Team Spirit

Chapter 159 (1 words): A sky-high sponsorship opens a new era for online gambling; facing the Bumblebees, Yang finds a new track.

Lu Kai definitely distributed the extra money from the Stanley Group to Alfred in various ways, including bonuses.

The core team receives excellent compensation, especially considering this is Alfred's own revenue.

Alfred, who had made a fortune, treated Ten Hach to a lavish meal and showered him with praise as a way of repaying him for his hard work.

He initially intended to give Ten Hach a large red envelope containing several thousand pounds, but after Lu Kai reminded him, he cancelled it.

Lu Kai: "If you give students red envelopes, won't they know that you're using their research results to make money outside? If you give too little, they'll think you're a stingy supervisor."

“If you give him too much, he’ll think that you, as his mentor, must be earning more, and it’s not worth it for him to work for you.”

Alfred suddenly realized: "You know so much. You're a natural leader."

Lu Kai humbly replied, "No, it's just a few tips for studying for a master's degree in China."

Ten Hach ate the meal with great dissatisfaction, thinking that he had been caught plagiarizing.

The teacher must be trying to save face for me, so they subtly reminded me with a big meal... You good-for-nothing student haven't even paid your tuition for this year, do you even want to graduate with a master's degree?

The following day, the Ten Hag family group also bought an advertising billboard inside Dartford Stadium for a 50 percent premium.

They are a Dutch real estate agency group that also provides related financial services.

This money was not only for Ten Hag's tuition, but also for connecting him with Dartford.

They then plan to take over the leasing business of the surrounding shops and residences around Green Gun Stadium.

They were very sincere, keeping profits to a minimum, with the main goal of penetrating the British market.

Dartford welcomes such collaborations, believing that professionals should handle professional tasks.

Alfred, the graduate advisor, did nothing, yet brought the team two excellent direct benefits and two major future trades, earning the admiration and worship of two young men.

You are truly a master as long as you don't make a move.

Lu Kai resigned during this national team match day to handle related sponsorship matters, with Stanley Group and Ten Hag Group being just two of them.

The most important thing is actually the team's chest sponsor.

Because they couldn't reach a satisfactory price, Dartford's chest sponsor during the Community Shield match featured a public service announcement: "Hope Primary School, so that every child can go to school."

This once attracted the attention of European media.

Only then did they realize that such charitable activities also existed in Zhongguo.

This has eliminated some of the prejudices that some people have against the mainland.

The mainland authorities also expressed their gratitude to Dartford for this action, which was featured on a joint news broadcast.

With Dartford winning the Community Shield, the Green Gunners once again reached the pinnacle of popularity, and their sponsors finally couldn't resist.

It will be too late if you don't act now.

Let the risks be greater.

Jinjiu, seizing the opportunity, offered £6 million for two years for the chest sponsorship of Dartford, hoping to rekindle their partnership.

Last year, they were the shirt sponsor for Green Guns, for a total of one million pounds.

This is clearly also due to the fact that Green Gun was featured in the news broadcast.

Three million pounds a year—that price is shaking the Premier League.

The shirt sponsorships for Premier League teams this year have been revealed, with Middlesbrough having the least, at only £300,000.

Moreover, it includes a chest sponsorship and naming rights for the Riverside Stadium.

Sunderland, the Black Cats, were relegated, for £300,000.

West Ham United, 400,000.

Southampton, $500,000.

Child Sport, 600,000.

Everton, 700,000.

Leeds United, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur, £1.25 million.

Ipswich, 130.

Liverpool has a long-standing partnership with brewer Carlsberg, worth three million pounds.

Arsenal's current contract is based on a previous agreement of £3.6 million. However, a new agreement was reached this summer, and the contract will be £6 million starting next year.

Before Abramovich took over, Chelsea had signed a super shirt sponsorship deal with Emirates for £5.5 million a year, which also included Chelsea's regular trips to Dubai to assist with local youth training programs.

Manchester United's spending is the highest in the Premier League, at £7.5 million, putting them in a league of their own.

Dartford's chest sponsor is the fourth largest in all of England!

However, just when Jiang Mengyun thought the contract was about to be finalized, Lu Kai said there was no rush and to wait a little longer.

Two days later, Betfair approached Dartford and offered a higher price.

Jiang Mengyun smiled.

high?
How much taller can you be?
Betfair is a European betting organization. When did betting organizations become allowed to sponsor betting services?

As a result, Betfair offered a mega-contract worth £756 million in the first year, £5 million in the following two years, and a total of £17.56 million over three years!

Jiang Mengyun was stunned.

What's the situation?
“Last season, the Premier League saw its first sponsorship by betting organizations. With the deliberate tacit approval of all parties, this did not generate much discussion,” Lu Kai explained. “In Europe and America, if there’s no rule against doing something, then it can be done quite freely.”

"This year is the time to be bold and daring."

"Betfair not only wants to do this year, but they want to make a splash and create a top-tier effect. They are the richest sponsors, and we are the team with the most traffic, so they are bound to come to us."

Jiang Mengyun was a little worried: "But...won't this cause a boycott from the English Football Association? And what about public opinion?"

Lu Kai shook his head: "There will be public opinion, but most of it is just sour grapes. With the European economy in a slump these past few years, the Premier League has long wanted to get a piece of the pie from betting companies."

In fact, this year will be a breakout year for betting companies sponsoring the Premier League.

Twenty years later, Premier League teams sponsored by betting companies accounted for 55 percent of all teams.

It wasn't until the 2026 Premier League season that they reluctantly announced a ban on betting companies as sponsors on the front of the jerseys—yes, not a complete ban, just a ban on chest advertising, truly hypocritical.

Given their nature, they're probably grateful to Dartford for bringing up this sensitive topic, making betting sponsorship a "good thing for football development," so why would they put any obstacles in their way?

As for public opinion pressure, once this year is over, everyone will be sponsoring gambling organizations next year, and then it will be fine.

If you want to earn money that others can't, you have to bear criticism that others don't have to bear; there's nothing to say about that.

As for whether there will be any negative influence... Betfair is not available in mainland China, so the impact is limited to Europe.

The people here are very "self-centered." What do you mean by "guidance"? Do you think a small advertisement on a shirt can influence the will of us smart and free people?

Whom do you look down on?
You are questioning our ability to think independently, questioning our character!

This is discrimination!

Stop being so arrogant! Your Green Gun ads aren't that effective!

After Lu Kai explained it to Jiang Mengyun, Jiang Mengyun understood.

Kind words can't persuade a damned ghost.

People who don't gamble don't care even if they see the words "Betfair" every day.

The betting dog had already planned out a way to go bankrupt.

Of course, a little gambling for fun is acceptable.

Then, a bombshell announcement completely shattered the fragile egos of Premier League teams!
"The Voice of Green Guns: Britain's most expensive shirt sponsorship is born! Green Guns beats Manchester United to play with a £7.56 million name in all matches this season!"

The Times: "Crazy! Dartford lands record-breaking shirt sponsorship, but the sponsor's sensitive identity sparks controversy!"

The Echo: "What's wrong with football? Dartford has more than twice as many shirt sponsors as Liverpool. Traffic is eroding the purity of football giants!"

Sky Sports: "Betting agencies enter the fray! Dartford propels England's shirt sponsorship into a new century!"

BBC: "Working with betting organizations? Beware of Dartford fixing matches this season; we've already lowered their credit rating to the lowest possible level!"

Manchester Evening News: "The Green Gun's overtaking is only temporary. Manchester United has dropped a bombshell: their shirt sponsorship will soar to nine million next season! It's only a matter of time before they return to the top of the earning list!"

Britain is shaken.

Manchester United desperately tried to save face.

However, Betfair subsequently revealed even more alarming news: £17.56 million was merely the base clause. To allay concerns that Dartford's partnership with Betfair might lead to match-fixing influenced by the organization, the two sides negotiated a supplementary championship bonus clause.

Community Shield victory, £100,000
Winning the League Cup earns £200,000.

Winning the League One title and the FA Cup, £500,000.

Winning the Premier League title and the UEFA Cup, one million pounds.

Winning the Champions League will earn you two million pounds!

The prize pool could accumulate to over ten million pounds over three years!

This shocked the whole of Europe.

Gambling companies are incredibly rich.

All those breweries, shoe factories, telecom companies, and game companies, get out of here! Don't block the real big spenders!

Although no one can possibly reach this highest prize pool, its symbolic significance outweighs its practical significance.

However, it can reflect someone's attitude.

This bonus clause is more about demonstrating that Dartford will not intentionally lose games because they have sponsorship from betting companies, and it is a response to current doubts.

Once the price of the jersey on the chest is fixed, the prices of the other related sponsorships are straightforward.

Pizza Hut beat BBK in the armband sponsorship, offering £1.6 million for a three-year contract. Even in the Premier League, that would rank fifth among chest sponsors.

The naming rights for the stadium have returned to normal prices this time, after all, it's still a small, run-down stadium.

This time, the company that defeated Lianxiang was another large domestic enterprise, Tencent.

They offered two million pounds a year, which was quite reasonable. It wasn't as outrageous as the initial offer of three hundred thousand pounds, nor as foolish as the five million pounds they ultimately offered.

The Riverside Stadium will be renamed Dartford Tenson Stadium this season.

Dartford specially welded a penguin silhouette onto Tencent's jersey, so fans also call the Riverside Stadium the "Penguin Stadium".

Tencent's meaning is that a five-year agreement has been reached.

But Dartford refused.

The main structure of Green Gun Stadium will be completed next year, and it will be available for use next season. The naming rights fee will then be much higher than it is now.

Dartford gave Tencent some advance notice, telling them to prepare accordingly.

If Tencent could really secure the naming rights back then, it would make perfect sense to have a giant green penguin on the banks of the Thames, right?
The stadium advertising billboards and other sponsorships combined amounted to more than £1.5 million.

It's like it's free.

Everyone wants to ride the Dartford traffic express.

And the last major expense is jersey sponsorship.

Dartford previously partnered with Puma for one million pounds.

This year, Puma offered £1.5 million for a five-year contract, totaling £7.5 million.

This is definitely a huge order.

After all, Dartford is only a League One team.

Promotion from League One is far more difficult than any previous level. Theoretically, Dartford might not be promoted to the Premier League for five years, and might even be relegated back to League Two after exhausting all their efforts to promote.

Therefore, Puma's offer still involved a lot of risk, which shows their sincerity.

Unfortunately, everyone has gone mad.

Whether they live or die in the future is unknown, but many people will regret it to death if they can't take Dartford now.

Reebok signed a four-year contract worth £2.5 million per year, resulting in a multi-million dollar deal!

Unfortunately, they were destined to fail. They lacked a basic understanding of the Chinese people. What if you had quoted an extra pound?

Currently, the world's two largest sports brands are Adidas and Nike.

Adidas was initially in a commanding lead, but was ultimately defeated by Nike in the NBA.

Especially LeBron James this year.

Adidas prepared a seven-year, $100 million contract, but was defeated by Nike's seven-year, $87 million contract.

GOAT joins Nike's lineup.

According to his agent, Adidas' contract has many restrictive clauses, and the base salary without performance obligations is actually only $60 million, which angered LeBron James.

Although Reebok offered a massive 115 million dollar deal over ten years and even presented James with a check for 10 million dollars in person, James, with his good judgment, ultimately chose Nike for long-term development.

While achieving great success in basketball, Nike is also making a strong challenge to the traditional champion Adidas in the top five European leagues, securing sponsorships from many top stars and teams.

Dartford, a high-profile team, is clearly a target for Nike.

£3.3 million per year for five years, totaling £16.5 million, is comparable to a Betfair deal.

Moreover, there is also physical equipment worth no less than three million pounds.

They also promised to create custom-made shoes for the entire Dartford team.

They will also sign Lu Kai and release his signature sneakers.

This is almost one of Nike's biggest moves in the top five European football leagues this year.

In contrast, Cristiano Ronaldo, who signed his first professional shoe contract with Nike this year, did not receive the same treatment.

Messi, who has long been sponsored by Nike, is just a nobody.

They couldn't even be there when the brand ambassadors took their family photos.

And I, Lu, can get a good position.

Adidas, having had enough, gave Beckham a lifetime contract worth 160 million this year, thus securing most of the world's top football stars.

But Nike can't afford to give up a niche, high-profile star like Lu Kai.

Four million pounds a year, for a three-year contract.

Adidas offered the highest unit price, while matching Nike in all other aspects.

Just when people thought the dust had settled, British sportswear brand Umbro made its move.

We can't beat Umbro to foreign stars, but how can we let our British stars slip away?

In the past two years, Umbro has encountered some difficulties and has been betting heavily on Dartford despite its declining performance.

Five million pounds a year, for a three-year contract!

At the same time, they are willing to offer Lu Kai a personal endorsement fee of three million pounds per year, and also sign a three-year contract.

Kaká, the Brazilian superstar who joined AC Milan, received an astonishingly large contract from Adidas due to his excellent conditions in all aspects – five years and nine million euros.

But compared to Lu Kai, he pales in comparison.

Lampard, one of the two great German stars, had his salary increased to £94,000 per week by Abramovich this season, tying him with the newly signed Crespo for the highest salary in the Premier League.

That top salary is only £4.9 million a year.

Lampard's total earnings from his career and long-term partnerships with Adidas and Pepsi were only three million pounds.

Umbro offered the best prices to both Dartford and Lu Kai.

That's it, Dartford's kit sponsorship deal is now with Umbro.

This price also ranks among the top three in England.

Arsenal were set to finalize a seven-year, £55 million deal with Nike next year, which was later extended to ten years.

It costs £7.8 million a year, but it's actually a huge loss. Because in the eleventh year, Arsenal immediately signed a £30 million a year shirt sponsorship deal with Puma, and five years later, they signed a £60 million a year deal with Adidas.

They were exploited by Nike because of the stadium.

Emirates Airlines also robbed them, acquiring a 15-year package of Arsenal's interests for 100 million pounds!

The naming rights for Arsenal's stadium are estimated to be worth only two to three million pounds a year, which is a huge loss.

While both Dartford and Dartford are building stadiums, Dartford has completely resolved its stadium funding issues.

After paying this year's bills and completing various expenses, including year-end tax deductions... there are still nearly 20 million pounds lying in the accounts.

Even if Dartford don't earn a single penny this season, the stadium will still be fully repaired.

Arsenal's stadium, for example, borrowed 300-400 million, but ended up losing nearly a billion in total. Gao Li's loans are truly something you shouldn't touch.

Dartford have received a staggering five million pounds in advance for their salaries this season.

This exceeds the total season expenditure of many League One teams.

It is two, three, or even more times their salary.

Last season, Dartford received an advance of £1.2 million in wages, but ultimately paid out £3 million.

There was no way around it; the team's performance was too good, the players played too well, and they received all sorts of bonuses and subsidies, ultimately reaching salaries close to the top level of the English First Division.

This season, Dartford's players' salaries may be able to catch up with some of the worst Premier League teams.

This is also related to the fact that the newly joined players have very good salaries and benefits.

People say Dartford are risking their lives to get promoted to the Premier League.

With such expenses, if Dartford fails to meet the performance requirements for two consecutive seasons, they can prepare for relegation.

The team's finances will inevitably collapse.

Of course, this only applies to teams with lower-level players.

In fact, last season, teams like Manchester United and Arsenal spent more than £50 million on wages.

And it's expanding rapidly; it's projected to exceed 100 million in 2006!

In contrast, Dartford went completely unburdened, using their players like child laborers.

Cristiano Ronaldo received a weekly wage of £30,000 immediately after joining Manchester United.

Dartford's top salary is only £10,000.

Finally, Dartford also invested two million euros in the development of the team's youth academy.

On the one hand, we need to solve the problems of players' accommodation and training; on the other hand, we need to establish cooperative relationships with local schools to solve their schooling problems.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be good for little ones like Sterling to drop out of school too early.

Although she is easily fooled by Lu Kai, she is also easily fooled by others.

Hopefully, they can learn more so they can understand that Dartford is the best solution for them.

Jiang Mengyun's Green Gun Tea has already opened several branches in London, and each one is doing better than the last.

Currently, all operations are directly managed.

In a few years, they'll open up franchising and make a killing.

They'll make another killing after the IPO.

They'll go overseas and make another killing in various third-world countries.

After hearing Lu Kai's blueprint, Jiang Mengyun laughed and said, "If we can really make that much money, I won't need to shake milk tea by hand anymore. I can just buy a machine to shake it."

Lu Kai nodded: "Yeah, sit in the rocking chair and rock slowly."

……

September 6 to September 20.

Four rounds of English League One have been played.

Apart from the first game, which was lost due to the FIFA virus affecting the players' poor form, Dartford won two and drew one of the other three games.

They climbed to fifth place in League One.

[Ding! You have received a reward:]

[Spatial Folding Run - Silver: Your off-the-ball movement is improved. Your explosiveness is increased when making folding runs.]

[68-Degree Header - Gold: Your heading ability has been greatly improved. Your headers have an amazing arc, always managing to lob into incredible areas.]

Off-the-ball movement: 78+2

Headers: 80+3

!!!

On the plane, Lu Kai glanced at Crouch behind him with a strange expression.

“While I’m playing, have Crouch pay close attention to my headers and learn from me,” Lu Kai said to Alfred beside him.

Alfred was clearly not fully awake, but he quickly took out his notebook and wrote it down before drifting off to sleep.

Ashley Young on the other side was shocked.

Old man, do you want to listen to what Lu Kai has to say first?

"You want Crouch, who's 2.02 meters tall, to learn headers from you, who's 1.83 meters tall? Lu, are you serious?" Ashley Young asked in a low voice.

Lu Kai gestured for Ashley Young to come closer, then said, "I'm 1.84 meters tall."

Ashley Young was struck dumb!

In fact, there was a reason why Lu Kai asked Crouch to learn from him: why did Crouch flop in the Premier League last year?

He's too thin, so even though he's tall, he can't take full advantage of his height.

If you encounter someone like Akimfenwa who can easily push you aside, what's the point of being high up if you can't get a good position?
Crouch's weight gain was unsuccessful, so how did he adapt to the Premier League?

Because he developed the "spatial folding positioning" and the "68-degree header".

The system really stole it this time.

They even stole it before Crouch developed it himself.

The space-folding movement actually involves repeatedly testing the offside line before emerging victorious.

They may look the same, but many players who excel in the penalty area have their own tricks.

The 68-degree header belongs exclusively to Crouch.

This type of header can help players compensate for poor header positioning by using header technique and curve.

In other words, if I can't unleash a burst of fire, I'll use a scoop shot.

If I can't head the ball down with a high quality, I'll shoot a three-pointer from above. As long as you can't block my shot, I can threaten your goal.

Soon, the plane landed.

Dartford landed in Dortmund.

This season is the last edition of the UEFA Cup before its restructuring.

Starting next season, the Europa League, like the Champions League, will initially use a group stage format. However, this year, it will still be played round by round.

Dartford's first-round opponent is none other than the Bundesliga powerhouse, Borussia Dortmund.

In the lead-up to the match, some media outlets referred to it as the "Giants Derby".

Both sides have forwards who are 2.02 meters tall.

Crouch of Dartford.

Jan Koller of Borussia Dortmund.

In comparison, Jan Kohler is a class above Crouch.

He is the Czech national team's top scorer, having made twice as many appearances as Crouch and scored slightly more than three times as many goals.

The club is also better.

Key player Jan Koller is a true center forward, with excellent heading ability, strength, and physical strength.

Borussia Dortmund's starting lineup is:

Jan Kohler, Amoruso

Rosicky, Conceição, Kehl, Odonkor

Jansen, Metzelder, Warnes, Fernandez
Weidenfeller
-

Many players on this team have already been booked by top clubs.

Rosicky was scouted by teams such as Bayern Munich and Arsenal, and together with Jan Koller and Amoruso, they formed the Dortmund attacking trident, which once conquered the Bundesliga.

Kehl has been invited by Bayern Munich multiple times.

Odonkor is known as the fastest player in Germany, comparable to Madeira of Dartford. Currently, no one in Germany is faster than him in terms of absolute speed.

Metzelder and Weidenfeller are both outstanding young German football stars who will become famous players in the future.

However, Borussia Dortmund is currently facing a serious debt crisis and is in a phase of decline, with morale and strength not as strong as people imagine.

Last year they finished second in the Bundesliga, but this year they can only rank sixth.

Dartford, on the other hand, fielded a 4-3-3 formation that they have used recently:

Lu Kai, Drogba, Valbuena
Gascoigne, Essien, Touré

Ashley Young, Lescott, Vidic, Duff

Ben Foster
-

Kaspar had diarrhea, which gave Foster a chance to compete in European competition.

The players Vidic, Toure, and Lescott were clearly brought on to deal with Jan Koller.

This match was played at Borussia Dortmund's home stadium, the Westfalenstadion.

This stadium is known as a notoriously difficult home ground.

However, only 40,000 people showed up today, so the atmosphere was alright and not too scary.

With the sound of a whistle, the match began.

In the sixth minute, Rosicky crossed the ball from the left side of the penalty area.

Jan Koller's header at the near post went wide.

The Czech giants asserted their dominance first, giving Dartford a rude awakening.

In the seventh minute, Green Gun launched a counterattack.

Gascoigne passes diagonally to the right.

Valbuena dribbled at high speed and delivered a cross-shaped pass from the edge of the penalty area, bypassing the central players and connecting directly with Ashley Young who was making a run down the left flank.

Although Lu Kai was the left winger in this match, Ashley Young had a stronger attacking desire and speed, and he was willing to risk his life for any counter-attack opportunity.

Perhaps this is related to his former club Watford, nicknamed the "Black and Yellows" of the Premier League, which abandoned him.

He hates all bumblebees.

boom!
Ashley Young rushed to the finish line, but his footwork was off, causing him to miss a crucial opportunity.

Ashley Young turned his head and saw Odonkor smiling.

If Ashley Young were a little faster, this ball would have been there.

Unfortunately, while his absolute speed is fast enough to be considered that of a fast horse, he is not the fastest dog.

He's slower than even the fastest players in the conventional sense, like Cristiano Ronaldo and Arjen Robben, let alone the fastest players like Madeira and Odonkor.

As the European competitions began, Ashley Young's talent, which had previously made him stand out in the team, began to be overshadowed. While he may not have faded into obscurity, he certainly stopped excelling in various aspects.

Of course, he also has an advantage, which is that he and Lu Kai have a great understanding.

If Lu Kai helps him boost his stats, he'll get arrogant very quickly.

In the eleventh minute, Green Gunners launched an attack with the ball.

Gascoigne received the ball on the left flank and then quietly chipped it into the penalty area.

Lu Kai had been repeatedly stretching and attacking Dortmund's defense, but Gascoigne got the timing right, and Lu Kai bounced out just as Gascoigne passed the ball.

The two complement each other perfectly!
[Space Folding and Positioning]!
Lu Kai rushed into the penalty area.

Weidenfeller, however, did not make a move.

Because Gascoigne's pass had a low arc, it was a 45-degree half-high ball that Lu Kai had a hard time handling.

There was no way to get a shot on goal.

boom!
Lu Kai jumped up and kicked the ball into the net with a double kick in mid-air.

The young Weidenfeller became the background figure.

"GOAL!"

"One to zero! Lu Kai has scored Green Gunners' first goal in the UEFA Cup this season."

"Weidenfeller was definitely not prepared for the match. He actually let Lu Kai shoot. Didn't he know that Lu Kai was the top scorer in the UEFA Cup last season?"

"Don't underestimate Lu's scoring ability!"

"With Essien's arrival, Lu Kai has been freed up from the defensive end and moved further forward, making him a greater threat to the goal!"

In the 18th minute, the Bumblebees launched a counterattack.

Odonkor speeds down the right flank and outmaneuvers Ashley Young.

Yang is a respectable person, but recently he has been attacked by Odonkor and Ronaldo one after another. In a moment of anger, he made a flying tackle... but he didn't even manage to touch Odonkor.

boom!
Odonkor takes a shot from a tight angle.

The football flew directly out of bounds.

Aside from his speed, this player is unremarkable in other aspects.

His footwork is poor, and his shots and crosses are of very low quality.

Of his 267 crosses in his career, only two resulted in goals, a very low conversion rate.

Lacking the ability to change direction slowly, he could only rely on high-speed impacts and soon succumbed to injuries.

On the contrary, players like Ashley Young, who never quite reach the top speed, have had long careers.

In the 24th minute, Rosicky made a run from the back and received a through pass from Conceição before crossing the ball back from the left side of the penalty area.

His passing motion was very awkward because he had to avoid the interference of the Dartford defenders and pass the ball behind the tracking defenders...

Amoruso slotted home from the second post, easily scoring without any interference.

In the 29th minute, Odonkor launched another attack down the right flank.

He faced off against Ashley Young again.

But Essien came over to double-team this time.

The football was eventually destroyed.

However, Kyle came up and took the ball for a long-range shot.

The football flew into the stands.

In the 38th minute, Lu Kai participated in the defensive recovery and once again made a steal against Odonkor.

He then dribbled forward, passed the ball to a teammate, and was stepped on the instep by Dortmund's right-back Fernandez.

The other party is dyed yellow.

In the 41st minute, Essien made a tackle in the center circle.

Dartford launched a counterattack.

Touré dribbled forward, and Lu Kai made a run into the middle and gave Touré a hand signal.

Toure immediately sent a long pass.

Lu Kai continued to move forward to the right.

The left winger rushed to the right side of the penalty area, disrupting Dortmund's defensive formation.

Metzelder is 1.93 meters tall and strong, but his mobility and ability to cover for teammates are clearly insufficient.

Lu Kai leaped high before Metzelder arrived and headed the ball on.

The football flew out at a 68-degree angle, leaping high into the air.

Weidenfeller jumped to make the save at the near post, but was still a distance away.

The football fell into the far corner of the goal.

The onrushing Worns could not stop the seemingly slow goal unless he used his hands.

"GOAL! Two to one!"

"Lu Kai scores a second goal!"

“Winger Lu is really sharp. His running range is too large, which makes it very difficult for the players marking him.”

"In addition, Lu Kai's header was quite skillful, using minimal force to achieve maximum effect."

"A long shot to the far corner, full of imagination."

"You know, he outjumped Metzelder, who is ten centimeters taller, to finish that header!"

On the sidelines, Alfred, who had given instructions before the match, reiterated to Crouch: "What are your thoughts on these kinds of headers?"

Crouch thought for a moment: "This kind of curve can compensate for a player's height disadvantage when they are in a good position. It can also..."

"When a player is tall, compensate for their positional disadvantage!"

“When I’m competing against the opponent, I can’t get the best position, but if I twist my body to lower my height and get a better position, I can’t shoot directly at the goal.”

"And this kind of upward header becomes the solution!"

"This heading technique is practically tailor-made for him!"

Gilardino, standing to the side, was somewhat surprised. He'd figured it out already?
Everyone on the bench saw the header, so why was Crouch the only one who didn't realize it?
Ten Hach was astonished by Alfred's teaching abilities.

You really can learn something valuable by following a teacher!

In the 45th minute, Rosicky dribbled laterally.

Dartford's defense immediately moved up.

This is a regular training activity for the team.

Generally speaking, when the opponent dribbles or passes laterally, the next move will be a long-range shot or a through ball.

If Dartford then raises their defensive line, it will be easier for the defenders to rush out and disrupt the opponent's long-range shots.

Including pressing high up the pitch near the penalty area line, would also be better.

At the same time, after the defensive line moved forward, the opposing striker was offside.

The opposing forward must then retreat.

So, to a certain extent, the small area in front of the goalkeeper is a blank space where no one will interfere.

At this point, the opponent will make a through pass.

The goalkeeper can easily rush out to collect and destroy the ball.

The worst-case scenario is when there are players everywhere in front of the goalkeeper, which reduces the goalkeeper's ability to make a full-fledged attack. In that case, if the opposing striker touches the ball in front of the goal, it could create an unexpected attack.

Therefore, as soon as the opponent moves the ball sideways, the defensive line immediately moves up.

This is a very important part of many defensive systems.

Many coaches emphasize that defense should be layered and that the opponent should be kept out of the penalty area; these are essentially the same intentions.

Of course, Dartford can only manage to head the ball together at present, but whether the offside line is level, whether they can move as a group when encountering unexpected situations, etc., still require further training and understanding between the players.

Even at 30% of its power, it's enough to suppress the opponent during this period.

This concept and its accompanying tactics were developed after Mourinho introduced the "park the bus" strategy.

A player's lead is only one person's lead.

The tactical advantage is the advantage of eleven players.

as predicted.

With Dartford's defense pushed forward, the midfield can naturally press Rosicky.

Rosicky finally broke free and unleashed a powerful shot, sending the ball flying into the stands.

The first half ended immediately.

Fifteen minutes later, the two sides switched sides and resumed play.

In the 52nd minute, Dortmund still tried to break the deadlock through Ashley Young.

As a winger playing as a full-back, they believed Ashley Young had defensive issues.

They also managed to launch an attack from this side in the first half.

However, Essien and Lu Kai came to help defend later.

Therefore, Dortmund created a one-on-one opportunity for Odonkor through tactical adjustments in midfield.

This time, they sent a through ball down the right flank.

Odonkor and Ashley Young rush toward the ball.

Odonkor was indeed faster, but Ashley Young actively sought contact and subsequently blocked Odonkor.

The football flew out of bounds.

Ashley Young smiled slightly. "What Odonkor? He's just as frail as Cristiano Ronaldo!"
In the 54th minute, Dortmund were looking for Odonkor.

Odonkor dribbles past his opponent and challenges Ashley Young.

As a result, Ashley Young touched the football.

The ball hit Odonkor's foot again and went out of control.

The two players clashed once again.

Ashley Young shielded Odonkor behind him, waiting for the ball to roll out of bounds.

Odonkor figured it was hopeless and gave up on a full-scale attack.

As a result, the ball went just wide of the sideline, missing it by a hair's breadth.

Ashley Young was pinned behind Odonkor and couldn't do anything about it.

In a moment of desperation, Ashley Young simply reached out and picked up the football, pretending that the ball had completely crossed the line and he was about to throw it back.

The linesman immediately blew his whistle, indicating that Ashley Young had committed a foul.

He was just waiting for Ashley Young to make his move.

“You know, the football has stopped, there’s nothing we can do about it…” Ashley Young tried to explain.

The linesman, however, had a big smile on his face.

This ruling was made with a hair's breadth, demonstrating his precise control, and it definitely deserves internal praise.

KIP secured!

Ashley Young gave the opponent a free kick on the wing of the attacking third.

Dortmund became even more determined to fight this way.

However, they clearly underestimated Lu Kai's defensive abilities.

In the 63rd minute, Odonkor got the ball again, but before he could accelerate, Lu Kai stole it from behind.

Dartford prepares to counter-attack, and Lu Kai dribbles inside.

Ashley Young made a quick run down the left flank, bumping into Odonkor as he passed him, preventing Odonkor from getting back on track.

Lu Kai passes the ball.

Ashley Young made a cross.

Gascoigne takes a long-range shot.

when!
It hit the crossbeam and bounced away.

I was just a little unlucky.

Odonkor was furious.

In the 65th minute, Odonkor returned the favor by flying up and knocking Ashley Young down as he received a high ball.

“You’ve gone too far!” Ashley Young shoved Odonkor from behind.

This movement is too easy to cause injury.

Odonkor was also angry. He had hoped to perform well today and secure a starting position.

As a result, he was harassed by Ashley Young and repeatedly lost possession of the ball, so his evaluation is unlikely to be high.

I'm really annoyed.

Both players were in the same mindset and spoke passionately.

Odonkor: "Who told you to hit me first? You resort to dirty tricks because you can't outrun someone? Disgusting!"

Ashley Young: "I call this early adaptation to the Premier League! And you're early adaptation to the 2. Bundesliga!"

Odonkor: "But I'm faster than you; you're as slow as a tortoise!"

Ashley Young: "Oh yeah, yeah, that's what your girlfriend told me too! You're the fastest!"

When it comes to trolls, how can Odonkor compare to Ashley Young, who was trained by Lu Kai?
Odonkor immediately turned red and was about to take action.

Unfortunately, players from both sides had already surrounded them and pulled their teammates away.

The referee then gave Odonkor a yellow card.

After realizing that his overall talent was inferior to that of the rising stars he had recently encountered, Ashley Young found his core competency and gradually became a player who would mentally challenge his opponents in various ways.

good results.

He successfully contained both Cristiano Ronaldo and Odonkor.

As expected, Dortmund, considering that Odonkor had wasted too many opportunities and was mentally unbalanced, substituted him with veteran Gambino.

Everton replaced Amoruso, who seemed to have some leg discomfort.

For Dartford, Ribery replaced Valbuena.

Barton replaced Gascoigne.

In the 79th minute, Rosicky used his individual skill to dribble past his opponent and deliver a brilliant cross.

Although Vidic headed the ball first, he couldn't clear it far due to Jan Koller's interference.

Everton, who came on as a substitute, scored on a rebound.

Two to two.

The Hornets tied the score.

Dartford made another substitution, with Gilardino replacing Drogba.

In the 83rd minute, Rosicky dribbled laterally after hitting a wall against Conceição.

Green Gun further strengthened the backline.

By blocking Rosicky's long-range shooting angle, Rosicky could only attempt a curling shot, which was saved by Foster.

Everton regained possession at the baseline and fired a follow-up shot that hit the side netting.

It looked like a goal.

But actually, no.

The Lescott-Vidic defense will struggle against a small, agile striker like Everton.

This guy almost came off the bench and scored twice to turn the game around.

In the 88th minute, after Lu Kai received the ball on the left side of the field, Ashley Young made a forward run and pulled away the full-back Fernandez.

Facing the opponent's slower center-back, Wörns, Lu Kai used a feint shot to pull into the penalty area and reach the byline, forcing Fernandez to abandon Ashley Young and rush over.

As a result, Lu Kai flicked the ball with his heel, sending it past Fernandez to Ashley Young.

boom!
Ashley Young's passing and crossing skills are even better than Cristiano Ronaldo's, far surpassing those of Odonkor.

The ball found Ribery unmarked at the far post.

Ribery was equally unambiguous, showing no intention of dropping back to receive the ball and then orchestrating the play; there were too many variables.

When an opportunity arises, seize it immediately!
boom!
After confirming his position, Ribery immediately unleashed a low bicycle kick.

The football went into the net.

Dartford's veteran players are not as good as the newly introduced players in terms of absolute ability, market value, and reputation, but they have already developed a tacit understanding with each other and their football concepts have improved.

Soon they will be able to truly shoulder the responsibility.

"GOAL! Three to two!"

"A game-winning goal! Ribery has scored the winning goal!"

"This player wasn't particularly impressive in England, but he found his form in Germany!"

"Ashley Young's cross was beautiful! He was once in a very difficult situation because of Odonkor, but in the end, he made a comeback with his rich experience (and thick skin)."

Ultimately, thanks to Lu Kai's brace and Ribery's last-minute winner, Dartford won the game 3-2 away from home.

Both the scoreline and away goals put Dortmund in a very passive position.

(End of this chapter)