In the second half, both teams switched sides and resumed play, competing fiercely.
Following Huang Hao's post-match summary from the previous game, Cambridge United's players became more proactive in their awareness when facing pressing and physical challenges.
In the 53rd minute of the match, Huang Hao made an unexpected substitution.
Juninho, who had been performing excellently, was replaced by Gotze.
Huang Hao wanted Juninho to get some rest, so the player had no objections.
Gotze's entry brought fresh vitality to the team; although he couldn't organize attacks as brilliantly as Juninho, he was more comprehensive, and his running speed was slightly faster than Juninho's.
Just three minutes after he came on, Di Michele dropped back to receive a pass from Dier.
After controlling the ball, he attempted to turn and break through.
O'Connor seized the opportunity, cutting across him at the moment he turned and nudging the ball away.
Di Michele immediately turned to win the ball back, but O'Connor, after a one-two with M'Vila, shook him off.
As O'Connor advanced the attack to near the center circle, he looked up to survey the situation ahead.
Noticing Lewandowski's run, he decisively launched a long pass!
A long pass was sent soaring into West Ham United's penalty area, the ball arcing through the air like a parabola.
Just as it was about to descend to the ground, Lewandowski was already engaged in a physical contest with Upson inside the box.
He received the ball with his back to goal, and Upson attempted to stick out a leg to clear it, but Lewandowski was quicker, flicking the ball back diagonally with his chest.
Gotze was seen running diagonally from the right side of the box.
After he controlled the ball, Kovacic tried to intercept him, already lifting his leg to block his shooting lane, but Gotze continued to dribble the ball horizontally.
Parker, chasing back from behind, looked like he had caught up, but Gotze changed direction again, dribbling diagonally into the penalty area.
Tomkins, who had initially tried to block him, was directly bypassed by Gotze due to a misjudgment in his interception line!
Gotze, who had circled halfway from outside the box to penetrate the penalty area, glanced at the goal and then took a shot with his left foot!
He aimed specifically for the near post.
Goalkeeper Green, diving across, gave his all but was still a step too late, and the ball rolled into the net, just inside the near post!
Seeing his goal, Gotze immediately roared with excitement.
He rushed towards the away fans' stand, and Cambridge United supporters cheered his name, celebrating wildly!
"2-0! Gotze's performance is absolutely brilliant!
He's like a slippery sea fish, weaving through West Ham United's defense, continuously dribbling to evade defenders outside the box, then suddenly changing direction and bursting into the area to shoot.
He's driving his markers crazy!
Now Cambridge United leads by two goals at the Olympic Stadium!"
This is an era where modern wingers are rising, and Cambridge United is leading the trend!
After scoring, Gotze sprinted towards the away team's bench.
As he ran, he raised his left fist and roared.
Huang Hao watched him run from a distance, getting closer and closer, until Gotze leaped into Huang Hao's embrace.
The coach and player hugged tightly, both still raising their fists behind each other's backs!
That was their declaration of war against England!
Who can stop us?
Joining the team at 15, Gotze has spent two and a half years gradually adapting to professional football, then being specially cultivated by the Cambridge United coaching staff.
How strong is he now?
Perhaps there's no comparison with Cristiano Ronaldo; they're not on the same level yet.
However, among U20 players, those who can perform as he does in top-tier matches are truly few and far between.
Unbeknownst to him, Gotze already considers himself a part of Cambridge United, and by the end of this season, he will also become a Cambridge United Academy player!
He wants to pledge his loyalty to the team here, burning his youth!
To vanquish demons for Cambridge United on the path of conquering all sides and creating miracles!
The other players also gathered around.
Huang Hao cupped Gotze's face, laughing aloud, then praised the players' performance, applauding them and encouraging them to keep up the good work.
Zola turned to look at the celebration between the Cambridge United coach and player, his eyes filled with naked envy.
What kind of team is Cambridge United, after all?
Is it that Huang Hao is too good at winning people's hearts, or has he truly touched his disciples, making them wholeheartedly devote themselves to him!
In the top European leagues, there are very few teams willing to boldly use and trust young players.
Cambridge United, throughout its journey, has been full of human warmth, never having purged any player due to tactical needs.
Basically, players leave because they want to seek better opportunities elsewhere.
Secondly, although Huang Hao's salary isn't high, his care on a spiritual level and in daily life is very thorough.
No team in the world remembers every player's birthday by heart and sends gifts on that day, regardless of whether the player is a starter, a substitute, or a rotational player.
As long as they are a Cambridge United first-team player, the club has always done this job meticulously.
To make players feel happy at the club, there isn't much profound knowledge involved; it simply comes down to whether one is willing to do it.
Huang Hao watched the Cambridge United players return to the field.
He put away his smile and adopted a stern expression.
This season, many players had embraced him after scoring goals, but when Gotze proactively ran to embrace him just now without saying a word, only expressing his support and love through action, a surge of confidence immediately welled up within him.
There will be many tough battles and many difficulties ahead!
But he was certain that no one could stop Cambridge United from completing this chapter of miracles!
Before West Ham United restarted the game, Cambridge United made another substitution.
Lewandowski came off, and Kane came on.
Huang Hao specifically waited by the sideline for Lewandowski to come off.
After he walked off the pitch and high-fived Kane to complete the handover, Huang Hao stepped forward and patted Lewandowski's shoulder.
He smiled at Huang Hao, then walked to the substitutes' bench, high-fiving each teammate there, and then went to the last row of seats to rest.
Although he didn't score today as a starter, his contribution to the team was evident, and Cambridge United had no major problem securing this match, so there was no need to provoke the opponent just for a goal!
After West Ham United restarted the game, they intensified their attack, but their playing style remained somewhat simplistic.
They hadn't even set up an offensive starting formation today, and Cole and Di Michele found it difficult to get excellent shooting opportunities.
In the 69th minute of the match, full-back Neil pushed forward to assist, opening up play on the left wing.
He received Kovacic's pass, drove to the byline, and delivered a cross.
Cole, in the center of the goal, squandered a point-blank header, incredibly sending it over the crossbar!
This was somewhat reflective of West Ham United's recent form: creating many scoring opportunities, but always falling short by a hair's breadth, turning a small miss into a huge one.
The Hammers fans sighed in disappointment from the stands.
Cole himself buried his head in his hands, showing his frustration.
Cambridge United, on their part, continued to attack with full effort.
In the 72nd minute of the match, De Vrij surged forward to participate in the attack.
After receiving a pass from O'Connor, he played a wall pass with Gotze, who had moved closer from the front, breaking through Noble's defense in one swift move.
Upon reaching a dangerous attacking zone, De Vrij observed the defensive tendency of full-back Neil.
Neil was still more focused on blocking the inside lane, meaning he was wary of Mahrez cutting inside.
De Vrij then dribbled towards Neil.
Neil had no choice but to divert his attention, but just as De Vrij reached him, and Neil prepared to intercept, De Vrij passed the ball horizontally to Mahrez.
Neil immediately turned and rushed towards Mahrez.
Mahrez released the ball with one touch, knocking it into the open space in the penalty area's rib.
After releasing the ball, De Vrij cut into the penalty area outside Neil, making it almost a one-on-one situation, because center-back Upson immediately rushed to clear the ball.
De Vrij, with all his might, managed to poke the ball towards the center before Upson could reach it.
Upson instinctively tightened his legs but was still too slow, and the ball rolled between his legs.
Kane took a shot from the center of the penalty area, but Tomkins slid in and blocked the ball with his thigh!
Kane looked up at the sky and sighed.
"Kane's shot was blocked by Tomkins with his body.
It seems the young player is out of luck today."
Huang Hao's expression on the sideline was normal.
He didn't mind Kane slowly finding his rhythm.
As long as Kane appeared in the right positions and didn't play too impatiently, goals would come naturally.
In the 75th minute of the match, Huang Hao used his last substitution.
Mahrez came off, and Smith came on.
Perhaps due to having rested for a period, Smith was even more active on the field, and the pace of offensive organization in the front third was very fast.
In the 79th minute of the match, after controlling the ball in the attacking third, he evaded Parker's press on the spot, then dribbled two steps forward, encountering Kovacic's frontal defense.
He suddenly threaded a diagonal pass into the open space in the right rib of the penalty area.
This was a textbook through ball, the football rolling diagonally between the two center-backs.
Gotze powerfully cut into the right rib of the penalty area, and after receiving Smith's pass, he shot directly!
His shot was very powerful, but unfortunately lacked angle.
Goalkeeper Green moved one step to the left and tried to hold the ball, but the ball speed was too fast; he could only parry it away.
Even so, his arms felt sore and numb, showing how much power was in Gotze's shot, given the close range.
Cambridge United, completely dominating the match, attacked like a surging tide.
Two minutes later, Smith created another opportunity for Kane to shoot inside the box with a chip pass.
Kane, who had successfully beaten the offside trap, met the descending ball and used an unconventional technique, flicking the ball sideways towards the goal with his right foot.
Goalkeeper Green had already thrown his hands up in surrender; he had rushed out of his goal but hadn't anticipated Kane would shoot that way, and the ball flew over his head.
All the fans were dumbfounded, and Cambridge United fans hoped the ball would fall into the net, as such an improvised shot would surely become the best goal of the round.
However, the ball ultimately flew over the crossbar.
Kane scratched his head, then wiped his face, feeling helpless about it.
Huang Hao, however, clapped on the sideline as encouragement.
In the 85th minute of the match, Di Michele dropped back to receive Noble's pass, turned, and dribbled forward.
He used acceleration and a change of direction to shake off O'Connor, then took a direct shot from 32 yards out.
This shot was entirely a gamble, and it was blocked by Van Dijk with his body inside the penalty area.
However, Cole almost succeeded in a sneak attack, but fortunately, M'Vila was alert and kicked the ball to the left wing first.
In the 87th minute of the match, when Kane and Gotze played a wall pass and reached a spot 30 yards from the goal outside the penalty area, Kane had just controlled the ball when he was fouled from behind by Kovacic, falling to the ground.
The referee whistled for Kovacic's foul, awarding Cambridge United a direct free-kick in the attacking third.
West Ham United's players set up their defensive line in the penalty area and formed a wall outside the box.
O'Connor was to take the free-kick for Cambridge United.
After the referee blew his whistle to signal the free-kick could be taken, O'Connor calmly surveyed the situation in front of him, then began his run-up.
He stopped in front of the ball, swung his leg, and unleashed a powerful shot!
The ball flew between the heads of Di Michele and Dier in the wall, heading straight for the top-left corner of the goal!
Goalkeeper Green had no time to react because the ball speed was too fast, and it had pierced through the wall!
He was too far from where the ball was flying!
Bang!
O'Connor's shot was powerful, but disappointingly, it hit the underside of the crossbar and deflected towards the ground.
Unluckily, it landed on the ground inside the six-yard box, not inside the goal!
At this moment, a group of people inside the penalty area were all rushing towards where the ball rebounded.
Upson was the first to reach the ball's second landing spot.
He jumped up and tried to clear it with a header, but the ball only grazed him, still remaining in the penalty area.
In the chaos, Tomkins was the first to kick the ball to clear it, but surrounded by players, his kick hit his teammate Neil.
After another deflection, the ball was still in the penalty area.
At this moment, someone from the chaotic crowd stepped forward and blasted a shot towards West Ham United's goal!
Green had no time to make a save; the ball flew straight into the bottom-right corner of the goal!
Then Grenier was seen raising his right fist and shouting as he rushed towards the sideline!
"Grenier kicks the ball into West Ham United's goal in the penalty area scramble!
This free-kick was truly dramatic, with twists and turns.
O'Connor's shot was agonizingly close to being a goal, and West Ham had two chances to clear but made mistakes.
Upson's header only slightly changed the ball's trajectory, and Tomkins's clearance hit his teammate Neil.
As a result, the ball, still in the penalty area, was finally blasted into the net by a Cambridge United player!
Grenier changed the score to 3-0.
Cambridge United completely defeated West Ham United away from home.
After the rollercoaster match against Tottenham in the previous round, Cambridge United transformed today, continuing to march forward with a well-deserved victory!"
Zola lowered his head in frustration, while Huang Hao turned around and high-fived Darren forcefully!
West Ham United, having conceded three goals, completely lost their fighting spirit.
They felt that fate had played a cruel joke on them.
The first half of the season couldn't be described as smooth sailing, but at least it was worry-free.
However, the past month and more in the middle of the season felt like an un-waking nightmare!
After this defeat, they would now have to fight for survival!
This was not alarmist talk, but the harsh reality laid bare before their eyes.
The final few minutes of the match became calm.
West Ham United had accepted their defeat, and Cambridge United also reined in their attack.
When referee De Urso blew the final whistle, the away fans' stand at the Olympic Stadium presented a magnificent sight.
Cambridge United fans, with arms around each other, swayed from side to side like surging waves.
They sang their team anthem, and Cambridge United flags danced in the wind, forming a beautiful and spectacular landscape in the stadium stands.
Now, the fans also firmly believed that the invincible Cambridge United would write the most shocking miracle in Premier League history!