One Kick Shatters the Yamato Soul! (China National Football Team Arc)

Chapter 48: One Kick Shatters the Yamato Spirit! (China National Football Team Arc)

"Beautiful!"

"Goal!"

"Li Luo!"

"On his national team debut, he scored the first goal of his international career."

"Like thunder erupting from flat ground, charging alone into battle, riding the Wind-Fire Wheels, and striking straight at the enemy's heart."

"Fierce and domineering!"

"Unstoppable!"

"He overturned Japan National Team's entire defense all by himself."

"Walking the dogs... he walked an entire pack of Japanese players."

The commentator and Coach Zhang nearly jumped to their feet.

Fortunately, they remembered in time that they were wearing pajama bottoms.

They had to stay disciplined.

Pfft, pfft, pfft—no, they had to restrain themselves.

Across China.

Countless viewers were too excited to contain themselves. Glued to their televisions, they could not tear their eyes away as they obsessively watched the replay of the goal.

It was staggering.

So staggering that words failed them.

The ultimate display of individual heroism.

Whether they usually watched football or not, everyone was conquered by Li Luo's raw explosive power.

And the opponent was Japan National Team.

How could their blood not boil?

Tianhe Stadium.

Tens of thousands of Chinese fans gave the Chinese youngster their most thunderous applause and cheers.

A beam of light in the night.

Hope born from desperation.

Red flags fluttered in the wind.

The sea of red surged violently.

Li Luo worked hard to steady his breathing. He desperately wanted to celebrate; this was the first goal of his national team career.

But he could not.

The team was still behind.

He stepped over Shusaku Nishikawa, rushed into the net, scooped up the football, turned, and ran back toward midfield.

At that moment.

The applause from the home stands grew even more fervent.

Even with their hands stinging from clapping, many people kept smiling and applauding with all their strength.

In the livestream.

The slow-motion replay showed the Chinese youngster's goal from every angle.

A flood of scrolling comments swept across the screen.

-[My eyes are about to pee.]

-[Fucking insane! My Luo crushed Japan National Team all by himself!]

-[A dog-walking finish! Watch the replay closely—after Li Luo charged through alone and entered the box, a huge mass of blue Japanese shirts was running back after him.]

[That was so damn uplifting! Ahhh! Handsome, so handsome, hubby!]

-[Li Luo doesn't want male wives.]

[What's going on? When I usually watch the Bundesliga, Li Luo seems so slender, and his style is elegant and carefree. But tonight, when he battled Japan's midfield... why did he look so tough and ferocious?]

-[I thought Shinji Kagawa's difference in style between the Bundesliga and the national team was huge. I never expected Li Luo's difference to be even bigger.]

-[Against the intensity of Europe's top five leagues, Li Luo is Lin Daiyu; against tonight's Japan National Team... Lin Daiyu massacres the Grand View Garden.]

-[Am I dreaming? This feels so good! Seeing Li Luo score has already satisfied me completely. I thought he would not even touch the ball, disappear from the match, get shut down, and be cursed at. Even if China National Football Team loses tonight, Li Luo hasn't lost.]

[As expected of a genius produced by a powerhouse academy. That transition from Li Luo's high-speed run into his shot was absolutely top-class—the kind of ability only elite strikers possess.]

-[I know the gap is huge, but... I still want Li Luo to score another.]

Wails rose from the away stands.

The Japan Football Association officials looked uneasy as they carefully replayed that terrifying moment in their minds.

Li Luo, with wind-and-fire wheels beneath his feet, had torn through the defense and dribbled past a whole pack of Japanese players by himself!

Like he was walking dogs.

It was a horrifying sight.

"Wow... Is Mr. Li really that strong? Has the gap between us reached the point where numbers can no longer make up for it?"

"That pressure around Mr. Li, and that radiance that makes people unable to look directly at him..."

"That guy Aguirre said he would crush Mr. Li, that he would destroy Chinese football's dream..."

They knew petty manners but lacked great righteousness; obsessed over trivial formalities but devoid of great virtue.

The Japan Football Association officials stared fixedly at Li Luo on the pitch, as though they were watching Chen Zhen from Fist of Fury step into the Hongkou Dojo and fight an endless stream of Japanese warriors alone.

"Baka! What are we afraid of?"

"The Japan National Team is still one goal ahead. We will never let them equalize."

By the sidelines.

Perrin's breathing quickened, and a flush spread across his face.

This was too blissful.

Mr. Hecking hadn't lied to him. Putting Li on could change the course of the match.

Assistant Coach Li brushed his bangs aside and continued excitedly pounding the turf.

Translator Zhao, chubby and resembling Guo Degang, was wedged between the French coaching staff and the China National Team coaching staff.

He kept pressing both hands downward.

"Stop talking."

"We don't need your suggestions for the next adjustment."

"The boss said Li—my Brother Luo! He can play however he wants."

Everyone froze for a moment before suddenly understanding.

They turned around.

Looking at Perrin standing in the technical area in his suit, they seemed to see the air of a famous manager that Mr. Hecking possessed.

The story of Hecking offering advice to Chinese football gradually spread far and wide.

Mr. Hecking, a good friend of Chinese football.

Mr. Hecking's famous words: Firmly support Li Luo as the core of the team.

On the other side.

Aguirre nearly lost his footing, but an assistant coach caught him in time.

"Damn it."

"How could our defense be torn apart so easily by Li?"

"Fuck, the China National Team's morale is rising, and their home crowd is getting more and more explosive..."

"Keep attacking. Use more goals to crush their momentum!"

The assistant coach looked completely bewildered.

Boss, defense is what you're good at, isn't it?

The Japan National Team hired you specifically to solve their defensive problems.

Even one goal down, we could still win by shoring up our defense.

He did not try to stop him.

The assistant coach thought, Forget it. It looks like the China National Team can't hold on much longer either.

Several Japanese assistant coaches gathered in a circle, chattering as they analyzed every instant of Li Luo's performance. They collected all the material they could, intending to use it for post-match reflection!

Deep reflection!

The China National Team players looked at one another.

Gao Lin scratched his head and said, "Let's not overthink this. Just treat it like playing with foreign signings at our clubs. Set Li Luo up properly. When we attack, move more actively and help create space for him."

"When we played in the AFC Champions League, when were we ever scared of those J.League guys?"

"When the foreign signings were injured or suspended, were you guys scared..."

"What do you mean, 'you guys'? We're all the same!"

"They have Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa, but we have Li Luo."

Hao Junmin was overcome with emotion. "Just now, Li Luo made me feel like I was back at Schalke 04, watching Raúl and the others from afar as they stormed enemy territory."

"Pull yourselves together. We can't concede another goal."

The Japan National Team's morale had not been affected. Instead, it only continued to rise.

Shinji Kagawa raised a hand to apologize to his teammates.

But he found Keisuke Honda and the J.League elite brimming with fighting spirit.

"In Asia, having an opponent like Mr. Li is something to be grateful for."

The best whetstone in Asia.

"Cherish the opportunity to compete against him."

Play restarted from the center circle.

After the kickoff, the Japan National Team continued their fierce assault.

Perrin raised his arms forcefully in the technical area, signaling for the China National Team to set up a deep defense.

They resolutely carried out Mr. Hecking's football philosophy: solidify the defense, seize transitions, then pass the ball to Li Luo and let him build the counterattacking chain.

"Yes."

"Don't rush."

"There's still plenty of time. Keep the defense solid, and don't suddenly let Japan National Team score another."

"Li Luo is moving very actively, constantly directing his teammates... Coach Zhang, can you understand his hand signals?"

"Hehehe, I can't."

The commentator was a little disappointed. He had thought Coach Zhang could explain it to the viewers.

Coach Zhang just kept chuckling.

The gestures were too fast, just like a young Cruyff's... Forget him—even the China National Team players on the pitch might not be able to react in time.

Time ticked away, second by second.

Tianhe Stadium's momentum grew ever more majestic.

"Li Luo!!!"

"Li Luo!!!"

"Li Luo!!"

Thump! Thump! Thump! The earth-shaking drumbeats joined in!

Vaguely, it almost felt as though a powerful home-field BUFF really was blessing them!

Li Luo kept running, covering for his teammates and filling gaps.

The geometric model within his Spatial Awareness was operating at maximum speed.

What he felt tonight was different from the Bundesliga.

It was contradictory.

"Both easy and tiring."

National-team tactics were much simpler than those in Europe's top five leagues.

It was not an issue of the national-team coaches' ability, but rather the different objective conditions. They simply did not have as much time to train together.

Of course, there were also cases of club systems being brought into national teams, such as Spain, who had won three consecutive major tournaments.

Time ticked away, second by second.

Far away in Europe, Lower Saxony.

The afternoon sunlight shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows, gently spilling across the gray carpet.

Hans, a Volkswagen executive, looked displeased and spoke anxiously. "How can Perrin use Li like this? From the perspective of commercial value, I'm very worried that Li will get injured."

Hecking shook his head. "He won't. Li's physical qualities and all his metrics are excellent."

"The intensity of the match is different."

"The way he chooses to play is different."

He was practically mowing down weak opponents.

There was no one in Japan National Team's midfield whose physical attributes and Spatial Awareness could match up against Li Luo.

Hans nodded. "Then can Li win this match?"

Hecking leaned closer to the television. "Wait. Wait for the close-up... Hmm? That expression on Li's face means he's already broken the deadlock."

He could tell even that?

The Volkswagen executive turned around, his eyes wide. "You really are a famous coach!"

"Hmm?"

"What kind of football is this?"

"That damned Perrin, making elegant Li take on such a heavy defensive burden?"

Tianhe Sports Center.

The night was enchanting, and the singing rang loud.

"What's going on?"

"Japan's positional attack is getting more and more chaotic."

"Relentless sweeping."

"Li Luo stood in front of China's defensive line, using his elite vision and precise positional anticipation to sweep tirelessly across the pitch."

"A midfielder's defensive contributions aren't all that obvious in a live broadcast. Usually, only the sharper viewers can truly notice them."

"As for why his positional anticipation was so accurate? We'll have to analyze it frame by frame after the match to find the answer."

"Hehehe, China's Matthäus."

Japan's attacking unit was having a miserable time.

Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda had both been disrupted several times.

Never mind initiating attacks or creating the penultimate pass.

Even their long passes for organizing and switching play were sometimes completely cut off.

Whenever the J.League elite faced Li Luo head-on, they were simply crushed on another level.

They couldn't raise the tempo.

They couldn't change the rhythm.

Li Luo drastically eased the pressure on China's defensive line.

Shinji Kagawa was brought down again and again, then scrambled back to his feet each time.

His feelings were complicated.

"Li-san has eyes all over his body."

"He's fast and covers so much ground."

"Our attacking chain keeps getting cut off."

"Everything is under his control."

The geometric model within the Spatial Awareness module transformed into a bird's-eye tactical map.

Li Luo was covered in bits of grass.

It was as if he could see an enormous Japanese samurai, wielding a tachi and clad in blue-and-black armor.

A clumsy Blue Samurai.

On a macro tactical level, they looked incredibly clumsy compared to Leverkusen, Everton, and Inter Milan.

Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda were their two playmaking hubs.

The latter was utterly predictable.

As for the former, the timing of his rotations into a shadow striker role was far too obvious.

And the other J.League elites? Their ball handling was a little too sluggish.

A Bundesliga powerhouse farming J.League mobs with godmode on!

The match entered the 72nd minute.

"Li Luo is definitely the highest-rated player on the pitch. Aside from that goal, his sweeping and interception stats are incredible."

How had the J.League elites become mobs for Li Luo to farm stats from?

The commentator reflexively added, "There isn't much time left for the China National Team."

In the livestream chat.

—[I wouldn't even have noticed the time if you hadn't mentioned it.]

—[Why have Real Madrid and Chelsea parked the bus and transitioned so often in recent years, yet still produced such high-quality counterattacks? But when weaker teams park the bus, even if they successfully sweep up, the opponent can still sustain a second wave of attack?]

—[Player quality. A group of stars parking the bus is obviously much more formidable. There's also unity in defensive thinking, but that's hard to explain in a short time.]

—[Li Luo's impact is huge. He's playing his heart out.]

—[Why do I feel like this Japan National Team has turned Li Luo into peak Matthäus?]

—[So cool, taking on Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda alone.]

—[During the stoppage, the director cut to the Japanese wives' section. What did I see? Sena Amiri.]

—[Impressive. You can still recognize Sena Amiri with clothes on?]

The ball slowly rolled out over the end line.

Li Luo climbed off Shinji Kagawa.

He raised a hand and brushed the grass clippings from his eyebrows.

He gestured to his China National Football Team teammates and shouted, "Keep locking down those two points—Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda. As for the other J.League brats, defend against them the same way you do in the AFC Champions League."

"Don't rush. Patiently wait for the chance to counterattack!"

His words were very straightforward.

Even elementary school students could understand it.

Of course, these Japanese players could not understand much of it. In Japan, only people involved in table tennis tended to be familiar with Chinese.

"Little Japanese devils?"

Shinji Kagawa understood that phrase.

He abruptly raised his head. "This is Mr. Li's praise for me, an acknowledgment of my ability... Having an opponent like this truly makes one's blood boil."

"As an old Chinese saying goes—"

"Great minds appreciate one another!"

He then climbed to his feet and looked solemnly at Li Luo.

If they had not been in the middle of a match, he might have dropped to the ground in worship.

"Japan National Team corner."

"Beautiful."

"Gao Lin, who had tracked all the way back in defense, used his height advantage to head the ball clear."

"The Japan National Team would dearly love to have a tall center forward like Gao Lin. Their best forwards are all short, while a big target man like Gao Lin could diversify their tactical system and make their attack more three-dimensional."

"I'm not making that up. That's really what they said over in Japan."

"China National Team have a chance to counterattack!"

"Don't loft it! Keep it on the ground, keep it on the ground! Cherish this opportunity."

"Zhang Linpeng, serving as a center back tonight, had finally returned to his old trade—charging down the flank with the ball!"

"No need to panic. A China National Football Team player who had won the AFC Champions League knew how to support a superstar."

"Look, he didn't just blindly hoof it forward."

"His passing idea is very clear—find Li Luo!"

The Japan National Team did not try to win it back this time.

The entire team sprinted frantically backward.

They actively took up defensive positions.

They were terrified of letting Li Luo recreate that horrifying one-man charge through their lines.

The tens of thousands of Chinese fans in the stadium had waited anxiously for this counterattack opportunity, and they erupted into excited cheers.

The atmosphere in Tianhe Stadium surged once more.

Perrin and his assistant coaches could not help pumping their fists as they ran excitedly along the touchline.

Aguirre shouted wildly, signaling for the Japan National Team not to drop too deep and to quickly form a compact mid-block.

Near the center circle.

Li Luo moved toward the rolling ball.

Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda closed in from either side.

The Japanese fans were brimming with confidence: he might be impossible to beat in a one-on-one physical battle, but surely two men could handle him!

Then—

They witnessed an unbelievable scene.

Li Luo dipped his shoulder and stepped across.

His right foot feinted one way as he controlled the ball.

Slap.

His left foot took a quick adjustment step and burst forward.

With one touch to control and one to carry it past, he shook off Shinji Kagawa in the simplest, calmest manner possible.

The next moment.

The Chinese youngster stepped into a dreamlike rhythm.

Slowing down.

Accelerating.

Left foot touched down.

Left foot touched down.

Right foot touched down.

As though he were dancing.

He cut the ball and changed direction!

Keisuke Honda, who had tried to intercept him, gradually felt despair: What kind of stride frequency was this? What kind of touch frequency was this?

In the depths of despair.

AC Milan's number 10 lost his balance and fell awkwardly to the ground.

"What?"

"Lingbo Microsteps."

"Wow!"

"How many touches did he make in two seconds?"

"Unbelievable."

"Like a dream..."

At that moment, Commentator Zhang could not think of any template to describe it.

Top-tier step frequency was akin to an advanced form of inner cultivation.

Every star who possessed this skill displayed a different style of dribbling on the pitch, shaped by their individual traits.

All the spectators were stunned.

They had originally thought Li Luo would engage in a close-quarters battle with Japan's two midfield cores.

Instead, he unleashed a trump-card combination.

Space.

Time.

A front-facing escape.

Dreamlike footwork.

It was insanely cool!

Nani?

The Japanese fans, Japan Football Association officials, and Japanese assistant coaches all cried out the same thing in their hearts.

They were terrified.

Aguirre trembled all over.

"Stop him!"

"Destroy China football's dream!"

"The Japan National Team cannot concede another goal!"

China's coaching staff, who had been running alongside the play, gradually came to a stop.

Perrin's face was flushed.

Assistant Coach Li excitedly crushed his bottle of mineral water.

The surprise was beyond words.

Like seeing an oasis in the desert.

The humble Mr. Hecking had never mentioned that he had brought out Li Luo's potential for step frequency.

"It's not over yet!"

"This time, the Japan National Team isn't trying to cut off the passing links."

"They're throwing everything into surrounding Li Luo!"

"Taishi Taguchi has closed in from the rear diagonal!"

"This J.League tackling king is known as the Okinawan Fawn."

Before the commentator could finish speaking, Li Luo suddenly stopped, dragged the ball back, and turned.

Taishi Taguchi could not overcome his momentum and stumbled past him, missing completely.

"Li Luo touches the ball again, adjusts his body angle, and continues forward,"

"He's too exposed—danger! Gaku Shibasaki is charging in from behind! He's the J.League's best midfielder!"

"No."

"Li Luo did that on purpose!"

"A shoulder-drop feint with his back to goal! He pulled the ball and spun on the spot! Gaku Shibasaki lunged at nothing and fell flat on his face!"

"Now comes the real advance!"

"One elegant escape after another."

"The Japanese players simply couldn't touch him."

"Calm and composed, strolling through the garden."

The entire sequence.

Li Luo tore Japan National Team's midfield shield to shreds.

No pass.

He kept driving forward.

With 60 points in ball control, combined with Spatial Awareness, the Kroos and Zidane modules underwent a qualitative transformation.

In the livestream chat.

-[Awesome!]

-[Why didn't he use a body check this time? Dribble past them again?]

[Japan's central defense was packed, and their defensive positioning was sound. No matter how strong he was, without room to accelerate, he couldn't keep bulldozing through people with the ball.]

-[You guys type way too fast.]

China National Team's attacking midfielders and forwards quickly pushed up.

Wu Lei, Gao Lin, and Hao Junmin.

The three spread out, widening the attack.

They knew how to set the table for a superstar.

Japan's back line rapidly contracted.

Too late.

Li Luo carried the ball into the thirty-meter zone of Japan National Team's half.

In his field of vision, a golden phantom swiftly condensed.

Germany's number 10.

Matthäus.

The man and shadow gradually synchronized their steps and movements.

His body tilted.

His arm rose.

His leg swung.

A force capable of uprooting mountains.

At that moment, Japan National Team truly felt despair.

Whoosh!

The terrifying sound of the strike exploded through the night sky like thunder.

The football rocketed away.

Unstoppable.

Fierce and domineering.

Crushing everything in its path.

The Blue Samurai's chest was pierced through, and they collapsed with a thunderous crash.

The white flags in the away stands trembled in fear, accompanied by cries, before slowly falling like something broken.

The white net twisted violently out of shape.

2:2!!!

One shot shattered the Yamato spirit.