Chapter 58 The final Serie A match and a hat-trick...

The commentator made a joke, which brought a knowing smile to the fans watching on TV.

[Hilarious! The commentator knows exactly how to boost ratings!]

[They weren't wrong, we really weren't in sync, haha.]

[Cabrini rarely celebrates wildly after scoring; he usually just applauds the fans in the stands. He got unusually excited, and then it backfired.]

Blame Kaka, he's the one who scores goals and then flies them off the tree, not the other way around.

[But after Kaká assisted Cabrini, it was always Kaká who climbed the tree. Have you forgotten that in the match against Palermo, after Cabrini scored, Kaká climbed the tree and Cabrini passed the ball to Pato?]

[That last face-holding moment... How did you guys bring this "unspeakable two-person game" onto the court? Is this even allowed?]

[It's great, I love watching it, please give me more...]

...

After scoring, Milan's attacking intensity remained undiminished, while Udinese showed no signs of backing down. They were under much less pressure than Milan, so no matter how they played, even if they lost, their ranking wouldn't drop, and their UEFA Cup qualification was secure.

Moreover, Udinese is no pushover team; they don't afford to be complacent. Despite Milan's fierce attacks, Udinese relied on their solid defense to prevent Milan from extending their lead in the remainder of the first half and even managed to equalize in the 38th minute.

After Udinese equalized, the two sides were back on equal footing, and Milan's attack became even more intense.

At the start of the second half, Ancelotti substituted Pato for Brocchi to further bolster the attack, and then replaced Oddo with Cafu, giving the veteran, who was about to leave Europe at the end of the season, his final match.

Ancelotti reserved his remaining substitution for Serginho. If the match goes well, the veteran player, who will retire at the end of the season, will come on to say his final goodbye to the fans.

With Pato's assistance in the attack, Fino was even more at ease in the frontcourt, forcing Udinese to devote more energy to defense.

In the 52nd minute, Milan had another attacking opportunity. Pirlo, Ambrosini, and Seedorf exchanged short passes, gradually advancing the ball forward.

When Pirlo advanced to a position about 10 meters from the penalty area, he passed the ball from the middle to Kaká on the right wing. Kaká received the ball and immediately crossed it from the right wing, with the target being Pato, who had already moved into the penalty area.

Pato received the ball and immediately shot, but both goalkeeper Handanovic and Koda were already prepared. Koda raised his foot to block the ball's path, and the ball bounced towards Zapotocini after landing.

Just as Zapotocini was about to control the ball, Fino burst out from beside him and volleyed a rebound before Zapotocini could raise his leg.

Although the shot was taken hastily, it possessed both power and speed, striking the bottom right corner of the goal a second before Handanovic fell to the ground. The ball bulged outwards from the side netting for a few seconds before finally falling to the ground and slowly rolling out of the penalty area.

2-1, Milan are in the lead again.

Cheers erupted at San Siro as Fino rushed toward Pato and made his second attempt to climb the tree, this time succeeding!

Pato not only held him steadily, but also carried him along the sideline for a few steps.

Fino then wrapped his arms around Pato, one arm around Pato's neck, and waved to the fans with the other, which was met with even louder cheers from the crowd.

"Gooooal! Cabrini scores twice! Perhaps because he's been given such an important role, Cabrini was incredibly excited in this match, not only very active in attack but also full of passion during his celebrations. This time he finally succeeded in climbing the tree, it seems the attacking duo's coordination is even better during their celebrations! I wonder if it's because the younger players are playing more two-on-two games."

The commentator made another joke.

Milan fans, who were initially happy about the goal, are now somewhat dissatisfied.

What's going on? It's one thing to tease us once, but why do we get teased every time we score a goal? Do they really think our Milan team is full of bromance?!

A complaint is necessary!

After scoring two goals, Fino was even more excited, both physically and mentally. He felt like he had entered invincible mode, and now Udinese's defense looked as fragile as paper.

This wasn't because he had become arrogant and inflated. He could clearly feel that everyone, whether teammates or opponents, seemed to have slowed down. He could see every movement clearly. It was a mysterious state, and he didn't know why, but he had a strong premonition that he would continue to score goals.

Just 10 minutes later, Fino attacked again. This time, instead of staying in the penalty area or taking a long-range shot, he dribbled the ball and attacked Udinese's defense.

After dribbling past Mesto and Zapata, Fino had entered the penalty area.

Zapotezini and Koda both moved closer, even abandoning their marking of Pato, who was also in the penalty area.

The people who know the striker best, besides the goalkeeper, are the defenders. Zapotoczny and Koda had already sensed Fino's attacking desire. They both had a feeling that Fino would not pass the ball to Pato, he would not disrupt his rhythm, and he would definitely choose to shoot himself.

Fino made an incredible move, flanked by Zapotecini and Koda, lofting the ball high between two Udinese defenders, causing them to jump towards the ball and prepare to chest it down.

Fino's raised foot did not touch the ground. After Zapotoczni and Koda jumped, Fino raised his leg again, hooked the ball back with his toe, and with a turn, regained control of the ball.

Zapottsny and Koda collided violently.

Fino turned to face the goal again, flicked the ball lightly, and volleyed it with his right foot. The ball went over the bodies of Zapotocini and Koda who were lying on the ground, and went under Hadanovic's arm and into the net.

Milan led 3-1 at home, with Fino completing his first career hat-trick.

After the whistle blew, the San Siro erupted in the loudest cheers of the match, with the name "Cabrini" echoing throughout the San Siro sky.

Inside the presidential box, Berlusconi and Galliani clapped gently with elegant and confident smiles, while Maldini and others cheered along with the fans.

On the bench, the players hugged each other tightly. Ancelotti turned and pointed to Serginho to warm up, then clapped while chewing gum, thinking to himself that the kid was really reliable and the game was in the bag.

On the field, his teammates, their faces contorted with rage, pounced on Fino, pinning him down and piling him on top of each other.

Surprisingly, Fino was the calmest at this moment. After scoring this goal, he no longer felt the joy he had when he scored the first two. In that mysterious state, he clearly sensed that this goal was destined to go in; he simply followed fate by lifting his foot. This feeling of overwhelming strength left him feeling indifferent.

He only wanted to wave to the fans, but his teammates ended up pinning him to the bottom again. Now all he can think about is how to climb out; it's so heavy...

"Gooooal! Cabrini scores again, his first hat-trick in Serie A. At 19 years and 206 days old, Cabrini surpasses Baggio at 21 to become the youngest player in Serie A history to complete a hat-trick! This is truly an amazing record."

The commentator shouted passionately!

"Mr. Donadoni, are you watching this match? Before the national team roster is finalized, please include this young but outstanding player in the squad for the European Championship this summer. He will be the future of the Italian national team!"

In the 70th minute, Ancelotti substituted Serginho for Fino, allowing Serginho to finish his final performance and letting Fino, who had just completed a hat-trick, once again enjoy the applause of the entire stadium.

Amid applause and cheers, Fino high-fived Serginho, who was waiting on the sidelines, and Serginho embraced him and kissed him on the forehead.

"Well done, kid!"

Fino also gave his teammate, who was about to leave the football field, a tight hug.

"Good luck, Seel!"

After Fino returned to the bench, Ancelotti and his teammates engaged in a series of kisses, hugs, and head pats, which seemed to drag on for a long time.

The teammates' affection and praise were eventually interrupted by the cheers of the fans. Everyone turned to look at the field and saw Cafu and Serginho embracing tightly, then running hand in hand towards the stands.

The replay on the big screen showed that Milan scored another goal, with Serginho, who had just come on, assisting Cafu to make the score 4-1.

The two veterans have made a perfect exit from their professional careers!

The score remained 4-1 until the end of the match, and in the final round of the league, Milan secured a place in the Champions League with a resounding victory.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the 2007/08 Serie A season has come to a close. Inter Milan, with 83 points, won the Serie A title this season, achieving a three-peat. Roma, with 80 points, narrowly missed out on the league championship. The top two teams directly qualify for next season's Champions League group stage. Juventus, with 72 points and AC Milan, with 70 points, finished third and fourth respectively, and will start their Champions League campaign from the qualifying rounds. Fiorentina, Sampdoria, and Udinese finished fifth through seventh respectively, qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Empoli, Parma, and Livorno were relegated..."

After the match ended, the fans lingered, chanting the names of each player.

Maldini and others also came onto the field, and together with their teammates, they put their arms around each other's shoulders and circled the field to thank the fans for their support.

This season has been incredibly difficult. The team is aging, injuries are rampant, and the conflict with the South Stand is becoming increasingly acute...

Despite being underestimated by everyone, Milan tenaciously retained their Champions League qualification and did not slip into the UEFA Cup.

The prize money for the UEFA Cup is incomparable to that for the Champions League, and the Champions League prize money is really important for Milan, whose current economic situation is worrying.

The importance of qualifying for the Champions League is not only reflected in the prize money, but more importantly, how can a team that can't even secure a Champions League spot have the nerve to call itself a powerhouse?

No competitor will sympathize with a fallen powerhouse. Rivals will only take advantage of your misfortune, shake your foundation, poach your players, divide your fans, and rise to power over your corpse.

The law of the jungle prevails; this has always been true in competitive sports.

Now, after a disastrous March collapse, the team has still made it into the Champions League, which has greatly boosted the fans' confidence. In particular, their amazing performance of four wins and one draw in the last five league matches has made fans believe that Milan's hopes are still alive.

With both Fino and Pato already capable of leading the team, and with the addition of several young players during the summer break to fill the void left by the departing veterans, fans firmly believe that Milan will still be a title contender next season!