Chapter 84 - A Misplaced Start (1/2)

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Before the kick-off, Zhang Jun saw Li Yongle, who did not have a very pleasant expression on his face. He assumed that Liang Ke was right about Li Yongle having been coached to mark Kaka during the game. Li Yongle was not going to defend against him and he was unsure if it was good or bad news.

He stood at the kick-off point and placed his foot on the soccer ball. He then looked beyond Zhongyuan’s forward, midfielders and back defenders, all the way to their side of the goalpost. Since both sides felt that victory for their respective teams was the most important thing, they set aside their personal differences and strived for victory. Hence, the duel with Li Yongle was not to be his main focus of the game, but Zhongyuan’s goal before him.

Yang Pan was by his side and both of them had been partners since elementary school. As long as they had each other, their thoughts had always been the same, We must absolutely not lose!

In the past, before the start of the kick-off, there was always some tension and excitement. But today, Su Fei felt calm. Despite saying “if you lose, I’m breaking up with you” the previous night, she was not worried about them losing. She sat quietly by the sidelines and it seemed like she was watching their daily training.

Ren Yu De stood in the middle and peered over at the stands. Among the crowd of people, he could not seem to find what he was looking for. Then, he sighed gently. “He won’t come!”

An Ke thought of greeting his sister before the match, but the moment he saw He Wen’s bitter expression, he did not dare go near her. The members of Zhongyuan High School would think that he was the one that bullied their “cute manager” and he would not be able to concentrate the game. If he had something to say, it was best to wait until the game was over. However, he was not sure if he would still have the mood to say it after the game, and if He Wen would be in the mood to listen.

The stadium, which was filled with 23,000 people was so silent that even the blowing wind could be heard. In the quiet environment, the referee’s whistle for the kick-off was clearly audible.

Many years after, famous soccer reporter, Chen Huafeng would recall the kick-off for this game. “In my opinion, the referee’s whistle was so clear and long. It sounded as though it was transmitted to the heavens, and it echoed throughout the blue skies on that winter day.”

*Beep!*

Zhang Jun gently nudged the ball from the midline and passed it under Yang Pan’s foot.

The stadium, which was unusually quiet earlier, suddenly appeared as if it was detonated with a bang. Screams, cheers, horns, gongs and drums were all intertwined, creating a huge noise. Even the city government 800 m away could hear the loud noise from the stadium.

Those who passed by the stadium outside heard the same sound too.

“The game has started!”

Ah Yuan slouched, then sat up straight. “It’s starting!”

“Big brother, I don’t understand, weren’t you watching?” his little brother replied next to him.

“Less talking, more watching the ball!”

“Yang Pan returns the ball to Kaka, but Kaka doesn’t bring the ball forward. Instead, he passes the ball again to Wang Ning. Zhongyuan’s forward, He Jialin pounces on Shu Guang like a ferocious tiger!”

Wang Ning kicked the ball forward and looked for Zhang Jun, but it was snatched by Li Yongle right in front of Zhang Jun. Li Yongle used his chest to unload the ball and maneuvered it to the right side of Zhang Yulin’s foot.

The commentator instantly shouted with passion, “The long-awaited round of confrontation between Li Yongle and Zhang Jun ended with Li Yongle’s victory!”

In response, Shu Guang’s stand booed.

Zhang Yulin managed to take the ball from a very awkward position. Xie Wei could not catch up this time, otherwise there would have been a big gap. Wang Ning and Li Hao were pinned by Zhao Defeng so they could not rush up in time. So, Zhang Yu Li looked for another person before he decided to take lead of the ball. His dribbles were not that good in comparison to Fan Cunjie and Ren Yu De, who was an expert in dribbling. However, his dribbles were good enough to deal with Xie Wei.

Zhang Yulin got pass Xie Wei, and even though it was only a moment, it was enough for him to pass the ball!

He Jialin’s height was only 170 cm and he was not good at competing in the penalty zone. Also, Zhang Yulin’s pass was around the height of his waist and it was an arc spinner. On top of that, Zhongyuan’s goalkeeper could not easily attack. There was no doubt that Zhang Yulin was a “watch maker”. His passes seemed to be casual, but they were very high in accuracy.

He Jialin was as slippery as mud in the penalty zone. After taking on Li Qiang’s position as a strong center, the responsibility of scoring a goal fell onto his shoulder. He was skilled, so he could get a hold of the ball at the front. He could also dribble the ball and make a breakthrough on his own. Not only that, he could control the ball whenever he was blocked during his dribbles as he waited for his teammates to catch up. He was really suitable as the “1” in “4-5-1”.

He Jialin tried to snatch a point, but he was interrupted by Lin Xiaofang. The shot did not reach the center position and missed the goal.

A few sighs of regrets sounded from the stands.

“It seems like Zhongyuan High School is taking a different approach today!”

“That’s true. During their matchup last year, Zhongyuan High School was defensive from the get-go. But this year, they are on the offensive mode, leaving some of us puzzled.”

An Ke placed the ball on the small area of the penalty zone. The current striker was not the same as the previous year’s Li Qiang. Li Qiang was a very aggressive striker. Even if there were three meters ahead of him, he would still shoot hard if he had the opportunity. However, Shu Guang’s No. 11 seemed to pursue of angle and skill.

An Ke was never afraid of a strong striker; he would just harden himself. Except, Yang Pan, that kid was of course not human. He had skills and An Ke had to properly adjust himself. Even if the game was in a good order for the No.11, it could still be a very difficult game for An Ke.

“An Ke has sent a big shot towards Kaka, but Li Yongle speedily catches up! Eh? Li Yongle is defending against Kaka. What about Zhang Jun?”

As the commentator’s voice dropped, Kaka snatched the ball from Li Yongle and headed it over to Zhang Jun.

But, Luo Bin roared as he snatched the ball first and headed it outwards.

“Luo Bin? I don’t quite understand this!”

Li Yongle was five centimeters taller than Kaka, yet he was defeated by the header earlier. His header was really weak.

Lu Qing received the ball from Luo Bin’s header. Then, he wheeled and passed it to Zhao Defeng who returned.

The moment Zhao Defeng got the ball, Zhongyuan’s cheerleaders instantly cheered. The ball was at his feet and all his companions were also at ease. In contrast, his enemies became worried.

Zhao Defeng, who was a senior in his third year was more mature and stable, but his knife was never rusty. He was a cold player.

“Zhao Defeng takes the ball and Wang Ning is catching up. However, Zhao Defeng has managed to pass him with just a few moves! The first grade midfielder, Wang Ning who has been performing well was just easily wiped away by Zhao Defeng! There’s no doubt that he’s the best front offense in this championship!”

After Zhao Defeng got pass Wang Ning, Li Yongle, Zhang Yuchao and Zhang Yulin sprinted towards Shu Guang’s side of the field. The speed of their change to offense was breathtaking.

Zhao Defeng passed the ball to Zhang Yuchao, who was cutting through, but Zhang Yuchao immediately transferred it to the right side of the field. Zhang Yulin stopped the ball very nicely, then took the lead!

He Jialin did not rest either. He ran towards the penalty zone before he was dragged out by Lin Xiaofang.