Chapter 86 My Pride
"Wow, the Bruins took a risky move by using a freshman named Gao as a surprise player to attack the Trojans' first singles opponent, Saramento."
"What kind of tactic is this?"
"Is Gao playing as a discard? Or does Martin really expect Gao to upset Sacramento?"
"From the lineup, it is clear that Martin has absolute confidence in the subsequent second singles, third singles, and fourth singles. The Trojans are actually slightly at a disadvantage."
"But it was very, very surprising that the Bruins didn't schedule the first singles later, but first. What exactly is this strategy?"
"If it was a game that was abandoned, the Brown Bears could have easily arranged the first singles match in the last or second-to-last game. As long as they won the previous games, there would be no need to play in this match; but the Brown Bears' head coach arranged this match in the first singles game."
"Hmm...Interesting. Very interesting."
"Does Martin really expect Gao to bring a surprise?"
“When the Bruins and Trojans meet, there’s never a shortage of topics to talk about, and obviously today was no exception.”
On Los Angeles derby day, the whole city is paying attention. Not only does ESPN send two commentators to broadcast the entire event live, but the local media in Los Angeles also crowds the scene. The whole standard of treatment is unique. I'm afraid that the NBA's Los Angeles derby will be treated like this.
When people saw the matchup list and game schedule, emotions of shock, surprise, curiosity and research boiled over.
No one is exempt! What on earth was Martin thinking, arranging the matchups and the matches in this way?
It's not just the bystanders, the parties involved are also confused.
Angry? Disappointed? Humiliated? Painful? Confused? It was hard for Sacramento to describe his feelings accurately. When he learned that his opponent was not Thompson or even Giron, he was stunned.
He has always been preparing for this city derby with Thompson as his target, hoping to prove himself in front of his father. Even if he does not have the U.S. singles championship title for the time being, at least he has the ability to defeat the No. 1 singles player in the United States, and this is his greatest asset in pursuing his professional career.
Even Giron won't do, it has to be Thompson because Thompson is now ranked number one in the United States, and Sacramento needs to beat the number one player in the United States under the watchful eyes of his father.
But what about now?
Gawain?
What is this? Even if Sacramento beat Gao Wen with two donuts, it would not mean anything, because the freshman was a nobody, and even a big win was a matter of course. What would his father think? He just missed the opportunity to prove himself?
Moreover, the Bruins deliberately avoided a fight and chose a "discarded player" to destroy the Trojans' first singles. Is this considered a humiliation of Sacramento or a sign of respect?
What matters is not what he thinks, but what his father thinks? Such a game means nothing to him.
Despicable. Shameless. Cunning. Treacherous. Insidious.
Sacramento is willing to attach all negative words to Bruins head coach Martin, but what's worse is that this is a game that cannot be lost.
If he still lost the victory in the face of Gawain, what would he be in his father's eyes? Just thinking of his father's disappointed eyes, Saramento's back was covered with goose bumps.
When Sacramento actually saw Gawain in person, his youthful face was chatting and laughing with his teammates. He was not only relaxed but also happy. Even across half the court, he could feel the vigor and vitality emanating from his body.
Of course, for the freshman, becoming the No. 1 singles player was great news, but for him, it was a complete disaster.
His self-confidence, his pride, his future... seemed to be crumpled into a ball of waste paper, wrinkled and thrown into the trash can.
"Lei, are you okay?" Hanfman seemed to be able to sense the rage burning in Saramento's eyes.
Saramento managed to control his emotions and shook his head, "It's okay, I'm just thinking about how to defeat my opponent." And how to beat his opponent hard.
Thinking of this, Sacramento's heartburn felt a little better.
Then Sacramento retracted his gaze and looked at Hanfman, "You are about to play against Thompson, and you may need to adjust your tactics."
During training, Hanfman has been arranging tactics with Giron as the imaginary opponent, but now they need to face an opponent with a completely different style. They must make adjustments in time, otherwise Hanfman will have a hard time in this game.
From this point of view, Martin's tactical layout has achieved the effect of unexpectedness. As for whether it can win, we have to wait and see on the field.
But Trojans head coach Smith remained unmoved. As the favorite to win the championship, he was ready to face any unexpected situation. What's more, Martin's change of formation also proved that he lacked confidence and did not dare to let Thompson face off against Sacramento head-on. This made Smith's spine straighten up a little.
"We are all looking forward to a wonderful match. For the Los Angeles derby, there is no need for inspiration or excitement. As long as we see the opponents across the field, they will not disappoint the audience."
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"Strictly speaking, every matchup today is a focus, and every win or loss could change the final result. Everything is the same as it was three days ago when the Bruins played against the Sooners. Now that the Bruins are facing strong opponents in a row, the game situation will have more highlights."
In the studio, Sofar sat in the commentary booth again, but today he had a partner, which made his work easier.
When Sofar saw the matchup list, he couldn't help but look forward to it - Govan vs. Sacramento, how will this game go? Three days ago, the Sooners tried to make a bold adjustment to disrupt the situation, but ended up shooting themselves in the foot. What about the Bruins this time?
However, we still need to wait and see.
"The first match to start was the doubles match. Today, the main court of the Los Angeles Tennis Center was packed to the brim. The enthusiasm of the audience could be clearly felt at the scene..."
Buzz buzz buzz.
Buzz buzz buzz.
Before the morning light had time to climb to the treetops, the air was already bubbling and boiling. The sky above the stadium was filled with strong sparks, and it seemed that it would explode at any time. The steaming heat waves were even brighter than the sun. It was as if one was in a sauna, and every pore was breathing in the heat.
Normally, the tennis stadium that can accommodate 3,800 people is often empty and sparsely populated. An attendance rate of 20% is already considered lively - after all, the tennis team competition is really too long, and all the matches are held on weekdays, so the audience really does not have that much time to wait every day.
But today, the tennis court was already crowded with people early on. Before the game started, the attendance rate had reached 80%. Spectators could be seen entering the court one after another. The bustling scene was like a campus open day, with the crowds coming and going overwhelming the entire campus.
The Los Angeles derby has such appeal.
(End of this chapter)