manynovel Chapter 65 Graceful as a Swimming Dragon
Chapter 65 Graceful as a Swimming Dragon
Lille fans were still celebrating with beers in the stands at the end of the first half.
They considered countless possibilities.
I imagined my team would go all out in the second half, score again, and ultimately win big against the opponent.
This will bring Monaco, who have been on a winning streak in various competitions, back to reality.
I imagined a back-and-forth, exhilarating battle of offense between the two sides.
Their own team secured the victory thanks to home advantage.
Even the worst-case scenario.
They were only able to get the score tied by Monaco, which dragged the game into extra time.
Finally, the team won in a penalty shootout, securing their place in the French League Cup final.
But none of them expected it.
Just twenty minutes into the second half, the score was changed from 2-0 to 2-2.
That black-haired, yellow-skinned Chinese boy actually managed to throw their defenses into chaos.
At this moment, all the Lille fans' eyes were focused on that dashing figure on the field.
Perhaps it was because the scene was too shocking.
The entire stadium fell silent in that instant.
The human nerves involuntarily focus on this moment.
In their eyes.
That young Chinese boy seemed to be slowed down.
Approach run, leg swing, touch the ball.
Every movement was as clear as a movie scene, perfectly visible.
He maintained his posture as if he were taking a free kick.
The ball has already flown out.
With a rapid descent, it moved sideways in a bizarre manner.
He bypassed the wall of players and evaded the goalkeeper.
Heading straight for the corner of the goal.
Looking at this scene.
One word flashed through the minds of countless fans at the same time—
Graceful as a startled swan...
"Graceful as a swimming dragon!"
Zhan Jun slammed his hand on the table, his hoarse voice filled with excitement.
"This free kick was like a giant Eastern dragon soaring through the night sky!"
"In the final moments of the match, it was our Chinese talent, Jiang Ming, who stepped up!"
"3-2!!!"
"From being two goals down, Monaco rallied to score three in a row! They've completed a comeback!!"
"They actually did it!"
Accompanied by Zhan Jun's passionate commentary.
The chat in Huaxia's live stream room completely exploded:
"Awesome!!!!"
"Holy crap! What kind of magic ball is that?!"
"Is this kind of free kick, which drops at extremely high speed, a 'kick'?"
"Rico is probably the only player in world football today who can achieve that level of skill?"
"No, Jiang Ming's free kick was even more exaggerated, it even had a slight lateral deviation."
"The goalkeeper had no idea where the ball was going!"
"This is an advanced version of the knuckleball! Juninho! Is Juninho channeling his inner spirit?"
"I cried! This is a game I can watch for free?"
……
On the field.
Jiang Ming jogged all the way to the corner flag area.
On the opposite side of the stands were die-hard Monaco fans who had traveled from afar.
Their faces were flushed, and they were shouting the name of China over and over again:
"JIANG!!"
"JIANG!!"
Jiang Ming had long since forgotten about the old man Luo's sliding kneeling and overturning incident.
Without any hesitation, he bent his knees.
He slid off the grass!
The force was so great that it left three clear white marks on the grass.
"Vamos!!"
Monaco's teammates rushed over without hesitation.
He embraced the young Chinese player who led his team to a comeback victory.
They remembered the casual remark Jiang Ming made while sitting in the corner of the locker room during halftime.
Give me all the balls.
He really did it.
Fabinho looked on incredulously: "You're amazing, kid!"
"It's like they were sent by God to save the team!"
Even Bernardo Silva could hardly contain his excitement at this moment.
"A perfect free kick; the opposing goalkeeper didn't even have time to react."
"I knew it, I never misjudged you."
Sidelines.
Jardim and his coaching team embraced each other passionately.
Who would have thought that just two days ago, they were worried that most of their forwards were injured, making it difficult to even put together a complete attacking line.
They actually managed to come back from a two-goal deficit to win the game away from home.
They've made it to the French League Cup final, and they're just one step away from the championship!
Such a miraculous turnaround was nothing short of a night of miracles!
……
Post-match press conference.
As soon as Lille coach Antonetti sat down, he let out a long sigh.
"Now I finally understand how Tottenham Hotspur felt when they were overturned by Monaco..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the flashbulbs of the cameras below the stage went off in a flurry.
"No, I should say they're even more upset than them."
Antonetti shook his head with a wry smile and added, "We're facing a depleted Monaco squad that can't even field a full first-team squad."
"And just like that, we were leading by two goals but got overturned."
"That Chinese kid is a monster."
"He single-handedly dismantled my entire team's defense."
At this point, he rubbed his face irritably, as if trying to wash away all the fatigue and frustration of the whole ordeal.
"He's a true genius. Who in Ligue 1 right now can stop him?"
"I think only those superstars from Paris Saint-Germain might have a chance..."
Antonetti didn't wait for the reporters to ask questions before getting up and leaving, his back conveying a sense of powerlessness and defeat.
Two minutes later.
Yardin walked in with an undisguised smile on his face and began to speak eloquently to the reporters below the stage:
"That's right, it's a perfect night, we've made it to the finals."
"When the team is in dire straits, someone always steps up."
"I think if we can turn things around even in this situation, what can stop us from moving forward?"
"As for giving the ball entirely to Jiang in the second half?"
"Why isn't giving the ball to the best player a tactical move?"
These words immediately caused an uproar among the reporters in the audience.
Why does this sound so familiar?
……
In the players' tunnel.
Jiang Ming, carrying a bag, took advantage of his teammates being outside to give an interview.
He crept into the shadows of the passage and opened the system panel.
[Ding! Congratulations on completing the mission objective: Lead your team to the French League Cup final]
You led your team to a remarkable comeback victory in the French League Cup semi-final, coming back from 0-2 down to win 3-2.
[With two goals and one assist, you single-handedly led your team to victory as the football prodigy]
When the team was plagued by injuries, you, as the core player, carried the entire team!
[Reward: Xavi's "One-Touch Pass" module; 5 attribute points can be freely allocated]
When Jiang Ming saw the reward for the mission, he couldn't help but gasp.
"This...this is a legendary golden explosion?!"
Who is Harvey?!
Throughout the history of football, if you were to choose the best midfield eleven, most fans and media would immediately think of him!
He's a true midfield commander.
The brains behind Barcelona's Dream Team!
Jiang Ming eagerly clicked on the module's description:
[Xavi's "One-Touch Pass" Module: When you receive the ball, the speed and accuracy of short passes are greatly improved, and the interval between receiving and passing the ball is compressed to the extreme.]
[Note: He already knew the answer before receiving the ball; he simply read the answer aloud when passing the ball.]
Upon seeing this line of small print, Jiang Ming could not hide his excitement.
Xavi's "one-touch passing" emphasizes the efficiency and precision of short passes.
He had always relied on Pirlo's long passes to become the team's backcourt playmaker.
Now let's have another one-touch pass from Xavi.
This is practically like Lu Bu riding Red Hare and taking off on the spot!
One long and one short, a combination of long and short.
In matches where the opponent is easy prey, he plays in the attacking third, showcasing his exceptional short passing skills with a single touch, leaving the opponent's defense completely bewildered.
When facing strong opponents, he retreats to the backfield and delivers a long pass that directly breaks through the opponent's high defensive line, launching a counter-attack that leaves the opponent completely disoriented.
No matter what the opponent is, he can change his playing style at any time depending on the situation.
He single-handedly controlled the team's offensive and defensive rhythm!
This is awesome!
He then casually put all 5 attribute points into speed boost.
[Accelerate 34-39]
Jiang Ming walked out of the players' tunnel with light steps.
As we passed through the mixed zone, reporters swarmed around us.
He smiled and gave a casual reply, saying that his teammates were great and that he had just done what he was supposed to do.
Without lingering, I squeezed onto the bus back to Monaco with my teammates.
……
On Dongqiudi, a Chinese sports betting platform.
Overnight, a series of news articles about Monaco dominated the top of the homepage, and there were so many that you couldn't even scroll through them all:
So what if the team is riddled with injuries? Jiang Ming single-handedly leads the team to a comeback victory against Lille and a place in the French League Cup final!
Two goals and one assist! How much more amazing will the young Chinese athletes be before they stop?
What kind of free kick made the commentator exclaim "as graceful as a dragon in flight"?
Jardim's viral statement at the press conference: "Giving the ball to the best player isn't a tactic?"
Chinese football fans who have just woken up.
When I opened Dongqiudi (a Chinese sports betting platform), I was immediately overwhelmed by a deluge of good news.
They can leisurely browse news about their young players' amazing performances in Ligue 1 while having breakfast, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Let's first look at Zhan Jun's commentary where he was so excited that his voice cracked.
I'll rewatch the replays from various domestic football commentators again.
Look at how excited they were when they saw that free kick, slapping the table and jumping up.
Once the experts in the content editing team had worked through the night to extract clips from foreign websites, they gathered around to observe the reactions of foreign broadcasters and fans.
Especially bloggers from neighboring Japan and South Korea.
Looking at their comments and the envious remarks in the comments section below.
This is the genius of our Chinese nation!
I feel like my second day has become fulfilling again!
……
Madrid, Spain.
In the rehabilitation room at Real Madrid's training ground.
Cristiano Ronaldo is soaking in a bathtub full of ice cubes.
This is his unwavering routine after every training session.
An ice bath is taken to relieve muscle fatigue after high-intensity training.
He leaned against the edge of the bathtub, gazing at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling, trying to clear his mind and relax.
Suddenly, a strange feeling welled up in my heart.
just like……
Something important of mine has been stolen...
He frowned, shook his head, and couldn't figure out what it was.
I just felt empty inside.
……
the other side.
Barcelona.
Outdoor training ground.
Luis Enrique stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed, watching the players training on the field with little expression on his face.
On the field.
Messi received a pass from Iniesta, and with a slight flick of his foot, he beat two teammates who were defending him.
Then, without seeking personal credit, he made a selfless cross pass, allowing Suarez to make a run and put the ball into the empty net.
"Beautiful! Leo!"
The assistant coach on the sidelines couldn't help but shout.
The atmosphere within the team was incredibly lighthearted; the players laughed and high-fived each other, and no one found it strange.
After all, they have the MSN attacking duo, which is unparalleled in the football world.
It seems that no matter what the opponent is, nothing can stop their progress.
However, Enrique, as the head coach, did not feel happy; he always felt a little uneasy.
They have no problem beating weaker teams in the league, and they've temporarily put Real Madrid ahead of them in the La Liga standings.
They have a very high probability of winning the league title this season.
But the thought of a clash between two strong opponents gives him a headache.
The team always seems to inexplicably lose its strength at those times.
After all, the team's midfield maestro is gone.
The current midfield rotations always lack a certain fluidity; it's missing that one person who can connect all the players.
Fortunately, his scouts are already searching the world for a suitable successor to Xavi.
I just received a scouting report a few days ago.
According to the theory, there seems to be a young player on the other side who is shining brightly.
……
Monaco, France.
Latourby Training Centre.
Lille's away trip has come to an end.
The entire Monaco team gathered at the training base on the afternoon of the second day.
The Mediterranean sun shines on the lawn in winter.
A cool sea breeze was blowing in the air.
The team members walked into the training field in twos and threes, their smiles still lingering.
After all, they just completed an epic comeback yesterday to advance to the French League Cup final.
They were just one step away from winning the championship.
More importantly, the team's form has been getting better and better recently.
The team is competing on four fronts simultaneously: the league, the Europa League, the French League Cup, and the French Cup.
Who wouldn't be happy about that?
After training began.
Yardin stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed, silently observing the situation on the field.
He was still thinking about the upcoming schedule.
The team's schedule has been incredibly packed lately, with two games a week as common as eating.
Their next opponent, Angers, is currently third in the Ligue 1 standings.
They are closely following their own team, with only a few points separating them.
This is a true six-point battle for Champions League qualification.
"Jiang has been in really good form lately," the assistant coach couldn't help but remark.
"Uh-huh……"
Jardim, preoccupied with tactical considerations for the match against Angers, nodded absentmindedly.
"Look at him now, he's becoming more and more at ease on the field."
"His passing is starting to resemble Xavi's style."
"Hmm...hmm?"
It was only then that Yardin came to his senses.
He followed the assistant coach's gaze.
Just then, I saw Jiang Ming squeezed into the small space.
Without even stopping, he made a short pass the moment he received the ball.
In the blink of an eye, they tore through Team B's entire defensive line in the training match.
The ball landed precisely at Bernardo Silva's feet.
The latter took a step forward and slotted the ball into the net.
The whole process was so smooth and fast that it was impossible to react, without the slightest delay.
The assistant coach couldn't help but exclaim, "This kid's improved again."
"Since he was discovered by us and promoted to the first team, his strength has been improving by leaps and bounds."
Yaldin did not answer.
His expression was solemn, and his attention was entirely focused on Jiang Ming's feet.
catch.
pass.
catch.
pass……
Jiang Ming made no unnecessary moves in the midfield.
just like……
It's like he has two balls at his feet at the same time.
What's going on?