The two were neck and neck as they approached Inter Milan's penalty area, with Maicon's figure already disappearing from the camera.
All you could vaguely see was the corner of his jersey.
Damn it!
Huang Kaiwen had already caught up to the ball.
Without a second thought, Maicon went in for a sliding tackle.
If that tackle connected, it would have surely hit Huang Kaiwen's ankle.
Maicon was already prepared for the worst.
He thought he could consider himself a tragic hero, having given his all for the team's victory.
However.
He didn't even touch the back of Huang Kaiwen's heel.
Huang Kaiwen took the ball and cut in from the flank, dashing into Inter Milan's penalty area.
This time, Lucio and Samuel reacted surprisingly in sync.
The Brazilian and Argentine defenders teamed up to block all angles, giving Huang Kaiwen no chance to handle the ball.
Huang Kaiwen, pressed to the baseline, didn't hesitate and turned to kick the ball towards Lucio.
