It was but a moment.
Alright, in Ming's shot, although Carlos was positioned in the path of the ball, his height was utterly disrespected.
The ball grazed Carlos's head and soared towards the goal, even changing direction upon impact.
The trajectory of the ball altered, yet its spin was directed inwards towards the goal. The goalkeeper remained highly alert, but despite this, the football, following this peculiar arc, directly burrowed into the top right corner of the goal, an extremely tight spot!
The entire stadium erupted in deafening cheers and screams.
"Beautiful!!"
"Beautiful!!!"
Cao Baiming's lips curved into a faint smile. It was impossible that he hadn't calculated this deflection.
Looking down at Carlos, the football's direct impact had caused him to experience tinnitus, and at this moment, it felt as though the whole world had changed. His head was still in a state of extreme dizziness, and he couldn't hear the sounds around him!
The commentators were still passionately celebrating the goal, completely disregarding the fallen Carlos, and perhaps no one even noticed him.
"Another long-range shot from Cao Baiming. True heroes still rely on him. The angle of this shot was incredibly sharp, and the curve, power, and speed were all perfectly controlled!"
"Furthermore, it bounced off a defender, causing a slight change in direction. It was virtually impossible for the goalkeeper to save this shot!"
"Only one man can score such a divine goal, and that is the God of Asia, Cao Baiming!"
"Let's look at that man's gaze. Every move he makes is like God surveying everything on the field. At this moment, he is God!"
...
Soon, the referee on the field noticed the situation. He couldn't just ignore Carlos lying on the ground.
Only then did the fans notice Carlos's condition.
Cao Baiming, after celebrating with his teammates, slowly walked over.
Despite his teammates' constant taunts, Cao Baiming still knelt down to check on Carlos's injury.
At this moment, his ears were still ringing. He couldn't hear the surrounding taunts or the inquiries from the medical staff.
However, his thoughts were clear.
There was no need to overthink it; he knew Cao Baiming's shot was deliberate, a revenge for that earlier tackle.
He accepted it, because that earlier tackle was clearly aimed at causing serious harm.
Even the head coach had secretly told him before the match that if he could neutralize Cao Baiming, their mission for the game would be more than half accomplished.
Seeing Cao Baiming now, so full of life, it was obvious that plan had failed, and this guy seemed to be intending to retaliate!
Although Carlos was dizzy and his ears were ringing, his entire body was trembling uncontrollably.
The medical staff couldn't discern the reason for the trembling, even suspecting a concussion, but they didn't know that Carlos's shaking stemmed purely from fear.
Cao Baiming knelt down, looking at him with kind, concerned eyes, observing his injury. In his gaze, it was no different from a hunter admiring the prey he had shot.
After a full two minutes, the ringing in his head gradually subsided, and he could slowly hear the surrounding sounds.
Under the constant inquiries of the medical staff, Carlos made an OK gesture.
At this moment, he could feel that his body was completely uninjured, only feeling dizzy, and he would recover soon.
As the match resumed, the players began to spread out and return to their positions.
"The Tang National team has equalized thanks to Cao Baiming's goal. The current score is Tang National team two, Samba Legion two!"
"There were some minor unexpected situations that have now been resolved. The time lost will be fully compensated for in the final stoppage time."
Cao Baiming clearly felt a sense of triumph. He had achieved two things at once: scoring a goal and taking the first step in his revenge.
At this moment, neither the offensive fanfare nor the duration of the reinforcement potion had ended. Cao Baiming continued to maintain his offensive pressure.
Within a few minutes, even the Samba Legion was forced into full defense, with even Ronaldo rushing back to participate in the defensive effort.
Cao Baiming attempted two shots. The first was cleared by a defender. The second, he intended to execute a subtle, low drive towards the bottom corner of the goal, but it hit the post.
His teammates also attempted shots without success.
It wasn't until Cao Baiming's third shot, this time resulting from a corner kick earned by Wu Lei's follow-up.
He again delivered a high cross to the far post, finding Cao Baiming. With a leap, he precisely headed the ball into the pre-designated bottom corner of the goal!
At this goal, the goalkeeper was stunned in place!
Who could have imagined he would aim for that spot?!
Normally, players aim for anywhere they can, relying on luck to get the ball in.
But Cao Baiming's shots always had precise control over direction, even producing extremely sharp angles!
"Another goal from Cao Baiming! Who said Cao Baiming couldn't head the ball?"
"This shot, with its incredibly sharp angle, has helped the Tang National team take the lead!!"
The fans were so excited they were on the verge of tears!
At halftime, they had never dreamed that the second half would unfold like this!
They had completely given up hope for this World Cup, but now they saw a glimmer of hope, and not just a small one, but a great one!
"Cao Baiming! Cao Baiming! Cao Baiming!"
...
The best revenge is through scoring goals!
The best goals are scored when an opponent believes they are safe and then extinguishing their hopes!
Looking at the expressions on the faces of the Samba Legion players, Cao Baiming knew this was success!
But the match was only at the sixtieth minute!
You would never have imagined this match could be so exciting.
With only two-thirds of the game played, there had already been three reversals. How could such a thrilling match not be etched into football history?
His teammates ran over excitedly to celebrate.
Cao Baiming knew this goal was a team effort. Although he was the one who headed the ball into the net, the entire process from offensive organization, to earning the corner kick, to the final finish, the strength of the team was paramount.