The 30-meter distance was not particularly difficult for a goalkeeper to save.
However, Cao Faming's shot once again left the goalkeeper completely helpless. The ball did not trace an exaggerated arc but flew in a straight line towards the goal.
The ball's speed was incredibly fast. Compared to other shots, this one was at least one level higher, feeling like a cannonball that no one dared to block.
As the fans had predicted, Cao Faming's shot successfully hit the goal once more.
This time, though it struck the goal, it was only the frame.
The immense sound, a "bang," seemed to shatter the hearts of the Candy fans. They were on the verge of equalizing with this shot, only for it to be repelled by the goalpost.
Lori, the goalkeeper of the Milan team, roared loudly, venting his exhilaration.
Under the camera behind the goal, the goal frame vibrated and shook back and forth for a long time. Even the goalkeeper Lori could feel the intensity of the shaking.
At this moment, he was certainly grateful that he was not one of the players facing Cao Baming's cannon shot, as the few predecessors before him were all in the hospital without exception.
The entire stadium lamented the near miss, but more people continued to express awe. Even though it didn't hit inside the frame, hitting the goalpost from such a distance was not an easy feat.
Just then, Cao Baming felt a sharp pain in his left foot. It turned out to be Camavinga's foot!
At this moment, his gaze was still fixed on the goal. The sound of the shot hitting the frame and the pain in his foot struck almost simultaneously. It could only be said that Camavinga's reaction speed and Cao Baming's shooting speed were truly a match.
After making that move, even he himself felt a bit of regret. Cao Baming cried out in pain and fell to the ground.
The referee walked over then. He had seen the entire situation clearly and unhesitatingly pulled a yellow card from his breast pocket.
As he walked towards Camavinga, he raised the yellow card he had taken out high.
This foul deserved a yellow card without a shred of doubt. As a referee, he naturally understood that the Milan players were targeting Cao Baming's injured foot in this match, but he had not expected the tackle to be so vicious.
At this moment, even the defensive midfielder Camavinga felt extremely regretful. His reaction had not involved his brain at all; it was purely instinctive.
Seeing Cao Baming lying on the ground, all the Tang Guo team fans' anger instantly ignited.
"Even like this, they only get a yellow card? That's too lenient! It should be a straight red!"
"Their tackling is too dirty! These guys don't deserve to play football!"
"If Cao Baming gets injured again, they're finished!"
...
Li Gang also roared from the sidelines, protesting to the referee on the field.
At this moment, he was more worried about Cao Baming's injury. He knew that Cao Baming was not fully recovered when he came on, and was essentially playing through injury.
In fact, if they had believed what the doctor had said at the time, Cao Baming's injury was quite serious. He couldn't even fathom how Cao Faming could run on the field without crying out.
The team doctor did not wait for the referee's whistle and rushed onto the field without delay.
Everyone was extremely worried, especially the high-level officials and team personnel of the Tang Guo team. They were aware of Cao Baming's treatment over the past two days and understood the severity of his injury from the initial diagnosis, making them unable to be careless.
The entire stadium was filled with the Tang Guo fans' curses directed at the Milan team, and Camavinga, in particular, was met with boos from the entire crowd.
As part of the Tang Guo team's coaching staff, they knew from experience that the foul on Cao Baming might just be the beginning of the match.
This was the most worrying and terrifying prospect.
The regular time of the first half had ended, and the medical team was examining Cao Baming's injury on the field.
When he first approached, Cao Banming was still sitting on the ground, then he gave the medical staff an OK sign.
"Alright, I'm fine!"
Cao Baming's words stunned the medical team. They understood the severity of Cao Baming's injury and had witnessed the opponent's foul completely. How could he be fine?
Was his body made of steel, not flesh?
After Cao Baming's repeated assurances, the medical team finally retreated, and the fans by the sidelines were relieved.
Seeing their teammate make a move that could have crippled Cao Baming and only receive a yellow card, the teammates also secretly harbored other thoughts.
If this was the standard, then as long as each of them committed a foul of this magnitude against Cao Baming, he definitely wouldn't be able to endure it!
Although Cao Faming told the medical staff that he was completely fine, the pain in his foot was still real. He could feel that the previous kick had caused some damage to his injury.
However, the severity of this damage was negligible and far from enough to worry the coaching staff, which would increase the risk of him being substituted early.
If that were to happen, it would be disastrous, because at this moment, they might not realize that without him on the field, the players' true nature would be exposed, and they would be no match for the Milan team.
After the crisis was averted, the players returned to the vicinity of the kick-off point. It was then that the assistant referee announced the stoppage time for this match: five minutes.
During this final period, neither side harbored overly risky intentions.
The Milan team still held a one-point lead, so they did not make any rash moves. For the Tang Guo team, stability was paramount. The half-time break would allow for a better assessment of the players' condition, especially Cao Baming's. They could devise strategies in the second half.