus are not used to trail behind at home, but they will try to hit us back with everything they have." Noriko said. "All we have to do is to keep things simple."
After a few celebrations, the Manchester United players walked their way towards the other side of the halfway line. On the way, Kakeru took a moment to congratulate Nana for her pass.
"That was a great Witch Turn before that pass, Seven."
"Thanks. You really found the only way to beat everyone there." Nana said.
"Just instinct. I didn't plan anything." Kakeru replied.
"That's why it was great." Nana finished.
By trailing behind on the scoreboard, Juventus were facing a situation they did not experience often in their home stadium. However, that Bianconeri side had more than enough firepower to retaliate. In the following minutes, the Juventus coach replaced Paulo Dybala and Blaise Matuidi with Brazilian left winger Douglas Costa and German midfielder Emre Can. Ronaldo was shifted on the right wing, but Yusuke continued to follow him everywhere. Having played all of his cards, the Juventus head coach could only hope and pray that his men would breach the Mancunian fortress one more time.
In the 84th minute:
Daniel Mann: Pjanić...
From inside his half, Miralem Pjanić made a long pass across the width of the pitch just as Nikolaj was pressing him. Kakeru tried to intercept the ball by jumping up and towards it. The ball bounced off Kakeru's head, but it continued towards the intended recipient, Alex Sandro.
Daniel Mann: Aizawa... Not tall enough to prevent it reaching Alex Sandro...
Kakeru was quickly on the run after Alex Sandro, but the Brazilian left-back was quick to pass the ball forward to his fellow countryman, Douglas Costa. At that moment, Diogo confronted Costa to try stopping the attack before the last quarter of the pitch.
Daniel Mann: This is Douglas Costa...
The Brazilian winger stopped his run for a split second, but then used a quick Hocus Pocus feint to move past Diogo. Douglas Costa was running quickly towards the Manchester United penalty area.
Daniel Mann: Oh! Away from Blanco beautifully...
Smelling the danger, Kakeru was running after Douglas Costa. The Japanese forward tried to grab Costa's arm for the purpose of slowing him down, but the Brazilian stood strong on his run forward. When Douglas Costa entered the Manchester United penalty area, he had no choice but to tone the grabbing down by a few notches.
Daniel Mann: ...and he holds off Aizawa AS WELL!
Douglas Costa quickly struck a left-footed shot that was aimed to roll across the goalkeeper. However, Jan managed to get his fingertips on the ball, making it roll just wide to the far post. Although Juventus earned a corner kick, the outstanding reflex reaction drew utter disbelief from the whole crowd in the stadium.
Daniel Mann: AHH!! And Farkas did just enough to tip it just wide!
"Good save, Wolf!" Kakeru congratulated his goalkeeper a double high five.
"Thanks, but stay focused." Jan replied.
Ahead of the ensuing corner kick, Kakeru and Nana moved in to each guard each one of the 2 goalposts while Jan was setting up their other teammates in the defense of the upcoming corner kick. Miralem Pjanić was ready to take the kick.
PEEP!
Pjanić whipped a ball that appeared to curl away from the goal, but it was a trick as Mario Mandžukić ran a few yards backwards to get in a position to strike the ball. The Croatian struck the half-volley towards the goal. A split second later, Giorgio Chiellini stuck his foot out to deflect the shot away from Jan, who already jumped in the wrong direction. However, something unexpected happened.
Daniel Mann: Mandžukić... Chiellini! Cleared off the line by Mishima! Oh, so vital!
When everyone thought that Chiellini would score past the Manchester United goalkeeper, Nana stuck the boot out to kick the ball away. Then the nearest Manchester United player kicked it down the pitch and out of bounds. Nana was quickly congratulated by her teammates.
"Well done, Seven! Nice save!" Kakeru said.
"Thanks, Kakeru!" Nana replied, giving Kakeru a double high five.
"Thanks, Witch!" Jan said.
"Anytime."
"Good thing you were there. Mandžukić really gave me a tough time." Matthias said.
"Just keep your eyes open, Skipper. Let's do this." Nana replied.
After that pair of scoring chances by Juventus, Manchester United worked hard to soak as much of the pressure as they could. To help with the situation, Andrew replaced Santiago with the big Serbian defensive midfielder, Aleksandar Rukavina. As a result, Nana was officially pushed forward as a playmaking midfielder although she was also tasked to fall back and defend if necessary. United were happy to keep passing the ball around when they had it, but they could also try taking advantage of any mistake made by a Juventus player.
In the 87th minute:
Daniel Mann: Saeki... pressed by Bentancur...
Yusuke ran with the ball across the halfway line and back inside his own half while Douglas Costa ran after him. Nevertheless, Yusuke curved his run towards the inside of the pitch before he made a long pass that was destined for Kakeru. However, the pass appeared to be rolling a little too far ahead.
'I must get to this.' Kakeru thought as he chased the ball.
João Cancelo got first to the ball before he tried to kick it down the pitch. However, the ball bounced off Kakeru and towards Nana, who then started an attack. It became a 3v3 situation with Kakeru, Nana, and Marius against Bonucci, Chiellini, and Alex Sandro.
Daniel Mann: Aizawa... ensuring they retrieve possession. This is Nana Mishima...
Nana continued running forward with the ball before she arrived right on the edge of the Juventus penalty area. Then Nana made a short pass forward to Kakeru, who then completed the give-and-go by passing the ball back to Nana.
Daniel Mann: Aizawa... Mishima...
João Cancelo and Emre Can quickly arrived to provide defensive support inside their own penalty area. Nana was shielding the ball as much as she could inside the penalty area, but she saw the ball poked away from her by Emre Can.
Daniel Mann: Emre Can got the challenge...
Nevertheless, the loose ball came within range of Kakeru. With a good sight on goal, Kakeru immediately took a right-footed shot with curl, pace, and accuracy. Wojciech Szczęsny made a desperate attempt to stop the shot, but the ball curled into the top corner of the goal!
Daniel Mann: OHH, HE'S BURIED IT!!! AIZAWA!!
Kakeru was celebrating the goal before he was interrupted by the referee's whistle. Looking across the width of the pitch, Kakeru saw the linesman's flag being raised for an offside call. The Japanese forward could only look aimlessly in disbelief. The other Manchester United players were shocked to see the goal disallowed as well.
Daniel Mann: Oh, it has been disallowed.
The ensuing TV replay showed that Kakeru was just a fraction ahead of the defenders when Nana initiated the give-and-go with him. The linesman hesitated for 3 seconds before he raised his flag, but it was the correct decision.
Daniel Mann: An offside is the verdict.
"Damn! I knew I should have passed it earlier." Nana said out loud.
"I don't believe this!" Kakeru exclaimed as well.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse:
"Why didn't you pass the ball earlier, Nana?" Noriko asked out loud.
"A split second too late in the give-and-go. I can't argue with that." Sarah replied.
"That's a real shame. With another goal, we would have almost finished them before the second leg at Old Trafford."
"Hopefully, that should cool Juventus down for a moment." Sarah said.
"Knocking on wood." Noriko finished.
Although United missed a glorious opportunity to put the game away, the home side cooled their attacking ambitions down for a few minutes. But the sense of urgency became a lot greater among the Juventus players as the clock kept ticking down towards full time. Andrew made his final substitution by replacing Kakeru with the more versatile and energetic Kevin Flynn in injury time. However, the Bianconeri kept on attacking until the final whistle.
In the last minute of injury time:
Daniel Mann: Emre Can. Now to Pjanić...
The Bosnian midfielder received the pass from his German teammate before he crossed the halfway line, inside the Manchester United half. Aleksandar hustled back to challenge Pjanić for ball control. The Serbian poked the ball slightly away from the Bosnian, but the former was shrugged off by his opponent. As a result, Pjanić continued pushing forward.
Daniel Mann: Held off the challenge... and on he drives.
As Pjanic arrived inside the final third of the pitch, he passed the ball ahead to Ronaldo. The Portuguese soon found himself facing Yusuke again.
Daniel Mann: Ronaldo now for Juventus...
Finding no way to move forward, Ronaldo passed the ball to Douglas Costa on the left. The Brazilian midfielder entered the Manchester United penalty area, but was confronted by Diogo.
Daniel Mann: Douglas Costa... Looking for a gap...
Douglas Costa was pushed back a few yards by Diogo. Nevertheless, the Brazilian also saw Pjanić running in a shooting position. Without any hesitation, Douglas Costa rolled the ball into the "D" in front of the penalty area for Pjanić to shoot.
Daniel Mann: PJANIĆ!!
The Bosnian struck the ball with aplomb, but the shot went off Erik and out of play. Nevertheless, it was a corner kick and one final opportunity for Juventus.
Daniel Mann: Oh, the deflection could have gone anywhere. It's a corner kick for Juventus.
"Come on, y'all! One last play to defend!" Matthias galvanized his teammates.
"Let's get the job done!" Yusuke added to the rally cry.
Players from both teams positioned themselves inside the Manchester United penalty area. The Juventus goalkeeper also moved forward to join his teammates inside the box. Nana took her usual position at the far post, but she also spotted the Juventus captain, Giorgio Chiellini, whispering something into Cristiano Ronaldo's ear.
'What are you plotting now?' Nana asked in her thoughts.
Daniel Mann: One last roll of a dice.
PEEP!
Standing by the corner flag on Jan's right, Miralem Pjanić whipped the ball towards the edge of the 6-yard box at the near post. The ball went off a couple of players before it went off Mario Mandžukić and towards Jan. At the very same time the ball was kicked off, Ronaldo was being marked tightly by Yusuke as the former moved towards the ball. However, Giorgio Chiellini arrived with a shoulder charge to shake Yusuke off Ronaldo.
Daniel Mann: It goes off Bonucci...
Jan was jumping forward to smother the loose ball with both hands, but Ronaldo stuck his right foot in to loosen Jan's grasp on the ball. Then Leonardo Bonucci took the shot into the yawning cage.
Daniel Mann: Ronaldo's in! BONUCCI!!
The Juventus supporters started celebrating the goal as they thought it was 2-2 at last. However, the referee blew his whistle repeatedly to signal a disallowed goal. When the Juventus players realized that the goal had been ruled out, they surrounded the referee in protest.
"No! No! È un buon gol! (No! No! It is a good goal!)" Leonardo Bonucci protested to the referee.
"No way! It's a good goal!" Cristiano Ronaldo added.
"Why it's disallowed? It's a bad call!" Giorgio Chiellini asked for an explanation.
"The goalkeeper was fouled when he was about to catch the ball. Free kick, Manchester United!" the referee replied.
Daniel Mann: It has been disallowed; it won't count. The Juventus players are furious, but the referee gives a free kick to Manchester United.
"Cazzo! (****!)" Bonucci cursed.
"Oh, come on! That's ridiculous." Chiellini lamented.
"I went after the ball. The goalkeeper didn't have it." Ronaldo defended his case, but to no avail.
Meanwhile on the Manchester United bench:
"That was close." Kakeru said.
"Yeah. Good thing the ref saw the foul." Santiago replied.
"How can Ronaldo get away with no card?" Francisco asked.
"I don't know." Kakeru replied.
"Fury was blocked by Chiellini too. That should have been a yellow card too." Chris said.
"I know, Clarkey. The referee has been rather lenient with Juventus on that front." Kakeru finished.
In the end, the referee did not dish any yellow card to anybody in the aftermath of the foul. The following free kick was almost like a goal kick in the context that the goalkeeper was set to take it while players moved outside of the penalty area. Since the incident took place with only a handful of seconds left in injury time, everyone expected the referee to blow the final whistle after the kick.
PEEP PEEP PEEEEEEEEEP!!!
Daniel Mann: We've reached the halfway point in the tie, and it has been a great night's work for this Manchester United team. Even though Juventus scored the first goal, United created chances to turn things around. They could have extended the lead that they will take back to Manchester, but it is a one-goal lead. At the halfway point in the tie, it is Juventus 1-2 Manchester United.
Right after the final whistle, the Manchester United substitutes rushed on the pitch to celebrate with their teammates. On the other hand, the Juventus players and supporters were left with shock and dismay at the fact that their nearly impregnable fortress just got breached.
Meanwhile at Victoria Warehouse, it was joy and relief for the Manchester United supporters:
"YEAH! BIG WIN!!" Noriko shouted.
"UNITED! UNITED! UNITED!" the Manchester United supporters shouted in unison.
"We won! We won!" Sarah exclaimed as she hugged Noriko.
"I know! Now we have both a lead and 2 away goals to take into Old Trafford in 3 weeks." Noriko replied.
"That means Juventus have to score at least 2 goals to hope something, right?"
"Yeah, but I'm really confident that we will get in the quarterfinals." Noriko said.
"I hope it too. Let's see in 3 weeks." Sarah replied.
"We will get there." Noriko finished.
Back to Juventus Stadium:
"Good game, Aizawa. You scored a great goal." Giorgio Chiellini shook hands with Kakeru.
"Thanks, Chiellini. I didn't expect to score that." Kakeru replied.
"Just pure instinct."
"Bella partita." Leonardo Bonucci shook hands with Kakeru.
"Grazie."
"Good game." Nana came too shake hands with both Chiellini and Bonucci.
"Thank you." Chiellini said. "That move on Matuidi before Aizawa's goal... I heard about it, but it was the first time I saw it."
"Well, I don't use it very often these days." Nana replied.
Meanwhile, Yusuke and Cristiano Ronaldo were having a chat a few yards away
"Good game. I didn't think you would be that good." Ronaldo said.
"Thanks." Yusuke replied. "No hard feelings."
"None, but I will beat you in a few weeks. This is not over."
"I will be ready, Cristiano." Yusuke finished before he walked to shake hands with the 2 Italian defenders.
"Tuttavia, non contarci ancora come battuti. Combatteremo nella prossima partita, lo prometto." Bonucci said.
"He said that you should not count us as beaten yet. We will fight in the next match, he promises." Chiellini translated for his teammate.
Kakeru smiled at the challenge issued by the Italian defender. "We'll be up to the challenge. See you at Old Trafford."
That part didn't need an translation as the challenge has clearly been accepted. After a few more handshakes around, the Manchester United players stayed on the pitch for a couple of minutes as they saluted their supporters.
"How was it for you to shut down Cristiano Ronaldo?" Kakeru asked Yusuke. "It must have been quite a thrill."
"It sure is. I have watched Ronaldo in action for years. By earning his respect, I couldn't ask for any better tonight." Yusuke replied.
"That's good. It's a proof that you are in their league now." Kakeru said.
"I think we opened up a lot of people's eyes tonight. Beating a team that is considered to be a favorite is a strong message." Nana said.
"Yeah, and that's why we will have to be readier next time we play against them." Kakeru replied.
A little later, the Manchester United players went back to their dressing room. Despite the win, the dressing room was quiet as everyone knew that it was only one match. Andrew Butler made a short speech to congratulate the players before he reminded them of upcoming matches before they can reach the quarterfinals. The victory in Turin was a strong statement, but the Italian job was not quite finished yet.
Thursday February 21
Manchester Airport, Manchester, UK
7:00 AM GMT
A little more than one day after the return from Turin, Nana was set to fly away again. This time, she had to join the Japanese National Women's Team for a short international tournament on American soil. On the morning of Thursday, Kakeru took Nana to Manchester Airport, where she would then take the 7:50 AM flight to Philadelphia.
"To think that they are starting this tournament in Philadelphia... Isn't it cold over there these days?" Kakeru asked.
"I read that the historical averages are 8ºC (46.4ºF) in the day and -1ºC (30.2ºF) at night. It will be colder than Manchester, but it's nothing I can't endure before we get to warmer places afterwards." Nana replied.
"I really wish you could stay with us to face Liverpool on March 2nd." Kakeru said.
"Me too, but it is a tournament that I've always wanted to be part of ever since it started existing. Besides, I trust Yusuke, Nicky, and Frankie to do a good job for the time being." Nana replied.
"Will you watch the Liverpool game?" Kakeru asked.
"I will be in Nashville on that day, and it will be 6:30 AM over there. The girls and I should be able to watch the game on the NBC Sports broadcast."
"Good. We will go for the 3 points at Old Trafford then." Kakeru said.
"Think about Watford first and then Wolves. Besides, don't forget that you have a training session at 10:00 AM today to start with." Nana replied.
"I promise." Kakeru said. "Well... I guess it is time for me to let you go."
"Yeah. It is time." Nana replied.
"It is always tough for me to see you go no matter how many times I go through it." Kakeru said.
"Kiss me and smile for me then."
Upon those words, Kakeru hugged Nana before they kissed each other. When Kakeru felt he was comforted well enough with the kiss, he showed her that smile she wanted to see.
"Best of luck in America, Nana." Kakeru said.
"Thanks, Kakeru. Stay strong." Nana replied.
"Make sure you come back healthy so we can finish the Italian job together."
"Deal." Nana finished before she walked towards the check-in area.
Kakeru remained at the airport to see Nana's plane take off before he left on his way home. While Nana was in America, United won 2-0 against Watford away (February 23) and then 2-0 against Wolverhampton Wanderers at home (February 26) to maintain position at the top of the Premier League table on superior goal difference. Kakeru didn't score in those 2 matches, but he took over parts of Nana's job as a creative outlet. With February coming to a close, the Red Devils prepared themselves even harder ahead of what the English call as "the best fixture in the land."
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