Team Spirit

Chapter 167 The Italian Golden Boy Returns Home, Batistuta's Goal Against Rome

Awards ceremony segment.

Lu Kai and Gilardino shared the EFL Cup top scorer award with seven goals each.

Drogba won the bronze boot with four goals.

Lu Kai provided six assists, earning him the title of assist leader and also winning the EFL Cup Player of the Year award.

Lu Kai then raised the trophy high.

The whole team is very familiar with this process.

After that, everyone took photos with the trophy, especially some players who had never won a championship.

Ivanka immediately came over and gave Lu Kai a hearty hug.

Keira has recently landed a great movie opportunity and has already joined the cast.

For now, Ivanka is the only "Chinese girl" (referring to a woman from mainland China).

Although she also had academic pressure, as long as she earned a lot of extracurricular credits, she could still become an outstanding graduate and give a graduation speech at the school even if her grades in school courses were a little worse.

If she changes her name slightly from Ivanka Window to Eva Window, netizens won't be able to find any information about her family.

Because Ivanka would pay search platforms to deeply associate "Eva" with Eva Green, so that only that French woman would appear in the search results.

This is the "name-hiding method".

In this way, Imperial College London's introduction would read, "An American girl stood on the most dazzling stage. This girl from an ordinary family, through her own efforts, received full scholarships from Georgetown University and Wharton School. Her seven-minute speech moved the entire Imperial College..."

Ivanka also recounts her painful experiences as a child, including the lack of paternal love, bullying from neighbors, bullying at school, and working three jobs.

Years later, people will look into why Ivanka got the opportunity to give that speech.

The reason was that her father had sponsored a sum of money for Imperial College London.

The main reason Ivanka was able to graduate with high marks despite her poor grades was listed under "extracurricular credits"—helping the Dartford team win the 2003-2004 Community Shield and EFL Cup in multiple roles, including first female lead, second team manager, third psychological counselor, fifth tactical analyst, and seventh assistant coach!

In a word, magnificent!
“You’re the best! Always!” Ivanka said, linking her arm with Lu Kai’s. “If my father knew about your achievements, he would definitely organize a grand competition and personally present you with the championship trophy after you win.”

Lu Kai's expression was quite interesting: "Then you'll squeeze next to me or block me, and celebrate with us in the center position?"

Ivanka laughed: "Hahaha! Lu, you're so funny, I love your relaxed vibe."

"But you know what, my dad could actually do something like that, that's just his style."

"He even told me that he really wanted to participate in a grand military parade, but unfortunately the soldiers in the United States did not meet his requirements..."

……

Dartford's performance in the EFL Cup had an effect they hadn't anticipated.

Some things are not miracles in themselves, but if you persist, they become miracles, even... myths!
Sky Sports: "If Liverpool and Dartford are the best teams in the history of the EFL Cup, then Lu Kai is the only king in the history of the EFL Cup!"

BBC: "Lu Kai is firing on all cylinders, taking his talent from amateur competitions to the EFL Cup! He has won the EFL Cup Player of the Year and Golden Boot for the third consecutive year!"

The Times: "Has the EFL Cup become the Lucky Cup? His cup dominance has surpassed Liverpool's five-time champions!"

Mundo Deportivo: "The EFL Cup Player of the Year award is not an honor, it's an indictment! The credit of 40 or 50 players over three years has always been stolen by Lu Kai alone! This is the evidence of his crimes! He will be despised by all his teammates!"

Marca: "Barcelona player Shawry congratulated his former teammate Lukay on winning the EFL Cup, posting in green font 'We are the best!'"

Daily Sport: "The EFL Cup has been destroyed by Lu Kai, losing all its value! Lu Kai is a parasite on England's lower-level competition system!"

AS: "The EFL has announced that the League Cup is about to sign a new broadcasting deal. Due to the Green Guns phenomenon, the tournament's value has increased significantly, and it is expected that Lu Kai will be invited to serve as the League Cup's promotional ambassador!"

From now on, it is no longer appropriate to refer to Lu Kai as the British Emperor Star.

Just as Henry is about to crown himself "King of Highbury" with an unbeaten league record.

Lu Kai also earned the title of "King of the League" with his three consecutive League Cup titles.

Coincidentally, British royal leaders, such as Queen Elizabeth, are also heads of state of the Commonwealth, often referred to as "the Commonwealth Queens."

For a time, quite a few people photoshopped Lu Kai to look like the King of England.

It's just a game of football, and they've turned it into anti-colonialism?

The crucial point is that this picture was photoshopped by British fans themselves.

Besides Lu Kai, players such as Gilardino, Drogba, and Valbuena have also attracted attention from various parties.

Arsenal and Barcelona are both very interested in Valbuena, as they admire this technically gifted player.

If Valbuena continues to play in Ligue 1, it will be difficult for him to join either of these two teams, because there are doubts about the strength of Ligue 1.

But now he plays in the English First Division.

The English First Division is definitely lower in level than the French First Division, but its intensity has been much higher in recent years.

A technically skilled player who can also showcase their strengths under intense pressure has great potential.

If Valbuena goes to Barcelona, ​​Messi will probably only be his substitute.

The teams that are interested in Drogba are mainly Premier League teams.

Italian Serie A teams are interested in Gilardino.

Tuttosport reported that "Gilardino and Drogba's 'Gilardino-Drogba combination' even surpasses Mutu and Adriano's 'Mutu-Drogba combination'!"

Gazzetta dello Sport went even further, stating: "As the world's top league, how can we stand by and watch such a talented Italian player wander abroad? We must help Gilardino return home and bring his talent to the San Siro!"

In contrast, only Corriere dello Sport was relatively objective: "Gilardino has fully recovered this season and is full of talent, but he has experienced a slump at Parma, so his consistency is questionable."

"In comparison, Cassano is far superior!"

So there was a hidden agenda behind it all.

Italian bad boy Cassano has burst onto the scene and is currently very popular.

How could we let Gilardino steal the spotlight?

……

Pond Convenience Store.

"Hey, the wandering prince is here! What would you like to drink?"

Ashley Young opened the door, teasing Gilardino and pointing to the players sitting inside the convenience store, saying, "So far, the Black Beast Drogba, the Frenchman Marabuena, and the Green Ferdinand Lescott have all ordered..."

Gilardino blushed and clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Don't do that, Vice GOAT, Vice GOAT!"

Ashley Young immediately felt refreshed.

Finally, I've met someone who understands.

"Gilardino, you have a bright future ahead of you! Your milk tea is on me today!" Ashley Young shouted towards Jiang Mengyun. "Director Jiang, put it on the tab!"

Jiang Mengyun glanced at the computer screen: "Are you serious? Then your salary this month will only be seventy-eight and twenty-three pounds?"

Ashley Young quickly gestured for Jiang Mengyun to stop talking.

Ashley Young, don't wash your dirty linen in the family!

"Hey, where's Lu? Still at the gym?" Ashley Young noticed Modric wasn't there and guessed the kid had gone to serve Lu Kai tea and water.

Lick the dog!

Seriously curly!

At the gym, Lu Kai was working out when he suddenly received a notification.

[Ding! Season mission completion rate exceeds 60%, reward 1:]

[Batigol GOAL, God of War, Master: There are two kinds of shots in football, one is Batistuta GOAL, and the other is everything else! Your long-range shots, strength, explosiveness, and shooting power are improved. When you are in a confrontation, your shooting ability is further enhanced, and the increase is positively correlated with the intensity of the confrontation.]

[Three-speed transmission - Silver: Your burst damage is enhanced. Your ability to accelerate and decelerate continuously is optimized, and you are less likely to get injured as a result.]

Long-range shots: 81+2

【Strong: 74+2】

[Burst: 77+2+1]

[Shot power: 75+2]

!!!

Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes.

Surprisingly, it wasn't Essien who arrived first, but Batistuta!
As a player who named his shooting style after himself, Batistuta's high-speed and physical powerful shots will still get people excited even 20 years from now.

Of course, this shooting method also has huge drawbacks... In 2019, Batistuta underwent ankle replacement surgery at the Serie A Hospital in Basel, Switzerland, where an artificial prosthesis was implanted to alleviate the pain he had suffered for so many years.

【Three-speed shifting】You can tell from the name that it's another finishing move that involves the knee and ankle joints.

But this ability to continuously accelerate and decelerate is very useful.

Many star players who aren't particularly fast in terms of absolute speed still manage to dribble past opponents with incredible speed thanks to this ability, and are considered super-fast.

"Hey Joe Hart, come out with me to practice shooting."

Lu Kai called Joe Hart.

The latter skipped and hopped after him.

If he knew what was going to happen next, he would have preferred to just relax at the convenience store.

In short, after today's practice, Lu Kai personally had Daniel drive Joe Hart to the clinic to check if his metacarpals had fractured.

March 3rd.

The second leg of the third round of the UEFA Cup.

Dartford defeated Copenhagen 2-1 to advance to the round of 16 of the UEFA Cup.

Valbuena scored and assisted.

Crouch scores with a header.

March 6, FA Cup quarter-final.

Dartford faced Birmingham, a weak Premier League team.

This should have been a "China-Guo derby".

Unfortunately, Birmingham's first-choice goalkeeper, Anqi, is currently at the Guo team's training base preparing for the match against Myanmar.

The news that Guo's team is preparing to go to Europe for training has already spread.

Birmingham absolutely disagreed, but Anqi insisted on staying with Guo's team.

The conflict between the two sides has become irreconcilable.

Dartford ultimately won 2-0, advancing to the FA Cup semi-finals.

Birmingham did not express any dissatisfaction with the match after losing. Instead, they complained to Alfred about the actions of the Chinese national team and stated that the team would not dare to sign any more Chinese players in the future.

Even if Lu Kai wanted to speak up for him, it would be impossible.

After all, they were victims too.

Fortunately, the squad depth is enough to cover Li Weifeng's absence.

March 8th, English League One, Round 35.

Dartford beat Wimbledon 2-1 away from home.

They then rushed to the airport without stopping.

Fly to Rome on Spring Airlines.

Although the team's revenue is good, they are frugal where they should be and spend where they should be.

Take a cheaper plane ticket.

The hotel should be of a higher standard, mainly in terms of soundproofing.

Dartford are about to play in European competition, the first leg of the UEFA Cup Round of 16.

If they had gotten past Porto last year, they would have come here to play against Lazio.

Unfortunately, it didn't happen.

But things change, and they came again this year.

However, the Blue Eagle has already crashed.

Dartford had a terrible stroke of luck, drawing Roma as their opponent.

Both Roma and Real Madrid have been renowned globally in recent years, having won the Serie A title on several occasions.

But after winning the championship, their performance gradually declined.

However, compared to Lazio's decline to third to sixth place, Roma's performance has been more volatile.

This season, Roma rebounded strongly, securing the Serie A mid-season championship.

They are still ranked first in Serie A.

It can be said that this is the most prestigious team Dartford has ever faced in European competition.

Although Porto was at its peak last season, it was not widely recognized.

However, Dartford is not particularly worried about the match against Rome.

Because after the winter break, Red Wolves' performance declined significantly.

Having only managed seven points in the past five rounds, they are about to be overtaken by AC Milan.

In addition, Totti was not included in the squad for this match due to some minor injuries, and we may not see the Wolf King in action until the second leg.

Before the match, Lu Kai was interviewed by the media.

Reporter: "Both you and Roma are teams that excel at midfield battles and counter-attacking. What do you think are your respective strengths?"

Lu Kai: "Our advantage should be creativity. Capello's management is too strict and stifles the players' imagination."

Reporter: "Could you predict the outcome of this match?"

Lu Kai: "This cannot be called a prediction. I certainly hope we win, and I also believe we can win."

Lu Kai's answer was actually quite standard, but the Italians are very sensitive right now.

They are no longer the world's number one league, and they are very sensitive to being questioned by others.

Roma are currently number one in Serie A.

Dartford is second in League One... roughly equivalent to 22nd in the Premier League.

If Dartford wins, what does Serie A even mean?
A joke?
The Italian newspaper La Repubblica wrote: "The King of the Commonwealth is too arrogant; Lu Kai has no idea how terrible Italy is!"

Gazzetta dello Sport: "With the Wolf King away, it's not Arsenal's turn to be king!"

According to Corriere dello Sport: "Roma fans are not interested in the UEFA Cup; this kind of competition where winning is taken for granted fails to ignite their passion. They crave Roma's return to the Champions League!"

In short, we're not even in the same league.

It is your honor to play in the UEFA Cup, but it is our disgrace.

This match was held at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

The stadium, which can seat at least 65,000 people, only had 28,000 people.

The occupancy rate was quite low.

Looking at the listless fans, Ten Hag said, "These fans are just like the Roma players... they're a exhausted wolf!"

Data compiled by Ten Hag shows that Roma players' form actually began to decline in December of last year.

Throughout December, Roma's wins were highly correlated with Totti's goal tally.

In other words, Totti single-handedly carried Roma's attack.

If he doesn't score, Roma won't win.

After the winter break, Totti's form faltered, and the entire Roma team seemed to lose its way.

Today, Totti wasn't even on the roster.

If there's any good chance to defeat Rome, it's undoubtedly today.

Roma's starting lineup is as follows:
Karu, Montella
Lima, Tomasi, Emerson, Amantino Mancini
Panucci, Samuel, Dellas, Zebina
佐蒂
-

Kalou is a 1.93-meter tall center forward, a Norwegian international, and is known as one of the "Nordic Twin Stars" along with Sweden's Ibrahimovic.

Which of these two big men is the strongest center in Northern Europe?

Provoked by the media, Caru said that Ibrahimovic uses too many unnecessary technical moves when he plays.

Ibrahimovic said, "I can demonstrate everything that Karu can do with an orange."

It has to be said that Ibrahimovic is quite adept at showing off.

Completely outclasses Karu.

"The Glide" Montella has suffered from injuries in recent years and has only recently returned to the field.

What we really need to pay attention to is Roma's two defensive midfielders.

Emerson is definitely one of the best defensive midfielders in the world right now.

In addition to his solid defense and coverage, he also possesses excellent long passes, dribbling skills, and even shooting ability.

After all, he is a Brazilian international, and excellent attacking ability is a standard feature of him.

Another defensive midfielder, Tommasi, is a future midfield legend who previously played for Tianjin Teda. Towards the end of his Roma career, he stated that the only way Roma would renew his contract was to offer him the minimum Serie A salary of €1,500 – quite a boast, and it certainly moved everyone!
With this approach of treating people with sincerity, it's no surprise that he won the election in his hometown of Verona in 2022 and became the city's mayor.

Dartford's starting lineup is as follows:

Lu Kai, Drogba, Valbuena
Patton, Essien, Touré

Ashley Young, Lescott, Duff, Williams
Casper

-

Gascoigne wasn't brought on because the opponent's aggressive play wasn't suitable for older players.

With the sound of a whistle, the players from both sides began to run.

Both teams quickly made their perseverance known to the public.

Their relentless pressing disrupted the game.

At the same time, their attacks are extremely fierce, and they are not afraid at all.

In the seventh minute, Valbuena was fouled while breaking through on the wing, resulting in a free kick.

After the free kick was taken, Lu Kai headed the ball at the near post with a 65-degree angle.

Unfortunately, the ball went over the crossbar.

In the ninth minute, Emerson played a through ball to Lima.

Lima passed the ball diagonally to Carew, who had come out to receive it.

Kalou turned and played a through ball.

Montella forms a one-on-one situation.

However, Kasper positioned himself further forward and made aggressive runs into Montella, leading to a penalty shootout at the penalty spot.

Montella's shot could only hit Casper, hoping to create a fumble and give his teammate a chance to follow up.

However, Lescott prevented that from happening, and Bigfoot cleared the danger.

In the sixteenth minute, Green Gunners executed a classic combination play on the left flank, helping Ashley Young successfully get to the byline.

Unfortunately, he couldn't find a passing option and could only pass the ball back to Barton.

Barton passed the ball across to Lu Kai on the left flank.

Lu Kai cut inside and overpowered Tomasi.

He then accelerated and rushed into the left side of the penalty area.

Delas followed.

Lu Kai makes a triangular back pass.

Yaya Touré takes a shot from the edge of the box.

The quality is very high.

But Zotti made a good save.

After the save, both teams were panting heavily, their running intensity and effort even more exaggerated than other matches ten minutes later.

In the 25th minute, Valbuena made a series of lateral dribbles, creating a dangerous situation.

Unfortunately, his pass to Drogba was too difficult to receive, and Drogba was dispossessed by Samuel.

Rome launched a counterattack.

After crossing the halfway line, Mancini glanced at the players' runs ahead and delivered a 45-degree cross into the penalty area.

As his name suggests, "Glider" Montella, during a race with Duff, managed to kick a soccer ball by stretching his leg forward.

Due to a difference in rhythm, Kasper was unable to make an effective save.

One to zero!

Roma are leading at home.

However, neither the fans nor the players were particularly excited.

On the one hand, they believe Dartford is just a League One team, and "it's only right that they won."

On the other hand, this also reflects their mental outlook.

They can't get excited.

tired!
Deep physical and mental fatigue is like a battery with less than 75% health.

I don't even dare to open the game and have fun.

“This isn’t right, Roma is playing very aggressively.” Ten Hag looked at Alfred, wondering if his teacher had made a mistake in the arrangement.

We, the Green Gunners, shouldn't have gone head-to-head with the Red Wolves.

We should maintain the right attitude and focus on defense.

Modric skillfully opened his notebook and replied, "Based on the situation on the field, even when Roma launched a counterattack, they would bring the ball to the vicinity of the attacking third before launching their attack."

"But this time, the final pass was initiated just after crossing the center line."

"Montra didn't get any good opportunities when he was double-teamed by Duff and Lescott."

"Their attack succeeded partly due to luck."

"Aside from that, their attacks are starting further and further away from the goal, which is a clear indication of declining physical fitness and a decreased willingness to run."

Ten Hach smiled and nodded: "Junior Brother is right!"

Modric dared not consider himself Alfred's disciple; he put his notebook away and watched the game attentively.

Ten Hach, however, remembered where Modric had put his notebook.

Ten thousand years is too long; he wants to seize the day!

In the 32nd minute, Samuel once again intercepted the ball in the backfield. "The Rock" lives up to his name; he's in great form as long as he's not at the Bernabéu.

boom!
Samuel launched an attack with a long kick.

Rome's counterattack was even faster!

Montella sprinted at full speed. Lescott was also quite fast, quickly chasing after him and deliberately creating an obstacle, bumping into Montella.

The original intention was to delay the opponent and slow them down.

Unexpectedly, Montella collapsed to the ground.

"what!"

Montella clutched his knees and screamed in agony.

The team doctor was on the field immediately.

When the two came into contact, Montella's lower leg showed obvious deformation, most likely a relatively serious knee sprain, and less likely a more serious fracture.

Fortunately, the team doctor ruled out the worst-case scenario.

Even so, Montella could not continue the match.

Cassano substituted him.

Roma players surrounded the referee, trying to get him to issue a card to Lescott.

However, the referee refused to award a penalty.

Lescott's physicality was normal even in the UEFA Cup.

Montella's injury was an accident, but it cannot be blamed on Lescott.

This decision was met with boos from the entire audience.

Dartford, who experienced a period of fatigue and a wave of injuries last season, could see Montella's problems; his injuries were more a result of his own form.

In the 38th minute, Roma's pressing intensity noticeably decreased.

Dartford then began to intensify their pressing.

Lu Kai put pressure on Bonucci in the attacking third.

The latter can only send out long passes.

Cassano dropped back to receive the ball, but Lescott stayed close to him and cleared the ball first.

Toure then controlled the ball, blocked Cassano's challenge with his body, and then chipped it across to the left.

Lu Kai ran forward, stopping the ball with his chest facing down.

The ball had just bounced off the ground when Lu Kai, who was nearly five meters away from the penalty area, suddenly unleashed a powerful shot with his right foot.

boom!
The football came hurtling towards them.

Many Roma fans were taken aback.

This included some of the Roma players on the field and Totti watching from the stands.

“This is…” Totti was somewhat lost in thought.

“GOAL!!!”

"One to one!"

"What kind of footwork is that?"

"Lu Kai unleashed a super long-range shot, showcasing violent aesthetics!"

"I wonder if this kind of powerful goal-scoring while on the move brought back memories for the fans at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome!"

Even Capello was stunned, and subconsciously asked, "Bati?"

At that moment, everyone's mind conjured up that dashing figure with long hair.

Bati GOAL!

This is absolutely Batistuta's Batistuta GOAL!

Batistuta truly rose to fame with Florentino Pérez, nicknamed "The Violet".

But the impact he had on Rome was considerable.

It was because of his arrival that Roma won the Serie A title.

Although he only stayed here for two or three years, he left Red Wolf with the most beautiful memories.

"He's not Batty at all!"

"That kick was just a fluke!"

"It's just good luck!"

"They have absolutely nothing in common!"

Roma fans tried to console themselves.

The next moment, Lu Kai put his right hand behind his back, making a gun-like gesture.

His left hand is supporting him in front, as if he is holding an AK47.

They opened fire on their charging teammates.

His teammates fell one after another.

Only Ashley Young kept dodging bullets.

Then Lu Kai stared at him and fired.

Finally, he lay down on the lawn, unwilling to give up: "Lu, I've already blocked the bullet for you. If someone shoots you in the back in the future, don't blame me for not being able to save you."

The stadium was filled with astonishment.

Batistuta's most signature celebration appeared on this pitch, making it impossible for anyone to deny that Lu Kai's goal was indeed a Batistuta GOAL!

Dartford's morale instantly soared.

Red Wolf, who already had a poor appetite, was now overwhelmed by memories, and his mind was filled with all sorts of distractions.

In the 44th minute, amidst fierce competition, Emerson still managed to showcase his individual skill, dribbling past his opponent and delivering a through ball.

Cassano made skillful runs, but Duff maintained pressure, causing his shot to be severely misaligned and the ball to fly into the stands.

The first half ended immediately.

There weren't many goals, but the competition between the two sides was very intense.

The players were all drenched in sweat.

In the second half, the two sides changed sides and started the game again.

In the 51st minute, Valbuena was tackled by Panucci after getting past him.

The referee showed Panucci a yellow card.

Valbuena felt he could persevere, but Lu Kai said there were many excellent substitutes in the team, and he shouldn't insist.

Gilardino, who had been the center of attention, was brought on.

"Oh! Gilardino is here! The Italian wandering prince who has been dominating the EFL Cup is back home!"

"I wonder if he can adapt to the local environment and perform well this time?"

Several familiar faces appeared in the shot.

These are executives or scouts from teams such as the two Milan clubs, Juventus, Lazio, and Parma.

Roma fans aren't interested in this match, but the professionals are.

They want to see for themselves how valuable Gilardino really is.

Let's see if his 15 goals in all competitions in England so far have been inflated.

Based on Gilardino's current efficiency, his total goals this season could easily reach 25!

In the 57th minute, Lu Kai told the Italians that they had made a mistake in their prediction.

He seized the opportunity and intercepted Emerson's pass in the attacking third.

Emerson is good in every way, but he tends to hold onto the ball too long in order to showcase his technique and drive the ball forward.

Lu Kai is a defensive midfielder with exceptional tackling ability; he can easily catch players like Lu Kai when ganking from the side.

boom!
Lu Kai presented the [Overclocking Scalpel].

Gilardino's positioning was even more agile than Cassano's, especially when Drogba drew the fire.

He ran out with a single knife and fired a low shot.

He came on as a substitute and scored with his first shot just six minutes later.

“GOAL!!!”

"Two to one!"

"Gilardino, amazing Gilardino! This is the true value of Italy's Golden Boy!"

"He was briefly lost in Parma, but instead of giving up, he actively tried to save himself and went to Dartford, who were more willing to give him a chance."

"It turns out that Gilardino is a superstar!"

Of course, in the eyes of professionals, this ball was mainly a matter of chance.

That doesn't really prove Gilardino's ability.

They need to observe more.

In the 63rd minute, Ashley Young made a run down the flank, received the ball, and unleashed a powerful shot past Zebina.

Zebina's individual ability is not outstanding. He is an all-around substitute at Roma, and he used to mainly play second fiddle to players like Cafu.

Although they are in the starting lineup now, they obviously can't stop the repeated attacks from Lu Kai and Ashley Young.

Ashley Young delivers a beautiful pass.

Unfortunately, Drogba was interfered with by Samuel during the aerial challenge, and his header went wide.

In the 69th minute, Dartford continued to attack down the left flank.

This time, Ashley Young passed the ball to Lu Kai, who then made a run down the wing.

He evaded Mancini's challenge with a V-shaped backhand, then dribbled in the opposite direction while looking towards the penalty area.

boom!
Lu Kai's kick is a "Crescent Moon Slash - Beckham - Master".

The football soared through the sky and nestled into the far corner of the goal.

This kick, which resembled both a pass and a shot, was extremely dangerous.

It produced special effects such as "speed", "ten-degree angle" and "greater arc".

Zotti retreated repeatedly, making a desperate one-handed save.

They actually managed to pounce on it.

The ball hit the post and bounced out, landing right at Gilardino's feet inside the six-yard box.

Gilardino unleashed a powerful shot with a half-volley.

The football steadily passed over Zotti's body, stirring up countless white splashes.

"GOAL! Three to one!"

"Gilardino is amazing!"

"He scored twice in less than twenty minutes after coming on the field!"

"Don't tell me this was just a rebound shot. Why was he the only one who could get a rebound shot? Why couldn't the others?"

"He has an almost animalistic sense of smell in the penalty area!"

"He's practically the king of the penalty area!"

"For the next decade, Italy's attacking line will inevitably rely on strikers like him to carry the team!"

After all, at this stage, the new generation of Italian strikers were generally not good enough, and the talented ones were basically all on the field.

Both being geniuses, Cassano expressed envy for Gilardino's treatment.

Why is it that he gets such good opportunities, while it's difficult for him to get a shot off without dribbling after receiving the ball?

Capello made two substitutions as the game spiraled out of control.

The young center forward Kovia replaced the lackluster Kalou.

Aside from Ibrahimovic, people can hardly recall any other mention of this striker.

Then they substituted Tomasi with their own talented midfielder De Rossi.

This is an acquaintance of Lu Kai.

Three years ago, in the Europa League, Lu Kai led Dartford to face Palermo Young Boys in the final, a team composed of De Rossi and Aquilani.

At that time, Lu Kai's talent was far inferior to that of the "Roman Twins".

And now... Lu Kai is already the "King of England," with countless honors.

De Rossi could only come on as a substitute.

Aquilani was relegated to cleaning the water dispenser on the bench and didn't even get a chance to play.

It's a classic case of "the river flows east for three years, then flows back east for three years!"

Because in their last encounter, Lu Kai emerged victorious.

De Rossi suppressed his ominous premonition; this time, he was determined not to let Lu Kai take the victory.

He wants to freeze Lu Kai's account!

In the 72nd minute, Cassano dribbled continuously, proving his talent is undeniable.

However, he was eventually brutally taken down by Patton.

Before Cassano could even swear, Barton preemptively bowed his head in a defiant manner: "Kid, if you keep breaking through like that, I'll break your leg!"

Cassano was completely stunned.

The players from both sides gathered around.

But the referee cleared the way with a yellow card and brought the situation under control.

Patton received a yellow card.

Alfred then replaced him with Amorim.

Although Barton was substituted, his influence continued to play on the field.

Cassano's subsequent passing, stopping, dribbling, and shooting were clearly not the right approach.

It's not that I'm really afraid to dribble anymore, but... forcibly proving that I can still dribble is also a form of being influenced.

In the 75th minute, Roma won a corner kick.

During the header contest, the football bounced backward.

De Rossi unleashed a powerful shot from the right side of the penalty area, finding the far corner.

Kasper was positioned too close to the corner and couldn't save the shot.

result……

boom!
Lu Kai met the ball with a shot in front of the goal.

The shot was kicked away.

The soccer ball flew to the left.

Ashley Young received the ball and ran, launching a counter-attack.

After crossing the halfway line, he was on the left side.

Drogba and Gilardino were positioned in front, with Gilardino positioned slightly to the right.

Ashley Young passes the ball to Gilardino, a standard pass in a three-man counter-attack.

If you're on the left, you give to the right.

If you're on the right, you give to the left.

Anyway, don't give it directly to the mid lane.

That way, the person who receives your pass can then pass it to the person in the middle.

Because the middle is the best shooting position, the final pass should be left to them.

boom!
Gilardino then moved to the right and delivered a cross.

Drogba shoots to the left.

Zotti had a premonition, but it was too late.

"Oh! How did Roma suddenly collapse! It's exactly the same as their current league situation!"

"Four to one! Dartford have practically killed the game!"

"Gilardino's pass was beautiful; his rightward pull before the pass demonstrated his high football intelligence."

"Sure enough, his brace was not accidental, but the inevitable result of his high football intelligence. He has good positioning, good physique, good shooting, and good brain. It's really a waste for a player like him to play in England!"

"As an Italian football commentator, I don't care who brings him back, but a team has to bring him back!"

"Such a beautiful goal should belong to Italy!"

Alfred then substituted Vidic for Drogba under Lu Kai's instructions.

One more center-back.

Turtle defense.

That's enough of a win.

With a score of 4 to 1, it's practically impossible for them to turn the tide.

But with a score of 4 to 2, it's really hard to say what will happen in the second leg.

Moreover, Vidic came on with another purpose: to defend against Roma's final long cross.

This is the tactic any team uses in the final moments of a desperate effort.

In the 83rd minute, Roma indeed launched a high ball down the wing.

But Vidic easily cleared the ball with a header.

Lescott effectively shut down the opposing center forward Kovia, making it difficult for Vidic to miss headers.

In the 86th minute, Vidic cleared the ball twice with a header.

This situation infuriated Kalu, who was on the bench.

Although Kovia is also 1.88 meters tall, he certainly doesn't have the same heading ability as the 1.93-meter-tall Nordic god of war.

If he stays on the field, the outcome of the match remains uncertain.

Replace him; even a miracle wouldn't help.

In stoppage time, Roma once again launched a pointless high ball.

But Lescott immediately explained the significance to them.

Mang Baozheng deliberately headed the ball away to Lu Kai.

Lu Kai turned around and made a straight pass.

Then instead of watching the game, they turned around and gave Lescott a thumbs up.

I'm not watching the game because Gilardino in front of me isn't running fast enough.

Lu Kai's kick could indeed break through the opponent's defense.

But it requires speed at least at the level of Cristiano Ronaldo or Robben.

That is, it is slightly slower than the "fastest".

If we disregard the initial acceleration phase and go straight to the limit, Drogba could barely manage to reach it.

But Gilardino simply couldn't reach it.

And so… Zebina and Samuel stayed behind, and the two ran back, now about two body lengths ahead of Gilardino.

Zebina and Samuel were standing quite close, only about two meters apart.

In this situation, if the ball is passed back to the goalkeeper, then they need to spread out at the same time to provide the goalkeeper with a passing option.

very tired.

Moreover, if the back pass is too weak, Gilardino will charge straight at the goalkeeper, and if the goalkeeper makes a mistake in controlling the ball, then it's all over.

Therefore, Zebina chose to pass the ball across to Samuel.

However, to his surprise, Gilardino, who had no chance to receive the ball at all, did not stop running. Instead, when Gilardino passed the ball, he suddenly stretched out his foot and kicked the ball towards the goal.

Zebina and Samuel, one passing the ball and the other receiving it, were both taken aback.

On the contrary, Gilardino quickly adjusted his pace after intercepting the pass and accelerated towards the penalty area.

When all three players accelerate at the same time, he, the substitute striker, will naturally run faster.

Gilardino gets a huge one-on-one opportunity!

Lu Kai was slightly taken aback by this, as Zebina was clearly "burned".

Zotti left through the door.

By the time Gilardino caught up with the ball, there was almost no space left for him to shoot.

but……

boom!
Gilardino chipped the ball into the far corner.

The football passed Zotti.

Zebina rushed and struggled, but in the end, he only managed to get a close-up look at the goal.

“GOAL!!!”

The Rome Olympic Stadium exploded instantly!
Following their 4-0 victory over Chelsea and 8-2 defeat to Bolton, Dartford has once again carried out a stunning upset against a top-tier team!
Or it's Roma, a powerhouse team with a far greater history than Bolton and Chelsea!
Even more surprisingly, substitute Italian Rangers' golden boy Gilardino actually completed a hat-trick!

Two high-profile matches, seven goals and one assist!
Adriano and Mutu, get them all on the sidelines!

Lu Kai also clenched his fist in celebration immediately.

Become!

Gilardino is a success!

Lu Kai clearly saw the greed and desire on the faces of the executives of the Italian Serie A powerhouses.

Of course, some fans will still nitpick and argue that Gilardino's three goals were either a lucky break or two stolen, making them meaningless.

But when you like someone, everything they do is right.

What does it mean to eat a pancake?
That's what you call top five archery skills in the world!

What does it mean to steal?
That's called agility!
Ultimately, the score was five to one.

Green Gun turned the tables and defeated Red Wolf.

As it turns out, an exhausted red wolf is no match for a husky.

The avalanche in Rome began at this moment!
(End of this chapter)