In the 39th minute, Portsmouth midfielder Sweeney's shot from outside the box deflected off Van Dijk and went out for a corner.
They then took a tactical corner, passing the ball to Boateng, who had advanced into the box.
His long-range shot caused chaos in the penalty area, and striker Utaka swept the ball into Cambridge United's goal from amidst the crowd.
Huang Hao seemed unable to accept this goal, shaking his head repeatedly on the sidelines.
Cambridge United's offense was struggling, while Portsmouth grew more confident, and the fans in the Park Stadium stands cheered wildly for their team.
The goal further stimulated their nerves, making the fans cheer even more passionately for the home team in the subsequent matches, and sending huge boos towards Cambridge United.
In the 43rd minute, Andre Ayew received a header from Ayu in the attacking third.
This time, as he stopped the ball and changed direction to break past Boateng, Boateng grabbed him, and when that didn't work, he followed up and practically tackled Andre Ayew to the ground from behind.
Andre Ayew, lying on the ground, completely lost his temper.
This was almost the 10th time he had been fouled in the first half!
So, as Boateng got up from him, Andre Ayew retaliated by pushing him away with his hand.
Boateng fell backward, rolled once, and then stood up.
Even at this point, Boateng still maintained an innocent expression, walking towards Andre Ayew and shrugging his hands to indicate confusion, while Andre Ayew stood up and pointed at his nose, cursing furiously.
"Stop acting, you bastard! You're a complete jerk! You know what you did to me, don't pretend you don't know anything, it's sickening!"
Boateng faced Andre Ayew, a cold smile flickered across his lips, and then he said to him, "You look like you just got your ass blasted, shouldn't you be yelling 'Oh Ye'?"
Andre Ayew's eyes widened, and then he pushed Boateng away with his hand again.
Although he pushed Boateng's chest, Boateng had his back to the referee, blocking the referee's view.
He immediately covered his face and fell to the ground, feigning pain.
Andre Ayew rushed up relentlessly, bending over and cursing, "Are you f***ing acting again?"
The surrounding Portsmouth players were not having it and immediately rushed to surround Andre Ayew.
Andre Ayew, however, seemed fearless, pushing away anyone who came close.
The Cambridge United players arrived a step later, with Smith acting as a peacemaker in the middle, constantly separating the players from both sides.
The referee ran over, blowing his whistle, and then, without a word, showed Andre Ayew a red card!
Andre Ayew became even more agitated, pointing at Boateng and accusing him of acting!
But the referee did not listen to his defense, and Smith also tried to calm Andre Ayew down, telling him not to cause any more trouble for himself!
"Cambridge United is having a string of bad luck; with the team trailing, Andre Ayew has been sent off for an irrational retaliatory act!
This action could also lead to additional punishment from the English Football Association, but from the slow-motion replay, Boateng certainly had an element of acting; Andre Ayew pushed his chest, yet he covered his face and fell to the ground!"
Andre Ayew walked to the sideline in a terrible mood.
He saw Huang Hao staring at him with a gloomy expression, which was definitely an expression of dissatisfaction and anger towards his impulsive behavior!
Huang Hao certainly had reason to be angry; Andre Ayew's problem was obvious: a hero when things were going well, a coward when things were going poorly.
This was also why he gradually went from being a starter to a rotation player, and even a bench player.
After Andre Ayew was sent off, Portsmouth, instead of actively attacking, capitalized on their numerical advantage, further compressing defensive space, and making it difficult for Cambridge United to advance in attack through aggressive pressing and challenges.
When the first half ended, Huang Hao walked towards the player tunnel with a grim face.
Pushing open the locker room door abruptly, Huang Hao saw Andre Ayew, who had taken off his shirt and seemed to be preparing to shower.
He reprimanded him mercilessly, "You are simply a coward! You were played around by an opponent shorter than you!
You didn't make any strong counterattack!
You're like a spoiled child, who only throws tantrums and accuses the opponent when you encounter setbacks and frustrations!
We have a thousand reasons to denounce how despicable Boateng is!
But I will only give you one reason: for victory, you must fight on tenaciously!
Andre Ayew, you've disappointed me too much.
Go, take a shower, leave your teammates on the field, without proving your worth, your fighting power, your sense of responsibility to the team, F***!
Get out of my sight quickly!"
Huang Hao's furious reprimand made the players who subsequently entered the locker room as silent as cicadas.
But Andre Ayew, after listening dumbfounded, retorted to Huang Hao, "How can you accuse me like this? Your responsibility is to protect me! Are you my BOSS, or Boateng's BOSS? Are you mistaken? You never trusted me from the beginning, I will always be Juninho's shadow!"
At this moment, Andre Ayew voiced his biggest dissatisfaction with Huang Hao since joining Cambridge United!
Yes, when they were in the EFL Championship, Andre Ayew was Cambridge United's absolute main player, a hero in the team's promotion.
However, upon reaching the Premier League, Andre Ayew began to compete with Gotze and O'Connor for a spot.
When Juninho joined in the winter transfer window, Andre Ayew was completely relegated to a water boy.
There was no fair competition!
Huang Hao showed disdain and said coldly, "Is that how you comfort yourself? Haven't you thought about your own problems? I'm telling you, a year ago, you could lead Cambridge United forward, a year later, your performance will only drag Cambridge United down.
You dragged the team down today, and yet you haven't realized your own problem.
Andre Ayew, then I'll make things clearer.
You don't want to defend, you don't want to do the dirty work, you want to play like a pampered lord in the attacking third.
You are excellent, with very good technical ability, but don't you understand yet?
Don't focus on yourself, don't lament that your talents seem to be wasted!
Look at your teammates around you, look closely!
It's not for the team to accommodate you, but if you want to establish yourself here, to truly have a place of your own, then you must integrate into this team!
Now listen to me clearly, disappear from my sight, and go back and think it through carefully!
I want fighters, not pampered young masters!"
Andre Ayew was speechless.
He saw his teammates around him remaining silent, their expressions seeming to tacitly agree with every word Huang Hao said.
Andre Ayew's mind was in a mess, and he immediately grabbed his bag and walked out of the locker room shirtless.
Perhaps many, many people have not realized that Cambridge United is always labeled in everyone's impression as "promoted horse," "small team," "no heritage," "no status," and so on.
However, in Huang Hao's heart, especially for the players who have followed him since the beginning, the Cambridge United they have protected, created, and changed through their efforts, holds an increasingly high status in their hearts.
Cambridge United may not be considered a top team right now; at the very least, their strength has not yet deeply impressed people!
But is the spirit and behavior displayed by Cambridge United inferior to that of a top team?
When Dzeko left for Real Madrid back then, did Huang Hao ever complain hysterically like a Head Coach of a small team?
When would the star players within the team want to leave due to dissatisfaction with their treatment?
Regardless of whether the outside world considers Cambridge United a top team, they themselves possess such awareness!
Therefore, Huang Hao's principle is that players serve the team, and the team will never accommodate individuals!
Even stars like Lovren, Vardy, and Lewandowski are no exception.
After Andre Ayew left the locker room, Darren, who was in the corridor outside, heard the conversation coming from inside.
He quickly caught up with Andre Ayew; no matter what, as a senior staff member of the team, Darren also had the awareness to share Huang Hao's burdens.
The match had only been played for half a game, so Huang Hao naturally had no time to deal with Andre Ayew.
Darren was sometimes quite free, and he could do more things.
Inside the locker room, Huang Hao was intensely arranging the tactics for the second half.
In fact, the pitch was also slippery due to the light rain in this match.
It must be said that Portsmouth had gone to great lengths for this match, specifically not clearing the grass after the previous match, leaving the pitch in a very poor condition.
Cambridge United players are skilled at ground dribbling and advancing, but poor pitch conditions naturally affect their technical performance.
In the second half, the teams switched sides, and Portsmouth adopted a rigid defense, continuing to use their fierce pressing to thwart Cambridge United's attacks.
Cambridge United, on the other hand, lacked a tall target man, and Huang Hao couldn't get more players into the box to relieve pressure on Vardy, because Cambridge United was playing with one man down!
If they added more players to the penalty area, Cambridge United might not be able to maintain control of the game.
So, although Cambridge United was playing with one man down, they still controlled the game, but couldn't create any offensive threats.
Portsmouth, meanwhile, was content with a 1-0 lead and firmly committed all their energy to defense.
Even when counter-attacking opportunities arose, they only allowed striker Utaka to try his luck alone, while other players stayed put in the midfield and defense, setting up a tight net, just waiting for Cambridge United to attack.
The Portsmouth fans in the Park Stadium stands grew more excited, while Cambridge United appeared increasingly helpless.
Huang Hao actively directed the team's offense from the sidelines, but with little effect; Smith and Tadić couldn't create good opportunities on the wings, and there was a lack of support for follow-ups in the middle.
Although O'Connor and Kante made successive late runs, they struggled to make an impact against the dense defense.
When the final whistle blew, the cheers at Park Stadium were deafening!
“Portsmouth has created a miracle! They have eliminated Cambridge United at home!
Cambridge United's FA Cup journey this season ends in the quarterfinals; they performed very poorly today, starting the match slowly in the first half, and then were caught off guard by Portsmouth's fierce pressing.
Andre Ayew's irrational behavior after conceding a goal only made things worse for the team!
Congratulations to Portsmouth, they have reached the FA Cup semifinals!
For Cambridge United, being eliminated from the FA Cup is not a nightmare; now they can focus all their energy on the League!”
Huang Hao turned and walked towards the player tunnel with a cold expression; in his post-match interview, this time he did not defend his players, but instead offered harsh criticism.
“Portsmouth deserves the victory, even though they played very roughly, but this is English football.
At least I didn't see any intentionally injurious fouls from them; they were just more impactful based on reasonable challenges.
As a result, many of our players seemed scared; their performance disappointed me, and the team needs to improve their awareness of confrontation!”
For many of Cambridge United's starting players, this was not an issue, but too many substitute players still had not adapted or fully understood.
When asked about Andre Ayew's red card, Huang Hao stated bluntly: “Stupid behavior!”
He would protect his players and defend the team, but never blindly; when a player performed poorly, it would be irrational for Huang Hao to make excuses for him.
Sometimes, they should be allowed to see for themselves how the newspapers criticize them! How they objectively and fairly analyze their poor performance.
Then they can reflect on their own!
They cannot leave everything to Huang Hao to bear for them, to defend them.
Otherwise, they will always be a group of overgrown children.
Before Huang Hao led the team back to Cambridge and boarded the bus, he didn't see Li Jianqin, so he called him.
“Hello, where are you? We’re leaving.”
“Hmm, you guys go back first, Andre and I are together.”
“He didn’t go back to Cambridge?”
“I'm just trying to cheer him up.”
“Okay, then we’ll head back first.”
Huang Hao didn't ask any more questions and led the team back to Cambridge United.
Li Jianqin took Ayu, who had nowhere else to go, to his apartment in Portsmouth; these were properties Li Jianqin had acquired across England back in his pleasure-seeking days.
The distance wasn't that far to begin with.
At home, Li Jianqin took out a good bottle of wine to share with Ayu.
Ayu poured out his grievances to him.
“I don’t understand what the Boss really needs me to do? He only wants me to be a substitute for Juninho, but I want to be a starter, otherwise what’s the point of me staying at Cambridge United? If I’m going to be a substitute, why didn’t I just stay at Marseille?”
Sitting on the sofa at home, Joseph-Lewin chuckled, holding his wine glass, and said, “First, your ability is definitely recognized by the Boss, otherwise, the Boss wouldn’t have brought you in, but the situation you’re facing is competition!
You’ve been in England for over a year now, and you know what the environment is like here.
I can only say that Portsmouth’s style of play is an extreme, and the setback you encountered today is one of the most difficult in similar situations.
Does the Boss have expectations for you? Of course he does; if he didn’t, he wouldn’t be angry.
He would think: ‘Hmm, Andre is just at this level, I’m not surprised by his poor performance.’
The reason he’s angry is also here: more than half a season has passed, you’ve improved, but you are far from meeting his requirements.
You want to compete with Juninho, so honestly ask yourself, in the same situation, how is Juninho’s performance different from yours?”
Ayu took a gulp of his wine, then remained silent for a while before saying, “I need opportunities; I think going to another club might better prove my worth.”
Li Jianqin nodded and said, “Of course, at other clubs with less strength and competitiveness than Cambridge United, you can certainly prove your worth.
Actually, the choice before you now is very simple: if you want a stable, long-term, pressure-free starting position, just go to a mid-table club or one slightly better than mid-table, and you can get what you want.
But what you lose in return is championships.
Different teams always have different problems.
Does Cambridge United have problems? Of course!
Does Manchester United have them? Yes!
Does Arsenal have them? Definitely!
Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Juventus—which of these clubs doesn't have problems?
The difference is that the problems of big clubs might be more brutal, and do those small clubs that are happy every day not have problems? Of course they do!
It's just that in small clubs, as long as you have a little less ambition and drive, you can happily and comfortably finish your career, but it's hard to stand on the big stage and shine.
You win some, you lose some; how can there be such a good thing where you want everything to go smoothly and also achieve fame and success?”
After Li Jianqin finished speaking, Ayu leaned back on the sofa, holding his wine glass, and fell into silence.
Li Jianqin then continued, “What kind of player do you think Juninho is?”
Ayu thought for a moment and then said, “He’s a very well-rounded player with solid fundamental skills, and although his playing style isn’t particularly delicate, it’s concise and practical.”
“How do you rate his physicality?”
Ayu frowned for a moment and then said, “In the Premier League, apart from some exceptionally strong players, Juninho is a midfielder who can hold his own physically against 90% of opponents.”
“Juninho is already 33 years old, and his body can still compete against 90% of players, while you are only 21, and your physical qualities should be continuously improving, while Juninho’s are constantly declining.
Why can’t you, young and strong, outcompete the aging and weakening Juninho?”
Ayu suddenly felt enlightened and said in a deep voice, “Why?”
Li Jianqin shrugged and said, “Let me tell you, Juninho is actually a player who knows how to use his brain on the field, so when he first started playing, he really liked to use tactics to defeat opponents.
The tactics I’m referring to aren’t technical skills, but strategy; he likes to organize and orchestrate, tearing apart the opponent’s defense.
But when he became a core player at Lyon and a target for opponents, he discovered a truth: not all opponents would show obvious weaknesses that allowed him to do as he pleased; he first had to establish himself on the field to contribute to the team.
From then on, he began to focus a large part of his self-improvement on confrontation and enhancing his physical qualities.
Even if midfielders like Lampard, Gerrard, or Vieira engaged Juninho in one-on-one physical confrontations, Juninho would absolutely not be at a disadvantage; at the very least, it would be an even match.”