Little Days' Dual Core? (China National Football Team Plot)

The Chinese journalists were deeply dissatisfied with Aguirre's arrogant attitude.

Even though they knew he was deliberately drawing fire.

One of them retorted seriously, "At last year's East Asian Cup, we held Japan to a draw!"

Strictly speaking, they had held to a draw Japan's experimental squad at the time—one without a single player based in Europe.

"Ha ha."

"I wasn't coaching Japan then. Was it the second team or the third team you drew with?"

Aguirre smiled.

Right after that.

The appearance of two figures drew gasps from the surrounding crowd.

Many reporters who did not specialize in sports had not even had time to look over Japan's squad list.

"AC Milan's number 10, Keisuke Honda!"

"Dortmund's number 7, Shinji Kagawa!"

"Two midfield linchpins from Europe's top five leagues... both came!"

Holy shit.

The reporters could not help but suck in a breath:

What kind of difficulty level was Li Luo's national team debut facing?

It was not that Li Luo was inferior to them. The Manchester United Crown Prince and Wolfsburg's core player, both with boundless potential, would certainly not lose out to anyone.

But.

The teams they were leading were different.

In the livestream chat.

-[Damn it, didn't they say it was J.League elites? Why did they bring back two boss monsters, Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa?]

-[Bastards! Those cunning little Japanese!]

-[The Japanese know minor courtesies but lack great righteousness, observe small formalities but lack great virtue. The Zizhi Tongjian was right!]

-[Hmph, I believe in Li Luo.]

-[That's right. Luo just needs more match experience. His physical attributes are good enough, and his growth potential is limitless. It's like he just left the beginner village with a bunch of newbies and ran into two giant monsters. Sigh, that said, this is really hard... hell difficulty!]

-[Put the result aside for now. I just want to witness Li Luo's national team debut.]

Aguirre had coached six Spanish clubs, including Atlético Madrid.

His record coaching national teams was not bad either.

He had only taken over Japan two months ago and was eager to use a victory on this international matchday to prove himself. Li Luo, crowned with all sorts of halos... was the appetizer.

However.

This arrogant old man was not good at attacking.

Like Hecking, he had been forced by those aggressive new-generation star managers... into adopting a philosophy of defensive counterattacking.

"Why did Japan choose me as their head coach?"

"Because Japan exposed many defensive problems at the World Cup a few months ago, and they spent a long time reflecting on them."

"And my defensive counterattacking philosophy fits Japan's rebuilding needs."

Aguirre went on and on.

Even back when the old man was active in La Liga, his personality had been quite eccentric.

On one hand, Japan was reflecting on its defensive issues at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On the other, they believed that a head coach "with personality"... was key to rebuilding the team's culture and spirit.

Li Luo had a dream.

He dreamed that he became a cloud, floating lightly through the deep blue sky.

The wind blew in from afar, carrying him over mountains and rivers.

Then another gust rose. The cloud suddenly condensed into shape, turning into a little horse with a snow-white mane. Its hooves pattered softly as it ran across fields bathed in morning light.

"I'm so thirsty."

He opened his eyes.

After taking a moment to recover, he picked up the bottled water from the bedside table.

He found a letter beneath the bottle. It was written by China National Football Team head coach Perrin.

No one had disturbed Li Luo while he adjusted to the time difference, but the coaching staff was also eager to speak with him.

So he hoped that when Li Luo woke up, he would see it right away.

He opened the envelope and took a careful look.

"This..."

"Isn't this Mr. Hecking's tactic?"

"It's very pragmatic."

"Huh? This system... treats me like De Bruyne?"

"And it says I'm supposed to take on Neymar's role at Barcelona?"

Wolfsburg?

China National Football Team?

Judging by the tactical imagery: the armored fat wolf... had turned into a chubby husky.

A few days later.

Heavenly River Sports Center was a sea of red.

The 2014 China National Team kit retained its classic red, its most distinctive feature being the dark pattern on the front, shaped like dragon scales—a symbol of the Chinese people as descendants of the dragon.

Banners reading "Rise Up" and "Must Win" could be seen everywhere.

Red flags fluttered in the wind.

Many fans had the Five-Star Red Flag painted on their cheeks.

Reporters led cameramen around, interviewing nearby fans.

"Japan has two key midfielders playing in Europe. We can take the result lightly, but the China National Football Team has to show some fighting spirit. Even if we lose, we have to lose standing up!"

"I want to see Li Luo score."

"I hope he doesn't get injured."

"We still want to win one. We don't want to lose on our own doorstep."

Livestream chat.

-[So, so many people!]

-[It looks so hot over there this year? Everyone's in short sleeves.]

-[A local Cantonese recommendation: cool off at the ** Pavilion near the hotel, where a knockoff Rosamund Kwan will have tea with you, then head to Haizhu to take lessons from a bootleg Kim Hee-sun.]

-[Japan's starting lineup is out. Fuck, we're not going to lose by a huge margin, are we?]

-[No way. At most, we'll lose by one or two!]

-[All in on over goals. It's a Li Luo match—you know how it is.]

Tianhe Stadium.

The stands were packed to the brim.

"Zhuang Dian'er TV! Zhuang Dian'er TV! Good evening, viewers!"

"The match between the China National Football Team and Japan is about to begin!"

"The Dragons take on the Blue Samurai."

"On paper, Japan are currently the strongest team in Asia."

"Much attention is focused on young Chinese player Li Luo's national team debut."

"The broadcast camera slowly pulls back."

"This stadium is magnificent and imposing, having witnessed countless brilliant moments from Chinese athletes!"

The commentator's voice was filled with anticipation.

Coach Zhang frowned deeply as he scribbled on a sheet of draft paper.

The pre-match press conference.

Perrin looked solemn.

"Li Luo's condition is not a problem at all."

"He hasn't had any issues acclimatizing, and all his indicators are fine."

"His attitude in training has been excellent."

"His physical attributes, explosiveness, and core strength have all been a very, very pleasant surprise."

"But the training camp has been too short. Of course, that is also a problem for many national teams."

The subtext was simple.

Li Luo was excellent, but they should not expect too much from the overall tactical setup. Football was a team sport, and it took time to build chemistry.

On the other side.

Aguirre remained as arrogant as ever.

"Tonight, you'll see just how solid the defense of the Japan team I trained is."

"Attack?"

"Hmph, do we even need to worry about attacking?"

"I designed the most comprehensive plan in advance. Japan will tightly contain China's genius, Li Luo! The fantasies of Chinese fans will burst like bubbles."

His words brimmed with provocation, just like the pre-match trash talk from his days coaching in La Liga.

He did not merely want to contain Li Luo on the pitch.

He also wanted to deal Chinese fans a crushing psychological blow.

They knew petty etiquette but lacked righteousness.

They obsessed over trifles but possessed no great virtue.

Japan intended to crush Li Luo tonight, to crush the dream of Chinese football!

Li Luo sat on the bench.

The French assistant coach explained pitifully, "Li, don't be angry. We followed Mr. Hecking's suggestion..."

"..."

What exactly had Hecking's suggestion been?

He had told Perrin: "They're much, much stronger than you. They'll definitely try to contain Li Luo or hack him down from the opening whistle. Don't rush it. Let Li Luo watch from the bench for a while before sending him on. Then let him take command, like Beckenbauer."

At first.

Perrin had not doubted it in the slightest.

Then Hecking produced several examples, saying that Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Juventus often used talented stars this way as well.

"Have you watched La Liga lately? Barcelona had Neymar start on the bench for three straight matches, while the coaching staff carefully analyzed their opponents' in-game arrangements."

"Once he came on, Neymar could make a crucial impact."

"In that match against Bilbao, he came off the bench and scored twice."

"Of course, your China National Team still has to defend properly first!"

That made him believe it even more.

It was late October, yet the air was still sweltering.

Li Luo sat quietly on the bench, occasionally exchanging a few simple words with the China National Football Team teammates beside him.

The national team coaching staff treated him quite well.

As for his teammates?

Their relationship was just as Rakitic had said in the video: "Friends aren't made that easily. You need to put your working relationship first and play well together!"

The national team was no different from a club.

Friendship was not something that could be casually built in a short time.

Over the past few days, Li Luo had interacted more with Hao Junmin.

The latter had played for Bundesliga powerhouse Schalke 04 several years ago and had reached the UEFA Champions League semifinals with the team. Even if he had never eaten pork, he had at least seen a pig run. His coordination with Li Luo in training matches had been fairly smooth.

He was capable of properly carrying out the task of "pass the ball to Li Luo."

The refereeing team led both sides out of the tunnel.

Tianhe Stadium immediately erupted with cheers like crashing mountains and roaring seas.

"Now, let us introduce the starting lineups for both sides."

"The China National Team has lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation!"

"Goalkeeper: Wang Dalei."

"Defenders: Jiang Zhipeng, Zhang Linpeng, Ren Hang, Mei Fang."

"Double pivots: Wu Xi, Zheng Zhi."

"Attacking midfielders: Wu Lei, Yu Hai, Hao Junmin."

"Forward: Gao Lin."

"There's no helping it. The players in our back line play different positions for the national team and their clubs. We don't have better options, so we can only have fullbacks play center-back and wide midfielders play fullback."

"Looking at it this way, if Li Luo came on as a substitute, China's midfield and attack would be considered luxurious by Asian standards!"

Coach Zhang opened the document.

One look at Japan's attacking lineup... damn, it was even more luxurious.

"Japan are also lining up in a 4-2-3-1!"

"Goalkeeper: Shusaku Nishikawa."

"Defenders: Kosuke Ota, Tsukasa Shiotani, Masato Morishige, Gotoku Sakai."

"Double pivots: Gaku Shibasaki, Taishi Taguchi."

"Attacking midfielders: Shinji Kagawa, Keisuke Honda, Yoshinori Muto."

"Striker: Yu Kobayashi."

"The two key players from Dortmund and AC Milan need no introduction. Yoshinori Muto will be heading to either the Premier League or Bundesliga next season."

"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 boded ill.

Football game enthusiasts, Happy Beans players, and Chinese Super League fans watching in front of their TVs were all dumbfounded.

They clearly recognized the gap between the two lineups.

Tonight, it wasn't a question of whether the China National Football Team was poor or not.

The opponent's combat strength was simply immense.

Even if Li Luo came on... it still wouldn't solve the China National Football Team's defensive problems.

Couldn't Europe's giants help the China National Football Team develop a genius goalkeeper like De Gea? If they couldn't attack, at least they wouldn't lose too badly.

The national anthems ended.

The coin toss ended.

With a whistle from the referee, the match officially began.

Japan had possession.

"Something's different."

"Huh? Aguirre's Japan are playing at a relatively slow tempo... wow, they've accelerated."

Shinji Kagawa did not slip into Dortmund's usual "pass-and-run mode."

He rotated into the middle to receive the ball.

Then chose to drive forward himself.

With an elastico, he easily shook off his marker.

He kept advancing.

Japan's midfield and attack surged forward like a pack of wolves, quickly forming a fan-shaped attacking net.

The atmosphere at Tianhe Stadium continued to rise.

But the China fans had already begun showing worried expressions.

In the livestream chat.

-[I usually watch the Bundesliga. Shinji Kagawa isn't particularly good at dribbling, is he? He's better at reading space, making runs, and linking passes with movement...]

-[That depends on the intensity of the match and the kind of defense he's facing.]

-[Holy shit, he's beaten two players in a row!]

-[Japan have advanced to the area thirty meters inside our half and started probing with short passes along the ground!]

-[Why does it feel like they have two Tsubasa Ozoras?]

-[Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa were both nicknamed "the real-life Tsubasa Ozora" at different points in their careers.]

"Wow, what smooth, flowing combination play!"

"Keisuke Honda!"

"He didn't shoot rashly, choosing instead to shift the defense around."

"Shinji Kagawa dropped deeper on the other side, helping with the buildup."

"This is a little dangerous."

"Don't worry. I heard Perrin has been in close contact with Hecking, the famous Bundesliga manager, lately. He's picked up some experience with low-block defending."

Japan launched a fierce assault.

The China National Team set up a solid bus in front of goal.

This batch of China National Football Team players was not weak by Asian standards. Several of them had won the AFC Champions League alongside foreign players in the Chinese Super League, so their defensive discipline was not a problem.

But.

Tonight, they were not facing Cerezo Osaka, Kawasaki Frontale, Urawa Red Diamonds, or Kashima Antlers... but a Japanese team led by Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa, the twin midfield cores of European powerhouses.

On the sideline.

Perrin looked anxious as he paced back and forth through the technical area.

A few years ago, the tactic that had earned him the Ligue 1 domestic double was: "Pass the ball to White Ronaldo—Benzema!"

He should have continued managing in Europe's top five leagues.

But in his youth, he had read a book: Peyrefitte's When China Wakes.

When the opportunity came, he had applied for the position of China National Football Team manager without hesitation.

On the other side.

Aguirre stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his face displeased.

"The China National Team is too cunning."

"They didn't start Li, making the Hack Li Tactic we prepared for so long useless!"

"Step up the attack!"

Japan bombarded them relentlessly.

The China National Team struggled to hold on.

"Shinji Kagawa is too slea... too nimble."

"He rotates positions constantly."

"One moment he's a playmaking midfielder, the next he's a shadow striker."

"His footwork is so quick."

During an occasional stoppage in play.

The foreign broadcast director switched the camera to the Japanese supporters' section.

-[I don't want to see their flag flying over this land. Take them down.]

-[Damn Japanese, China National Football Team, do us proud! Don't lose on home soil.]

-[Hold on!]

In the 34th minute.

Keisuke Honda initiated an attack, combining repeatedly with the overlapping fullback and the defensive midfielder pushing forward.

In the end.

Shinji Kagawa threaded through an exquisite pass.

Yu Kobayashi met it with a low finish.

0:1!!!

Tianhe Stadium suddenly fell silent.

Then came helpless sighs from the home stands, followed by cheers from the away section.

"Sigh."

"They held out for 34 minutes... but still couldn't keep them out."

"We defended well and didn't make any real mistakes. Look at the replay of that attack—the Japanese team's positional play was very fluid, and that sudden acceleration was crucial."

"Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda... it's a dimensional mismatch..."

The commentator's voice was full of helplessness.

Even Director Zhang had no mood to chuckle.

China's goalkeeper, Wang Dalei, shook his head helplessly.

He did not throw up his hands and complain about his teammates.

There was no way around it.

The opposing attack had been impossible to stop this time; it was not a problem with the China National Team's defense.

There was a gap in strength.

The mood of the Chinese fans gradually sank into a low point.

In the 50th minute.

Shinji Kagawa was brought down in Zone 14 of the China National Team's half.

The referee pulled out his vanishing spray.

"Misfortunes never came singly."

"Japan had earned a free kick from a good position."

Keisuke Honda stepped up to take it.

"..."

"It's in."

"His trademark technique—the falling-leaf free kick..."

"It was beautifully struck. Back in elementary school, he wrote in an essay about his future dream: I will make a name for myself at the World Cup, catch the attention of overseas clubs, then go to Serie A and wear the number 10 shirt, becoming a key player for my team. Then, after being honed in Serie A, I will return to Japan and become a key player for the national team as a number 10."

His dream had come true.

Keisuke Honda did not celebrate passionately. His expression remained calm, as though everything that had happened was only natural.

The China National Team was already two goals behind.

A gloom had settled over Tianhe Stadium.

Emotions were contagious.

There was no hope of leveling the score.

No glimmer of a comeback.

To lose to Japan on home soil...

The air seemed to freeze amid the stifling heat of the stands.

The enormous flags lifted by the wind no longer waved.

Scattered cheers were swept away by the hot night breeze like scraps of crumpled paper.

Then, a figure in red slowly walked toward the sideline.

Countless gazes converged on him.

Tianhe Stadium fell completely silent for several seconds.

Then, in an instant.

Cheers erupted like a landslide and tsunami!

The camera shook slightly from the roar!

"The fourth official has raised the LED board at the sideline."

"The China National Team is making their first substitution."

"Yu Hai is coming off."

"Coming on as a substitute is... the 18-year-old youngster—Li Luo."

"Manchester United's academy gem, the supernova who scored on his Premier League debut, the soul and core of Bundesliga powerhouse Wolfsburg, the dazzling jewel of the Europa League, the genius midfielder whose curling strike sliced through Meazza Stadium..."

Japan's coaching staff suddenly stopped celebrating.

Aguirre stopped bouncing around, his brow furrowing slightly instead.

Assistant Coach Li blew at his fringe and had the team doctor gently apply menthol balm to the Chinese youngster's chest.

"I learned this from Vieira at Arsenal when I played in the Premier League."

"A tiny bit of menthol oil can help you breathe more smoothly during the match..."

Li Luo nodded.

Head coach Perrin was crouching down, helping him tie his shoelaces.

A mechanical, icy electronic voice quietly sounded.

[Mission Triggered: China National Team Debut.]

[Mission Brief: Regardless of the match result, you will receive a gift... Life never goes smoothly. Like many great football stars, you must learn how to face defeat.]

[Mission Reward: Dark Gold Chest.]

Facing defeat?

The geometric model within Spatial Awareness had already begun operating at high speed.

Every situation.

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]

Matthäus's template, along with numerous glowing star modules.

The Chinese Super League's Extreme Dao Great Emperor realm.

Beep!

The referee's whistle sounded.

All the numbers in his vision gradually turned to dust and vanished.

Li Luo faced the wind.

He stepped onto the stage of the China-Japan showdown.