"The broadcast camera panned to the VIP stands. We saw Beatles legend Paul McCartney; his father's generation had been Everton supporters."
"Amanda Holden, a judge on Britain's Got Talent."
"Mary Berry, baking master."
"Everton fans came from all walks of life."
"Alright, now to the close-up stands: a group of adorable girls in Everton jerseys, at the golden age of sixteen to eighteen. They hadn't started getting puffy faces yet, and their hair was still thick."
"The camera zoomed in on sixteen-year-old Kelly. Dressed casually today, she currently played for Queen's Park Youth Women's Team. She was highly talented, and it was said she might transfer to Arsenal Women in the winter. She looked very... very confident, haha. She even pulled a face at the cameraman."
The commentator patiently introduced the spectators in the stands.
Coach Zhang couldn't get a word in and could only chuckle along.
The next moment.
Goodison Park erupted in thunderous cheers.
The giant flag bearing the UEFA logo was slowly removed from the pitch.
The refereeing crew led both teams out of the tunnel.
"Next, let's introduce the starting lineups for both sides."
"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."
"Striker: 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."
"Striker: Bendtner."
"After many years, we were once again seeing a China player on the European stage!"
The pre-match ceremony ended.
Tweet!
With the referee's whistle.
The match officially began.
Wolfsburg had possession.
Bendtner kicked off and passed back into his own half.
Both 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 feeling him up.
Wherever he went.
McCarthy followed.
"Hehe, Ireland international McCarthy joined Everton for thirteen million pounds last year. His interceptions and tackle success rate... ranked sixth in the Premier League last season."
"He liked physical duels and played aggressively."
"Oh! Li Luo and McCarthy both went down off the ball."
"The referee stopped play."
Wolfsburg were still passing the ball around at the back, searching for the right moment to build an attack, when they heard the whistle stopping the match.
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, and both players fell to the ground.
The lip-reading experts got into position and began carefully interpreting the players' conversation on the pitch.
"Li Luo showed the poise of a master. He got up, raised a 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 issued a verbal warning."
"Play continued."
Li Luo looked baffled.
McCarthy silently made a praying gesture. The referee had almost been fooled by that China kid. Luckily, he hadn't been booked so early in the match.
Livestream Room.
- ["It's fine, just give him a red card."]
- [Hahaha.]
- [Everton's midfielders are tough, sticky, and love grabbing people. What clingy little goblins.]
- [Yeah, they're specifically built to counter technical midfielders like Li Luo.]
- [In a moment, whenever Li Luo gets the ball, they'll turn up the intensity.]
The technical area.
Hecking shouted a reminder, "Malanda, protect Li!"
The assistant coaches echoed him.
Little Black Egg, the workhorse midfielder, had one task tonight: protect the China prodigy.
On the other side.
Martínez wore an expression of complete confidence. An eighteen-year-old technical prodigy facing Premier League brutes... still needed another year or two of physical development.
"As long as Li is frozen out."
"Everton will be able to launch transition attacks with ease."
De Bruyne took the free kick quickly.
Li Luo touched the ball once and switched it to Caligiuri on the other side.
"Down the right."
"The wide engine."
"Caligiuri!"
Everton's fullback was smart. He quickly kept a certain distance from Caligiuri near the right edge of the big Penalty Area.
He knew Caligiuri was right-footed and would find it difficult to cut inside from the right flank.
"Block the inside lane."
"Caligiuri wants to get to the byline... Everton's fullback has closed him down."
"There's no way through."
"Wolfsburg's wide midfielder can only pass it back."
Smack.
The moment Caligiuri passed back, he immediately darted into the Penalty Area. Unfortunately, Everton's fullback was no fool and tracked him tightly.
Wolfsburg had no way to execute a one-two.
They could only reorganize.
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."
"In recent years, Premier League teams, especially those in the middle and lower reaches, have progressed faster tactically than teams in other leagues. Especially in how they use fullbacks."
"Wolfsburg reorganize their attack. A long switch from De Bruyne."
"This time, they attack 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 time for an overlapping combination.
Everton's other fullback, Coleman, showed his class.
"Beautiful."
"Coleman is only 1.7 meters tall, but he has a low center of gravity, quick feet, and is especially good at stopping players from cutting inside."
"This time."
"He actually wants to defend two against one?"
Coleman bent low, standing side-on with his center of gravity lowered, waiting patiently.
Waiting for Sebastian to accelerate.
Waiting for Sebastian to link up with Malanda.
Smack!
The instant Sebastian passed the ball.
Coleman poked out a foot.
"Beautiful!"
"Everton, one of those upper-mid-table Premier League sides, have been way ahead of the curve in developing fullbacks over the past two or three seasons."
"Counterattack!"
Livestream Room.
- [He defended two against one and still won the ball?]
- [Those two Everton players are so technically skilled and intelligent, yet they play fullback?]
- [Otherwise, how did Everton finish fifth in the Premier League last season?]
- [The era of the flanks.]
- [With wingers being so dangerous, of course they can produce outstanding fullbacks.]
- [Huh? Why does Everton's counterattack look so good? It feels a little like Arsenal?]
- [Martínez is Spanish. Technical counterattacking football.]
Hecking felt as though he had plunged into an ice cellar.
Martínez applauded vigorously.
Everton unleashed a flowing counterattacking storm.
"Mirallas!"
"Controls it with his right foot, then sends a long pass."
"The talented youngster Barkley has helped stretch the attack!"
"Wow!"
"Lukaku controls and carries in one motion, shakes off Naldo, and breaks through Wolfsburg's high defensive line!"
"The twenty-one-year-old Belgium powerhouse striker: 191 centimeters, 95 kilograms!"
"He keeps bursting forward!"
"Little Beast!"
Lukaku had not put on weight yet.
He was very fast.
Wolfsburg's young center-back Knoche was no fool and chased with every ounce of strength he had.
Wolfsburg captain and goalkeeper Benaglio was no fool either. He loudly directed his teammates to seal off the inside while quickly adjusting his position to cover the near post himself.
Goodison Park.
The home stands erupted in cheers.
The away end let out terrified gasps.
"Huh?"
"Why has Lukaku gone wide?"
"Why is he taking the outside route?"
"Why go wide?"
"Knoche might not have been able to stop you."
Lukaku carried the ball to the outside of the big Penalty Area and lost his shooting angle.
He did not wait for his teammates.
Instead, he chose to unleash a forceful shot.
Bang!
The thunderous strike came screaming in! It forced goalkeeper Benatia into a clumsy spill. The ball bounced on the grass inside Wolfsburg's Penalty Area, but Knoche followed up in time and hoofed it clear.
The ball eventually floated out of bounds.
Lukaku looked bewildered and turned to give his teammate a thumbs-up.
"Brilliant."
"Everton came within a hair of scoring."
"Wolfsburg's defenders were very unified in their thinking. They barely managed to defuse the danger."
Livestream Room.
-[Over 1 in the first half, is it doomed?]
-[There should be a goal. If an Everton teammate had made a run into the box just now, Lukaku wouldn't have been forced out wide so easily.]
-[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 wings are being contained, and the middle is frozen too. 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 problem on the wings was too difficult.
What should he do?
As an outstanding midfielder, he should work hard to figure out how to break through the "hardest point," dismantle the opponent, take control of the overall situation, and lead the team to victory.
But.
Li Luo decided not to dwell on the question of "how to break the deadlock on the wings"...
De Bruyne stepped closer and said earnestly, "Li, don't take on too much work. I'll pass to you!"
"The match resumes."
"Coleman throws it in."
"Everton are preparing to press forward aggressively."
"The talented youngster Barkley is dispossessed by Gustavo."
"The former Bayern Munich player is still rock-solid defensively."
"Everton don't immediately counter-press. Instead, they quickly fall back into position. Manager Martínez's football philosophy, I think, lies somewhere between the Klopp school and the Wenger school."
Gustavo passed the ball to Malanda.
Little Black Egg was a little flustered in midfield.
He had limited opportunities to play for Wolfsburg and had never been tasked with initiating a transition attack.
"What are you standing around for?"
"Don't waste the opportunity!"
"Pass it forward!"
"Nineteen-year-old Malanda is still inexperienced..."
"Beautiful! He passes to Li Luo, who has dropped back diagonally."
"What a wonderful pass!"
Malanda's conviction gradually strengthened. He understood what his task was in attack this match.
Li Luo turned sideways, preparing to receive the ball.
His Little Black Egg teammate might not have fully settled into the game yet; the pass was a little poor.
At the same time.
Everton central midfielder Naismith charged in viciously.
Mirallas and Barkley on either side had also moved early, cutting off Li Luo's One-Touch Passing lane forward.
He was surrounded.
Li Luo either had to pass back or break through head-on.
In an instant.
Countless fragments of memory surfaced in his mind.
[Kroos's "Front-Facing Reception Escape"]
Hecking was deeply worried.
Martínez was full of confidence.
Even Li Luo, who had been unstoppable in the UEFA Youth League final, could not shake off Naismith charging into him the instant he received the ball.
No one could defy the laws of physical confrontation on the pitch.
Li Luo simply did not have time for any complicated dribbling move.
Naismith would use his body to knock him down.
A single-player One-Touch Passing move? Mid-table Premier League teams had ways to counter that.
"The Chinese genius's every weakness when holding the ball in midfield has been exposed. Everything is under my control. Next will be..."
The next moment.
Everyone slowly revealed blank expressions.
Kroos's front-facing escape mindset, tempered through grueling competitions 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 ball control.
Through Spatial Awareness, prediction of body positioning and distance, and changes in rhythm, he performed movements so simple they were almost extreme.
Like using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds.
"This..."
"What?"
The commentator sounded confused.
Li Luo adjusted his body lean on the pitch. At the instant he received the ball, he remained composed even as Naismith crashed toward him.
He dipped his shoulder and took a long stride.
His right foot killed the ball in the opposite direction.
Slap!
His left foot planted and pushed off.
Man and ball strolled clear of Everton's midfield press.
"Wow!"
"That's so advanced!"
"Calm and composed."
"Effortless."
"Naismith became a backdrop. His sprinting rhythm was disrupted, he lunged at empty air, lost his balance, and slowed down awkwardly."
"Li Luo didn't use any flashy dribbling moves."
"By calculating the distance between bodies, controlling space, and simply using the most basic changes in rhythm and an off-line first touch... he completed a front-facing escape!"
The commentator and Advisor Zhang fired off words like cannonballs, practically incoherent.
Livestream Room.
The barrage of comments flew everywhere.
-[That's badass!]
-[So cool. Front-facing escape, man and ball together, the breeze on the north bank of the River Mersey lifting his white shirt and black hair.]
-[Awesome.]
-[Li Luo's style is so cool, so advanced. He's going to gain tons of fans.]
-[Hecking, an unparalleled master manager. He made Li Luo abandon flashy dribbling and return to simplicity.]
-[Li Luo's front-facing reception escape is a passive dribbling technique, not an active dribbling one. We still haven't seen the Manchester United Crown Prince at his peak.]
-[Such a simple move? My son can do that anytime, anywhere.]
Goodison Park.
Applause surged like a tide.
Even Everton fans could not help exclaiming in amazement.
Technical area.
Hecking stared blankly.
Martínez looked frightened.
Everton's midfield shield reacted quickly.
They rapidly adjusted their positions and covered the space behind Naismith.
Li Luo did not rush to pass.
After carrying the ball forward a few steps.
He fed it to Caligiuri, who had found space on the wing.
Then he suddenly accelerated, driving viciously 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. While there's room to pass, send it in directly!"
Slap!
The commentator sounded as if he were controlling a gamepad in his hands.
Before he had even finished speaking.
Caligiuri sent in a direct forty-five-degree cross from thirty meters out.
The ball spun violently.
It flew toward the edge of Everton's big Penalty Area.
A tall, imposing figure appeared.
"Bendtner!"
"The one-meter-ninety Bendtner!"
"A headed layoff, knocking it down to Li Luo behind him!"
Everything happened very quickly.
Bendtner played the target man's role, flicking the ball on with his head.
At the instant Li Luo received it.
Everton midfielder McCarthy threw himself forward like a flying "punching bag," smashing viciously toward the Chinese youngster.
Something unexpected happened.
In the blink of an eye, Li Luo adjusted his body lean.
His right foot dragged the ball back.
Then the outside of his foot nudged it gently away.
His left foot pushed off the ground.
He "somewhat awkwardly" avoided the opponent's physical collision.
His steps were nimble.
But the ball's path drifted a little.
The entire stadium was dumbfounded.
Again... that unbelievably simple front-facing reception escape?
The commentator and Advisor Zhang had no time to praise him.
Because from the broadcast angle, they noticed that as Li Luo completed the escape, he had caught the gap exposed in Everton's defensive line.
Going with the flow.
The Spatial Awareness module caught the flaw in the opponent's defensive line.
Wolfsburg's cleverest teammate was about to make his run into position.
Slap.
The instant Li Luo completed the escape, he lightly swung his right foot.
The ball skimmed across the grass like a blunt blade, piercing Everton's defense.
"De Bruyne!"
"No adjustment, a first-time side-foot shot."
"Did he put it wide?"
"It's in!"
Before you continue