The tense atmosphere eased.
Eriksson even turned and gave his assistant a fierce hug.
From his expression and reaction, you’d think England had just won the World Cup.
"God bless you." Eriksson excitedly shook Chen Yu’s hand, then suddenly remembered something and confirmed, "Chen, are you sure? He can come back during the group stage?"
Chen Yu nodded slightly. Given his current abilities, it shouldn’t be much of a problem.
"That’s good."
Eriksson repeated, "That’s good," and promised on the spot that as soon as he got back, he would mail over that bottle of red wine he’d mentioned to celebrate properly with Chen Yu.
He would be staying in the United States for a while longer.
The league season was about to end, so he planned to bring the National Team directly to the United States for a final physical examination and conditioning with Chen Yu before they set off.
After saying that, he even started complaining about Pele.
Pele happened to be in the United Kingdom promoting his autobiography, and after learning of Rooney’s injury, he had also given an interview to the media.
"He actually said that even without Wayne, we’d still be the strongest among the contenders for the World Cup. Haha, he was wrong. Wayne will be fine."
Chen Yu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
’Pele and his infamous curse... How dare he say that? Isn’t he afraid he won’t make it out of the United Kingdom alive?’
"You need to take it easy, too. You know the World Cup is coming up, so be mindful," Chen Yu added, looking at Rooney.
This kid was incredibly talented. He had shot to fame at 19 with a single goal and wasn’t even 21 yet. He truly had a bright future ahead of him.
At such a critical time right before the World Cup, even if it was an accident, he needed to be more careful about protecting his body.
He got injured in the 78th minute of the match, at a time when Chelsea was already comfortably winning 3-0.
It wasn’t that he shouldn’t be competitive, but he still needed to be a bit more cautious.
Chen Yu had heard from Ferguson that Rooney himself had gone into this match wanting to "show Chelsea a thing or two." He had even deliberately worn cleats with the longest studs allowed by the rules.
He went in with the intention of making something happen.
It could only be said that when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. Fate can be cruel like that sometimes.
After admitting Rooney into the clinic, Chen Yu found out that Popovich had arrived with Duncan.
The reason given was a follow-up check-up for Duncan.
’That old fox.’
Amused, Chen Yu had the nurse bring them in.
How could Chen Yu not see through Popovich’s little trick?
Some of the things he did were despicable.
And yet, you couldn’t bring yourself to hate him, because deep down, you knew he was a man of pure intentions. Everything he did was for his team’s victory.
As an opponent, you would hate him, but for a Spurs fan, he was the best.
This was probably the fundamental reason why he was constantly criticized yet remained secure in his coaching position with the Spurs.
Since they were here and had such a "legitimate" reason, Chen Yu couldn’t just turn them away.
Most importantly, they were paying customers.
"Chen, my knee feels a bit sore."
After the examination, prompted by a look from Popovich, Duncan stammered a bit as he clutched his knee.
"Both of them hurt."
He then clutched his other knee.
It was really putting an honest guy like Duncan on the spot to make him lie.
"Lie down."
Chen Yu didn’t call him out.
Even if he didn’t help, Duncan would definitely play the entire game tomorrow.
So it didn’t make much of a difference whether he helped or not.
The Spurs were not in a situation that could be easily saved just by Duncan playing the whole game.
Besides, even if they managed to extend the series, they couldn’t just find another excuse to send him all the way to Phoenix for the next game back at their home court.
Instead of wasting time on these crooked schemes, Popovich would be better off thinking about how to find a tactical solution.
’Then again, it’s a good thing. It just proves that Popovich has run out of tricks.’
He wouldn’t even consider making Duncan play the entire game unless he was absolutely desperate.
Popovich sat beside them, making small talk with Chen Yu.
As they chatted, the conversation drifted to Nowitzki’s training.
He seemed to be trying, between the lines, to find out how Chen Yu had trained Nowitzki.
Chen Yu found it amusing.
’It seems Popovich still hasn’t figured out just where the Spurs went wrong.’
If you were to talk about a gap in the rosters, perhaps the Phoenix Suns’ lineup was slightly better, but the difference wasn’t that huge.
In terms of playstyle, you couldn’t say one was superior to the other.
To be honest, Chen Yu hadn’t figured out the answer to this question at first, either.
He hadn’t expected the Phoenix Suns to win so easily.
It was only after the third game that Chen Yu slowly began to understand the reason.
It was that Nowitzki, after his individual skills had been elevated, was a much better fit for this Phoenix Suns team.
Ever since he entered the league, Nowitzki had been an unconventional and special player. His strengths and weaknesses were obvious at a glance.
However, he played like a team’s core.
But because of those weaknesses, if he wanted to contend for a championship, he couldn’t be completely unstoppable like Jordan was.
He needed support from his team.
And it wasn’t as simple as just adding a few more stars; he needed players who were a good fit for him.
For example, a tough center who could share the burden of rim protection without taking the ball out of his hands.
He also needed a small forward who, while he roamed the perimeter looking for opportunities, could slide a bit closer to the basket from the wing to help draw away defenders.
Finally, he needed a point guard who could pass well and deliver the ball precisely when he got into a position to punish the opponent.
Chandler was such a center.
Marion was also such a small forward, one who could play the four, grab eight or nine rebounds a game, and also draw out defenders by spotting up for threes on the wing.
And Hardaway was a top-tier point guard in the league, possessing excellent vision and experience.
These players were a perfect fit for Nowitzki.
Previously, his offensive arsenal was limited. Even when his teammates were a good fit and created opportunities for him, his ability to punish opponents was insufficient, and he couldn’t capitalize.
But now that he had mastered the Golden Chicken Standalone, his skills had undergone a qualitative transformation. When his teammates created opportunities again, he could reliably convert them into points.
That’s why he was extremely efficient and scored at a high rate.
He strengthened the Phoenix Suns’ offense and raised their roster’s ceiling.
When the rosters were already evenly matched with the Spurs, this one improvement was fatal. It was the real reason the Phoenix Suns could easily crush the Spurs 3-0.
But Popovich clearly hadn’t seen this, so no matter what he did, it was all just a futile struggle in Chen Yu’s eyes.
Even if Chen Yu told him right now how Nowitzki had developed his skills, there was nothing he could do.
They were doomed to be eliminated!
The best they could hope for was a gentleman’s sweep.
"Chen, is there something on my face?"
Seeing Chen Yu repeatedly turning to stare at him, Popovich couldn’t help but touch his cheek.
He had been in such a hurry this morning that he hadn’t even had time for breakfast.
Besides, the way Chen Yu was looking at him... it felt a little like pity.

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