Ways to Limit Messi

The opportunity Lin Feng was waiting for had yet to appear, while on the Argentina side, the solo performance of Messi had already begun.

In the 7th minute, Argentina launched a rapid attack after intercepting the ball in the midfield.

Like a slippery eel, Messi wove and dodged through a double team of four China Youth Team players.

He first used a simple cut inside to evade the rush forward from Zhou Haibin, then immediately accelerated to dodge Chen Tao, who had lunged from the side with the intent to commit a foul.

Facing Zhao Xuri, Messi still didn't use any flashy moves; with just a simple push and cut, Zhao Xuri was tricked into shifting his body's center of gravity.

Seeing several teammates get bypassed, Cui Peng grew a bit anxious.

Not daring to let Messi continue his dribble, he risked a card and slid directly toward the ball-carrying Messi.

However, it was as if Messi had anticipated it; the moment Cui Peng went to ground for the tackle, he gently nudged the ball to the left and performed a small, stationary jump.

This jump not only perfectly avoided the tackle but also minimized his time in the air. By the time he landed, the ball remained within his control, and his speed had barely dropped.

Having bypassed almost the entire China Youth Team midfield single-handedly, Messi did not continue to charge into the penalty area.

He looked up to observe the position of the goalkeeper, dribbled horizontally in front of the box to evade the interception by Feng Xiaoting, and suddenly took a shot.

The quality of the strike was incredibly high, with the ball heading straight for the top-left corner of the goal.

Although Yang Cheng leaped with all his might the moment the ball was struck, attempting a save.

But the shooting angle of Messi was far too tricky!

With a swish, the ball hit the back of the net before he could reach it.

The score became 0:1!

Argentina was the first to score!

This was the 4th goal Messi had scored in this Youth World Cup.

In the stands, the fans were in an uproar.

Everyone was stunned by this astonishing performance from Messi!

From the moment Messi started dribbling near the midfield until he shook off Feng Xiaoting for the long shot goal, he had bypassed a total of five China Youth Team players.

Is this something a human being can actually do?

This guy is simply a monster!

The eyes of the China Youth Team players were filled with apprehension as they looked at Messi; they knew he was strong, but they hadn't expected him to be this strong.

Zhao Xuri and the others felt they couldn't even clearly see the movements of his feet before they were inexplicably bypassed.

Cui Peng felt even more frustrated; he had even resorted to a foul, yet he hadn't even touched a hair on the opponent's leg.

He couldn't help but wonder: how could such a terrifying guy exist in this world?

After scoring, Messi appeared very calm and did not celebrate wildly, as if such a goal wasn't worth a grand celebration.

But the Argentina players didn't think so; they rushed over, hugging and grabbing Messi, unable to contain their excitement.

With such a reliable star on the team, victory becomes exceptionally simple; who wouldn't love that?

"Messi is so strong!"

"That goal just now left the kids watching completely dumbfounded!"

"No wonder Barcelona treats him like a treasure; he's truly a freak of nature!"

"With a monster like that on the other side, this match is as good as gone!"

"Sigh, it seems the China Youth Team won't be able to get past this hurdle of Argentina either!"

"I think reaching the final four has already made history, what more could you ask for?"

"True, even if they lose, this China Youth Team is worth being proud of. If they adjust their mindset, maybe they can bring home a bronze medal."

Domestic fans felt their morale and confidence suffer a massive blow after seeing this goal conceded.

At this moment, almost no one favored the China Youth Team to win anymore.

With an opponent this strong, how could they possibly win?

Lin Feng stood with his hands on his hips, frowning as he stared at Messi's back, lost in thought.

Although to others, Messi's magnificent performance of dribbling past five men to score was breathtaking.

But to Lin Feng, this was merely a basic operation for Messi.

In his later professional career, similar performances appeared one after another.

Even the defense line of a top-tier team like Real Madrid was toyed with by Messi, leading to legendary moments like his "Goal of the Century," wasn't it?

It is normal not to be able to defend against him; it would be abnormal to actually stop him.

But Messi is not invincible; he is human, and humans have weaknesses.

The widely acknowledged shortcoming of Messi is his stamina. When he was at Barcelona, to reduce his energy consumption, he often wouldn't track back or take on any defensive duties.

Of course, this isn't to say Messi's stamina is poor.

It is just that his specific dribbling rhythm consumes a great deal of energy, making it impossible to sustain for long periods.

If a way could be found to accelerate his physical exhaustion, then the stamina Messi had available for dribbling and breaking through would naturally decrease.

Beyond this well-known weakness of stamina, the 18-year-old Messi was also significantly thinner than the version of him that would exist in the future.

With his height remaining the same, a lighter body weight naturally meant weaker ability in Physical Confrontation.

Thinking of this, Lin Feng came up with a seemingly viable plan.

He found several of his midfield teammates and whispered something to them.

The group nodded one after another, their gazes turning fierce as they looked toward Messi.

"Rio, that group is looking at you with malice; be careful they don't foul you."

Messi's teammate noticed the small movements from the Youth National Team side and offered a worried reminder.

Messi took a look and frowned slightly.

His professional career had only just begun, and a bright future was waiting for him.

He did not want to get injured here, as that would cast a shadow over his future career.

Consequently, after the restart, Messi reined himself in significantly and no longer engaged in the kind of solo performances where he would cut through the entire defense like he had before.

But even so, the Youth National Team did not let him off the hook.

No matter where he went, there was always someone from the Youth National Team sticking to him like glue.

Moreover, it wasn't just marking; whenever there was an opportunity, the person shadowing him would engage him in Physical Confrontation, even when he didn't have the ball at his feet.

The purpose of doing this was to slowly drain his stamina without committing a foul.

Messi was clearly at a disadvantage in these physical clashes, especially when going up against the opposing Number 7, as he was almost shoved off balance.

The opponent's petty tricks made him feel incredibly frustrated, forcing him to start jogging in an attempt to shake off the entanglement through constant movement.

However, this tactic was completely useless; wherever he went, he received the "enthusiastic care" of the Youth National Team players, and the "chewing gum" stuck to him simply could not be shaken off.

That wasn't even the most infuriating part; what was most annoying was that whenever his teammates passed him the ball, those who had been shadowing him would immediately rush in from all directions to Double Team him.

Furthermore, the opponents had gotten smart; they didn't wait for him to pick up speed before setting up their defense like they had before.

They were already closing in for the Double Team the moment Messi prepared to receive the ball.

The Youth National Team players swarmed him with a flurry of chaotic tackles, and no matter how exquisite Messi's footwork was, it was useless.

And just like that, the ball at Messi's feet was lost!

Once Messi lost the ball, it was the Youth National Team's turn to launch a counterattack.

Having just completed the swarm, the Youth National Team quickly spread out their formation.

Lin Feng, Zhu Ting, and Zhou Haibin formed a fan-shaped formation, like a sharp trident, stabbing fiercely toward the Argentina team's half.

The Youth National Team's counterattack came too suddenly, catching the Argentina team off guard.

Facing the full-scale counterattack from the Youth National Team, the two Center Backs left at the back had to make a choice.

One of them lunged at Zhu Ting, and the other lunged at Lin Feng, as these two posed the greatest threat and were closest to the goal.

As for Zhou Haibin behind them, they simply couldn't spare the attention.

And it was precisely this decision that brought them disastrous consequences.

Chen Tao did not pass the ball directly to Lin Feng, but instead played a through ball to Zhou Haibin.

After receiving the ball, Zhou Haibin continued with a through pass, sending the ball through the gap between Lin Feng and Zhu Ting to a spot in front of them.

Seeing the trajectory of the rolling ball, Zhu Ting, Lin Feng, and the two Argentina defenders all accelerated with everything they had!

The time for a test of speed had arrived!