Wow! So Advanced! (Double Chapter)

"The broadcast camera cut to the VIP stands. We saw legendary Beatle Paul McCartney, whose father's generation had been Everton supporters."

"Amanda Holden, judge on Britain's Got Talent."

"Mary Berry, baking master."

"Everton fans came from all walks of life."

"All right, now to the close-up stands. A group of adorable girls in Everton shirts, sixteen to eighteen—the golden age. At this point, their faces had not yet filled out, and their hair was still thick."

"The close-up focused on sixteen-year-old Kelly. She was dressed casually today and currently played for Queen's Park Youth Women's Team. She was very talented, and it was said she might transfer to Arsenal Women in the winter. Her expression was... very confident, haha. She even pulled a face at the cameraman."

The commentator patiently introduced the spectators in the stands.

Coach Zhang could not get a word in and could only chuckle along.

The next moment.

Goodison Park erupted with thunderous cheers.

The giant flag bearing the UEFA logo was slowly removed from the pitch.

The officiating team led both sides out of the tunnel.

"Next, let us introduce the starting lineups for both teams."

"Everton lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation!"

"Goalkeeper: Howard."

"Defenders: Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Baines."

"Double pivots: Barry, McCarthy."

"Attacking midfielders: Mirallas, Naismith, Barkley."

"Forward: Lukaku."

"Wolfsburg wore their white away kit today and lined up in a 4-5-1."

"Goalkeeper: Benaglio."

"Defenders: Ricardo, Naldo, Knoche, Sebastian."

"Midfielders: Caligiuri, Malanda, Li Luo, Gustavo, De Bruyne."

"Forward: Bendtner."

"After many years, we were once again seeing a China player on the European stage!"

The pre-match ceremony ended.

Whistle!

With the referee's blast of the whistle.

The match officially began.

Wolfsburg had possession.

Bendtner kicked off and passed back into his own half.

Both teams' formations quickly interlocked around the center circle.

Nineteen-year-old Black midfielder Malanda was a little nervous. He had not played much for Wolfsburg before, but Hecking had given him one task for this match: "Whoever goes after Li, you go after him."

Where was Li?

Oh, oh, oh.

Li had crossed the halfway line and charged into the opposition half.

Before Li Luo had even received the ball, Everton's McCarthy was already grabbing and tugging at him.

Wherever he went.

McCarthy followed.

"Hehehe, Ireland international McCarthy joined Everton last year for thirteen million pounds. His number of interceptions and tackle success rate... ranked sixth in the Premier League last season."

"He liked physical battles and was highly aggressive."

"Oh dear, Li Luo and McCarthy both went down off the ball."

"The referee stopped the match."

Wolfsburg were still passing the ball around at the back, looking for the right moment to launch an attack, when they heard the whistle stopping play.

The LED screen suspended overhead showed the replay:

Li Luo took a quick step and accelerated, trying to make a diagonal run. McCarthy grabbed his arm but slipped, sending both of them tumbling to the ground.

The lip-reading experts braced themselves and began carefully deciphering the players' conversation on the pitch.

"Li Luo showed the poise of a master. He got up, raised his hand, pointed at McCarthy, and casually waved to the referee. 'It's fine. Just give him a red card.'"

"McCarthy had been about to give Li Luo a thumbs-up, but now he panicked and desperately tried to explain himself."

"The referee smiled and gave a verbal warning."

"The match continued."

Li Luo looked puzzled.

McCarthy silently made a praying gesture: the referee had nearly been fooled by that China kid. Fortunately, he had not picked up a card so early in the match.

Livestream chat.

-["It's fine. Just give him a red card."]

-[Hahaha.]

-[Everton's midfielders were tough, sticky, and always grabbing and tugging. What clingy little goblins.]

-[Yeah, they were built to counter technical midfielders like Li Luo.]

-[In a moment, as soon as Li Luo gets the ball, they'll turn up the intensity.]

The technical area.

Hecking shouted a reminder: "Malanda, protect Li!"

The assistant coaches chimed in as well.

Little Black Egg, the midfield workhorse, had one task tonight: protect the China prodigy.

On the other side.

Martínez looked completely assured: an eighteen-year-old technical prodigy, facing the Premier League's physical beasts... still needed another year or two to develop physically.

"Just freeze Li."

"Everton will easily launch transition attacks."

De Bruyne took the free kick quickly.

Li Luo took one touch and switched the ball to Caligiuri on the other side.

"Right flank."

"The engine down the wing."

"Caligiuri!"

Everton's fullback was clever. He quickly kept a certain distance from Caligiuri near the right edge of the penalty area.

He knew Caligiuri's preferred foot was his right, making it difficult for him to cut inside from the right wing.

"Block the inside lane."

"Caligiuri wants to go down the line... Everton's fullback closes him down."

"There was no way around it."

"Wolfsburg's wide midfielder could only pass back."

Smack.

The instant Caligiuri passed back, he immediately darted into the box. Unfortunately, Everton's fullback was no fool and stuck tightly to him.

Wolfsburg could not pull off a one-two.

They could only build again.

The tempo of the passing slowed slightly.

Everton's fullback immediately abandoned Caligiuri and narrowed the horizontal gap between himself and his defensive teammates again.

"Wow."

"So advanced."

"Over the past few years, Premier League teams, especially those in the middle and lower reaches, had progressed faster tactically than teams in other leagues—particularly in their use of fullbacks."

"Wolfsburg rebuilt the attack. De Bruyne switched play with a long pass."

"This time they went down the left, targeting Everton's weak side."

"Two against one."

Sebastian received De Bruyne's pass.

Little Black Egg—Malanda—quickly pushed forward, trying to support him and ready at any moment for an overlapping combination.

Everton's other fullback, Coleman, showed his class.

"Beautiful."

"At one seventy, Coleman had a low center of gravity and quick feet. He was especially good at defending against cut-ins."

"This time."

"He actually wanted to take on two by himself?"

Coleman bent low, turned side-on, lowered his center of gravity, and waited patiently.

He waited for Sebastian to accelerate.

He waited for the connection between Sebastian and Malanda.

Smack!

At the very instant Sebastian passed.

Coleman stretched out a foot and poked the ball away.

"Beautiful!"

"These upper-mid-table Premier League teams were far too ahead of the curve in developing fullbacks over the last two or three seasons."

"Counterattack!"

Livestream chat.

-[One against two, and he still won the ball?]

-[Those two Everton players were so skilled and smart, yet they played fullback?]

-[How else do you think they finished fifth in the Premier League last season?]

-[The age of the wings.]

-[With wingers being that strong, of course they produced outstanding fullbacks.]

-[Huh? Why was Everton's counterattack so pleasing to watch? It kind of felt like Arsenal?]

-[Martínez was Spanish. Technical counterattacking football.]

Hecking felt as though he had fallen into an ice cellar.

Martínez clapped vigorously.

Everton launched a flowing counterattacking storm.

"Mirallas!"

"He controlled it with his right foot and sent a long pass."

"The talented youngster Barkley helped his teammate stretch the attack!"

"Wow!"

"Lukaku controlled and carried the ball in one motion, shaking off Naldo and breaking through Wolfsburg's high defensive line!"

"One hundred and ninety-one centimeters, ninety-five kilograms, the twenty-one-year-old Belgium powerhouse striker!"

"He kept surging forward!"

"Little Beast!"

Lukaku had not yet put on weight at this point.

He was very fast.

Wolfsburg's young center-back Knoche was no fool. He chased with every ounce of strength he had.

Wolfsburg captain and goalkeeper Benaglio was no fool either. He loudly directed his teammates to seal the inside, while quickly adjusting his position to cover the near post himself.

Goodison Park.

The home stands erupted in cheers.

The away stands let out terrified gasps.

"Huh?"

"Why did Lukaku drift wide?"

"Why did he go down the outside?"

"Why did he drift wide?"

"Knoche might not have been able to stop you."

Carrying the ball to the outside of the penalty area, Lukaku lost his shooting angle.

He did not wait for his teammates.

Instead, he chose to force the issue with a powerful shot.

Bang!

The thunderous strike came screaming in! It forced goalkeeper Benatia into a clumsy spill, and the ball bounced on the grass inside Wolfsburg's penalty area. Fortunately, Knoche followed up in time and hoofed it clear.

The ball eventually drifted out of bounds.

Lukaku looked blankly around before turning to give his teammate a thumbs-up.

"Wonderful."

"Everton came within inches of scoring."

"Wolfsburg's defenders were very unified in their thinking and barely defused the danger."

Livestream chat.

-[Over 1.5 in the first half, is it doomed?]

-[There should be a goal. If an Everton teammate had arrived to support him, Lukaku would not have been forced so easily out wide.]

-[Why do I feel like Wolfsburg can't beat Everton?]

-[It'll be difficult.]

-[Everton, fifth in the Premier League, are at home and have Wolfsburg completely pinned down.]

-[Their flanks are being contained, while the middle is frozen out. Wolfsburg are in trouble.]

During the stoppage.

The Spatial Awareness module in his mind rapidly constructed a geometric model.

As Li Luo tracked back, he carefully reviewed Everton's tactical adjustments.

The issue on the flanks was too difficult.

What should he do?

As an outstanding midfielder, he should have tried to figure out how to break through the "hardest point," dismantle the opposition, take control of the whole match, and lead his team to victory.

But.

Li Luo decided not to dwell on the question of "how to break through on the flanks"...

De Bruyne stepped forward and said earnestly, "Li, don't take on too much work. I'll pass to you!"

"The match resumes."

"Coleman throws the ball in."

"Everton are preparing to launch a fierce attack."

"The talented youngster Barkley is dispossessed by Gustavo."

"The former Bayern Munich player is still solid defensively."

"Everton did not immediately press to win it back. Instead, they quickly retreated into position. Manager Martínez's football philosophy, I think, falls somewhere between Klopp's and Wenger's."

Gustavo passed the ball to Malanda.

Little Black Egg was somewhat flustered in midfield.

He had limited opportunities for Wolfsburg and had never been tasked with initiating a transition attack.

"What are you standing around for?"

"Don't waste the chance."

"Pass it forward."

"Nineteen-year-old Malanda still lacks experience..."

"Beautiful, he passes to Li Luo, who has dropped back diagonally."

"What a brilliant pass!"

Malanda's belief gradually strengthened. He understood what his task in attack was for this match.

Li Luo turned sideways, preparing to receive the ball.

His Little Black Egg teammate might not have fully settled into the match, and the pass was slightly poor.

At the same time.

Everton central midfielder Naismith charged over viciously.

Mirallas and Barkley on either side had also moved early, cutting off Li Luo's One-Touch Passing route forward.

He was surrounded.

Li Luo either had to pass back or break through head-on.

In that instant.

Countless fragments of memory surfaced in his mind.

[Kroos's "Front-Facing Reception Escape"]

Hecking was deeply worried.

Martínez was supremely confident.

Even Li Luo, who had swept through the UEFA Youth League final like a storm, could not shake off Naismith as he closed in at the very moment Li Luo received the ball.

No one could defy the laws of confrontation on the pitch.

Li Luo simply had no time to perform a complicated dribble.

Naismith would use his body to knock him down.

A single player's One-Touch Passing? Mid-table Premier League sides had ways to counter it.

"The Chinese genius's every weakness when carrying the ball in midfield has been exposed. Everything is under my control. Next comes..."

The next moment.

Everyone gradually wore stunned expressions.

Kroos's Front-Facing Reception Escape mindset, tempered by difficult matches in the Bundesliga, La Liga, UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Cup, and more.

Was about to shine brilliantly at Goodison Park.

It did not rely on close control.

Through Spatial Awareness, predictions of positional distance, and changes of rhythm, he performed movements simple to the extreme.

Like using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds.

"This..."

"What?"

The commentator sounded utterly confused.

On the pitch, Li Luo adjusted his body angle. At the instant he received the ball, he remained calm even as Naismith crashed toward him.

He dropped his shoulder and took a long stride.

His right foot stopped the ball in the opposite direction.

Snap!

His left foot pushed off to accelerate.

Man and ball strolled clear of Everton's midfield press as though out for a leisurely walk.

"Wow!"

"That was so advanced!"

"Utterly composed."

"Effortless."

"Naismith became a backdrop. His sprinting rhythm was disrupted, he lunged at thin air, lost his balance, and had to slow down awkwardly."

"Li Luo did not use any flashy dribbling moves."

"By calculating positional distance, controlling space, and using only the simplest changes of rhythm and misdirected control... he completed a Front-Facing Reception Escape!"

The commentator and Director Zhang fired off words in rapid succession, nearly incoherent with excitement.

Livestream chat.

-[That's insane!]

-[So damn cool. Front-Facing Reception Escape, man and ball together, while the breeze on the north bank of the River Mersey lifts his white shirt and black hair.]

-[Awesome.]

-[Li Luo's style is so cool, so advanced. He's ridiculously appealing.]

-[Hecking, an unmatched master manager. He made Li Luo abandon fancy dribbling and return to simplicity.]

-[Li Luo's Front-Facing Reception Escape is a passive dribbling technique, not an active one. We still haven't seen the Manchester United Crown Prince at his peak.]

-[Such a simple move? My son could do that anytime, anywhere.]

Goodison Park.

Applause surged like a tide.

Even Everton fans could not help crying out in amazement.

The technical area.

Hecking stared blankly.

Martínez looked panicked.

Everton's midfield shield reacted quickly.

They swiftly adjusted their positioning to cover the space behind Naismith.

Li Luo did not rush to pass.

After carrying the ball forward a few steps.

He played it out to Caligiuri, who had found space on the wing.

Then he suddenly accelerated, driving fiercely into the space between Everton's two lines.

"Caligiuri sees De Bruyne's gesture."

"Don't hesitate!"

"You can't force your way through down the wing either. There's room to pass now, so send it in directly!"

Snap!

The commentator sounded as if he were controlling a gamepad in his hands.

Before he even finished speaking.

Caligiuri swung in a direct forty-five-degree cross from around thirty meters out.

The ball spun violently.

It flew toward the edge of Everton's penalty area.

A tall, imposing figure appeared.

"Bendtner!"

"The six-foot-three Bendtner!"

"He flicks on the header, dropping it to Li Luo behind him!"

Everything happened very quickly.

Bendtner played the role of a classic target man, flicking the ball on with his head.

At the instant Li Luo received it.

Everton midfielder McCarthy threw himself forward like a flying "sandbag," smashing viciously into the Chinese teenager.

Something unexpected happened.

In that split second, Li Luo adjusted his body angle.

His right foot dragged the ball back.

Then the outside of his foot gently nudged it away.

His left foot pushed off the ground.

He dodged the opponent's physical collision in a "slightly awkward" manner.

His steps were nimble.

Yet the ball's path drifted a little.

The whole stadium was dumbfounded.

Again... again, that Front-Facing Reception Escape reduced to the absolute simplest form?

The commentator and Director Zhang had no time to praise him.

Because from the broadcast angle, they noticed that as Li Luo completed the escape, he had perfectly seized the gap exposed in Everton's defensive line.

Going with the flow.

The Spatial Awareness module caught the flaw in the opposition defense.

Wolfsburg's smartest teammate was about to make his run into position.

Snap.

At the instant Li Luo completed the escape, he made a small swing with his right foot.

The ball skimmed along the grass like a blunt blade, piercing Everton's defensive line.

"De Bruyne!"

"No adjustment, a first-time side-foot shot."

"Did he put it wide?"

"It's in!"