Chapter 169: The Ticket to Rome! Tonight, He Was the Greatest in History!
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A crisp whistle echoed through Old Trafford.
The referee rushed to the edge of the box, pointed firmly to the spot, and waved Fletcher over—reaching into his chest pocket to produce a yellow card.
The entire stadium erupted in furious boos.
Old Trafford's crowd was never interested in justice—only loyalty.
Any card against one of their own? Not acceptable!
But this was a blatant foul, and even the United players couldn't argue.
Di María, having received a through ball from Yaya Touré on the left side of the pitch, was surging forward at full speed.
As he breezed past Fletcher, the United midfielder—unable to keep up—shoved him down from behind.
Anything less than a yellow card would've screamed corruption.
Still, Fletcher's foul was clever and calculated.
Had Di María gotten past him, and with Bale tearing down the opposite wing or Džeko lurking ahead,
United's defense would've been in serious trouble.
One foul, one yellow card—worth it.
As Bale helped Di María up, he picked up the ball and set it on the turf.
Roughly 25 meters from goal, slightly to the left—well within Bale's range.
There was no dispute over who would take it.
Bale had become the team's go-to free-kick taker, and rightfully so—his technique had improved drastically.
At the referee's whistle, Bale sprinted toward the ball, planting his right foot and striking with his left.
Using the speed from his run-up, he channeled all his power into the shot.
The ball zipped over the wall—low, fast, and curving.
Just as it cleared the defenders' heads, it suddenly dipped—
heading straight for the bottom-left corner of the goal.
Van der Sar reacted quickly, diving full stretch—
but he could only parry the ball.
The save deflected off his gloves and rebounded into the danger zone.
Walcott, Di María, and Džeko all surged forward.
But Walcott was the quickest.
The Little Tiger burst into the six-yard box, reaching the rebound just outside the near post.
He slammed a shot toward goal—
only for Van der Sar to launch himself again, blocking with his body at point-blank range.
But the ball was still in play.
Old Trafford fell into chaos.
Bodies collided, players scrambled.
"Bale's free-kick was deadly."
"Walcott's rebound shot—saved by Van der Sar!"
"Still a chance—Džeko shoots again!"
"Blocked by Vidić!"
"This is mayhem!"
"Carrick finally clears—it's out for a throw-in!"
"What a sequence!"
"This is the most dangerous moment Beisworth Chinese FC has created tonight."
"That Bale free-kick was eerily similar to Ronaldo's earlier strike—just from the opposite side."
The entire stadium held its breath.
United fans sighed in relief and roared encouragement for their players.
That triple-save sequence had nearly broken their hearts.
Had any of those shots gone in, it would've shattered their clean sheet.
And now, with over 70 minutes gone,
United's players were clearly tiring.
Beisworth Chinese FC's energy levels were visibly superior.
And Di María, just recently subbed on, was full of life.
His dribbling was a constant threat,
especially with his direct style—blowing through tired legs and tight lines.
...
"Stop trying to go 1v1 every time,"
Modrić told Di María as they jogged back into position.
"Your strength isn't physical—it's your speed and technique!"
"Pass more, move more—we'll support you!"
Di María nodded.
He understood.
He often lingered on the ball too long—a trait shared by many South American players.
Like a moment ago, when he could've accelerated past Fletcher—
he hesitated just enough to get caught.
Against a team like United, with a compact defense,
every extra touch was dangerous.
He finally grasped Yang Cheng's instructions:
use his footwork and pace to tear open space on the flanks and between the lines.
"Got it," Di María said with resolve.
Modrić gave him a pat on the shoulder and ran off.
...
83rd minute.
Beisworth Chinese FC had nearly total control of the ball and tempo.
United were pinned back, focused solely on defense.
They were clearly trying to protect the 1–0 scoreline until the final whistle.
The visitors had a different plan—they wanted a goal.
Yang Cheng made his second substitution:
Lewandowski on for Walcott.
Walcott had struggled tonight under Evra's close marking.
But Yang Cheng didn't blame him.
Even Ronaldo and Messi get locked down now and then.
And with United defending deep, there was no space for Walcott to run.
With Lewandowski on, the right flank belonged to Maicon.
86th minute.
Maicon pushed up on the right, passed to Modrić.
The Croatian motioned for Maicon to keep going—he'd cover defensively.
But instead of passing wide, Modrić threaded a ball inside.
Di María, drifting in from the right, collected it and ghosted past Scholes with a silky touch.
His technique shone—
he took the ball in stride and immediately launched a left-footed through ball toward the top of the box.
Maicon, now acting as a right winger, drew Evra wide.
Lewandowski positioned himself on the right side of the D.
Džeko held the line just inside the penalty area.
The ball reached Lewandowski's feet.
He stopped it, and Vidić immediately pressed from behind.
Carrick closed in from the front.
Ferdinand moved up decisively.
The United center-back saw Džeko entering the box and feared that Lewandowski might pass it to him.
Ferdinand's positioning cut off the passing lane between the two strikers.
If the ball came across, he only needed one step forward to intercept it.
But Lewandowski, shielding Vidić behind him, realized immediately that the pass to Džeko wasn't viable.
He spotted a new channel—
Di María, who had shaken off Scholes with his pace and was sprinting through the gap.
The Argentine called out.
Their timing was perfect.
Lewandowski flicked the ball with the outside of his left boot, pushing it gently into Di María's path.
Di María accelerated past Lewandowski, touched the ball into the box, and headed straight toward the right side of the six-yard box.
He flew like an eagle across the Pampas, tearing through United's back line.
As he caught up with the ball, he used his signature rabona to chip a cross from the byline.
At that moment, instinct took over—
his body defaulted to the technique he knew best.
The ball arced into the center of the six-yard box.
And almost simultaneously, two golden-gray shadows rose to meet it:
Gareth Bale and Džeko, leaping together in a double-pronged assault.
It was Džeko, better positioned and more central, who got his head to it first.
He angled the ball toward the far left corner of the goal.
Bale, slightly behind, couldn't reach it.
But the ball flew clean into United's net.
"GOAL!!!!"
"86th minute! 86th minute!"
"Beisworth Chinese FC have broken through Manchester United's defense!"
"A stunning header from the Bosnian striker Džeko!"
"It's 1–1!"
"A priceless away goal!"
"Beisworth Chinese FC have finally cracked Old Trafford!"
"Ferguson's team defended tooth and nail for 85 minutes, only to be undone by a sublime rabona cross from Di María and Džeko's lethal finish."
The Beisworth players rushed to the touchline, celebrating wildly.
Di María leaped onto Džeko, screaming in joy.
The camera cut to the sideline.
Yang Cheng was in the air, fists pumping—completely losing control of his excitement.
On the home bench, Ferguson shook his head, clearly unhappy with the result—
but he could do nothing.
...
After the equalizer, Beisworth Chinese FC surged with confidence.
United could only sit deep and defend.
Ferguson used his final sub, bringing on Evans for Tevez to tighten the defense.
But even that couldn't stop the next wave.
In the 89th minute, Di María picked up the ball on the right wing.
Surrounded by Evra and Evans, he nutmegged Evra, dribbled past Evans,
and somehow emerged with the ball between both defenders.
He cut inside and chipped a cross with the outside of his left foot.
Lewandowski met it first time at the near post—
but his shot struck the outside of the right post and flew wide.
The Polish striker stood, head tilted to the sky, roaring in frustration.
A goal in a Champions League semifinal!
How many players would kill for one?
And he missed it from that close!
United compacted even tighter.
In the end, the match finished 1–1.
The final whistle at Old Trafford was met with boos from the crowd.
No one on the home side was satisfied.
Except for Yang Cheng and Beisworth Chinese FC.
Especially Yang Cheng, when he saw Ferguson's face at full-time—
like he'd lost a million pounds at the racetrack—
delightful.
"Didn't I tell you? With that squad, it's not going to work!"
There was still a second leg to play,
but Yang Cheng didn't mind twisting the knife.
This United couldn't keep up now—next season would be even worse.
Everyone knew that Cristiano Ronaldo was leaving for Real Madrid in the summer.
Ferguson had no response.
His strategic goal had been to either win or at least keep a clean sheet.
Now?
He'd managed the draw, but conceded an away goal.
That alone shattered his plan.
An away goal in a semifinal was devastating.
"Wait for me at Wembley!"
Ferguson snapped, storming off.
"He's rattled,"
Yang Cheng laughed to Brian Kidd, still basking in victory.
"Look at him—he's cracking!"
But once the banter faded, both men turned serious.
Other than the opening exchanges and some clearance phases,
United hadn't parked the bus—not exactly.
Ferguson's strategy of physical duels and constant pressing
had definitely hurt Beisworth's rhythm.
United hadn't created many real threats,
but neither had Beisworth—until that final breakthrough.
...
After the Champions League semifinal first leg,
Beisworth Chinese FC returned to Premier League action over the weekend: Matchday 35.
They'd already thrashed Stoke 5–0 the previous round.
With 90 points, and United at 77,
Beisworth Chinese FC had a 13-point lead.
With only four matches left,
Yang Cheng's side had clinched the league title in advance.
So for the upcoming away game against Chelsea,
which fell between the two Champions League legs,
Yang Cheng fielded an entirely rotated lineup, resting all his starters.
Meanwhile, Chelsea were still fighting for a top-four finish.
Hiddink hadn't given up.
Just 50 seconds in, Anelka scored from a Drogba assist,
his first goal in three months.
But Beisworth hit back just three minutes later.
Aaron Ramsey drove through midfield and laid it off for Lewandowski,
who fired a rocket into the far corner—1–1.
In the 10th minute, Anelka returned the favor—
through ball, Drogba cross, and Malouda finished it—2–1 Chelsea.
But in the 14th minute, Hazard dribbled past multiple defenders down the left,
was tripped by Alex in the box, and the ref pointed to the spot.
Lewandowski converted—his second goal—2–2.
The rest of the game went back and forth,
until the 83rd minute, when Drogba scored again to seal it.
Final score: Chelsea 3–2 Beisworth Chinese FC.
Although Beisworth Chinese FC lost the match, Yang Cheng's young players still performed brilliantly, earning praise from both the media and the fans.
Under the conditions of already clinching the league title and needing to conserve energy for the Champions League, to field a full-rotation squad and still battle Chelsea's first team to a narrow 2–3 away loss was a testament to the team's depth and mentality.
It's worth noting that in the FA Cup Final, Yang Cheng planned to continue relying primarily on his young lineup.
He also repeatedly emphasized that in the next three matches, he would give more minutes to his young players.
Of the other matches this round, Yang Cheng paid the most attention to Manchester United.
United were away to Southgate's Middlesbrough,
and Ferguson fielded a mixed squad of starters and reserves.
In the end, United won 2–0 with goals from Giggs and Ashley Young.
However, key players like Berbatov, Rooney, Vidić, O'Shea, Scholes, and Giggs all played the full 90.
Evra also logged 80 minutes.
Yang Cheng understood Ferguson's approach.
Simply put, United's position wasn't totally safe yet.
They were likely to finish top four, but repeated slip-ups could derail everything.
If they hadn't beaten Boro in Matchday 35,
then with City and Arsenal at home in the next two rounds, things could've gone sideways.
At that point, United's top-four spot would be at risk.
So Ferguson had no choice but to use a stronger lineup.
And it worked.
Elsewhere:
City beat Blackburn 3–1 at home,
Arsenal thrashed Portsmouth 3–0 away, with Bendtner and Carlos Vela stepping up in a rotated lineup,
and Liverpool dismantled Newcastle 3–0 at Anfield.
After Matchday 35:
United: 80 pointsArsenal: 78 pointsLiverpool & City: 74 pointsChelsea: 71 points
The battle for the top four had reached boiling point.
With three matches left, any of the five clubs could finish outside the top four.
Never before had a Champions League qualification race been this intense in Premier League history.
...
May 5th, evening — Wembley Stadium, London.
Champions League Semifinal, Second Leg: Beisworth Chinese FC vs. Manchester United.
The first leg had ended 1–1,
with Beisworth Chinese FC earning a crucial away goal.
That gave Yang Cheng's team a slight advantage heading into the return leg.
And yet, the starting lineups were still full of surprises.
Yang Cheng's side stuck to the 4-3-3:
GK: NeuerDF: Leighton Baines, Thiago Silva, Pepe, MaiconMF: Yaya Touré (holding), Matuidi, ModrićFW: Gareth Bale, Džeko, Walcott
Yang Cheng addressed the first-leg issues by swapping Matuidi for Rakitić in midfield.
He firmly believed Ferguson would continue the physical battle,
and Matuidi's physical presence could help counter that intensity.
More importantly, starting Matuidi gave the midfield more tactical flexibility.
As for the front three,
even though they underwhelmed in the first leg,
Yang Cheng stuck with Walcott—a display of trust and resolve.
Ferguson's lineup also revealed his mindset:
GK: Van der SarDF: Evra, Vidić, Ferdinand, O'SheaMF: Anderson, Carrick, FletcherFW: Ashley Young, Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo
The midfield and defense remained unchanged, indicating Ferguson would stick to his first-leg tactics.
But the frontline saw a notable change:
Ashley Young replaced Tevez on the left wing.
Tevez? Benched.
It was odd.
He didn't play at all in the weekend league match,
so everyone thought Ferguson was saving him for this very moment.
But it turned out he didn't start him.
According to Yang Cheng's scouts, it likely had to do with contract issues.
With the season ending, Ferguson was probably applying pressure on Tevez's camp to lower demands—
both in transfer fee and wages.
When Yang Cheng saw United's lineup,
his immediate reaction was:
strange.
Both he and Brian Kidd suspected that things had gone south between Tevez and the club.
"That's the only explanation for dropping Tevez in such a crucial game," Yang Cheng said.
It made tactical sense.
Using Ashley Young changed the shape and pace of United's attack—
and Beisworth's tactics would need to adjust accordingly.
...
The match began, and the home side immediately pressed forward.
In just the second minute, after a crisp sequence of one-touch passes,
Matuidi unleashed a shot from distance.
It didn't trouble Van der Sar, but it set the tone.
Beisworth followed up with two corners,
but United had clearly prepared—both were defended well.
After 10 minutes of pressure,
Beisworth eased off, and United responded with their first real attacking wave.
The visitors finally recorded their first shot in the 13th minute—
a long-range effort from Ronaldo, comfortably saved by Neuer.
By the 15-minute mark, the match settled.
Beisworth tried to maintain possession and rhythm,
cutting through with sharp passing.
United, as before, used physicality and disruption to unsettle their play.
It had worked in the first leg.
And in midfield and defense, United's structure was still solid as a wall.
Yang Cheng kept watching.
He was especially focused on United's players.
With Gianni Vio's data in hand,
he made the first tactical adjustment in the 21st minute.
During a break in play, he called over Maicon, who was nearby.
"Tell Modrić and Matuidi to stop making so many forward runs. You and Yaya need to push up more—especially you."
"Work with Walcott to attack their channels."
"Got it!" Maicon nodded seriously, took a sip of water, and dashed back onto the pitch.
He quickly passed on the instructions.
Soon enough, Yang Cheng could see the change—
Maicon was more aggressive on the right, constantly moving into advanced positions.
As Ashley Young's former coach,
Yang Cheng understood him well.
Good speed, decent dribbling,
but his real threat was cutting in from the left to cross with his right.
Ferguson clearly wanted to use this pattern—
get Young to deliver into Ronaldo's runs from deep.
From the sideline, Yang Cheng saw Young trying this routine a few times—
and quickly issued a warning to Thiago Silva.
Every time Ashley Young tried to thread a diagonal pass to Cristiano Ronaldo, Thiago Silva or Yaya Touré was there to cut it off.
And because Young rarely made direct overlapping runs on the left, and his playing style was predictable, Yang Cheng assigned Modrić to hold deeper on that side, confident that would be enough cover.
In the first leg, Rooney, Tevez, and even Ronaldo repeatedly drifted to the left flank to put immense pressure on Maicon.
But in the second leg, Ashley Young didn't apply that kind of pressure.
So, Yang Cheng decided to free up Maicon.
With Matuidi on the pitch, Yaya Touré had more freedom to push forward too.
…
By the 34th minute, Beisworth Chinese FC executed a perfect interception near midfield.
Modrić won the ball off Anderson and immediately launched a counterattack, passing right to Maicon.
Maicon surged down the flank, caught up to the ball, and spotted Walcott in the channel—
he played a quick diagonal ball toward him.
United's defenders dropped fast.
Walcott had no angle, so he controlled it with his back to goal, then laid it back to Modrić.
By then, Anderson, Carrick, and the rest of United's midfield were back in position.
The defensive lines were set.
On the left, Bale pulled O'Shea wide.
Modrić pushed forward a step and saw Maicon making a diagonal run into the right half-space behind Anderson.
Without hesitation, Modrić played a straight pass, slicing it between Anderson and Carrick.
Maicon intercepted it perfectly in stride, and drove forward.
Evra and Vidić backpedaled cautiously, watching his every move.
Anderson and Carrick turned quickly and rushed in to surround him.
Ashley Young also tracked back aggressively.
By the time Maicon reached United's 30-meter zone, he had five defenders converging.
Walcott had slipped between Vidić and Carrick, available for a through ball.
Džeko was between Vidić and Ferdinand.
Bale waited near the top left corner of the box.
All three forwards were poised to pounce.
But United's block was closing fast—
everyone knew, if Maicon got the pass off, it would be a huge threat.
That's why United were determined to stop it.
But it all happened in a flash.
Maicon read the situation instantly.
Seeing Anderson and Carrick charging, he braced himself.
This was United's standard move over two legs: swarm the ball carrier.
It worked on Walcott—
but not on Maicon.
He leaned into Anderson with his left shoulder,
and before Carrick got close,
he used the inside of his right foot to sweep the ball laterally.
Carrick thought it was a pass forward—he stuck out a foot.
But the ball slipped right between his legs.
A brilliant disguised pass—completely dismantling United's shape.
Even Beisworth's forwards were caught off guard.
They were already making runs into the box, dragging defenders with them.
But just outside the arc, a towering red figure charged forward like a tank.
Yaya Touré, charging from deep.
He caught Maicon's pass cleanly with the inside of his left foot, took a step forward, and
unleashed a thunderous strike with his right.
BOOM.
The entire stadium seemed to tremble.
The ball ripped through the air like a missile,
rocketing into the bottom left corner of the United goal.
Van der Sar flew—
but he was too late.
"GOAL!!!!"
"Yaya Touré!!!"
"34th minute—an absolute rocket from the Ivorian midfielder!"
"1–0! Aggregate score: 2–1!"
"Beisworth Chinese FC take the lead!"
"A breathtaking counterattack—Maicon cut through five defenders, and Yaya Touré smashed it home!"
"Van der Sar did everything he could. But Touré's shot was too fast, too powerful—unstoppable!"
Wembley exploded.
90,000 fans screamed themselves hoarse.
If the first-leg away goal gave Beisworth the advantage—
this goal reinforced it with concrete.
...
"They're terrifying,"
Mike Phelan muttered on the United bench after watching Touré's thunderbolt.
"So many weapons. So many variations."
Even within United's own coaching staff and dressing room, Ferguson had kept Tevez's benching secret until just before the match.
Tevez was on the bench, blindsided.
Ferguson had his reasons.
He knew Yang Cheng understood Ashley Young—so he switched it up to keep him guessing.
But Yang Cheng?
He adjusted on the fly.
Using his lineup, using his depth,
he reshaped his tactics to target United's weak points.
People always said Ferguson's United were masterful chameleons—
he could deploy Park Ji-sung, Young, Nani in so many ways.
But Yang Cheng was no less adaptable.
He used the same group of players to create different tactical looks.
And he was only 29 years old.
Was that even possible?
Aside from the variety, Beisworth's system was incredibly stable.
The youngest squad in Europe's top five leagues,
average age: 22.
A notoriously unstable age group—
yet Yang Cheng had molded them into a well-oiled tactical machine,
playing ruthless, flowing football.
It left Phelan shaking his head.
If he were in charge, he wouldn't know how to deal with it.
"If you had to pick, who would you sign from this team in the summer?"
Ferguson asked suddenly.
Phelan blinked—then lit up.
Right—if we can't beat them, raid them.
That's what big clubs do.
"We might lose, but we can still dismantle you in the market!"
"Neuer, Maicon, Yaya Touré, Bale, Walcott, Džeko…"
"Enough!" Ferguson quickly cut him off, face red with embarrassment.
If Yang Cheng heard that, he'd say:
"Why don't you just buy the whole club?"
Money?
Keep dreaming.
"I mean the one we need the most."
"The most?" Mike Phelan hesitated.
To him, every single one of Beisworth Chinese FC's players looked like someone United desperately needed.
Choosing just one felt like a shame.
"Yaya Touré."
"Why?"
"Our midfield really needs reinforcement. If we paired Yaya Touré with Carrick…
Carrick doesn't push forward often, and Yaya could be given freedom.
Our midfield would reach another level."
He paused, then added cautiously,
"Actually, if this summer…"
He didn't finish, but it was clear what he meant.
"Bale and Walcott would be excellent signings too."
Ferguson was tempted.
He saw flashes of Owen in Walcott,
but under Yang Cheng's guidance, he was convinced the Little Tiger would be even better.
In terms of career achievements, matching Owen might be tough—after all, Owen won the Ballon d'Or.
As for Bale, Ferguson saw shades of Cristiano Ronaldo in him.
They were incredibly alike.
But the temptation faded quickly.
Ferguson knew:
Yang Cheng would never sell Bale or Walcott.
Those were his crown jewels—homegrown talents, adored by the fans.
Yaya Touré, though…
Ferguson mulled it over.
He made up his mind to speak with the Glazer family.
He would try to sign Yaya Touré.
As Yang Cheng had said—if United didn't strengthen this summer, especially with Cristiano Ronaldo leaving for Real Madrid, what would next season look like?
...
The first half ended 1–0 thanks to Yaya Touré's screamer.
After the break, United came out aggressively,
first with a left-footed strike from Ronaldo,
then a curler from Ashley Young.
Neuer saved both.
In the 56th minute, Beisworth Chinese FC struck again—
a blistering counterattack.
Maicon stormed down the right.
Past midfield, he sent a pass to the flank.
Džeko drifted wide, received it under pressure from Vidić.
He turned, shielded the ball,
then passed horizontally before Evra could get back.
The ball reached the right half-space, where Maicon was charging.
Maicon burst into the channel behind Evra,
collected the ball, and spotted Walcott sprinting down the middle.
The Little Tiger heard him, slowed slightly, and met Maicon's ball.
With one smooth motion, Walcott lofted a perfect chip into the box.
Maicon—full sprint—ran onto it.
Without letting the ball bounce, he volleyed it mid-air with his right foot.
Van der Sar rushed out—
but he didn't have a chance.
The ball rocketed into the net.
Wembley went wild—again!
90,000 fans rose as one, chanting Maicon's name.
The Brazilian raced off the pitch in celebration.
"Absolutely brilliant!"
"Who would've thought the most dangerous player tonight would be right-back Maicon?"
"It's unbelievable!"
He had already assisted once in the first half.
This time, he ran 70 meters, exchanged passes, and scored with a thunderous volley.
Ferguson's plan had stifled Beisworth's front three and midfield,
but he hadn't accounted for Maicon.
"Who could've predicted this?"
"Ever since joining Beisworth Chinese FC, Maicon has just gotten better and better."
Debates had raged:
Who's the best right-back in the world? Maicon? Dani Alves? Lahm?
But tonight settled it.
"There's no more need to discuss—Maicon is number one."
"He's surpassed even Cafu."
...
With Maicon's goal, the aggregate became 3–1.
United now needed two goals to reach the final.
But Yang Cheng didn't sit back—he pushed forward.
He wanted more.
Maicon stayed red-hot,
earning a free kick, then delivering a brilliant pass that led to
Walcott cutting inside and curling a shot just wide of the top corner.
In the 63rd minute, Bale cut in from the left,
and fired a rocket toward the bottom right.
Van der Sar saved it—but United were rattled.
Bale and Walcott were playing on their weaker sides—
cutting in to shoot.
That terrified United.
Ferguson had no choice.
He ran to the touchline and told his team to fall back.
They had to—Beisworth were too dangerous.
If they didn't settle the tempo, who knew how many more they'd concede?
But the moment United dropped deep,
they handed over the ball and the momentum.
Beisworth took control.
Even when Ferguson subbed on Giggs and Scholes at the 70th minute,
it was too late.
Beisworth had locked down the midfield.
United had a few half-chances,
but nothing clear.
Neuer remained untroubled.
By the 80th minute,
United's players looked defeated.
It was clear—the Red Devils were finished.
Final score: 2–0. Aggregate: 3–1.
Beisworth Chinese FC advanced to the Champions League Final.
The ticket to Rome was theirs!
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