Bernulin’s attitude towards Naji was just the same as usual; he didn’t say much more to Naji, nor did he take excessive care of him. Instead, he left some space for Naji to handle his emotions.
This is very important.
On San Remo’s side, Lu Yang and Morici complained about Udinese’s long celebration time.
If not stopped, Udinese could celebrate through all three minutes of stoppage time.
Then, with intervention from the main referee, the match resumed.
The stoppage time was displayed on the sideline, four minutes.
In these four minutes, San Remo couldn’t execute their chain swapping strategy anymore.
When they got the ball, they immediately split it to the sides, and from the sides, they’d send crosses.
One word: Smash!
Lam even charged near the penalty area and had a chance to contest a header.
San Remo was betting it all.
San Remo’s fans were incredibly tense.
They hadn’t felt this kind of despair for a long time.
The kind of despair where you want to win but might lose.
They had long stopped caring about winning or losing in the league; the Europa League and the Italian Cup had been going smoothly before.
How did it suddenly become... unwinnable?
Actually, this is football.
Matches where you want to win but can’t are the hardships every player and fan must face; no one is immune.
Ninety-fourth minute.
Lu Yang made two consecutive feints on the flank to shake off defenders before sending in a cross.
Sogel managed to get a header this time.
Bam!
Sogel headed the ball towards goal.
But the position was too central, and it was actually saved by Udinese’s goalkeeper, pushing it out for a corner.
Superhuman!
Just this save alone, this Gate God could be deified for this match!
Too crucial!
This was practically a save that determined the fate of both sides.
But the main referee hasn’t blown the whistle yet.
There’s still a little over ten seconds.
San Remo has a corner opportunity.
Morici walked towards the corner area.
All of San Remo’s players rushed into the penalty box, including the goalkeeper Areola.
Udinese’s fans were celebrating wildly; they were celebrating prematurely and disrupting San Remo’s players.
Morici raised five fingers high.
Then with a bang, he delivered the corner!
The football flew in mid-air.
There were two defenders around Lu Yang, but he suddenly changed direction and ran to the far post while in motion.
Both players followed Lu Yang towards the far post.
But...
The football’s landing was in the center, not the far post.
Because of Lu Yang’s retreat, the central area was slightly open.
Bam!
Naji rose like a towering building, standing in mid-air, facing the football with a Lion’s Head Shake.
He nailed the football!
Zero point one second later, the football passed over the hands of Udinese’s goalkeeper and slammed into the net.
In an instant, a sound comparable to an eight-magnitude earthquake erupted in the stadium!
"GOAL! GOAL! GOAL!"
"Naji! It’s Naji! Naji scores with a header!"
"Three to three! San Remo equalizes in stoppage time! Naji is unstoppable!"
"This is the greatest redemption! Naji hasn’t let down the Saint Remo People!"
"Saint One Peak! This is the legendary Saint One Peak! He can head the football into both his own and others’ goal!"
"Super header! Super equalizer! San Remo has dragged the match into extra time!"
"Miracle! The San Remo miracle has appeared again! San Remo’s extra time begins!"
Last season, when San Remo triumphantly won the Italian Cup, they played many times into extra time, and every time they entered extra time, they managed to win.
So, in the Italian Cup, "San Remo’s extra time" has even become a rule, just like "Ferguson Time," and once it appears, it means they’re not far from victory.
Naji celebrated madly, hugging every teammate.
If it weren’t for this goal, he would definitely be heavily criticized post-match!
Moreover, as a product of the San Remo youth academy and a local, if he personally ended the San Remo miracle... he would be considered ominous by everyone.
He might even be sold by the team and, after that, where his life would lead would be hard to predict.
Sometimes, a goal can change a person’s life.
Naji himself didn’t even know how important this header was, but he had a premonition that this header deserved a night of revelry.
On the Udinese coach bench, the head coach sighed deeply.
He exchanged glances with the similarly grim-faced Candreva on the field; the two seemed to see the outcome.
Without the stamina of Candreva and Udinese having replaced their substitutes, they’re afraid... they won’t be able to stop the San Remo bench mob.
The match naturally went into extra time.
San Remo made three substitutions.
Fernandez replaced Bai Zhami.
Matias replaced Canyes.
Both of these players ran too much today, and had the match tempo not been so tight later, they should’ve been substituted earlier.
Versachi replaced Naji.
Naji’s overall performance today was great; even though he gave away a penalty, his defense was actually flawless. The reason for substituting him was because he had a yellow card; it was too risky.
After Versachi replaced Naji, he went to the defensive midfield position, while left defensive midfielder Lam dropped to the left center-back position.
Lam is a midfield-center back swingman, playing this position with no sense of inconsistency.
This substitution adjustment, although it didn’t change the formation, already conveyed Sotu’s intention.
Attack!
Continue to attack!
In the ninety-ninth minute, Udinese’s defense showed signs of collapse in terms of stamina and concentration.
Lu Yang, without exchanging positions with teammates, directly broke through for a one-on-one opportunity.
Versachi seized the gap in the middle and sent a through ball to Lu Yang’s feet.
Lu Yang cut in from a solo run, with speed even faster than before, leaving Udinese’s center-back trailing behind him in his dust.