Time is Running Out for the Japan National Team! (China National Football Team Plot)

"Five-star red flag fluttering in the wind~"

"How loud the song of victory rings."

The sea of red surged without end.

The entire Tianhe Stadium was set ablaze by scorching emotion.

The sheer joy seemed to render all the cheers silent.

Photographers frantically pressed their shutters, struggling to capture the Chinese youngster slowly finishing his shooting motion, and the Japanese goalkeeper on his knees.

The commentator's voice trembled, slightly choked with emotion:

"We equalized."

"In the 73rd minute of the match."

"Li Luo scored twice to level the score."

"An unstoppable super cannon shot crushed through the Japan National Team's defensive line."

"We had been under siege for a full 73 minutes. Facing the powerful Japanese football side, Li Luo never gave up and turned the tide."

"Was Chinese football entering a new era?"

In the livestream chat.

-[Awesome!]

-[Holy shit, that cannon shot reached 124 kilometers per hour! Terrifying! The Japan National Team was scared shitless.]

-[Am I dreaming?]

-[It's real. The China National Team was two goals behind, and Li Luo scored two goals to equalize.]

-[A god of war in desperate straits! He came on in the 50th minute, salvaged the collapsing situation, and held up a crumbling tower.]

-[Li Luo became the hero of Chinese football tonight. Sob, sob, sob. I'll never trash-talk him again.]

-[The Japanese goalkeeper got blasted to his knees.]

-[What do I do? I bet on the Japan National Team to win.]

The viewers in front of their televisions were once again utterly shaken.

Slow-motion replays showed the goal from every angle.

They made it even clearer just how terrifying Li Luo's cannon shot had been.

The aesthetics of violence.

That dashing shooting posture, like drawing a bow and nocking an arrow.

Li Luo staggered two steps forward.

He felt a slight tearing sensation in his inner thigh.

It was nothing serious.

The instant he faced the Japan National Team's defensive line, he had put too much force into it.

It was said that peak Matthäus could unleash super cannon shots at 200 kilometers per hour.

The quality of the J.League's high defensive lines and mid-blocks was far, far inferior to the opponents in the Bundesliga and Europa League.

High pressing was difficult.

Some defenders and goalkeepers played extremely well for weaker teams, yet could not make it into the giants. A major reason was the difference in how high or low the defensive line sat.

Tonight, the Japan National Team had treated itself like a "giant," never expecting the "weaker team," the China National Team, to have a Li Luo with a Matthäus template.

"Little Li."

The China National Football Team teammates stared at the Chinese youngster—who had elegantly dribbled past opponents time and again before unleashing that ferocious cannon shot—as though he were a monster.

Li Luo raised a hand and pointed. "Who's going to get the ball? We still have a chance."

If his thigh had not felt a little uncomfortable just now, he would have run over himself long ago.

The China National Football Team teammates looked at one another, unable to react for a moment.

Without the slightest hesitation, Gao Lin eagerly sprinted toward the Japanese goal.

Japan National Team goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa knelt on both knees, covering his face with his hands.

Even in the J.League and the AFC Champions League, he had never encountered an opponent as terrifying as Li Luo.

A Matthäus-style cannon shot.

For the strongest goalkeeper in the island nation's J.League... it was beyond the syllabus.

"That ball came at me like a shell... I-I was too useless! I'm a sinner!"

"Bastard, how could you give up so easily! Have you forgotten how you became a national team player step by step? From childhood until now, how many outstanding competitors did you eliminate... before you could wear the Japan National Team jersey?"

The Japanese players lowered their heads and slipped into recollection mode.

Village, Bonds, Companions.

Though they appeared motionless, in an anime, this could have lasted three or four episodes.

At the sidelines.

The French assistant coach and the Chinese assistant coach embraced tightly, celebrating wildly.

Perrin frowned in concern. "Li... is he injured?"

Translator Zhao leaned over the sideline and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Ask Brother Luo if he feels unwell!"

After receiving the answer.

Perrin let out a long breath.

During his time coaching Marseille, several of his tough players had been injured after unleashing powerful shots.

Elsewhere.

Aguirre slumped into the coaching bench.

Japan National Team had hired him to address their defensive weaknesses.

And yet.

The entire top-tier J.League defensive line had been torn apart tonight by Li Luo, who had come on as a substitute.

"We need a win."

"Not a draw."

"Stay calm. Don't give Li any more chances... Let's shore up the defense first and look for opportunities on the break. Everything will become much easier."

The away stand was dead silent.

As if a funeral were being held.

The white flags lying on the ground seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, and no one could bring themselves to pick them up.

Every Japanese fan stared blankly upward at the goal replay on the LED screen overhead.

That terrifying cannon shot.

It had swept through everything in its path.

What it shattered was not merely Japan National Team's goal...

Suddenly.

A childish voice rang out. "Dragon God!"

"Dragon God!"

"Li Luo!"

The ball was placed back on the center spot.

"Japan National Team are making a substitution."

"Yu Kobayashi is coming off."

"Nineteen-year-old youngster Takuma Asano comes on as a substitute."

"This is a like-for-like change."

"Takuma Asano of Sanfrecce Hiroshima is one of the most closely watched young talents in the J.League. Japanese media have high hopes for him, hoping he can become a supernova like Li Luo and Son Heung-min."

Takuma Asano was surrounded by the Japanese assistant coaches, who chattered away at him.

"Don't be nervous."

"China National Team's defense doesn't know enough about you. You'll definitely be able to pose a threat."

Beep!

With the referee's whistle.

Play resumed from the center circle.

Japan National Team had possession.

Shinji Kagawa made a quick forward run. After receiving Keisuke Honda's pass, he drove straight at the China National Team's inside channel.

"Japan National Team are playing very smoothly, keeping it on the ground with one-touch passing."

"Takuma Asano."

"Oh, dangerous! His footwork frequency is incredibly fast. Who would've thought Japan National Team had someone like... He's been dispossessed!"

The entire stadium was dumbfounded.

The J.League's best Rookie of the Year hopped and feinted in front of Li Luo, dropping his right shoulder, then his left, twisting his waist and hips...

Yet with one simple stretch of his foot, the Chinese prodigy stole the ball.

Nani?

When the knocked-down Takuma Asano climbed back to his feet, all he could see was Li Luo's back.

Relevant studies showed:

During matches, many players' emotions were amplified by the secretion of hormones in their bodies.

The Japanese players frantically retreated in sheer panic.

A high defensive line could not withstand Li Luo charging through alone.

A mid-block could not contain the elegant, agile Li Luo.

They could only drop into a low block!

Positional defense!

The China National Team's passing and receiving stability was poor. The Japanese coaching staff believed that this would make it easier to find counterattacking opportunities!

A strong team parking the bus was different from a weak team parking the bus.

A dozen seconds later.

Chinese viewers saw a long-lost sight.

A sight they had not seen in decades.

"What?"

"We're pinning Japan back?"

"This kind of scene only exists in low-quality old footage!"

"You're seeing it right."

"The entire Japanese team has retreated into a turtle shell and parked the bus."

"It's our turn to launch a relentless positional attack!"

In the livestream chat.

-[Huh? We can pin Japan back too?]

-[I feel like Japan's setup was thrown into disarray by Li Luo...]

-[Aguirre is good at defending. For a time in La Liga, he was called the 'Defensive Master.']

Perrin was a little slow to react.

He had considered many possibilities before the match, but he had never dreamed that... the China National Team could force Japan into parking the bus.

The assistant coach looked equally dumbfounded.

"Boss, how do we play this?"

"Watch Li's hand signals closely!"

This group of Japanese players had strong tactical discipline and remained focused, revealing few defensive gaps.

It was difficult for the China National Team to create danger in positional attacks.

Defending was difficult.

Initiating attacks on their own was not easy either; it required teamwork.

Most iconic moments of "ultimate individual heroism" happened during transition attacks.

In the 80th minute.

Terrified wails erupted from the away stand.

"Gao Lin leaps for the aerial duel. Against Japan's defense, he has an overwhelming advantage in the air!"

"A headed layoff!"

"Li Luo's movement... wow! A volley!"

"There are too many Japanese players in the box! The ball smashed hard into Gaku Shibasaki's butt..."

"The referee signals for the medical staff to come on."

Gao Lin raised a hand in apology, embarrassed.

He thought he had not done well enough with that ball.

Li Luo smiled.

He did not know what to say, so he could only gesture that it was fine and tell his teammate not to feel pressured.

Everyone made mistakes.

Football kings, football saints, and football emperors all made mistakes.

Cruyff had once said, "The moment you step onto the pitch, you should understand one thing: everyone makes mistakes."

In distant Belgium, in the Brussels district.

Malanda, who had just finished a U23 match, returned home.

The first thing he did was snatch the remote from his younger brother and watch Li Luo's match.

"Why are you crying? The TV was bought with the win bonus. And where did the win bonus come from? It was Li's... blessing!"

"Li works that hard for the national team?"

"If the China National Team had three Lis, they could solve a lot of problems."

Tianhe Stadium.

The 85th minute of the match.

The Japan National Team finally found a chance to counterattack.

"Taishi Taguchi!"

"Kosuke Ota is charging up on the other side..."

"Li Luo is tracking back very quickly. He just happened to be outside the edge of the penalty area."

"He caught up!"

"In his own half, Li Luo caught up with Kosuke Ota... He's incredibly tough."

"A counterattack against the counterattack!"

The change of possession sent Tianhe Stadium erupting with overwhelming momentum once more.

Li Luo drove straight up through the middle.

Wu Lei, who had already been drifting along the Japanese defensive line, decisively adjusted his body, ready to burst forward at any moment.

The Spatial Awareness module grasped every movement on the pitch.

Li Luo suddenly slowed down, making Japan's formation seem to slam on the brakes in an instant.

With a light touch of his right foot, he nudged the ball ahead.

He took a step.

Raised his arm.

Swung his leg.

Whoosh!

Another explosive crack rang out.

The football rose off the ground, carrying fierce inward spin as it traced a drifting, unpredictable path through the air.

57-point Passing.

Inward-Curling Arc!

"What kind of vision is that?!"

"Master-level skill!"

"After the ball hit the ground, it bounced again, changing direction at an angle and curving around Japan's defense!"

In the livestream chat.

-[Damn, Li Luo's long pass was so exquisite. Wu Lei can't possibly fail to get it, right?]

-[Wu Lei one-on-one—no lock-in. G1F]

-[He got it, but his first touch was a little too heavy.]

Wu Lei put every ounce of strength into bringing the ball under control.

Yet he vaguely felt that something was off.

The force and lead on that inward spin... Li Luo seemed to have put a little too much on it.

"No.

"It must be that I didn't control it properly. Li Luo's teammates in the Bundesliga... this is exactly the kind of force and lead they need!"

His touch was too heavy.

Japan's defenders got back into position and hurriedly cleared the ball over the end line.

Li Luo seemed to have left them traumatized; they kept hallucinating that someone would suddenly appear behind them.

The entire stadium sighed.

Wu Lei turned back sheepishly, giving Li Luo a thumbs-up to indicate that it had been his own mistake.

"A corner opportunity!"

"Li Luo's contribution in this match goes beyond just two goals."

"To a great extent, he has affected Japan's tactical setup."

"That inward-curling long pass just now threw the spacing in Japan's back line into complete disorder."

Hao Junmin stood near the corner flag.

Gao Lin was stationed in Japan's penalty area, towering over the crowd.

Shusaku Nishikawa loudly organized the defense. When he suddenly saw Li Luo standing outside the penalty area, he could not help but let out a long breath.

The distance was considerable.

Japan National Team's defensive line would not be directly threatened by Li Luo.

On the sidelines.

Perrin had sat down on the substitutes' bench at some point.

"Li's idea might be to create space for his teammates."

"Don't interfere too much."

"Give him complete freedom."

On the other side.

Aguirre was brimming with confidence.

"China National Team's set-piece attacks are crudely designed."

"Their success rate with high balls is average."

"Their short-corner routines are simplistic too."

"We are prepared. The moment the opponent makes a mistake, we can launch a fierce counterattack!"

Beep!

The referee blew his whistle.

Hao Junmin raised his right hand.

Two steps of run-up.

Smack.

The football rose off the ground, floating down toward Japan National Team's penalty area.

"That was a mistake."

"Too high and too slow..."

"Whoa!"

Suddenly.

At the edge of the frame, a red figure flashed into view.

Like lightning, he tore through Japan National Team's penalty area.

His instant anticipation and run perfectly matched the ball's trajectory.

Li Luo.

He pushed off.

Soaring high into the air.

He hammered it with a header!

The Japanese center-back attempting to stop him was violently knocked aside!

Smack!

The football was imbued with terrifying force in midair, unstoppable.

It turned into a cannonball.

And blasted open Japan National Team's goal.

3:2!!

Shinji Kagawa, who had arrived too late, wore a despairing expression as his legs gave way.

The entire stadium erupted.

They had taken the lead?

Countless faces were filled with disbelief.

Two goals down.

A three-goal comeback?

China National Team 3, Japan National Team 2?

Cheers poured down like a landslide and tsunami!

Li Luo could finally celebrate.

He landed and turned around.

He sprinted toward the corner flag, leaped over the GG advertising boards, and raced across the wide track.

The photographer lay prone on the ground, trembling nervously as he adjusted the camera.

A very, very low angle.

The camera slowly pushed Li Luo's back, arms spread wide, to the highest point of the frame.

The red flags billowing in the night wind, the scarves held high, the faces brimming with excitement and happiness, the thunderous applause and cheers... all of it was swept into the arms of the young Chinese player.

"The ball's in!"

"A hat trick!"

"China's young star Li Luo completed a hat trick on home soil, against the Japan National Team!"

"Three goals to complete the comeback and put the China National Team ahead!"

"An epic tale of heroism!"

"That header showcased his extraordinary off-the-ball movement, anticipation of the ball's path, speed, and explosiveness!"

"Unbelievable!"

"Japan's dual Europe-based midfield core and the stars of the J.League all looked utterly dim beneath his brilliance!"

The commentators were so excited that they could barely form coherent sentences.

Coach Zhang excitedly pinched his thigh.

In the livestream chatroom.

Bullet comments flew across the screen.

-[My eyes are peeing again... We really have a genius Chinese footballer who can turn the tide!]

-[Yeah, you're not dreaming.]

-[Li Luo took on the entire Japan National Team by himself! A hat trick!]

-[My God, that went in too?]

-[Why do I feel like I'm in a daze today?]

-[He suddenly flashed into the frame... then boom, a nuclear header! Oh no, Li Luo made the Japanese goalkeeper cry.]

-[I'd cry too. Japan was two goals up... then they got turned around by three goals and blown apart by Li Luo alone!]

-[Li Luo, take us to Russia.]

By the sideline.

Perrin and the French assistant coaches broke into a tango.

Assistant Coach Li's eyes were red as he tightly hugged Translator Zhao.

"I can hardly believe this is real."

"Two goals down against Japan, and Li Luo scored three to put us ahead."

"Cut off your bangs with scissors, and you'll know it's all real."

On the other side.

Aguirre shook his head blankly.

He did not understand.

He even began to doubt his own managerial ability.

"Boss, don't overthink it. At the Asian Cup two months from now, all of Japan's Europe-based starters will be back. If we face the China National Team, we'll definitely beat Li Luo!"

"We've collected all of Li Luo's current habits on the ball and every piece of his data."

"Next time we meet, we'll definitely be able to contain him!"

The Japan National Team coaches chattered away as they filled page after page of draft paper, all of it material for reflection.

In the away stand.

Not a single white flag remained raised.

It was as though Li Luo had chopped them all down with a blade.

Waves of sobbing rose and fell.

A middle-aged man's voice rang out. "Japanese football has lost all its dignity."

"What the hell is Kosuke Ota doing at fullback? Can he even play?"

Another voice objected, "No, it's because China has Li Luo."

"We should use Li Luo as a model for youth development... and unearth more outstanding talent!"

The match resumed.

Having taken the lead, the China National Team did not continue attacking aggressively.

Instead, they chose to shore up their defense.

They parked the bus.

Every player was called back to take part deeply in defense.

Japan launched wave after wave of attacks.

Some J.League players were so anxious that they even made errors like miscontrolling the ball straight out of bounds.

"This sort of situation is not uncommon in the AFC Champions League."

"Mm, I'm sure the viewers in front of their televisions are extremely excited."

"There isn't much time left for Japan."

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