八字万年历

Chapter 270: Nothing or Nothing

{Equalizer! They’re back on level terms!}

{On the cusp of halftime, they’ve gone ahead to make a statement of declaration, giving their fans anticipation for the second half!}

{The Porto captain outjumped everyone to reach that! He may play from behind, but he doesn’t hesitate to lead from the front when needed and his team needed this!} The commentator went on and on, but no one on the Porto side cared about that.

They were too busy celebrating their goal to bother with the commentary of the game that was meant for the fans in the first place.

The Porto fans were also excited that their team had scored, but more than excited, they were more relieved than excited because finally, it didn’t seem like their team was playing a losing game.

The game soon continued, but not long after, the halftime whistle was blown and the two teams trudged off the field for their fifteen minutes of rest.

In the locker rooms of both teams, the managers were doing their part in preparing the players for the second half.

The managers admonished those who needed to be admonished and commended those who needed commending.

They also made adjustments to the game plans and gave improved instructions to the players and soon the fifteen minutes of second-half preparation were over and the players marched back to the field.

With a blast from the referee’s whistle, the second half of the game kicked off.

The two teams once again went at each other, not forgetting to incorporate their manager’s latest instructions into their gameplay but surprisingly it was the effects of the Maritimo manager’s instructions that were first seen.

In the 52nd minute of the game, the Maritimo team took the lead once again.

Rodrigo Pinho had managed to find Nanu with a splitting through pass that Nanu managed to get to after stepping behind the Porto defense line.

Using his pace to make sure the Porto players stayed behind him as he cut in from the right, he smoothly curled the ball around Augustin Marchesin.

The Porto players had immediately called for offside, but after a VAR check, it was determined that Nanu had managed to stay onside so the goal was allowed.

The Maritimo team was overjoyed as they went back to celebrating after the goal was allowed while the Porto players could only look on in a daze.

The Porto fans were just as dazed as the Porto players but they kept up their hopes as it was still early in the second half and there was still ample time for the Porto team to make a comeback.

Unfortunately for the Porto fans, the Porto players were seemingly thrown off by Maritimo’s second goal and were unable to equalize the game even as the time ran down quickly

By the 70th minute, even Sergio Conceicao was feeling anxious and he started making substitutions.

He took off Evanilson and Mehdi Taremi to bring on Moussa Marega and Sergio Oliveira.

He also took off Mattheus Uribe and brought on Wilson Manafa.

After using all his subs, he called for an all-out attack from his team because the sooner they could equalize, the easier it was for them to make a comeback.

Sergio Conceicao wasn’t about to lose the third game of the season and sent as many players forward as possible, but still, Porto wasn’t able to get the equalizer they so dearly wanted.

The goal just wouldn’t come for them.

When the end of the 90 minutes was only a few seconds away, an assistant referee held up the board to display that there would be six minutes of added time.

On seeing this, the Porto players began playing with more frenzy than ever before, but not only did this not work in their favor, it also worked against them as spaces began appearing in their defense.

Spaces that the Maritimo team did not hesitate to take advantage of and soon another splitting-through pass that found it’s way to Nanu yet again.

Nanu received the ball and danced around Zaidu Sanusi with dainty steps and sent him sprawling before sending Augustin Marchesin flying after the ball but unable to reach it.

{GOAL!!!}

{Maritimo have three!}

{Surely there’s no way back for Porto now!}

{With this goal, Maritimo are just a few minutes away from being called dragon slayers!}

{This goal scorer has been very instrumental in this lead with him having a hand in every goal for his side!} The commentator gave Nanu his much deserved accolades, while his words to the Porto team were harsh, but the Porto players couldn’t refute him.

It was a disheartening moment for the Porto players and their fans.

Sergio Conceicao couldn’t even find the enthusiasm to be furious at his players and simply watched with a steely look on his face as the Maritimo players celebrated their goal.

The celebrations of the Maritimo team were soon over and the game kicked off again.

The Porto team kicked off the game once again and started exchanging the ball among themselves.

Before long, they started advancing into the Maritimo half of the field, making sure to not lose possession.

At this time, even though the added time had run out, the referee still did not blow his whistle and let the match go on, and the Porto players immediately considered this a chance to reduce the goal difference.

Keeping the passes flowing, they teethered just outside the Maritimo 18-yard box, but the Maritimo team didn’t plan on letting them get past and just sat back.

The Porto team, however, couldn’t remain patient when they were already out of time and Otavio who had just received the ball decided to just take the shot.

It was a nothing-or-nothing moment.

He knew that if he took the shot and missed, the match would end with their loss, and even if he managed to score, they would still end up losing as the referee would blow the whistle immediately after.

But that didn’t stop him, and he stepped forward with the ball, drawing his marker at him because of his movements and skillfully evading the Maritimo player’s tackle.

By evading his marker’s tackle, he managed to create a bit of space and he immediately let the ball fly from the edge of the box where he stood.

The ball flew towards the left side of the Boavista goal and the Boavista goalkeeper immediately followed after the ball, looking like he could become a hero and stop a last-ditch effort of the Porto side, but one of his defenders suddenly tried to clear the ball instead.

The Boavista defender swung his leg at the ball, but missed just slightly and only deflected the ball away from his goalkeeper’s path and into the back of the net.