Team Spirit

Chapter 143 Fallen Angel, You Must Be Happy
[Ding! You have received:]

[Rolling Throw - Silver: Your balance and agility are improved. Greatly increases throw distance for inbounds balls. Note: This technique is only available when your stamina is above 70% or has been replenished.]

[Control and Dribble - Silver: Your ball control ability has been improved. Your explosiveness and passing accuracy when controlling the ball to dribble past opponents have increased.]

[Fallen Angel - Gold: Your balance and agility are enhanced. The arm movements required for body movements are halved.]

[Balance and Flexibility: 78+1+2]

[Ball control: 70+3]

A tumbling, tossed ball?
Lu Kai smiled.

This move is similar to the dolphin dribble, so flashy it's almost gaudy.

The player lifts the ball above his head, catches it firmly, and then performs a "front somersault".

The reason for the quotation marks is that it is not a real somersault. Although the hands do not support the ground, the ball is used to touch the ground, and after flipping over, the inertia is used to throw the ball. The throwing distance can be increased by 100%!
Ball speed, trajectory, and so on have all been increased.

This action seems to be a deliberate attempt to attract attention, making one appear like a monkey.

Moreover, even if you can overcome this shame, its instability and danger make it daunting.

A throw-in can be a great opportunity, but if you miss your front flip, you've wasted a good chance.

Moreover, if a mistake is made, injury is inevitable.

In contrast, several other "circus tricks" are genuinely restricted by the rules and cannot be used.

For example, when you leap over someone like a frog, it's easy to kick and injure the opponent, and it's also easy to show the opponent the sole of your shoe.

Another example is the donkey-style free kick, where a player uses a rainbow flick to lift the ball up, and another player volleys it, but the ball is touched by both feet when flicking it, which is already an example.

【Stop and Pass】is a practical skill that can be used whether you have it or not, but Lu Kai mainly benefits from its amplification.

【The Fallen Angel】Rise through a series of actions, from arm movements and fierce swings to taking desperate risks.

It's shorter now, but more effective.

It could even be described as a huge amplification of all previous arm movements.

"Break the arm movement in half" is already defying the laws of physics; it's reducing inertia!
If Di Maria is an angel with fluttering wings, her arms add three points to her driving power.

Lu Kai then took the mechanical approach to the extreme, and his movements became increasingly stiff and uncoordinated when breaking through, but his center of gravity became one step faster than others, especially Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo.

At the same time, this skill also makes Lu Kai's elbow strikes more covert and powerful, with a slight movement comparable to a charged heavy blow.

It's such a waste to use those elbows in soccer; this skill would be the best in the NBA before the small-ball era!

His iron elbows come and go without a trace. Even if Malone, Jordan, and Kobe came, they could only call themselves apprentices and dared not use their elbows at Lu's door.

Historically known as Elbow Victory!
Those who are elbowed by him often find it hard to believe and exclaim, "You... Elbow Kai!"

……

Shh! ! !
Lu Kai's attention was drawn back by a chorus of boos.

He looked up and saw that the Stamford Bridge fans were booing Ashley Young.

Today, 42,000 people stood in neat rows in this stadium, their deep blue jerseys resembling the sea, with only a very few in green and white jerseys.

Ashley Young is taking a free kick towards the goal, attempting to hit the crossbar.

This kid.

This is fishing!
Let's see if any impulsive young players get lured in, then let Lu Kai deal with them, break their resolve, and gain the morale advantage.

Unfortunately, this Chelsea team doesn't have players that foolish.

At least the senior players haven't spoken up, and the younger players aren't confident enough to provoke Lu Kai.

Lu Kai smiled.

He certainly doesn't have to show off his four-hit combo on the crossbar every game, since he only has one chance per month.

But since there are still some games this month and no major matches coming up, it's good to give the Stamford Bridge fans something to look forward to.

Bang bang bang!
Lu Kai hit the crossbar three times in a row.

Although Chelsea did not respond, everyone was paying close attention to what was happening on their side.

After Lu Kai completed his triple strike, Lampard frowned slightly, clearly disliking this provocative behavior.

Hasselbaink smiled. His shooting skills were unparalleled in England; scoring goals was the real skill, and these tricks did not help the game at all.

Zola sighed slightly; in the two years since they last met, Lu Kai's footwork had become even stronger.

But I've gotten even older.

I still remember when we first met, Dartford was all bark and no bite. It was hard to tell whether he was deliberately taken down by Barton or it was an accident.

But after two years, who doesn't know Patton's true nature?
dirty?
Zola doesn't think so; he's seen plenty of dirty players and teams.

However, most players and teams exhibit clear path dependence.

If you win by playing dirty, then you'll continue to play dirty in the future.

If someone is known for their passing and control style, they will definitely continue to use passing and control to the death.

It is different from Culx-Turford.

They were dirty, but not completely dirty.

Dirt is merely a means, not an end.

A team like this, with players like this, is destined for a bigger stage.

Zola watched all of this year's UEFA Cup matches, and he doesn't think Dartford's run to the quarterfinals will be a surprise.

Who knows... Green Gunners might achieve similar results again next year!

Yes, most Premier League teams struggle to compete in European competitions year after year, but Dartford, having won the EFL Cup for the second consecutive year, will still have a chance to play in the UEFA Cup next year.

Looking up at the 40,000 jerseys, Zola was not optimistic about today's game.

Chelsea's financial situation has been very bad in the past two years, and there are rumors that Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich may take over the team.

Soviet capital invasion of London?

This alone has already made many players want to leave.

Even without discrimination against Soviet capital, with a new boss on the horizon, who are they trying to impress at this point?

If it gets injured, I'll sell it off in no time.

You should really think about your future.

Chelsea's owners have given the team a firm order: to finish fourth in the Premier League and qualify for the Champions League.

This qualification directly affected Chelsea's price.

So even though it was the FA Cup semi-final and Chelsea fielded their strongest lineup, they still held back in terms of tactics and attitude.

……

With a whistle, the game officially began.

Chelsea's formation is a 4-4-2:

Hasselbaink, Zola

Morris, Lampard, Pettit, Glenn Schalt

Barbayaro, Galas, Terry, Melchiort
Cudicini
-

Dartford, having successfully weathered the madness of March, now have a complete squad.

At the same time, the players also overcame their slump.

While he didn't quite "play at his best," he was at least at a normal level.

Their formation today is 4-3-3:

Ashley Young, Akinfenwa, Madeira
Lu Kai, Ten Hah, Toure

Shore, Li Weifeng, Williams, Duff

Casper

-

Li Weifeng took the lead in the competition with Williams. In fact, he and Williams are guards of the same style, both of medium height, relatively fast speed and good jumping ability.

The reason he won was that Williams was more suited to playing as a full-back than Li Weifeng.

For tactical reasons, Williams needs to be on the bench.

This is an example of a player being harmed by his own versatility.

Akinfenwa's starting position was somewhat unexpected for Chelsea.

But Akinfenwa was very clear about his mission.

Chelsea's two center-backs have similar characteristics to Williams and Li Weifeng.

Just go in and ram into Akinfenwa, that'll wear him down.

Once they're exhausted, Beckford can go in and finish them off.

High balls, in particular, are extremely physically demanding, and it's questionable whether Terry and Gallas will be able to jump high enough in the later stages.

In the fifth minute, Lampard got the ball by pressing Lu Kai, who continued to apply pressure, and Lampard was eventually knocked down.

The referee blew the whistle.

Lu Kai committed a defensive foul. Lu Kai smiled slightly and reached out to help Lampard up.

But Lampard has already felt the targeting.

This person is watching him!
Lampard's intuition was correct; Lu Kai was marking Lampard in midfield for this match.

The other marking spot was given to Zola in the attacking third.

Zola will often retreat, giving Lu Kai time to defend against him.

Hasselbaink is positioned further forward, making it difficult for Lu Kai to move back.

However, Hasselbaink is also being watched today.

In the eighth minute, Maurice sent a through ball to Hasselbaink.

Li Weifeng moved quickly and collided violently with Hasselbaink.

After receiving the ball with difficulty, Hasselbaink was unable to launch an attack and could only pass it back.

The ball ended up going out of bounds.

The camera focuses on Li Weifeng.

Guo, a central defender, single-handedly defended against the Premier League Golden Boot winner; his achievement is truly remarkable.

This is Li Weifeng's entire task for today—to keep a close eye on Hasselbaink.

As the eternal symbol of Bayinbuluke, the top striker Hasselbaink's fame has faded in later generations. This is not only due to his failure to make it in top clubs, but also related to his individual abilities.

Judging solely from his archery skills, he is undoubtedly top-notch. Combined with his speed and physical strength, his impact is exceptional.

But apart from that, he is clearly much worse in all aspects, including passing, playmaking, stretching, and positioning.

Especially in positioning, he will always run to the most threatening spot, even if his teammates also go to that spot, even if the opponent is already watching that spot.

This makes it difficult for him to shine once he is targeted.

Moreover, his impact is declining as he gets older.

In addition, Zola used to play as an attacking midfielder, so we can focus on taking care of him, helping him stretch the defense, and setting up the ball for him.

However, this season at Chelsea, with Lampard taking over, Zola moved to the striker position.

Lampard already had a lot of shooting opportunities, but his ability to draw defenders, attract fire, and deliver lethal passes was inferior to Zola's, causing Hasselbaink's goal-scoring efficiency to drop by about 50 percent instantly.

Currently, Chelsea's top scorer is Zola, who can adapt to any situation.

But Zola is older, and his impressive statistics are built on the support of Lampard and Hasselbaink. He is now a player who relies on others for support, not a core player.

Therefore, if the first two factors don't work, Zola will find it difficult to initiate attacks. As a result, while his statistics are good, his decisiveness on the court is actually declining.

Today, Dartford clearly shut down both Lampard and Hasselbaink.

Zola then went invisible as well.

In the 13th minute, Dartford launched an attack.

Lu Kai passed the ball to Ashley Young, who made a series of feints, his movements becoming increasingly flashy, with almost no weaknesses except for his inability to pass out opponents.

But even this weakness has become a strength today.

As Ashley Young dribbled down the left flank, Akinfenwa kept chipping away at Terry, causing him to suffer terribly.

This is like an old ox plowing the field!
Fifteen minutes later, Akinfenwa plowed again.

Terry's neck turned red with anger.

This action sparked some erotic thoughts in him. He really liked the action of Lao Han pushing the cart, but he didn't want to be the cart!

Chelsea: But we are the car!
In the 19th minute, Ashley Young made a run down the left flank.

Melchiort kicked the ball out of bounds first.

Xiao Li was about to come up and throw the ball, but Lu Kai made a gesture.

The Dartford players all moved towards the edge of the penalty area.

Williams and Duff both came up.

The Chelsea players were somewhat bewildered.

What do you mean?
This was just a throw-in, not a tactical free kick. Why are you guys venturing into my penalty area?
But there's nothing you can do; everyone else has already piled up there, so how can you not follow suit?
For a moment, a throw-in created the momentum of a tactical free kick.

There was no player in front of Lu Kai to receive the ball.

"Oh! Is Lu Kai planning to throw the ball directly into the penalty area?"

"Grenade tactics?"

"There is indeed such a throwing method, but it requires a very high level of arm strength from the player. Only a very few players in the entire European football world can do it, so it is not common."

Throwing a ball over the sideline requires holding it with both hands and letting it fly over the top, which is not a powerful move and is far less effective than a one-handed throw.

Therefore, grenade sideline shots are not a standard tactic.

Chelsea's players were determined to push forward and not give Dartford any chance to create chaos with headers.

"Wait a minute, why is Lu Kai retreating so far?" Huang Jianxiang noticed the key point. "Lu Kai took a running start, and... what... Lu Kai did a front flip... and the soccer ball flew out!"

"Such fast ball speed!"

The acrobatic-like movements left Chelsea fans completely bewildered.

The Chelsea players on the field were stunned for half a second.

Some people rushed toward the designated front point.

But when the ball flew over, they realized that it had been thrown really far!
This is……

In front of the goal, Williams ran forward with all his might; he was the tallest and most likely to head the ball.

Terry and Pettit sandwiched the big man from both sides, forcibly slowing him down.

The soccer ball and Williams' head were ten centimeters apart.

Pass by.

Terry breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look behind him...

boom!
Madeira burst past the defender with incredible speed, then unleashed a flying tackle at the far post, sending the ball into the net.

"GOAL!"

"1-0! Dartford take the lead!"

"The far post of the Stamford Bridge goal was too empty, like a 'street' in London at four in the morning!"

"Madera is too fast, no one can keep up with him!"

"Of course, I know everyone wants to talk more about Lu Kai's throw-in, which was simply a circus-like move."

"While we repeatedly criticize Lu Kai for not being smooth enough in his dribbling and for not being technically skilled enough, he has already conquered countless fans with his circus-like style of play."

"Ronaldinho may be the epitome of highbrow football, but don't you like a more down-to-earth guy like Lu Kai?"

The camera focused on some children.

Without a doubt, they like it very much.

Lu Kai's move will undoubtedly inspire countless players with a "circus-style" approach to football.

Such players will be true gems in an increasingly rigid football world in the future!
In the stands, a little boy jumped for joy: "That's so cool! I want to play like that! I want to play for a club like that!"

His mother frowned: "But the Queens Park Rangers coaches think highly of you, and our home is closer to there."

Child: "I can live at school!"

Mother: "But the Queen's Park Rangers give you a three-pound allowance every week."

Child: "Dultford must have it too!"

The mother nodded: "Okay, then let's try Dartford this summer."

The child exclaimed excitedly, "Thank you, Mom! I'll definitely try my best to play soccer!"

Mother: "No, Raheem Sterling, you remember this: all I want is for you to be happy!"

Sterling nodded; he was an obedient child.

Next to the mother and child was another mother and child.

The boy was a bit older. Pointing at Lu Kai celebrating, he said, "So this is how you play football! Can I play like him too?"

His mother shook her head: "No, you can't. Jesse, you have to take responsibility as a man, play well, win the youth team's bonus, and prove that you are the best."

"Datford's lack of serious football spirit will never lead to victory!"

Boy: "But they defeated us."

The boy's socks had the Manchester United crest on them.

Mother: "That was just an accident. When the 'flying boot' incident happened, Manchester United couldn't beat anyone. But haven't you all adjusted now? You can always believe in Manchester United!"

"Remember, playing football is a serious matter. You need to take it seriously, don't just have too much fun!"

"You should be the new Beckham, not the new Lu!"

"Got it, Jesse Lingard!"

Lingard nodded, looking quite aggrieved. He was an obedient child, but he had his own principles when it came to football.

(End of this chapter)