Sports Medicine Master System
Chapter 821: Chapter 739: Life and Death Battle
The warm-up match against Monaco was scheduled for the 4th. Today, the United States Team borrowed the venue for acclimatization training. It was still early. Chen Yu didn’t bother adjusting to the jet lag. After dropping his luggage at the hotel, he headed to the Louis II Stadium with Alina. The warm-up match would be held at this famous stadium.
By the time they arrived, the team was already running scrimmage drills under the assistant coach’s supervision. Chen Yu greeted the coaching staff with a smile before turning his attention to the field. Players like Reina and Donovan had already spotted him, waving from afar.
During their casual chat, Chen Yu noticed Alina’s solemn expression.
"Bruce, you don’t need to worry too much. No matter the final result, just giving it your best is enough."
Chen Yu could roughly guess what was on Alina’s mind. If Group C was the group of death, then Group E was no different. Italy, the Czech Republic, and Ghana were all tough nuts to crack. Although Italy’s world ranking was relatively low, no one doubted their ability to advance from the group stage. If they secured one of the advancing spots, the United States Team would likely be at a disadvantage in the fierce competition for the remaining slot.
Alina smiled bitterly. "Chen, because of you, many players have been spared from injuries this time. So, it’s going to be really difficult for us to advance."
On the eve of the World Cup, the Czech Republic Team had suffered widespread injuries. Players like Smichell, Jan Koller, Rosicky, and midfielder Galasek had all sought treatment from Chen Yu. Bruckner really owed Chen Yu a massive debt of gratitude for being able to bring the entire National Team to Germany in perfect health, just as he had originally hoped.
In previous World Cups, frequent upsets were largely due to injuries, which either prevented core national players from competing or caused them to lose their form. This year, however, many media outlets predicted a significant decrease in such upsets. This was because the major powerhouse teams had complete rosters. Their players were healthy enough and had even taken the time to travel to the United States to fine-tune their physical conditions. Even the notoriously unlucky England managed to bring along every player Eriksson wanted.
Chen Yu smiled but said nothing. It was always best to avoid injuries whenever possible.
Just as they were talking, an accident occurred on the field.
During a scramble in front of the goal, Team B’s center-forward Brian Cheng collided with Team A’s right-back Steve Cherundolo while contesting a header. Brian Cheng instantly collapsed to the ground. From a distance, Chen Yu could see blood streaming down from the corner of his eye.
The training session was immediately halted as everyone rushed over to form a circle around them. Assistant team doctor Paine glanced at Chen Yu. Seeing him nod slightly, Paine grabbed the medical kit and sprinted over.
"See? And you wanted me to rest at the hotel?" Chen Yu threw his hands up at Alina and followed suit. Looking utterly helpless, Alina silently said a prayer and quickly caught up.
By the time they reached the goal area, the scene looked quite terrifying. Brian Cheng’s face was covered in blood, looking as if he had been hit by a massive truck. Cherundolo, who had collided with him, stood anxiously nearby, apologizing profusely.
"Alright, stop crowding around." Chen Yu stepped forward and clapped his hands, signaling for everyone to disperse.
"Mr. Chen, Cheng is going to be okay, right?" Cherundolo asked nervously.
"Relax, it’s a minor issue."
Chen Yu crouched down. Similar to the logic that a lot of smoke didn’t necessarily mean a big fire, heavy bleeding often looked terrifying but wasn’t actually serious. Brian Cheng had been struck on the brow bone. This area bled an astonishing amount, but it was usually nothing to worry about. Chen Yu directed Paine to apply pressure to stop the bleeding, then asked Cheng if he felt dizzy. The only potentially severe consequence of a head collision was a concussion.
"A little dizzy," Cheng replied after a moment of thought.
His name was Brian Cheng, and his Chinese name was Cheng Bayern. His grandfather was a Chinese immigrant who had settled in Hawaii in his early years, giving Brian a quarter of Chinese ancestry. He currently played in Major League Soccer and had slowly made his way into the National Team following the 2002 World Cup. However, he had always served as a functional backup forward. Tall and with a background in American football, he was a target-man striker who excelled at jostling for position in front of the goal.
Hearing that he felt dizzy, Cherundolo immediately grew anxious again. Alina and the others furrowed their brows as well.
"Alright, don’t scare yourselves. Anyone would feel dizzy after a hit like that." It likely hadn’t reached the point of a concussion.
"Really?" Cherundolo asked reflexively. He immediately clamped his mouth shut after saying it. No one had the right to question Chen Yu’s medical judgment.
After applying simple pressure to stop the bleeding, they took him to the infirmary. Chen Yu personally took over, cleaning the wound and stitching it up. After some rest, Cheng would be back on his feet and as lively as ever by tomorrow.
Due to the accident, the training session didn’t last much longer and was soon called off. Everyone returned to the hotel, and Chen Yu also hurried to get some rest.
He had to stay up late tonight to watch the Phoenix Suns game. He kept telling himself that there would be no problems. As long as their tactical adjustments were correct, the Phoenix Suns were guaranteed to win. But this was a do-or-die elimination game, after all. Any unexpected twists could occur. If they truly lost due to some unforeseen circumstance, there was nothing anyone could do about it. Therefore, he couldn’t help but feel a lingering sense of nervousness.
"Sorry, I woke up late. Has the game started?"
It was only when the first quarter was nearing its end that Alina knocked on his door. He was followed by assistant coach Terence and team manager Martin.
"You guys really didn’t have to keep me company." Chen Yu ushered them into the room.
"It’s fine. I can’t sleep anyway." Alina plopped heavily onto the sofa and immediately took a massive gulp of his coffee.
Chen Yu sat down next to him. "Bruce, you’re under a lot of psychological pressure right now. You’re even suffering from insomnia. Want to talk about it?"
Alina quickly waved his hand in refusal before turning his gaze to the screen.
They were watching an online broadcast. A little over nine minutes into the first quarter, the Phoenix Suns were trailing 17 to 22, down by five points. Seeing the score, Alina instantly went silent. The Phoenix Suns were falling behind again. Martin and Terence were just as quiet, not saying a single word.
"Even I’m not nervous. What are you guys stressing over? It’s only the first quarter. The game is still early."
The Phoenix Suns hadn’t even started exerting their full strength yet. The Pioneer, on the other hand, prioritized speed above all else. The first quarter was exactly when their stamina was at its peak, often resulting in high-scoring runs. They also chucked a lot of three-pointers. If anyone got the hot hand and sank a few consecutive threes, they could easily widen the gap.
But it wasn’t a huge issue. Chen Yu was looking at the team’s overall performance. After syncing up in the previous game, the Phoenix Suns’ teamwork had clearly improved this time around. Their offensive plays were much more rational. They played at their own pace, patiently passing the ball around, letting whoever had the best opportunity take the shot. And when it truly came to crucial moments, Nowitzki and Hardaway could decisively step up to anchor the team. This was the Phoenix Suns that Chen Yu wanted to see.
To be completely honest, winning the series against the Lakers had relied a bit too heavily on Nowitzki’s individual performance. He hadn’t disappointed the team’s expectations, delivering an absolutely god-like series. However, you couldn’t always count on pulling off that kind of miracle. In the end, winning or losing depended on the team’s comprehensive strength.
Just as he was thinking this, Nowitzki drove the ball in from the high post. After drawing the Pioneer’s defense to collapse inward, he whipped a pass back out to Marion on the wing. Marion caught it and immediately shot, sinking the three-pointer. The point deficit was practically wiped out.

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