Start from 1999

Chapter 175
Nick kicked the falling ball and shocked the audience. Everyone once again witnessed the masterful performance of this big man on the football field, and his teammates looked at him more and more enthusiastically. Having such teammates is simply the endorsement of happiness.

Riebeck off the court couldn't help jumping up. The team is only one goal behind now. As long as they score two more, the German team will hope to reverse and qualify.

News came from another venue: the Romanian team has reversed the score 2:1. If the German team can also reverse the score, it will be able to compare the goal difference with the Romanian team, and it is entirely hopeful that it will qualify for the group.

Portuguese coach Coelho didn't shut up for a long time. The No. 8 player of the German team seems to be omnipotent. Some measures must be taken against him, otherwise the Portuguese team will become a laughing stock: the 3-goal lead is reversed.

Coelho called Rui Costa to explain something, Rui Costa looked embarrassed, but nodded.

Rui Costa asked his teammates to explain and passed on Coelho's tactical arrangement. The teammates were also a little surprised, but since it was arranged by the head coach, everyone agreed.

After the game restarted, Nick realized that there were many more Portuguese players around him. In addition to Paul Sosa and Rui Costa who were marking him, now two forwards Pauleta and Nuno Gomez also came to mark him.

The encirclement of the five players made it difficult for Nick, and their actions were not polite at all, including regular and unconventional actions, with only one purpose: to prevent Nick from breaking through successfully.

Nick tried to break through with the ball, but the opponent had an obvious advantage in numbers. He failed to make a breakthrough three times in a row. Nick was in trouble, and his body was kicked painfully by the opponent.

However, Nick's head quickly recalled that since so many of you are defending me, why don't the other 9 teammates have a chance against you and 5 of you?

The game time is only 15 minutes, if you want to reverse, you must hurry up.

Nick made a gesture to his teammates, telling everyone to press on, the Portuguese team has played like this, and you still stay in the backcourt for a walk, how boring it is.

The German team pressed across the board and launched a crazy attack in the last 15 minutes.

Since Nick involved 5 players of the Portuguese team, the other players of the German team really got a lot of open opportunities.

In the 77th minute, Nick took the ball and crossed it. Thomas Link calmly received the ball and immediately made a powerful long-range shot.

Portuguese goalkeeper Baia struggled to make a pounce. Although the ball was saved by him, Baia also hit the goal post and was injured.

The Portuguese team doctor rushed into the field to treat Baia's injury. Since the goalkeeper was injured, the German team members had no choice but to wait.

Another 5 minutes were lost, and Baia rejoined the game.

Germany's corner kick opportunity, Nick also entered the penalty area, set the ball to see how you can defend 5 and 1.
Harman took a corner kick, and Nick was about to jump, but he found that the three hands behind him were holding him. The Portuguese players were very thieves. They covered each other, and the referee couldn't see these small moves at all.

Nick failed to jump up, but Bierhoff in the middle grabbed the point, but the ball still smashed hard on the crossbar and popped out of the baseline. The luck of the German team still seems not so good.

Luck is contagious, and Bierhoff quickly infected Harman with bad luck.

In the 83rd minute, Nick passed the ball with his heel in the double-team of 5 players. Harman took the ball comfortably and took a long shot. The ball that seemed to be undoubtedly scored was rejected by the crossbar again.

Three minutes later, Chieg's curve ball from the left side of the penalty area was blocked by the goal post again. The German team's luck was really evil.

Seeing his teammates so unlucky, Nick became more and more anxious, and the small actions of the Portuguese players exacerbated the spread of this emotion.

In the 88th minute, Consicao stepped forward after Nick got rid of Paul Sosa and Pauletta, and kicked Nick's right foot hard.

Nick bared his teeth in pain, but his heart was furious, and he punched Conscao.

Consicao was thinking about how to defend himself to the referee. His action just now was too big, and it was difficult to escape the yellow card penalty. In this way, he would turn two yellows into one red and go down to rest.

Players from both sides immediately surrounded, and the actions of Nick and Consicao would obviously constitute red cards.But both sides wanted to defend their teammates and put pressure on the referee.

Nick was still in pain, and his calf was swollen and scary looking.

Concicao was so dizzy that he couldn't even recognize his teammates.

Both the referee and the linesman ran over, the players from both sides were already entangled, and the substitute players also rushed in.

"Calm down! Calm down, don't be impulsive!" the referee shouted loudly.

"Sir, look at Nick's calf. It's all swollen. It's all the result of your indulgence. This game is a complete conspiracy. UEFA just doesn't want us to enter the quarter-finals!" Bierhoff was so angry that his face turned green. Once Nick was injured, the game was over and the German team was eliminated, so Bierhoff said harsh words.

The referee said with a sly smile: "Mr. Captain, I will write your words into the game report intact."

"Fuck your report, write whatever you want, I don't care." Bierhoff said with a sigh of relief. He has reached the end of his career and plans to quit the national team after this European Cup, so Bierhoff plans to stop playing for the national team in the future.

The referee's face was ugly, and Bierhoff obviously didn't give him face, although he did give Portugal a bit of a loose penalty.

"It's impossible to play this game. There are 5 kicks, 1 kick, hand kicks, so many small moves, how can we play?" Harman's tone was not so aggressive, but he still pointed the finger at the work of the referee.

"That is, the Portuguese obviously wanted to influence our mentality. If the penalty could be stricter, this would be a classic game that can be recorded in history, but unfortunately, everything was ruined." Veteran Mateus said very seriously, pulling the fourth official.

Facing the collective pressure from the German team, the referee silently took out a red card from his pocket, walked up to Consicao and raised it high.

"You, out!"

Consicao just came back to his senses at this moment, but immediately saw a red card, and this buddy immediately fainted again.

The Portuguese players did not argue that Consicao deserved a red card for kicking Nick, but what about Nick boxing Consicao?They are all waiting for the referee to give Nick a red card.

But the referee seemed to want to be the protagonist of today's game. He actually took out a yellow card and showed it to Nick who was lying on the ground for treatment.

Portuguese players immediately surrounded them.

"Sir, did you draw the wrong card? It's not yellow, it's red!"

"Hey, sir, you are really humorous."

"Hey, the game is too tense, so it's okay to relax like this, but sir, you should hurry up and get another one."

With a gloomy face, the referee motioned for the substitute players to exit, and then asked Nick, "Can you still continue the game?"

Nick was taken aback when he saw that he had only received a yellow card, but he realized in a blink of an eye that this guy was trying to find a balance. He didn't play a card after receiving so many kicks just now, and now he is too embarrassed to send himself off.

"Of course, I have to finish the game with one foot!" Nick said proudly. His foot was already swollen, and Nick would sweat even when he put on his shoes, but he didn't want to give up the game.

"Nick, you can't do this, you will ruin your career." Although Bierhoff admired Nick's persistence, he advised him very sincerely.

"Captain, don't worry, I have a flawed injury and should be able to recover. There is not much time left in the game, and I will persist until the last second!" Nick said decisively.

Nick stood up.

The German fans immediately gave a standing ovation. Although they didn't know the severity of Nick's injury, everyone could have guessed it since Nick was lying on the ground for so long receiving treatment from the team doctor.

The Portuguese players even forgot to continue to put pressure on the referee at this moment. They saw that Nick, whose legs were swollen, continued to play, and they were silent in their hearts. They were full of respect for this young opponent.

The Portuguese fans who booed Nick before were also silent. The steel will of the Germans is indeed admirable.

The referee was relieved that the game could continue, plus stoppage time, let's give the German another 10 minutes. This is already beyond the regular stoppage time, and it is worthy of the Germans.

The game was resumed in the 93rd minute when the German team took a free kick.

Nick originally wanted to take a long-range shot, but he moved his right foot and it still hurts. If the ball is kicked up, it will hurt to death, so Nick asked Harman to take the penalty.

Harman's long-range kung fu is also good.

When the whistle sounded, Harman kicked the ball fiercely. Although the kick was accurate, but the strength was a bit weak, he was caught by the Portuguese goalkeeper Baia.

Portugal then began to kill the time, taking every opportunity they could to stop the game, leaving the Germans helpless.

In a blink of an eye, the game came to 99 minutes, 10 minutes from stoppage time, and the score was still 2:3. The game on the other field was over. After a thrilling game, the Romanians reversed and won the England team 3:2.

But it is a pity that the German team is still behind one side, and it is already impossible to qualify.

Nick was anxious, is his first World Series coming to an end like this?
Do not!
I must never admit defeat!

Nick yelled, "Pass me the ball!"

(End of this chapter)