Lifting the First Championship Trophy!

On March 8th, at Wembley Stadium in London, England, the first champion of the season from the top five European leagues was set to be decided. The teams facing off were Manchester City and Sunderland.

Because the League Cup final conflicted with the Premier League schedule, Manchester City's 29th-round match against Aston Villa was postponed to May 8th.

Thanks to their deep bench and excellent luck, Manchester City advanced smoothly through the League Cup, ultimately reaching the final.

Their opponents today, Sunderland, while considered a modest team, had shown impressive performances in the League Cup this season.

Sunderland had defeated Chelsea and Manchester United in the knockout stages. With strong performances at home, they first took down Chelsea and then knocked out Manchester United, miraculously making it to the final.

If they could defeat Manchester City in the final, they would break their club record by winning the League Cup for the first time.

Sunderland's last significant trophy was the FA Cup in the 1972-1973 season, more than 40 years ago. 

So, the entire Sunderland team was extremely eager to win this trophy. Coincidentally, Manchester City felt the same way!

"Do you hear the cheers from Wembley Stadium?" 

Before the match, in the locker room, Pellegrini gave a rare pre-match pep talk.

In Lin's impression, Pellegrini was not someone known for being particularly eloquent. 

But today, he had a lot to say. 

"That's the sound of more than 90,000 fans cheering!" 

"Tell me, do you want to win a championship on this sacred ground of English football and bask in the cheers and applause of the entire crowd?"

The players nodded. Although the League Cup title wasn't the most prestigious, it was still something. If they didn't win anything else this season, at least the League Cup trophy would provide some solace.

And since they had already made it to the final, there was no way they were going to let the championship slip through their fingers.

"Good, then go out there and prove with your actions how much you want this championship!"

Kompany led the way, stretching out his hand, and the players all joined in.

"Manchester City!"

"Charge!"

...

Stepping onto the turf at Wembley Stadium, Lin took a deep breath, lifted his head, and looked around. Compared to Manchester City's home ground, the Etihad Stadium, Wembley was noticeably larger, capable of holding over 90,000 spectators.

Moreover, this was the new Wembley, renovated from the old one that could hold 120,000 fans. The most striking feature of the new Wembley was a 133-meter-high arch, spanning 315 meters and anchored by dozens of steel cables that supported the roof on the north and south sides of the stadium.

This was different from Camp Nou, which Lin often visited as a child. While Camp Nou was large, it only had a roof over one side. On rainy days, more than half of the seating area was exposed to the elements, making for a less-than-ideal viewing experience.

Today, the massive Wembley Stadium was packed to the brim, with fans from both teams and some neutral spectators filling every seat.

At a glance, the light blue-clad Manchester City fans dominated most of the stadium.

By rough estimate, more than 50,000 Manchester City fans were present. In contrast, Sunderland's yellow-shirted fans numbered about 20,000, with the remaining 20,000 being neutral fans.

Even before the match began, fans from both teams were already engaged in their own battle.

The Black Cats, Sunderland's fans, sang their team anthem, "I'm On My Way." In contrast to Manchester City's more soothing anthem, Sunderland's was noticeably more rousing. The sheer force of 20,000 people singing together was nothing to be underestimated.

If Manchester City fans had also started singing their anthem at that moment, it's unclear whether they could have drowned out Sunderland's.

However, Manchester City's fans didn't take the bait. Instead, over 50,000 Manchester City fans began chanting the players' names, cheering loudly each time a player's name was called.

This irritated the Sunderland fans, whose singing was constantly interrupted by the Manchester City fans' cheers.

And each time a Manchester City player's name was chanted, it seemed to inject them with adrenaline, leaving them pumped up and full of energy.

In contrast, Sunderland's players felt somewhat dejected, as they had entered the stadium with their opponents receiving all the cheers and encouragement while they received none. 

This gave them a sense of being up against the world, a feeling of helplessness.

Before the match had even started, the difference in morale between the two teams was already evident.

At 7:00 PM sharp, the referee blew the whistle to start the match officially.

From the beginning, Manchester City didn't hold back, launching an all-out assault.

The two teams had just met in the Premier League not long ago, so they were familiar with each other, leaving little need for caution or probing.

Today, Manchester City lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, with the three forwards initiating the first wave of attacks, followed by three midfielders for the second wave if the first was unsuccessful.

In attack, the two fullbacks would push up to increase the number of players in the final third and provide more passing options, maximizing their control of the game.

Manchester City's strategy was simple: they planned to overpower their opponents with their squad's strength.

Sunderland was just a modest team, while Manchester City had a roster full of stars. If those stars could fully unleash their potential, Sunderland would surely be in for a tough time.

In the first ten minutes, the game was practically one-sided.

Within those ten minutes, Manchester City took four shots on Sunderland's goal, two of which were quite threatening. If not for Sunderland's goalkeeper's heroic performance, Sunderland would likely have already fallen behind.

They couldn't afford to stay on the back foot like this. If they kept defending, they would eventually concede. Perhaps in the next attack, Manchester City would open the scoring.

Sunderland's manager, Steve Bruce, furrowed his brow deeply, pondering how to turn the tide.

Passively taking a beating wasn't an option—they needed to launch effective counterattacks to curb their opponent's advances.

A final is different from a semifinal. The final is a one-off match.

These types of games are highly unpredictable, meaning that even underdogs have the potential to pull off an upset.

So, unlike the Premier League title, in cup competitions like the FA Cup and the League Cup, many of the champions have been mid-table or lower teams.

Sunderland's players were incredibly hungry for this title. It had been far too long since they'd won a trophy.

This hunger would greatly enhance their fighting spirit, but it could also increase their pressure, making them play more conservatively.

On the other hand, Manchester City still had to compete for the Premier League title, and their chances of advancing in the Champions League looked good. They might not devote their full energy to winning this somewhat insignificant trophy.

So if Sunderland could hold off their initial onslaught, the rest of the game might be easier.

With this in mind, Steve shouted instructions to his players, encouraging them to hang in there a bit longer.

Steve's guess was correct—Manchester City's strategy was to go for an early goal.

If they could score quickly, they would control the game, drawing their opponents out to attack, then using the flanks to hit them on the counter, securing victory with minimal effort.

If a strong team is willing to sit back and play on the counter, it becomes very difficult for a weaker team to beat them.

Manchester City had three more matches in the coming days: the FA Cup quarterfinal on March 10th, the second leg of the Champions League knockout stage on March 13th, and the 30th round of the Premier League on March 15th.

Including this game, they had to play four matches in one week.

Even if Manchester City's players were made of iron, they couldn't handle such a packed schedule.

So, they needed to prioritize. If Sunderland could withstand Manchester City's initial attacks, they might have a chance to win.

Hearing their coach's words, the Black Cats' players became more determined.

Their defense became tougher and more decisive, with more aggressive tackles.

This year was a World Cup year, and while Sunderland didn't have many internationals, Manchester City's squad was full of them.

This gave Sunderland's players an opportunity—they figured that if they used rough fouls to intimidate their opponents, the Manchester City players might hold back in attack to avoid injury, reducing their effectiveness.

They quickly put this plan into action, with Manchester City's players, especially those in the attacking third, frequently fouled.

The most severe foul occurred in the 12th minute when David Silva was driving infield. Sunderland defender Phil Bardsley charged in recklessly, hacking him down.

The Manchester City players were furious and rushed over to confront Bardsley.

Protected by his teammates, Bardsley sneered and said, "This is a game for the brave. Cowards and weaklings don't belong here. If you're afraid of getting hurt, go home and nurse your babies! Hahaha!"

After mocking the Manchester City players, Bardsley eagerly awaited their reaction: 

Come on, argue with me, or better yet, hit me! 

If you lose your temper and even get sent off, this match will be ours!

Lin saw through his ploy and held back his enraged teammates. He discussed something quietly with a few of them, all the while frequently glancing at Bardsley.

Bardsley started feeling nervous under the intense stares from the Manchester City players. He shouted at Lin, "Hey kid, watch your legs! You wouldn't

 want to miss the World Cup because they got broken!"

"Thanks for your concern, but I suggest you buy a wheelchair soon; you might be carried off the pitch later," Lin replied coldly, looking at him with the gaze of someone staring at a dead man.

"Ref, he's threatening me!" Bardsley, intimidated by Lin's fierce gaze, stopped making eye contact and instead chose to complain to the referee.

The referee ignored Bardsley's complaint and showed him a yellow card for his earlier foul.

The game resumed with a free kick for Manchester City.

Lin looked at the spot of the foul and the distance to the goal. He decided to use the S-shaped free kick he had recently mastered.

When the Manchester City fans saw Lin standing over the ball, they all perked up.

"Lin's already scored four or five free kicks this season. Can he score this one?"

"It might be difficult; the position isn't great."

"It's too far from the goal and on the left side of the pitch. He'll have to use his right foot."

"This spot is about 35 meters from the goal. Is that within Lin's free-kick range?"

"I don't think I've ever seen him take a free kick from this far out."

The Manchester City fans were eager but not overly optimistic about the shot.

If it had been from Lin's favorite spot, his knuckleball technique would have made scoring likely.

But from this position, the options for the free kick were limited, so the chances of scoring seemed slim.

Standing over the ball, Lin calculated the distance.

Then he took seven or eight steps back and stopped.

Here it comes!

That movement must mean it's going to be a knuckleball!

The Sunderland goalkeeper thought the same. He had studied Lin's knuckleball technique before the game.

The knuckleball trick is that it looks like it's going over the bar, making you drop your guard, but then it suddenly dips as it nears the goal, catching you off guard.

As long as he didn't fall for that trick, keeping his eyes wide open and staying alert for that sudden dip, he was confident he could save the shot.

But just as he braced himself to save Lin's knuckleball, he was surprised to see that Lin hadn't struck a knuckleball but a regular curling shot.

Could he have messed up?

The Sunderland goalkeeper was baffled. In his memory, Lin rarely made mistakes. That's not to say he never did, but the number of times he had was very few.

That's why many people called Lin a merciless machine.

Oh well, no time to worry about that now. This is a straightforward curler, easy to save.

You just need to anticipate its trajectory, then make a standard save, and it'll be easy to stop.

Like this, and then like this!

But as he made his move, he was shocked to see the ball, which had been headed to his right, suddenly veer left.

What the—!

An S-shaped free kick?

The Sunderland goalkeeper's eyes widened, but now, mid-air and fully committed to his dive, he was helpless.

He could only watch as the ball flew past him and into the net with a "swish."

"Oh my god, did I just see that? Juninho Pernambucano's signature S-shaped free kick!"

Commentator Andy Gray was stunned, his voice trembling with excitement.

Beside him, Martin Tyler wasn't as surprised as his partner.

"Heh, there's something I should share with the viewers. Just two days ago, in a friendly between Spain and Italy, Lin used a brilliant S-shaped free kick to beat none other than world number one goalkeeper Buffon. So, I'm not at all surprised that he's delivered such a high-quality free kick today!"

Andy Gray gave his colleague a surprised look. Had this guy watched even a friendly between Spain and Italy?

He must really like Lin!

"A few months ago, Lin's arsenal seemed to consist only of knuckleballs and dipping shots. But now, he's added another weapon.

I think other teams should seriously consider limiting their fouls when playing against Manchester City. They can't afford to give Lin such easy scoring opportunities anymore.

Although his free-kick conversion rate isn't quite at the level of the top free-kick masters, don't forget that he improves at a phenomenal rate. No one knows what heights he'll reach with his free kicks!"

Martin Tyler was growing more and more impressed with this player. It seemed that every few months, Lin brought a new surprise.

"Lin is incredible!"

"He can score from there? Amazing!"

"Ha! The keeper's reaction was hilarious. He thought he'd guessed right but got totally tricked by Lin!"

"City's ahead. Is the game in the bag?"

"Probably. Sunderland will have to attack now, and once they do, their defense will be full of holes!"

The match unfolded just as the fans expected. After falling behind, Sunderland's players, unwilling to lose, began attacking.

However, their pre-game strategy had been focused on counter-attacks, leaving them poorly equipped for a sustained offensive.

Their attacks looked ineffective, struggling even to penetrate Manchester City's final third.

On the other hand, Manchester City capitalized on the defensive gaps left by Sunderland's offensive attempts, launching several sharp counter-attacks.

In the 29th minute of the first half, Manchester City launched another attack.

During a quick counter, De Bruyne passed to David Silva, who was immediately closed down by the opposing fullback.

In the intense scramble, Silva made a mistake, sending a dangerous pass.

After making the error, Silva quickly gestured apologetically and prepared to track back on defense.

Seeing an opportunity to win the ball, Sunderland's defender, Bardsley, rushed forward.

Lin initially planned to let the ball go but changed his mind when he saw Bardsley charging in.

Bardsley, too, noticed Lin approaching and quickly calculated his move:

If he fouled Lin outright, the referee would surely blow the whistle and possibly even give him a card.

If he couldn't take Lin out of the game, giving him a free kick in a dangerous spot would be a massive threat to Sunderland's goal.

But if he could take Lin out while both were going for a 50-50 ball, he could potentially injure City's star player without getting carded.

With that in mind, Bardsley swung his leg with all his might, aiming to smash the ball—and hopefully Lin's leg—at the same time.

Lin showed no fear and swung his leg at the same time.

There was a loud crack as their legs clashed.

"Argh!"

In that instant, Bardsley felt a searing pain shoot from his ankle up to his heart, the force from Lin's kick sending agony through his entire body.

The Sunderland defender collapsed to the turf, clutching his ankle and writhing in pain.

The impact had been massive, and Lin also lost his balance, falling to the ground.

The referee immediately rushed over, signaling for the medics and stretchers from both benches.

First, he looked at Bardsley, who was screaming in agony, then at Lin. Bardsley's ankle was clearly broken, a severe injury.

Lin had gone for the ball as well, and the referee feared that the force of the impact might have seriously injured him too.

If Lin's injury was worse than Bardsley's, his season could be over, and he might even miss the World Cup.

What a waste of such talent and strength it would be if he couldn't showcase his skills on the World Cup stage. It would be a loss for football fans everywhere.

A thousand thoughts flashed through the referee's mind, but before he could even reach Lin to check on him, Lin got up from the ground, brushed the grass off his shorts, and stood there as if nothing had happened.

The Manchester City medics, who had rushed halfway onto the pitch, froze in their tracks. The referee also stopped in his tracks.

"Lin, if you're hurt, it's better not to move too much!" The referee, worried that Lin might be toughing it out, kindly warned him.

"Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine!" Lin moved both feet around, feeling great.

If it weren't for his injury immunity ability, he wouldn't have dared to risk such a high-impact collision.

Bardsley thought he could take Lin out, not knowing that Lin was virtually invincible!

To be safe, the referee still had Manchester City's medics give Lin a quick check-up.

After confirming that Lin was uninjured, the medics left the pitch with their stretcher.

On the other side, Bardsley wasn't so lucky. He was carried off on the stretcher, screaming in pain.

Behind in the score and now with one of their players injured in a physical clash, Sunderland's morale took a significant hit.

In contrast, under Lin's leadership, Manchester City grew stronger, launching wave after wave of ferocious attacks.

In the 55th minute, Lin assisted De Bruyne in scoring another goal.

Manchester City secured victory with a 2-0 scoreline.

Ultimately, thanks to goals from Lin and De Bruyne, Manchester City defeated Sunderland in the League Cup final, lifting their first trophy of the season!