Cao Baming would not become complacent due to a four-to-zero score in the first half. Even though his teammates had already begun to celebrate, their playful demeanor made them appear like children who hadn't even reached adulthood.
Even Henry, an old fellow in his forties, was like this, which was truly exasperating.
Cao Baming chose to rest alone on a seat in the locker room. During this time, he checked his system's mission progress. It was evident that the latest limited-time mission for this season was only one goal away from reaching an average standard.
Once this average standard was met, every subsequent goal would be extra. This would reduce the requirements later, allowing for a more casual and relaxed game.
During the halftime break, in the Bayern Munich locker room, the head coach was loudly scolding his players.
He was thoroughly disappointed. He had expected the game's outcome to be less than favorable, but he never imagined it could be this bad.
In fact, even he could not find anything commendable in the players' performance. He wasn't focused on how good the opponents were, but rather on how mediocre his own team was.
"Football is inherently cruel. If you don't work hard, you'll be eliminated by the opponent. Do you know the consequences of that?"
The players listened to his nagging, their minds already miles away. In such a situation, what use was scolding?
At this moment, despair had set in. The Champions League trophy, the fans, nothing mattered anymore; let it all go to hell. Before despair, the last thought that crossed everyone's mind was, "I don't care anymore, it has nothing to do with me."
Although the coach's voice was very loud inside the room, it was barely audible to the players. Instead, people in the hallway outside the room could hear it clearly.
Under these circumstances, the second half was unlikely to yield any better results. They all knew this, and their goals had quietly shifted.
Initially, their plan was to score as many goals as possible in this away game and to withstand Arsenal's attacks. While the hope was slim, scoring four goals would have been enough to equalize. Even if the opponent scored more, they could still advance to the Champions League final with the away goals rule.
This year was considered by everyone in the club to be the most promising year to contend for the Champions League title. Not only did their internal staff believe so, but the outside world also generally held this view.
To be eliminated at this stage would be a shame and a source of great regret!
He remembered the pre-match speech, a passionate pep talk that had ignited everyone's fighting spirit, with everyone prepared to overturn a four-goal deficit in this match.
However, who would have thought the outcome would be the exact opposite! Did they perhaps misread their prayer lines?
This made it truly difficult for them, having endured for so long, only to have their hopes cruelly extinguished at this point. The players gradually came to realize a truth:
That going head-to-head without cheats against those who cheat is bound to end badly. There was no hope, not even a shred of it!
By now, that goal had completely slipped away from each of them. If anyone were to suggest at this point that they could still equalize or even advance to the final, they would likely be branded as a complete lunatic by everyone.
The head coach himself could not utter such words, for he knew how unrealistic it was.
Even if he were to say these things to re-ignite the team's morale, just to comfort them, the effect might be counterproductive.
The scariest thing wasn't that these guys wouldn't listen; the scariest thing was that they would outright laugh and treat it as a joke!
He dared not say it, he truly dared not.
After much thought, Neuer, as the team captain, came up with a way to soothe everyone's emotions.
"Don't bother thinking about how to win this match. What we need to do is to make the most of every opportunity. We don't need to defend perfectly every time; just do it seriously each time. As long as you can stop Cao Baming, Messi, and Henry, you'll be the world's top defender!"
Upon closer reflection, it seemed to be true.
How unsolvable those few were was something only they knew. Especially Cao Baming's speed, which could almost set the pitch on fire. Not being able to keep up with him was hardly a disgrace.
Moreover, even if they failed to defend, it wasn't something to be ashamed of. Conceding a goal to Henry or Cao Baming right under their noses, or being dribbled past by any one of them, was not a cause for shame. Because it wasn't just them; anyone else would have faced the same fate.
However, successfully defending just once would be a monumental achievement!
Perhaps being a hero or not was no longer important, because being able to stop these few was a glorious accomplishment, something very few people in the world could achieve.
With this thought, everyone seemed to find some peace of mind.
Although the head coach didn't particularly like those words, seeing their reactions, he nodded helplessly.
At least it worked, and that was all that mattered!
There were no longer any expectations. They just hoped not to lose too badly. The shame was already out there; they had already lost face, and even half of the fans who had come to watch had left.
Alas, they just hoped they wouldn't be completely humiliated. If they were to be beaten ten-zero, it would be over.
The fans present had persevered until now, and he knew how difficult it was. As the team's head coach, he had found it hard to watch from the twenty-fifth minute of the first half.
If he weren't the team's head coach, he probably would have left long ago, grumbling.
"Everyone, keep it up! Give your all in the second half and don't let the previous situation affect you!"
"Yes, adjust your mindset!!!"
The game time finally arrived. This last round of pre-match motivation had some effect. As they walked out of the room, a flicker of confidence appeared on their faces.