On April 23rd, Cambridge United's Abbey Stadium, an 8,000-seat stadium, was sold out, with everyone coming to witness Cambridge United clinch the League One title, as Bristol Rovers was clearly an easier opponent compared to Nottingham Forest and Walsall.
In the 11th minute of the match, Wilshere, after a series of short passes in midfield, suddenly threaded a diagonal pass to the left flank.
Mahrez played a one-two with the overlapping Cole.
Vardy, cutting inside the box, took a touch and then forced a shot, but the ball hit the side netting, failing to create any threat.
Four minutes later, Pasquel surged forward and suddenly delivered a diagonal through ball from 45 degrees on the wing, with the ball rolling into the space behind the central defender, through the side of the penalty area.
Dzeko angled his run and got a shooting opportunity; this time his shot was well-struck, but unfortunately, it was too central and the goalkeeper saved it directly.
In the 24th minute of the match, it was Dzeko again.
MacKenzie received a horizontal pass from Sterri in midfield and then played a diagonal pass forward to Cole.
Wilshere and Cole's midfield interplay was becoming increasingly delightful, with rapid movement and passing that was impressive in both speed and accuracy, and most importantly, the entire process was seamless.
After a one-two wall pass, the two pushed the attack into a dangerous area, with Wilshere passing the ball to Dzeko, who was receiving it at the edge of the box.
The Bosnian striker stopped the ball, then half-turned as if to shoot, causing the Bristol Rovers defender to rush forward in a hurry.
Dzeko feinted past him with a quick touch, and then, facing another defender, he repeated the trick!
It was another feinted shot that made the opponent commit and shift his body weight, while his foot cleverly dribbled past him.
When he was about to do it for the third time to get past the last covering full-back who had tracked back to the center of the box, Huang Hao frowned deeply.
Because Vardy and Mahrez had been waiting too long in the spaces on either side of Dzeko!
When Dzeko had beaten the first man, if he had passed to the left, Mahrez would have been one-on-one!
When Dzeko had beaten the second man, he could have passed to either side, and both Mahrez and Vardy would have had one-on-one opportunities.
But he still wanted to dribble past another player!
As a result, he didn't anticipate the tracking midfielder bumping him from behind, causing him to put too much force into his touch and ultimately lose control of the ball.
The ball rolled in front of where Mahrez was running, but it was closer to the goalkeeper.
Mahrez rushed forward, intending to shoot, but just as he reached a position to shoot, the goalkeeper pounced on the ball first.
Mahrez turned to look at Dzeko, his face full of confusion, with a hint of complaint in his eyes.
Huang Hao's expression was a bit unpleasant.
Cambridge United should have easily won this match, but now they were playing like this!
The midfield was fine, the defense was fine!
Whether it was defending or organizing attacks, there were no problems!
The biggest problem was with the front line!
As if to echo Vardy and Dzeko's self-indulgence, in the 30th minute of the match, Mahrez received the ball on the wing and, by himself, used his speed to beat the opposing defensive line, then forcibly overtook and burst into the penalty area.
Even with a very tight angle, he didn't cross; he bloody well shot!
Did he think he was Van Basten?
Mahrez shot the ball under extreme duress, and it flew directly into the stands.
Huang Hao stood up and walked to the touchline, his face covered in frost.
In the first half of today's match, he saw the attacking players trying to go it alone, each thinking only of his own goal!
This was not a good sign.
The scene that shocked Huang Hao and the fans occurred in the 40th minute of the match.
When Sterri came forward on the wing, he played a wall pass with Cole in the middle, and then threaded a diagonal pass into the left side of the box.
Dzeko angled his run from the middle into the left side of the box, and Mahrez cut inside from the outside into the left side of the box!
Both rushed towards the ball!
And neither stopped until they were about to collide, at which point they deliberately checked their runs, and then Dzeko lost his rhythm and kicked the ball out of bounds with his toe.
The scene presented to the audience was two Cambridge United players going for the same spot, refusing to yield to each other, resulting in a golden attacking opportunity being lost.
The Bristol Rovers players looked at Cambridge United's forwards with curiosity.
What the hell were they doing?
Did they have a grudge?
Cole tried to communicate with them, but no one was willing to listen to him.
Huang Hao stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed, his face grim, and then he walked back to the dugout and sat down.
Three minutes later, Vardy received the ball on the wing, dribbled it into the center, and then took a forced shot from thirty yards out.
It was another dreadful long-range shot, with the ball flying two meters wide of the goal and out of bounds.
Cambridge United's attacking performance was getting worse and worse!
After the whistle blew for the end of the first half, there was no customary cheer from the fans at Abbey Stadium.
Everyone's faces were filled with worry, as the lack of cooperation among the three forwards and their tendency to try to showboat individually gave them a headache.
The Bristol Rovers manager and players, however, breathed a sigh of relief.
They knew they couldn't compete with Cambridge United at Abbey Stadium, not even having a hint of a chance to fight back.
Their most skilled player, Ward, was completely shut down by MacKenzie and Cole's tight marking throughout the first half, having no impact whatsoever.
The other players were like a pile of loose sand, unable to make any waves.
Huang Hao was the first to walk into the players' tunnel.
He didn't go to the changing room immediately but went to the smoking area to light a cigarette, smoking with an unpredictable expression, looking preoccupied.
Not only Huang Hao, but all the coaching staff also looked grim.
If Bristol Rovers had caused Cambridge United a lot of trouble, then it would be understandable, and we would have nothing to blame or complain about.
But Rovers were just a bloody mess; Cambridge United could have played them however they wanted, could have hung them up and beaten them at will!
Now, to be playing like this, who wouldn't be angry?
The players trained every day, and the coaches weren't idle either!
Leading training, specifically developing players, studying opponents, holding meetings for discussion—they had far more to worry about than the players.
These were the coaches' efforts, their hard work!
And when the team won, the players got the most glory, but when the team lost, the biggest responsibility fell on the coaches!
So, for the matches they should win, the players should bloody well win them.
Huang Hao walked into the changing room.
In the dead silent changing room, everyone was waiting for Huang Hao to speak.
Huang Hao looked at Dzeko and the other two with a grim face, "Today our opponent is Bristol Rovers, an opponent we can crush with our little finger.
If we win, we are basically champions, and we can listen to their praises and accept their adoration in front of more than 8,000 fans.
So you just want to score yourselves and enjoy this honor alone?"
"Let me tell you, there are no lone heroes at Cambridge United.
Anyone who wants to be a lone hero doesn't deserve to be at Cambridge United.
Sager, Lewandowski, Hill, go back to the pitch to warm up; you'll be on in the second half.
The three of you can shower and go home."
As soon as Huang Hao finished speaking, the changing room fell silent again.
Sager was the first to put on his jersey and walk out of the changing room, followed immediately by Lewandowski.
Only the young Hill seemed a bit flustered, as if the tense atmosphere in the changing room had made him uncomfortable.
Dzeko, Vardy, and Mahrez looked up at Huang Hao with astonished faces, but Huang Hao did not look at them.
Instead, he whispered to Darren, giving Darren the match tasks for Sager, Lewandowski, and Hill once they came on, so Darren could supervise outside, and then explain their individual tasks to them after they warmed up.
In the Cambridge United changing room, Dzeko, Vardy, and Mahrez were substituted at halftime, and none of their teammates expressed sympathy or opposition.
When Huang Hao finished his whispered conversation with Darren and turned to face the players, he didn't intend to say anything more.
In the first half, Cambridge United had overwhelming dominance but failed to score.
The midfield and defense performed excellently, defending flawlessly and organizing fluidly; the only thing lacking was the final touch from the front line.
Since he had already made the decision to substitute all three forwards, Huang Hao had nothing more to say.
But someone wanted to speak; Vardy and Mahrez both opened their mouths and made a sound.
"Boss."
"Boss."
As soon as they both called out simultaneously, Huang Hao, with a cold expression, raised his hand to make a stopping gesture, first to Mahrez, then to Vardy.
The two immediately stopped speaking.
Huang Hao lowered his hand and said coldly, "Don't challenge my bottom line; don't speak, not a single word!"
“If you try to convince me that your first-half performance had this or that reason, you are simply insulting my intelligence. Go ask any fan who watched the first half what was wrong with your performance.
I believe the objective answer will be that you were too selfish!
I have reiterated the importance of teamwork countless times, implanting the concept of team into your minds.
I don’t want to say any more about this now; it’s pointless. I gave you a chance, but you didn’t cherish it, so I will give it to players who can play team football.
Don’t ask why, don’t feel wronged. If you perform like this on the field again, I will decisively substitute you, whether you’ve played 45 minutes, 30 minutes, or even 10 minutes!
Don’t play the role of a clown. You know full well why this is happening, so don’t make the same mistake again!”
Mahrez and Vardy hung their heads, while Dzeko shook his head slightly, helpless.
When they returned to the field for the second half, the Cambridge United fans in the stands were surprised to see Dzeko, Vardy, and Mahrez all sitting on the bench!
“What’s going on?”
“Why the substitutions? The first half just ended!”
“Oh my goodness! Huang Hao used all three substitutions at once, changing the entire frontline!”
All the fans were utterly shocked!
Even the few Bristol Rovers fans could hardly believe it!
They had never seen a manager make three substitutions at halftime!
Even if a manager might say something like, “If possible, I would substitute everyone at halftime!” after a disappointing performance,
no manager had ever actually done what Huang Hao did!
Of course, the underperforming Swansea players were limited to the three players in the frontline.
Huang Hao had three substitution slots, and he treated them all equally, simply replacing the entire frontline!
Such courage and decisiveness were truly rare!
No Cambridge United fan thought Huang Hao had made a mistake.
When players play poorly on the field, the manager certainly has the right to correct it, and Cambridge United is not short on players!
They didn’t have to rely on those three players to score goals.
In the 54th minute of the match, after Corl and Sterri combined on the wing, he suddenly passed the ball to the right from the center.
This wide-ranging pass caught Bristol Rovers’ defense off guard; they couldn’t keep up with Cambridge United’s attacking speed. Hill received the pass just outside the box, slightly to the right, and immediately sent the ball into the box with the outside of his foot.
He threaded the ball behind the defensive line.
Lewandowski dashed diagonally into the right rib of the box, not stopping the ball, and directly shot with a half-turn!
With a bang!
The ball struck the near post and bounced out over the byline.
Lewandowski clenched his fist and swung his arm, feeling unwilling, but he quickly turned and gave Hill a thumbs-up.
Bristol Rovers tightened their central defense, and Cambridge United switched to attacking from both wings.
Bennett and Sager took turns surging forward from both flanks to participate in the attack.
In the 59th minute, Sterri received a lobbed pass from Hill and quickly went down the wing. He stopped the ball before the byline, then dribbled one step into the box, and finally delivered a powerful low cross across the goalmouth. Lewandowski missed the near post, but Corl was charging at the far post. However, Corl was still a bit short; he barely managed a flying lunge to shoot, sending the ball out over the byline.
The Cambridge United fans in the stands couldn’t help but hold their heads and sigh, regretting the missed scoring opportunity, but after their sighs, they still erupted in warm applause.
The team’s morale did not drop, and their attacks continued relentlessly, like waves crashing against Bristol Rovers’ goal!
Huang Hao remained motionless on the sidelines, seemingly unconcerned about Cambridge United’s goal. Aside from the halftime substitutions, he had given no other instructions.
In the 64th minute, when Wilshere combined with Bennett on the wing, Bristol Rovers’ defenders thought it would be another cross. However, after Bennett’s run, Wilshere directly delivered a cross from 45 degrees on the wing.
He didn’t pass the ball in front of Lewandowski; instead, it was behind him. Lewandowski seemed prepared and didn’t run towards the six-yard box but stayed in place, waiting for the ball.
With his back to the box, he headed the falling ball back directly.
The ball flew towards the central area just outside the box, amidst the panicked gazes of the Bristol Rovers defenders.
Corl charged up from behind. As soon as he stopped the ball, an opposing player rushed to intercept him. Corl calmly pushed the ball sideways to evade him, then immediately delivered a low through pass!
On the Bristol Rovers defensive line, the two center-backs who had been tightly marking Lewandowski were surprised to see MacKenzie, like a whirlwind, storming into the box with large strides!
They immediately moved to block MacKenzie.
MacKenzie had already reached a position parallel to the penalty spot; he had a clear chance to shoot directly, but he chose to cross the ball instead.
When both center-backs rushed to intercept MacKenzie, Lewandowski was completely free!
Lewandowski looked at the ball rolling in front of him and, without hesitation, pushed a shot towards the bottom left corner of the goal. The goalkeeper tried to save it, but it was already too late!
At this moment, cheers soared to the sky!
The stands at Abe Stadium surged like waves, and the fans were ecstatic!
The young and passionate Cambridge United new stars embraced each other in front of the excited fans.
Only then did a smile appear on Huang Hao’s face on the sidelines. He clapped his hands, applauded, and then clenched his fists and forcefully punched the air up and down in front of him!
Bristol Rovers conceded a goal, and their morale plummeted further. The lingering shadow of the summer turmoil had not yet dissipated, and the team’s spirit had not yet re-coalesced. Coming to Abe Stadium to play this match against Cambridge United, the situation on the field spoke for itself.
They were no match.
Now they had conceded again. Their will to resist became even weaker.
However, Cambridge United did not launch more threatening attacks afterward; such exquisite coordination was not something that could be produced on demand.
It wasn’t until the 82nd minute that Hill, with a brilliant individual dribble, broke past an opposing full-back on the left wing and delivered a cross. This time, Lewandowski attracted the attention of Bristol Rovers’ defenders at the near post, but the ball flew over their heads.
In front of the goal, Captain Sager unexpectedly surged forward and arrived at the goalmouth. He jumped and powerfully headed the ball from only two meters away from the goalkeeper!
The ball flew over the goalkeeper’s head and into the goal, and Abe Stadium erupted in thunderous cheers!
After scoring, Sager stood in Bristol Rovers’ penalty area and stretched out his arms towards Lewandowski and Hill, beckoning them over.
Lewandowski, Hill, and Corl ran to him. Although Sager’s appearances had steadily declined after his broken leg, as the team captain and elder brother, Sager still played an indispensable role in stabilizing the locker room. Sager hooked his arms around their shoulders, and they also raised their arms to embrace each other’s shoulders, forming a circle and hugging.
Showing the world their unity!
Cambridge United ultimately defeated Bristol Rovers 2-0 at home, thanks to goals from Lewandowski and Sager!
Just as the match ended, Mikel and his “The U’s” army suddenly cheered! Because in the second half, they were behind their own goal, and Huang Hao, who was directing from the sidelines, could easily hear their voices, so he couldn’t help but look at Mikel in surprise.
Mikel, shirtless, was jumping with joy, excitedly waving his ancestral scarf, and shouting loudly at Huang Hao:
“We won the league! I love you!”
“We are champions!!!”
Just then, Darren also excitedly ran to Huang Hao:
“Swansea’s match is over! 2-2! They drew! We won the league, Hao!” Huang Hao was slightly stunned upon hearing the news.
It’s over, they finally won the championship!
The players obviously heard the news of the championship from Mikel’s cheers and high-fived each other, celebrating and embracing!
Some fans could no longer contain their excitement and jumped over the advertising boards directly onto the field!
Thus, the scene from League Two was re-enacted: players scattered, avoiding the fans’ pursuit! And the players who were caught were either pinned down by fans or tossed into the air! Without exception, all their jerseys were gone!
Huang Hao saw this and thought, “Well, I’d better run quickly!”
However, Mikel and the substitute players had already set their sights on him!
So very quickly, Huang Hao was also tossed high into the air by everyone! At this moment, Huang Hao slowly closed his eyes, carefully listening to everything around him. The feeling of winning the championship was truly wonderful!
