Chapter 67: The Penalty Shootout
There's no denying that José's bold and reckless style of play really threw the Arsenal team off guard at first.
Even after bringing on two fresh faces, Arsenal's offense still lacked any significant impact. After all, with the loss of a defensive midfielder, their defensive vulnerabilities were laid bare, and Mallorca's three forwards were a serious threat to them.
However, it didn't take long for them to realize that Mallorca was like a donkey from Guizhou—despite having three forwards on the field, Luke, once he came on, played as a left midfielder focused on defense, while Eto'o took the right midfielder role, purely defensive as well. Only Tristan was playing up front, but he wasn't creating much of a threat.
By the time they realized this, ten minutes had already passed in the second half...
With the momentum of their fresh players, Arsenal began pressing with heavy attacks. However, despite Henry's determined efforts, he couldn't pose much of a threat on the wings. As for Suker, his performance since joining Arsenal this season had been nothing short of disastrous. He wasn't the same Croatian striker who won the World Cup Golden Boot two years ago...
Although Mallorca was down a player, their defense remained firm. Stankovic and Mota stood strong at the edge of the penalty area, and though they might not have had the same experience as the previous two defensive midfielders, they were younger, stronger, and more willing to put in the effort. Meanwhile, Luke, who was running tirelessly, and Eto'o, who supported the defense, provided strong support on both wings.
Franco made crucial saves against Kanú and Henry's long-range shots, while Ljungberg's attempt sailed over the crossbar. The longer Mallorca held on, the more confident they became in defense. Their penalty practice sessions had them eagerly awaiting the impending penalty shootout!
Finally...
"BEEP, BEEP, BEEP—"
Two short blasts, followed by a long one, signaling the end of the match! The game was heading into a penalty shootout!
"120 minutes of play have come to a close! Neither team managed to score during the match! We now head into the nail-biting penalty shootout! Let's see who will emerge victorious in this thrilling conclusion!" the commentators said, finally getting excited after a mostly uneventful 120 minutes. The penalty shootout was their chance to show off their skills.