The entire stadium held its breath, and Manchester United fans were silent; many of them didn't dare to look.
The Cambridge United fans were the same; at this moment, they truly experienced a part of the agony that fans of wealthy and top-tier teams endure in the stands during crucial battles, year after year.
Huang Hao stood with his hands in his pockets, looking at Manchester United's penalty area; his expression seemed calm, but many could tell he was just feigning composure.
Did he not care?
He cared more than anyone!
Lewandowski stood at the penalty spot, facing goalkeeper Van der Sar, under immense pressure. After the referee blew his whistle, a composed Lewandowski took a deep breath, began his run-up, and after reaching the ball, he swung his right leg and unleashed a powerful shot.
The ball flew straight towards the middle-right of the goal, while Manchester United's goalkeeper Van der Sar dived to the left!
He misjudged; if he had stayed still on the goal line, he might have had a chance to save the shot.
Lewandowski was too afraid of shooting wide, so he didn't deliberately aim for the corner.
Regardless, the goal went in! When the Manchester United players saw the ball fly into their net, they lowered their heads, turned, and walked towards the center circle, preparing for the kickoff. If there was enough stoppage time, they would certainly launch another fierce attack.
As they turned, behind them, Lewandowski sprinted wildly towards the corner flag, and the Cambridge United players ran towards Lewandowski, roaring with abandon.
Even Huang Hao on the sidelines couldn't control his excitement; dressed in a suit, he rushed past Ferguson like a gust of wind, heading towards the corner flag. He wanted to celebrate with his players.
Huang Hao, roaring in the wind as he sprinted 60 yards to celebrate with the Cambridge United players, was full of passion under the gaze of thousands!
“Lewandowski scores! Lewandowski converts the penalty! 4:3! 4:3! Cambridge United makes a comeback, is counter-comebacked, and now they make another comeback!
This thrilling and unpredictable match is so captivating!
This damned match, this damned football!
I love football to death!”
Many fans in the Park Stadium stands shed tears of excitement; just over a minute ago, they were incredibly anxious due to Manchester United's counter-attack, but now they could enjoy immense joy. This rollercoaster of emotions made many feel as if they were dreaming, so happy they could go crazy, so joyful they could faint!
In the corner flag area, Lewandowski was tackled to the ground by his teammates, who were roaring wildly. When Huang Hao rushed over, Huang Hao first embraced Tadić, then put an arm around Lewandowski, who had just stood up, and excitedly shouted to them: “You guys are amazing! An incredible performance! I’m proud of you, I’m proud of you! Damn it! You are the best players in the world!”
The players also came over to hug Huang Hao. Lewandowski cupped Huang Hao’s face with both hands and shouted back to him: “Boss, you are the best! Thank you! Thank you!”
On the stands, the Cambridge United fans, whose hearts were pounding and emotions uncontrollable, happily watched the scene of the coach and players embracing in celebration on the field.
Ferguson, on the sidelines, motioned to his players with a stoic expression, instructing them to push forward and attack with all their might after the kickoff!
As the players began to walk towards the midfield and backline, Huang Hao instantly realized he needed to make substitutions, so he sprinted back towards his dugout.
His frantic sprint made many Cambridge United fans in the stands burst into laughter.
Huang Hao's behavior at that moment was a bit comical, but no Cambridge United fan was mocking him; rather, it was a happy laugh. Who hasn't had a moment where they got carried away?
Huang Hao ran to celebrate when his team scored, and now he was racing against time, rushing past Ferguson like a gust of wind again, returning to the dugout. Darren had already prepared all the substitute players except the goalkeeper, ready to heed Huang Hao's instructions at any moment.
Lynn couldn't be more satisfied with Darren's arrangements.
There were actually only a dozen seconds left in stoppage time, but because Swansea scored a penalty and the celebration consumed time, the referee might add a little more time at his discretion.
Huang Hao called Sun Jihai, Smith, and O'Connor over, and in a few words, he gave them their tasks for when they entered the field.
Then he had the three players enter the field together.
The players substituted off for Cambridge United were the forwards Lewandowski, Vardy, and Mahrez!
As the three walked off the field, thunderous applause echoed throughout the stadium; all Cambridge United fans stood up and applauded in tribute!
Sun Jihai came on to strengthen the defense on the right flank, while O'Connor and Smith increased the defensive solidity in midfield.
Ferguson shook his head slightly when he saw Huang Hao's substitutions; at this moment, he couldn't help but admire Huang Hao.
This kid's decisiveness was something he had never seen before in the coaching circle.
The Manchester United players kicked off again under immense pressure. After their kickoff, Cambridge United began to defend tightly in their midfield and backline.
This made the Manchester United players very uncomfortable, as Cambridge United had practically surrounded the dangerous area in front of their goal, making it impenetrable, like a fortress they couldn't breach.
At this point, individual breakthroughs were certainly not a wise choice, and there was no space for passing and movement. In the end, Manchester United could only resort to long balls to try their luck. But Cambridge United had three defenders with good aerial ability in the penalty area: Lovren, Van Dijk, and M'Vila. After Gary Neville lofted the ball into the box, Van Dijk easily jumped next to Rooney and headed the ball clear.
Although the ball flew out of the penalty area and landed at Carrick's feet, O'Connor, who had rushed out from the side, quickly dispossessed him. Then Kante immediately followed with a long kick that sent the ball towards Manchester United's half, and after landing, the ball rolled out over the touchline in the attacking third.
Manchester United needed to run back to take the throw-in, which led referee Vili to finally blow his whistle, signaling the end of the entire match. The moment the whistle sounded, a deafening cheer erupted in Park Stadium.
The Cambridge United players on the field clenched their fists and roared to the sky!
The Red Devils players, on the other hand, looked somewhat dejected and exchanged glances.
“Referee Vili has blown the final whistle. After 90 minutes of intense battle, Cambridge United defeated reigning champions Manchester United 4:3 at home! Congratulations to Cambridge United, their performance deserves the victory!”
“What a match this was! Manchester United took the lead first, Cambridge United then overturned Manchester United, Manchester United then counter-overturned Cambridge United, and finally Cambridge United overturned Manchester United again in 8 minutes to complete the decisive goal!
Look at the shooting statistics for both teams: Cambridge United 24 shots, Manchester United 21 shots, a total of 45 shots. This averages out to one shot every two minutes, a statistic that fully demonstrates how intense the offensive play was in this match!”
“Alright, the live broadcast of this match has come to an end. Inside Park Stadium, the Cambridge United players are celebrating their victory. Congratulations to them again. Next, they can rest for a week. Next weekend, they will visit Portsmouth in the FA Cup Quarter-finals, challenging the Premier League team Portsmouth. If Cambridge United defeats Portsmouth away, then they will reach the FA Cup semi-finals, not far from the championship!
We wish them good luck, and dear viewers, we will see you on next week's match day!”
The Cambridge United team anthem echoed inside Park Stadium, and fans lingered in the stands, reluctant to leave. They wanted to interact closely with the players on the field and share in the joy after the match.
The players stood hand in hand in a line, going to each stand to thank the fans for their support.
After the match, Huang Hao shook hands briefly with a grim-faced Ferguson, then he walked onto the field to hug and celebrate with his players.
After he had hugged every player, he raised his fist towards the stands and waved, then, with a smile, clapped his hands above his head as he walked towards the player's tunnel.
Ferguson encountered BBC post-match interview reporter Brian Horton in the mixed interview zone inside Park Stadium, but Horton was met with a cold shoulder. Ferguson completely ignored him, brushing past him, and no matter how Horton called out, he couldn't get the old Sir to change his mind and accept the interview.
In fact, this wasn't because Ferguson was in a bad mood from losing, but because Ferguson had just fallen out with the BBC, and Manchester United had also implemented a new policy: no post-match interviews with the BBC.
The incident originated from the BBC's flagship current affairs program “Panorama,” which exposed Ferguson's alleged involvement in football corruption, using his connections for various illicit activities. After the incident, Ferguson adopted a tough stance of boycotting the BBC.
Various departments related to the Premier League, such as the League Committee and the Players' Union, were actively mediating between the two parties, but unfortunately, Ferguson was unyielding and always true to his word!
That’s why he refused to accept post-match interviews with the BBC.
No one knows how long it will last.
However, the English Football Association stipulates that post-match interviews with the BBC must be accepted, and refusal will result in a £1,000 fine. Ferguson, having been a coach for many years and having a substantial fortune, didn't mind this small amount of money. The Premier League only has 38 matches a year, so it's just £38,000. Ferguson spent the money for peace of mind and to embarrass the BBC, which is not something ordinary people can do by spending tens of thousands of pounds.
Moreover, Ferguson only demanded that the BBC apologize and clarify the truth to clear his name. After all, the broadcast of this BBC documentary had a significant impact on Ferguson. His relationship with the board has deteriorated, partly due to this factor, as the BBC raised 99 questions about Manchester United's transfers in the documentary and concluded by commenting: Ferguson clearly treated this team as his own backyard.
Now, the BBC stands firm on its position and refuses to apologize, leading to a complete breakdown between both sides.
If you're done with Ferguson, you're completely done.
This is a famous saying that has circulated in English football for a long time, applicable to anyone who opposes Ferguson. Now even the BBC has tasted this feeling.
Brian Horton felt helpless; his job certainly involved the highest post-match interview visibility, and if he could interview a famous coach, it would be of great benefit to his career.
As a result, Ferguson had a falling out with his employer, and he became an innocent victim, causing his work to be affected as well.
He could only wait for Huang Hao to arrive.
When Huang Hao arrived, he was very accommodating and talked with Brian Horton for a long time.
In evaluating the match, Huang Hao repeatedly used words like “perfect” to describe the performance of the Cambridge United players.
As for Brian Horton's questioning of the defense's performance due to Cambridge United conceding three goals, Huang Hao shook his head and said: “Conceding goals is unavoidable for every team. There is no team in the world that will never concede goals. If not conceding goals is perfect, then only God can do it. Sorry, we are human, and there are times when we are powerless, but as long as we do our best within our capabilities, then that is perfect!”
Looking ahead to the Premier League title race, Huang Hao also gave Ferguson some face, saying: “Manchester United’s heritage and tradition mean they can sometimes unleash terrifying combat power in adversity. Their biggest opponent right now is Chelsea, but they also need to be wary of Manchester United’s late surge. Towards the end of the season, title contenders will have to fight on multiple fronts! But this season’s Chelsea is formidable, so I believe this season’s champion will be Chelsea!”
North London, Carlo Ancelotti's home.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti watched this Premier League showdown at Park Stadium from his home.
When he finished watching the match, he let out a long sigh of relief. Eight minutes before the end of the match, he truly thought Manchester United had won!
At the very least, they could hold onto a draw.
But in the end, Cambridge United completed the comeback, which allowed Chelsea to open up a four-point gap over Manchester United.
A four-point difference, not too much, but not too little either.
Carlo Ancelotti turned off the television, his mind contemplating the upcoming March schedule.
Chelsea, having lost 1:2 to Inter Milan of Serie A in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 away, still needed to strive for a victory in the second leg. The FA Cup match against Stoke City was not a big problem.
But for now, Manchester United won away against AC Milan, and the second leg at home should not be too difficult. Moreover, Manchester United has already been eliminated from the FA Cup, so relatively speaking, they have fewer matches and less difficulty.
On Monday morning, Huang Hao came downstairs in his pajamas, carrying a cup of coffee, and walked to the pet park built in the front yard. He looked inside over the almost 1.6-meter-high fence and immediately smelled a foul odor as he drank his coffee.
It was a complete mess; the Rottweiler and Labrador's feces and urine were everywhere. The two little ones were smart, though; they hadn't relieved themselves in their doghouses and were currently just peeking their little heads out of their doghouses, still sound asleep.
Seeing the mess they had made outside the doghouses, Huang Hao sighed softly.
The two puppies in the doghouse seemed to sense Huang Hao's arrival, opened their eyes, looked towards Huang Hao, and then rushed out, barking happily at Huang Hao. Lynn brought some dog food, put it into their two eating bowls, and then placed the bowls in front of them. The two puppies immediately began to gobble it down.
Huang Hao walked to the steps by the fountain and sat down, continuing to drink his coffee.
After a short while, 9 AM arrived.
Someone rang the doorbell outside the villa gate. Huang Hao, who was in the yard, looked towards the sound and saw a person standing outside the gate, appearing to be in their 40s, somewhat short in stature, probably around 1.7 meters. This was quite short compared to the tall men he was used to seeing in Europe.
However, he was dressed very meticulously, in a suit and tie, and even wearing a bow tie. Huang Hao pressed the remote, and the villa gate slowly opened. The man walked in with his head held high and chest out, approaching Huang Hao with a calm and composed demeanor.
Huang Hao smiled, extended his hand to him, and said, “You must be George Ince, right? I am Huang Hao.”
Huang Hao had seen his photo and information last night; this was the butler he had hired. After reaching the Premier League, Huang Hao also splurged a bit, buying a villa in Cambridge with Li Jianqin. After all, he was a person with hundreds of millions in assets; he couldn't keep living in an apartment, which was not only small but also made it inconvenient to work.
The villa was bought, but it was so large, and Huang Hao often traveled to various places, making it inconvenient to manage. So, he decided to hire a butler.