Chapter 80 - An Accurate Long Pass (1/2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Yang Pan had finally returned.
His eyes were still a little red, but he could already smile and face the greetings as well as comfort that other offered. Because it was the school’s first time in the finals, he did not want to ruin the joyous and upbeat atmosphere.
It was only when he was silent that Zhang Jun could see some erratic movements in his eyes. Zhang Jun knew that the impact of his grandmother’s death was still in his heart.
Zhang Jun thought of comforting him, but he did not know what to say. He felt distraught too, but Yang Pan’s grandmother was not his own granny and one else knew about his relationship with his grandmother, so no one came to comfort him. All he could do was train like crazy and use his physical fatigue to ease the pain in his heart.
Now, he had his morning jogs every single day. His father would eat breakfast at the table and one morning, he saw how Zhang Jun was covered in sweat as he barged though the door. As a result, he thought that he remembered the day wrongly. Was it the day of the match?
His father’s feelings were understandable. For a long time, Zhang Jun was not a person who would willingly work hard for something, including soccer. He would rush into one thing and use his interest as his driving force. When he was a child, he liked colorful stamps, so he began to search everywhere for used envelope stamps to build his collection. Later on, he liked to paint, so the walls and tables in the house were all easily accessible for painting. Then, he liked to sing, which left the neighbors suffering. There was also that time when he liked playing with slingshots. Those poor streetlights had no clue who it was…
However, these “interests and hobbies” never lasted long. Otherwise, he would have been called “Collector Zhang Jun”, “Painter Zhang Jun”, “Singer Zhang Jun” and “Sniper Zhang Jun”. But… he was now “Soccer Player Zhang Jun”. He enjoyed soccer and fortunately this time, his interest did not burn out like it did for the others, hence he worked hard for it. Of course, it was because he always had a good partner, Yang Pan.
Interest turned into passion and this made Zhang Jun like soccer even more. Nonetheless, that was still not enough to make him work hard by training every day. Yang Pan also liked soccer, but he insisted on training daily. Those were the two differences between them, but they did not interfere with how the other carried on with his interests. Yang Pan would not request Zhang Jun to jog five kilometers every day or do 200 sit-ups, not even 50 push-ups… Zhang Jun would not laugh at Yang Pan for waking up at 6.00 am every morning to jog whether it was rain or shine.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Jun was now taking the initiative to jog every morning! After each day of training, he would return home to do 200 sit-ups and 50 push-ups…
It’s not that I don’t understand, it’s just that things are changing so fast!
His father sighed.
…
“Li Yongle, how’s that curve ball?” Sun Laihong stopped Li Yongle from walking away.
“There’s only been a 50/50 chance of success during training. So, it’s difficult to say when it comes to the game,” Li Yongle replied.
“Alright. Anyway, it’s only been a year. Your improvement’s already rather fast,” Sun Laihong nodded his head and replied. “Oh yes, tell me about your thoughts, what are your thoughts on a good midfielder?”
“A good midfielder?” Li Yongle did not understand, so he asked his coach what he actually meant.
“Yes, what are your thoughts on a good midfielder?”
Li Yongle thought about it for a bit. “This… First of all, he’s got to have plenty of physical energy, because a lot of stress is placed on the lower back. Then, of course his defense has to be good too. A midfielder provides a solid barrier to prevent the others from entering the penalty zone. He must also have a good sense of positioning, the ability to read the game, and a good execution of the captain’s tactical intentions. Not to mention, he also has to possess a high spirit of teamwork so that he doesn’t become a lone hero. He’s supposed to be the team’s offensive and defensive center. In addition, they have to know how to pass and perform headers… Ah! Coach, you’re asking me to practice more headers!”
Sun Laihong shook his head. “Honestly, your headers aren’t that good, so you have to use your legs to stop balls from a high altitude, which is more dangerous. But, I think there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Then what’s all of this about?”
Sun Laihong passed the ball, which was under his foot to Li Yongle. Then, he pointed at the goal. “Kick the ball into the goal from here.”
The both of them were positioned at least 60 or 70 m away from the goal. It was an empty gate but he could not guarantee that the ball would go in.
Li Yongle looked at the goal, adjusted it, and kicked it with his right foot. The soccer ball flew into the air towards the goal, and finally fell into the empty gate.
Sun Laihong nodded. “Okay, not bad. You have a good grasp of direction and strength pressure.”
Li Yongle was confused. He did not know what his coach was talking about.
Sun Laihong continued, “As a good midfielder, it is necessary to read the game to determine whether the team is attacking or defending, and what kind of ways it’s attacking with. It is also important to know how the rules should be kept. If you’re being pressured by your opponents, the ball is at your feet and He Jialin is alone in the front, what would you do?”
Li Yongle thought and replied, “A long pass!”
“Correct!” Sun Laihong waved his hands. “A long pass as a counterattack! But wouldn’t the pass be a waste if your accuracy isn’t good?”
“Coach, I understand now. Do you want me to practice on long passes?”
“You’re not wrong. You’re very talented when it comes to long passes. Like steel, your direction and strength are impeccable. However, it’s better to increase your accuracy. It’s not easy to score a goal from a long distance, let alone for someone with a height of 170 cm in the game! Heading is indeed your weak point. You may as well use your strength to trump the weakness and practice your long passes a lot. Strive to accurately train it until it’s like a cruise missile that travels at a distance of 30 to 50 m. It’s not just for the team, it’s also for your own personal development.”
Zhao Defeng, who came out of the lounge overheard the conversation between Sun Laihong and Li Yongle. After Li Yongle left, he went up to to Sun Laihong. “Coach, don’t you want his accuracy in his long passes to be like a ‘tomahawk’ in the finals? There are only four days left…”
“Hehe! Swerve shot, swerve shot…” Sun Laihong laughed.
Zhao Defeng was speechless. Last year, Li Yongle managed to use a swerve shot to score a goal in just three days. This year, who was to say if he could deliver another surprise in four days?
…
The school’s speaker was broken, so the morning classes naturally became impossible. This great news for the students, and the 20-minute class break meant that they could play with joy. Many of them rushed to the soccer field and basketball courts with the ball.
Zhang Yang did not hand in his homework again and he was taken to the office by his Math teacher. Zhang Yang put Li Yongle as well as Zhang Lintao on blast for apparently not upholding their “brotherly bond”, and the two of them scattered across campus.
…
“Zhang Lintao, do you think my passes can be done wherever and whenever?”
“Of course, your passes are almost like Beckham’s.”
“I’m talking about long passes.”
“Long passes?”
“Thirty-to-fifty-meter long passes.”
“Fifty meters?” Zhang Lintao glanced at Li Yongle. “Is it going to be a big kick?”