A position 37 meters from the goal.
The weather was clear and sunny.
Only then did the referee feel safe enough to give Liverpool a set piece.
By now, who didn't know that this Liverpool superstar had a heaven-defying long shot and free-kick ability?
But that kind of goal required the cooperation of the pitch.
And Cardiff City's turf today was as dry as it gets. A football landing on it had no chance of skimming along the ground.
The Cardiff City players, under the command of their goalkeeper, Etheridge, urgently set up a wall.
Their main focus was on marking the other Liverpool players.
In their hearts, they didn't believe that this monster could send the ball into their goal from such a long distance.
This ball would, nine times out of ten, be a tactical play. As long as they marked the other Liverpool players, they would be fine.
"A free-kick opportunity for Liverpool!"
"A full 37 meters from the goal!"
"Can you believe it? This is already the best attacking opportunity Liverpool has had in this match!"
"Let's thank the referee. He has awarded Liverpool a free-kick opportunity that is almost in the midfield."
The official Liverpool commentator was directly mocking the referee of this match.
There was no need to question it.
After this match, Liverpool would definitely file a complaint, and this referee would be punished.
But that kind of insignificant punishment was far from enough to quell the anger of the Liverpool fans.
Similar things had happened to many teams.
Take Real Madrid and Barcelona, for example. Although they often seem to enjoy the referee's favor, they are actually the teams that are most screwed over by the referees.
Tendou, without a second thought, walked up to the spot.
His eyes were locked on the Cardiff City goal, his face so calm it was a bit scary.
"What are you looking at? You think you can scare me?"
"If you've got the guts, then shoot!"
The Cardiff City players were sneering in their hearts.
However, a scene that silenced the entire Cardiff City home ground appeared.
After a whistle from the head referee, Tendou, who had taken a run-up from several meters back, swung his right leg like lightning and smashed it into the lower-right edge of the ball.
"Giant Bear Counter!"
BANG!
The super-strong force, as Tendou's right foot smashed into the ball, produced a terrifying explosive sound.
And then, under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands of die-hard Cardiff City fans, the ball kicked by Tendou shot towards the Cardiff City goal at extreme speed, like a missile.
His shot was so fast that even though it was a full 37 meters from the goal, by the time the Cardiff City wall reacted, the ball had already streaked over their heads like a meteor.
And the goalkeeper, Cardiff City's Etheridge, only saw his teammates jump up to intercept.
But the next second, the ball had already smashed heavily into his own goal, sending up a white splash.
An ultra-long-range free-kick from a full 37 meters!
A direct goal!
BOOM!
The several thousand Liverpool fans who had traveled with the team instantly shot to their feet.
They hugged everyone around them, so excited that they were shouting things they didn't even understand themselves.
And Tendou, before the referee had even blown the whistle, had already started running along the sideline, holding up one finger to the Cardiff City fans in the stands.
The camera cut to the referee.
Under the watchful eyes of the fans all over the world, he blew his whistle as if in a daze and pointed both hands to the center circle.
The goal stands!
With a goal like that, he had no chance to blow the whistle even if he wanted to!
"BEAUTIFUL!"
"NICE!"
"TJ!"
"He's scored Liverpool's first goal!"
"A super, super free-kick scored directly, from 37 meters from the goal!!"
"My God! He did it!"
"The unbelievable TJ! The unbelievable Liverpool magician!"
"I fucking love his crazy performance!"
The Liverpool commentator, who had been listless just a moment ago, instantly transformed into the most passionate fan.
He kicked over the commentary desk in front of him and roared into his headset.
Vindication!
So fucking vindicating!
You didn't want me to win, did you?
I'm going to win right in front of your eyes!
And on the internet, some people had already jumped up.
[HOLY SHIT! INSANE!]
[THE PEOPLE'S KING OF FOOTBALL!]
[TJ, cashing in! I'm going to the dealership to pick up my car tomorrow!]
[LIVERPOOL!!!]
[The only faith in the Premier League! I love you, Liverpool!]
[Liverpool to win by 1 goal at halftime! Keep scoring!!!]
As everyone knows, in the world of football, besides Maradona and Pelé, there is another king.
He is the People's King of Football, Goodwin.
Legend has it that as soon as Goodwin comes on, a goal will be scored.
Legend has it that as soon as Goodwin comes on, the betting market will automatically change.
Legend has it that he is the Jerusalem in the hearts of the fans.
Legend has it that he has saved more people than a top-tier hospital...
And now, Tendou had been briefly crowned the People's King of Football, saving countless bettors who were about to jump off a rooftop.
...
Cardiff City's parked bus had been breached.
The Liverpool players went crazy, chasing after Tendou. In the technical area, Klopp was high-fiving Krawietz.
With this goal, the match would be much easier to play!
The Cardiff City fans, players, and coach were all stunned.
With the referee practically wearing their jersey, they had still been scored on by one person.
What the hell was going on?
0:1!
Tendou had scored a priceless goal.
After the match restarted, the Cardiff City players continued to pass the ball around in their own half.
However, with a one-goal lead, Liverpool could no longer be bothered with them.
You want to pass it around? Go ahead. What we want are the 3 points.
Seeing this, the Cardiff City players, as if by prior agreement, turned their gazes to their coach.
The head coach, Neil Warnock, who had helped Cardiff City get promoted last year, stood there with his hands on his hips, his brow furrowed into a knot.
Continuing to sit deep now was meaningless. They were still on the edge of the relegation zone. If they didn't get points, they would be relegated.
There weren't many rounds left in the league. They couldn't afford to play with Liverpool.
He waved his hand, and Cardiff City finally came out of their turtle shell.
"Cardiff City has finally stepped into Liverpool's half!"
"I've forgotten the last time Cardiff City stepped into Liverpool's half?"
"Oh, I think it was the 10th round of the Premier League. If I'm not mistaken, it should be in October!"
The Liverpool commentator's mouth was also quite vicious, constantly taunting the opponent.
The moment Cardiff City took the initiative and stepped into Liverpool's half, they were immediately met with a frantic counter-press from Liverpool.
In just 10 seconds, Cardiff City, under Liverpool's press, was forced back into their own half again.
Seeing their own team in such a sorry state, the home fans couldn't help but start cursing.
The match was already ugly to watch. Now that they were behind, it was even more unbearable. No one could stand it.
...
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