Chapter 26 (1/2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Ten minutes was one sixth of an hour, and six hundred seconds. But, how long was that?
Students would moan that 10 minutes worth of recess time was too short.
Many would moan that 10 minutes worth of advertisements was too long.
But, how long was 10 minutes?
…
“Ten minutes left. Zhongyuan High has pretty much secured the victory then,” Zhou Peng said.
“Are you sure?” Chen Huafeng smiled. “It’s precisely the charm of soccer that you can’t predict what would happen right up until the last second!”
“My conjecture is merely the result of objective analysis,” Zhou Peng replied. “Yang Pan, the core of Shu Guang’s attack is being heavily marked by Li Yongle and Zhang Yang―he hasn’t made a move for minutes. Ren Yu De wants to break past Liu Chao but it’s impossible; he’s just stumbling around now. He rarely runs and a player who can’t run, can’t do anything on the pitch.
“In short, Shu Guang’s prided attack is now contained. They virtually have no chances for a comeback and may even be dealt a further blow. Shu Guang is a great team, but Zhongyuan is better!”
Chen Huafeng sighed. He did not want to admit it, but Zhou Peng was right.
Wang Bo wanted to pass to Zhang Rui, but Luo Bin saw it and got to the ball first―Wang Bo did not have any strength to get it back. When they played against Zhong Xin―the fifth-placed team last year, Chen Huafeng thought that they were formidable. Against Nanyang, he thought that their back line was imposing, almost impregnable.
But what about Zhongyuan?
Against every other team, he always kept the same will to fight, but right now, he felt that he was facing a bunch of mighty monsters! It was as if he could forever only watch and chase them from afar.
An Ke did his best to tip the ball away―it flew to the corner.
Even if he was the goalkeeper, his breathing had become irregular. Every attack from the other team seemed to test him physiologically and psychologically. No conceding! he thought as he kept shielding the goalpost behind him in that manner. “The chance to equalize will be lost if another goal is conceded.”
…
“Goalkeeper? What does a goalkeeper do?” A little An Ke looked up at the bigger boy, who was much larger than he was.
“A goalkeeper protects the goalpost behind him!” he patted An Ke’s little head.
…
“An Ke, why do you want to become a goalie? That body of yours could score a lot of goals as a striker!” The elementary physical education teacher looked at the boy in front of him, not quite understanding. The other kids were all competing to play as a striker―for the goals and the glory. This boy alone requested to become a keeper on his own initiative.
“Because I want to protect the goalpost!”
…
Zhongyuan Technical took the corner and Luo Bin headed the ball in! However, An Ke got to the ball handily.
Nine minutes left.
The Shu Guang goalkeeper hurled the ball out in attack mode. Not wanting to stay too long at the back, Su Li got to it and lobbed a long ball to the front, although Li Yongle was there to cut the offensive short once more.
Getting the ball from Li, Zhang Yulin made a straight pass to Li Qiang, who then sent a back-pass to Zhao Defeng. The captain delivered it to Zhang Yuchao afterwards.
Their passes flowed like water down a stream; Shu Guang could not even touch them.
Zhang Yuchao sent the ball low into the penalty area. Shu Guang followed and a scramble ensued. Braving the clear danger, An Ke dashed into the forest of legs and gathered the ball into his arms.
Su Li was shielding the ball with his body, but in no time at all, Zhao Defeng and Zhang Yulin closed in on him.
“Aren’t you guys getting things wrong! The leading team is actually doing the encircling?” Su Li was in a pitiful state under the duo’s pressure. And in a moment of carelessness, Zhao Defeng got the ball!
“Crap!”
Li Yongle ran with the ball and fired a drive! The ball flew towards the bottom right corner.
An Ke did not tarry and dived towards it. But…
In the middle of the crowd, there was Li Qiang. Stretching out one of his lengthy legs, he tapped the ball. It changed trajectory towards the other direction!
“Oh, no…” An Ke watched helplessly as the ball flew to an entirely different path, a feeling of despair gradually surfacing within him.
Zhongyuan’s cheerleaders exploded with thunderous applause, yelling the team’s motto at the top of their lungs, “Victory! Victory! Victory!”
The scoreboard changed to 3: 1, Zhongyuan was in the lead.
Seven minutes left.
In spite of that, even with most in his cheerleading squad going silent, Liu Qi kept on waving his flag and chanting, “Go, Go! Shu Guang! Shu Guang! Go, go!” It was as if his voice alone could fight against the cheers for Zhongyuan.
3: 1. The huge red numbers were like fresh blood, alarmingly ghastly. Zhang Jun did not want to look at it anymore; soccer could be decidedly cruel on occasion.
Ren Yu De had not touched the ball for quite some time. He did not ask for it or helped to defend it, merely resorting to strolling back and forth up front. Nonetheless, he was not lazing around instead, he saving his strength.
His strategy notwithstanding, the number of times he dribbled past an opponent in today’s game could be counted with just one hand; it was a far cry from how he felt in the past, when he used to drop casualties.
…
“That brat isn’t training with the school team?”
“I heard he got cut from the school team.”
“Why? His technique isn’t bad all!”
“I heard there was a fight in the squad…” At the sight of Ren Yu De’s glance, the one speaking shut his mouth.
…
“Look at that bastard! A first-year student, yet so cocky! Running circles around us third-years, especially with that arrogant smile of his! I want to sock him every time I see that look!” a brawny boy said hatefully.
When Ren Yu De made him stumble with his technique again, the other guy promptly kicked him down.
“What are you doing?
“Die!”
“Whoa! Fight!”
*Beep! Beep!*
“You two! Stop!”
“Separate them!”