A One-Man Football Game (Bonus Chapter, thanks to Alex and all book friends for the rewards, thank you)

When Team A and Team B submitted their lineups, all five mentors frowned.

Because Team A was not playing with Ceballos in midfield as they had expected.

They had actually chosen an extreme 3-4-3 formation.

It was clear that this was because Ceballos did not want to play a supporting role for others. He could play as an attacking midfielder or a winger, but a winger was obviously closer to scoring goals than an attacking midfielder.

Especially in a match against weaker opposition like this.

Maniero called Aguilar over to briefly explain the reasoning behind Team A's formation choice.

Aguilar said, "Our forward line is incredibly powerful. The trident formed by myself, Parrott, and Ceballos is enough to shatter any defense. And on our right flank, Canyes can also play from right-back to right-winger; he can form a perfect synergy with me, and we can create a Golden Right Flank Corridor!"

"Of course, Lam's defensive ability is very strong, and he is more than capable of taking on the heavy responsibility of guarding the backline. This is a formation that allows every player to unleash their true strength."

Aguilar clearly had some understanding of the 3-4-3.

This lineup was extremely aggressive; because of the increased number of players in the frontcourt, the passing lanes also increased, making it almost unstoppable when attacking.

But none of the five mentors showed a satisfied expression on their faces.

Soon, Team B's lineup was also submitted.

They were actually playing a 4-2-3-1 formation.

And interestingly, Baizami, who originally played on the left, appeared in the right-winger position.

This was a very clever adjustment, and it also highlighted Team B's main attacking flank.

The right flank!

Likewise, Lu Yang was invited over to explain the tactical philosophy of Team B.

Lu Yang said to the camera, "Based on the opponent's player configuration, we speculated that they would most likely play a 3-4-3 formation, so we made targeted preparations for this..."

"Wait!" Maniero interrupted Lu Yang, asking skeptically, "How are you so sure they would play a 3-4-3?"

Lu Yang smiled and said, "Because their team thinks they have already won this match, so everyone is thinking about how to showcase their greatest strengths and pad their stats. In this, Ceballos is crucial; he can oscillate between the frontcourt and the midfield."

"But we have studied Ceballos and unanimously agreed that he would appear on the left wing. Similarly, a three-center-back system has high requirements for the central defender, and Lam can obviously prove his presence through this method."

"The same goes for Canyes. As a right-back, he can play as a right-wing-back in this match, which also gives him the opportunity to achieve better stats."

Maniero nodded without saying whether Lu Yang's judgment was accurate.

Lu Yang returned to the tactical philosophy, saying, "Our team's defenders might be stretched thin dealing with their three S-tier forwards, so the double defensive midfield pivot formed by Moric and myself exists to protect the backline."

"At the same time, Moric can calmly organize attacks from the backcourt. Their lineup is strong in offense and the frontcourt, while our lineup is strong in defense and midfield."

"In addition, Baizami is our most explosive player, so it is necessary to avoid their right-winger Canyes."

Ancarelli asked, "So you are focusing on counter-attacking? Do you think you can hold off Team A's offense?"

Lu Yang smiled and said, "That's right, we can certainly hold them off. Because they simply cannot execute the true offense of a 3-4-3 formation! The strength of a 3-4-3 lies in having many players in the frontcourt and many passing options. But their best midfielder, who is skilled at distributing the ball, has gone to play left-winger—so who is going to distribute the ball?"

"The strength of a 3-4-3 also lies in the crisscrossing runs of the frontcourt players, which can effectively disrupt the opponent's defensive line, but I don't think their three forwards will do such collectivist work that doesn't benefit them personally. As I said, they are already pursuing their own stats; they have ignored the collective interest!"

Perotta then asked, "But do you think you can break through their defense? I have to say, Lam is truly outstanding."

The five mentors asked questions one after another, and the scene was much livelier than when Aguilar was there.

This was the difference.

The former made the five mentors feel that it was full of loopholes and not worth mentioning.

While the latter showed them many possibilities and made them willing to discuss them.

Lu Yang said, "Of course we can! Football is played by a group of people, not by one person. Their defensive end has a huge loophole, which is that they lack the soul of the defense in a 3-4-3 formation... a top-tier sweeping defensive midfielder!"

"The strongest sweeping defensive midfielder among the young Italian players is not on their Team A."

Perotta looked at Lu Yang.

Lu Yang said, "That's right, it's yours truly! Except for me, no one can save an immature defensive system! And even for me, I need Moric's help. Team A doesn't understand defense at all, or rather, they never even thought about defending."

"In addition, Baizami will be our breakthrough point; he will shred their left flank! The second key point of 3-4-3 defense is the pressing and counter-pressing by the frontcourt players, which makes it difficult for the opposing team to organize an attack in the first instance and break through them."

"But as I said before, Team A's forwards absolutely cannot achieve that level of pressing. So we should have many opportunities to break through their backline. And Baizami will be the sharpest dagger, stabbing into their heart!"

After Lu Yang finished speaking, Maniero and the others couldn't help but applaud.

"Judging solely from your presentation, you could even try to be a football coach in the future," Maniero joked.

Lu Yang retorted with a joke, "Then you'll have to help me appease your good friend Mr. Soto."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Lu Yang was implying that if he became a coach, there would be no place for Soto.

Truly interesting!

Soon, the match officially began.

When Team A and Team B saw the opponent's formation clearly, Team A was slightly shocked.

And Team B was slightly invigorated.

The match kicked off. Team A gained possession, and Aguilar dribbled the ball all the way, charging toward the left flank of Team B as if he intended to tear through their defense single-handedly.

However, he lost the ball three times in a row under the defensive pressure or interference of Lu Yang, causing the attack on his side to hit a dead end.

He could not break past Lu Yang in a one-on-one, not even during a match.

In fact, Canyes and Parrott possessed high professional standards; they appeared beside Aguilar in a timely manner every time. If Aguilar had only chosen to coordinate with them, it would not have been impossible to get past Lu Yang.

But Aguilar had no intention of coordinating at all.

A dignified right winger from Roma in Serie A, unable to get past a left defensive midfielder from the Italian fourth division?

What a joke!

Yet, he truly could not get past him.

This left Canyes, who had moved up to support several times, looking sullen.

Likewise, after Parrott came over to pull wide twice without receiving a pass, he chose to coordinate with Ceballos on the left instead, no longer coming to Aguilar's side.

Soon, Team A achieved results on the other flank.

Ceballos's dribbling and breakthroughs were excellent, directly blowing past Baizami, whom Lu Yang had stationed at the right-back position.

Versace was a midfield utility player capable of playing as a left-back on the other side.

As a forward, Baizami clearly could not stop Ceballos.

Moric moved to cover, but Ceballos accelerated, physically overpowering him.

However, this caused him to deviate from his original path, allowing Lu Yang, who had tracked back, to successfully intercept the ball.

Ceballos was not discouraged; instead, he exchanged a look with Parrott nearby.

Before long, Ceballos returned to the fray.

The steps were almost identical, except this time he spent a little more time getting past Moric.

But as Lu Yang rushed toward him, he delivered a cross, taking the shot directly.

Parrott, in the center, started his run instantly and successfully gained possession while battling the center-back, looking ready to take a shot.

But Lu Yang slid in from the side just in time, kicking the ball away.

Another perfect defensive play!

Lu Yang performed brilliantly in the match.

But the five mentors knew that Lu Yang could not hold on for long.

Ceballos was highly intuitive, Parrott had great chemistry with him, and with the distraction provided by Aguilar and Canyes on the other side, Lu Yang could not defend against everyone alone.

Yet, Lu Yang could not swap positions with Moric.

Because if Moric could not even stop Ceballos, how could he possibly stop both Aguilar and Canyes?

Especially Canyes, who was also very fast and could likewise physically overpower Moric.

Moric's defense was merely decent, whereas Lu Yang's was excellent; there was still a gap between them.

Finally, Ceballos dribbled forward again, and after drawing the defense, he suddenly sent a long pass to the other side.

Lu Yang was marking the advancing Aguilar, but Canyes surged forward to receive the ball, then sent another long pass into the center.

The two long passes showcased the wide vision and precise technique of both players.

Parrott seized the opportunity in the center, flying in to reach the ball and scoring with a header.

Team A led 1-0!

This was a perfect display of individualistic coordination.

It was somewhat similar to the goal scored by Uruguay against Portugal in the 2018 World Cup knockout stage.

However, that was a combination between two legendary strikers, while this was a combination between three top-tier young players.

But as Lu Yang had said.

Team A would also find it difficult to defend against Team B's attacks.

In the thirty-second minute of the first half, Lu Yang intercepted the ball and passed it to Moric with a one-touch move.

Moric launched a counterattack with a long pass that tore through Team A's defensive line.

Baizami received the ball, almost creating a one-on-one situation.

Unfortunately, it was thwarted by a Slide Tackle from Lam, wasting a great opportunity to equalize.

In the thirty-ninth minute, Moric pressured the opponent, and Lu Yang intercepted the ball from Aguilar before delivering a Weighted Spin Pass to Versace, the left midfielder ahead of him.

Versace attempted to dribble forward but failed to get past Canyes.

The gap between an S-rank player and an A-rank player was suddenly highlighted during the match.

But it didn't matter; Versace did not lose the ball. He chose to pass back and then made an off-the-ball run to the byline. The ball flew into the open space in the center, and Lu Yang took possession and broke through.

Canyes and a midfielder collaborated to defend Lu Yang, but they were pierced by a Low-altitude Passing move from Lu Yang. Versace reached the byline to receive the ball and sent in a cross.

Team B's center-forward Soguer struggled to compete against two center-backs in the penalty area, lacking the strength to prevail.

Lam reached the first landing spot first.

The gap between S-tier and A-tier players was reflected in the space between them.

In the finer details, the 1.85-meter Lam performed better than the 1.88-meter Soguer.

The dominance of Canyes and Lam forced Soguer to seek combinations with Baizami on the right wing.

However, Baizami failed to coordinate, causing possession to be lost two or three times.

This began to make Baizami irrational.

He lost the resolve to challenge Lam, choosing to pass backward on several subsequent opportunities, his sharpness gone.

In the forty-fourth minute of the second half, unable to establish an advantage in the front court, they were naturally pushed back by the opposition.

The Team B defensive line was crumbling.

Seeing this, Lu Yang knew it was time to help Baizami regain his confidence.

He swapped positions with Moric and appeared behind Baizami.

Baizami lost the ball once again, and Ceballos moved through the field as if no one was there. With the first half nearing its end, he decided to show off and attempted to see if he could dribble past Lu Yang.

Because he had never gained an advantage over Lu Yang before, this was a hurdle a genius player felt he had to overcome.

But Ceballos did not expect Lu Yang to press so quickly during his retreat, as if he had faced many speed-based players before.

He was dispossessed!

Ceballos immediately attempted to win the ball back.

Lu Yang performed a Knee-Tap Lift, coolly drifting past Ceballos.

The opposing midfield was effectively non-existent, and their flat defensive formation was pierced almost instantly by Lu Yang's dribbling.

Lu Yang dribbled at high speed.

The opposing left-center back rushed up first.

Lu Yang didn't slow down, instead executing a series of stepovers.

The center back couldn't react in time.

By the time Lu Yang pushed the ball past him, he stood there, dumbfounded.

Without exaggeration, Denilson's Stepover—who else could do it like that!

Near the edge of the penalty area, Lam and Lu Yang met in a narrow pass.

He was the only obstacle between Lu Yang and the goalkeeper.

Lu Yang continued his stepovers while slowing his pace.

But Lam didn't bite on the feints at all.

One of the basic qualities of a top-tier center back is to watch the ball, not the man.

No matter how you shake, I follow the ball.

Everyone thought Lu Yang's breakthrough would end here.

Unable to get past Lam, with defensive players closing in from behind, Lu Yang might not even have the chance to pass the ball back.

But in all fairness, this breakthrough by Lu Yang opened many people's eyes.

Ancarelli: "Didn't they say Lu Yang's dribbling and breakthroughs weren't good? How are these stepovers actually quite interesting?"

Carlisle: "He always has some unexpected little techniques."

Perotta: "But he should be out of options now. Dropping from high speed to a near-standstill, then trying to break through a young, top-tier center back like Lam is nearly impossible."

Taji: "Indeed, Lam's explosive power and speed are quite good; his explosive power is even better than Lu Yang's. Even as a center back, Lam is significantly better than Lu Yang in terms of comprehensive ability."

Just after these few had spoken.

The slowed-down Lu Yang suddenly launched an attack, using the outside of his right foot to push the ball, preparing to break through to the right.

The movement was very wide, clearly signaling a genuine attempt at a breakthrough.

But such a move seemed very reckless against a center back of Lam's caliber.

Did he really think Lam was the same rookie who rushed up earlier?

As mentioned before, Lam's explosive power was no worse than Lu Yang's!

He decisively went in for the tackle.

It looked as if he was about to strike the ball.

Suddenly, Lu Yang flicked his foot, touching the ball with the inside of his instep. The ball, which had been heading right, suddenly snapped to the left, brushing past Lam.

At the same time, Lu Yang planted his right foot, using it as a pivot, and unleashed his full explosive power to dash to the left.

Flip Flap!

These three words appeared in everyone's mind.

However, it wasn't that Lam hadn't seen a Flip Flap before, but one with such a wide range of motion was truly rare.

To control the ball, a normal person would keep the interval between the first outward flick and the second inward flick of a Flip Flap very short; while this still executes the move, its deceptive power is not actually that strong.

A truly top-tier Flip Flap is one where there is a significant time and distance gap between the first and second touch.

Theoretically, this kind of Flip Flap is impossible to defend.

It works on the same principle as the crossovers used by top-tier NBA players.

If I go to your right, will you defend it?

If you do, I'll use a crossover to go to your left.

And once you have committed to a defensive action, you cannot keep up with him.

You don't defend?

Fine, then I will truly go past you on the right!

This is an open conspiracy!

This is the Flip Flap of the Football Elf, Ronaldinho—the Dragon Tail Flick!

The Flip Flap Lu Yang just executed was a god-tier move, an unstoppable Flip Flap.

If Lam hadn't extended his foot just now, Lu Yang wouldn't have whipped out the second half of the Flip Flap, but would have simply broken through to the right.

This is one of the secrets to why Ronaldinho is so hard to defend.

That is why, many times, the defensive players easily bypassed by Ronaldinho didn't necessarily fail to anticipate his direction; it was just useless even if they did.

Lu Yang shook off Lam and unleashed a thunderous shot.

The ball slammed into the net, unstoppable!

GOAL!

The players on the Team B bench jumped up in excitement, one by one.

It seemed they might not necessarily lose after all?

Many readers feel that this book updates slowly, and Fat Peach must explain a few things here.

Firstly, each of Fat Peach's chapters contains four thousand words, which is about the same as two chapters from many other authors. For example, today, the two chapters combined total nine thousand words.

Secondly, because this is currently the new book period, everyone's updates are basically four thousand words; this is a matter of Qidian's workflow. Compared to many books that start making money after a few tens of thousands of words, books on Qidian need to be written to nearly three hundred thousand words before they can start turning a profit. For the author, the early stage is already very difficult to endure, with nearly two months of zero income. If we could, we would also hope to burst-update earlier and earn money sooner, so we hope everyone won't be anxious. Once we get through this period, you all can decide how much we update.

The third point is that after the book goes live, we will definitely have burst updates, so there is no need to worry about update frequency or the pacing of the plot.

Finally, let's talk about the content of this book. Fat Peach wants to write a football story with rich content; I won't say it's something never seen before, but I strive to make it different from previous football novels and bring a sense of freshness to everyone.

Our focus is definitely on football matches, but there should also be other interesting things happening. Of course, Fat Peach guarantees that no matter the plot, it will have its satisfying moments and will keep everyone entertained.

In short, writing well is Fat Peach's job; you don't need to worry. As long as you enjoy the happiness this book brings, Fat Peach will be satisfied.

Lastly, thank you to every reader for your support. You are the important reason why this book can be written better, longer, and faster. Thank you!