Team Spirit

Chapter 160 (1 views, please vote!) The Piper's talent begins to emerge, a Gunners derby showdown.

Bild: "The Hornets suffered a narrow defeat, while Zhu Xi scored twice; Ribery is worth watching!"

Kicker: "Defender Yang, winger Lu, his name is Ribery, remember that!"

Transfermarkt: "Ashley Young resorts to underhanded tactics and is petty; Odonkor, though substituted, is still the fastest player in football!"

Mundo Deportivo: "Lu Kai, playing as a striker, indeed racked up two goals. Ribery, coming off the bench, scored the real hero!"

Good guy.

After the Catalan comparison method gradually lost public acceptance, mainly due to Iniesta's lack of cooperation, the Catalan media found a new approach, using their own criticism against them.

Use Dartford players to overshadow Lu Kai's brilliance.

You were the best player of the game?
Then I'll just praise another player from your team, and see what you do about it!
Lu Kai accepted it with a smile, of course.

After all, the Bundesliga market is Ribery's biggest future buyer, so it wouldn't hurt to get familiar with it now.

[Ding! You have received:]

[Mozart's Outside of the Foot - Silver: Your short passing ability has been improved. Your outside of the foot releases the ball faster.]

[High-Altitude Magnetic Pole - Silver: Your heading ability is enhanced. When you are in the penalty area, your jump will be more fearsome for opponents.]

[Short pass: 80+2]

Headers: 83+2

!!!

Who would have thought that Lu Kai's second strongest attribute is actually [heading].

Second only to dribbling.

【High-altitude magnetic pole】is mainly used to interfere with defensive players during aerial duels; it can be considered an auxiliary skill.

As for the "Modric-style outside instep," that should be Modric's "Mo."

Modric, as the most representative outside-of-the-foot master of the future, not only has a precise but also a concealed and fast outside-of-the-foot technique.

Under his leadership, a craze for the outside of the foot swept through Real Madrid.

Even forwards like Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. particularly enjoy using this technique for passing and shooting.

Vinicius's passing ability is greatly enhanced by this move.

While a right-footed left winger's inside cut is sharp, if there's no opportunity to shoot while moving at high speed, switching to the left foot to pass the ball will definitely affect the speed and pace of the pass.

A direct chip pass with the outside of the foot almost always finds the center forward.

This is quite suitable for Lu Kai, who has been frequently playing on the left wing recently.

Because he is a right-footed player.

When Lu Kai plays as an attacking midfielder, he has a better grasp of the entire attacking third, can distribute possession more effectively, find more advantageous passing options, and avoid passing options that would put forward the forwards at a disadvantage.

But playing as a winger, closer to the forward line, makes them better at setting up the center forward.

With a center forward lineup of Drogba, Gilardino, and Crouch, they should have an advantage against most teams; all they need to do is supply them with passes.

Of course, when facing a stronger opponent, Lu Kai is more likely to threaten the opponent's goal and decide the outcome of the game.

For example, Borussia Dortmund is actually a pretty strong opponent.

Drawing them in the first round is considered very unlucky.

If the team's tactics and personnel are not fully integrated, it is possible for them to be upset by the Hornets.

So after returning to Dartford, Lu Kai immediately used Alfred to get Ten Hag to work overtime on targeted research on Dortmund.

The next match is crucial and cannot be lost.

This time, Ten Hag really didn't dare to copy the team analysis from the betting agencies; he wrote it all out himself, word by word.

September 27 to October 4.

Dartford have won three consecutive League One matches!
2-0, 3-2, 1-0.

Drogba and Gilardino combined for four goals, their form steadily improving.

October 6th, UEFA Cup first round second leg.

At the Green Penguin Stadium, six thousand Arsenal players are on high alert.

Despite holding a 3-2 lead, they remained vigilant.

That's why people say Teng Xun is memorable.

Since a giant penguin silhouette was welded onto the court, the Riverside Court has become a popular spot for people to take photos.

The name quickly gained recognition from fans from all sides.

However, there is a famous villain in DC Comics called the Penguin, so some fans who dislike Dartford believe that Dartford is the embodiment of evil.

To tarnish Dartford's image.

Dartford fans, however, didn't seem to mind.

Good or bad doesn't matter, as long as it's impressive.

When Borussia Dortmund players arrive at this stadium, you can really feel the atmosphere of a formidable home ground.

This is very similar to Dortmund's own stadium.

This is a team that is currently forging a strong "team spirit".

Dortmund maintained their formation for this match, but made changes to a few positions:
Jan Kohler, Ewerton
Rosicky, Conceição, Kehl, Odonkor

Jansen, Metzelder, Warnes, Roth

Weidenfeller
-

Our star striker, Amoruso, is currently injured.

Dartford, on the other hand, changed their formation:
Drogba, Gilardino

Ashley Young, Lu Kai, Amorin
Essien, Touré

Lescott, Vidic, Duff

Casper

-

It looks like 3232, but it's actually 5212.

Since we have a score advantage, we should capitalize on it.

Dartford played on the counter-attack today.

Despite his strong physique and excellent physical strength, Drogba is also quite fast, especially when he gets going, he's practically a black tank.

That's how Warcraft came about.

Gilardino is also a very well-rounded player, possessing speed, counter-attack ability, shooting skills, and positioning.

You should know that he is a player who is known as "a combination of Vieri and Inzaghi".

Of course, when facing a weak opponent, he is still "as strong as Vieri and as cunning as Inzaghi".

When the opponent is strong, he becomes "as strong as Inzaghi and as cunning as Vieri."

Playing easy football is fine.

Counter-attacking football is just easy football.

Compared to England's typical combination of a tall striker and a fast striker, Lu Kai and his two all-around strikers are less likely to be stopped on the counter-attack.

With the sound of a whistle, the match began.

In the third minute, Green Gun pressed the ball in midfield.

Dortmund midfielder passes back to defender Worns.

Ashley Young acted like a mad dog, aggressively stealing the ball, an attitude his opponents hadn't anticipated, and as a result, he actually managed to steal it.

boom!
Ashley Young passes the ball to Gilardino and then makes a run forward.

Gilardino took two steps, feigning a pass to Ashley Young to the left, but actually pulled the ball to the right and unleashed a long-range shot himself.

The football grazed the post and went wide.

The feel on the foot is only slightly different.

Gilardino then gave Ashley Young a thumbs-up, which was also a way of expressing his apology.

Ashley Young didn't complain and quickly returned to his defensive position.

With the new batch of players showing significantly higher ability and maturity than everyone else, Ashley Young felt a tremendous sense of crisis.

Moreover, Lu Kai was trying to pass the ball to the three centers during the training match, and Ashley Young would not be so unreasonable as to fight the opponent for the right to shoot.

Follow me, Kai, and you won't stray from the right path.

In the fifth minute, Jan Koller executed a brilliant backheel pass inside the penalty area.

Both teams' tall forwards had excellent footwork, which made the guards, who were a few centimeters shorter than them, quite embarrassed.

Short and rough?

boom!
Rosicky received the ball and fired a low shot.

Unfortunately, the ball wasn't fast enough and was blocked by Kasper at the last second.

In the 18th minute, Green Gun made a perfect defensive play in their own half and retained possession of the ball.

The green forces launched a counterattack.

Yaya Touré made a long pass directly to the left front.

Ashley Young is the only speedster in this formation.

Although he is positioned further back and his absolute speed is slower than players like Madeira, he is still capable of launching counter-attacks.

As for the right side, Amorin was brought on to limit Rosicky, and Amorin was stationed in the midfield and backfield to fight the Czech player to the death.

After Ashley Young's advance was blocked, he turned around, spun around, and then cut inside, executing a very smooth combo.

Dortmund's defensive midfielder quickly moved to cover Ashley Young's inside cut, but Ashley Young immediately switched to lateral dribbling, avoiding... no, getting past his opponent, and passed the ball to Lu Kai.

C Ronaldo: ???

Lu Kai passed the ball to the right front with a backhand.

Gilardino has already been taken out.

Gilardino crosses the ball.

Drogba's header was a little too straight.

Weidenfeller caught the ball.

"Oh! A very high-quality counter-attack. After being overwhelmed by his talent, Ashley Young has started to make his presence felt by running tirelessly. At the same time, some of his subtle strategies on both ends of the court have also come to the fore. This is what it looks like for a player to improve."

"If he only relied on his speed and dribbling talent, Ashley Young would only ever be a good role player on a weak team. But now, he has clearly developed a lot of initiative."

In the 21st minute, Dortmund launched a siege.

Rosicky made a forward run down the flank and then delivered a cross-shaped pass.

Conceição and Duff slipped during a challenge in the penalty area, missing the ball.

As a result, by a twist of fate, the football rolled to the penalty spot.

Everton was in a perfect position and fired a shot into the open goal... The stands erupted in cheers.

The lucky fan who won the football held it high.

Green Gunners fans were laughing their heads off.

Everton's kick was way too far off target.

Even if O'Neal's grandmother had been playing, things wouldn't have turned out this way.

Borussia Dortmund's head coach covered his forehead.

If Amoruso were here, that kick would be 100% guaranteed.

Everton's performance has been too inconsistent.

In the 26th minute, Jan Koller and Rosicky exchanged passes, creating an opportunity.

In other words, after Jan Koller received the ball and passed it out, Vidic, who came out to play, relaxed and prepared to return to his defensive position.

Rosicky then passed the ball back to Jan Koller, who had space to receive it, turn around, and then dribbled into the penalty area while holding off Vidic.

Fortunately, Lescott reacted quickly and poked the ball away.

The ball bounced out of the penalty area, and Kyle passed it to the right.

Odonkor received the ball and surged into the penalty area, eventually unleashing a powerful right-footed shot from a tight angle near the six-yard box.

The football hit the side netting.

He shook his hand, seemingly lamenting his bad luck.

But in fact, he didn't bring that many, which gave him a good opportunity to make a cross-court attack in the middle of the game.

As a result, he rushed too far and blocked his own path for a cross, so of course he could only shoot from a very tight angle.

Ashley Young didn't understand these things before, much like Odonkor, but he suddenly got it after playing with Ronaldo.

Rather than rushing headlong into a dead end, it's better to avoid it in advance... better to get past it beforehand.

This is what they mean by "Nothing is difficult in this world if you are willing to give up".

Many people understand this principle, but when faced with it in person, they get caught up in their emotions and can't bring themselves to back down.

People who live in their own world focus on their own feelings and are not disturbed by external opinions. As long as they can figure things out, they can overcome the influence of their mindset in no time.

Therefore, focused people must also have the skill of "only listening to good things," keeping things superficial and not thinking too deeply.

In the 33rd minute, Rosicky made another forward run, received the ball, walked along the byline, dribbled past two players, and entered the penalty area before taking a shot from a tight angle.

Kasper was well-positioned and blocked the ball directly.

In the 38th minute, Dartford launched a long counter-attack.

Drogba and Metzelder fiercely contested the header.

Both of them crashed their car.

But Drogba was the only one who stood up.

Metzelder was forced to leave the game due to injury.

Swedish center-back Bergdorf came on as a substitute.

He was almost 10 centimeters shorter than Metzelder, who was 1.93 meters tall.

Dortmund's defense was immediately at a height disadvantage.

In the 42nd minute, Dartford launched an attack. Ashley Young received a pass from Essien and stepped on the ball to draw Odonkor forward.

Odonkor got angry as soon as he saw him, so of course he rushed over.

As a result, Ashley Young took advantage of the situation and dribbled the ball down the wing.

As Odonkor turned and accelerated, he naturally fell behind Ashley Young by half a body length.

But just as he accelerated, Ashley Young abruptly stopped, slammed the ball back to the right, and pulled it back.

Odonkor quickly braked, turned around and followed, refusing to let up.

Roth also moved closer to prevent Ashley Young from using the inverted triangle dribble to get past him.

Two defenses against one.

Ashley Young then slammed the ball to the left again, but it still went down to the baseline.

Odonkor slipped and fell.

Roth was a step slower.

boom!
Ashley Young crossed the ball with his left foot from just outside the baseline.

Inside the penalty area.

Lu Kai charged toward Warnes and leaped high into the air.

[High-altitude magnetic poles]!
Warnes and Lu Kai engaged in a fierce battle, which affected their jumping height, causing them to fall far short of the ball.

boom!
Drogba's powerful header from the second post was devastating.

"GOAL!"

"1-0! Dartford take the lead at home!"

"The aggregate score is now 4-2, and Dortmund needs to score three goals to advance, which is too difficult!"

"Ten percent of the credit for this goal goes to Lu Kai. His forward run and jump were very effective in disrupting the defense; otherwise, Warnes would have been able to clear the ball earlier."

"Ninety percent of the credit goes to Ashley Young; his improvement this season has been remarkable. He's even developed his left foot!"

Drogba: Does that mean I contributed nothing?
You might say Ashley Young lacks talent, but his speed, dribbling, passing, ball control, stamina, physical strength, shooting, and weak foot are all things he can learn quickly and improve to an excellent level in no time.

But if you say he's talented, then none of these projects are top-level.

In comparison, Lu Kai's progress in each project was actually much slower.

But... Lu Kai can keep improving, and his potential is much higher than Ashley Young's.

That's the cruel reality of competitive football.

Many charming and elegant people inspire countless imaginations, but in reality, their future will always remain just that—imagination.

However, Ashley Young also has a chance to defy fate.

The requirement for completing his "path to elites" or "path to legend" should be becoming a "king of pirimicarb".

It must be blessed by bird droppings to achieve great divine power.

In the 45th minute, Amorin was fouled by Rosicky while protecting the ball in the backfield.

Rosicky was so annoyed by this young player that he lost his temper for a moment.

As it turned out, Amorim took a long through ball from a free kick in the backfield.

To ensure penetration, this kind of through pass must be very powerful and the ball speed must be very high.

So it's not easy to accept.

When Gilardino returned to provide backup, Conceição was still in pursuit.

Gilardino's first touch was too heavy, and the ball bounced to Everton's feet.

Dartford's defense is weak.

Everton passed the ball to Kehl, then circled around and made a run forward.

Kehl drew the defense and then sent a through ball after Everton made a run into position.

Everton received the ball inside the penalty area and unleashed a powerful shot.

Kasper made a heroic save.

Odonkor takes another long-range shot from outside the box.

Unfortunately, his shooting technique was too inconsistent; the ball flew into the sky and almost brought Ashley Young's magic potion down.

The Borussia Dortmund coach is desperate.

A super player must excel in speed, passing, shooting, and dribbling.

Odonkor only has the fastest speed, nothing else.

In the stands, Sterling was laughing heartily; he found Odonkor very funny.

The first half then ended.

In the second half, Dortmund still did not give up.

In the 53rd minute, Warnes delivered a brilliant lob pass.

Everton broke the offside trap and had a one-on-one opportunity.

It's a pity I didn't get to touch the football.

If you touch it, you'll definitely get the ball.

Even without touching the ball, Kasper barely managed to save it.

This pass-shot-like play was of extremely high quality.

In the 58th minute, Lu Kai's through ball was intercepted by Bergdorf, and Dortmund launched a counter-attack, sending a long pass to the right wing.

Odonkor rushed toward the ball and, before Lescott could get to it, powerfully chipped the ball ten meters away.

Then, quickly overpower Lescott and leverage your strengths.

This was a perfect counterattack.

Everton also made a run into position in the middle.

Odonkor's cross... lacked power.

Vidic, who had been chasing back, caught up and kicked the ball away.

Ewerton knelt down on the spot.

Dude, a normal pass, and it's bound to go in!
Alfred, watching from the bench, chuckled: "Generally speaking, where there's a hidden dragon, there's bound to be a phoenix chick!"

"If these two brothers were a little more normal, they would have had a chance to score two goals, if not catch up with the score."

In the 63rd minute, Rosicky took a free kick in the attacking third.

Jan Koller scores with a header.

However, he did not celebrate.

Because the linesman raised his flag immediately.

Offside, goal disallowed.

"Datford's defense is increasingly fond of creating offside traps. Although they often choose to defend, they are not a purely defensive team; their defense is very... offensive!"

In the 69th minute, Kehl was double-teamed and pressed by Drogba and Lu Kai.

He forced the ball forward, trying to turn danger into opportunity.

But Lu Kai touched the ball with his foot.

Amorim, who was standing nearby, picked up the football and made a through pass, which was of quite good quality.

It was only then that people remembered he was a midfielder! Before being expelled from Benfica's youth academy, he played as an attacking midfielder, known as "Little Bruno Fernandes"... oops... Little Rui Costa!
Gilardino emerged victorious, creating a one-on-one opportunity.

Facing the onrushing goalkeeper, he feigned a shot towards the far corner, but actually aimed for the near corner.

Both their mental combat skills and their archery skills are excellent.

The football went into the net.

"GOAL! Two to zero! Gilardino has killed the game!"

"Dortmund is so powerless. They've run into a tortoise shell. Not only can they not break through it, but they also keep getting bitten on the tortoise's head."

Dortmund's morale has clearly plummeted.

In the 72nd minute, Rosicky launched a counter-attack and delivered a brilliant pass. Everton began their attack.

But Lescott was deliberately pushing him out.

Everton knew how strong Lescott was, so he chose to give way.

This resulted in his final shot being taken from a relatively narrow angle, allowing Caspar to collect the ball.

Casper then gave Lescott a thumbs up.

This is the silent collaboration between the center-back and the goalkeeper.

A ball-winning center-back certainly solves the problem directly.

However, if a tackle cannot be made, limiting the opponent's shots and creating favorable conditions for the goalkeeper to make a save is also an option.

Even from the perspective of data and success rate, restrictive center-backs are more reliable.

Because as long as I don't go for the kill, it's very difficult for you to completely get past me.

That way, you won't become someone else's background.

Dartford then began making substitutions.

Barton replaced Amorin.

Crouch replaced Gilardino.

Drogba has better physical fitness, so he stayed on the field.

For Dortmund, Gambino replaced Odonkor, limiting their tactical options.

In the 77th minute, Lu Kai received the ball on the left flank and suddenly chipped it in with a through ball.

Crouch also employs spatial folding and positioning, creating an interplay that allows him to stand out.

He headed the ball towards the goal.

It was the "68-degree header" that Lu Kai had taught him before.

Unfortunately, he hasn't mastered it yet, and he can't judge the distance well.

The football flew over the crossbar before falling and landing on the net.

He quickly gave Lu Kai a thumbs up.

In the 79th minute, Green Gun launched another counter-attack.

Yaya Touré encountered Gambino, who was trying to win the ball back, during his advance.

Toure has a knack for it; he pulls the ball in a V-shape to get past Gambino and passes it directly to the right.

As it turned out, Gambino was probably too fast and couldn't brake in time, so he didn't get shaken up... Instead, he successfully made a steal.

Gambino turned and passed the ball diagonally to Everton.

Everton received the ball, went down the wing, and then passed it back in a triangular fashion.

Gambino followed up with a left-footed curler from the right side of the penalty area.

Kasper made a decisive dive for the far corner.

Because Lescott blocked the near post with his outstretched foot, his foot and the ball were completely overlapped, effectively blocking the shot.

There are two of our own players blocking the shooting angle between the near post and the middle post, leaving only the far post as an angle.

As a result, while Kaspar was in mid-air, the ball miraculously nestled into the near corner!

Lescott's blockade was a beat too late.

"GOAL! 1-2! Dortmund refuses to be shut out!"

"They are fighting for honor!"

"Kasper misjudged the direction of this save."

Ten Hag shook his head and said, "Schmeichel is still young. I think Foster is better than him. How could he possibly save that shot for the far corner?"

Alfred remained silent.

He didn't know that.

But judging from Lu Kai's attitude, Casper should be much better than Foster.

At least Lu Kai didn't make Foster practice goalkeeper techniques.

Seeing that Alfred remained silent, Ten Hach said, "Teacher, you wouldn't happen to be uninterested in goalkeeping knowledge, so..."

Alfred sensed something was wrong.

Is Ten Hach questioning his professional competence?
“So you don’t understand goalkeepers at all,” Modric chimed in. “It was obvious that Kasper thought Lescott could block the ball, so he went to block the far corner.”

"It wasn't a wrong shot, it was a wrong prediction."

"Although the result wasn't good, it demonstrated Kasper's top-level skills. Because according to your philosophy, that goalkeeper could only save a 90-point shot."

"But Kasper can save 99 points."

Ten Hach suddenly realized something: "Oh, is that so... Teacher, shouldn't we make some adjustments? Should we let Vardy go up and get used to it?"

Anyway, the team is still in the lead, and Dortmund needs to score two goals to equalize.

Ten Hag felt that Vardy's speed could intimidate the opponent in this situation.

If there's a chance for a counter-attack, they might even score.

Wouldn't that make Vardy completely devoted to him?
Although he and Ashley Young were on the same team, Amorim, Vardy, and others subtly sided with Ashley Young.

Ten Hach still lacks his own people.

Alfred nodded: "Okay, Modric, go warm up."

Modric was surprised.

He is still getting to know the team and his physical strength is not yet up to par, so he has hardly played in any official matches so far.

He himself is not in a hurry about this, because Lu Kai has talked to him about his positioning and has high expectations for him.

The main focus right now is on building up my physique; I need to avoid getting injured.

With Liverpool's Morgan poised for a return, injury concerns have once again become a topic of discussion in England.

And just like that, Modric made his entrance without any preparation.

Yaya Touré was replaced.

Touré's mistake was also related to his declining physical condition.

In the 83rd minute, Rosicky made a run down the left flank and ran right into Modric.

He could tell at a glance that Modric was still a newbie, and he easily defeated Modric with a single fried dough ball.

Modric turned around and tried to pull Rosicky away, but ended up falling down himself.

Terribly clumsy.

boom!
Rosicky's long-range shot was saved, and he almost scored again.

Some fans booed Modric.

Barton quickly came over and switched positions with Modric, placing Modric on the less important wing.

Amorin: ? ? ?

In fact, Modric's ability is already quite good at this stage, especially in terms of technique, which is among the best in Dartford.

But his physical condition was too poor, so he couldn't perform at his best.

Another issue is that he hasn't found a way to compensate for his weaknesses. He thinks, "I'm weak in defense, so I'll play harder," but this only makes it easier for him to get past him completely.

In fact, he is now better suited to a defensive strategy of fighting while retreating, maintaining interference and blocking the opponent's passing lanes, which would actually be effective on the defensive end.

To put it bluntly, the words "how to play" are easy to say, but most young players don't understand them.

The star players who can understand this are often getting old and have to face new challenges: "how to play?"

Ashley Young, after being mentored by Cristiano Ronaldo and under pressure from internal competition, has finally overcome the hurdle of "how to play".

Modric, on the other hand, was clearly still figuring things out.

Lu Kai reached out and helped Modric up.

After falling down, the player pretends to be fouled by the opponent while remaining on the ground, even though the opponent has not committed a foul. This kind of unreasonable behavior can alleviate the embarrassment of the player who has fallen to the ground to some extent.

These are things players do subconsciously; it's normal.

Teammates taking the initiative to pull someone away can further ease the awkwardness.

Lu Kai didn't actually plan to play Modric today because he knew it wasn't the right time.

I don't know what Modric did to please Alfred, but he insisted on letting him play a chance.

Lu Kai did not stop him.

Some mistakes and pressure can actually be beneficial to a player's growth.

He knew Modric wasn't a fragile player.

Whether at Tottenham or Real Madrid, Modric was initially labeled a flop.

He needs time to adapt; he's a slow starter.

But slow to heat up also means late aging.

“When defending, you can retreat before you reach the penalty area. Just block the opponent's breakthrough and passing routes, and your teammates will quickly close in,” Lu Kai told Modric. “When attacking, pass forward when you have the opportunity, and if you're unsure, just pass to me.”

"Try not to rush back."

Modric nodded.

Perhaps because of the trust he felt, he was able to understand Lu Kai's unspoken meaning.

When approaching the penalty area, you must fight bravely and not allow the opponent to organize their attack at a leisurely pace.

When you don't have a matchup, you should actively participate in defensive support and block the opponent's passing lanes.

If there isn't a good opportunity to pass the ball out, pass it to Lu Kai as soon as possible.

If it is deemed safe, the data can be sent back.

The players' understanding will determine their freedom on the field.

In a sense, Modric, like Ronaldo, is a player who uses understanding to help him perform.

Although their understandings are two different styles.

In the next few minutes, Modric's performance did stabilize, at least he no longer became the opponent's weak point.

Even with Lu Kai's deliberate defensive cover, Modric was used as bait to intercept Rosicky's through ball once.

This made Rosicky realize that Modric was no longer a viable option.

With the first minute of stoppage time, the game has entered its final moments.

Dartford has the ball.

Duff passes the ball to Modric.

Everyone thought that the mediocre Modric would pass the baton to Barton on the side.

As a result, Modric made a long, first-time pass to the right front, and suddenly accelerated the attack.

Lu Kai, who had moved to the right, received the ball and, after a slight adjustment, feinted a pass with his right foot, shaking off Rosicky who was making his way back to defend.

He then dribbled the ball in a triangular formation.

Jansen and Conceição also came over to surround them.

Lu Kai then spiked the ball again and went down the baseline, not giving either of them a chance to get close, and faced Rosicky once more.

Then he made another feint by lifting his foot.

He actually dribbled the ball sideways and broke into the penalty area.

Both of these fake passes and fake shots were "step-frequency fake shots," which is why Lu Kai was able to receive the ball, dribble, and change direction afterward.

His ability to complete this series of movements is also due to his [step frequency adjustment] of 81, [balance and flexibility] of 84, and [dribbling] of 87.

As Lu Kai approached the penalty area, two more Dortmund players double-teamed him.

In addition, there are goalkeepers who need to be wary of Lu Kai's long-range shots, and the team only has ten players in total.

Lu Kai alone pulled away most of them.

boom!
Lu Kai then used the "Mo-style outside of the foot" to deliver a cutback pass.

Drogba tapped the ball into the empty net from the penalty spot.

"GOAL! Three to one!"

"Drogba killed the game!"

"Borussia Dortmund conceded six goals to Dartford over two legs."

"The biggest contributor to this goal is definitely Lu Kai. This was a great solo effort, and his dribbling past three players on the wing was absolutely brilliant."

"Do you all remember Ashley Young's previous dribbling past two players on the wing? Dartford now has more and more players who can step up and change the game."

"Even young Modric's final touch that initiated the attack was unexpected!"

Beep beep!

Three whistles sounded.

The whole game is over.

Dartford have successfully advanced.

The Hornets' European campaign ended at Green Penguin Stadium this season.

……

Sky Sports: "Datford have become a new force in English European competitions, reaching the second round of the UEFA Cup for two consecutive seasons!"

The Echo: "Six-three on aggregate, Green Gunners defeat Borussia Dortmund twice! Outstanding individual skills from the players, with four players scoring and five providing assists!"

BBC: "GOAT Lu, Ashley Young! Ashley Young is a shining example, while Lu Kai is just a poor imitation! Drogba and Ashley Young have great chemistry, and Odonkor is completely outshone by Ashley Young!"

Green Gun got through the hurdle, and everyone was happy.

But the BBC news was a bit hard to understand. Although their headlines seemed to be praising Lu Kai, clicking on them was basically just Ashley Young's personal battle report.

Even the picture is the one of Ashley Young passing two people.

What exactly is going on? It's really hard to guess.

Even with the money, Ashley Young only sees himself as a secondary GOAT, which prevents Emily from having her colleagues expose Ashley Young's self-promotion.

After all, Ashley Young stopped buying news, so Sister Jiang's shop was short-handed.

Lu Kai once said that Ashley Young has been in high spirits lately, working hard but keeping a low profile, and his skills are improving rapidly. He should not be disturbed.

However, recently, the most talked-about player in England is not the young veteran Ashley Young.

Nor is it Modric, the brilliant billiards user with a completely different playing style.

It's Dong Fangzhuo, who already made one appearance for Manchester United.

It was Arsenal's talented midfielder, Cesc Fabregas!
Born in 1987, he had just turned sixteen.

It is rumored that he will get a chance to play in the EFL Cup at the end of October.

Wenger spoke highly of the Barcelona youth academy prodigy: "His talent is unparalleled. He can do everything in the midfield and attack. He can even make Vieira redundant."

Wenger's statement was clearly an exaggeration, meaning that Fabregas's versatility and attacking prowess allowed the team to keep attacking, so Vieira could stay back and focus on defense.

Vieira himself has no solution to this either, because Fabregas clearly doesn't pose any competition to him: "I've watched Cesc play, he doesn't act like a sixteen-year-old at all, he has the air of a great player, like..."

Vieira's words came to an abrupt end.

He wanted to say something like Lu Kai.

But this name should obviously not be mentioned.

Arsenal lost the FA Cup to Dartford!

That match still sends shivers down the spines of key players like Vieira. Everyone talks about upsets in cup competitions, but if they were to play that match again, they wouldn't dare say they could turn the tide.

Including last season, Arsenal are currently on a league unbeaten run of more than 15 games.

Dartford was the first team to make them taste defeat during this period.

Then came Inter Milan and Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League group stage.

Meanwhile, Arsenal were also held to a draw by Lokomotiv Moscow, bringing their group stage results to two losses and one draw, putting them on the verge of elimination.

This put the team under tremendous pressure.

Wenger is trying to adjust the team's form. They are currently top of the Premier League and in great form. There's no reason why they shouldn't win the Champions League.

However, due to the need to focus on salvaging the Champions League title, the EFL Cup has to be entirely delegated to the team's young players.

Fabregas has been appointed as a key player in the upcoming EFL Cup.

The extent to which he can lead Arsenal theoretically determines his true standing in Wenger's eyes.

Wenger hopes that the "French-style Arsenal" will at least reach the round of 16 in the EFL Cup.

If they can make it to the semifinals, he will not hesitate to do everything he can to develop Fabregas.

Another player in the Premier League with similar treatment to Fabregas is Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United.

Ferguson was able to make good use of Ronaldo, and I, Wenger, can make good use of Fabregas. Developing young players is what I, Wenger, am best at.

Therefore, Fabregas is younger than Ronaldo.

So young that in the past few years, the Premier League used to call an 18-year-old a star who made a name for himself, and anyone under 22 was considered a supernova. But because of Fabregas, they all became old guys.

On October 11, Dartford defeated Gillingham 3-1 away from home.

On October 14th, Green Gunners drew 1-1 with Cardiff City at home.

On October 18th, Green Gunners defeated Walsall 3-0 at home.

On October 25th, the Green Guns lost 1-0 to Norwich City on the road.

They ranked third in the standings.

They are just one spot away from directly upgrading to the next zone.

There are 24 teams in League One, with two teams receiving direct promotion.

The third through sixth place teams will play an additional match to determine the third promotion spot.

There are also three spots for direct relegation.

Dartford have almost astonished the world with their momentum, showing them that they are a promotion contender this season.

They're not here to avoid relegation!
They don't need to overdo it or adapt.

As it turns out, throwing money at it works.

People have to start to acknowledge the fighting power of money-driven football.

Dartford have fielded four completely different starting lineups in their last four games, which is simply outrageous.

This means that the team didn't need any chemistry to reach third place in League One.

What if they undergo a chemical reaction?

On October 28th, the third round of the EFL Cup kicked off.

Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas is making his first appearance for the Reds, and his opponent is none other than the Greens!

Gunners derby!

London Derby!

The premature start of this "final-level" competition was seen by all the media as a waste of a precious opportunity.

Even if there are underhanded dealings in the future, these two teams should be put on hold!

Little did they know that the English Football Association had already made arrangements.

They were worried that Dartford wouldn't make it to the next round and would have to give up on the EFL Cup early, so they arranged a major match against Arsenal for them from the start.

It's better to consume less data than to consume none at all.

I still remember the first time the two sides played against each other; that former "pond court" is a place that evokes a sense of melancholy.

Green Gun has long since cleaned up his act and gone straight; he doesn't do that kind of thing anymore.

After all, they are a team with a certain market value now, and it would be unseemly for them to deliberately damage the grass and cause injuries to their own players.

Moreover, unlike before when they could go all out to defeat Premier League teams in cup competitions, Dartford had to make compromises in order to adapt to the more intense League One and the Europa League with its extremely high elimination rate.

In this match, many substitute players and even new faces became starters.

Dartford's lineup is:

Lu Kai, Murray, Valbuena
Patton, Lee Fowler, Amorin
Williams, Davis, Li Weifeng, Jefferson
Foster

-

In addition, there are also three players who frequently sit on the bench: Kelow, Daniel, and Modric.

The first two, in particular, are practically living fossils of the team's locker room, witnessing the team's ups and downs.

Jefferson, who has now transferred to the team, can play any position and has been transformed by Lu Kai into the full-back position that the team desperately needed.

Lee Fowler also played in the league, and his tackling ability was quite good.

Due to the arrival of Gascoigne and the need for more integration in the team's midfield and forward lines, Barton's appearances have been significantly reduced this season.

On the one hand, he can come to lead the EFL Cup.

On the other hand, his main contribution came in the second half of the season, which reflects Dartford's squad depth.

Patton had no objection to the arrangement.

He's like a green-armed brick; whoever Lu Kai tells him to call, he calls!

As for players like Williams, Davis, and Murray, they originally just wanted to come to the team to gain experience before moving on to higher-level teams.

Especially the latter two.

Unexpectedly, this gilded team progressed step by step, becoming even more impressive than the team they initially wanted to join.

Clone: ​​Oh no, I've turned back into the original!
So although their appearances were limited, they were able to stay with the team because they had the EFL Cup and some low-quality matches to play in as a rotation player.

In fact, this squad is quite luxurious compared to Dartford two years ago.

However, at this stage, this is indeed Dartford's "sloppy" lineup.

However, Arsenal is also a mess.

There isn't a single key player among them.

If you really have to pick, it's Wiltord and Gaspar.

然后就全都是大号码，18、22、25、27、30、33、45、53、57……当然，这波人里面还是有不少未来俊杰的，尤其是忠义法。

Arsenal: ???

(End of this chapter)