After Lin Feng won the ball, he accelerated forward with it at his feet. As he ran, he looked up at the field ahead, watching the opposing defenders' positioning.
Since it had been Argentina's attacking turn, most of the Argentine players were gathered in the China Youth Team's half. Only two defenders remained near the center circle.
That meant that as long as he got past those two, he would be one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Just as Lin Feng looked up to assess the defenders' positions, Messi surged after him from behind.
Messi had shorter legs but a rapid stride rate. When he suddenly burst forward, the gap between them seemed to narrow slightly.
The China Youth Team fans in the stands were startled and shouted warnings to Lin Feng.
"Watch your back!"
"Messi's catching up!"
But the stadium was deafening, and they were too far away, so the players did not hear them.
Although Lin Feng had not heard the fans' warnings, he caught sight of the pursuing figure from the corner of his eye.
Heh, you want to race me?
Lin Feng sneered inwardly, nudging the ball to the left and opening up some distance from Messi.
Messi seemed to know he could not match the other man's speed, so he did not change direction. Instead, he sprinted straight ahead along the inside.
His plan was simple: stay tight to Lin Feng and prevent him from widening the gap.
Once they crossed the halfway line and linked up with his teammates, all it would take was for the two defenders to slow Lin Feng down a little. Then he would have a chance to win the ball back from Lin Feng's feet.
The dream was beautiful, but reality was cruel.
After Lin Feng pushed the ball left, he launched into an Explosive Dribble, and his footwork suddenly quickened.
The distance between them abruptly widened.
After Lin Feng's touch and change of direction, Messi had already drawn level with him.
But with Lin Feng's burst of acceleration, the gap rapidly grew—from one body length to two, then three...
By the time Lin Feng charged across midfield with the ball, the distance between them had stretched to nearly two meters!
Messi's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.
Too fast. He was really too fast!
Was that even human speed?
Messi had already given it everything he had, kicking up turf as if his feet were about to set the grass on fire, yet all he could do was watch despairingly as the other man's back receded into the distance.
The two Argentine defenders looked back at Lin Feng in horror while desperately running forward.
When they had seen Messi catching up from behind, they had been overjoyed. They had planned to work with him to stop Lin Feng near the center circle.
But they never expected Messi to be shaken off so easily.
Seeing Lin Feng's terrifying speed, neither of them dared stop to intercept him.
If they stopped, his frightening pace would make it easy for him to get past them.
And once he got past them, they would never be able to catch him again.
But he was too fast. At this rate, he would probably charge into the penalty area in just a few seconds.
Even more terrifyingly, he would likely catch up to them and overtake them before that!
At this critical moment, Argentina's center-back, Formica, decisively made his move.
As he slowed down, he kept looking back to track Lin Feng's route with the ball, deliberately shifting into Lin Feng's path.
Clearly, he intended to use himself as an obstacle to stop Lin Feng's advance.
Even if he could not stop him completely, he had to hold him outside the box before he rushed in.
Because once Lin Feng entered the penalty area, Argentina's defenders would not even be able to use fouls as a tactical option.
Formica's intentions were obvious. Lin Feng saw through his plan at a glance.
He decisively pushed the ball to the right, avoiding Formica's blocking route and preparing to overtake him around the outside.
At this moment, if Messi had still maintained his original position and had not been left behind by Lin Feng, he would have had a chance to steal the ball from Lin Feng's feet.
But unfortunately, Messi had long since been left far behind.
When Formica saw Lin Feng go around him, he hurriedly stopped retreating, turned, and charged toward the right.
He had originally been six or seven meters ahead of Lin Feng. Against an ordinary player, that distance would have been more than enough for him to turn, get into position, and make the interception.
But Lin Feng was no ordinary player. His speed far exceeded Formica's expectations.
By the time Formica rushed to the right, Lin Feng had already driven the ball to the edge of the penalty-area line, only one step away from the box.
Formica could not worry about anything else. He gritted his teeth and charged in, smashing his body into Lin while reaching out with his right hand to tug at Lin Feng's arm, trying to stop him from shooting.
At the same time, Argentina's goalkeeper had rushed off his line, hoping to work with his teammates and seize this last chance to break up the attack.
But Lin Feng was like an iron tower—impossible to knock over, impossible to pull back.
He fought to maintain his balance while doing his best to adjust his steps, making his final preparations before the shot.
Lin Feng's mind was exceptionally clear. He knew he could not let the opposing goalkeeper get too close, or he would lose his shooting angle entirely.
So, just as the goalkeeper reached the vicinity of the penalty spot, Lin Feng decisively struck the ball.
At that instant, the entire stadium seemed to have been muted.
Almost every fan in the stands stood up, craning their necks toward Argentina's penalty area.
This shot could very well decide the fate of both teams!
The ball rolled off Lin Feng's foot, traveling diagonally toward Argentina's goal.
Argentina goalkeeper Ustari, who was charging out, hurriedly went to ground in an attempt to save his team.
But the ball slipped past his outstretched arm and skimmed by his right side.
At that sight, the Argentine fans' hearts stopped as they stared in terror.
But in everyone's view, a figure in a blue-and-white striped jersey rushed into the six-yard box, chasing the ball.
It was Argentina's other center-back, number 4, Barroso!
When Formica had chosen to stop and intercept Lin Feng, Barroso had not stopped. Instead, he continued forward and entered the penalty area.
With all the other teammates in the box down on the ground, he had undoubtedly become Argentina's final hope.
Barroso had begun sprinting the moment he saw Lin Feng preparing to shoot.
He reached the six-yard box almost at the same time as the ball.
Faster, just a little faster!
The Argentine fans in the stands clenched their fists and prayed from the depths of their hearts.
Just as the ball was about to cross the goal line, Barroso threw himself into a sliding tackle.
His right foot touched the ball.
But instead of clearing it away, he kicked it into the goal.
The stadium's big screen showed in Slow Motion Replay that Barroso's slide had been just a fraction too late. He only touched the ball after it had completely crossed the line.
Argentina's final hope had been shattered.
The score changed to 3:2, and the China Youth Team had finally taken the lead!
All the Chinese fans in the stands went wild, roaring incoherently in excitement.
Strangers who had never met before embraced each other passionately like old friends reunited.
Some people in the stands screamed themselves hoarse, some clapped furiously, and others waved the Chinese flags in their hands with all their strength.
On the field, the China Youth Team players reacted almost exactly like the fans in the stands.
The moment Lin Feng scored, the players on the bench charged onto the field like madmen, tossing clothes from their bodies and towels from their hands all over the ground!
Meanwhile, back in China, streets that should have been quiet at past one in the morning suddenly came alive.
Excited cheers rang out from windows on both sides of the streets. If one listened carefully, words like "Chinese team," "Lin Feng," and "awesome" could be heard.
That night belonged to the wild celebration of football fans across the nation!
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