Unleashing an Italian Youth Storm

"My god! The Star of Italy Team has equalized for the third time! Their resilience is incredible!"

"This was a perfect tactical combination; the Star of Italy Team is showing their true colors!"

"But the most exquisite part was surely Lu Yang's through ball that pierced three defenders! No one expected him to pass the ball straight back instead of reorganizing the distribution."

"Moric's run was bold. He's been active in the backfield all day, and this was his first time pushing forward. Perhaps that's why the defenders ignored him, and he punished Millwall severely for it."

"I remember back in the Serie D, Lu Yang and Moric had a combination just like this. They have such chemistry! This is absolutely the golden duo for the future of the Italian midfield! Italians, what are you waiting for? I'll say it again: hurry up and naturalize Moric!"

"This attacking duel is truly more exciting than anyone imagined. These Italian lads are simply fantastic!"

On the pitch, the Millwall players were starting to sweat profusely.

They truly hadn't expected these young lads to have such stamina.

A team composed of normal young players usually has one distinct characteristic: they are either god-tier or complete disasters.

Once suppressed, they are very likely to lose all confidence and suffer a crushing defeat.

But no one expected the Star of Italy Team to be able to equalize time and time again; this kind of mentality is something many big clubs lack.

"Hang in there, they're already spent!" Lu Yang patted Ceballos on the cheek to help him stay focused, while signaling for Baizami to get ready.

Ceballos nodded. He didn't mind being subbed off, especially since he had been hoping to come off earlier in this match.

But as long as he was on the pitch for one more minute, he was willing to give everything.

He hadn't been this brave or selfless before, but... since Lu Yang could do it, why couldn't he?

In terms of physical duels, Lu Yang didn't do any less than him.

In fact, Lu Yang had even blocked many challenges for him and covered for him in defense.

In terms of running, Lu Yang definitely ran much more than him; Lu Yang was the player who had covered the most ground in the entire match.

The inspiration of character can also cause young people to burst forth with endless energy.

In the seventy-fifth minute of the second half, Lu Yang received a notification: his total distance covered had reached 10 kilometers, the first layer of the Perpetual Motion Machine effect was activated, and his abilities were boosted by three percent in all aspects!

This was good news.

A minute later, Ceballos successfully cut inside and was brought down near the edge of the penalty area.

Free kick!

Twenty-seven meters from the goal!

Highly threatening!

The players of the Star of Italy Team gave Ceballos a warm round of applause, as Ceballos was about to be subbed off.

His foot was already bruised from being kicked.

Baizami came on as a substitute.

Lu Yang, Parrott, and Moric discussed how to take the free kick. Moric was the team's first-choice free-kick taker, Ceballos was second, and Parrott was third.

But in truth, Parrott wasn't particularly skilled at free kicks; being the third-choice taker was mostly a gesture of respect for his status.

"I'm better at free kicks within twenty-five meters. I can generate curve and accuracy, but my foot power isn't enough to strike a very powerful shot from twenty-seven meters out," Moric said, looking at Lu Yang.

This was because in the final league match of the Serie D, Lu Yang had scored a stunning free-kick goal.

And this was exactly within Lu Yang's range.

"Then I'll take it!" Lu Yang stepped forward.

Moric stood by to assist him, while Parrott went to the edge of the penalty area to look for opportunities.

Lu Yang held the ball, checked the valve, and placed it on the ground. He then took five measured steps back, let his hands hang at his sides, and stared at the wall without blinking.

The movement made it look as if he were the one taking the shot.

The Millwall wall didn't pay much attention to Lu Yang. They had been playing for nearly a full match; how could they not know who had the best technique?

Lu Yang's technique was considered poor among the attacking players.

But the kid had good stamina and defensive skills.

With those two traits, he was even less likely to be the primary free-kick taker.

As everyone knows, good defense equals clumsy feet, and good offense equals soft defense.

"How will Moric take this free kick?" Taji asked.

"Lu Yang is going to take this one," Maniero said, shaking his head. "And there's a high probability it will go in!"

Taji was stunned.

Carlisle said, "He once scored a free kick."

"He scored one free kick, so what? Does that prove he has the ability to score from free kicks? Who hasn't scored a free kick in training?" Taji couldn't understand what the two were talking about.

Maniero said, "If you had seen that goal, you would know how dangerous Lu Yang's free kicks are."

Just as those words fell.

On the pitch, Lu Yang had already begun his run-up.

However, the Millwall players had their attention entirely fixed on Moric, who was preparing for his run-up behind the ball.

Bang!

Without any warning, the ball soared over the wall.

Lu Yang had taken the shot!

The ball traveled at incredible speed, rising sharply after clearing the wall, seemingly destined to fly well over the goal.

It looked like a shot that had failed to dip.

Completely harmless.

But in the blink of an eye, the ball began to plummet.

The Millwall goalkeeper tried to judge the ball's trajectory, only to find it dancing erratically in mid-air!

Perhaps the curve wasn't visible from other angles, but from the goalkeeper's perspective, it was crystal clear.

Thud!

The net rippled.

The ball nearly tore through the netting.

Lu Yang had scored a thunderous free-kick!

Star of Italy Team had taken the lead for the first time!

Four to three!

"Fuck! Why didn't you jump! Shit! You're playing like shit!" the Millwall manager bellowed, clearly dissatisfied with the wall's reaction.

The Millwall players had no way to explain their frustration.

With Moric standing right there, who would have believed that Lu Yang would be the one to take the free-kick?

"It's back! That bizarre, curving Knuckleball has appeared once again!"

"Lu Yang once scored a goal with this exact type of free-kick in the league! Millwall clearly didn't take Lu Yang seriously; if they had seen that goal, they wouldn't have been so negligent!"

"Star of Italy Team leads for the first time in the match! Can they hold onto it?"

While celebrating, the Star of Italy Team adjusted their formation according to their pre-match plan.

Lu Yang moved from defensive midfielder to left-back.

Canyes dropped from right midfielder to right-back, forming a five-man defensive line!

Versace retreated from the attacking midfield position to take Lu Yang's former spot, forming a double pivot with Moric.

Soguer, the big target man, pulled out of the penalty area entirely, looking more like an attacking midfielder.

Parrott hovered near Soguer, playing as a Right Shadow Striker.

The substitute, Baizami, pushed to the very front, playing as a center-forward leaning to the left!

It was a 5-2-1-2 formation. It was impossible for Lu Yang and Canyes to push forward anymore; they had almost completely abandoned the attack, and their intentions were crystal clear!

They were determined to park the bus!

They were determined to win this match!

This became even more obvious considering that Soguer, who could hold up the ball and withstand pressure, was positioned as the attacking midfielder.

Soguer wasn't there to organize the attack; he acted merely as a forward pivot to facilitate midfield passes, and ninety percent of the time after receiving the ball, his choice was to pass it back.

Parrott's roaming position was also far from the penalty area, instead staying close to Moric.

One could even argue this was a 5-4-1 formation with a midfield diamond.

This kind of extremely defensive, "turtling" style of play is something arrogant young players rarely resort to.

But the Star of Italy Team did it.

They didn't care about their pride; they only cared about winning.

The five mentors watched the formation change and couldn't help but chuckle.

Which genius came up with this?

Have they completely abandoned all shame?

In the eighty-second minute of the match, the second layer of Lu Yang's Perpetual Motion Machine effect was activated, boosting all his attributes by five percent, and his total distance covered exceeded 12km!

Millwall launched a desperate counter-attack; they could not accept losing to a bunch of kids with an average age of under nineteen.

Especially since two of these players had previously been playing in the fourth-tier league.

The atmosphere on the pitch grew increasingly heated.

The referee blew his whistle repeatedly, and Millwall had picked up three yellow cards in the last five minutes.

The Star of Italy Team also received two, one for Lu Yang and one for Moric.

Lu Yang's was expected, but who would have thought that little guy Moric could be so ruthless at a critical moment? That flying slide tackle was something else—even if he couldn't get the ball, he was definitely going to take the man!

Ceballos watched Lu Yang and Moric on the pitch, his heart struck by a profound shock.

As a talented player, he had always been well-protected and had never experienced a scene like this.

Shouldering others' tackles to break through, and sliding in to tackle others' breakthroughs.

Even the diminutive Moric could do it!

This made Ceballos feel ashamed of his own previous softness.

If he were given another chance, he would perform even better in this match!

BOOM!

Shrinking into a defensive shell was just waiting to be beaten.

Although Canyes had stopped the opponent from reaching the byline, when the opposition launched long balls into the half-space, the Star of Italy Team backline instantly struggled to cope.

If not for Lu Yang, the "left-back," rushing into the penalty area to help contest the ball, the team might have already conceded.

In the eighty-ninth minute of the match, Millwall launched their most dangerous attack yet.

They crossed from the half-space, and Lu Yang was tangled up with the Millwall right winger.

The Star of Italy Team's tall center-back was shoved by the opponent's surging midfielder, missing the header.

The Millwall target man was inches away from the ball.

Thankfully!

At the critical moment, Lam stepped up and cleared the ball in advance.

Moric was the first to reach the ball; without even taking a touch, he launched a long ball forward—a rapid counter-attack, turning defense into offense!

On the Star of Italy Team side, a black bolt of lightning began to sprint!

A counter-attack was launched in an instant!

When Baizami caught up to the ball, there were two Millwall defenders beside him.

But by the time he kicked the ball forward and caught up to it again, he had left those two far behind.

He was too fast!

Facing the goalkeeper, Baizami fired a shot into a difficult corner, successfully changing the score to five to three.

Baizami, killing off the game!

Four minutes later, the referee blew the whistle.

The entire Millwall squad hung their heads, silent.

As for the Star of Italy Team, all the substitutes rushed onto the field, and the whole team celebrated wildly.

They had defeated an EFL Championship team!

They had beaten a group of talented, experienced, and mature players!

They had conquered their own fear of physical combat!

"Victory! Victory! Victory!"

The entire audience joined in the chant.

In this match, Ceballos, as the attacking core, played his expected role. Utilizing his sharp breakthroughs and passing, he recorded two assists. Lu Yang's free-kick goal was created by Ceballos, which also counted as an assist; he was the team's primary blade!

Moric, with one goal and one assist, was the only player on the Star of Italy Team capable of creating threats through passing. If Ceballos was the attacking core, then Moric was the on-field core, shouldering both organization and defense.

Soguer's shot was saved before being tapped in, which also counted as an assist. His constant torment of the Millwall backline was a key factor in the team's victory.

Parrott scored a goal, but his movement drew much of the Millwall backline's attention; without his interference, the runs of Lu Yang and Moric would not have been so threatening.

Baizami earned a goal; he had distinct characteristics. As long as he was on the pitch, the opponent had to guard against his counter-attacks, or they would be punished.

Although Versace had no stats, his total distance covered was second only to Lu Yang, making him a true all-around warrior. He could handle every position and do every job well.

Lu Yang had two goals and one assist, covered over 13km, and was the player with the most tackles and interceptions. He dominated both offense and defense for the Star of Italy Team, helping the team in every aspect—he was the undisputed Man of the Match!

In the post-match interview, when asked by a reporter, Lu Yang replied: "I am very grateful for everyone's rating, but the Man of the Match should belong to every player on the Star of Italy Team. Ceballos is an attacking core. Monaco, you are truly blessed. You will make at least ten million on Ceballos, I guarantee it! Give him a starting spot, develop him, and he won't let you down!"

"Porto, don't hesitate. Parrott is the right answer for your center-forward position. He is a perfect finisher; he could win the Golden Boot in the Primeira Liga! Otherwise, he'll go to The Hornets and win the Bundesliga Golden Boot!"

"Liverpool, look at Lam's performance. He deserves a first-team spot. As long as you give him a tall partner, he can neutralize any attack in advance!"

"Maniero, please tell the Juventus president that Canyes is the greatest treasure of the Juventus youth team. He can make the Juventus right flank take flight!"

"As for Moric... I just want the Italian Football Federation to act quickly, otherwise he might join the Croatia national team!"

Lu Yang was so eloquent that the media expressed their satisfaction.

Some of the clubs Lu Yang called out even had sporting directors step forward to accept interviews, stating they were willing to consider Lu Yang's suggestions.

After all, this show, the Star of Italy Team, had become a massive hit across Europe!

Selecting a group of young people from the country to form a brand-new team and challenge a second-tier side, only to actually win.

Do not doubt it; this was something no professional player or coach would have believed before.

Club football will always be the highest level of competition in the sport.

Any club team in a secondary league possesses a level comparable to the national team of a football powerhouse.

This is even after accounting for the impact of those superstar players.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be a comparison, but rather superiority!

Yet, Italy has created a miracle this time.

Are their youngsters just that exceptional?

Is Italian football truly on the verge of a revival?

After the legends have aged, has Italian football finally found its own storm of youth?

All sorts of questions have been brought to the table because of this tournament.

More and more people are flying to Turin, eager to witness the clash between Italy U19 and England U19 in three days' time!