The Chinese reporters were not pleased with Aguirre's arrogance.
Even though they knew he was deliberately drawing fire.
So one of them shot back, "We held the Japan National Team to a draw in last year's East Asian Cup!"
Strictly speaking, they had drawn against a Japan squad using the tournament for practice, with none of its Europe-based players.
"Haha."
"I wasn't coaching Japan then. Was that their second team you drew with, or their third?"
Aguirre smiled.
Then—
Two figures appeared, drawing gasps from the crowd.
Many reporters who did not specialize in sports had yet to look at Japan's squad list.
"AC Milan's number ten, Keisuke Honda!"
"Dortmund's number seven, Shinji Kagawa!"
"Two midfield linchpins from Europe's top five leagues... both here!"
Holy shit.
The reporters sucked in a breath.
Just how difficult was Li Luo's National Team debut going to be?
It wasn't that Li Luo was inferior to them. The Manchester United Crown Prince and Wolfsburg linchpin had a boundless future and could hold his own against anyone.
But—
They were playing for very different teams.
In the Livestream Room.
-[Fuck, I thought they were bringing J.League players! Instead, they called back two boss monsters, Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa?]
-[Bakayaro! Those sneaky little devils!]
-[The Japanese mind their manners but have no sense of justice, fuss over trifles but lack true virtue. The Zizhi Tongjian got it right!]
-[Hmph. I believe in Li Luo.]
-[Exactly. Our Luo just needs more match experience. He's got the physical ability and limitless potential. It's like he's only just left the starter village with a bunch of newbies and run into two giant monsters. Sigh, even so, this is going to be hard... nightmare difficulty!]
-[Win or lose, I just want to see Li Luo make his National Team debut.]
Aguirre had coached six Spanish clubs, including Atlético Madrid.
The National Team's coaching record wasn't bad either.
He had taken charge of Japan just over two months ago and was desperate to prove himself with a win during the international break. Li Luo, with all the hype surrounding him, would make the perfect appetizer!
Still—
The cocky old man was no attacking specialist.
Like Hecking, he had been pushed by the aggressive new generation of star managers into developing a philosophy of defensive counterattacking.
"Why did Japan appoint me head coach?"
"Because the World Cup a few months ago exposed a lot of problems in their defense. They spent a long time reflecting on them."
"And my approach to defensive counterattacking fits what Japan needs as it rebuilds."
Aguirre went on and on.
The old man had been eccentric back when he worked in La Liga.
Japan had reflected on its defensive problems at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but it also believed a head coach with "personality" was key to rebuilding the team's culture and spirit.
Li Luo had a dream.
He dreamed he had become a cloud, floating weightlessly through the clear blue sky.
A breeze blew in from afar, carrying him over mountains and rivers.
Another gust rose. The cloud suddenly took shape as a little horse, its mane white as snow and its hooves pattering softly as it ran across a plain bathed in dawn light.
I'm so thirsty.
He opened his eyes.
After taking a moment to wake up, he reached for the bottled water on the bedside table.
He found a letter pinned beneath the bottle. It was from Perrin, the China National Team's head coach.
No one wanted to disturb Li Luo while he adjusted to the time difference, but the coaching staff urgently needed to talk to him.
So they had left a letter, hoping he would see it as soon as he woke.
He opened the envelope and read it carefully.
"This..."
"Isn't this Mr. Hecking's tactic?"
"It's very practical."
"Huh? In this system... I'm supposed to be De Bruyne?"
"And you want me to play Neymar's role at Barcelona?"
Wolfsburg?
The China National Team?
As a tactical image, the pudgy wolf in armor had turned into a chubby husky.
A few days later.
The Heavenly River Sports Center was a sea of red.
China's 2014 kit retained its classic red. Its most distinctive feature was a subtle pattern across the front resembling dragon scales, a nod to the Chinese people's heritage as descendants of the dragon.
Banners reading "Rise Up" and "Victory" were everywhere.
Red flags fluttered in the wind.
Many fans had the Five-Star Red Flag painted on their cheeks.
A reporter led a cameraman around to interview the nearby fans.
"Japan has two midfield linchpins based in Europe. I can accept losing, but our team has to fight. If we lose, we go down swinging!"
"I want to see Li Luo score."
"I hope he doesn't get hurt."
"We still want to win for once. We don't want to lose on home soil."
In the Livestream Room.
-[There are so many people!]
-[It looks so hot there for this time of year. Everyone's in short sleeves.]
-[Local tip: cool off at ** Pavilion near the ** Hotel. A Guan Zhilin lookalike will have tea with you. Then head to Haizhu for a lesson with a knockoff Kim Hee-sun.]
-[Japan's starting lineup is out. Fuck, are we going to get thrashed?]
-[No way. We'll lose by one or two at most!]
-[I'm going all in on the over. It's a Li Luo match, you know how it goes.]
Tianhe Stadium.
The stands were packed, without a seat to spare.
"Zhuangdian'er TV! Zhuangdian'er TV! Good evening, viewers!"
"The China National Team's match against the Japan National Team is about to begin!"
"The Dragon Team takes on the Blue Samurai."
"On paper, Japan is currently the strongest team in Asia."
"All eyes are on young Chinese star Li Luo's National Team debut."
"The camera slowly pulls back."
"This magnificent stadium has witnessed so many brilliant moments from China's athletes!"
The commentator's voice brimmed with anticipation.
Coach Zhang frowned, sketching and scribbling on a sheet of paper.
At the pre-match press conference.
Perrin looked grave.
"There's absolutely nothing wrong with Li Luo's condition."
"He's had no trouble adjusting to the environment, and all his indicators are fine."
"His attitude in training has been excellent."
"His physical attributes, explosiveness, and core strength have been a very, very pleasant surprise."
"But we've had too little time together in camp. Of course, many National Teams face the same problem."
The message between the lines was simple.
Li Luo was excellent, but nobody should expect too much from the team's tactics as a whole. Football was a team sport, and building chemistry took time.
On the other side—
Aguirre was as arrogant as ever.
"Tonight, you'll see just how solid Japan's defense has become under me."
"Attack?"
"Hmph. Do we need to worry about scoring?"
"I've prepared the perfect plan. Japan will shut down China's prodigy Li Luo and burst the Chinese fans' bubble."
It was pure provocation, just like the pre-match trash talk he had indulged in while coaching in La Liga.
He wanted more than to contain Li Luo on the pitch.
He wanted to crush the Chinese fans' spirits too.
They minded their manners but had no sense of justice.
They fussed over trifles but lacked true virtue.
Japan intended to smother Li Luo tonight—and with him, the dreams of Chinese football!
Li Luo sat on the bench.
The French assistant coach explained apologetically, "Li, please don't be angry. We're following Mr. Hecking's advice..."
"..."
And what advice had Hecking given them?
He had told Perrin: "They're much, much stronger than you. They'll definitely try to contain Li Luo from the opening whistle, or just hack him down. Don't rush. Let him watch from the bench for a while, then bring him on. After that, let him direct play like Beckenbauer."
At first—
Perrin hadn't questioned him at all.
Then Hecking brought up examples, saying that Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Juventus often used gifted stars this way.
"Have you watched La Liga lately? Barcelona brought Neymar off the bench in three straight matches after the coaching staff carefully studied how the opponents set up on the day."
"As soon as he came on, Neymar made the difference."
"He even came off the bench and scored twice against Bilbao."
"Of course, your team needs to defend well first!"
That convinced Perrin even more.
It was late October, but the air was still hot.
Li Luo sat quietly on the bench, occasionally exchanging a few words with the China National Team players beside him.
The national team's coaching staff treated him well.
As for his teammates?
It was like Rakitic had said in the video: "You think making friends is that easy? Focus on being good colleagues first and playing well together!"
The same held true for National Teams and clubs.
Friendships could not be built overnight.
Over the past few days, Li Luo had spent more time with Hao Junmin than with the others.
Hao had played for Bundesliga powerhouse Schalke 04 a few years earlier and reached the UEFA Champions League semifinals with the team. Even without being a star himself, he had seen how they played. He and Li Luo had linked up fairly well in practice matches.
Hao could carry out the task of "pass the ball to Li Luo."
The Referee Team led both sides out of the tunnel.
Tianhe Stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.
"Here are the starting lineups."
"The China National Team has lined up in a 4-2-3-1!"
"Goalkeeper: Wang Dalei."
"Defenders: Jiang Zhipeng, Zhang Linpeng, Ren Hang, and Mei Fang."
"Two Defensive Midfielders: Wu Xi and Zheng Zhi."
"Attacking midfielders: Wu Lei, Yu Hai, and Hao Junmin."
"Striker: Gao Lin."
"There's no way around it. The players in our back line are playing different positions for the National Team than they do for their clubs. We don't have better options, so a fullback has to play center-back and a wide midfielder has to play fullback."
"Look at it this way: if Li Luo comes off the bench, China's midfield and attack will be stacked by Asian standards!"
Coach Zhang flipped through the file.
Then he saw Japan's attacking lineup. Damn it. Even more stacked.
"Japan is lining up in a 4-2-3-1 too!"
"Goalkeeper: Shusaku Nishikawa."
"Defenders: Kosuke Ota, Tsukasa Shiotani, Masato Morishige, Gotoku Sakai."
"Defensive Midfielders: Gaku Shibasaki and Taishi Taguchi."
"Attacking midfielders: Shinji Kagawa, Keisuke Honda, Yoshinori Muto."
"Striker: Yu Kobayashi."
"The two stars from Dortmund and AC Milan need no introduction. Next season, Yoshinori Muto will be heading to either the Premier League or the Bundesliga."
"Yu Kobayashi and Gaku Shibasaki are the twin stars of Japan's J.League. Their performances in the AFC Champions League have been top-class."
Coach Zhang shook his head helplessly.
This match did not look promising.
In front of their televisions, football video game fans, casual gamblers, and Chinese Super League supporters stared in disbelief.
They could see the gulf between the two lineups.
Tonight,
it was not a question of whether the China National Football Team was any good.
The opposition was simply that strong.
Even bringing on Li Luo would not fix China's defensive problems.
Couldn't some European giant help China develop a genius goalkeeper like De Gea? If they could not attack, at least they would not lose too badly.
The national anthems were over.
The captains had chosen ends.
The referee blew his whistle.
The match began.
Japan had possession.
"Something's different."
"Huh? Aguirre's Japan is playing at a slower tempo... Whoa, they've picked it up."
Shinji Kagawa did not slip into the pass-and-move rhythm he used at Dortmund.
He rotated into the middle to receive the ball.
He chose to drive forward himself.
One Elastico, and he was clear of his marker.
He kept going.
Japan's midfielders and forwards surged forward like a pack of wolves, swiftly spreading into a fan-shaped attacking formation.
The roar inside Tianhe Stadium kept swelling.
But worry was already showing on the faces of the Chinese fans.
In the Livestream Room:
["I watch the Bundesliga all the time. Shinji Kagawa isn't really a dribbler. He's good at reading space, finding positions, and combining with teammates..."]
["That depends on the level of opposition and the defense he's facing."]
["Holy shit, he's beaten two men in a row!"]
["Japan's reached the final thirty meters of our half. They're working the ball through on the ground!"]
["Why does it feel like they've got two Captain Tsubasas?"]
["Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa have both been called the 'real-life Captain Tsubasa' at different times."]
"Wow, those combinations are flowing beautifully!"
"Keisuke Honda!"
"He doesn't rush the shot. He's shifting the defense around."
"Shinji Kagawa has dropped deeper on the other side to help organize play."
"This is getting dangerous."
"No need to worry. I hear Perrin has been talking a lot with Bundesliga coach Hecking lately and learning from his low-block defense."
Japan poured forward.
China dug in behind the ball.
These Chinese players were hardly poor by Asian standards. Several had won the AFC Champions League alongside foreign stars in the Chinese Super League, and they had no trouble carrying out defensive instructions.
But
tonight, they were not facing Cerezo Osaka, Kawasaki Frontale, Urawa Red Diamonds, or Kashima Antlers. They were facing a Japan side led by Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa, the midfield stars of two strong European clubs.
On the touchline,
Perrin paced the technical area, anxiety written across his face.
A few years earlier, the tactic that had won him a domestic double in Ligue 1 had been simple: "Pass the ball to the White Ronaldo—Benzema!"
He should have still been coaching in one of Europe's top five leagues.
But as a boy, he had read Peyrefitte's When China Wakes.
When the opportunity came, he applied for the China job without hesitation.
On the other side,
Aguirre folded his arms across his chest, looking displeased.
"China's too sly."
"They left Li out of the starting lineup and made all our preparations for the Hack Li Tactic useless!"
"Step up the attack!"
Japan bombarded China's goal.
China held on with difficulty.
"Shinji Kagawa is so sli—so elusive."
"He keeps rotating positions."
"One moment he's organizing midfield; the next he's playing off the striker."
"And his feet are so quick."
During the occasional stoppage,
the international broadcast director cut to the Japan supporters' section.
["I don't want to see their flag flying on this soil. Bring it down."]
["Damn it, China, show some fight! Don't lose to them at home."]
["Hold on!"]
In the 34th minute,
Keisuke Honda launched an attack, combining first with an overlapping fullback, then with a Defensive Midfielder pushing forward.
Finally,
Shinji Kagawa slipped through a perfectly weighted pass.
Yu Kobayashi side-footed it home.
0–1!!!
Tianhe Stadium fell abruptly silent.
Then came helpless sighs from the home stands and cheers from the away section.
"Ah."
"They held out for thirty-four minutes... but couldn't hold on any longer."
"We defended well and didn't make any real mistakes. Look at the replay: Japan's buildup was so fluid, and that burst of pace made the difference."
"Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda are simply on another level..."
Resignation seeped into the commentator's voice.
Even Coach Zhang had lost his appetite for a chuckle.
China's goalkeeper, Wang Dalei, shook his head helplessly.
He did not throw up his hands at his teammates.
There was nothing they could have done.
That attack had been too hard to stop. It was not a failure of China's defensive line.
The gap in quality was real.
The Chinese fans' spirits sank lower and lower.
In the 50th minute,
Shinji Kagawa was brought down in zone 14, just outside China's penalty area.
The referee took out his vanishing spray.
"When it rains, it pours."
"Japan has a free kick in a dangerous position."
"Keisuke Honda will take it."
"..."
"It's in."
"His trademark knuckleball..."
"Beautifully struck. In a school essay, he once wrote about his dream for the future: 'I'll make a name for myself at the FIFA World Cup and catch the eye of a foreign club. Then I'll go to Serie A, wear the number 10 shirt, and become a first-team regular. After honing my skills in Serie A, I'll return to Japan and become a National Team regular wearing number 10.'"
"A dream come true."
Keisuke Honda did not celebrate wildly. His expression stayed calm, as though it had all been inevitable.
China was two goals down.
A pall settled over Tianhe Stadium.
The mood spread through the stands.
No one could see how China might equalize.
No one could glimpse the start of a comeback.
They were going to lose to Japan at home...
The air seemed to congeal in the sweltering stands.
A huge flag lifted by the wind no longer waved.
Scattered shouts of encouragement blew apart in the hot night breeze like scraps of torn paper.
Then a figure in red walked slowly to the touchline.
Countless eyes turned toward him.
For a few seconds, Tianhe Stadium went utterly still.
Then
cheers erupted like an avalanche!
The camera shook under the roar!
"The fourth official has raised the LED substitution board."
"China is making its first change."
"Yu Hai is coming off."
"And coming on is... eighteen-year-old Li Luo."
"Manchester United academy gem, goalscorer on his Premier League debut, the heart of Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, the jewel that lit up the Europa League, the gifted midfielder whose curling strike stunned the Meazza Stadium..."
Japan's coaching staff stopped celebrating.
Aguirre stopped bouncing on his toes, his brow tightening slightly.
Assistant Coach Li blew his bangs out of his eyes and had the team doctor gently rub menthol balm onto the Chinese youngster's chest.
"Back when I played in the Premier League, I learned this from Arsenal's Vieira."
"Just a little menthol oil helps you breathe more easily during a match..."
Li Luo nodded.
Head coach Perrin was crouched down, tying his shoelaces for him.
A cold, mechanical synthesized voice sounded quietly.
[Quest triggered: China National Team debut.] [Mission Brief: Regardless of the match's outcome, you would receive a gift... Life never went smoothly. Like so many great football stars, you had to learn how to face defeat.] [Mission Reward: Dark-Gold Treasure Chest.]
Face defeat?
The geometric model in Spatial Awareness was already running at full speed.
Every possibility.
Everything was under control.
The system panel slowly appeared before his eyes.
[Physical Contact: 81; Stamina: 92] [Jumping: 84; Leg Strength: 86] [Speed: 88; Ball Control: 60; Passing: 57; Shooting: 76; Curve: 52] [Defense: 54; Tackling: 54; Goalkeeping: 2] [Heading: 98]
The Matthäus template, along with numerous football star modules, began to glow.
The Chinese Super League's ultimate emperor realm.
Tweet!
The referee blew his whistle.
All the numbers in Li Luo's vision crumbled to dust and vanished.
Li Luo faced the wind.
He stepped onto the stage for the China–Japan showdown.
Before you continue