La Gazzetta dello Sport: <Inter Milan lose 1–2 at home to Juventus, ending their four-match winning streak>
24 Hours News: <Juventus again! The Bianconeri remain an insurmountable mountain for Inter Milan>
Tuttosport: <Juventus prove to Serie A who really rules the league>
Corriere dello Sport: <Elementary mistakes lead to goals conceded; Tang's future at Inter Milan remains uncertain>
Titan Sports: <Tang Long subbed off at halftime; Guarin remains Mancini's most trusted option>
After the match, Tang Long returned to his dorm at the training center.
All the way back on the bus, he had replayed the match in his mind.
Clearly, he had given everything he could for Inter Milan in this game.
Although Inter Milan's overall ratings weren't high after the match, Tang Long still scored six points, placing him in the middle of the team.
In the first half, he had sent Icardi several brilliant through balls.
But against Juventus's formidable strength, none of those passes had led to an assist.
Of course, Icardi also bore some responsibility. Although the Argentine forward was currently at the top of the Serie A scoring charts, at just twenty-two, he was still a little green against an Italian international defense made up of Barzagli, Chiellini, Buffon, and the others!
Berni had told Tang Long this on the bus ride back:
"Icardi's a poacher, the kind of center-forward who feeds on chances in the box. The balls you gave him were well placed, and his runs were good. But if you can hold onto the ball in midfield with your dribbling, find space on either wing, and pass it out for the fullbacks to overlap and cross, Icardi will find it easier to score."
Pirlo's advice after the match had hit even closer to home!
"Tang, your passing is good, but you really need to work on your dribbling!"
So as soon as Tang Long entered his room, he tossed aside his bag and went straight into the AI Cloud Training Ground.
There was so much he needed to improve. Until now, he'd focused his energy on passing, fitness, and physicality training, leaving him little time to work on his dribbling.
That dismal dribbling rating of 59 was clearly holding him back from becoming a top-class attacking player.
The first time he entered the dribbling AI training session, he found top dribblers like Messi, Ronaldinho, Robinho, and Ronaldo standing before him.
Each had a [Dribbling] label above their head.
They were all exceptional dribblers, each with signature skills that could change a match through individual ability.
But Tang Long noticed that all these practice players were forwards, while he played as an attacking midfielder for Inter Milan. Their dribbling skills weren't necessarily suited to his current role.
"System, why isn't Pirlo here?"
"Report, host: Pirlo is assigned to the passing program. Would you like to move him to the passing program?"
"Let me see Pirlo first."
Messi, Ronaldinho, Robinho, and Ronaldo vanished in an instant.
In a flash of golden light, Xavi, Iniesta, Pirlo, Beckham, and the others descended from above.
Tang Long saw that each of them had a [Passing] label above their head.
Only Pirlo had both [Passing] and [Dribbling] labels above his head. The dribbling label was bouncing up and down, as if waiting for Tang Long to select it.
The practice-player Pirlo stood completely motionless, like a wax figure.
Tang Long stepped forward and touched his bushy beard. It felt lifelike.
He selected the bouncing [Dribbling] box above Pirlo's head—with a click, Pirlo's elbow joint moved, making a sound like a robot in motion.
"Congratulations, host! You have unlocked a reward: dribbling advice from Pirlo!"
"Activating dribbling training with practice player Pirlo!"
"Effect: Improve the trainee's [Midfield Dribbling] skills!"
Whoosh—
Pirlo, who had been standing stock-still, began to move.
He stared blankly at Tang Long and spoke in a mechanical, halting voice:
"Hello, I'm Pirlo, your practice player. I was born in Brescia, Italy, in 1979. I began my professional career with my hometown club. In 1998, I transferred to Inter Milan for two million euros. In 2001, I transferred to AC Milan for seventeen million euros. After spending ten years in Milan, I joined Juventus on a free transfer in 2011."
"My club career statistics: 680 appearances, 71 goals, 121 assists."
"My international career statistics: 116 appearances, 13 goals, 25 assists."
A glowing yellow card appeared above Pirlo's head.
Tang Long tapped it, and it changed into a line of text.
[Practice Player: Pirlo]
[Attacking strengths: Accurate long passes, dribbling out of pressure from a standing position, curling free kicks]
On the empty training ground, Tang Long began practicing dribbling with Pirlo.
"Detected that the host's basic dribbling skills are weak. Begin with the most basic exercise: ball taps."
A soccer ball appeared at each of their feet.
The practice-player Pirlo began tapping the ball in place with a blank expression.
Tang Long had done this basic dribbling exercise before. The ball stayed still as he alternated his feet, tapping it and hopping back and forth.
An hour later, the ball-tapping exercise advanced.
Instead of standing still, they now had to move forward or backward while tapping the ball.
Two people, two balls, repeating the same tedious ball-tapping movements over and over.
After three hours, Tang Long felt sweat soaking through his cleats, and his socks were already drenched.
Five hours later.
Tang Long exited the Cloud Training Ground and leaned back in his dorm chair, taking a deep breath.
It might have looked like nothing more than the simplest moving ball-tapping exercise.
But with Pirlo's guidance, Tang Long had still discovered plenty of little things he'd never noticed before!
"Tang, your crossover hops are uncoordinated. You're not using your arms to balance your body, which directly affects your dribbling rhythm on the pitch. Swing your arms!"
"Your touch isn't light enough! It's not the sole of your shoe touching the ball, it's your studs! Right, feel your studs. Consciously control them, just like a driver controls the contact between the tires and the road!"
"Your core is too stiff. It's slowing down your turns. Loosen up your core, and pay attention to your balance!"
No wonder he was a master of midfield dribbling.
Even during a simple ball-tapping exercise, Pirlo could spot the bigger picture and pinpoint Tang Long's problems.
"Ding!"
"Congratulations, host, on completing your first [AI Smart Cloud Training] dribbling lesson!"
"Practice player for this session: Pirlo!"
Pirlo appeared in front of the projector, dressed in a suit and tie and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, looking like a university professor.
He pointed toward the large PPT screen!
It showed that Tang Long had tapped the ball 15,356 times during his five hours of training!
It also listed the weaknesses and shortcomings in Tang Long's dribbling session in detail, along with suggestions for how to improve.
"Training score: 6.5 points. I look forward to seeing you at our next training session. Bye-bye!"
As wooden and expressionless as a robot, Pirlo waved goodbye to Tang Long.
"Ding!"
"Dribbling rating increased!"
"59 → 62!"
Before you continue