China's Matthäus? (China National Football Team Plot)

Click.

Click.

Camera flashes flickered.

The photographers pressed their shutters.

They captured a historic moment: the moon and stars, the pitch, the cheering crowd, the waving red flags, and the Chinese boy taking the field against the wind.

In the livestream.

Comments flew across the screen.

-[Quick, play the BGM!]

-[So handsome.]

-[Even the wind, the stars, and the moon are celebrating the arrival of China's genius.]

-[I know there's no hope for this match, but just seeing Li Luo take the field is enough for me.]

-[Even if Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo came on, they still couldn't save the China National Team.]

-[It's too early to celebrate. Football is a team sport; he alone can't change anything.]

-[How did Japanese trolls get in here?]

Li Luo jogged onto the pitch and gestured several times at his teammates.

Whether they understood or not.

The Japan National Team players' expressions gradually turned solemn, flames seemingly rising in their eyes.

"Li is here."

"We have to give it everything!"

The match restarted from the center circle.

The China National Team had possession.

After Gao Lin kicked off, he passed the ball back to the defense.

Players from both sides quickly began to move, their formations overlapping along the halfway line.

"Kid... Japan is pressing high."

"Dangerous."

"Oh no."

"Shinji Kagawa's press worked. Yu Kobayashi has control of the ball."

"Oh no, they're speeding up for a transition attack. Stop them!"

The commentator's voice was filled with panic.

Coach Zhang looked anxious.

That was right. Li Luo, who leaned toward offense... couldn't save Chinese football.

Yu Kobayashi's footwork was among the best in the J.League.

He stepped on the ball with his left foot.

His body tilted, deceiving with his center of gravity.

Then his right foot nudged the ball in a new direction.

Smack!

"He's past him."

"Huh?"

Japan's "little" forward slipped past a China National Football Team player with nimble footwork.

The instant he broke forward.

Smack!

The ball at his feet went out of control.

His entire body staggered as he was knocked away!

Li Luo brought the ball under control and passed it back to the defense.

Then, while directing his teammates, he moved into position.

"What happened?"

"Beautiful!"

"Li Luo's timely interception."

"Perfect anticipation."

"Hm? That position... Look closely at that position just now!"

"Hehehe, he single-handedly cut off Japan National Team's transition attack."

"Big-picture awareness, top-tier vision."

Tianhe Stadium.

The atmosphere suddenly surged.

That was invigorating!

The Japanese thought they could toy with us? Li Luo cut them down at the waist!

At the sidelines.

Perrin's mouth fell open in surprise.

In the Bundesliga and the Europa League, Wolfsburg had two big, powerful Black midfielders, so Li Luo never needed to do this kind of work.

No, that wasn't right.

Standing alongside the tough, rugged men of Europe's top five leagues, Li Luo looked rather "slender."

But compared to Japan National Team now...

On the other side.

Japan National Team's assistant coaches wore horrified expressions.

Nani?

Nani?

"Busquets?"

"Li Luo is modeled after Busquets!"

"Our J.League top striker was actually helpless before him?"

"Shut up! You're making so much noise!"

Aguirre waved a hand.

"Follow the pre-match plan. Set up a crisscrossing pressing net! Cut off every forward passing lane for Li Luo!"

"Drive him out!"

"Pin him down!"

The ball returned to Li Luo's feet.

The Japanese had strong tactical discipline.

They did not recklessly swarm the Chinese prodigy at a single "point."

Instead, they tightly marked the other China National Football Team players.

They cut off China National Team's passing routes.

Shinji Kagawa wore a serious expression as he closed in on Li Luo, thinking at the same time.

"The match is very simple."

"China National Team's collective off-the-ball movement during their own attacks has problems. Li-san cannot organize and dictate play the way he does at Wolfsburg."

"His exquisite passing... simply cannot become threatening."

"He isn't modeled after Busquets. His role is Xavi's. He is Pirlo—the brain, the soul of a team..."

"An elegant commander."

"A noble young gentleman of the pitch."

"I've already studied your face-up dribbling technique!"

"Let's settle this!"

"Li-san!"

Following Aguirre's deployment.

The others cut off Li Luo's forward passing lanes.

Then the nearest midfielder would close in for a one-on-one duel, stopping him from breaking the deadlock.

Just in time.

At this moment.

Shinji Kagawa, hailed as "Japan's Tsubasa Ozora," took on the task of facing him one-on-one.

He was weak in physical battles, but he defended through a battle of balance and center of gravity.

Under the spotlight.

The distance between the two... grew closer and closer.

At Tianhe Stadium, tens of thousands of spectators could not help but tense up.

Dortmund's No. 7 versus Wolfsburg's No. 10.

A head-to-head clash between two of Asia's top midfielders.

Shinji Kagawa watched for changes in Li Luo's center of gravity.

Where was the change?

Where was the feint?

Where were the dribbling moves?

The two figures passed each other.

The Japanese player could only watch as the football flashed past his side.

In an instant.

His whole body felt as though it had been struck heavily, and he was violently knocked aside!

The entire stadium was stunned.

"Wow!"

"A knock-and-run!"

"Li Luo didn't use an elegant Bundesliga-style dribble. He simply bulldozed through the 62-kilogram Shinji Kagawa!"

"Mat—"

"Matthäus!!!"

Tens of thousands of China National Team fans erupted into hoarse cheers!

It was different!

The China National Team's style had become different!

Li Luo carried the ball past the center circle.

He then changed direction and went down the outside.

The Japan National Team players strictly carried out the coaching staff's instructions: continue cutting off the China National Team's attacking links and passing lanes.

"Li-san."

"He'll definitely slow down, then use his exquisite passing and top-tier vision to organize..."

"Nani?"

"Why is he still charging forward alone with the ball?"

"Where's that elegant conductor, that noble young prince of the pitch?"

The Japanese fans in the away stand looked terrified.

Their once-arrogant swagger gradually faded as the Chinese youngster charged through their lines alone.

"He's so fast!"

"Li Luo!"

"Kosuke Ota, the J.League's best right back, nicknamed the Machida Tiger—an Asian top-tier player who excels in both attack and defense!"

"Danger!"

"Wow!"

"He passed the ball to himself three seconds in the future!"

"Overtaking down the outside!"

Smack!

Li Luo knocked the ball forward.

He took a quick adjustment step and accelerated.

Giroud Teaches You a Second Burst!

With Wind-Fire Wheels beneath his feet.

In the game, Kosuke Ota, with a mere 54 in speed, saw his pupils dilate.

It was as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

The time lag.

Li Luo accelerated, then accelerated again, causing the J.League's top fullback to miss his chance to defend him head-on in a physical clash!

There was an opening.

One side of Japan National Team's defensive line had been torn apart by Li Luo carrying the ball!

Across the eastern land.

Countless fans sat before their televisions.

Even viewers who normally never watched football... couldn't help but stare in stunned disbelief.

Dominating.

Power and speed.

The rawest display of appeal.

The young man racing through the wind was like a meteor tearing through the China National Football Team's dark night.

Tianhe Stadium.

The enormous white flag in the away Japanese supporters' stand seemed not to have been held securely and came crashing down.

Perrin was so happy he nearly fainted.

Aguirre looked as though he had fallen into an abyss, his expression vacant.

At the same time.

Li Luo had already charged into Japan National Team's penalty area with the ball.

The Japanese had long since abandoned any "cutting off connections" tactic, scrambling back in a terrified swarm.

Shusaku Nishikawa lowered his center of gravity.

He assumed a K-shaped blocking stance.

At the same time, he watched the changes in Li Luo's stride and foot shape.

The J.League's strongest goalkeeper.

Bang!

76 Shooting.

Tiger Descends the Mountain.

Chinese Super League Supreme Emperor Realm.

In an instant.

Japan's Wall of Sighs was blasted apart by a single kick!