On the pitch, Turris's right back was still running his mouth, but everyone knew he had indeed kicked Lu Yang in the ankle.
Stepover moves were especially good at drawing fouls from opponents, particularly when they lunged in carelessly.
That run through midfield and cut inside that Lu Yang had just pulled off made him look like a completely different player—razor-sharp and incredibly efficient.
He ignored the other man's protests, picked up the ball, and walked over to the penalty spot.
There was no doubt about it. Lu Yang would take the penalty himself.
And no one on the San Remo team objected, not even Rondo, the team's first-choice penalty taker.
Rondo knew this was Lu Yang's game.
Lu Yang never stole anyone else's moment of triumph. But when a match fell into difficulty, he was always the first to step up and take responsibility for everything.
That was Lu Yang.
Watching Lu Yang prepare to take the penalty, Maniero shook his head in the stands. "I suddenly don't think I can bear to watch."
Carlisle took a deep breath. He wasn't even this nervous when he took penalties himself. "Are you worried San Remo will lose?"
Maniero shook his head. "I'm worried about the look of frustration on Lu Yang's face if San Remo loses. That feeling is enough to make you want to die. I know it all too well."
Latuidi said, "You're afraid he won't be able to handle it? If he can't accept even this, he might as well give up football now."
"He can accept any result," Maniero replied. "But I'm afraid that afterward, he'll lose his relentless drive to chase victory and keep fighting for it. If that happens, world football will be the poorer for it!"
The people around him fell silent. They couldn't understand why Maniero thought so highly of Lu Yang.
Yes, there was no shortage of people in this world who were sincere.
But how many could remain sincere and keep pursuing victory even after a defeat?
After his team was eliminated, Hazard chatted and laughed with the opposing players. They were his friends, of course, but was he still chasing victory with the same conviction in that moment?
The eyes were the windows to the soul.
Only two people could show that kind of determination in every match.
One played football, the other basketball.
One was still fighting. The other had left without warning because God wanted to watch a basketball game.
Bang!
There was no unnecessary showboating.
Lu Yang struck the ball hard, sending it straight into the top-left corner.
Even if the goalkeeper had guessed correctly, there was no way he could have saved that penalty. As it was, he guessed wrong.
Lu Yang sprinted into the goal, grabbed the ball, and ran toward midfield.
The match had reached the eighty-sixth minute.
"GOAL! Lu Yang scores from the penalty spot to pull another goal back for San Remo! They're now trailing three to two. Lu Yang has shown us what it means to be tough in this match. San Remo have shown tremendous spirit. Even in defeat, they have nothing to be ashamed of!"
"If they hadn't been hit by an injury crisis in the final two rounds, losing three starters in a row, San Remo might not have lost today! What a shame!"
Beep!
The match started again.
San Remo launched a furious pressing assault.
Turris, meanwhile, abandoned their previous attacking approach and began defending and running down the clock.
There wasn't much time left. All they had to do was protect their lead and they'd be league champions. Why bother attacking?
Besides... ever since Lu Yang had come on, San Remo had been playing as if they'd received a shot of adrenaline, especially with Lu Yang's sweeping presence in midfield. He was frightening.
As Turris retreated, San Remo began to take control of the match.
Lu Yang began making repeated forward runs once more.
In the ninetieth minute, Moric threaded a through ball past three defenders and sent it to Lu Yang, who was making a forward run.
Lu Yang received the ball on the left side of the penalty area. Turris's right back hurried over to close him down.
Lu Yang repeated his earlier trick, circling his legs furiously around the ball.
Stepover after stepover!
This time, the Turris defender didn't dare lunge in, but Lu Yang's series of feints still pulled him off balance in no time.
Lu Yang seized the moment and performed a Drag Back.
It was the setup for a Knee-Tap Lift.
He pulled the ball backward while simultaneously poking it forward with the toe of his other foot.
This created the illusion that he was about to stop the ball, when in fact it was flying forward instead.
It fooled the defender and gave the attacker a golden opportunity.
The Turris right back was already on edge after Lu Yang's stepovers, jumpy and suspicious of every move.
When Lu Yang pulled off the Drag Back, the defender instinctively stuck out a foot to win the ball, but Lu Yang went straight past him.
Realizing he'd been fooled, the Turris right back tried to accelerate after Lu Yang. But his legs tangled as he pushed off, and he slipped and fell, legs splayed on the ground.
But no one was paying attention to him now.
Lu Yang had already struck the ball.
From the left side of the penalty area, he unleashed a thunderous shot!
The goalkeeper tensed up.
Would Lu Yang's shot be a Rising Shot or a Dipping Shot?
Lu Yang could do both, and they had completely different effects.
The goalkeeper couldn't tell which one it was from the ball's initial trajectory, either.
Both shots flew at the same height at first. It was only in the latter half of their flight that the curve became obvious.
By then, even a divine goalkeeper wouldn't be able to save it.
The goalkeeper instinctively raised his hands.
But the ball suddenly dipped, forcing him to drop to his knees.
He was too slow!
The ball had already shot between his legs and slammed into the net, sending up a glorious white spray!
"Oh my God! GOAL!"
"It's in! It's in, it's in, it's in, it's in!"
"Lu Yang has scored his second goal! After sending Turris's right back tumbling, he unleashed a thunderous shot. The ball went through the goalkeeper's legs and dipped into the net!"
"What a brilliant individual performance! In that moment, it was as if Serie A legends like Carlisle, Ancarelli, and Perotta had possessed him! He's not fighting alone!"
"That was an absolutely ferocious strike. He's given San Remo the faintest hope of winning the title!"
"San Remo have fought back to equalize! It's three-three, with six minutes of stoppage time remaining. San Remo still have a chance!"
"Turris played far too conservatively in those final minutes. They'll pay for their wishful thinking!"
"San Remo's other players may not have performed as well as Turris over the course of the match, but since Lu Yang was injured, San Remo have unquestionably had the upper hand."
"They've shown the fighting spirit of their players, like wounded beasts—fierce and powerful!"
"That's the second time Lu Yang has retrieved the ball from Turris's net today. He's playing through an injury, yet he only gets stronger as the match goes on. He deserves the respect of every football fan!"
"Oh, we can see Sophia on the sidelines celebrating Lu Yang's goal like crazy. Could this goddess have given him strength?"
"Perhaps Sophia doesn't know the jersey she's holding belongs to Lu Yang, and perhaps she doesn't even know who he is. But after this match, she'll surely fall deeply in love with him! Every San Remo fan will fall in love with Lu Yang!"
"He can do anything! He never gives up!"
The Turris players were getting nervous, too.
They could win, or even draw, but they couldn't lose.
As long as they avoided defeat, they would be champions of Serie D.
But if San Remo won, they would overtake Turris with 78 points and claim the top spot by one point.
There was no reason to hand over a championship trophy that was already theirs!
What's more, San Remo's goal after goal had made the Turris players furious all over again.
Did you really think you could win?
We just didn't want to push ourselves too hard.
If you're really going to force us to risk everything, then bring it on!
Turris substituted their right back. He had slipped and injured his thigh, and it looked like he wouldn't be playing football again anytime soon. Not everyone could overcome an on-field injury the way Lu Yang could.
After Turris kicked off, they began building attacks again, playing with plenty of grit this time.
For a while, San Remo's advantage disappeared.
The pitch became a meat grinder. Players from both teams crashed into one another, and neither side could keep hold of the ball for long.
Possession changed hands again and again in quick succession.
But as the match descended into chaos, Moric showed just how well he thrived in a scramble.
He rarely lost the ball. His reactions were quick, and he could release it fast.
Whenever his team lost possession, he was the first to charge in and win it back. In those three or four minutes of chaotic play, he was every bit as important as Lu Yang had been on defense.
With two defensive stalwarts driving them forward, the balance seemed to tip slightly toward San Remo.
"We..." Tom glanced at the clock. There was only one minute left.
"We can win!" Soto watched the pitch. "Both teams are all over the place, and their formations have fallen apart. No one can organize an attack. But... Moric can pass quickly. In a situation like this, his half-turn passes and shots can definitely expose gaps in their defense!"
Tom said, "But Moric's not consistent with that move. He gives the ball away a lot when he tries it, which is why he rarely uses it during matches."
After all, he had to look after his stats. Moric knew how important statistics were for young players.
Some coaching staffs even judged midfielders by their numbers instead of watching the game.
When it came to winning a match, one goal created by a pass that split the defense was worth more than anything else.
But from a midfielder's perspective, some people thought that completing more flashy passes made for better stats.
They were two different schools of thought. The latter was in the ascendant, and Moric couldn't overturn it, so he could only go along with it.
But deep down, the instinct to play a quick pass and shoot for the kill had never been ground out of him.
And so...
Bang!
Moric won the ball with his back to the opposition goal. Without even looking around, he quickly turned and struck a half-volley pass!
At first glance, it looked like a clearance.
But somehow, it found a pocket of space near the left side of the arc atop the penalty area.
Lu Yang had already made his way there.
He drew back his bow and aimed!
Thud!
Lu Yang missed the ball!
A Turris striker tracking back had brutally taken him down!
Lu Yang didn't roll around on the ground. He sprang straight back to his feet and rammed his chest into the other man.
The striker didn't back down.
A trace of sadness flickered in his eyes. "I did everything I could. You lost!"
Lu Yang raised a hand to stop his teammates from rushing over to confront the man. In the Turris striker's eyes, he saw the same thing he saw in his own.
A hunger for victory.
He had stopped at nothing, but he had made full use of the rules.
He knew what was coming, but he had done it without hesitation, all to stop Lu Yang's attack.
From Turris's perspective, that striker was the biggest hero of the match.
With a player like that on your team, you'd love him to death.
On another team, you'd hate him to death.
There were plenty of players like him. They were controversial, but they were utterly devoted to the game. The hard men in the major leagues were often just like that.
"You're good. You won't stay in Serie D or Serie C forever. I'll be waiting in Serie A for you to come beat me!" the Turris striker said. Then he turned and walked away.
Lu Yang froze. "I thought you were thirty..."
Diego Talista replied helplessly, "A lot of people think that. I've missed out on a lot of transfer offers because of it, but I'm used to it. We're on the pitch now. We can talk after the match. I'm interested in you too, tough guy."
Lu Yang said, "I don't have to wait until Serie A."
Talista frowned. "What?"
"I said I don't have to wait until I make it to Serie A to beat you. I'm going to win this match!"
Talista smiled. "You're crazy!"
Lu Yang said, "Watch from the sidelines. I'm terrifyingly good!"
With that, Lu Yang walked toward the wall, which was already in position.
"Moric, trust me!" Lu Yang looked at Moric.
Moric usually took the free kicks.
They were different from penalties.
Penalties tested your mental strength more, while free kicks demanded real technique.
A passionate heart wasn't enough.
"Should I pass it to you so we can try a set play?" Moric knew what Lu Yang wanted to do, but he'd already done more than enough today. It was time for the others to step up and take responsibility.
"Trust me!" Lu Yang put both hands on Moric's shoulders.
Moric looked into Lu Yang's eyes and nodded.
He trusted Lu Yang.
Lu Yang had said he'd seen this match before. They had won!
"Oh! The one standing over the ball isn't Moric—it's Lu Yang! What a surprise!"
"Lu Yang isn't known for his outstanding technique. Moric is the best at that in San Remo."
"But for some reason, I'm not surprised by this decision at all."
"After the match, plenty of people might criticize Lu Yang for ignoring the team's tactics and taking this free kick. But I say, this is Lu Yang!"
"From the moment he cleared the ball with his face, to the moment he stole it from under an opponent's feet with his head, to the moment he refused to be substituted despite bleeding all over his face, to the moment he argued with his head coach, Soto, to the moment he sat by the pitch and let the team doctor stitch him up right there... We knew this was Lu Yang!"
"He never leaves things to anyone else. Win or lose, he fights until the very last moment. He takes responsibility for everything he does!"
"Lu Yang is ready. He's starting to back up!"
"His steps are distinctive, as though he's measuring the ground with his feet."
"Five steps. Lu Yang has backed up five steps."
"His gaze is utterly resolute. Those eyes might be the most beautiful and captivating in the world right now."
"But to the Turris players, they might be the most terrifying eyes in the world."
All around the stadium, every sound fell away.
Everyone held their breath.
They didn't know why they were doing it.
They didn't even realize how desperately they yearned for a miracle.
Lu Yang took a deep breath!
Lu Yang ran up!
Lu Yang unleashed a ferocious shot!
Thump!
The ball soared high, sailing over the wall.
The goalkeeper had guessed right.
He'd figured that if Lu Yang was taking the free kick now, he must be confident.
Lu Yang had already shown so many sides of himself that he'd never shown before today.
He could take a superb free kick!
A smile spread across the Turris goalkeeper's face.
But the next instant, his smile froze.
The ball suddenly plunged from midair, swaying from side to side as its path became impossible to predict.
Everyone else might have seen the ball drop sharply.
But the goalkeeper saw it moving up, down, left, and right...
He had no idea where it would land, and the ball's erratic movement threw off his balance.
Thump!
Like a statue, the goalkeeper raised both hands, but the ball flew past him.
It was less a save than a surrender!
Behind him, white waves surged!
The next instant, the world was destroyed!!!
A quake as powerful as an eight-magnitude earthquake shook San Remo Municipal Stadium.
At that moment, it seemed all of Italy trembled for the black-and-white spirit that had appeared inside the goal.
The ball was in!