Kaka and Henry Step Down to Teach Their Signature Skills, and Tang Long Gets a Major Upgrade!

Like the autographed football Maradona gifted to Tang Long last season, Bony's Stone Bracelet bounced a few times on the table before disappearing.

However, Tang Long did not notice that he had already entered the AI Cloud Training Ground.

Recently, the AI Cloud Training Ground has undergone many changes!

In passing drills, Xavi, Iniesta, Beckham, and others continue to tirelessly serve as Tang Long's sparring partners.

In terms of physical training, Chivu remains the most reliable coach.

As Tang Long's rank continues to improve, more and more training partners are being activated.

Tang Long has now entered the Speed Training Ground.

The speed of a football player and the speed of an Olympic 100-meter sprinter both relate to the core concept of "speed";

However, there are fundamental differences between them, which are not only reflected in the different competition environments, but also in the different goals they pursue and the different ways they play.

From the perspective of the competition environment, sprinters enjoy relatively ideal competitive conditions.

They wore spiked shoes designed specifically for speed, which provide excellent grip and ensure maximum propulsion with every step on the synthetic track;

The synthetic track itself is also carefully laid out, with its material and hardness designed to minimize frictional resistance, allowing athletes to move forward at full speed.

In contrast, football players run on natural grass!

While these surfaces also require shoes with good grip, the firmness, moisture, and even the flatness of the grass can all affect a player's running efficiency.

In addition, football players need to wear relatively thick socks and shin guards during matches. While these items are crucial for protecting the players, they also increase the burden when running.

In terms of the running track, the route of a 100-meter sprinter is simple and direct—a straight track from the starting point to the finish line!

They only need to focus on maximizing their speed within that 100-meter distance;

During this period, apart from wind resistance in the natural environment, they faced almost no external physical interference.

Football players, on the other hand, are completely different. Their running routes are varied and complex, and they often need to frequently change direction and speed to adapt to the dynamic changes in the game.

Even in what appears to be a straight sprint, football players rarely have the opportunity to maintain a sustained acceleration to the finish line like sprinters.

Furthermore, players must constantly pay attention to the ball's position, teammates' runs, and opponents' defensive actions during a sprint, all of which limit the maximum speed a player can achieve.

Not to mention, in the heat of competition, physical contact between players, such as pulling arms and colliding shoulders, is commonplace;

These physical confrontations will further deplete the players' stamina and affect their speed.

As for the purposes of the competition, the two are completely different!

The sole objective of a 100-meter sprinter is to cross the finish line in the shortest possible time.

Their training and competition strategies revolve around how to unleash their maximum speed potential within that short 100-meter stretch.

Even if the start is a little slow or the speed in the first half of the race is not ideal, as long as you can overtake others with a strong burst of power in the second half, you still have a chance to win the race.

However, for football players, speed is just one of their many skills;

The players are focusing more on the immediate application and conversion of speed.

In football matches, starting speed is often more important than absolute speed!

The former is directly related to whether a player can seize a favorable position in the first instance. Whether it is choosing a shooting position in attack or intercepting and clearing in defense, players need to have the ability to start quickly so as to make the best decision in a split second.

Therefore, when evaluating a football player's speed, coaches place more emphasis on their instantaneous acceleration performance in the first 10 to 20 meters;

The professional coaching team believes that while acceleration in the later stages is important for players, instantaneous acceleration is not only a reflection of a player's physical qualities, but also a comprehensive reflection of their football intelligence and reaction speed.

A flash of golden light, and four speed mentors descended from the sky!

They are Henry, Kaka, Martins, and Caniggia.

Martins is Nigeria and a former Inter Milan player. China fans are very unfamiliar with him because he was once a player with both speed and acceleration of 99 in the popular Pro Evolution Soccer game.

However, this player's goal-scoring efficiency is not high, Martins has now gone to play for the Seattle Sounders in the United States, away from the Top Five Leagues.

Caniggia was born in the 1960s and spent most of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División and Serie A.

Professional players rarely measure their 100-meter speed, but Caniggia's 100-meter speed is as fast as 10.23 seconds, which is the fastest speed ever recorded in global football and has surpassed most professional 100-meter sprinters.

Martins and Caniggia taught Tang Long many techniques for the instantaneous start.

These techniques are not practical for sprinters who use a crouch start with running blocks;

However, it is of great benefit to professional players like Tang Long.

For example, Martins said, "Don, the moment you start, you should lower your center of gravity as much as possible like the Cheetah, concentrate your power in your leg muscles, and then burst out instantly. At the same time, your eyes should be fixed on the direction the target is moving, without any hesitation or distraction. In addition, in the first step, the stride should be as large and powerful as possible, so that you can quickly increase the distance between yourself and your opponent."

Lowering your center of gravity is something many players do; it's a basic starting technique.

However, the two points Martin mentioned were things Tang Long hadn't noticed before, and things the coaches hadn't taught him.

Keep your eyes fixed on the target direction so you can anticipate your next move after the sprint;

Making the first step as large as possible, or even skipping a step, is Martins' unique skill based on his own conditions.

Tang Long practiced a few moves with Martins and started to get the hang of it.

Compared to former Inter Milan player Martins, Caniggia, who played for Atalanta and Roma for a long time, spoke in a more mystical way!

He is known as the "Son of the Wind," and in his speed training, he also mentioned the impact of wind direction on a player's starting ability.

"I have a technique I've never told anyone before: at the moment of starting, you have to learn to feel the flow of the wind and let it become your aid rather than a hindrance."

Tang Long was taken aback and asked in return, "Do you think I can control the wind direction on the field?"

"Of course you can't," Caniggia smiled, "But you can go with the wind."

Caniggia further explained that if you are facing a tailwind against your opponent in a race, you should sprint as much as possible. You have the advantage of the tailwind, while your opponent's center of gravity will be affected by the headwind during the turn.

Conversely, if you are facing your opponent against the wind, you should sprint sideways as much as possible to minimize the impact of wind resistance.

"What if it's a crosswind?"

"If it's a crosswind, you need to flexibly move your body, constantly switching your hands between the headwind and tailwind, making the wind an external factor that distracts him."

"I understand, this is about taking advantage of favorable timing."

Martins and Caniggia provided Tang Long with new ideas for speed training, which also deepened his understanding of football.

However, compared to these two, Tang Long preferred practicing with Henry and Kaka.

This is probably because Martins is 170cm tall and Caniggia is 172cm tall; both are typical small, quick, and agile players.

Tang Long, who is 182 cm tall, has a similar physical condition to Henry, who is 188 cm tall, and Kaka, who is 186 cm tall.

Physical attributes can influence a player's playing style.

Both are about speed, but the small, agile, and long-legged models exhibit vastly different characteristics!

Henry had Tang Long perform a stationary start, then pointed out:

"Tang, although you are 6 centimeters shorter than me, you have a great body proportion and long legs. For tall players like us, when using speed to get past those shorter full-backs, don't try to compete with them on who has the lower center of gravity. Even if you lie on the ground, your opponent's center of gravity will still be lower than yours. Doing so will only make you lose your advantage."

"Therefore, you need to adjust your starting posture. The angle of your forward lean can be slightly smaller, but the degree of leg bend must be sufficient so that you can generate powerful force at the moment of starting."

From Henry's guidance, Tang Long discovered a completely different perspective from Martins's.

Martins said that when starting, you should keep your center of gravity low and lean your body forward;

However, Henry said that the angle of the forward lean could be slightly smaller, but the bend in the legs should be sufficient.

This is the personal experience gained by players with different physical conditions based on their practical understanding of football.

Henry was originally a striker and won the Premier League Golden Boot three times in a row;

Even later, when he played as a winger at Barca, he was still active on the front line.

Among the four mentors, Kaka, who is similar in stature to Tang Long and also serves as a midfield commander, provided the most useful advice to Tang Long!

Although he started his career in Brazil, Kaka's playing style was entirely European, with almost no trace of the flashy elements of Samba football, emphasizing practicality and utilitarianism above all else.

Kaka is a master of long-distance runs. In recent matches, Tang Long has occasionally had the opportunity to run from the defensive midfield position all the way to the penalty area, and he has asked Kaka for tips on long-distance sprint techniques.

This sparring partner was tasked with having Tang Long dribble forward, while he himself acted as a defensive player, retreating with Tang Long but not pressing him.

When they switched positions, Kaka Long could have pressed Tang Long with his foot when he dribbled forward, but in seven or eight exchanges, Tang Long only managed to win possession once.

After a series of sprints, looking at Tang Long who was covered in sweat, Kaka pondered for a moment and gave his advice.

"Tang, having long legs is both an advantage and a challenge. Players like us with long legs need to pay more attention to the rhythm and range of our strides when running."

"Sometimes you don't necessarily need to use small, quick steps to confuse defenders. Your steps shouldn't be too small; you need to spread out fully and take each step further. This way, you can take advantage of your leg length and cover a greater distance with the same number of steps."

"Especially in the first few steps after starting, you need to quickly find a suitable stride length. Once you find the rhythm, you can quickly widen the distance between yourself and your opponent; if you don't step correctly in the first few steps, everything will fall apart."

He demonstrated the long, sweeping dribble to Tang Long once again.

Tang Long discovered that Kaka's long strides weren't actually the kind of desperate, headlong chase that some players would do;

Kaka's every step, though seemingly large, is actually precise and rhythmic.

Tang Long recalled a highlight reel of Kaka's dribbling skills that he had once watched. One particular situation involved Kaka dribbling the ball and sprinting forward. A defender in the middle of the field thought he had taken too long and stretched out his leg to intercept, but that very step was easily bypassed by Kaka's next touch of the ball.

Looking back now, Kaka definitely wasn't in a 50/50 situation; he simply reached the ball earlier because he was quick on his feet.

(Kaka dribbles the ball and dashes out of the crowd)

Watching the Brazil's elegant sprint, Tang Long thought to himself:

"Speed is not just about running; it needs to be combined with technical movements. While off-the-ball acceleration is important, dribbling is the most crucial skill for midfielders. The concept of 'man and ball as one' is not just a saying; it requires extensive practice, taking into account one's physical condition."

Tang Long practiced speed training for an entire afternoon.

As he was about to leave, he remembered the Premier League against Manchester United in the 11th round of the Premier League this weekend, so he went into passing practice and called out De Bruyne.

Looking at the training partner he had painstakingly created to learn Low-trajectory Curve Shot, curved shots, Tang Long walked over and pinched De Bruyne's cheek.

See you this weekend, Belgium.

De Bruyne him blankly, his face expressionless.

"Smile, young man."

Tang Long used both hands to pull up the corners of De Bruyne forced a smile.

"Why don't you just cry?"

Tang Long pulled De Bruyne's eyes upwards with both hands, and De Bruyne's face darkened.

After exiting the AI Cloud Training Ground, the afterglow of the setting sun shone on Tang Long's desk.

Four speed mentors appeared before him.

Martins, Caniggia, Henry, Kaka.

All four men took off their jerseys and shoes, put on suits and dress shoes, and stood on the podium to summarize the key points of the training session for Tang Long in turn.

Keep your eyes firmly fixed on the target and the direction you are heading; do not hesitate or become distracted.

[In the first step of starting, take as big and powerful a step as possible; you can try jumping.]

[At the moment of starting, learn to feel the flow of the wind, and let the wind become your aid rather than a hindrance.]

[The angle of the forward lean can be slightly smaller, but the bend in the legs should be sufficient.]

[Utilize your leg length advantage to fully extend your sprint stride]

"Bite!"

"Congratulations, host, on completing the week-long speed training course!"

"Improved startup speed!"

"80--86!"

"Absolute speed increase!"

"80--86!"

With his starting speed and absolute speed both rising to 86, and his dribbling already at 90, Tang Long's threat level has greatly increased, whether in midfield or on the front line.

Especially in terms of speed, the 86-86 is already a very fast presence in the Premier League.

"Congratulations, host, on obtaining the [Speedster of the Pitch] medal!"

"Medal Boost: When competing in speed contests against opponents with a speed value below 80, you can skip the numerical comparison and instantly defeat them, helping the host reduce stamina consumption."