The Final 18-Man Roster, Broadcast Across Europe

"Why not a ten? Why only a nine point five? Lu Yang deserves a ten!"

"This is what a true genius looks like! Can you believe Lu Yang was only rated C before this?"

"No, he isn't just a genius—he's a powerhouse! He's a level above genius!"

"Forget Lu Yang for a second, Baizami is definitely not just a B-tier player either!"

"Moric is orchestrating everything, completely controlling the match while setting the team's tactics. His understanding of football is genius-level; he should be rated S!"

"And Soguer, that all-around center-forward—how can he not be an S?"

"If Aguilar can be an S, then Versace must be one too!"

"Honestly, the players on Team B are outstanding. They played a perfect game despite the adversity!"

"The players on Team A were disappointing. They put themselves before the team, which is unacceptable in football."

"My god, did you see that? Look at Lu Yang's distance covered!"

"14km! He ran almost twice as much as Aguilar!"

"An iron man, absolutely an iron man!"

"He doesn't look tired at all. I even think he was faster in the final minutes than he was at the start!"

"Sarvic hit 12km too. The running stats for Team B are equivalent to having an extra player and a half on the pitch compared to Team A! It would be a crime if they didn't win!"

The audience was completely conquered by Team B's performance.

This battle saw Lu Yang's rating jump to A-tier.

It also earned many players on Team B countless fans.

Likewise, Lu Yang received the random gift pack rewarded for winning the match.

He opened it.

He didn't believe it would be another defensive skill; if it were, the system would truly be bullying him.

"Ding! You have obtained a star-level skill: Cristiano Ronaldo's Knuckleball!"

Lu Yang's eyes lit up.

Ever since he scored a free kick in the thirty-eighth round last season, he hadn't stopped trying.

But the difficulty of taking free kicks was simply too high, and he lacked the ability to score them consistently.

Now, with the aid of this skill, he might be able to patch up this weakness.

At the very least, when Moric wasn't having a good day, he could step up and give it a try.

As time passed, the viewership ratings for Star of Italy continued to soar.

It wasn't just football fans; many people who didn't even watch the sport were captivated by these young men playing the game.

On the other hand, with the final three matches approaching, all of Europe began to pay attention to the show, especially the English.

This was because the teams the Star of Italy Team was set to challenge were all from England.

Meanwhile, players left the Star of Italy Training Camp every day, until only eighteen remained.

On the day the squad was finalized, Lu Yang was elected team captain by a landslide vote.

Under the advice of the five mentors, the team settled on their formation.

352!

The backline was anchored by Lam, providing relative stability.

Lu Yang and Moric formed a double pivot, working efficiently and covering the half-spaces inherent in this formation.

Sarvic played as the advanced midfielder, but based on his playstyle and Lu Yang's, the two would likely swap positions frequently, creating different styles of central penetration.

Of course, the attacking organization of a 352 formation is relatively simple, leaving little room for variation.

The true trump card of this formation lies in the two wing-backs.

Players in these positions must be wingers when attacking and full-backs when defending. If their ability is high enough, they can create a corridor down the flank, but if they are weak, the formation loses all offensive threat.

As for the Star of Italy Team, both left wing-back Ceballos and right wing-back Canyes were legitimate S-tier players; few among the youth ranks were better than them.

Soguer and Parrott served as the dual strikers—one tall, one fast—a classic combination.

Soguer was responsible for acting as a pivot or a threat in the air.

Parrott served as the clinical finisher, capable of killing the game with a single strike.

Baizami waited on the bench, serving as a secret weapon.

Naturally, this was a move born of necessity.

Although Baizami possessed extreme speed, his inability to coordinate with his teammates was truly fatal.

Any attack down the flank where he was present would almost certainly be stifled, lacking any combination play or fluidity.

Therefore, Baizami was only suitable to come off the bench, typically when the team needed to throw everything they had into a desperate final push.

This lineup has sparked heated discussions across European football.

France's France Football: Monaco's Ligue 1 supernova Ceballos leads an alternative Italy National Team to England. A terrifying lineup has been unveiled—can they flap their devilish wings and slaughter the EFL Championship side Millwall?

As the top "black shop" among the big five leagues, Monaco has achieved terrifying profits in the transfer market over the past decade, far exceeding the traditional impression people have of such clubs.

They have a knack for discovering and nurturing young players.

And Ceballos, without a doubt, will earn Monaco another massive payday.

Germany's Kicker: Led by Dortmund's target, the Porto demon forward Parrott, an alternative "Italy U19" takes on England U19. The show is about to begin—who are you rooting for?

The term "alternative Italy U19" was first coined by Kicker and has since gained widespread recognition.

Although the Star of Italy Team includes players like the twenty-two-year-old Parrott and the twenty-one-year-old Soguer, the presence of Lu Yang brings their average age down to exactly nineteen.

Comparing them this way, it's hard to say who is bullying whom when they face England U19.

Spain's AS: Juventus youngster Canyes has a bright future ahead as he leads the Star of Italy Team against England. It is reported that Barcelona is scouting this young player, who is capable of playing as a right-back, right-wing-back, and in several other positions.

Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport: Milan youth product Soguer leads the starting lineup, Viola youngster Versace serves as the attacking midfielder, and Young Soto's protégé anchors the defensive midfield. This lineup might become reality in five years!

Italy's Tuttosport: The dual cores of Italy have returned; Young Maniero and Young Soto are igniting the light of Italian football's revival! The Italian Football Federation needs to hurry up and naturalize Moric!

The phrase "dual cores of the Italy National Team" gained instant and widespread consensus, but at the same time, a problem emerged.

England's The Sun: Ethnic Chinese, Croatians, Senegalese... Italians form an international mercenary army to challenge England U19, but England U19 will still achieve the final victory!

See that? The problem lies in the fact that... several players on the Star of Italy Team do not hold Italian citizenship.

For instance, Baizami is a Senegalese player.

And Moric is Croatian.

Of course, even for an ethnic Chinese Italian like Lu Yang, there is room for choice; he may not necessarily join the Italy National Team in the future. His ethnic Chinese identity gives him a chance to obtain a Chinese passport down the line.

Therefore, The Sun calling the Star of Italy Team an "international mercenary army" is a form of mockery.

But in reality... comparing the Star of Italy Team to England U19 is actually a bit unfair.

How long have the Star of Italy Team even been training together?

Moreover, they are not Italy's best young players; they are merely a selection.

There are many more formidable young players who have already entered the national team or are playing for major clubs, so they naturally don't need to participate in this variety show for exposure.

So, in fact, the Star of Italy Team can only be considered an Italy U19 B-team, not the truly top-tier group.

However, England U19 features quite a few players who are already competing in major leagues.

Players with the experience and strength of Parrott and Ceballos are top-tier for the Star of Italy Team, but they are a common occurrence in England U19—otherwise, how would you be selected for a national-level squad?

With the outside world in an uproar, the pressure on the Star of Italy Team naturally mounted.

Unknowingly, they found themselves shouldering the mission of Italian football's glory.

Originally, the three matches set by the production team were purely for publicity, and the results didn't really matter.

But now... the Star of Italy Team can no longer afford to lose.

If they lose, they will cause the entirety of Italian football to be looked down upon.

The consequences are too severe.

Coupled with the decline of Serie A over the past two years, the Italian people are even less willing to accept the fact that Italian football is heading toward decay.

Ever since Maniero and Soto left the national team, Italian football hasn't tasted victory in a long time.

This time, although it is not an official Italy National Team match, all Italians view it as one.

They do not want to lose.

In the dormitory.

The five of them, including Lu Yang, were still staying in the same room.

Before going to sleep, Versace suddenly brought it up: "So, Lu Yang, will you play for Italy?"

Lu Yang thought for a moment: "I don't know. My level isn't at the point where I need to consider that yet. Of course, some people hope I play for Italy, and others hope I play for my homeland. It's a difficult choice."

"But I think even if I play for Italy now, I will still play for my homeland in the future."

Versace laughed: "It doesn't work like that. Youth tournaments are one thing. Once you represent the Italy senior national team, you can no longer represent your homeland."

Lu Yang said: "FIFA is currently revising the clauses regarding national team eligibility. It is highly probable that this rule will change. After an eight-year cooling-off period, players might be able to represent another country in international competitions after changing their nationality."

Soguer laughed: "Eight years? Who can afford to wait that long? That's not realistic."

Lu Yang didn't say much more. He would see how things played out in the future. Who knows? By the time he is in his thirties or even approaching forty, he might still have the ability to serve his country.

After all, to put it bluntly, a forty-year-old top-tier European star could still be a starter or even the core of the national team!

Calculated that way, Lu Yang's professional career could span three or even four eight-year periods.

Everything is possible.

But everything is also unknown.

"What about you? Baizami?" Soguer looked toward Baizami.

"Of course I would rather play for Italy!" Baizami spoke his true feelings. His side was not wealthy, and having come to Italy, he had never planned on going back.

"Moric, what about you?" Soguer asked again.

His performance today was a bit strange.

It was as if someone were making him ask these questions.

"I want to go back," Moric thought for a moment. "My family is all in Croatia. They can't bear to part with me, and I can't bear to part with them either."

Moric's situation was different.

"But Croatia... it hasn't been very peaceful lately." Lu Yang, possessing a broad perspective, said, "I saw the news a while ago saying your country and... might start fighting. If war breaks out, Croatia won't be able to play international matches."

Moric was speechless for a moment, then thought and said, "Then I'd better bring them over sooner. Perhaps the only thing I can do for my country then is to donate more money. I should earn more money!"

Lu Yang nodded.

Soguer gradually smiled.

Likewise, after receiving the news from Soguer that both Moric and Lu Yang were not opposed to playing for the Italy National Team, Maniero also laughed happily for the whole day.

The dual-core Italian midfield really had the potential to reappear in the football world.

Although this title was currently just a gimmick by the media to grab attention, who could guarantee that years later, Moric wouldn't be as good as Maniero, or Lu Yang as good as Soto?

At the very least, Maniero was certain that Lu Yang had the opportunity to surpass Soto!

On July 7th, the entire Millwall team arrived at Juventus Stadium.

Two days later, the Star of Italy Ultimate Trilogy was about to kick off.

The entire city of Turin seemed to have entered the eve of the New Year; everyone was exceptionally excited.

The next three matches would be broadcast across all of Europe!

Almost everyone would be able to watch.

Many football legends from Italy and England stated that they definitely would not miss these three matches.

The Millwall players also issued a high-spirited declaration of war: "We are an EFL Championship team, a strong team in the second tier of English football. We aren't here to play house or film a show; we are here for pre-season integration training."

"We will treat the opponent as a real rival and take it seriously. We will never go easy on them, even if the opposition is a bunch of kids!"

Millwall's head coach was even more direct during his interview: "The most important part of a car is the engine. Our engine comes from the Premier League, has been selected for the England National Team many times, and is a well-deserved star player!"

"As for the engine of those kids, sorry, it comes from the Serie D, the fourth tier of Italian football. I really can't imagine what kind of great players could be born in such a league."

"We will win the match. As for the score, I will tell my players to ease up in the second half."

An arrogant and unrestrained personality, just like the impression English football gives people.

Crude, yet powerful.

Regarding this, the small-statured Moric had something to say.

Moric: "Although I am an engine from a lower league, my horsepower is high. I hope Millwall can keep up with our offensive, and don't say we are bullying the elderly!"

"As a team that was broken apart and reorganized, I don't think there is any difference between Millwall and us. Perhaps their players have more match experience and are stronger, but our players have more talent and flashes of brilliance. We are eager to defeat Millwall; we have the conviction to win, while Millwall is just here for pre-season training. Our match convictions are different, and the strength we erupt with will be different because of that."

"Dear fans, to use a quote from my good friend Lu Yang: I've seen this match, we won!"

Moric's response made the media exceptionally excited; everyone had another topic to hype up.

And so, for the next two days, various European football media outlets argued incessantly, making for a lively scene.

The arguing continued until... the match between Star of Italy Team and Millwall officially began!