Team Spirit

Chapter 107 (1 words, please subscribe) I Rule the World with Owen, Liverpool's Insulting Offer

Everyone nodded.

A recent major similar incident was what happened to Ronaldo around the time of the 1998 World Cup final.

Many people believe he was drugged.

And there have indeed been cases of gambling in the football world.

There were also kidnapping threats and various manipulations.

Lu Kai, in turn, lectured Wenger: "If Arsenal wants to achieve anything in European competitions, they must adapt to these things."

"I know that Professor Wenger's football philosophy is very noble, but not all your opponents are like you."

"Without solving this problem, Arsenal will never win the Champions League, at least not in the next twenty-four years!"

Wenger was momentarily speechless: "And what about when you beat up our players?"

Lu Kai laughed and said, "Everyone knows the answer to this question, so I don't need to repeat it. But I think both teams' players have paid the price for it."

Wenger complained, "Your playing style is too rough!"

Lu Kai: "How about next time we play, our Dartford players tie their legs together and play against you?"

"If Arsenal plays like this, I have no doubt you can win the Premier League title!"

"And speaking of rough play, I've done the math, and Arsenal players seem to get more yellow cards. Your football is far less beautiful than you imagine!"

Wenger shook his head: "Nonsense! In any case, we have at least three players injured in this match, and Arsenal never wants to play in a game like this again!"

"If Dartford's home ground continues to be in these conditions, Arsenal will refuse to play against Dartford."

"Although I don't think we'll meet again anytime soon."

The professor, unusually, made a sarcastic remark about Lu Kai.

There's no other way; we lose at football and we lose at fighting, so we can only rely on our family's wealth.

Lu Kai shrugged: "Do you think I really want to play football with you guys on the riverside field?"

“We want to play at Highbury Stadium even more than you do.”

“This is not Dartford’s problem. If you are really unhappy, you can complain to the organizers of the EFL Cup and make them force Premier League teams to play at home. I believe many people will thank you, including me.”

Wenger stormed out of the room, his hands constantly in his pockets as he left, but his jacket zipper remained closed, a repetitive motion that highlighted his growing frustration.

Red Gun's press conference failed again!
Dartford have been winning three times in one day, they're completely exhausted.

The media went on another wild ride.

Manchester Evening News: "Datford's strategy is ruthless; Lu Kai gives Wenger a crash course in the Champions League!"

France Football: "A lower-league team defeats two Premier League giants twice in a single season; it's time for us to get to know this green-skinned striker!"

Marca: "Arsenal's defeat to Arsenal Green marks a turning point for the Gunners!"

Mundo Deportivo: "Watering the stadium is unethical. Lu Kai instigated a fight, and the guilty party is now accusing the innocent!"

The Clarin: "Wenger's rare outburst of anger, Arsenal's high-level taunt, they won't encounter this kind of bluffing again!"

……

[Ding! You have defeated the mighty Arsenal and received a reward:]

[A nobody on the court - Iron 3]

[Chain Bike - Bronze 2]

[Hardcore - Bronze 5]

[All-Round Midfielder - Silver: A player's overall abilities are enhanced when positioned in midfield]

[Precise lob shot - Bronze + Long pass guidance - Silver upgraded to "Rainbow through ball - Gold"]

[Rainbow Through Pass - Gold: Your long passing ability has been greatly improved. Your over-the-top through passes are faster, more accurate, and more advantageous for teammates to handle.]

[Ding! Your career total assists have reached 100. Reward:]

[Fabregas's Captain's Armband: Player Item. When worn, it increases the growth rate of young players (22 and under) in the team by 10%.]

???

Good grief, is your captain's armband even legitimate?

Will he want to go to Barcelona after promoting the young players?

However, considering that he was old enough to benefit from the boost, Lu Kai decided to wear the captain's armband wherever he went.

Anyway, the system items can have their styles changed at will, so there are fashionable items too.

After all, the blue captain's armband was too monotonous; for a time, the flashy captain's armbands looked quite nice.

Unfortunately, it was later banned by FIFA.

But these days UEFA isn't that strict.

and so……

In addition, the Elite Path has completed another task.

Lu Kai checked and found that he only had all attributes at 60, which was not yet met.

[All attribute values ​​have reached 60, current: 18/27]

Only the last nine items remain.

At the current rate of improvement, he should be able to complete the "Elite Path" before the next season.

I should be on the fast track to growth by then, right?

Ashley Young: What? You're still growing slowly?

"Lu, this is good news, this is good news."

Alfred barged into Lu Kai's office. Don't ask Lu Kai why he's always in his office.

Office workers all know how lucky it is to have a boss who is often in the office.

In reality, very few of those people actually work at the company.

草!
"Arsenal have sued Welling United!" Alfred said gleefully. "It's all about the stadium."

"The FA has ordered them to make changes to the pitch."

"Hahaha, they took the money and did nothing, now they know they were wrong!"

"According to the FA's high standards, they've spent all their extra money."

Lu Kai nodded.

That's definitely a good thing.

Welling Union collected rent but failed to provide corresponding services, and now they're getting their comeuppance.

Moreover, the FA's requirements are much higher than Dartford's.

Dartford's home ground finally started to look like something else.

This also ensures the players' health.

Wenger is so kind!
"Xiao Kai, the Golden Globe Awards sent an email!" Jiang Mengyun rushed in excitedly. "They're inviting you to this year's Golden Globe Awards ceremony."

An exclamation came from outside the door: "The Golden Globe?"

Emily and Eva also came over, their eyes lighting up when they heard the news.

According to international practice, male guests attending such large-scale award ceremonies are required to bring a female companion.

they……

Lu Kai looked at Jiang Mengyun, indicating that it was her decision.

"elder sister!"

You're the best!

Emily and Eva entwined around Jiang Mengyun like two green snakes.

Jiang Mengyun shook her head helplessly: "Anyway, I'm not free this time. I have to fly to China; a major VCD manufacturer wants to talk to us about cooperation."

"If we call him BBK, and things go well, he might become our sponsor next season."

Alfred was taken aback: "So strong? Judging from our current situation, the sponsorship fee next season will probably be even higher than this year."

Lu Kai laughed and said, "The green and blue factories are quite capable, making a lot of money quietly. Let's have a good talk this time and try to find room for long-term cooperation."

You know what, their green gun and Oppo's color scheme actually match quite well!

"By the way," Lu Kai had some inside information, "Emily, you probably won't be able to travel with me this year. Irving has a high chance of winning the award, and The Sun will likely send a reporter to follow up."

"You're a big star at The Sun now, this lucrative job is definitely yours."

Before she could finish speaking, Emily received a call from headquarters, telling her to prepare to fly to France.

That leaves only Eva.

In fact, considering the filming of the documentary, Eva and Lu Kai should have gone together this time.

Lu Kai's status is still too low. He was only able to attend the Ballon d'Or ceremony because of UEFA's official policy. He doesn't have enough confidence, as he only has one spot to attend.

If he's a Golden Globe favorite or something, then it's perfectly fine for him to bring three or five female companions.

Eva had fought tooth and nail for this spot, but now that it was actually given to her, she felt a little embarrassed.

After spending a lot of time with Jiang Mengyun and Emily, I've developed feelings for them.

"Eva, are you blushing?" Emily was surprised. Aren't succubi only blushing when they're trying to seduce men?
What's happening here?
"No, you're mistaken, I'm warm." Eva turned and ran out of the room.

Jiang Mengyun and Lu Kai exchanged a glance.

Eva is different from the young models in the European and American sports circles.

She only appears to be a succubus, using suggestive language to protect herself.

In such a society, you can't show weakness, or you'll really be bullied.

In reality, even after all this time, there aren't many people in the team who can talk to Eva.

But it's different for typical young European and American models.

To give a simple example, Pennant mentioned in his memoir that he played a game with players like Ashley Cole.

They created playing cards from pictures of a group of young models.

If someone else plays that card and matches the young model's fruit, then that person gets the points for that card.

Finally, you win money based on your score.

It often happens that when a card is played, everyone gains points.

Tell me, isn't this a mess?

So it's perfectly normal that this group of players didn't perform well.

Even the greatest talent cannot withstand the agonizing pain of a thousand cuts.

……

On December 17, the European Golden Globe Awards ceremony was held in Paris, France.

The English media were the most numerous.

Because there had been rumors circulating beforehand.

England is about to produce a Ballon d'Or winner!

And it really is true!
"Next, let's give a warm round of applause to welcome Lu Kai to the stage to receive his award! At the beginning of this year, he led Dartford to victory in the UEFA Regional Cup, winning the European Best Non-Professional Football Club Award and the European Best Non-Professional Player Award."

"welcome!"

Applause erupted from the audience.

The star players all turned to look at Lu Kai.

Lu Kai first hugged Eva beside him, then nodded to the crowd and walked onto the stage.

Appropriate, generous, and with extraordinary demeanor.

All those years of watching award ceremonies have been worthwhile.

As the applause subsided, Lu Kai, after receiving the trophy, gave his acceptance speech: "Thank you to the Ballon d'Or committee, thank you to UEFA, and thank you to French football."

"Thank you to the FA, thank you to the Kent FA, and thank you to every staff member, every player, and every fan at Dartford."

"Many people may not know that I am a player for Dartford Royal VCD Football Club. We are a small team, playing in the ninth tier the year before last."

"Last year we played in the seventh tier, this year we play in the fourth tier."

"The range was huge, so we always struggled. We trained for less than two and a half years and won nine club titles. I also won a U17 World Cup with the England youth national team."

"We held Chelsea to a draw in the FA Cup last season."

"This season we eliminated Liverpool and Arsenal in the EFL Cup."

"I was involved in 100 goals last season and was awarded the first Golden Boy award for that."

"I'm not saying this to tell everyone how great I or Dartford is."

"I just want to say that if you've lost interest in the current landscape of football and find it uninspiring, then you can learn about us."

"Follow our game and embark on a miraculous journey from amateur to Premier League! From the lowest level all the way to the Champions League!"

"This is our football plan at Dartford."

"I believe that one day, my teammates and I will stand on this podium in a real way."

"Any team that has doubts about our dream is welcome to come and test us! We undertake all kinds of challenges, including preseason friendlies and friendly matches! Our contact email is..."

Lu Kai gave the team a boost in advertising.

With such a long summer ahead, the players would surely be happy to earn some extra money, right?
Given Dartford's current popularity, it would be a waste for them to play against top clubs before the season without receiving an invitation fee.

At least teams like Manchester United and Real Madrid, which are good at commercial development, shouldn't miss this opportunity.

Lu Kai has already extended the olive branch; now it's up to the other party to see if they understand.

In fact, Lu Kai's award is quite illegitimate.

Furthermore, the Ballon d'Or has never existed before or since; it was purely to support the development of amateur players.

But this time, the support paid off, and Dartford actually transformed from an amateur league into a professional league, creating a legend in amateur football worldwide.

UEFA will naturally give it another boost.

Therefore, Lu Kai's award was elevated in status.

The official description of Lu Kai is "Golden Ball Award for Non-Professional Footballer of the Year" and "Mini Golden Ball Award"!
And in the end, Liverpool striker Michael Owen did indeed win the Ballon d'Or, becoming the "Ballon d'Or Professional Footballer of the Year"!
I stood shoulder to shoulder with Owen, and the two of us each dominated half of the world of football.

Together, they capture the entire summer!

Therefore, after this awards ceremony, the other players were ignored by the media.

Raul is ranked second, Kahn is third, Beckham is fourth, and Totti is fifth.

Sixth to tenth place: Figo, Rivaldo, Shevchenko, Zidane, Henry...

These once-renowned names paled in comparison to the brilliance of Irving and Lu Kai.

Sky Sports: "Owen wins the Ballon d'Or, Lu Kai wins the Golden Ball... Golden Ball! England's football level is undoubtedly the best in the world!"

BBC: "England is number one, both professional and amateur! It's time for Serie A to take the title of the world's best league!"

The Times: "Little La Liga can only poach players, it has no talent development system. Meanwhile, England, a powerhouse in football, has produced two Ballon d'Or winners through its youth academy!"

The Echo: "Lu Kai and Irving stand side by side, a historic photo of the Ballon d'Or winner and the Ballon d'Or winner!"

Manchester Evening News: "Owen says he looks forward to facing Lu Kai! Liverpool will strive for a Ballon d'Or derby with Lu Kai next season!"

The Sun: "Some people disagree with Lu Kai winning the Ballon d'Or? You might not know that two of the top ten Ballon d'Or nominees played for teams that were defeated by him! Guess who they are, excluding Owen and Henry!"

Tuttosport: "Lu Kai becoming the 'Little Golden Ball' proves the foresight of the Golden Boy award! We are working to bring the Golden Boy award back to football, but this takes time and everyone's support!"

Marca: "Florentino says the latest report from Real Madrid's commercial department includes plans to invite Dartford to Madrid for a friendly match!"

AS: "Real Madrid challenges Green Gunners, is their swordplay aimed at Lu Kai? If Florentino fails to sign Ballon d'Or Owen, he may bring in Little Ballon d'Or Lu Kai!"

At the same time, Dartford also released the latest episode of "My Love Diary in Assen Green".

It contains a detailed record of all the details of the match between Dartford and Arsenal.

This includes Lu Kai arranging for water trucks to damage the stadium, etc.

During the program, Eva asked, "Aren't you afraid that Arsenal fans will criticize you after you make this information public? There are also many football defenders who will attack you for unfair competition."

In response, Lu Kai bluntly stated: "What is unfair competition? Is it unfair of me to damage the field? Is it because our players are born to ruin the field, giving us an advantage?"

"Big clubs can spend tens of millions of pounds to buy players. For small clubs like ours, who can only spend a few thousand pounds to sign players, isn't that unfair competition?"

"They have money? But does having money mean they can do whatever they want? If someone rich enough were to buy all the best players in football, would UEFA and FIFA impose sanctions on them?"

"Definitely, because this is not unfair competition, it's ruining the sport of football."

“In competitive sports, confrontation is the main theme, and Dartford has not undermined that.”

"This is the norm for lower-level teams; we struggle in the mire through these kinds of methods."

"Fans have seen the glamorous world of the top five leagues and the super clubs, but I think some people want to see the real struggles behind the veneer of reality."

"This star player should watch Real Madrid."

"To see the defense, look to Serie A."

"For competitive matches, watch the Premier League."

"Watching Manchester United is about watching them dominate."

"Watch real football, watch Green Gun, use BBK VCD, and witness the grassroots legend with me!"

OK, the order has been sent!
This episode's content has a positive reception.

Especially in Europe, because it is closer to the football industry, one can see the lives of most ordinary and non-professional players under the crown.

They can resonate with each other.

Outside of Europe and South America, Dartford's followers are mainly those who bet on the game.

They've already broken down several times at Dartford.

Smart people now know this team is unpredictable and should bet against them!

……

On December 18th, boosted by the morale of the "Little Golden Ball Award," Dartford won 3-1 away against Boston United.

On December 24th, they defeated Rochdale 3-0 at home.

Continue the winning streak.

On December 27th, the FIFA World Player of the Year award ceremony was held in grand style.

Figo won this honor for the first time.

Beckham is second.

Raul is third.

Zidane is fourth.

Rivaldo is fifth.

The sixth through tenth places are Veron, Kahn, Owen, Shevchenko, and Totti.

The rankings differ significantly from those of the Golden Globe Awards.

This has also sparked heated discussions.

Overall, no truly dominant superstar emerged this year.

Therefore, there is a reason why many players win awards.

Irving won the award because of his five cup titles, and he played a pivotal role in all of them, delivering a phenomenal performance in every final.

He even defeated Kahn and Raul in a direct confrontation.

Figo was there to compensate him for last year, plus Real Madrid had the Champions League title.

Raul's stats were impressive, but he lost in key performances and direct confrontations, not to mention having Figo, a club teammate, share the votes.

In short, the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or awards this year have generated a lot of discussion.

On December 28, Dartford lost 2-4 away to relegation-threatened Shrewsbury.

See you in 2001.

Hello 2002.

Dartford has created a classic poster.

It's a photo of the handsome dragon head guy and the handsome snake head guy standing side by side, bumping fists.

One back, one front.

The handsome leader was dressed in a bright red outfit, a true Chinese red.

The snakehead guy is wearing a green robe, Slytherin green. Two collaborations.

Small teams need to do more to generate discussion and buzz.

Otherwise, it will soon be ignored.

On January 1, Dartford defeated Scandinavia United 1-0 away from home.

The league rankings climbed to fourth place on the first day of the new year.

We're just one step away from a direct upgrade spot!
On January 3, Dartford defeated Maxfield 3-1 at home, maintaining their fourth place.

On January 6th, Dartford played in the third round of the FA Cup.

I was lucky enough to be drawn against a weak team in League One.

The opposing team also didn't focus on the FA Cup.

Dartford ultimately defeated their opponents 1-0 thanks to Morgan's goal, breaking the club record and advancing to the fourth round of the FA Cup!
Meanwhile, the winter transfer window had been open for more than a week.

All teams have begun to recruit new players.

As expected, Liverpool made an offer for the outstanding Morgan.

“Two hundred thousand pounds!” Victor was shocked by the price.

Is Dartford's record-breaking transfer about to change hands?
"Should we try to negotiate? We might be able to get it for 250,000!" Victor kindly suggested.

However, Alfred and Lu Kai both smiled without saying a word.

What a joke!
Two hundred thousand pounds sterling and they think they can complete the reinforcements?
Just how much do Liverpool underestimate themselves?
If they were to acquire Morgan at that price, Dartford would be branded a disgrace in the transfer market.

"Go and call Morgan over," Lu Kai said.

A short while later, Morgan arrived.

Lu Kai told Morgan about Liverpool's offer, but Morgan wasn't interested.

"Morgan, I should have told you before that Liverpool is still scouting other strikers, right?" Lu Kai asked.

Morgan nodded.

Lu Kai: "What if you bought them for £200,000 and the other side bought them for £2 million? If you were the owner, who would you let the team use first? Who would you give more opportunities to?"

Morgan seemed somewhat unable to make a judgment.

Lu Kai: "Two young models, one cost you fifty pounds, the other cost you two thousand pounds. Which one do you think you spent more time with, I mean, more time with?"

Morgan reacted quickly this time: "It's definitely two thousand! Even if it kills me, it has to be worth it!"

Lu Kai laughed and said, "That's it. This price not only looks down on Dartford, but also on you."

“They think we come from lower leagues, are ignorant, and easy to fool.”

"They treated you like an easy player."

Morgan was furious!

Therefore, Dartford's final response to Liverpool was: get out!

Liverpool's players' department is puzzled:

"What does it mean by them handing out a gun? Does Arsenal also want to buy Morgan?"

"Isn't this tactic of raising prices rather clumsy?"

"Or is Morgan a member of the Green Guns and won't be transferred?"

But The Sun provided the answer to Liverpool's question: "Liverpool make an insulting bid for Morgan at a rock-bottom price, Dartford kick them out!"

Oh!
So this is the Chinese pinyin for "滚" (gǔn).

That makes sense.

Liverpool were furious after realizing what had happened, and they never mentioned signing Morgan again.

As the greatest club in England's history, don't they have any pride?
Two hundred thousand pounds is not enough for these country folk! They're really living the high life!
If it were last year, they would probably have rushed to come if you gave them 50,000 pounds, right?

On January 9th, Dartford played to a 1-1 draw at home against Oxford United.

After the match, Lu Kai changed into a suit, styled his hair like an adult, and attended Joyce's victory celebration dinner with Jiang Mengyun.

Kent FA Chairman Joyce, thanks to the phenomenal Dartford miracle and his contributions to Kent football, has been successfully elected as one of the 17 executive members of the Football Association!

He transformed himself into a senior executive at the English Football Association.

Dartford, he can be considered to have connections in high places.

Even for the sake of his own reputation, Joyce will not let Dartford fall through.

It seems unlikely that Green Guns will be abandoned now; their competitive level is very high, at least in the English Third Division.

However, if the Celtics are poached by a frenzy of players, it's not impossible that they'll be relegated to the fifth tier next year, or they'll definitely be eliminated the year after.

That will lead to bankruptcy...

Joyce's biggest performance collapse will make it difficult for him to be re-elected in a few years.

Therefore, Dartford must never become an "easy team"!
Liverpool's "light" offer of £200,000 will definitely not yield a positive result.

Otherwise, Dartford will definitely be dismantled by various teams!
Eastwood, Brad, Markover, Ashley Young, Williams, and Anqi are all players who have caught the eye of Premier League teams.

After Lu Kai spoke with Joyce about this, Joyce solemnly assured him that he would find someone to talk to Liverpool.

Liverpool should show at least some "respect" to the Green Gunners!
January 12th, EFL Cup semi-final.

Dartford drew Sheffield Wednesday, also known domestically as Sheffield Wednesday, from the winner.

The EFL Cup semi-finals are a two-legged affair, played at the home grounds of the two teams.

The first leg will be played at Dartford's home ground, Riverside Stadium.

One to two.

Dartford suffered a heartbreaking defeat.

However, they still retain the chance to qualify.

Although Morgan didn't score in this match, he had a brilliant performance and was key to Dartford's goal.

Liverpool also gave Joyce some face, and made a second offer for Morgan and Dartford.

Five hundred thousand pounds!
That price is more than enough to buy a player from the English Third Division.

Even Morgan thought it was good enough, and that it made him look good.

This time, Lu Kai did not try to persuade Morgan, lest Morgan think he didn't want to sell. He simply told Morgan to wait a little longer.

Less than a day later, Liverpool's official website was updated.

They signed 20-year-old striker Milan Baros from Czech club Ostravabanic for £3.4 million.

Morgan was emo at the time.

So, he really really is an easy boy!

Liverpool have absolutely no respect for him.

Baroš became a regular starter for the club at the age of eighteen. In the past two seasons, he has played a total of 55 games for the club, scoring 11 goals and providing 13 assists.

But my Morgan's stats last season were probably even more impressive than his.

He also played with great ease in the English Third Division.

The Czech Republic's top domestic league isn't much better than the English Third Division, and it's definitely not at the level of the English First Division.

Dartford has defeated more than one or two League One teams this season.

Sheffield Wednesday are also in League One, so who knows what will happen in the second leg?

Morgan then indicated that he would fully comply with Lu Kai's arrangements.

This time, Lu Kai did not reply to Liverpool, opting to give them the cold shoulder.

It gave Liverpool the feeling that "this deal has fallen through".

Liverpool, on the other hand, wasn't in a hurry.

Half a million pounds and you're still not satisfied?

Does your chairman really think Liverpool is a fool?

We won't add a single penny!
Dartford made significant rotations in their League Three match over the weekend, with Morgan not playing.

The team ultimately drew 1-1 with Northampton away from home.

They also slipped from fourth to fifth in the standings due to a losing streak.

Something seems to be wrong.

On January 20th, the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final kicked off.

Dartford visit Sheffield Wednesday's home ground, Hillsborough Stadium!
That's right, it's the site of the infamous incident that unjustly implicated Liverpool.

The two teams facing off at the time were Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Following the incident, Sheffield Wednesday was questioned about issues such as stadium facilities, and The Sun newspaper also misled the public at one point. Years later, the incident was finally resolved, mainly due to the chaotic security situation.

……

"Hey George, is this my seat?"

A young boy wearing a Sheffield Wednesday youth academy jersey looked a little angry.

The boy called George didn't move an inch and said disdainfully, "This position is better. I want to witness us break through the opponent's defense right here!"

“If you don’t want to get beaten up, get lost. I’ve been here since I was eleven. I’m the owner here, and you’re just a newcomer!”

The little boy ran towards George.

A few dozen seconds later, he sat down helplessly in the corner, with some bruises on the corner of his mouth.

Clearly, he was hit.

Other Sheffield Wednesday academy players chatted and laughed with George, occasionally mentioning the little boy's name:

"Vardy is a joke!"

"With his small stature, I could easily knock him over if I bumped into him."

"He's terrible at being a striker; we lost the last game because of him."

"Anyway, I'm not willing to pass the ball to him."

"Believe me, he won't be here for long."

"There may be a Maradona who is 1.65 meters tall in this world. But there will never be a Ronaldo who is 1.58 meters tall!"

"He's even shorter than that shorty in Dartford!"

"He can't contribute anything to the team! Nothing!"

Vardy finally exploded: "I'll kill you all..."

The commotion in the stands quickly attracted the attention of stadium security.

George and others said Vardy beat them up.

The security guard knew the truth as soon as he saw Vardy, who was covered in bruises, but he preferred to avoid trouble and took Vardy to another stand.

It wasn't the area for die-hard fans, but... the area for Dartford fans.

Vardy is wearing a blue and white jersey.

They still stand out quite a bit among the green and white jerseys.

He was stressed out.

Soon, the players from both sides lined up in the players' tunnel, ready to go on the field.

The stadium was packed with nearly 30,000 fans today, which is quite a lively atmosphere.

On the one hand, this is the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final, the last match before the final, and the fans are full of confidence in the team.

On the other hand, Sheffield Wednesday have struggled in League One this season. Despite making significant signings, their performance has plummeted, turning them from a strong League One team into a relegation-threatened one.

Fans have no expectations for the league; they'd rather hope the team wins the EFL Cup.

Taking a roundabout approach to achieve one's goals sounds incredibly appealing.

And God cooperated, arranging a big gift for them.

Two semi-final matches could bring Dartford an income of over £300,000.

For Dartford fans...

Making it to the semi-finals is already a pleasant surprise.

Even if I'm eliminated by Sheffield Wednesday, I won't have any regrets.

Anyway, the ticket revenue share will be credited to my account.

Sheffield Wednesday's starting lineup is:
Kuchi 25, Ikeku 35
Morris 20, Soltveit 35, McCarthy 31, Gallagher 35
Burrows 33, Klein 19, Mattix 34, Haslam 22
Pressman 34
-

Among them, Shevko Kuczy is the striker the team brought in for a high price this season. He is 25 years old and cost £1.53 million.

Of all the players in this lineup, only he is relatively normal.

Because their names are followed not by their jersey numbers, but by their ages.

The core lineup is severely aging!

These players, all in their thirties, have a different form every year, or even every six months.

They might have been full of energy last month, but this month they might suddenly be incapacitated.

If Sheffield Wednesday had used the money they spent on Couch to buy four or five decent players, their results might not have fluctuated so much.

But it's too late to say anything now.

In fact, Sheffield Wednesday will be relegated repeatedly and never recover in the next two or three years.

Dartford's starting lineup is as follows:

Morgan, Holt
Shory, Ashley Young, Markov
Lu Kai, Kevin

Williams, Williams, Duff

An Qi
-

Brad's injury has not yet fully healed.

Barton was suspended for the first leg of the last EFL Cup semi-final due to Arsenal's straight red card.

However, since this was his second straight red card in the competition this season, he was given an additional suspension of one match.

Kelo started in the last game, but the results were poor.

This time, Lu Kai changed his partner to Kevin.

At least their defensive capabilities will be stronger.

Kevin used to play center-back, but he often covered for the defensive midfield position, so he wasn't completely without basic skills.

With a whistle, the game officially began.

In the ninth minute, Lu Kai made an aggressive interception in midfield and chipped the ball to the left flank.

Ashley Young received the ball and surged to the edge of the penalty area, flicked it aside, and fired a shot into the far right corner.

Unfortunately, there was no element of surprise, and the opposing goalkeeper caught the ball easily.

“We can see that Lu Kai’s captain’s armband for this game is green. His on-field attire has been featured in fashion magazines before.”

"Especially the arm sleeves, they're really cool. A lot of people wanted to buy the same ones, but couldn't find them until a few days ago when Daniel Sports released a batch, which sold out instantly!"

On the bench, young Daniel nodded.

Is such that.

They've also started producing fancy captain armbands, and Lu Kai has even come up with advertising copy for them.

"Be your own captain - Daniel & Green Gun!"
These days, every sportswear brand needs a phrase like this to project a sense of sophistication.

In the 17th minute, McCarthy received a pass from his teammate and unleashed a powerful long-range shot from 27 meters out, which struck the crossbar.

Sheffield Wednesday almost extended their lead.

Duff then cleared the ball with a header over Ikoku.

Lu Kai nodded secretly.

Sheffield Wednesday's veterans are indeed very capable, and their experience is also extensive.

But if they can still manage to score like that after thirty minutes, Lu Kai will immediately acknowledge them as his father!

Just watch, they'll be running themselves ragged in the second half!

On the bench, Victor held a data report, looking very confident about the game.

He analyzed that Xie Zhou had physical problems.

In the 22nd minute, Sheffield Wednesday took a corner kick.

Kuczy heads the ball towards the goal.

But Duff interfered, causing the ball to miss the target.

In the 25th minute, Ashley Young dribbled the ball to the left wing, where he positioned himself as an attacking midfielder and played as a left winger.

Xiao Li gave him his spot, and he stayed in the back, where the 3232 formation was forced to become 442.

Lu Kai came up to ask for the ball.

Ashley Young was passed back.

"Oh dear, without Brad, Dartford's attacking options are completely nonexistent."

"We can only wait for the wingers to break through, but Sheffield's defense on the flanks was quite good on Wednesday."

"If this continues, Dartford will probably be slowly boiled alive..."

boom!
Lu Kai casually lobbed the ball into the penalty area.

【Rainbow Direct Load】!
Morgan launched himself forward, charging towards the ball.

The ball landed as soon as he ran out of position.

It was much faster than a normal person's over-the-top pass.

This was somewhat unexpected for Morgan, so he used his less-than-ideal weaker foot to stop the ball, and the ball obeyed him, allowing him to follow up with his dominant foot and shoot.

This is the power of the Rainbow Through Plug.

Faster, more accurate, and easier to catch!
boom!
The combo was executed flawlessly in one go!
The football went into the goal!

Sheffield Wednesday's defenders were stunned and didn't even have time to make a block.

"GOAL! One to zero! Morgan opens the scoring for Dartford!"

"This makes the aggregate score 2-2, with Sheffield Wednesday only leading by a narrow margin on goal difference!"

"Fans who follow Liverpool should know that Liverpool are very interested in Morgan and have already made two offers."

"But Dartford doesn't seem to be satisfied."

"At present, £500,000 may indeed be a bit too little. Morgan's performance in this series is not much worse than Cooch's."

"And don't forget, Morgan is only eighteen! He has a lot of potential to be tapped!"

After Morgan scored, Vardy looked dejected, but the people around him were celebrating, which made the person next to him writing furiously stand out.

He's a scout!
Vardy quietly moved behind the other person and discovered that the other person's notebook had the Liverpool team logo on it.

He's a Liverpool scout!

Are they really here to investigate Morgan Stanley?
"The player's technique is not flashy, but quite delicate. He almost stuck the ball to the instep when he controlled it."

"This is a detail we've overlooked! His ball control level should be upgraded by one level!"

"He might be a little worse than Arsenal's Pennant, but the gap is definitely not that big!"

Vardy watched with great interest.

Vardy approached the scout with great interest: "Sir, are you a scout? What do you think of me? I really like Liverpool!"

The scout smiled and nodded: "You look good. What's your name? You can sign up for a trial with our U11 team."

Vardy frowned: "Sir, I'm in the U15 age group."

The scout was taken aback: "Oh, have you ever considered studying? Studying can change your destiny!"

Vardy's face darkened: "I chose football precisely because I'm not good at studying."

The scout said with great regret, "That kid, you've clearly made the wrong choice! Look at your thin and short stature, how tall are you?"

Vardy: "1.58 meters tall."

Scout: "58? 58 can't play basketball!"

Paul: ? ? ?
(End of this chapter)