I AM the Football Star

Chapter 330: Chapter 102: King of Long Shots! Saint Simon!

”GOAL! An unbelievable goal!”

”Steps! This goal took steps! If there were traveling violations in football!”

”It’s incredible, the ball landed at Lu Yang’s feet without bouncing at all!”

”What exquisite ball control!”

”What’s even scarier is that Lu Yang took a step with the foot glued to the ball, one left, one right, each foot taking a step, then he used his right foot to send the ball into the only gap in Rome’s defense.”

”A second earlier, Ameluci could have blocked the ball. A second later, Rome’s center-back could have stopped it.”

”I truly suspect Lu Yang is playing basketball! The kind where you use your feet! Isn’t this a perfect catch-and-shoot after a pivot step?”

”He’s turned football into basketball! Such a goal has never been seen in the Italian Cup! Even in World Football!”

”I’ve seen chipped shots before, but this sticky ball chip shot really... it’s almost against the laws of football!”

”Ameluci tried his best! He couldn’t have done better, but he faced Lu!”

On the field, Lu Yang started celebrating enthusiastically with his teammates.

”We still have a chance, let’s play well! No problem, we can catch up!” Lu Yang kept talking to his teammates, almost finding each one.

Even the goalkeeper Jalard received encouragement from Lu Yang, telling him not to feel pressured.

And you know, even though he’s a veteran, having spent much of his career in Serie B, Jalard hasn’t faced Serie A teams that often.

Especially the Serie A giants.

Ignorance is fearless.

Serie B is closest to Serie A, so it’s also the most aware of the differences between top-flight and second-tier leagues. Any player from a top-flight first team sent down can cause havoc in Serie B, a gap almost as big as that between amateur leagues and Serie B.

Jalard’s performance in this match wasn’t as good as expected due to his own pressure.

Lu Yang’s shout was undoubtedly helping his teammates rebuild their confidence.

Otherwise, conceding two goals in half an hour would cause any team to start doubting themselves.

Rome resumed play.

The dynamics on the field changed slightly.

Many times, positions that are close or rotate with each other have connections or conflicts, which is easy to understand.

But positions far apart on the field also have connections.

For example, San Remo’s recent goal highlighted their offensive threat, naturally drawing attention from the opponent’s defense and midfield, creating a better environment for Morici and others to handle the ball.

Sometimes, that’s the purpose of a forward’s presence.

It’s not necessarily about scoring more goals than others, but you must be able to score, even if it’s just one, changing the dynamics significantly.

Of course, Werner the Golden Scout is a different style; though he often misses at the front door, his runs, breakthroughs, and disruptions against the opponent’s defensive line are beyond ordinary forwards.

The most worrying is a forward who, unlike the Golden Scout, can’t create opportunities by running himself or, unlike the Golden Bomber, can’t score every chance he gets.

Bang!

After operations on the Rome side, Aguirre cut inside and took a shot.

Balera waved his hand in frustration, occasionally muttering the syllable ”Shit.”

”What’s the rush!”

Balera exchanged a helpless look with Drake in the backfield.

Their attack never pursued speed, nor is Rome a team that can speed up easily.

They prefer exploiting opponent’s vulnerabilities through transitioning between the left and right wings.

This transition is common in matches, a simple yet effective tactic.

Most notably was the 2021 European Cup’s first few matches in Portugal’s group stage. Often with just two simple lateral shifts, the opponent could create significant gaps in areas covered by Portugal’s right-back Semedo.

Although related to the head coach’s arrangement for tight defensive positioning, it clearly demonstrated the dangers of passively dealing with opponent’s lateral transitions.

Conversely, actively addressing it would inevitably spread your full-backs apart, allowing opponents opportunities in the half-spaces or center.

If Rome’s midfield had steadied that ball, they might have had a good long shot opportunity as their wing play had already stretched the opponent’s defense.

Yet the recent San Remo goal involved Becher’s significant contribution, initiating the attack and earning an assist, clearly stimulating Aguirre.

The result was a random shot with poor quality.

Sure enough, Jalard produced another high-quality save with a leap.

”Wow! Both veteran goalkeepers are performing well. Jalard, although not as dazzling as Ameluci, also made commendable saves.”

”We can see Balera finding Aguirre, seeming to say something to him.”

”Aguirre doesn’t look pleased but nodded.”

”Indeed, Rome shouldn’t shoot so casually, as San Remo has proven they can pose a threat once they have possession.”

Conversely, San Remo, with Morici’s support, also organized a decent offensive play.

Balera was just shown up by Morici, so he doesn’t dare underestimate the eighteen-year-old midfielder now.