Dominating Football with Perfect Ball Control

Chapter 157: 157. Winning the first match!

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Lance found it a bit difficult to understand. He wasn’t quite sure what kind of character Bachira Meguru was.

He only knew that Bachira Meguru harbored a football monster deep within him. Driven by the monster, he could dribble past opponents with ease, and logically, he should look down on everyone else, finding it hard to pass the ball and preferring to handle it himself.

But precisely, Bachira Meguru’s second skill was passing! At first, Lance didn’t get it, until the moment he released his own pass.

Indeed, the monster truly didn’t think much of others. His superhuman intuition and ability to seize opportunities made all his passes extremely precise. When he was young, he was often scolded because his passes were too aggressive and his teammates couldn’t receive them, so Bachira simply stopped passing.

Until one day, he found someone who could keep up with his rhythm, someone who could move in sync with the monster! Only then would such a pass be meaningful!

Just now on the field, Lance almost instinctively passed to the far post, completely disregarding whether his teammates could receive it. Yet, Eden Hazard sensed the ball, and at the crucial moment, he got Lance’s pass, even though he wasn’t a poacher, he still appeared in the most lethal position and scored!

”Nice! Eden! Well done!”

”Lance, your pass was too sudden!”

Hazard gave a wry smile. He almost did the splits just now, exerting all his strength to reach the ball.

”No choice, in a moment of urgency, that was the only way to handle it.”

”Alright.”

Hazard’s relatively easygoing personality meant he could only let Lance do as he pleased. However, he also knew that, when the team was in adversity, only a player like Lance, who broke conventions, could create miracles.

”One more goal! Let’s push hard and win the first match!”

”Yeah!!!”

The Belgium Team’s morale rose, and under the leadership of Captain Vincent Kompany, the entire team was full of vigor. After the kickoff, their relentless pressing quickly regained possession, continuing to besiege Algeria.

Algeria, seeing that injury time was approaching, could only try to run down the clock as much as possible to secure a draw. The last few minutes of the match entered a heated phase, and Belgium fans in the stands and in front of their televisions were all on edge, they hadn’t expected their first match in Brazil to be so difficult; was the World Cup intensity this high?

”After Lance came on, although he didn’t have the same target man ability as Romelu Lukaku, his ball-handling skills were exactly what Belgium needed most.”

”Beautiful!! That was a fantastic goal!!”

Zhan Jun clapped in admiration. Kevin De Bruyne crossed from the right wing to the center, Lance dropped back to the top of the box, with an Algeria center-back on his back, Lance surprisingly pulled off a rabona in mid-air, a through ball to the left flank!

Hazard made a late run, received the ball, and burst into the penalty area!

”Oh!! Eden Hazard!! One-on-one!!”

Unfortunately, Hazard hadn’t even expected Lance to be able to pass it like that! Had this kid evolved again? His first touch was not well handled, and he had to adjust his steps when shooting, allowing an Algeria defender to block it out for a corner.

Belgium Team corner.

”Four minutes of injury time, Belgium Team is currently tied 1-1 with Algeria!”

”Kevin De Bruyne will take this corner kick!”

Zhan Jun felt his breathing was already a bit difficult, watching the situation on the field anxiously. The Belgium Team also went all in at this point, using their last two substitutions.

Marouane Fellaini replaced Moussa Dembélé, and Adnan Januzaj replaced attacking midfielder Nacer Chadli. Marc Wilmots hoped Marouane Fellaini would use his height advantage to win headers, De Bruyne moved from right winger to the attacking midfield position to participate in organizing play, and the right side was entrusted to the young Januzaj for breakthroughs.

”The Belgium Team is still making their final efforts... Kevin De Bruyne, the corner is taken! Near post!”

Marouane Fellaini got to the near post, his bushy hair like an iron tower, a header from a tight angle!

”Oh my, that ball!!”

Zhan Jun frowned as he watched. Lance was already lurking at the far post in front of the goal, temporarily unmarked, if Marouane Fellaini had headed it across, it would have surely been a goal.

But Marouane Fellaini chose to head it himself, the angle was a bit too central and the goalkeeper pushed it over the bar. Another Belgium Team corner.

”The Belgium Team’s 11th corner of the match, they have been dominating the game throughout, but unfortunately, they have been unable to break through the opponent’s goal. If not for Lance’s moment of brilliance just now, the outcome of the match would probably already be decided.”

The opponent intensified their marking on Marouane Fellaini, with a center-back over 190cm tall tightly holding Marouane Fellaini’s position. This made it very difficult for De Bruyne near the corner flag.

What to do? He looked up at the penalty area, suddenly feeling a bit desperate. If even Algeria was this difficult to play against, how would they face stronger European opponents later?

Qualifying from the group stage would be tough! Was this all the Belgium Golden Generation, hyped up for half a year, amounted to? De Bruyne’s confidence wavered a bit, at the crucial moment, he suddenly noticed Lance in the penalty area discreetly signaling to him.

”Uh...”

Are we really going to pull something like that? De Bruyne realized that Lance had a new trick up his sleeve. They had played this trick on the training ground when they were kids, but would it really work in a World Cup match?

But there was no time to think! Only the last minute of injury time remained; if he hesitated for a few more seconds, the referee’s whistle would mean no more chances. Might as well trust Lance!

De Bruyne raised his left hand to give the signal, indicating a short corner. Hazard also understood, quickly moving closer a second before the kick-off, De Bruyne passed it short.

”Oh? A short one, Eden Hazard, back to Kevin De Bruyne!”

”A sudden right-footed cross!!”

Marouane Fellaini, Jan Vertonghen, Vincent Kompany, and others were all feigning attacks in the penalty area, making runs to distract the opponents. This made De Bruyne’s tactical corner very sudden!

And the cross went to the far post! In a position where Algeria temporarily had no one marking, a red figure suddenly appeared, leaping high into the air!

[Assisting Character: Nagi Seishiro]

Activated!

Perfect Ball Control!

Lance exquisitely chipped the ball in mid-air, controlling and evading it over the head of the opponent’s full-back! The moment he landed, Lance was already behind the defender, drawing his bow and nocking an arrow!

Taking advantage of the dwindling seconds, he delivered the final blow! The eyes of the world were focused on Lance, he felt no tension, only calmness!

Bang--

”Lance--a shot from a tight angle!!!”

Zhan Jun’s pupils dilated, and he cheered with raised arms simultaneously with the fans in the stadium!

”Goal!!! Lance--”

”At the crucial moment, it has to be him!”

”The Bundesliga top scorer, every match he’s the key player!”

”Lance has brought the spirit from his Bayer Leverkusen days to the national team!”

”A last-gasp goal, 2-1--a dramatic win against Algeria!!!”

Generally speaking, for the first group stage match, winning or losing still leaves a chance to qualify. But Lance’s winning goal was simply too spectacular, too crucial, all the fans supporting Belgium, after 90 minutes of suppression, exploded instantly!

The atmosphere of a group stage match rivaled that of a final!

”Lance’s World Cup debut, coming on as a substitute for 10 minutes, with 1 assist and 1 goal! Helping Belgium successfully secure 3 points!”