Team Spirit

Chapter 98 (1.3 words, please subscribe) An unprecedented six-time champion, this English Third Division is a hot potato!

The Clarín newspaper: "A national disgrace! Argentina's three top talents were completely outmatched by England's low-level player, Lu Kai!"

Sports Weekly: "A Shining Star for the Chinese! Lu Kai Devastates Argentina, Curing the Chinese Youth Team's 'Argentina Phobia'!"

Football News: "Lu Kai, rejected by the national youth team, defeated Argentina, a team the national youth team couldn't beat! Perhaps we've missed a true talent?"

Correa News Agency: "It's fake, it must be fake! Chinese people have a long-standing habit of changing their age, Lu Kai's performance on the field is at least eighteen years old!"

Tuttosport: "Lu Kai's performance proves that our evaluation system may still be lacking, and we will make revisions after the U17 World Cup."

France Football: "Without Lu Kai, England U17 is a completely different team. Now they are France U17's biggest rival to win the championship!"

The most embarrassed party in this battle is actually the domestic media.

After the Chinese youth team lost to Argentina, they kept trying to make amends by saying how strong the Argentine team was, in order to prove that the Chinese youth team was already good enough.

As a result, Lu Kai retaliated and utterly defeated Argentina.

Although this is not the same Argentine youth national team, it's still tough.

As for the South Korean media, there's no need to pay them any attention.

Whenever China makes a breakthrough, South Koreans are the first to ridicule it, saying it's just empty boasting.

They then questioned it, saying it must be fake.

Once confirmed to be true, it was immediately criticized, with claims that such an action would not benefit world peace.

Finally, announce that the other party has Korean ancestry.

win!
However, when it comes to breaking news, the English media has to be the source.

Sky Sports, BBC, The Sun and other media outlets simultaneously broadcast "My Love Diary in Asen Green - U17 World Cup".

This is a 40-minute variety documentary.

The scene begins with a dazzling Eva Green walking down from the stage of an investment promotion conference, looking for Lu Kai.

The camera then focused on Lu Kai, and played his voice on the phone:
"Lu, England needs you now!"

Without saying a word, Lu Kai bid farewell to the three beauties with green guns and headed to the airport.

The whole thing created a "Captain Britain" feel.

Then there was Lu Kai's low-key speech in the locker room. This kind of humility usually makes Europeans and Americans think he lacks ability.

As a result, Lu Kai scored as soon as he came on.

Three goals and two assists, dominating the entire game.

The highest-rated moment was when Lu Kaibei scored with a beautiful arc.

People in England say they saw Beckham.

His powerful header in the final moments sent the British into a frenzy.

When the documentary ended and the words "See you in the U17 World Cup final" appeared on the screen, the name "Lu Kai" exploded in the UK.

In fact, the U17 World Cup is not very popular.

Even for the finals, there isn't much information available online.

Who would take children's things seriously?

But this time is different. Because of Lu Kai, the atmosphere at the U17 World Cup in England has been hyped up to the level of the World Cup.

England has not won a major international tournament since 1966.

Coupled with their weakened national strength, they are increasingly eager to prove themselves on the world stage.

The European Cup and the U17 World Cup have become substitutes for the British.

Lu Kai, who had been indefinitely abandoned by mainland Chinese football, thus became a beacon of hope for English football.

Of course, some people think that Lu Kai's decision to start filming and release the documentary ahead of schedule was too risky.

Although they successfully built momentum for Lu Kai in a short period of time, what if he loses the final?
For every person who supports Lu Kai now, there was just as many who criticized him back then.

Experienced producers have stated that, for the sake of the project's safety, the relevant videos should only be edited and released after the World Youth Championships have completely concluded.

Even if they lose, they can still create a tragic heroism of "the team lost but I didn't lose".

Ultimately, Lu Kai is still young.

Jiang Mengyun also asked Lu Kai the same question over the phone: "Joyce said you posted this video too early."

He was completely unprepared for this.

"He complained for quite a while."

Lu Kai smiled.

Joyce came to complain because Lu Kai had cut off his escape route.

At the beginning of the video, Joyce stated that the England team needs Lu Kai and explained that if Lu Kai could lead England to the championship, Dartford could potentially jump directly from the seventh tier to the fourth tier of professional leagues – the Third Division!

So, in addition to fighting for the honor of English football, Lu Kai also fought for "the 'small village' of Dartford" and "for the dream of Green Gun to play professionally."

In a word, it's more exciting than Bo!

Lu Kai: "Never completely believe what the legitimate guests say. Never assume that the right to do so already belongs to us."

"Even if I do lead England U17 to victory, there could be other variables."

"Therefore, we need to prepare for this matter in many ways."

"Public opinion, funding, competitive strength, overall club strength, etc. Oh, and the stadium issue must be settled as soon as possible."

There are certain hard criteria for participating teams in the various leagues of England.

Especially from the fifth tier (the English Football Conference National League) to the fourth tier (the Third Division), the indicators are very strict.

This is because it represents a cross-dimensional advancement from a non-professional league to a professional league.

The most difficult thing to achieve is the condition of the playing field.

In the 1990s, there was a situation where the fifth-tier champions failed to be promoted to the third division for three consecutive years due to stadium problems.

Of course, if Dartford gets Wrexham's promotion to the Second Division, it would be a special case and would naturally be handled specially.

The conditions in all aspects will not be so harsh.

But overall, clubs still need to make preparations in advance.

Even in the best-case scenario, Dartford would likely need to have a compliant stadium for a certain period of time.

……

[Ding! You have won your first national team series match and received a reward:]

Mobile Roadblock - Bronze 3

[Rapid Descent Shot - Bronze 3]

[Arm Movements - Black Iron: Players' balance and agility have been slightly improved]

[A critical strike occurs when dribbling and turning, escalating to a one-two pass.]

[Dribble Past the Ball - Bronze: The player's dribbling ability receives a slight boost. The player and the ball pass from opposite sides of the opponent's path, effectively confusing the opponent and temporarily increasing explosive power.]

Interceptions: 56+2

[Shooting: 73+2]

[Balance and Flexibility: 48+1]

Dribbling: 72+2

[Shot power 50+2] (Overflowing ball control)

A small surge.

Another attribute has reached 75: Archery!

Arm movements are a skill that many fans tend to overlook.

For wingers, arm movements can enhance their dribbling ability and make them more agile, because force is the product of the combined action of all the muscles in the body.

For example, the arm swing in ice skating and sprinting has a physical meaning.

Among the wingers, the future angel wing Di Maria has particularly outstanding arm movements.

He really likes to use large swings of his arms to help him change direction and shift his center of gravity more quickly.

In addition, players often need arm movements to assist in shooting in order to complete a high-quality shot.

So if you block their arm movements, you can theoretically also ruin a shooting opportunity.

Of course, some forwards will use their arms to block defenders in order to get a shot off.

In defense, raising your arms to block the opponent is a basic maneuver.

Some centers who are physically large but can't hold their own against others or have good back-to-the-basket skills sometimes just don't know how to set up their hands.

The move of "passing the ball past the player" was truly impressive.

This skill is actually very dependent on the opponent.

If the opponent is very strong, then it all comes down to the user's speed and strength.

If you're fast enough and strong enough, you can easily crush your opponent and show off your skills.

But if you're not fast enough, you're just giving the ball to the other team.

If you're not strong enough... a high-level defender will immediately "pass the ball but not the player," blocking your path, putting you in physical contact, and preventing you from utilizing your speed.

However, if your opponent is less skilled, this move is mainly used to catch them off guard.

The deceptive effect of a player and the ball breaking through from different directions simultaneously can cause the opposing defenders to lose their composure.

Even if a youth team player has great physical talent, they are still easily fooled and deceived on defense.

It is very suitable for Lu Kai's current competition environment.

Boom boom boom!
There was a knock on the door.

"Lu, are you resting? I have some ideas for the next game that I'd like to discuss with you."

It's Coach Stanley.

Lu Kai personally opened the door and poured tea for Stanley, demonstrating his exceptional emotional intelligence.

Stanley quickly explained his purpose.

After the previous match, he felt that Lu Kai was being underutilized in the right-back position.

They want to move Lu Kai's position forward.

"Raven, go back to right back, how about you play right midfield?" It's clear that Stanley knows who the key player of this team is.

However, Lu Kai hesitated.

Stanley was taken aback.

what's the situation?
Lu Kai then spoke up: "Can you play on the left wing? I prefer the left wing position to the right wing, after all, I am a right-footed player."

This explanation completely baffled Stanley.

Shouldn't right-footed players prefer the right wing?

Beckham and Figo are both kings on the right wing.

If Lu Kai goes to the left wing, he'll be playing against his own foot.

"But on the left wing, won't your crossing skills be less effective?" Stanley hoped Lu Kai would reconsider.

Lu Kai explained, "That's right. The French team has a much better average height than the Argentine team, so we don't have an absolute advantage compared to them."

"Therefore, the chances of scoring with crosses, long balls, and crosses will be greatly reduced."

"Their midfield maestro, Meghni, is very attacking and has been positioned as an attacking midfielder in the past few games. So their 4-4-2 is more like a 4-1-3-2, with a single defensive midfielder and a weak defense."

"If our wingers can cut inside and attack, exploiting the gaps in the flanks, then it's like poking the kidneys – they can pass or shoot."

"It's naturally better to shoot with your weaker foot."

"Pass the ball, my outside of the foot is also okay."

"Actually, our Dartford left winger Ashley Young is very good at this style of play."

Stanley understood: "Oh, so you learned this backward kicking technique from him?"

Go against Tiangang!

Of course, it was Lu Kai who taught Ashley Young his weak foot as a winger.

As for why Lu Kai didn't choose the forward position, which is closer to the players... that's because the midfield position is essentially the main player in the team.

They are the main decision-makers in determining the course of the game.

Forwards can only play a higher level of strategic importance in good teams with excellent midfielders.

In a team with a terrible midfield, if they can't even touch the ball, they're practically nonexistent and have no impact on the outcome of the game.

The midfield of England U17, or rather the England national team in general, has always been terrible.

Lu Kai's choice of a striker is tantamount to losing half the battle from the start.

……

June 30, FIFA U17 World Cup Final.

France vs. England.

France is also a championship seed this year.

They are actually more favored than the Argentinian team.

Because two of their players are on the list of the top ten prodigies in Tuttosport.

They are Pongolle, who is ranked seventh, and Ludwig, who is ranked ninth.

The two were also the French national team's two strikers.

Among them, Pongoller has already scored eight goals, making him the top scorer in this World Youth Championship.

His competitors are now all out of the game.

His only opponent now is himself, and the French people expect him to go even further and reach double digits in goals.

In addition, their midfield maestro, Meghni, is also excellent.

Goalkeeper Fabre is also attracting much attention.

"The starting eleven for England remained unchanged, but Lu Kai's position was different."

"Lu Kai, who played right back in the last game, has moved to left midfield today. And Routledge, who was originally left midfielder, has moved to right midfield."

"Raven has returned to right-back."

"This adjustment isn't a big problem, but we all thought Lu Kai would be playing on the right wing."

Is it because Lu Kai prefers to move around on the left side?

"After Lu Kai became a sensation in the last game, some media outlets analyzed his running heatmap at the club and found that he spent most of his time on the left side."

"This is different from the average right-footed player."

"I speculate that this may be because Lu Kai was treated unfairly during his time at Arsenal, as he was frequently assigned to the left wing for both attack and defense despite being a right-footed player."

The court is divided into left and right sides, roughly 50/50.

However, there are actually far more right-footed players than left-footed players.

Therefore, only truly outstanding right-footed players can stay on the right wing.

Those who are slightly less skilled will have to make sacrifices and go to the left flank.

This is part of the competition within the team.

However, that writer analyzed the reason incorrectly.

Lu Kai played on the left flank during his time at Arsenal because he liked it, and this is also the main trend in future football.

In short, this wave of wingers, even those who play with their natural footwork, are mostly from the "fourth uncle's year of joining the pot army" - the time when Buffon was born.

With a whistle, the game officially began.

This match was broadcast extensively, with numerous cameras, even surpassing the coverage of the upcoming U20 World Cup.

Because of the overwhelmingly positive reviews, "My Love Diary in Asen Green" has been introduced to more regions.

Dartford, for promotional purposes, authorized them to stream the content for free, but in return, they could use each other's video resources for free.

While paying for content may be more economically efficient, free content is the true essence of effective communication.

In the twelfth minute, the entire stadium erupted in a gasp.

French midfield maestro Meghni unleashed a long-range shot, which went just wide.

Stanley immediately yelled at Mannix, ordering him to drop back and join the defense.

This is also another of Lu Kai's demands.

With a 4-4-2 formation, the team doesn't need a midfielder at all.

Just attack down the flanks.

Midfielders should act as pure workhorses, focusing solely on defense.

The French team also uses a 4-4-2 formation, and midfielder Megni is the main attacking force, but that's because they truly have the ability.

He's known as "Little Zidane" in the country, okay?

What is Mannix known as?
Little Keane?
This name doesn't sound like that of a midfielder.

Under Meghni's orchestration, France initiated attacks for a considerable period, while England played a passive defensive role.

In the 24th minute, Lu Kai received a pass from his teammate behind the center line.

He first flicked the ball forward, then suddenly flicked it inside after running, catching his opponent off guard.

After the opposing team barely caught up, Lu Kai sent a through ball with the outside of his foot.

Find Profit, who is positioned on the flank.

The latter attacked directly from a tight angle.

Fabre pushed the ball out of bounds.

In the 26th minute, Lu Kai, who was involved in the defensive recovery, received the ball near the midfield.

He made an inside cut to force his opponent to dribble in, but actually dribbled the ball forward.

With the support of the [Fast Horse on the Wing], they successfully broke through to the vicinity of the third attack zone.

Lu Kai then made another inside cut.

The other party withdrew again.

It seems they would rather have Lu Kai pass the ball from the outside than let him enter the danger zone.

After all, Lu Kai is weak on the left flank, so he doesn't pose much of a threat.

The two sides confronted each other.

Lu Kai quickly started pedaling the bicycle.

It's not elegant enough, not smooth enough, not fluid enough, and not captivating enough.

He looks a bit like a clown.

One commentator couldn't hold back anymore: "Lu Kai may have been blinded by the brilliance of the last game, thinking that the stadium is his personal concert."

"But his dribbling skills are nothing special, and such behavior will only lead to missed opportunities."

"It seems the last match was just an accident."

"A player like Lu Kai, who is not clear-headed, really shouldn't be called a genius."

Before the commentator could finish speaking, Lu Kai completed his five bicycle kicks, and with the boost from his explosive power, he immediately flicked the ball along the inside cutting route.

But at the same moment, he himself attacked from the outside.

The French right-back was completely bewildered.

My first instinct was to block the ball on the left, but I missed.

He tried to pull Lu Kai on the right, but failed.

After finally realizing he should head for the football, he turned around and could only see Lu Kai's taillights.

Lu Kai had already overtaken on the outside, blocked the route, and drove laterally into the penalty area.

The French defense was thrown into disarray.

With a clear view, Lu Kai easily found Smyth, who was waiting for an opportunity to strike.

The latter was unmarked at the penalty spot and took a shot.

The football rolled into the goal.

"GOAL! One to zero!"

England have scored first!

"Smyth scored a goal that even his grandmother could score."

"Because Lu Kai's story was just too good!"

"Compared to Lu Kai's pass, his breakthrough this time was even more ingenious! To dare to perform a dribble past a defender in such a final, I seriously suspect that his previous clumsy stepovers were deliberately designed to mislead the opponent!"

Of course, some media outlets believe that "this is Lu Kai's characteristic; he is a typical Chinese person."

"They are able to master many skills, and their memory is excellent."

"Even if they don't have the talent in this area, when they have enough skills, they can achieve great results as long as they choose to use them at the right time."

“This type of genius is not certified by the ‘United Nations Genius Association,’ if such an association exists.”

"But in actual combat, this Chinese method is very effective in many fields."

In the 31st minute, the French team was eager to equalize, and Pongoller took a long-range shot.

Unfortunately, it was saved by England goalkeeper Dren.

In fact, the commentator's assessment of Lu Kai during his five consecutive bicycle kicks was more applicable to Pongoller at this moment.

When behind, they rely on their ability to score goals instead of taking a pragmatic approach to operations.

In the 39th minute, Letallek headed the ball across the goal.

Pongolle's aerial prone shooting was a stunning display of skill.

He is incredibly talented.

Unfortunately, the shot missed by 20 centimeters.

In the 44th minute, Lu Kai successfully intercepted Megni's diagonal pass while participating in defense in the backfield.

The name "mobile roadblock" is truly fitting.

People often forget that Lu Kai is actually a defensive player because of his strong offensive performance.

He ranks third in defensive statistics for the entire Dartford team.

Second only to Duff and Patton.

Lu Kai played a one-two with Gardner, shook off Megni, and quickly moved down the left flank past the midfield.

The French right-back followed Lu Kai closely, while calling for his teammates to come and help.

Taking advantage of the opponent's hesitation, Lu Kai flicked the ball at high speed and resolutely went to the bottom line.

The other side then realized that Lu Kai was serious and wouldn't cut inside this time.

The opponent accelerated back to defend.

The two rushed to the vicinity of the finish line, and Lu Kai suddenly stopped.

With arms outstretched and waving, it resembled the fluttering of butterfly wings.

He forced a change of direction and charged along the baseline toward the penalty area.

The French right-back slipped when he made a sudden stop, and his subsequent turn and change of direction were a step slower than Lu Kai's.

Once again, Lu Kai left him behind.

"Lu Kai has been making too many runs, leaving his offensive options near the baseline very limited."

"With the triangular passing lanes blocked, the French team won't fall in the same place twice."

“Profit and Smyth are both being watched.”

"Mannix was also entangled with Megni and unable to push forward."

"Routledge is on the other side, too far away."

boom!
The commentator saw no opportunity.

But Lu Kai still managed to kick the football.

"Who is Lu Kai going to pass to this time? There's no target at all!"

"What a mess!"

"Perhaps from Lu Kai's perspective, he thought there were teammates at the far post, which is why... wait, the ball is heading towards the far corner of the goal?"

"What a huge curve! Only Beckham's free kicks could produce such a terrifying arc, right?"

The next moment, the football hit the far post and bounced into the net.

The French players looked at each other in bewilderment.

"GOAL!"

"Two to zero!"

"Lu Kai scores with a curling shot from an impossible angle!"

"That was a passing technique with a very high arc, bypassing both the goalkeeper and the players in the penalty area."

"too strong!"

"Lu Kai's kick was so effortless! He saw an opportunity and didn't need his teammates to make any moves! He solved the problem on his own."

"Lu Kai's magic continues! I can now assert that his superhuman performance in the last game was no accident."

"He truly has the ability to overwhelm talented players of the same age!"

"Look at his breakthroughs, his passes and shots, it's all so effortless!"

"If you've ever watched Dartford's games, you'll understand that this level of competition is practically a vacation for Lu Kai!"

Kai fans, let's get hyped!
With the score at 2-0, it would be difficult to lose.

If we don't do it now, someone else will.

In the end, England defeated France 2-0 in the first half.

During halftime, the image of Lu Kai scoring from an impossible angle had already spread throughout England and France.

The name "Captain Britain" is becoming increasingly popular.

If Lu Kai didn't have a club, everyone would be urging a top club to sign him.

However, Lu Kai had already stated that he would leave his talents at Dartford, so people are calling on the FA to give Wrexham's promotion spot to the Green Gunners.

Some have even said that Dartford, the Green Gun, is the true gun of England.

Arsenal, the Red Guns, is merely a French team that has taken over the reins of a French team, which is "English on the outside and French on the inside".

Wenger got caught in the crossfire.

Okay, okay, so now I, a Frenchman, am even less respected than a Chinese person in England, right?
What happened to the EU?

In the second half, the two sides changed sides and started the game again.

In the 51st minute, Pongolle delivered a cross pass.

Meghni headed the ball towards goal. But it went wide.

In the 57th minute, Lu Kai roamed to the left flank, received a through pass from the backfield, and then chipped the ball with the outside of his foot to the far post inside the penalty area.

Unfortunately, Smyth's run was thwarted, and the ball bounced out of bounds.

In the 69th minute, Meghni won a free kick in the attacking third.

He took a tactical free kick, lobbing it into the England penalty area.

Letalek wins the ball and heads it towards the goal.

Dren made a brilliant save.

The ball bounced back into the penalty area, and Pongolle received it, then used a croquet move to shake off James before firing a shot into the net.

"GOAL! 1-2! France has finally scored!"

"As the champion seeds of this World Youth Championship, they should not fail to score a single goal, no matter who they face!"

"They're getting back on track, the pulse is back!"

"Pongoller has also improved his goal tally to nine! A breakthrough for himself!"

The camera pans to Pongolle, who is rushing into the goal to retrieve the ball, hoping to help his team equalize as soon as possible.

But as soon as he turned around, Lu Kai pushed him away.

Lu Kai snatched the football from Pangler's hands.

Pongoller was quite taken aback.

It was as if someone suddenly appeared in a movie where he was the male lead, interrupting his moment of glory.

Is this okay?

The answer is, of course.

Because you're not the main character, kid.

Under Lu Kai's "bullying," Pongler felt somewhat wronged but didn't dare to retaliate immediately.

It was his teammates who stepped forward, which led to a large-scale standoff between the two sides.

The referee quickly came over to control the situation.

He then warned Lu Kai.

However, no yellow card was shown.

Because the fault of the party retrieving the ball lies with the party retrieving it.

If the other party isn't pursuing you, there's nothing wrong with you retrieving the ball to save time.

But if the other party thinks your action is provocative and pushes you around, you really have no choice but to accept it.

Of course, this is something that most players wouldn't do.

Especially when one's own side is in the lead.

And the "momentum" was reversed precisely because of these considerations.

But Lu Kai is very good at interrupting other people's momentum.

On the court, you don't care whether you're comfortable or not; as long as you make others uncomfortable, then you've got the rhythm right.

As expected, after Lu Kai's disturbance...

The England players showed more competitive spirit and their performance improved.

France's scoring momentum was interrupted, and they failed to maintain their good form.

In the 73rd minute, Lu Kai dropped back to midfield to take over the team's command, but did not rush to advance the ball.

Because the French team has already made specific arrangements on the right flank.

Lu Kai is not a super breakthrough player in the absolute sense. He can occasionally steal a win, but if he really enters the enemy's encirclement, he will still be clumsy.

Therefore, he needs to lure his opponent into an open area to maximize his advantage in vision.

Sure enough, since the French team had devised a strategy to encircle and suppress Lu Kai, if Lu Kai wouldn't come, then the rest of the French team would go over there!

French players swarmed Lu Kai to press him.

Lu Kai repeatedly turned around to fight back and dodge.

With a ball control score of 75 and the [Bengbu Spin] special effect, it provides a powerful 720-degree ball protection, ensuring possession of the ball.

After the incident in Bengbu, Lu Kai found an opportunity to break through laterally and escape the encirclement.

A long pass found Smyth on the right wing.

After controlling the ball, Smyth faced the opposing defender, made a few dribbling moves, and then passed the ball back.

Routledge made a run forward to call for the ball, but unfortunately Smyth didn't see it.

The dancing must not be interrupted.

How can he pass the ball if he hasn't finished his movement?
When Lu Kai moved forward, Smyth immediately noticed someone.

Send the return data.

Lu Kai unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area.

The football bounced off the ground, passed Dabbur's hands, and went into the goal.

[Rapid Diving Shot] +75 Shooting Skill!

"GOAL! Three to one! Lu Kai has scored a world-class goal!"

"That was a very high-quality shot!"

"Now I understand why Lu Kai is the 100-goal prodigy! His goal-creating efficiency is too high! It's even higher than the production efficiency of England's football factory."

"With two games not even finished, he has already scored five goals and provided three assists. That's an average of four goal contributions per game!"

"If I hadn't watched the game, I might have also thought that his statistics were definitely inflated."

"But after watching the game, how should I put it... his stats are indeed inflated, but the inflated stats don't come from himself, but from his opponents."

"His opponent was too weak!"

"Just like the last game, Lu Kai continued to play with a style of play that was superior to his opponent's."

What's the point of whether the movements are smooth or not?

"When your poor spin can protect the ball, that's already the best spin you can do."

"Don't Arsenal fans really like the French striker Thierry Henry, who's been performing exceptionally well lately?"

"In my opinion, Lu Kai's ball control is like Henry's! Because neither of them loses possession!"

Henry, who was on vacation, was indeed watching the game.

He said in the chat room: "I often find watching football boring in the past two or three years, but I am grateful to Lu Kai for bringing such a wonderful game."

"He inspired me, and his indomitable fighting spirit is something to learn from."

"Perhaps Arsenal is just a little bit away from their next league title!"

This season, Manchester United completed their third consecutive Premier League title.

Arsenal, meanwhile, failed to win any of the four major trophies and were driven to the brink of elimination.

If Manchester United cannot be stopped in the league, then the so-called Premier League duo becomes a false concept.

After all, if the Red Guns can't stop the Red Devils, then the Green Guns, oops... then the Red Army will have to take their place.

Liverpool achieved their goal this season through a convoluted approach, winning the Europa League, FA Cup, and EFL Cup, becoming the third team after Manchester United and Dartford to achieve a treble.

Arsenal are in grave danger!
Of course, if Liverpool wins the European Super Cup and the Community Shield in the new season, they will become another five-time champion after Dartford!
Liverpool: Does this sound like they've regressed?
In the 76th minute, Mannix's defense was not aggressive enough, allowing Pongler to break through the middle and score.

James failed to make up for it in time.

Pongoller had a good opportunity.

However, Lu Kai, who was tracking back, bumped into Pongler from the side and was shown a yellow card by the referee.

Lu Kai ignored the referee and instead told James and Mannix to cheer up.

After observing the situation on the field, Stanley silently instructed substitute midfielder Brown to begin warming up.

I'm preparing to replace Mannix.

This is the awkward position of the midfield maestro.

High returns, but high risks.

A team only needs one core player. Once you are no longer the core player, your presence becomes a weakness for the team.

Because on the defensive end, the performance of offensive core players is often not as good as that of pure defensive players.

Competitive football is extremely cruel.

The capable rise, the mediocre fall, unless they have connections.

France was awarded a free kick in a very good position, and Pongoller took the kick himself.

But inspired by Lu Kai, James jumped exceptionally high and successfully blocked Pongler's free kick.

The football bounced toward Pongler.

Lu Kai blocked Pongler from the outside at the first moment, and then lobbed the ball twice and turned to get past Pongler.

Megni charged in from the side.

Lu Kai used his sideways movement again to avoid Megni.

He then flicked the ball forward about two meters while looking towards the French team's backfield.

Goalkeeper Fabre was positioned very high.

Lu Kai adjusted his rhythm with small, quick steps, felt the airflow on the field, rushed towards the ball, and unleashed a lob shot.

The football soared into the air from more than sixty meters away from the goal!

Fabre was too far from the goal; he had no chance to run back and make the save.

Once the ball was launched, Lu Kai knew its trajectory just by looking at it.

While everyone was still looking up at the football.

Lu Kai suddenly turned his back to the goal, raised his hands, and celebrated ahead of time!

Whoosh whoosh!
French fans booed.

But two seconds later, a frenzy of cheers drowned out everything!
“GOAL!!!”

"Four to one! Goal!"

"That was an absolutely incredible goal!"

"A distance of more than sixty meters!"

"A lob shot after four consecutive lofted shots!"

"The football, as if from outer space, fell into the goal."

"But what's even more outrageous than the goal itself is Lu Kai's premature celebration!"

"How dare he!"

"He's like a madman, thinking he can score!"

"And we were like fools, questioning why he was celebrating ahead of time!"

Boom! ! !
The stadium shook.

The England players couldn't contain themselves and came over to celebrate.

Stanley, on the sidelines, even performed a knee slide in his trousers, almost tearing his balls apart!

Basketball player Gilbert Arenas, far away on the West Coast, had tears in his eyes.

A few days ago, he was selected by the Golden State Warriors with a poor 31st overall pick.

He even lost his faith in basketball because of this, so he started watching football games.

Unexpectedly, he found his dream path here.

"I will definitely celebrate in advance too!" Arenas vowed.

"Congratulations to Lu Kai for completing a hat trick!"

"This is also the first time in the history of the U17 World Cup that a player has completed back-to-back hat tricks, and even more so, super back-to-back in the semi-finals and the finals!"

"If Lu Kai were given another game, I believe Pongler's nine-goal record would be over, and Lu Kai would snatch the Golden Boot from him!"

“Pongoller has to thank the lower leagues of England; it was this facade that allowed England's youth national team to miss out on a superstar like Lu Kai at the beginning.”

"The remaining time is meaningless! Lu Kai's premature celebration completely extinguished the French team's confidence!"

"England has made a substitution, with Brown replacing Mannix."

that's the truth.

In the following matches, the French team failed to mount any further effective counterattacks.

The score remained unchanged until the final whistle.

Congratulations to England! They've emerged as the big winners!

"They have never been in the top three in terms of winning probability, and they have also suffered serious injuries, so much so that they had to make last-minute replacements."

"But it was precisely this team that found their true savior, defeating their opponents by large margins in two consecutive matches and winning the trophy!"

"This is England's first time winning the U17 World Cup!"

"This trophy means that their players at the age of 15 are the best in the world! These players will become the backbone of the England team in the future!"

"This is also the second time this year that English football has won a title on the world stage."

"The last time was at the UEFA Regional Cup earlier this year, and coincidentally, Lu Kai led the team to win that championship trophy!"

"It's no exaggeration to say that England's championship was all thanks to Lu Kai!"

"If it happened once, it might be a coincidence, but if it happened twice, could it be two coincidences?"

I don't think so!

BBC commentator Gary Lineker left fans with much to ponder.

Before the match was even over, fans of both the French and Argentinian teams began to offer explanations.

The French team said that their class of '84 didn't have many talents, and that their strongest talent, Cissé, was born in 1981 and had the potential to become a superstar.

The Argentine team stated that their class of '87 had the world's most talented genius, Messi, and that once he matures, he will definitely be stronger than Lu Kai.

In short, the strongest person is not in the formation.

Green Gunners fans burst into laughter.

"Once is a coincidence, twice is definitely a coincidence too. Could Lu Kai really be a genius?"

"Hehe, do you still remember the skeptical faces of those people when I set my record of 100 goals in a single season a month ago?"

"You don't understand. You become like those you associate with. Before the match, both Argentina and France were full of talent, but after the match, their strongest players were no longer in their squads!"

"Well, it might be difficult to admit that Lu Kai is a genius, but it's easy to admit that the geniuses he defeated weren't geniuses."

Amidst all the turmoil.

Pongoller went on stage to accept the award.

But his Golden Boot trophy was rather uninteresting; it was just Super Player of the Year.

Conversely, when Lu Kai took the stage later, the trophy he held as the tournament's best player was clearly more valuable.

In his acceptance speech, Lu Kai naturally didn't forget the main point: "I'm very excited right now. I'm excited not only because I won this championship trophy, but also because I look forward to the professional arena."

“I know there is a lot of controversy surrounding me. I am not a traditional football prodigy, and some people think that the data from lower-level competitions is not valuable.”

"But I believe that once Dartford and I enter the professional arena, this controversy will decrease significantly."

"Furthermore, if the standards fail to measure reality, what we should do is not question reality, but modify the standards."

Lu Kai's speech was met with applause from tens of thousands of fans in the stadium.

The French coach, in an interview, expressed the same view as the Argentine coach: "Lu Kai's maturity far surpasses that of other players on the field."

"It might be unfair to let him be with these players."

"Of course, his age is not faked, and this unfairness is a crushing defeat in terms of strength."

"He is a true warrior, while the other players are just child soldiers."

"However, precisely because of this, we really have no way of judging whether Lu Kai will be able to maintain this unique competitive advantage in the future."

"After all the players have been on the field, will he still be the most outstanding one? That's the question I want to ask."

"But in any case, he has at least secured a ticket to a big club for himself."

"As far as I know, Ligue 1 giants such as Marseille and Lyon are interested in signing Lu Kai!"

……

Sky Sports: "Following the team's fifth championship, Lu Kai has achieved a personal six-title super honor! Unparalleled!"

BBC: "Episode 2 of 'My Arsenal Diary' surpasses one million views! England fans eagerly await the full episodes for the new season!"

The Echo: "The Queen is watching it too! Queen Elizabeth says she's watching the Dartford documentary!"

The Times: "The Yellow Star of England! He can bring countless honors to English football!"

With just one sentence and two prohibited words, The Times rivals The Sun.

Manchester Evening News: "Manchester United should perhaps seriously consider bringing Lu Kai to Old Trafford, rather than the youth academy!"

“I know people will say that Beckham doesn’t need a successor, and we don’t need Lu Kai.”

"But Manchester United absolutely needs Beckham + Giggs + Scholes + the Neville brothers + Nicky Butt! They need a new Class of '92!"

"And Lu Kai is the new Class 92! Maybe he's just a bankrupt version, but that still makes people think about his future!"

Of course, some media outlets refuted the Manchester Evening News's opinion.

According to Diario Sport, "A player can never do what two people can do on the field. If he does, it only means that the level of the game was not high."

"While Lu Kai is well-rounded in all aspects, he is not exceptional in any one area. Even his best free kick is not the best among his peers; Iniesta and Messi are both better than him!"

In response, the Kent Post stated: "Iniesta was eliminated in the group stage of the U17 World Cup with zero goals and zero assists; his talent is unmatched. Lu Kai, a last-minute replacement, scored hat-tricks in consecutive matches to win the championship, but his future is limited!"

Many fans have also started discussing Lu Kai in chat rooms and various forums.

Fans who are not optimistic about Lu Kai summed it up in one sentence: young players should be valued more for their talent than their ability.

Fans who are optimistic about Lu Kai also have this to say: So what is the ultimate purpose of talent? It's to be transformed into strength!
Popular players are always accompanied by controversy.

However, sometimes the west wind prevails over the east wind.

After the World Youth Championship, Dongfang had overtaken Xifeng alongside Lu Kai.

His supporters began to increase.

Even domestic fans are now overlooking the fact that Lu Kai lacks a "big picture perspective".

They have requested that the mainland recall Lu Kai to the team again, insisting that he be brought back to China's football scene.

Compared to England, mainland China at least has the advantage of citizenship.

No one responded from the mainland.

In contrast, the U20 World Cup, which was originally very popular in China, suddenly lost its appeal.

Even if Argentina wins the final championship, people will only say, "That's because they didn't face England led by Lu Kai!"
Not convinced?

Hold it in!

If we're going to judge solely on talent and potential, then of course the younger generation has greater potential.

……

Pond Convenience Store.

Jiang Mengyun: "Kai, Real Madrid's sporting department called and said they want to sign you for £1.5 million."

Lu Kai: "You can sit anywhere on the bench, why go to Real Madrid? Are you chasing after a star?"

Jiang Mengyun: "What about Juventus? They promised to make you into the first team when you turn seventeen."

Lu Kai: "This stage is quite sensitive. If I receive honors, I will be questioned, so I politely declined."

Jiang Mengyun: "The two Milan clubs have sent invitations."

Lu Kai: "Tell Milan I'm an Inter Milan fan, and tell Inter Milan I'm an Milan fan."

Jiang Mengyun: "What about Bayern Munich? It's like Hollywood in Germany, full of stars."

Lu Kai: "Isn't Real Madrid's bench better than Bayern Munich's?"

Jiang Mengyun: "Barcelona also wants you to go. It's strange, didn't they say you were worthless in the media?"

Lu Kai: "There are height restrictions at Camp Nou, so I can't go."

Lu Kai repeatedly rejected invitations from various wealthy families.

Pointless.

They are all youth training invitations, and they can't guarantee a place in the first team. Even if they could, they can't guarantee playing time.

Whoever goes will die.

He was waiting for Joyce to arrive; Joyce was to bring a message from the FA today.

squeak!
Joyce pushed open the door and entered.

Lu Kai: "Aunt Jiang, quickly make a cup of mochi pear German milk tea for Congressman Joyce."

After thanking him, Joyce said in a serious tone, "Lu, that... the quota."

Alfred, Emily, and Eva Green inside the room all glared at Joyce with unfriendly expressions.

“The number of spots isn’t a big problem, but…” Joyce said with difficulty, “Alas, I should have thought of this sooner. You’ve become a piece of meat now, and those who have designs on you will definitely take action.”

Lu Kai nodded: "What exactly happened?"

Joyce said: "The two teams relegated from the Third Division, as well as several teams that qualified for the promotion play-offs in the Parliamentary League, are appealing."

“They believe that it is against precedent to give that spot to you.”

Alfred couldn't hold back any longer: "But the Queen already knows we're going to play in the English Third Division! Are you just going back on your word?"

Joyce explained, "That's not what I meant. The spot can be given to you; the FA found a special promotion clause in the regulations."

"However, in order to protect English football resources and promote the development of British football, there are strict investment requirements for teams that are specially promoted to the professional league."

"Within three years, the club will invest a total of more than five million pounds."

"And it can't be funds available through the transfer market; it must be hard investments used for club development."

To put it bluntly, such a large investment has only one purpose: to develop football infrastructure.

Repair small sports fields, training grounds, office buildings, etc.

That way, even if your club goes out of business or runs away with the investment, at least you can leave something behind.

The local football industry can make a comeback.

There will always be someone who can use these football resources.

It's a good industry regulation.

But Jiang Mengyun almost fainted when she heard that.

They haven't even started repaying the £700,000 yet, and now suddenly there's a £5 million investment request.

Is this a pig butchering scam?
Emily also gasped.

Five million pounds!
This is not a small number.

This is especially true for a team that was in the seventh tier last season and the ninth tier the season before.

Even many third- and fourth-tier teams are not worth five million pounds.

“How about we just play in the sixth tier? We won’t skip a tier.” Alfred thought it was too much of a waste. “Even if we’re qualified for the third division, our ability… if we’re relegated, the consequences will be devastating!”

“Lu, you are still young. If you work steadily and surely, you will have a bright future.”

"Never gamble! Gamblers will never own a house!"

Joyce nodded, then took the opportunity to promote the second option: "I also think it's too risky to go straight into the English Third Division."

"That's right. If we can give up our spot in the English Third Division, then the fifth-tier league spots left by the teams that went up through that spot can be filled by us normally."

"This spot doesn't have these investment requirements or anything like that."

"I think it's good to adapt to the national league for a year. Both players and club assets need this time to adapt."

After all, this club was just an amateur team a little over a year ago.

She jumped too fast.

Trying to force seedlings to grow faster than they need to be!

Joyce said this because one of the fifth-tier promotion play-off teams wanted to get into the third tier and they were willing to offer Joyce a six-figure sum to persuade him.

Make Dartford give up their promotion spot.

Of course, what Joyce said was true; he wasn't trying to frame Dartford.

There are indeed limitations in this regard in the English Third Division.

And the situation is actually worse than he described.

Because once Dartford took on this huge debt for League Three qualification, this kind of investment is essentially debt, and no one else will lend Dartford money.

While you are sick, I will kill you.

Dartford, now in the English Third Division, is worth several million pounds. However, if they are forced into bankruptcy due to investment problems, someone could interfere and steal Dartford at a low price.

They took away your multi-million dollar club for just a few hundred thousand.

In the best-case scenario, someone else will take away a portion of your shares at a price far below market value.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Dartford seems to be able to borrow money easily now. Once they are burdened with debt, no one will lend them money. Everyone will tacitly work together to drive them to their deaths.

Just like how the Zhang Group was forced to sell Inter Milan at a low price when it was about to make money (there are also rumors that the Zhang family did it on purpose, so feel free to share your stories).

boom!
Jiang Mengyun slammed the milk tea down in front of Joyce: "You motherfucker!"

Joyce felt that the other person was swearing.

Jiang Mengyun repeated, "Yours, Mochi Jade Pear German Milk Tea."

When Joyce came to her senses, she heard Lu Kai's voice in her ear.

"Only five million pounds? That's no problem, why give up?"

Joyce was stunned: "Lu, are you sure you're not mistaken? That's five million pounds!"

"This isn't something you can solve by sponsoring or taking out a loan; the situation will be different then."

"In other words, you can only rely on the team's own competitive capabilities."

"And the best third division teams can't even earn five million pounds in three years... not even a million."

After all, there are still player recruitment and salary payments to make, and if there's no stadium, there's rent to pay, etc.

Lu Kai nodded: "I know, but... if we're lucky, we can win back the FA Cup in one tournament, right?"

The expressions on everyone's faces in the room were incredibly interesting.

This logic is really...

Yes, as long as we keep winning, we won't lose!
Is the FA Cup so easy to play?
Dartford rake in a million pounds from Chelsea last season—that's the only time that's ever happened in FA Cup history!
Lu Kai must be crazy!

(End of this chapter)