Moric-Brand Turbocharged Engine

"They can't stop you at all! Brother!" Lu Yang rushed toward Ceballos to encourage him.

"You're simply a sharpshooter!" Ceballos hugged Lu Yang back, and then everyone else came over to celebrate.

This goal clearly eased the tension among the Star of Italy Team players.

They were capable of breaking through the opponent's goal.

This was crucial.

Of course, Star of Italy had their own troubles; their passing and control game wasn't working today.

Many people think passing and control is just about constant passing.

But in reality, control is the core.

Often, to achieve the effect of passing and control, one must have the ability to hold the ball, and the awareness and skill to steady the play when the opponent isn't pressing.

One must be able to maintain possession when the opponent is pressing.

This requires technique, movement, and... physicality!

But right now, the Star of Italy Team clearly couldn't manage that.

Especially when the opponent pressed collectively, no one could control the ball; even Moric couldn't withstand the opponent's collisions.

Lu Yang was steady enough, yet he had just been knocked down by the opponent while trying to settle the ball.

So, for the remainder of the match, the Star of Italy Team continued to struggle.

Moreover, their aerial defense was truly helpless.

The opponent's number eight player once again stole the ball from Ceballos, then played a one-two with their right forward to bypass Lu Yang.

This time, Lu Yang failed to defend against two players successfully.

He was a man, not a god.

The opponent's right forward sent in a cross.

The opponent's big center-forward once again scored with a header over Lam.

A brace!

Millwall took the lead once again.

Their head coach nodded; this big center-forward was their primary signing in the summer transfer window, brought in to replace another star striker who had been poached.

Now it seemed the results were quite good.

Although Millwall would be weaker this season, staying in the EFL Championship shouldn't be a problem.

If they could take the opportunity to steal a win in the FA Cup or League Cup, reaching the quarter-finals or even the semi-finals, it would basically be another successful season.

By then, the ticket to a big club would be all but ready.

On the pitch.

After taking the lead, Millwall didn't get careless this time; they used brutal, hard-nosed defense to once again break the wings of Star of Italy.

It was too aggressive!

Even Star of Italy's big center-forward Soguer was starting to fear entering the penalty area.

Damn it, the opponent's physical contact really hurt when it hit his body.

After this match, he estimated he would have quite a few bruises all over his body.

It was no wonder that football media and coaches nowadays didn't recommend young players to play in the English leagues, suggesting they go to Ligue 1, Eredivisie, or Primeira Liga instead.

The English football scene really wasn't a place for humans.

It was full of tanks!

Star of Italy's offense was paralyzed once again.

And having learned from the previous lesson, it was now very difficult for Lu Yang to help Ceballos attract defenders.

Lu Yang could roughly withstand the opponent's collisions, but it was a fifty-fifty split; it was hard to say he had any advantage.

Just as the first half was nearing its end, the struggling Moric had a flash of inspiration, unleashing his signature quick half-turn pass-shot!

Most players wouldn't expect a player with his back to the goal to suddenly strike a pass-shot.

Millwall's defense wasn't actually very tight; their midfield was pierced in an instant, and their defensive line couldn't keep up.

Lu Yang appeared in the same area as the previous goal and fired a furious shot again!

Yes, it was Lu Yang again!

The chemistry between Moric and Lu Yang was just that terrifying.

When he made the pass-shot, Lu Yang was running, but he hadn't created an opening yet.

But Moric simply trusted that Lu Yang would run into that gap.

Similarly, when Lu Yang was running, Moric hadn't even received the ball yet, but Lu Yang trusted that as long as he ran into the open space, Moric's pass would arrive.

One dared to run, and the other dared to pass.

An excellent opportunity emerged.

BOOM!

A Cannon Shooter combined with a Rising Shot—unstoppable!

BANG!

Unfortunately, fate was not on their side.

The strike hit the crossbar dead-on, and the ball rebounded.

The entire stadium sighed.

They weren't necessarily fans of the Star of Italy Team; they simply felt that such a spectacular shot deserved to be a goal.

But the crisis had not been averted.

The ball bounced toward Soguer, who had pulled out wide.

He battled against the opposing center-back, secured a favorable position, and unleashed a Volley Strike without even taking a touch!

Perhaps the physical challenge had been too intense, however; he made contact, but couldn't put any power behind it, and the ball lacked pace.

The goalkeeper reacted in time, but because of the heavy spin on the ball, he chose to parry it away for safety.

Just when the Millwall players thought the danger had passed.

Parrott, who had been lurking near the penalty area and serving as the Right Shadow Striker today, successfully pounced on the loose ball and fired a Low Drive.

The ball successfully threaded through the legs of several players and entered the net!

The Star of Italy Team equalizes just before halftime!

The score is two-two!

"Goal! Parrott has come up big! Did the Porto coaching staff see that? They should have started Parrott; he possesses an unparalleled nose for goal! He knows how to be in the right place at the right time—he is a true finisher!"

"Of course, Soguer's performance on this play was also magnificent; he nearly scored himself! His ability to hold up play is reliable! Being able to get a shot off under those circumstances is a testament to his ability in itself!"

"Lu Yang's tireless movement has finally been rewarded, and his cannon-like shooting is terrifying. So, trouble is coming for Millwall—do they dare to leave Lu Yang this open in the second half?"

"If they leave him open, they'll definitely concede! If they don't, who can keep up with Lu Yang running back and forth across the pitch like that? Does Millwall have such an iron man?"

"Finally, I must praise the brilliance of Moric's pass. He is so gifted offensively; this kind of instantaneous transition ability can dismantle any defense. He is the perfect transition engine!"

"Before the match, the Millwall manager said Moric was a low-grade engine, but I'm afraid he won't think so now. Even the once-popular mega-automotive brand General Motors acquired their turbo engines by buying out smaller companies."

"Moric is exactly that kind of turbo engine! He has the ability to accelerate the tempo of the attack, again and again!"

The commentator exhausted his vocabulary of praise.

Because these young Italian players truly deserved his acclaim.

Despite being at a comprehensive physical disadvantage, they played with dignity.

"What are you doing? Are you playing house? We are an EFL Championship team! We are the FA Cup runners-up!" The Millwall manager shouted furiously at his players in the locker room. "You aren't children anymore. Can you just finish this match cleanly in the second half?"

"Especially their number 24—I don't want to see him roaming around our half anymore! Mark him to death!"

The manager looked at the number 8, their defensive specialist.

"But... if I follow number 24, what about their number 7? His dribbling and penetration are still quite strong," the number 8 said, looking concerned.

"Do you think he'll even dare to try and penetrate? If he does, it means the player marking him isn't putting enough pressure on him! So, do you know what to do?" The manager let out a cold snort.

The number 8 and the team's right-back nodded repeatedly.

Similarly, in the Star of Italy Team's locker room, Lu Yang and Moric were conducting a halftime summary.

Maniero and the other four mentors were also in the locker room, but no one spoke.

They were only responsible for providing data analysis that the coaching staff would provide to the team, nothing more.

This was a match that belonged to these young men.

Moric was reading the match data, while Lu Yang spoke to his teammates: "Ceballos, Canyes, you two must push forward in the second half. Especially you, Ceballos—I want you to exhaust your stamina before the 70th minute! I will keep making runs to support every one of your attacks!"

Ceballos frowned. Was Lu Yang planning to sub him off after 70 minutes and bring on Baizami?

"That's not an easy thing to do," Ceballos said, pointing to the bruises on his body. "They are too violent; my body won't be able to take it."

Lu Yang said, "Do you know what the biggest weakness of the English is?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Lu Yang said, "They lack endurance!"

After a moment of stunned silence, everyone burst into laughter.

The tense atmosphere was somewhat dispelled as a result.

Lu Yang waved his hand and said, "Of course, that's just a joke. They have players with great endurance, but... most English players show signs of premature aging because they don't pay attention to their diet and engage in excessive partying. This is very similar to some South American players."

"The Millwall players are either new arrivals or veterans who have long since passed their physical peak. Perhaps they are stronger because of it, but their stamina and speed are nowhere near what they were when they were young."

"In the second half, they won't be able to keep up with us!"

"Ceballos, you have a habit of keeping the ball close when you push forward. That is a technical strength, but against today's defenders, kicking the ball ahead and chasing it is a better approach. It protects you and allows you to truly shake off your markers."

Lu Yang offered his advice.

At this moment, Moric spoke up: "Their left-sided player is the core of their attack and possesses superior ability. Canyes, just stick to defending with us for the second half. On our side, Canyes and Parrott will feint, while Ceballos leads the attack. Try to cut inside as much as possible; even if you don't have a shooting opportunity, strive to create as much disruption as you can."

"In the second half, our key to scoring will likely be set-pieces."

"I'm counting on you, Ceballos!"

"As for the backline... we can only pray for the best. They will definitely keep up the aerial bombardment, and our height disadvantage is glaring. There's nothing we can do about that."

Ceballos nodded solemnly.

This is the treatment afforded to a team's attacking core.

Everyone provides him with convenience and creates conditions for him, and he possesses countless opportunities to squander possession—or even the mandate to do so.

This feeling is exhilarating; at Monaco, what Ceballos envied most was their attacking core. He could only play second fiddle, serving as a key rotation player.

But now, he realized he had only seen others eating meat, not the beatings they endured.

At times, an attacking core must accept immense challenges.

And even knowing you will be clobbered, you must still charge forward.

This... is too difficult.

Ceballos glanced at Baizami, hoping only that this brother could sub him off early; otherwise, he might genuinely end up with a broken leg.

Maniero and the others listened in on this halftime analysis and nodded at each other.

From a tactical perspective, Lu Yang and Moric did well.

They achieved analysis nearly at the level of a true head coach.

However, there were a few things they failed to address.

First, if the key to scoring is free kicks, why was there no analysis or determination of free-kick tactics?

Second, they overestimated the courage of their attacking core, Ceballos. Even if he were brave, the impact of the first half would make it difficult for him to perform well.

Third, they didn't counter the opponent's aerial bombardment tactic, choosing instead to resign themselves to it.

In fact, if the opponent likes to Cross from the Baseline, why not block the flanks and try conceding the middle to see if it yields better results?

Of course, these kids are all very young, and they have already done quite well.

And... Maniero knew that there were things Lu Yang and Moric wouldn't—and couldn't—say.

In actual matches, they would be even smarter than they were now.

That is often the flash of brilliance that belongs to a genius!

The second half began.

Ceballos did indeed attempt two breakthroughs.

But the results were far from pleasant.

He was knocked down once, and the other time he created a harmless free kick.

After that, he didn't continue to sprint; he needed to catch his breath.

On the other side, the Star of Italy Team's attack indeed originated from that flank.

Moric, Canyes, and a right center-back—the three of them failed to stop the opponent's left-sided offensive.

On one hand, none of the three were defensive stalwarts.

On the other hand, the Millwall left-sided player had some real quality.

Soon, another Cross from the Baseline occurred. Although the opposing center-forward didn't have a chance to head it in this time, he flicked the ball on, allowing the outside midfielder to score with a long-range shot.

Three to two!

Millwall took the lead for the third time in the match.

This infuriated Ceballos. After the kickoff, he began charging at the opponent's defense again and successfully broke through.

The opposition swarmed Ceballos, but he transferred the ball to the other side with a cross.

Parrott held the ball, passed it back to the overlapping Canyes, and then made a run to draw away defenders.

Canyes successfully reached the baseline and delivered a beautiful cross.

Soguer leaped high for a header, but it was blocked by an opposing defender.

Applause rang out around the pitch.

Star of Italy had finally executed a beautiful tactical attack.

As long as they could achieve this, whether or not they scored was, in fact, already a success.

When a coach judges whether a player can execute his tactics, this is exactly what he looks for.

As for the goal...

Leave it to God.

Outside the edge of the Millwall penalty area, Versace controlled the ball, but with multiple opponents rushing toward him, he had no opportunity to attack and could only pass the ball back to Lu Yang.

Many people sighed in regret.

Under normal circumstances, the attacking side would have to reorganize the offense at this point, passing the ball back a few times before redistributing it to the players on the flanks.

However, those with sharp eyes suddenly realized a problem.

Why was it Lu Yang receiving the ball out there?

Where was that little guy, Moric?

Lu Yang, facing the oncoming ball, did not trap it; instead, he kicked it straight back out with a single touch.

A ground-ball through pass zipped past Versace.

It threaded between the feet of three defenders, appeared inside the penalty area, and rolled toward the penalty spot.

Such a counter-intuitive and risky pass could only belong to one person... the through ball of Golden Wolf Guti!

This kick was almost the only path in front of Lu Yang that could pierce the defensive line.

This was a genius-level pass!

The Millwall goalkeeper felt his heart tighten and decisively charged out.

However, just as the ball reached the penalty spot, a foot touched it first, poking it toward the goal.

The goalkeeper missed.

The ball was already bouncing joyfully inside the net.

The goalkeeper looked up and saw the sweat-drenched, smiling face of Moric.