I AM the Football Star

Chapter 131: Chapter 52: Turning the Tide Is the Hallmark of a Superstar

”WTF!”

”Can you believe it!”

”This...”

Perhaps no one could have predicted that the Star of Italy Team would dare to play like this against Arsenal.

Especially after Winter gave explicit instructions to the team’s new signing, Smith Luo.

”Smith Luo! Pressure, you need to make that number 24 player feel the pressure, don’t let him move freely in our midfield, understand?” Winter shouted to Arsenal’s new midfielder, Smith Luo.

Smith Luo just transferred to Arsenal this summer, previously playing for a Championship team. He is a typical English defensive midfielder, positioned as an important rotation player.

His main playing time next season will likely be after the seventieth minute, to maintain the team’s advantage.

Last season, Arsenal’s goals conceded in the last twenty minutes ranked among the top three in Premier League teams, which is certainly not a good record.

The team believes this is due to players not being tough enough in the second half, necessitating the introduction of tough defensive players.

But some people believe that this is because Arsenal’s players are either too young or too old, lacking enough stamina to support a full game. So the loss of ball control in the second half, leading to goals conceded, has nothing to do with toughness on defense.

But from Arsenal’s signings, they seem more inclined to believe the former.

Of course, it might also be related to the insufficient transfer funds of Arsenal.

After all, if they followed the latter’s argument for signings, Arsenal would undergo a massive overhaul. Not to mention whether the players can adapt, at least Arsenal’s funds can’t adapt.

You can never wake up a person who is pretending to be asleep, right?

Back to the field.

Winter’s instructions were just issued.

Ten minutes after the kick-off, Lu Yang’s Perpetual Motion Machine activated the second level.

His ability increased by five percent.

This means he has already run 12km.

Without a doubt, this data is astonishing.

A minute later, Arsenal launched a fierce attack on the right side of the Star of Italy.

They pressed forward with full force.

Canyes couldn’t handle four hands with just two fists, retreating all the way and being pressed near the edge of the penalty area by the opponent.

Just as the opponent was about to dribble horizontally for a breakthrough, Morici quietly shrank back from behind.

He completed a perfect surprise tackle, interrupting the opponent’s attack.

But the Arsenal players also immediately pounced on him.

With more than three people surrounding him, Morici had no time to organize an attack.

He could only instinctively make a long pass to shift the ball to the left.

Due to the players blocking in front, this cross-field pass was a bit against the breakout principles.

But Morici still made the pass!

And as for why the left side?

Because subconsciously, the person he trusts most is in that direction.

The football moved from the right-back of Star of Italy’s half to the left-back of Star of Italy’s half.

Lu Yang gained the advantage in an aerial duel with the opposing forward, successfully heading the ball.

The opposing forward fell to the ground, signaling to the referee for a foul by Lu Yang, but the referee indicated it was a normal confrontation.

Lu Yang controlled the ball and looked at Smith Luo ahead, nudging the ball to the right.

Smith Luo didn’t fall for it, occupying the route for Lu Yang’s flank breakthrough.

Just now, Lu Yang used a move that appeared to cut inside but actually went to the baseline to break through Arsenal’s defense.

Although this move was different from the previous technical action, the thought process was the same.

Smith Luo believed that Lu Yang intended to draw him in to block his possible central dribble.

But Lu Yang’s final direction would still be the baseline.

So Smith Luo remained motionless.

At this moment, Lu Yang was no longer facing the baseline directly but was facing the goal direction, intersecting with Smith Luo at about thirty degrees.

With Smith Luo retreating, Lu Yang had ample room to take a shot.

He saw a perfect opportunity!

He swung his right leg back hard to gather strength.

At the same time, Smith Luo was bewildered.

What was Lu Yang trying to do?

This is sixty or seventy meters away from the goal, right?

His action, why does it look so much like... a shot?

No, he must be intending to pass the ball.

Definitely!

Boom!

Many people saw Lu Yang’s buildup.

But no one knew the ultimate direction of Lu Yang’s kick.

Bai Zhami?

He was right behind Smith Luo, and if the ball was for Bai Zhami, then the direction was wrong, and the power was also incorrect.

Sogel?

He was still near the center circle, and Lu Yang seemed to have used too much power, right?

The right side?

Parrot and Sogel were in similar positions, so they couldn’t get the ball either.

”Oh... Lu Yang’s pass went too far, the football is flying towards... wait, this isn’t a pass!”

”My God! Lu Yang isn’t passing, is he attempting a shot?”

”Look, Arsenal’s attack is too strong, their goalkeeper even ran out of the penalty area! Now it’s an open goal!”

”The football is moving fast, with full power, and it’s indeed aimed at the goal!”

”Arsenal’s goalkeeper is running back, oh, the football just flew over his head.”

”Arsenal’s goalkeeper jumped, trying to intercept the airborne football, but unfortunately, he couldn’t reach it.”

”The football seems a bit high.”

Bang!

The football grazed the bottom of the crossbar and fell into the goal.

Over forty thousand fans on-site fell silent.

Facing Arsenal, while trailing in score!

A long-distance lob shot from the backfield!

And it went in!