"Absorb Soto's match experience and earn his recognition. Upon completing the task, you'll receive rewards including the player-level skill 'Weighted Spin Pass,' the star-level skill 'Iron Wall,' and the superstar-level skill 'Perpetual Motion Machine'!"
Lu Yang looked at the notebook in his hands, Soto's notebook, and felt himself trembling.
A superstar-level skill!
Was it really that incredible?
Soto was freaking awesome!
He opened the notebook. It contained a wealth of Soto's insights from his matches.
Soto had done extensive research on how to wreak havoc in midfield. He was an absolute expert.
Whether it was the chaotic battles of Milan's four butchers or the Golden Axis partnership of Italy National Team's playmaker and a butcher, Soto handled them with ease and finesse.
It all came from the habit of constantly thinking things through.
Players with this habit weren't necessarily superstars, but every superstar thought this way.
Otherwise, no matter how incredible your physical gifts were, you'd at best become the next Balotelli.
There was no need to explain "Perpetual Motion Machine." It was a stamina-boosting skill that would let Lu Yang run around the pitch nonstop.
This was a skill Lu Yang absolutely needed.
He was only sixteen, and his body wasn't really up to playing a full match yet.
Fortunately, he was playing in Serie D, where the physicality, pressure, and everything else were much lower.
If he were playing in Serie B or Serie C, he might not even have the stamina to last the full match.
That was unacceptable to Lu Yang.
The first basic requirement for any superstar was being able to play the full match. Otherwise, at best, you'd be a substitute marksman like Solskjaer.
And according to the statistics, goals were far more likely in the final ten minutes of a match—almost as many as in all the other minutes combined.
This proved that you first had to make it to the very end before you could create a miracle.
That was the bare minimum.
As for "Iron Wall," its name alone made it clear that it was a powerful defensive skill. Lu Yang was playing defense now, so he had to do his job well.
The team now had a chance to get promoted to Serie C, so Lu Yang had to plan ahead.
His stats might be good enough for Serie C, but they weren't outstanding.
And if he couldn't shine in Serie C, what made him think he could become a star among stars in Serie B, let alone Serie A?
The Top Five Leagues?
That was where Lu Yang was destined to go, but he absolutely wouldn't settle for being just another face in the crowd.
He would also show everyone in the football world how the game should be played.
He would carry on the football legacy of Messi-Ronaldo, Neymar, Lewandowski, Zlatan, and the others.
As for "Weighted Spin Pass," at least it could improve Lu Yang's long passing.
The starting lineup for San Remo's thirtieth-round match was announced ahead of time, and it came as quite a surprise.
Going by the order on the lineup, Lu Yang wasn't at center back. Instead, he was... in midfield!
"What's going on? Did Soto get the lineup wrong?"
"Or, now that Rondo's back, is Soto planning to play with five defenders?"
"Even if he is, that's not how you'd arrange them."
"I just got word that Lu Yang really did play as a defensive midfielder in San Remo's recent training match."
"What? He really is going to play in midfield? This..."
"It's a little absurd, but for some reason, I can't help feeling like it might work."
"Could the cannon-toting center back be a thing of the past?"
"Actually, I think Lu Yang's style would have more room to flourish in midfield."
"Yeah, at least the team won't have to worry about his dribbling anymore."
"But you can't just move players around wherever you like. Some players excel in one position, then have no idea what they're doing in another. It happens all the time."
"San Remo's probably looking for a change. They want to strengthen their attack, and with Lu Yang's defensive and attacking abilities, this could work. But... what about the back line?"
"I have a feeling this change is incredibly important. When we look back at the end of the season, this might be tied to whether San Remo succeeds or fails."
"Either they'll take off or they'll crash and burn!"
"Yeah, we'll just have to see what happens in the match."
The online community had plenty of opinions about San Remo's change.
San Remo had become a viral sensation in Italian football.
Only one or two thousand fans attended their matches, which was practically a Serie D attendance record. But they had far more followers online.
It was all thanks to Lu Yang's flashy skills. His Lumberjack Shot and thirty-three-meter bicycle kick had attracted a huge number of fans. Then his stats of seven goals and three assists across the next nine matches kept them interested.
The following afternoon, the match began.
Lu Yang took the field as the starting defensive midfielder.
"Ding! Making your first appearance as a defensive midfielder grants you a random reward: the player-level skill Rabona Kick!"
"Rabona Kick: A flashy technique that makes your next move harder to read, catching opponents by surprise. Can be used to pass or shoot."
The corners of Lu Yang's mouth lifted slightly. The system really knew how to stir things up.
The moment he moved into midfield, it gave him a flashy move to celebrate with.
Was it hoping he'd keep going further down the road to showtime?
Lu Yang's dribbling ability accordingly rose from 50 to 55.
Tweet!
The whistle blew, and San Remo kicked off.
Lu Yang and Moric, bold enough to show off their skills, played one-twos off each other, beating several players and bringing the ball into the opposition's half.
This was a "Kick-off Kill"!
They took advantage of the opposition being unsettled and not yet in the game to launch a lightning attack.
It was a favorite tactic of weak teams, since they could always get lucky.
But it was also a favorite way to attack for players who liked to play at a high tempo. Their reactions were sharp enough to seize an advantage in the chaos.
Truly strong teams, on the other hand, usually trusted the chances they built up patiently.
Moric had the bearing of a top-class midfielder, able to find passing lanes through the tightest crowds.
As for Lu Yang, there was no need to mention him. His 99 vision let him see everything happening on the pitch.
Moric threaded a through ball that split the defense.
Lu Yang ran onto it and unleashed a Dipping Shot, blasting the ball into the net!
The score was 1–0!
Only thirty-six seconds had passed.
A lightning-fast goal!
Another lightning-fast goal!
San Remo had scored several lightning-fast goals in the second half of the season. Sometimes it was Lu Yang and Moric playing one-twos off each other; other times, it was the Golden Axis of Moric, Lu Yang, and Vedian connecting.
They played with extraordinary boldness in attack.
"Oh, what an incredible lightning-fast goal! As we can see, Lu Yang hasn't struggled at all after leaving center back. On the contrary, without the restrictions of his old position, he has far more room to move, unleashing his attacking abilities!"
"His understanding with Moric is as sharp as ever. Let's see what this pair of Midfield Twins can do!"
Today, San Remo's opponents were Foggia, tenth in the league. Given the schedule, they had a chance to reach the promotion playoff spots.
But first, they had to beat today's opponents, San Remo.
And now, they were behind.
The match soon resumed.
Foggia launched a dangerous attack of their own.
San Remo's right center back rushed forward and misjudged the challenge, letting his opponent get past him with ease.
Rondo, the team's defensive mainstay, reacted decisively. Just as the opponent thought he would retreat, Rondo seized the chance when the ball was pushed too far ahead and charged in.
Both men's shins struck the ball at the same time, then slammed into each other.
It was a challenge that made the San Remo fans' hearts skip a beat. They feared their captain, Rondo, might get injured again.
Thankfully, Rondo got back to his feet.
The problem was that Foggia's striker stood up first and charged toward the ball, which had bounced high into the air.
At the same time, another Foggia forward ran in after him.
The goalkeeper held his position on the goal line. If Foggia's forward got to the ball, he'd face a serious test.
Just then!
A figure charged at Foggia's striker and battled him for position inside the penalty area, coming out on top.
The player who wasn't a center back but might as well have been was none other than San Remo's left defensive midfielder, Lu Yang!
Judging where a high ball would land was difficult.
Once Lu Yang gained the positional advantage in the physical contest, the opposing striker didn't rush. He simply kept the pressure on Lu Yang.
Because Lu Yang was facing another Foggia forward.
If Lu Yang miscontrolled the ball, Foggia's forward could simply accept his "pass."
Scenes like this were common on the pitch.
Chinese players miscontrolling the ball straight to the opposition were a dime a dozen.
Even players in top leagues struggled to control the ball under this kind of physical pressure.
So they usually just booted it clear.
But Lu Yang... made a completely different choice.
He stuck out his foot, trying to control the ball.
The commentator couldn't understand his decision. "Oh! We can see Lu Yang trying to control the ball. That's a very poor choice!"
"That's right. We all know Lu Yang has decent ball control for a defender, but controlling the ball under this kind of pressure is incredibly difficult. Even Moric wouldn't be able to control a high ball like this. Lu Yang, he..."
"If he makes a mistake, he'll practically be handing the opposition a goal!"
"It seems that by putting Lu Yang in midfield, Soto has unleashed his attacking instincts—but he's also opened Pandora's box. Lu Yang's playing style is becoming more and more dangerous!"
Before the words had even left his mouth.
The ball came down.
And then...
It didn't bounce at all.
Instead, the ball stuck to Lu Yang's instep as if his foot were coated in glue.
It was a perfect, world-class first touch!
Marcelo's Instep Trap!
Then Lu Yang flicked the ball lightly over to Rondo, who had fallen back to the defensive line. He hadn't cleared it, but he'd made a brilliant last-ditch save in front of goal.
Rumble!
The stands erupted in applause.
Lu Yang hadn't let everyone down. He always managed to play beautiful football.
"I feel like we have five defenders now!" Tom exclaimed.
Soto nodded. "In fact, Lu Yang can defend as well as a center back from the defensive midfield position, so... we really do have five defenders!"
It was just like when Moric played as a lone defensive midfielder earlier. Besides organizing the play, he also had to help Lu Yang defend.
Lu Yang still had defensive duties at left defensive midfield, but they were no longer mandatory. That gave him more room to work with.
That was the biggest difference between this position and center back.
Geniuses shouldn't be held back.
Even top strikers were starting to run all over the pitch.
In the twenty-eighth minute of the first half, the effects of San Remo's formation change became clear.
Lu Yang won the ball in midfield and passed it to Moric, who sent it to the right midfielder.
The right midfielder passed it back to Moric. By then, Moric had already made a forward run to shake off his marker, and he passed the ball to the team's right forward, who had dropped back to link up with the midfield.
The right forward passed the ball back to Moric and made a run forward.
San Remo's attack down the right opened up in an instant.
Foggia's defenders focused entirely on San Remo's right forward and Moric.
But Moric suddenly sent a long, lofted pass to the left.
Vedian was sprinting into that space.
He took the ball and was through on goal!
With an easy chipped shot, Vedian scored.
San Remo led 2–0!
Compared to their old counterattacking style, San Remo's attack had finally become organized.
The decoy attack on the right wasn't merely a decoy. If Foggia failed to keep up, Moric would pass to the right forward, who could cut inside or cross the ball, either way creating a dangerous attack.
After that, Foggia's players tried to launch counterattacks from the restart.
But down by two goals, they were getting impatient. They hadn't organized themselves properly before trying to break through San Remo's defense with a single through ball.
And Lu Yang and Rondo's defensive coordination in the midfield and back line repeatedly won the ball back.
The first half was drawing to a close.
San Remo's left flank was making waves again.
Moric sent another precise pass to Vedian.
But this time, Foggia's right back caught up with Vedian. Vedian passed the ball back to San Remo's advancing left back.
An opposing midfielder rushed over to intercept.
Yet Lu Yang had also made a run forward.
San Remo's left back passed the ball back to Lu Yang.
In Foggia's tiny right defensive corner, three San Remo players had suddenly gathered at once.
The opposing midfielder charged at Lu Yang, while Foggia's center-back came over to cover San Remo's left-back.
Foggia's defense was holding up well, and San Remo had no real openings.
By any normal person's reckoning, Lu Yang should have passed the ball back to Moric in the holding midfield position and let him reorganize the attack.
After all, Moric was the only player on San Remo who could create chances.
But Lu Yang nudged the ball a little to the left, looking as though he was about to drive to the baseline.
The opposing midfielder almost laughed.
That was far too obvious!
Lu Yang was certainly good at controlling the ball, but claiming he could beat a defender was a bit of a stretch.
He wasn't especially fast.
And when he did beat someone, he usually relied on a V-Pull.
As long as the opponent didn't rush in, Lu Yang couldn't dribble past him.
Otherwise, why did Lu Yang and Moric always beat defenders with give-and-goes, while Lu Yang never tried to take them on himself?
Because Moric had that ability, and Lu Yang didn't.
So Lu Yang couldn't cross from the baseline. He couldn't get past Foggia's midfielder.
To be precise, Vedian and San Remo's left-back, who were beside Lu Yang, also lacked the ability to beat a defender one-on-one.
Aside from his speed, Vedian wasn't much good at dribbling past opponents.
So Foggia's midfielder was certain Lu Yang was feinting toward the left byline before cutting back inside to the right, looking for a chance to pass or shoot.
After all, Lu Yang could shoot. If he managed to cut inside, he could take a couple of touches and fire from outside the right edge of the penalty area—and that would be dangerous.
No one had forgotten that Dipping Shot right after kickoff.
And sure enough, Lu Yang's body began to tilt to the right.
He was getting ready to break through in that direction.
It was a clumsy move, with no technique to it at all.
Foggia's midfielder quickly moved to block the space on Lu Yang's right.
But just then, the ball flew up from his right—that is, from Lu Yang's left.
It traced an arc that wasn't especially pretty.
But it was enough.
San Remo's unmarked striker leaped high and slammed the ball into the opposing goal with his head.
GOAL!
San Remo had blown them away in the first half, three-nil!