The second half of extra time ended. Southampton's final score against Bayern Munich was 4-4. There were many ups and downs moments, that were very thrilling in this match. This fierce match finally reached the penalty shootout. The most memorable pre-season match for Kazuki would come to an end. It didn't matter who wins, this game was teaching Southampton a big lesson.
Bayern Munich goalkeeper stood in front of goalpost. The first penalty taker was Kazuki. The referee blew his whistle, then Kazuki kicked the ball calmly. Neuer jumped to the right, while Kazuki kicked to the left. Southampton's first shot was successful.
Then it was Mandzukick's turn to face the Southampton goalkeeper. Compared to Dean Smith, Luis Ognevo as Southampton's second-tier goalkeeper was much worse quality. Therefore, comparing Ognevo with Neuer was ridiculous. Mandzukick managed to score the first penalty for Bayern.
Kounde emerged as Southampton's second kicker. As a senior player at Southampton, George hoped that Kounde could show his quality. Fortunately, Kounde was able to complete his task well, although Neuer could guess at his shot.
Then Axelsen came on as Bayern's second kicker. The referee blew the whistle and the Bayern Munich player kicked the ball into the middle of the goal, while Ognevo jumped to the left. The ball hits the Southampton net. Bayern's second penalty kick was successfully executed.
Rustan stood in front of Neuer nervously. In this match, Rustan was less shining than usual. Several times he lost duels against David Alaba. In an exhausted mental state, Neuer managed to catch the ball that was kicked by Rustan. The young player looks to be lowering his head, disappointed with his shot. The rest of Southampton players cheered on Rustan then encouraged Ognevo.
Arjen Ruben, Bayern Munich's right-wing player, shows his quality as a world-class player. He fooled Ognevo with ease. Bayern managed to score a third penalty. This successfully shot put more pressure on Southampton, especially Ryan. If he failed, then Southampton will automatically lose.
In critical condition, Ryan shot the ball, Neuer jumps to the right while Ryan kicks straight into the middle. This young player managed to overcome the pressure and make Southampton see hope again.
The next penalty kick will be taken by Muller. In facing Luis Ognevo, Sang Raumdeuter was able to handle the pressure well. He kicked to the right strongly and quickly. Although Ognevo guessed the direction correctly, but he failed to save the kick.
Simone came forward. The fifth turn will be taken by the Captain of Southampton. The referee blew the whistle, then Simone kicked to the left. Too bad his shot was so weak that Neuer was able to catch the ball well. Simone immediately covered her face with both hands and felt sorry.
The referee blew the long whistle, Bayern managed to win the match in the penalty shootout by 4(3)-(4)4. They were able to get third place in the 2012 International Champions Cup, meanwhile, Real Madrid won this year and Chelsea had to settle for second place.
All in all, the International Champions Cup pre-season competition had ended. The official competition was approaching soon. Transfers that had not been completed, one by one, begin to complete. Just a few days after the ICC finished, various transfer news exploded across sports magazines. The most magnificent transfer of course was the transfer of Mattheo Rodrigues to the Santiago Bernabéu.
On that day, various Decules from all over the world were heartbroken. Barcelona had always been the club most passionate about pursuing Mattheo. Since Mattheo was little, Barcelona was the first club to find Mattheo. No one believed the world's number one player would move to their rival club, Real Madrid.
Besides Mattheo, Real Madrid also brought in Gareth Neill and Moric, they also brought in several other players. This made the European media equally give a warning for other clubs, this Real Madrid may be the greatest squad in the club's history. With so many high-quality players, Real Madrid will be a scary team if the coach who managed them can make good use of these players.
Apart from Real Madrid, other European clubs had also completed their main transfers one by one. There had been many confirmed transfer rumors. There are also unexpected transfers. Various transfer news filled the media. At Southampton's side, Hugo officially left the club. Southampton also brought in various new players. There were no famous players like the big clubs, but those players were enough to fulfill George's request.
Other Premier League clubs had also completed their major transfers. Tony Cross was officially introduced by Liverpool, along with Phillips Coutinho and Maddison. Liverpool's midfield will improve. Liverpool's goal this season was to defend the league title and win the Champions League.
Meanwhile, Manchester City, which was often hunting a bunch of players, this summer, looks calm. Overall, The Cityzen squad was indeed good. They just need to get rid of the non-contributing players and replace them with more useful players. Streamlining the squad could help the club as a whole.
This summer, the Red Devils had brought in their targets, namely Pogba, Anthony Martial, and Van Persie as a substitute for the failure of Kazuki transfer. Although Sir Alex had retired, but the Red Devils fans seem quite confident with their squad, however, David Moyes' coaching record was not bad.
On the other hand, Chelsea seems to be a bit calm, apart from signing Fabregas they had sold several players to bring in players who were less well known. With their current squad, Chelsea shouldn't really need new players.
The sluggish performance of Tottenham and Arsenal in summer transfers made the media predict that this 2012/2013 season, the two teams from London would have difficulty finishing in the top 4 positions. Both teams however lost their valuable players.
Southampton's first game of the season will be on 19 August. They will face Manchester City at Saint Mary's Stadium. There were still a few days before the match takes place. Final preparations and the process adapting of new players was continuing during this period.
Every day, Southampton players were exercising to perfect and apply their new tactics better. Under the tutelage of George, Southampton which was full of young players began to slowly flap its wings. With a 4-2-3-1 formation, George was hoped Southampton could control the attack better. Especially after facing Bayern Munich which had a variety of attack methods.
On the other hand, Southampton's weakness was also seen by George. Joe Bennet's ability is less stable, Sometimes he could complete his task well, but there were days when Bennet failed to show his maximum performance. Ryan could replace Bennet but Ryan's ability as a playmaker was a bit lacking.. Crage could be a great option to be a playmaker, but the player is sorely lacking in vision.