"Lads, if you don't want to run 30 kilometers tomorrow, then get your spirits up!"
Erik ten Hag shouted from the sidelines, his expression much more relaxed than it had been in the Champions League.
Manchester United's players were no rookies; they had extensive experience in major competitions.
Falling behind by one goal didn't cause them any psychological burden; instead, it fueled their fighting spirit.
In the 15th minute of the match, Varane launched a long pass from the backfield, signaling Manchester United's attack.
Gao Nuo naturally played the role of a pivot, heading the incoming ball back towards the center.
Bruno Fernandes had already assessed the situation before receiving the ball.
He smoothly controlled the ball, then immediately distributed it to the left, causing Sander Berge, who had pushed up, to miss.
Rashford stood upright, waiting for the ball to roll to his feet, appearing very passive.
Sheffield United's right winger, Gonzalo Plata, came rushing from behind.
Right back Jayden Bogle saw an opportunity and accelerated sharply, hoping to intercept the ball first.
At Wembley Stadium, Manchester United fans involuntarily held their breath.
They knew that Rashford would not be so passive, watching the ball slip away from him.
What was the intention behind his sleepy demeanor?
"Roar—!"
The pent-up breath suddenly burst from their mouths, and Manchester United fans roared.
Just as Jayden Bogle thought he was about to make a successful interception,
Rashford suddenly burst into action, a small piece of turf kicked up from under his feet, flying into the air.
He took just one step to the right, nudging the rolling ball towards the ribs.
Right back Bogle reached out and grabbed the red jersey.
His body was still moving forward, but a force in the opposite direction came from his hand, and Bogle slipped and fell to the ground.
Falling simultaneously was that small piece of green turf.
Rashford dribbled the ball towards the penalty area.
Sheffield United's Antony Katchi quickly closed in, while Ahmed Hodzic moved to the left at the same time.
The space in front of Gao Nuo was open!
"Here!"
Gao Nuo stopped in the penalty area and shouted, standing in place, pointing both hands in front of him, lowering his center of gravity, ready to shoot at any moment.
"Roar—!!!"
The roar of Manchester United fans grew even louder.
Rashford leaned against Katchi and unleashed a powerful shot with his right foot.
Ahmed Hodzic's outstretched leg was not only in vain but also blocked the goalkeeper's view.
Goal!
The shot was powerful and precise, flying into the top right corner of the goal.
After scoring, Rashford ran towards the stands, roaring and performing his signature celebration.
"Beautiful! Rashford scores, Manchester United quickly equalizes."
"Haha, that was a brilliant breakthrough; the sudden change in speed caught the defender off guard."
"Yes, and the subsequent shot, just like Rashford's celebration, with his finger pointing to his head, signifies that he's 'in the zone.'"
"Haha, exactly, breaking his goal drought is very important for him, and that roar also released all his emotions."
Zhan Jun and Duan Xuan intentionally or unintentionally ignored the open Gao Nuo, but the audience's bullet comments were not so polite.
"That goal only went in because it was a goal, otherwise Gao Nuo would have been cursing."
"The on-site audio is so good, I could hear Gao Nuo's shout, did Rashford not hear him?"
"You guys are being a bit morally judgmental; Rashford broke through and shot himself, what's the problem?"
"Exactly, the ball went in, what if he passed to Gao Nuo and it was intercepted, or he missed?"
"Are you blind? There wasn't a soul around Gao Nuo, he should have passed!"
"You're worrying too much, Gao Nuo isn't even anxious, why are you keyboard warriors so worked up?"
"Exactly, exactly, Gao Nuo went up to celebrate immediately, the emperor isn't worried, but the eunuchs are!"
"Bullshit! Even the King of Heaven came, that ball should have been passed!"
The bullet comments gradually spiraled out of control, with various family members being mentioned.
Gao Nuo was indeed not angry, because the ball went in!
He had never really cared about statistics; as long as they won, anything was fine.
With the equalizer, Manchester United's momentum grew even stronger.
Fans were already imagining a relentless offensive from their team, repeatedly breaking through the opponent's defense.
But Sheffield United disagreed.
Just when everyone thought they would strengthen their defense,
Sheffield United's new coach, Marcelino, waved his hand from the sidelines, signaling a high press.
In the 24th minute of the match, striker Iliman Ndiaye, acting on instructions, suddenly pressed forward.
Varane's hurried pass lacked power.
Yann Karamoh followed closely, intercepting the ball in front of Rice.
Sheffield United counterattacked!
The two forwards constantly interchanged passes and runs.
Varane and Pau Torres dared not tackle easily, only maintaining their positions while retreating.
In just a few seconds, Yann Karamoh had already reached the edge of the penalty area.
Iliman Ndiaye's pass was perfectly timed, threatening Manchester United's goal.
After much hesitation, Pau Torres finally made up his mind.
He pinpointed the ball and slid in.
Yann Karamoh did not back down, his footwork even quicker.
"Torres slides in! Karamoh took a heavy touch, Nübel gathered the ball!"
"Beep—!"
The whistle blew.
Zhan Jun continued, "Oh? That was called a foul, we see the Manchester United players surrounding the Referee, they are protesting."
Duan Xuan added, "From the replay, Torres did indeed make contact with the opponent."
The two began to analyze the situation.
"The controversy over this call should be the location of the foul; it was that touch, Karamoh fell on the edge of the penalty area."
"Haha, the Referee is going to VAR; Torres handled that ball very poorly, he didn't tackle in the previous two or three opportunities, but then he rushed in near the penalty area."
"Yes, Manchester United's defense this time was a bit indecisive; they already let the opponent get close to the penalty area, so it would have been better to just cover the angles well, Nübel is also trustworthy."
"The Referee has completed the VAR review, pointing to the penalty spot; Sheffield United has been awarded a penalty kick."
Captain Bruno Fernandes was still complaining to the Referee.
But the penalty decision had already been made.
All the pressure was on Nübel.
Sander Berge stood in front of the ball, tidied his hair, and took a deep breath.
Run-up, shot.
The ball was aimed at the bottom left corner of the goal.
Nübel guessed the right direction.
His fingertips touched the ball.
The deflection angle was small, and the ball still found its way into the net.
Sheffield United took the lead again!
"Damn it, two shots, two goals, and both from set pieces, why is our luck so bad?"
Nübel sat in front of the goal, muttering to himself, pulling at his socks, feeling utterly frustrated.
The director moved the camera away from the celebrating Sheffield United players.
It focused on De Gea on the Manchester United bench.
The former Manchester United goalkeeping legend shook his head helplessly.
Then he suddenly stood up and shouted towards the field.
From his lip-reading, it seemed to be, "Don't be a fxxking pussy!"
