八字万年历

Chapter 88: Estadio do Dragao Debut II

The ball clipped off the right post and rolled out of play surprising everyone in the stadium who were already looking at the scoreboard to see the change in number from 3 to 4.

Jason had his hands over his head as he saw the ball roll out of play and could not help but look at Luiz Diaz in disappointment, but the culprit had his hands over his face in disbelief at his own actions and did not dare to look back just yet.

Seeing Luiz Diaz who didn’t dare to look back, Jason’s eyebrows twitched and he turned away while adjusting his gloves.

Jason wasn’t the only one who was disappointed with Diaz’s stunning miss.

The other players on the field, the fans, and even the managers of the two teams couldn’t believe their eyes either.

Actually, it was more apt to say that, the Portimonense manager couldn’t believe his luck while Sergio Conceicao couldn’t believe his eyes and it took all he had to reduce his disappointed gesture to just covering his eyes with his right palm.

The Portimonense team’s goalkeeper collected a ball from one of the ball boys and quickly took the goal kick, putting an end to the disappointed actions on the pitch and reminding the Porto players that they still had a game to play.

The players of both teams jumped for the ball and play continued.

The Portimonense team increased their efforts and did their best to try to find a goal to put them back on level terms with the Porto team, but the Porto team still wasn’t showing any signs of buckling under the pressure and instead took the fight to them.

Soon the Porto team found another opportunity in the 82nd minute with Jason cutting in from the right side of the Portimonense penalty area.

One of the Portimonense defenders was charging at Jason from behind to see if he could sneakily tackle Jason but Jason was already aware of his actions so when the player arrived beside Jason suddenly shifted his body and pushed the ball through the space between the player’s outstretched legs but this caused him to change direction and he was no longer facing the goal but rather seemed like he would run out of play by the side of the post.

The player that Jason had just gotten past did not feel embarrassed and continued chasing after Jason as it seemed like he could still stop Jason since Jason was out of options in his view.

Just like he thought, Jason made it as if to cross the ball across the goal and the defender immediately lunged into a tackle and blocked the path of the ball but to his surprise, Jason faked the pass and pulled the ball back.

The player could only watch in surprise and embarrassment as he slid out of Jason’s path.

With the path for a pass clear, Jason sent the ball into the path of the approaching Luiz Diaz as there were other defenders that would hold him back if he tried to dribble through.

The ball rolled into Luiz Diaz’s path and he arched his body, trying to chip the ball over the Portimonense goalkeeper who was already out of his goal line and coming for the ball, but as Luiz Diaz swung his leg at the ball, he suddenly slipped and to his utter dismay, kicked the ball in the awkward position of falling down.

Needless to say, the ball flew in a completely different direction from the intended target and Jason had to duck to avoid the ball that shot at his face.

{Another chance missed. Luiz Diaz has bottled yet another chance to help his team cement their lead. He seems to have worn his fashion boots to the stadium and left his shooting boots back at home} The commentator didn’t care for the fact that Diaz had slipped and shouted his commentary, his tone full of derision.

This time, Luiz Diaz could not avoid Jason looking at him in annoyance and giving him the stink eye, or better known in Nigerian terms as ‘the bombastic side eye’, or ‘the criminal offensive side eye’.

Even the Porto fans at the stadium were groaning in annoyance at Luiz Diaz who was wasting chance upon chance at giving the team an increased advantage and piling up their goal difference.

Despite Jason’s annoyance, he still walked up to Luiz Diaz and gave him his hand to pull Luiz Diaz up,

“You alright?” Jason asked as he pulled Luiz Diaz up.

“Yeah… Sorry,” Luiz Diaz muttered an apology in broken Portuguese.

“It’s alright, you’ll score next time… or next match,” Jason replied with a little laugh as they headed back out of the Portimonense penalty box.

“I hope it’s this match,” Luiz Diaz said with a little laugh of his own as they high-fived before going back to their positions.

The Portimonense goalkeeper took the goal kick and sent the ball into the middle of the field.

As usual, the players of both teams jumped for the ball but this time it was Portimonense that got their head to the ball and they quickly sent the ball back to their defense in a bid to retain possession.

After being in possession for about a minute, the Portimonense began to slowly move upfield with the ball, still intent on getting an equalizing goal.

The Portimonense team suddenly burst on the attack surprising the Porto team by sending all their attackers forward and sending the ball after them. The ball soon reached the right side of the penalty box and it was accompanied by the Portimonense right winger who sent the ball into the Porto penalty box.

The Portimonense striker out-leaped everyone else in the Porto box to reach the ball and directed the ball towards the Porto goal, but Augustin Marchesin was up to it and pushed the ball over the crossbar, giving the Portimonense team a corner instead of the goal they wanted so badly.

The Portimonense team’s players quickly arranged themselves in the Porto penalty area for the corner kick and the Portimonense player who stood over the ball sent the ball into the penalty box.

The players of both teams jumped for the ball, but it was Pepe who got his head to the ball and sent the ball flying into the midfield where Jason and Luiz Diaz were waiting for an opportunity to counter.

With the ball coming at them, they glanced at each other and made their intentions known to each other in just that glance.

Luiz Diaz immediately turned and took off while Jason waited and trapped the incoming ball before turning and sending the ball into the path of Luiz Diaz who was already running down the left wing.

After sending the ball at Diaz, Jason also took off and started running toward the Portimonense penalty area at top speed.

The few Portimonense defenders who were outside the Porto penalty area at the time of the corner kick quickly gave chase, not intending to let Diaz make it all the way to their team’s penalty area, but in doing this, they forgot to pay attention to Jason who was coming from behind.

Running at his top speed, Jason soon arrived beside Luiz Diaz but in the middle of the field and Diaz quickly sent the ball forward into his path.

Jason increased his pace and chased after the ball, just managing to reach the ball before it entered the penalty area, but the goalkeeper was already off his line and almost close enough to lunge for the ball.

Jason didn’t waste any time to take a second touch and quickly sent a curling ball under the goalkeeper’s left armpit with a first-time shot.

The ball flew past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

Jason watched the ball go in before taking off to the sidelines to jubilate, kissing his right and left palms before stopping and spreading his arms wide as if to hug the crowd that was screaming loudly in excitement.

There was a huge smile on his face that showed his happiness in full display to the fans.