Manchester United's heir apparent, but can't play football.

Chapter 23 Wow! That's so high-level! (Two chapters combined)

"The camera cut to the VIP section, where we saw the legendary Beatles' Paul McCartney, whose father's generation were Everton fans."

Amanda Holden, judge on Britain's Got Talent.

"Mary Berry, the master baker."

"Everton's fans come from all walks of life."

"Okay, let's switch to a close-up view of the stands. There's a group of cute little girls wearing Everton jerseys. They're 16-18 years old, the golden age. At this age, their cheeks haven't started to turn out yet, and their hair is still thick."

"The close-up shot focused on 16-year-old Kelly, who was dressed casually today. She currently plays for the Queens Park Youth Women's Team and is very talented. I heard that she may transfer to Arsenal Women in the winter. She looked very confident, haha, and even made a face at the photographer."

The commentator patiently introduced the audience in the stands.

Coach Zhang couldn't get a word in edgewise, so he could only chuckle along.

next moment.

Goodison Park erupted in thunderous cheers.

The giant flag bearing the UEFA logo was slowly removed from the field.

The referee team led both teams out of the passage.

"Now we will introduce the starting lineups of both sides."

Everton's formation is 4-2-3-1!

Goalkeeper: Howard.

"Defenders: Coleman, Stones, Jagikar, Baines."

"Double defensive midfielders: Barry and McCarthy."

"Central midfielders: Mirallas, Naismith, Barkley."

Forward: Lukaku.

"Wolfsburg are wearing white away kits today and are playing a 4-5-1 formation."

Goalkeeper: Benaglio.

"Defenders: Ricardo, Naldo, Knoch, Sebastian."

Midfielders: Caligiuri, Maranda, Li Luo, Gustavo, De Bruyne.

Forward: Bendtner.

"After many years, we are seeing Chinese players on the European stage again!"

The pre-match ceremony has ended.

Beep!
Accompanied by the referee's whistle.

The game officially begins.

Wolfsburg has possession of the ball.

Bendtner kicked off and passed the ball back to his own half.

The two teams' formations quickly overlapped and intersected at the center circle line.

The 19-year-old black midfielder, Maranda, seemed a bit nervous. He hadn't had much playing time at Wolfsburg in the past. For this match, coach Hecking gave him a task: "Whoever plays against Lee, you play against them."

Where is Li?
Oh oh oh.

Li Chong crossed the center circle and stormed into the opponent's half.

Before Li Luo could even receive the ball, he was grabbed and touched by Everton's McCarthy.

Wherever you go.

McCarthy followed him everywhere.

"Hehehe, Ireland international McCarthy, who joined Everton last year for £1300 million, ranked sixth in the Premier League in terms of interceptions and tackle success rate last season."

"They enjoy confrontation and are highly aggressive."

"Oops, without the ball, Li Luo and McCarthy both fell down."

"The referee has stopped the game."

Wolfsburg's backfield was still passing the ball around, looking for an opportunity to launch an attack, when the whistle to stop the game was blown.

The LED screen in mid-air plays the playback:
Li Luo took a quick step and tried to run diagonally, but McCarthy grabbed his arm and slipped, causing both of them to fall.

The lip-reading experts were on high alert and then began to carefully interpret the players' conversations on the football field.

“Li Luo was very composed. He got up, raised his hand, pointed at McCarthy, and waved to the referee in a nonchalant manner: ‘It’s okay, just give him a red card.’”

McCarthy was about to give Li Luo a thumbs up when he panicked and started desperately trying to defend himself.

The referee smiled and gave a verbal warning.

"The game continues."

Li Luo looked puzzled.

McCarthy silently made a praying gesture: The referee was almost fooled by the Chinese kid; luckily, he didn't get a card in the opening stages.

Studio.
-
"It's okay, just give him a red card."
-
【Ha ha. 】
-
Everton's midfielder is tough, sticky, and loves to grab and touch; he's a real pest.
-
Yes, it's specifically designed to counter technically gifted midfielders like Li Luo.
-
[In a little while, as soon as Li Luo receives the ball, they will increase the intensity.]

Command area.

Black Gold shouted a warning: "Maranda, protect Lee!"

The teaching assistants chimed in.

Little Black Egg, the sapper midfielder, has tonight's mission: to protect China's genius.

The other side.

Martinez had a confident look on his face: "An 18-year-old technical prodigy, his body still needs to develop for another year or two before he can face the Premier League powerhouses."

'Just freeze Li.'

Everton will easily launch transition attacks.

De Bruyne takes a quick free kick.

Li Luo touches the ball and passes it to Caligiuri on the other side.

"Right flank."

"Side engine".

"Calijuri!"

Everton's full-back was very clever, quickly maintaining a certain distance from Caligiuri on the right edge of the penalty area.

He knew that Caligiuri's dominant foot was his right foot, making it difficult for him to cut inside from the right flank.

"Seal the inside line."

"Caligiuri wanted to get to the byline. Everton's full-back closed him down."

There's no other way.

"Wolfsburg's winger can only pass the ball back."

Snapped.

The moment Caligiuri passed the ball back, he immediately made a run into the penalty area, but unfortunately, the Everton full-back wasn't stupid and marked him tightly.

Wolfsburg couldn't execute the wall-running combo.

The only solution is to reorganize.

The pace of passing the ball slowed down slightly.

Everton's full-back immediately abandoned Caligiuri and shortened the lateral distance between himself and his defensive teammates.

"Wow."

"That's so advanced!"

"In recent years, the Premier League, especially the mid-to-lower table teams, has generally made faster progress in tactics and techniques than other leagues, particularly in the use of full-backs."

"Wolfsburg reorganizes their attack, De Bruyne orchestrates with a long pass."

"This time, we'll attack down the left flank and target Everton's weak side."

"Two against one".

Sebastian received a pass from De Bruyne.

Little Black Egg - Maranda, quickly moved forward to assist the former, ready to make runs down the flank at any time.

Everton's other full-back, Coleman, was in superb form.

"pretty."

"Coleman, who is 1.7 meters tall, has a low center of gravity, a fast pace, and is very good at defending against inside cuts."

"This time."

"He actually wants to defend against two opponents at once?"

Coleman bent over, turned to the side, lowered his center of gravity, and waited patiently.

Waiting for Sebastian to pick up speed.

Waiting for Sebastian to contact Maranda.

Snapped!
Just as Sebastian passed the ball...

Coleman stuck out his foot and poked the hole.

"Pretty!"

"Everton and other mid-to-upper-tier Premier League teams have been far ahead of their time in developing their full-backs over the past two or three seasons."

"Fight back!"

Studio.
-
[One against two, and they still managed to steal the ball?]
-
[These two Everton players are so technically gifted and intelligent, why are they playing as full-backs?]
-
Otherwise, how could they have finished fifth in the Premier League last season?
-
[The Era of the Wings.]
-
With such strong wingers, it's natural that they'll develop into excellent full-backs.
-
[Huh? Why are Everton's counter-attacks so exciting? They're kind of like Arsenal's!]
-
Martinez is Spanish, a technically skilled player who relies on counter-attacking football.

Black gold was like something fallen into an ice cave.

Martinez applauded enthusiastically.

Everton unleashed a fluid and powerful counter-attack.

"Miralas!"

"Control the ball with your right foot, then make a long pass."

"Young prodigy Barkley helps his teammates widen the offensive gap!"

"Wow!"

"Lukaku, with a combination of stops and starts, shook off Naldo and broke through Wolfsburg's high defensive line!"

"A 21-year-old Belgian striker, standing at 191 cm tall and weighing 95 kg!"

"Keep pushing the pace!"

"Little monster!"

Lukaku had not yet gained weight at this point.

high speed.

Wolfsburg's young center-back, Knoch, is no fool; he chased after the ball with all his might.

Wolfsburg's captain and goalkeeper, Benaglio, wasn't stupid either. He loudly instructed his teammates to block the inside line while he quickly adjusted his position to block the near post.

Goodison Park.

Cheers erupted from the home stands.

A horrified sigh escaped from the away stands.

"what?"

Why is Lukaku pulling to the side?

Why take the outside route?

Why do we need to pull the edges?

"Knoch might not be able to stop you."

Lukaku, who had dribbled the ball to the outside of the penalty area, lost his shooting angle.

There was no waiting for teammates.

Instead, they chose to take a hard line and fire a shot.

Bah!
A powerful, slamming shot hurtled through the air! Goalkeeper Benatia scrambled to his feet, the ball bouncing onto the grass in the Wolfsburg penalty area. Fortunately, Knoch followed up in time, clearing the ball with a long kick. The ball eventually drifted out of bounds.

Lukaku looked bewildered, then turned and gave his teammates a thumbs-up.

"Wonderful."

Everton almost scored.

"The Wolfsburg players had a very unified defensive strategy and managed to defuse the danger with difficulty."

Studio.
-
[Is the first half over? Is it all over?]
-
[There should be a goal. If an Everton teammate makes a run into the box later, Lukaku won't be forced to the outside so easily.]
-
Why do I have a feeling Wolfsburg can't beat Everton?
-
It’s very difficult.
-
Everton, fifth in the Premier League, dominated Wolfsburg at home.
-
With their flanks countered and their midfield frozen out, Wolfsburg is in a tough spot.

Dead ball phase.

The spatial perception module in the brain rapidly constructs geometric models.

While retreating to defend, Li Luo carefully reviewed Everton's tactical changes.

The issues on the flanks are too difficult.

How to do.

As an excellent midfielder, one should strive to think about how to break through the 'most difficult point', dismantle the opponent, control the overall situation, and lead the team to victory.

but.

Li Luo decided not to dwell on the question of 'how to break the deadlock on the flanks'.
De Bruyne leaned forward and said earnestly, "Lee, don't take on too much work, I'll pass the ball to you!"

"The game continues."

"Coleman throws the ball out of bounds."

Everton are preparing for a strong attack.

"Young prodigy Barkley was dispossessed by Gustavo."

"The former Bayern player's defense is still solid."

"Everton did not launch an immediate counter-press, but instead chose to quickly retreat and set up their positions. I think manager Martinez's football philosophy is somewhere between the Klopp and Wenger styles."

Gustavo passed the ball to Maranda.

Little Black Egg panicked a bit during halftime.

He had limited playing time at Wolfsburg and never took on the task of orchestrating counter-attacks.

What are you still standing there for?

"Don't waste the opportunity."

"Pass it forward."

"19-year-old Maranda still lacks experience."

"Great! He passed the ball to Li Luo, who was dropping back diagonally."

"That's a brilliant story!"

Maranda's conviction gradually solidified, and he understood what his task was in the attacking phase of the game.

Li Luo is positioned sideways, ready to receive the ball.

Xiao Heidan's teammates might not have been fully in the game, and their passing was a bit poor.

at the same time.

Everton's central midfielder, Naismith, charged in menacingly.

Mirallas and Barkley on both sides also made runs ahead to block Li Luo's forward passing lane.

They were made into dumplings.

Li Luo either passes the ball back or breaks through head-on.

In an instant.

Countless fragments of memories surfaced in my mind.

[Kroos receives the ball with his body facing out and gets past defender]

Black Gold was deeply worried.

Martinez was confident.

Even Li Luo, who was unstoppable in the UEFA Youth League final, was unable to shake off Naismith, who was closing in on him, the moment he received the ball.

The rules of competition on the football field cannot be violated by anyone.

Li Luo didn't have time to make any complicated breakthrough moves.

Naismith would use his body to take him down.

A single-handed pass? Mid-table Premier League teams have ways to counter it.

'The weaknesses of this Chinese prodigy in midfield have been exposed. Everything is under my control. Now it's time to...'

next moment.

Everyone gradually developed a stunned expression.

Having endured the trials of the Bundesliga, La Liga, Champions League, World Cup, and other tough competitions, Kroos is now freeing himself from his mental constraints.

It will soon shine brightly at Goodison Park.

It does not rely on ball control.

By relying on spatial awareness, anticipation of body distance, and rhythm changes, one can perform movements that are simple to the extreme.

It's like using four ounces to move a thousand pounds.

"This"

"what?"

The commentator sounded puzzled.

On the green field, Li Luo adjusted his body posture and remained calm as he received the ball, facing the onrushing Naismith.

Slouch and take a big stride.

He stopped the ball with his right foot in the wrong direction.

Snapped!
Start with a left-foot step.

With the ball in hand, he casually evaded Everton's midfield pressure.

"Wow!"

"This is so high-class!"

"Calm and unhurried".

"With ease and skill".

"Naismith became the backdrop, his sprint rhythm was disrupted, he missed his target, lost his balance, and slowed down in a sorry state."

"Li Luo didn't use any fancy breakthrough moves."

"By calculating the distance between his body and judging the space, he completed the breakthrough by simply changing the rhythm and misaligning the ball!"

The commentator and Coach Zhang spoke rapidly and incoherently.

Studio.

The barrage of comments flew by.
-
That's awesome!
-
[So cool! He straightened up and broke free, one man and one ball, the breeze on the north bank of the Mersey River ruffling his white shirt and black hair.]
-
【Awesome.】
-
Li Luo's playing style is so cool, so sophisticated, it's incredibly captivating.
-
[Black Gold, an unparalleled strategist, guided Li Luo to abandon flashy breakthroughs and return to simplicity.]
-
[Li Luo's move of receiving the ball with his body and getting past his opponent is a passive dribbling technique, not an active one. We haven't yet seen the Manchester United heir in his prime.]
-
Such a simple action? My son can do it anytime, anywhere.

Goodison Park.

There was a wave of applause.

Even Everton fans couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

Command area.

Black Gold's gaze was vacant.

Martinez looked terrified.

Everton's midfield shield is very quick to react.

They quickly adjusted their positions to fill the space behind Naismith.

Li Luo did not rush to pass the ball.

After taking a few steps.

The ball was passed to Caligiuri, who had created space on the wing.

He then accelerated sharply, plunging deep into Everton's two lines.

“Caligiuri, I saw De Bruyne’s gesture.”

"Don't hesitate!"

"We can't beat them even if they cut inside from the wing. Now that we have space to pass, let's cross the ball!"

Snapped!
The commentator seemed to be controlling a game controller.

The words were not finished.

Caligiuri crossed the ball directly from the 30-meter zone at a 45-degree angle.

The football is spinning violently.

Flying towards the edge of Everton's penalty area.

A tall and imposing figure appeared.

"Bendner!"

"Bendtner is 1.9 meters tall!"

"Heading the ball across to Li Luo behind him!"

Everything happened very quickly.

Bendtner played the role of a pivot center forward, heading the ball across the goal.

The moment Li Luo received the ball.

Everton midfielder McCarthy charged forward fearlessly, like a flying sandbag, and slammed into the Chinese boy.

Something unexpected happened.

In a split second, Li Luo adjusted his body's orientation.

Pull the ball with your right foot.

Then gently push the ball with the outside of your foot.

Push off with your left foot.

He dodged his opponent's physical attack with a "slightly embarrassed" air.

Her steps were agile.

The ball's trajectory, however, was somewhat 'drifting'.

The entire audience was stunned.

And yet again, it's that extremely simple, body-based ball-receiving move?
The commentators and Coach Zhang didn't have time to praise him.

From the angle of the broadcast, they discovered that Li Luo had just managed to break free when he exploited an opening in Everton's defense.

Go with the flow.

The spatial perception module detected a weakness in the opponent's defense.

The smartest Wolfsburg teammates are about to make their move.

Snapped.

The moment Li Luo broke free, he swung his right foot slightly.

The football, skimming the grass, was like a blunt knife, piercing through Everton's defense.

"De Bruyne!"

"No adjustment, just a push shot."

"Did it miss?"

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)