[Black color screen with the following words on it, with the narration of Meng Yeow.]
“Have you ever dreamed of playing for the biggest team there is on earth…â€
This is a line from the song ‘Love United’ released in 2002. That line has been repeating itself in my mind ever since I heard it…No one…even I will believe that I would be playing for one of the greatest teams on earth…
[Black screen slowly fades away, revealing a beautiful European city, with the subtitles ‘Piemonte, Italy’]
Turin International Airport, Italy
A pair of feet, wearing black shoes stepped out from the departure hall.
[Camera moves up slowly, showing a young Chinese man.]
He looks at his watch and then looked around. Seeing that there was no one to receive him, he walked towards the bench to have a sit. His name is Gan Meng Yeow, 21 years old. He is one of the many Asian youngsters who dreamt of playing football in Europe. Before he came here, he was a star player at Singaporean club Tampines Rovers FC. Though short, he made up with his pace, vision and ability to shield the ball from larger players.
“Meng Yeow,†came a voice. Meng Yeow looked up and saw an Italian man in front of him.
[Camera moves up, revealing Alessandro Del Piero.]
“Ciao,†Meng Yeow greeted with a wide smile.
[Ciao is ‘Hello’ in Italian.]
“Vedo che avete imparato un po'di Italiano,†Del Piero replied, making Meng Yeow confused as his knowledge of Italian was just the ‘hello’ word. Seeing the confused and worried expression, Del Piero burst into laughter. “I see that you have learnt a bit of Italian,†he said. “That was what I meant.â€
“O…ok,†Meng Yeow replied. “Well…a bit indeed.†Del Piero laughed.
“Come on, let’s go,†he said and pats Meng Yeow’s back. Meng Yeow picks his luggage up and Del Piero led him to the car. He helped Meng Yeow load his luggage before getting into the driver’s seat. “So how have you been?â€
“Fine,†Meng Yeow replied. “I have been keeping myself at top form all the while after going back to Singapore,†he said, and looked out. “I have never thought I will get to play here…â€
“Believe yourself, and you can do it,†Del Piero replied. “Got to warn you though, the Serie A is the top league in the world.â€
Meng Yeow turned back and nods.
===============================================================
Soon, the grand Stadio Delle Alpi came into sight. Meng Yeow was awed. The grand stadium with a design that looked like a giant sail was one of the most impressive stadiums. The car entered the car park, and they alighted from it. Then Del Piero led Meng Yeow into the stadium.
“The team is training here today,†Del Piero said as they entered the lobby. “You’ll get to meet the coach.†Meng Yeow could only nod as they walked through the corridor, decorated with numerous trophies and awards Juventus had won. They came to the end of the corridor at this moment, and Del Piero pushed open the glass door. Meng Yeow stepped out of the corridor and froze. He was amazed, like any other youngster. He closed his eyes and took a deep breathe. He could feel the spectators cheer, and the thunderous atmosphere of the Stadio Delle Alpi.
===============================================================
[Screen blacks out and the words ‘SOCCER DREAMS 2’ comes onto the screen.]
===============================================================
[The words and black screen fades out suddenly, returning back to Stadio Delle Alpi. Meng Yeow crashed onto the ground immediately.]
He shook his head and got to his feet, and continued playing. Davids controlled the ball and passed it to Meng Yeow. Meng Yeow catches the ball smoothly and surges forward. An opposing defender came in front of him. Meng Yeow tried to do a side-step, and got the ball past the defender. However, the defender shoves his shoulder into him, sending Meng Yeow crashing to the ground again.
Del Piero came up and snatched the ball away from the opposition before floating a cross into the danger area, finding Trezeguet. The Frenchman chests the ball and taps the ball between the legs of the keeper. Meng Yeow was already up by this moment, but he could still feel the impact of the push earlier.
“You ok?†asked Thuram as he ran past Meng Yeow. Meng Yeow nods. The whistle went at this moment and the players gathered towards the bench.
“That’s all for today,†said head coach, Marcelo Lippi. “Meng Yeow, come to my office, I need to talk to you.â€
“Yes coach…†Meng Yeow replied, wondering what the coach has to say to him. After all, he didn’t do that well in the training game earlier.
===============================================================
Coach’s office
===============================================================
Meng Yeow was sitting on the chair, facing Lippi.
“How was the training?†Lippi asked.
“Tough…†Meng Yeow replied honestly. Lippi smiled.
“This is the Serie A,†Lippi replied. “Italians have always been the best defenders in football. What you experienced just now was just merely 10% of the Serie A.â€
Meng Yeow gasped. Lippi opened his drawer and took out a file. It was the pre season schedule. Lippi pulled out a time table and read it. “There’ll be a pre-season friendly this weekend,†Lippi said while reading the schedule. Meng Yeow nods. “The friendly match against Parma…you will get a chance to show what you can really do.â€
Meng Yeow’s eyes widened.
“Not confident?†Lippi asked.
“No coach, just…too sudden…†Meng Yeow said. Lippi looked at him. “But nonetheless, I will do my best!â€
“I am the coach, you are the midfielder,†Lippi said as he puts the file down. “Your duty is to supply the forwards with the ball, and help keep possession, simple as that. You will not please anyone, except yourself.â€
“Yes coach…†Meng Yeow replied.
“You may go,†Lippi said. Meng Yeow took his leave and returned to the hostel. The first thing he did was to call home.
===============================================================
“Hello? Mom? Meng Yeow here,†he said.
“How are things?†his mother asked.
“Mom, I will be getting a chance to play in this weekend’s friendly match!†Meng Yeow said excitedly.
“Really? That’s good!†his mother exclaimed. “Wait till your father hears this.â€
“He hasn’t come back from work?†Meng Yeow asked.
“Nope, he has been working hard lately,†his mother said. After some chat, Meng Yeow hung up and lies on his bed, and fell asleep very quickly.
===============================================================
The next day, at Juventus training ground
“Meng Yeow, today, you will play for the reserves team against the senior team,†Lippi said. Meng Yeow was surprised.
“Yes coach…†he replied and joins the reserves team. He is now up against the likes of Thuram, Davids, and Italian keeper, Buffon. The whistle goes off and Meng Yeow passed the ball towards his fellow midfielder. A few touches around their own half before the ball finally comes to Meng Yeow. Almost immediately, a sliding tackle came in, knocking Meng Yeow off his feet!
The boy thumped onto the pitch hard, and the whistle goes off for a foul.
“Darn…†Meng Yeow cursed under his breathe. “The defense is fast!†he thought. But he quickly recovered, and took the free kick. The ball soon came to him again and he comes face to face with Davids. “Davids is well known for his crunching tackles…†Meng Yeow muttered. He pushed the ball towards the left swiftly, and Davids follows. In a quick motion, Meng Yeow back heels the ball with his right leg, kicking it towards his left feet. He taps the ball with his left heel, turns around and charges past Davids!
“What!?†Davids muttered in shock. Meng Yeow sees Thuram coming towards him and passes the ball towards his teammate. Thuram slides in with a late tackle, but Meng Yeow evaded it, charges forward, and receives the ball from his teammate. He is now at the edge of the penalty box! With a touch, Meng Yeow brought the ball under control kicks the ball hard towards the goal! Zambrotta rushes in and blocks the shot with his feet. He kicks the ball to Tacchinardi who charges forward, avoiding the tackles of several players before passing the ball to Del Piero. Del Piero did a step over, tricking a defender and lobs the ball towards Trezeguet who fired a shot past the goalkeeper! One nil to the senior team!
The reserves team kicks off the game again. Meng Yeow takes the ball and charges down the middle, coming face to face with Tacchinardi. Meng Yeow tries to run past Tacchinardi’s right, but the defender blocks his run. Meng Yeow forces the ball forward, causing the ball to bounce up. He quickly heads the ball forward and puts a through pass towards the penalty area, finding a fellow teammate! The striker calmly slots the ball past Buffon.
Lippi, who was watching from the bench, folds his arms. The match continued with Meng Yeow being the most prominent figure in the reserves’ squad. Although they reserves lost, Meng Yeow’s performance was satisfactory in Lippi’s eyes.
===============================================================
A few days later
===============================================================
It was match day. A pre-season friendly between Juventus FC and Parma. Despite being just a friendly, the fans poured into the stadium. Fans carried huge flags bearing Juventus FC’s logo as they marched into the stadium. Some fans waited along the road for the player’s bus to drive past, while some were asking around for tickets. It was a carnival atmosphere, just like any other football game.
The player’s bus drove in at this moment, and the fans at the roadside cheered for the team. It was the first time Meng Yeow faced such an atmosphere. Fans waving huge flags as they cheered. The bus drove into the bay and the players alighted and hurried to the dressing room.
“Ok, here is the list for today’s starting eleven,†Lippi said as he opens his file. “Buffon, Thuram, Montero, Iuliano, Tacchinardi, Zambrotta, Davids, Nedved, Del Piero, Trezeguet and Kovacevic.â€
“On the reserves bench will be Birindelli, Carini, Ferrara, Pessotto and Meng Yeow,†Lippi said. “Go get ready for warm up now.â€
The players dismissed and went to the dressing room. Meng Yeow was seen sitting on the bench as he wore his boots. Del Piero came up to him and gave him a pat on the back.
“Nervous?†Del Piero asked. Meng Yeow smiled slightly and nods. “Relax. Just think…you have nothing to lose in this match. Most importantly, you do your best on the field. Fulfill your duty, enjoy yourself. Don’t leave any regrets.â€
“Enjoy myself…†Meng Yeow muttered.
“Let’s go and do our warm ups,†Del Piero said and stood up.
“Ah,†Meng Yeow replied and followed Del Piero out onto the pitch. A strong atmosphere awaits them. Drums roaring, the fans singing and shouting, flags waving. Something that one will never see in Singapore. Meng Yeow closed his eyes and took a deep breath before running out onto the pitch. He grabs a ball immediately and started dribbling and juggling it to warm up his movements. Then the whistle came for the players to gather, to start the proper warming ups. The players were put through some light drills and passing session for around 15 minutes. As he walked back to the dressing room, Meng Yeow looked up at the Parma players. None of them are the ones he knew, it seems that Parma is actually sending out a reserves squad for this friendly.
Meng Yeow stood in front of a locker with the name “M Y GAN†on it. He looked at the name tag; no words can describe his feeling. He turned around, took a blip, wore it and followed the rest of the players out. He jogged slowly towards the bench and sat down. His heart was thumping, the boy was excited. Only by watching from the bench was enough to excite him so much. He couldn’t imagine the feeling when he would be substituted out onto the game.
Soon, the first eleven of both sides took onto the pitch. The crowd, which was cheering very loudly already, cheered even louder as they welcomed the players. The players waved at the crowd and proceeded to do some light warm ups as the captains decided which side would start, by tossing coin. Juventus was allowed to kick off the game.
“Parma is fielding a reserves team?†said one of the spectators. Discussion started spreading among the Juventus fans, and some complained that Parma wasn’t taking the game seriously. They jeered at the visiting team as the referee blows the whistle for kick off.
Del Piero passes the ball to Davids, who kicks it towards Montero on the side. Montero runs forward, only to be blocked by a Parma player. Finding no way pass him, Montero turns back and lays the ball to Zambrotta. Zambrotta passed the ball towards Tacchinardi who gets past a Parma player before lobbing the ball towards the left flank. Nedved was there to receive the long ball. The Czech International did some trickery and gets past the defender. The supporters cheered. Nedved lobs the ball into the danger area, finding Trezeguet who heads it towards the goal! But the Parma keeper was in time to palm the ball out for a corner.
Lippi waved his arms unhappily as he walks around the bench area. The Juventus fans threw their hands to their heads in dismay, thinking that it would be the first goal. The corner was quickly taken. Kovacevic was left open just at the edge of the six yard box! He chests the ball down, turned a defender inside out and rams the ball towards the bottom corner of the goal! A Parma defender rushed in and cleared the ball off the line in time!
“AWW!†went the spectators again. Parma went on the counter quickly, advancing down the middle. Davids went in with a hard tackle, taking both the ball and the player. The referee blew his whistle to indicate a foul. Davids complained as he believed it was a fair tackle. Parma quickly took the free kick, catching the Juventus defense by surprise! Buffon charged out from his six yard box in lighting speed, diving to the ground, grabbing the ball off the striker’s feet! The striker fell, got up and threw his arms up, appealing for a penalty that was ignored. Buffon threw the ball out to Iuliano who delivers a long searching ball across the length of the pitch. Thuram and a Parma player leapt into the air at the same time. Thuram won the air duel and taps the ball towards Nedved. Nedved passed the ball towards Del Piero who did a step over, fooling the defender before unleashing a fierce shot towards the goal! The goalkeeper dived towards his right, fully stretched and palms the ball away. But Trezeguet appeared out of nowhere and taps the ball into the net!!
One goal to Juventus!
The fans roared in joy, waving the huge flags too. Lippi claps with a satisfied smile. He was happy with the early lead. (10â€)
The game restarts, but Juventus find themselves defending desperately against a supposedly inexperienced Parma side. A Parma midfielder unleashed a shot from 30 yards out, leaving only Buffon to beat. But the custodian was equal to the challenge and grabs the ball with his hands.
The next attack came almost immediately. Montero found himself back footed as a Parma winger dashes into the danger zone, floating a cross into the box. Iuliano gets his head to the ball first in a goalmouth scramble, but only to have the ball land at a Parma striker’s feet! The striker accepted the gift happily and rams the ball through Buffon’s fingers from close range! The young Parma side went wild as they celebrated the goal against one of the world’s best goalkeepers. (30â€)
Meng Yeow buried his face in his hands in disbelief, while Lippi yelled unhappily at his defense.
The game continues with Juventus’s turn to dominate. The Old Lady dominated every department of the game, but just couldn’t find the back of the net. Frustrations rose as Del Piero, Trezeguet, Kovacevic and Nedved took turns to miss glorious chances. The half time whistle came and the players went back to their dressing rooms.
“What was the defense doing?†Lippi asked. “The frontline? I know this is just a friendly match. But it is the professional player’s duty to take every game seriously.â€
“I know,†Lippi continued. “Even I am surprised at Parma’s lineup. And I believe that is the fact that caught us off guard. We still another half. Don’t disappoint the fans,†Lippi said.
Meng Yeow was doing light warm-ups and drills on the pitch with the other reserve players during all these. As Lippi came out, he called Meng Yeow. The latter jogged towards the coach.
“How do you feel?†Lippi asked with a smile.
“Fantastic,†Meng Yeow said excitedly. “I’ve never thought I’d get a chance to step into Stadio Delle Alpi. But now…I’m actually playing football on it!â€
Lippi smiled and pats his shoulders.
“Today’s atmosphere is only half of a league game’s atmosphere,†Lippi said. “If you are awed by this, aren’t you going to faint during a league game?†he laughed. Meng Yeow scratched his head and smiled. At this moment, players from both teams came onto the pitch again. There were no changes to both sides. Parma kicked off the second half and went on the attack quickly. The Juventus defense kept tight this time, not allowing passes from midfield. Davids continued his hard and aggressive play, protecting the back four. Nedved made the middle of the park his own as he sprayed passes everywhere. Del Piero, the man ‘in the hole’ drove the Parma defenders crazy with his neat moves.
(50â€)
Nedved broke down the middle, in a swift counter attack, and puts in a defense splitting pass! Just as the ball left his feet, a Parma defender came sliding in with his feet high up!
“ARGH!†Nedved cried as he was kicked onto the ground! He grabs his knee in pain as he laid on the ground, heavily injured. The Juventus fans and staff were furious!
“Give the red card!†Lippi shouted angrily.
Players of both sides came in to shove each other away, avoiding a free-for-all. The fans jeered at the Parma player. However, only a yellow card was produced, which invited more jeers and angry curses.
Del Piero, the team captain was seen debating to the referee. He puts his hand, fingers together near his mouth, making a gesture. But the referee dismissed it and ignores his appeals for a red card. Nedved was carried off the pitch, and the team’s medic rushes to Lippi’s side.
“He has severely injured his knee,†he said. “He cannot carry on.â€
Lippi shook his head in disgust and turned back to look at the bench. Meng Yeow was watching Nedved with concern.
“Meng Yeow!†Lippi called out. “It’s your turn.â€
Meng Yeow looked at Lippi with shocked eyes. Lippi looked at him and nods. Meng Yeow recovered from his shock, took off his blip and hurried towards Lippi, who gave him instructions. Then, he was quickly brought onto the pitch.
Del Piero smiled and nods as he sees Meng Yeow come on. Davids looks back at Thuram and nods too.
“The coach asks me to play the playmaker role,†Meng Yeow said as Del Piero ran up to him.
“Then do it,†Del Piero said with a serious look. “You can do it, right?â€
“Yeah…†Meng Yeow nods.
Formation for Juventus
--------------------------Buffon--------------------------
---------Montero-Iuliano-Thuram-Zambrotta-------
--------------------------Davids--------------------------
--------------Tacchinardi------Del Piero---------------
-------------------------Meng Yeow---------------------
----------------Kovacevic-----Trezeguet----------------
“GAN!†came Tacchinardi’s voice. Meng Yeow turns around, and finds the ball coming towards him. He jumps up and chests the ball nicely and taps the ball towards Del Piero. Meng Yeow quickly turns around and charges up field. Del Piero passes the ball back to him. Meng Yeow traps the ball, sees an incoming defender and dribbles towards the side. The defender follows him. Very quickly, Meng Yeow turns back again, and the defender follows his movement. Just as it seems he was about to turn fully, Meng Yeow back heels the ball and charges past the defender!
Without giving a second thought, Meng Yeow rams the ball towards the goal. But his shot was too hard, and the ball hits the crossbar, going out for a goal kick. Meng Yeow turned around and throws his hands to his head.
“Nice shot!†Tacchinardi acknowledged. Meng Yeow looked up and smiled, and then turned back to concentrate in the game. The Parma keeper sent out a long goal kick that reached Juventus’s half. Meng Yeow attempted to jump up for a header, but realized the ball was too high. Suddenly, Davids jumped out, beating a Parma player in the air duel! The ball lands behind Meng Yeow, who quickly turned around and charged towards the ball. A Parma player came in at this moment and both players slid towards the ball! Meng Yeow lost the duel this time. He quickly stood up, and wanted to chase the Parma player. But he realized his leg had gone numb! Meng Yeow tumbled to the ground the moment he took a step, and stayed down. But he climbed up again, punched his thigh hard and moved a step forward. The numbness was gone!
Iuliano intercepted Parma’s progress and passed the ball towards Davids who in turn puts the ball to Del Piero. Del Piero gets past a couple of Parma defenders and came one on one with the goal keeper! Trezeguet came running in from the middle and Del Piero taps the ball towards him. Trezeguet steps over the ball, tricking the defender marking him! The ball rolls to Meng Yeow’s feet, who did not hesitate to blast the ball into the back of the net! Meng Yeow stood there, stunned for a few seconds. He recovered only when Del Piero and Trezeguet jumped onto him, celebrating the goal! (70â€)
Only then, the young boy clenched his fists, punched the air and went on a wild run, yelling his lungs out!
“GOALLLL!!! YEAH!!!†Meng Yeow roared as he came to the corner flag. His teammates jumped onto him from behind in happiness. “I can’t imagine this…I can’t…But…I’ve just scored a goal!!â€
Del Piero snapped him out of his dreams.
“Let’s go! There is still some time in the game!†Del Piero pats his back.
“Osh!†Meng Yeow shouted and the players ran back to their own half, ready for the restart. On his way back, he looked at the bench and saw Lippi looking at him. Lippi nods, acknowledging the goal. Meng Yeow returned the nod and went back to his position. Parma kicked off the game again, and tried to hold possession. But Davids charged forward and stole the ball! He taps the ball to Meng Yeow, who did a step over before passing the ball to Del Piero. Del Piero lobs the ball towards Conte who was running down the right. Conte delivered a quick cross into the box, finding Kovacevic. Kovacevic delivered a strong header towards the top corner of the goal. But the Parma goal keeper leapt into the air and fists the ball away! The ball lands at the Parma defender’s feet, who send the ball out of the danger zone.
Zambrotta chests the ball down and looks around for support.
“Zambrotta!†Montero shouted as he ran.
Montero ran down the middle and gets the ball from Zambrotta. Then he passes the ball to Thuram. Thuram gets past a Parma player and lays the ball to Del Piero on the left. Del Piero flicked the ball to his left, trickling the defender. Then he pushed the ball back to his right and passed the ball to Meng Yeow. Meng Yeow pushed the ball towards his right and attempted to shoot. The Parma defender brought his feet up to block, but Meng Yeow sent the ball beneath his legs!
Meng Yeow runs behind the defender and lobs the ball into the penalty box. Trezeguet rushed in and heads the ball across the mouth of the goal, finding Kovacevic who taps the ball into the goal! 3-1 to Juventus! (80â€)
The fans went crazy! For the rest of the game, Meng Yeow dazzled Stadio Delle Alpi with his vision and passes. He went on and provided an assist in Trezeguet’s second goal of the game, putting the game beyond Parma’s reach. The final whistle came, and the fans gave Juventus a thunderous applause.
Back at the dressing room
“Good job, you won the game,†Lippi said.
“Meng Yeow had a great outing today,†Davids commented. The young boy scratched his head and gave an embarrassed smile.
“Yup, good work Meng Yeow,†Lippi said.
“Thanks coach.â€
For the next few weeks, Meng Yeow continued his brilliant form. He scored three goals in five games, and provided ten assists! With this, Lippi decided to let him be in the starting line up for the season opener against AC Milan!
Some days later
Meng Yeow was seen working out at the gym, trying to improve his physic to handle the tough Serie A.
Thuram came in at this moment, and was surprised to see Meng Yeow.
“It’s late,†Thuram said as he walked towards the boy. Meng Yeow looked at the clock and slapped his forehead. Thuram laughed a bit. “Want to strengthen yourself?†he asked.
“Yup,†Meng Yeow said. “I can’t handle the league if all defenders are like you!â€
Thuram laughed out. “Its good that you know the fact,†Thuram said. “Especially when we are up against AC Milan.†Meng Yeow nods. “Come, let’s do some drills,†Thuram said, surprising Meng Yeow. “Come on.â€
Meng Yeow and Thuram went onto the pitch. Thuram kicked a ball towards Meng Yeow.
“Try to get past me,†Thuram said.
“Huh?â€
“Try to get past me at least 50 times,†Thuram smirked. Meng Yeow was startled, but became serious again. He taps the ball forward. As quick as lightning, Thuram surges forward and gets his feet in the way. Thuram wagged his finger at Meng Yeow as he steps back. “Too slow. You can do that to the reserves teams, but you definitely can’t do that to the senior teams,†Thuram said. “You’ve got to be quick. Know what your opponent is going to do.â€
Meng Yeow nods and traps the ball as Thuram kicks it back to him. Meng Yeow taps the ball forward. Thuram surges forward again, but did not tackle him. Meng Yeow pushes the ball towards his right, and Thuram followed, blocking him. Meng Yeow pushed the ball towards his left, again to be blocked by Thuram. Just as he was thinking of the next move, Thuram lunges forward and steals the ball from him. Meng Yeow turned around, wondering. Thuram juggles the ball a bit and kicks the ball back to Meng Yeow.
For the next one hour, Meng Yeow was left trying to get past the Frenchman. He did, only a few times though. By now, both players are tired.
“Ok, last one,†Thuram said. Meng Yeow nods as he brought the ball under his control. Suddenly, he charges forward. “What!?†Thuram muttered in shock at Meng Yeow’s move. But he charges forward too. Meng Yeow swings his leg and kicks the ball towards Thuram from close range! The ball hits Thuram’s leg and bounces back to Meng Yeow who leapt up, chests the ball and gets past Thuram! Thuram smiled as he turns around. “Making use of me to get past me,†Thuram said.
Meng Yeow smiled and kicks the ball towards Thuram.
“Let’s go back,†Thuram said and pats Meng Yeow’s shoulder.
A week later
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro)
“This is the first match,†Lippi said. “You know what to do?â€
His players nods. Lippi acknowledged it.
“Then let’s do it,†Lippi said. “Let’s go!â€
The players marched out from the dressing room, onto the pitch. The atmosphere was excellent. Many times better then the friendly against Parma. Meng Yeow looked at the size of the spectators with wide eyes. Their cheering and singing was so loud, he had to strain his ears to hear his teammates.
Both teams shook hands, and get their team picture taken. Then Del Piero went forward to the referee, along with Maldini, captain of AC Milan to decide who kicks off. Juventus gets the chance to start the ball. Meng Yeow was doing some stretching as he heard his name announced over the public announcement system.
“This is it…†Meng Yeow told himself. “I must do my best…â€
“Hey, boy!†came Montero’s voice. Meng Yeow turned back. “Don’t be frightened by this. Be professional. Go all out. We will support you from behind,†Montero said.
“Montero…†Meng Yeow muttered. Montero showed him a thumb up. Meng Yeow nods and returned the thumb up. The whistle went off, signaling the start of the match. Spectators roared as they supported their teams.
The ball came to Davids, who gets past a player before passing the ball towards Del Piero. He tries to move forward, but was blocked by a defender. He turns back and passes the ball to Iuliano on the left. Iuliano traps the ball and then swings a long ball across the pitch, finding Zambrotta. Zambrotta did a one-two with Meng Yeow and crosses the ball into the danger area, trying to find Trezeguet. But the latter was out muscled by Maldini, who heads the ball away.
The ball drops down at the edge of the box, where Meng Yeow was. And the young boy tricks Nesta, gets past him and prepares to shoot! Maldini came in with a hard tackle, taking the ball away with top class defending, leaving Meng Yeow dumbfounded.
AC Milan went on the counter quickly. Maldini’s pass found Inzaghi who was lurking behind the defenders. Inzaghi lobs the ball towards Shevchenko who chests the ball down and shoots! Buffon leapt across the goal mouth and palms the ball away!
Thuram gets the ball and passes it to Tacchinardi. Tacchinardi lays the ball to Meng Yeow in the middle. He gets past Gattuso and lobs the ball towards the right flank, where Del Piero was. Del Piero floated a cross into the box quickly. Trezeguet out jumped the defenders and heads it towards goal! But Abbiatti was alert and grabs the ball. Juventus’s attack was then halted, as Abbiatti holds the ball to himself and waits for the box to be cleared. Then he delivered a long kick, finding Albertini. Albertini clashes with Zambrotta, but Albertini emerged the winner from the duel!
Albertini charges forward and delivered a low cross into the box finding Inzaghi! Inzaghi taps the ball towards the goal from close range, but Buffon dived down in time and palms the ball away!
The ball goes out of the touchline and Inzaghi grabs his hair, disappointed.
“Gan! Help with the defense!†shouted Tacchinardi from afar. Meng Yeow hurried back immediately, as AC Milan prepares to take the first corner kick of the game. Rui Costa floated the ball into the center of the box, trying to find Inzaghi! Thuram and Inzaghi jumped up together, but Inzaghi out jumped him and heads the ball towards the bottom corner!
“Rargh!†Davids roared as he slides in, trying to clear the ball! Buffon leapt towards the left corner at the same time too! Davids got his feet to the ball, and the ball bounced away from the goal line. But the ball landed at Inzaghi’s feet and he taps the ball into the empty net!
The AC Milan supporters went wild in celebration as the players ran towards the touchline, celebrating their goal. (14’)
“Come on! Only a goal! We will score two back!†Del Piero encouraged his team. A small shadow ran past him at this moment. He looked back and saw Meng Yeow run into the goal, picking the ball up. Then he ran back towards the center circle and placed the ball down.
Davids rubbed his nose, and Del Piero smiled. “Let’s go!†he shouted, and everyone got back into position.
The whistle goes off, signaling the start of the second half. Juventus went on the attack immediately.
Meng Yeow receives the ball, controls it and goes past Gattuso. Then he lobbed the ball towards the flank where Del Piero was. Del Piero challenges Nesta and gets past him, and then passed the ball to Kovacevic. Kovacevic fires a shot towards the goal but the shot was blocked by Maldini! The ball lands at Meng Yeow’s feet and he comes face to face with Jaap Stam! Meng Yeow pushes the ball towards his left with his left leg and prepares to run towards the left. Jaap Stam follows the pace. Meng Yeow halts suddenly and pushes the ball under Stam’s legs with his left leg! The ball trickles through Stam’s leg and Meng Yeow charges past Stam’s left towards goal!
The crowd cheered at Meng Yeow’s moment of brilliance.
“Darn!†Stam cursed and pulls Meng Yeow’s jersey! Meng Yeow shook off Stam’s defense and kicks the ball towards the right corner of the goal! Abbiatti was late to dive down and watched helplessly as the ball flies towards his goal! Maldini slides in, clearing ball! Then he passed the ball to Renondo who quickly led the counter attack!
Meng Yeow turned back and tried to return to defense. Juventus dealt with AC Milan’s counter attack well and regained possession of the ball very quickly.
The supporters continued cheering their teams on, and the managers shouted instructions from their benches non stop.
Del Piero takes the ball down the flank, but passes the ball back to Davids in the middle of the park. Then he passes the ball to Meng Yeow. However, once he got the ball, Jaap Stam came sliding in from behind!
“ARGH!†Meng Yeow cried as he was thrown into the air by the tackle! The referee blows the whistle, but gave no cards. That was just the beginning of Meng Yeow’s punishment. For the next 20 minutes, Meng Yeow was brutally dealt with, with hard sliding tackles, body pushes and even a kick from Stam!
“Hey Ref!†Del Piero shouted angrily. “That was clearly a red card foul!â€
But the referee shook his head and insisted his stand. The match continues, but Meng Yeo was already half limping.
Davids passes the ball towards Tacchinardi. Meng Yeow turned around, trying to run into space. Tacchinardi sees the run and passes the ball to Meng Yeow’s front! Meng Yeow ignores his pain and chases after the ball. Jaap Stam came in again from behind, sliding into Meng Yeow’s path, taking the ball away legally, but also striking Meng Yeow’s shin in progress!
Meng Yeow falls to the ground and took a few tumbles, and he held his shin in pain as he laid down. He felt a tremendous pain in his shin and tears almost ran out from his eyes. He had never tasted such pain before. Davids ran in and gave Jaap Stam a hard push angrily.
“HEY! What was that for!?†Davids shouted into Jaap Stam’s face.
Players from both sides came in quickly, trying to separate the two players.
Lippi shook his head with disgust as the referee flashes a yellow card at Jaap Stam, instead of a red. Meng Yeow was then taken off the pitch, ending his debut game in the Serie A being carried off on a stretcher…
Hospital Ward
Meng Yeow was lying in bed, looking at his bandaged right leg.
“There is a crack in your shin bone,†the doctor said, showing Meng Yeow the X ray pictures. “You’ll need at least five months for the crack to recover. And another few weeks to fully recover from this injury.â€
The ward door knob turned, and Lippi came in.
“How are you feeling?†Lippi asked. Meng Yeow looked down. He couldn’t hide his disappointment Lippi sat down beside him and pats his shoulder. “This is all part and parcel of a professional footballer’s life. Take it. Recover from it, and become an even stronger player after it.â€
Meng Yeow smiled faintly and nods.
“I’m sorry…†he said.
“Don’t say sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong,†Lippi said as he leaned back in the chair. “I saw your move. It was brilliant,†Lippi smiled. “I want you to recover, come back to the team, and do more of that.â€
Meng Yeow looked up in surprise.
“Can you promise me that?†Lippi asked.
“Yes coach,†Meng Yeow nods as he replied. Lippi nods and pats his shoulder.
“Have a good rest,†he said and left. Meng Yeow reached out to a newspaper on the table beside him. It was brought by his teammates who visited him earlier. He flipped open the pages, and although he couldn’t read Italian, the headline picture was enough to make him understand the content.
It was a picture of him lying on the ground, holding his injured leg. Meng Yeow puts the newspaper back down and looked out of the window. He suddenly felt lost. He wondered if he could even recover in time.
After a few weeks, Meng Yeow was discharged from hospital. He spent his time working out at they local gyms, trying to maintain his fitness. Of course, all these with his physical coach with him.
One day, at a park
Meng Yeow was doing some slow jog at a nearby park, and he came across a group of school boys playing football.
“How long has it been since I kicked a ball?†he thought. As though his thoughts were read, the ball came flying to him. Meng Yeow chested the ball down, kicked it up once and kicked the ball back to the boys. One of the boys caught the ball and looked at him.
“Are you Meng Yeow?†he shouted. Meng Yeow was surprised.
“Er…yup,†he replied. The boys became very excited and they ran towards him.
“We all saw you in the match against Milan, you were great!†the boy who was holding the ball exclaimed.
“Thanks,†Meng Yeow replied with a smile.
“Want to join us for a game?†another asked. Meng Yeow thought about it and nods. The boys cheered and they started a game of football together. It has been a long time since Meng Yeow had played the game. They shouted, cheered and laughed as each other them tried to come up with tricks but failed. Soon it was time to leave.
“Thanks guys,†Meng Yeow thanked. “It’s been sometime since I played football.â€
“Hope you recover from your injury soon. We want to see you on the pitch,†a boy said.
“I will do my best,†Meng Yeow said. “Bye!†he bade and jogs off.
“Hmm…†one of the boys muttered.
“What’s wrong?â€
“Did you hear some weird noises just now?â€
“Nope…â€
“Ok…†the boy said and then they returned home.
Meng Yeow reached his hostel after some time. He took off his shoes and dropped them beside the doorway. A huge thud was heard as the shoes drops. Meng Yeow sat down to take off his socks. Then he picks his shoes up and takes out metal pieces from inside! Meng Yeow then took off the jacket he was wearing and tries to hang it up as he walks past the clothes stand. But the jacket fell off, a landed too, with a huge thud. Meng Yeow shook his head and picks the jacket up. A few metal pieces dropped out from his jacket as he picks his jacket up. He hangs his jacket and then proceeded to take his bath.
The next day, he went back to join the team training. Due to his injuries, he was only allowed to do light exercises.
Five months later
Meng Yeow was doing his usual training now. His injury had fully recovered, and was allowed to go through drills. He was doing his drills when Lippi called out to him.
“Yes coach,†Meng Yeow asked as he ran up to Lippi.
“How are you feeling?†Lippi asked.
“Good, coach,†Meng Yeow replied. “The pain is gone.â€
“Good,†Lippi said. “I want to make a gamble.â€
Meng Yeow looked at him.
“You haven’t been playing first team football for almost five months,†Lippi said. Meng Yeow nods. “I want to put you in the match against Manchester United next week.â€
Meng Yeow was shocked. For a player who had missed first team football for almost five months, being in the first team is almost impossible.
“But coach…â€
“No buts,†Lippi replied. “Nedved’s injury has not fully recovered. You saw how we struggled in the Serie A and Champions League,†Lippi said. “I’ve seen your progress. Fitness, physic especially. You have shown good improvements. Technique and skills wise I have absolutely no doubts,†Lippi said. “I’m confident in you,†he said and puts a hand on Meng Yeow’s shoulder. The youngster could only nod.
Match day
“Nervous?†Del Piero asked.
“Slightly,†Meng Yeow replied.
“Coach must have his reasons to put you in this match after such a long absence,†Del Piero said. Meng Yeow nods. “Don’t worry. Just go out and do your best,†Del Pier encouraged. Soon, the left the dressing room and walked onto the pitch
It was a crucial match for the Turin giants. They have to win to go through to the play off stages. A draw, or a defeat, would see them end their European dreams. On paper, Juventus appeared a better side as they could field a full squad. For Manchester United, David Beckham was out due to injury. But his replacement, Singapore International, Neeshan was not to be looked down on. The referee blows his whistle, signaling the kickoff for the final group stage game of the UEFA Champions League.
Fans of both sides try to out-cheer each other as the game starts. Meng Yeow gets the ball from the kickoff and passes the ball down the flank to Montero. Montero releases a long ball across the pitch, switching play. Davids and Veron jumped into the air for the ball, and Veron emerged the winner. But seeing that there wasn’t much support up front, Veron chose to play the ball back to Phillip Neville. The latter passes the ball down to the right, where Neeshan was. The Singapore International charges forward, only to see Tacchinardi come into his path. Neeshan plays a quick one-two with Veron who releases him into space! Neeshan sends a long cross into the danger area, trying to find Ruud. But the Dutchman was out jumped by Thuram, who heads the ball clear towards Zambrotta.
Zambrotta passes the ball to Meng Yeow who storms down the middle. Roy Keane back tracks and slides in from behind, taking the ball expertly. However, Meng Yeow refused to concede defeat and he reaches his leg out, trying to win the ball back! The ball bounces up and Meng Yeow taps the ball forward!
The fans cheered on seeing it. Meng Yeow charges forward and puts a through pass to Kovacevic who ran through the defense! The linesman raised his flag at this moment, signaling an offside. The Juventus players were unhappy.
“Hey! That wasn’t offside!†Meng Yeow shouted. The Red Devils played the free kick quickly. Roy Keane brought the ball forward, looks up and sends the ball across the pitch, finding Neeshan on the right flank. The winger comes face to face with Iuliano. Neeshan pushes the ball forward slowly. Suddenly, he bursts towards the right. Iuliano followed the pace, but Neeshan pushes the ball back to the left, leaving the defender dead!
“Shit!â€
Neeshan delivered a sweet cross into the penalty box, finding Ruud Van Niestelrooy! The striker leapt into the air and delivered a strong header towards the goal! Buffon leapt across the ball, palming the ball out into touch! Ruud was disappointed, but gave Neeshan a thumb up for the cross.
Juventus players quickly re-organized themselves to defend the first corner kick of the game. Neeshan stepped up to take the corner and he delivered a deep cross into the box. But this time, Buffon caught the ball well. Buffon threw the ball out to Davids who passes the ball to Tacchinardi, who is in space. Tacchinardi runs forward with the ball and tries to get past Paul Scholes. But the latter intercepted well and puts the ball to Veron who charges forward quickly. Thuram comes forward to mark him. Veron does some tricks and passes the ball to Ryan Giggs on the left. Giggs crosses the ball into the penalty area quickly. Buffon comes out to challenge and punches the ball out. But the ball falls to Neeshan’s feet, and he unleashed a fierce screamer, only for the crossbar to come to Juventus’s rescue!
Lippi shook his head in disappointment. Juventus have been heavily attacked in the past 10 minutes or so.
Buffon delivers a long goal kick up the field, crossing the centerline. Meng Yeow and Roy Keane prepared for an air duel as the ball came down. Roy Keane leapt into the air, but the ball was too high for him! Meng Yeow runs past him, takes the ball and sends a defense tearing pass down the right flank! [The ball dashes past Wesley Brown and Neville, towards Del Piero.]
Del Piero controls the ball well and sends a low cross into the box, trying to find Trezeguet. But Barthez dives out and collects the ball well.
The fans cheered at Juventus’s effort as the players runs back to defend. Barthez sends a short pass to Neville who passes the ball to Giggs. Giggs runs down the left flank, but finds no way past Montero. He turns back and passes the ball towards Veron in the middle. Davids charged in, tackles Veron hard, but takes the ball legally! Veron raised his arms in protest, but the referee waves play on! Davids passes the ball to Meng Yeow. He comes face to face with Roy Keane this time. Instead of trying to go past Keane, Meng Yeow passes the ball to Del Piero, who plays the ball back to him after Meng Yeow runs past Keane! Without hesitation, Meng Yeow unleashed a shot from 30 yards out! Barthez leapt into the air and palms the ball over the crossbar!
“Awww!†went the home fans. Meng Yeow puts his hands on his head. His teammates came up from behind and gave him encouragement pats.
“Good try,†Tacchinardi said. Juventus takes the corner quickly, and Del Piero receives the ball from outside the penalty area. He tries to go past Brown, but the latter gives a late tackle at the edge of the box!
The whistle came immediately, and the referee signals a free kick to Juventus! The Red Devils protested, but the referee insisted his stand, and they had no choice but to form up the defensive wall. Del Piero and Meng Yeow looked to be taking the free kick.
The whistle goes and Del Piero taps the ball to Meng Yeow. Meng Yeow delivers a curling ball into the box, trying to find his strikers. Trezeguet out jumps the United defenders and heads the ball towards the goal. Barthez leapt into the air, trying to box the ball off, but he missed! The ball flies towards the crossbar, hits the crossbar and deflects across the line! Silvestre clears the ball off quickly and the Juventus players looked towards the linesman and referee, expecting the whistle. But the linesman did not run back to the centerline! Lippi charged out from his bench, and had to be restrained by the assistant referees.
“That is a goal! ARE YOU BLIND!?†Lippi shouted angrily.
Manchester United took the chance and quickly launched a counter attack! Luckily, Davids was still in defense and he managed to stop Veron from moving forward. Davids passes the ball to Tacchinardi who passes the ball to Montero on the left flank. Montero sends a long ball into the penalty area. Kovacevic chest down the ball and tries to shoot, but Silvestre taps the ball away from behind. Meng Yeow charges in suddenly and rams the ball towards the goal! The ball deflects off Brown’s leg, catching Barthez wrong footed! The ball bounced into the net this time, and the referee blows his whistle, signaling a goal! (45’)
Lippi walks forwards as he applauds his team, and then clenched his fists in joy.
The Juventus players ran off celebrating the goal! What a way for Meng Yeow’s return to action! Meng Yeow punches the air as he came in front of his fans. As he was very small size, comparing to the other players, his teammates did not jump on him to celebrate the goal.
“GO MENG YEOW!†the boys whom Meng Yeow met previously cheered happily. The players then run back to their own half and prepares for the restart. The referee blows the whistle and the game restarts. But just after a few passes, the whistle goes again, signaling the end of the half. Fans of both sides applauded the teams as they troop off to the dressing room.
The whistle goes, and Manchester United kicks off the second half of the game.
Ruud passes the ball to Keane, who holds the ball before sending a long cross towards the left flank, finding Ryan Giggs. Giggs squares the ball to Veron, who faces an on-charging Davids. Veron tries to move aside, but Davids was too fast. The two players banged into each other, and Veron fell to the floor. The referee stops play, indicating a free kick to the Red Devils. Veron plays a through pass to Neeshan on the right very quickly, catching the Juventus defense napping! Neeshan sends a low cross into the box, trying to find Paul Scholes. Buffon came out to challenge as it seems as it was Scholes who is going to receive the ball. But the latter suddenly let the ball through his legs!
Buffon was caught flat footed and could only watch as Ruud slams the ball in from within the six yard box! (47’)
Buffon looked into the sky, disappointed with his misjudgment. The Red Devils ran off to celebrate the quick equalizer. Meng Yeow ran into the goal, picked the ball up and ran back towards the centerline. The other players were slightly amused by it, but Del Piero was impressed.
“Come on! We can win this game!†he spurred his teammates on. Everyone got back to position as they prepared for the restart. Trezeguet and Kovacevic kicks off the game. Kovacevic passes the ball back to Meng Yeow, who lays the ball to Tacchinardi. Tacchinardi passes the ball back to Meng Yeow. Veron came charging forward almost immediately. Meng Yeow kicks the ball hard towards Veron. His move shocked everyone. But his follow up made the fans and his coach calm down. The ball bounces off Veron’s leg, and Meng Yeow runs forward, trapping the ball and dashed past the Argentine.
“Clever kid,†Thuram smiled.
Roy Keane came forward, but Meng Yeow passed the ball to Del Piero on the right. Keane came crashing into Meng Yeow, who fell hard to the ground! The referee blew his whistle, and Keane reached out to help Meng Yeow up.
“Didn’t mean that,†Keane said as he helped the boy.
“No worries,†he replied and they pats each other on the back before carrying on with the game. Montero passes the ball to Meng Yeow who puts the ball towards Davids who is just in front of him. Davids turns around and lobs the ball towards the left. Tacchinardi chests the ball down and passes the ball to an overlapping Iuliano. The latter delivers a cross into the area only to be headed away by Silvestre. Meng Yeow anticipated the direction of the ball and executes a half volley! The ball tears through the air and crashes into the crossbar, and then out of play! Barthez was a relieved keeper as he sees the ball go out. Meng Yeow puts his hands to his face as he turns back.
Barthez takes the goal kick quickly. The ball drops down in the middle, with Davids and Keane both challenging in the air for the ball. Keane gets to the ball, and heads it to his side, where Neeshan was. Zambrotta pressures him, and Neeshan had to play the ball back to Brown who passes the ball towards the left. Giggs gets the ball and gets past Del Piero after some step overs. Iuliano came in with a hard sliding tackle, taking the ball away legally. Juventus’s forwards charges forward immediately. Iuliano sends the ball flying low down the flank. Del Piero catches up with the ball, and sends a quick cross into the box. Trezeguet leapt into the air, defeating the United defenders and heads the ball towards goal! Barthez plucks the ball off the air, denying his French counterpart!
Barthez quickly throws the ball towards Phillip Neville who passes the ball to Neeshan. Neeshan puts the ball back to the center. Veron gets it and charges forward. Davids came up for the challenge, but lost this time! Veron charges past Davids and lobs the ball towards Paul Scholes. The ball flew just over Montero’s head and Paul Scholes charges towards the goal immediately after getting the ball! Thuram came sliding in, taking both Scholes and the ball! Scholes fell to the ground hard, and looks up, expecting a free kick. But the referee waves play on! Scholes threw his arms up in protest as Juventus launched a counter attack! Thuram kicks the ball up field, finding Meng Yeow in space. Meng Yeow chests the ball down, and with his back facing the United Defense, he kicks the ball up, backwards, releasing Del Piero down the flank! Meng Yeow turned around and runs forward in support. Del Piero comes face to face with Silvestre. Not wanting to risk the loss of possession, he passed the ball to Meng Yeow, who taps the ball back to him after Del Piero runs past Silvestre. He crosses the ball deep into the area. Trezeguet wins the air duel again, but instead of heading towards goal, he heads the ball down to Kovacevic who rams the ball towards the top corner! Barthez gets a touch to it, but the ball still hits into the inside of the crossbar! Silvestre returned in time and cleared the ball off before it crosses the line!
“Awww!†went the home crowd again. Lippi couldn’t hide his disappointment as he shook his head. Keane gets the ball now and passes the ball to Veron who led the attack. He passes the ball to Ruud. Ruud challenges Montero and gets past him! Then he came face to face with Thuram. Ruud sees Scholes running down the middle and taps the ball to the Englishman! Scholes took the ball and runs through Juventus’s defense! Davids back tracks and slides in from behind just as Scholes was about to reach the penalty box! Scholes fell heavily and the whistle went off immediately. The referee did not hesitate to show Davids the yellow card for his foul.
“Ref! That was a red card!†Keane complained, but the referee ignored him and Manchester United received a free kick just outside the box. A position that Beckham favored the most. Now that he is absent from the field, Neeshan stepped up to take the kick.
Buffon shouted to his team to adjust the wall as the United players discussed the strategy to use. Finally the wall was done and the United players stepped away. Neeshan will be giving it a try. The referee steps back and blows the whistle. Neeshan jogs on the spot a bit and runs forward, kicking the ball on the side. The ball flies and curls over the heads of Juventus’s defense despite the players jumping up and flies into the top corner! Buffon was beaten all the way once the ball left Neeshan’s foot. The ball hits the back of the net and Neeshan runs off, his arms wide in celebration! (60’)
2-1 to Manchester United now!
Lippi stands at the touchline, his arms folded in disappointment. He looks at his watch and then walks back to the bench, saying some words to the others. Meng Yeow again, ran into the net and picks the ball up.
Juventus kicks off the game again, and inspired by Meng Yeow’s attitude, Juventus went in search of goals immediately! Del Piero passes the ball to Tacchinardi on the left, who passes the ball to Meng Yeow in the middle. Meng Yeow gets past Veron and lobs the ball towards the right flank, finding Del Piero! Del Piero crosses the ball in immediately. Brown headed the ball away. The ball falls at Meng Yeow’s feet now. Instead of shooting, Meng Yeow lobbed the ball into the box! Trezeguet and Kovacevic beats the offside trap and charges towards goal! Kovacevic traps the ball and passes the ball to Trezeguet as Barthez charges out! Trezeguet wasted no time and taps the ball into goal! (62’)
A quick equalizer!
Instead of celebrating, Meng Yeow ran into the goal and picks the ball up. Brown however, tries to block him. The referee sees it and runs in to stop the tussle. Brown shook his head, trying to act innocent. Meng Yeow ignores them and runs back to the center spot and puts the ball down.
Manchester United kicks off the game. Ruud passes the ball to Keane, who lays it to Neeshan on the right. Neeshan gets past Tacchinardi, but Davids came in with a strong tackle, taking the ball. Meng Yeow ran into space down the left quickly. Davids sends a low pass to Meng Yeow who controls it and gets past Neville easily! With a glance, Meng Yeow kicks the ball with his right leg, sending a curling cross towards the box finding Del Piero! Del Piero controls the ball, taps it lightly and gets past Silvestre and then fires a shot towards goal! Barthez was equal to it and handles the ball safely. Barthez threw the ball out to Giggs. Giggs passed the ball to Veron who gets past Davids. Veron then passes the ball down the right, finding Neeshan. Neeshan does a bit of trickery and gets past Iuliano. The defender gave a late tackle, falling the winger! The whistle went, signaling a foul. Neeshan takes the free kick quickly, passing the ball to Veron. Veron brings the ball down the right and crosses into the danger area. Ruud out jumps everyone and heads the ball towards goal! Buffon grabs the ball perfectly, foiling the Red Devils’s plan! (70’)
Buffon waits for his area to clear before sending a long kick into the middle of the park. Davids and Veron leapt up, trying to get to the ball. But the ball flew over their heads and lands at Meng Yeow’s foot who was behind them. Brown comes in hard from behind, trying to knock Meng Yeow down. But Meng Yeow maintained his balance and sent a through ball down the flank! Del Piero chases the ball, gets to it and looks up to find the support. He sees Kovacevic in the box and tries to cross the ball. But Silvestre blocks the ball out for a corner.
The fans applauded their team’s determination as Juventus prepares to take the corner. Del Piero takes the corner, crossing the ball into the area. Barthez punches the ball out, only to have the ball land at Tacchinardi’s feet. The midfielder chests the ball down and tries a shot from outside! But the ball flew wide, and a goal kick is given to the visitors. (75’)
Barthez sends a short pass to Brown, who passes the ball wide to Giggs. Giggs plays a 1-2 with Veron and passes the ball to Keane. Keane taps the ball to Veron. Davids came forth to challenge, but Veron gets past him. Meng Yeow charges in from behind Davids, surprising Veron! The young man snatches the ball away and sends a long ball to Del Piero. Del Piero charges forward, taking on Brown. Brown loses the duel and Del Piero races towards the danger area! Neville came in to challenge, but Del Piero puts the ball to Trezeguet. With pressure from Silvestre, Trezeguet plays the ball behind Neville as Del Piero runs past him! Del Piero fires a fierce shot towards the far right of Barthez’s goal, but the Frenchman palms the ball away! Kovacevic runs forward and jumped up, trying to head the ball. But Keane came back in time and out jumped him, clearing the ball off!
The ball lands at Tacchinardi’s feet, and he shoots from 25 yards out! The ball tears through the air and hits the crossbar! (80’)
Tacchinardi puts his hands to his face in disappointment, so did the Juventus fans. Lippi shouted instructions to his team as they returned to their half. Barthez sent a short kick towards Silvestre. The Frenchman brings the ball forward and passes the ball to Giggs. Giggs gets past an on rushing Zambrotta and passes the ball to Veron. Veron taps the ball away lightly as Davids rushed in. Then he runs past Davids, retrieves the ball and tries to send a through pass down the right to Neeshan. Iuliano intercepted the ball and lays the ball to Tacchinardi. Tacchinardi receives the ball and tries to turn, but Keane came in with a hard knock from behind, pushing the Italian to the ground. The referee blows his whistle, giving Juventus a free kick.
Ten minutes was left on the clock. Juventus has to win this game to advance to the playoff stages of the Champions League. The players knew it. Lippi knew it. An elimination at this stage would not be acceptable by the Old Lady.
Tacchinardi passes the ball to Davids, who passes the ball to Meng Yeow. Manchester United, who already gained maximum points to advance to the second phase, has now started to play defensively. Juventus passed the ball around trying to find ways through the tight defense, but to no avail.
Meng Yeow takes the ball and goes forward, coming face to face with Keane. Meng Yeow pushes the ball to his right. Keane follows. Meng Yeow reached his right leg out and back heels the ball to Davids behind him! Davids lobs the ball over the heads of everyone, finding Del Piero at the edge of the penalty box! The Juventus skipper brings the ball down, tricks Brown before going past him. Then he unleashes a shot towards goal! Barthez dived down in time and blocks the shot out for a corner.
The corner was taken quickly, and Meng Yeow crosses the ball into the box after receiving the pass from Del Piero. Brown heads the ball away and Veron gets the ball! Manchester United went on the counter immediately! Veron brings the ball to midfield, gets past Davids and continues dribbling! He sees Ruud running into space and sends a through pass to Ruud! Ruud controls the ball and shoots towards the low corner! Buffon dived down and saves the ball! He gets up immediately and throws the ball out to Montero. ((88’)
Montero charges down the field and passes the ball to Meng Yeow. Meng Yeow traps the ball with his left leg, and pushes the ball backwards as Keane comes running in from his right. Meng Yeow turns around, pushes the ball and runs past Keane, leaving him stranded! Meng Yeow continues charging forward. Veron tracks back and tries to knock him down from behind. But Meng Yeow maintains his balance and pushes the ball away from Brown, who was in front of him. Silvestre came sliding in, trying to dispossess him. But Meng Yeow chips the ball off the ground, over Silvestre and went one on one with Barthez! Barthez rushes out from his six yard box in desperate attempt to clear the ball, but Meng Yeow rounds him and kicks the ball towards goal! Neville came sliding in trying to clear the ball, but the ball travels too fast for him, and crosses the line! (90’)
Meng Yeow runs off celebrating his goal, with his arm raised, his hand giving the ‘V’ sign; meaning victory, and also two goals!
“YEAH!†shouted Lippi as he punched the air. Then he turns back and celebrates with the other staff and players!
Meng Yeow went down on his knees in front of the Juventus faithful with his arms wide, his head looking up. His teammates come rushing in from behind, celebrating the all important goal!
“Brilliant run!†Del Piero said as they ran back to their half.
“I was just lucky,†Meng Yeow grinned. Del Piero pushed his head lightly and laughed.
Manchester United kicks off the game again and passes the ball around. Meng Yeow charges forward again and dispossesses Veron. He brings the ball forward and puts a through pass to Trezeguet who tries a shot! But the shot was too straight on goal, and Barthez catches it with no difficulty. Barthez then launched a long ball up field.
The referee blew his whistle at this moment, and Juventus had succeeded in going through to the playoff stages! Every Juventus player runs to Meng Yeow to celebrate the victory.
“You stole all the limelight!†Davids said and gave him a hard pat on the back.
“Well without the support of everyone, I don’t think I can perform too,†Meng Yeow replied. After that, they walked off the pitch. Lippi came forward, offering a handshake.
“Well done!†Lippi said.
“Thanks coach,†the boy replied.
“I knew I didn’t waste my time on you,†Lippi said with a smile. Meng Yeow grinned. “Go take a bath.â€
Meng Yeow nods and walked towards the tunnel. On the way, he received a standing ovation from the spectators. Responding to the applause, Meng Yeow claps his hands above his head as he walks into the tunnel.
Singapore
Newspapers of all sorts had the headlines:
‘Singaporean Footballer Shines in Europe!’
‘Bagged two goals and createde to bring Juventus FC to playoff stages!’
‘The first player since Singapore Legend Fandi Ahmad to officially play in Europe!’
“Good evening, welcome to News 5 Tonight,†same the news anchorwoman. “Top headlines tonight, Singaporean footballer, Gan Meng Yeow performed outstandingly well in the UEFA Champions League match against Manchester United.â€
The news started showing highlights of the match.
“All three goals for Juventus FC were closely related to him. He bagged a double, and was part of the Old Lady’s second goal.â€
A few months later
Madrid, Spain
Bernabau
Countless football fans poured into the Real Madrid home stadium, Bernabau. It was the final of the UEFA Champions League between Juventus FC, and Real Madrid FC.
“Good evening everyone, welcome to the UEFA Champions League Final match between Juventus FC, and Real Madrid FC. On commentary here is Brian Williams.â€
“As you all know, the main architect for Juventus’s success this season has to be young Singaporean International, Gan Meng Yeow,†Brian said. “Along the way, he scored six goals for Juventus, and provided countless assists and good plays. Ok, here they come.â€
Players of both teams marched out from the dressing room, onto the pitch. Both teams had their team photographs taken, and the captains exchanged banners. Then the referee flips the coin to decide who kicks off. Juventus gets the ball, and both teams form themselves up.
“Alright, we’re kicking off now, with Juventus getting the kick off,†Brian said.
“This is the moment,†Meng Yeow thought as he stretched his legs. The whistle went, and Trezeguet kicks the ball to Kovacevic who passes the ball back to Meng Yeow. “Go!†Meng Yeow shouted and charged forward with the ball!
[Scene freezes, and fades into black screen. Credits start rolling.]
Ending Song: Angela Aki – Home
TPC TokuAsia Productions 2006-06-12
Story by Gan Meng Yeow
