Team Spirit

Chapter 224 Ball Hooligan, Black Shop Derby

[Ding! You led your team to victory in the European Super Cup. You have received a reward:]

[Ball Master: Your physical strength is enhanced. Your injury resistance is increased by 1. Your injury recovery speed is enhanced. You receive one serious injury exemption and three ordinary injury exemptions per season.]

【Strong: 86+3】

[Injury Resistance Attribute: 5+1]

!!!

This season, Lu Kai is undoubtedly the only pillar of the Green Gunners.

In previous seasons, although he participated in many games, he could have coasted along.

Just make the allocation.

But this season, he has to do many things himself, especially when it comes to scoring goals.

Once you're on the front lines of a conflict, injuries are inevitable.

【Ball Boss】came at the perfect time.

The fact that "Ball Hog" is granted injury exemptions also illustrates the importance of health from another perspective.

Those who dominate the team or the court are basically iron men and rarely get injured.

To command respect and control the scene, frequent appearances are a prerequisite.

September 3rd, the fourth round of the Premier League.

The London derby is coming.

The two teams facing off are Fulham and Green Guns, with the latter playing as a visitor.

Neuer will be the starting goalkeeper for Green Gunners in this match.

The rest of the lineup is largely the same as the previous match.

During the match, Lu Kai made frequent forward runs and scored two goals.

Unfortunately, Green Gunners lacked cohesion and their players were not good enough. In the ensuing back-and-forth attack, Fulham seized the opportunity to score three goals.

Green Gun suffered a heartbreaking defeat.

After the match, Lu Kai shook his head with great regret.

This action was captured by the media, and people said that Lu Kai's determination to win was unprecedented; even though he scored a goal, he was still not happy because the team did not win.

However, Lu Kai was actually lamenting that he hadn't scored another goal and missed the chance for a back-to-back hat-trick.

September 10th, the fifth round of the Premier League.

Dartford will host Portsmouth.

The starting lineup has changed significantly this time:
Mertens, Lu Kai, JR
Chen Tao, Pepe, Guardiola

Filho, Vidic, Li Weifeng, Ashley Young
Joe Hart

-

In the end, Lu Kai's goal was not enough to save the day.

The team lost 1-2.

They slipped to 18th in the league standings, making the season even more difficult than last season.

Major betting agencies immediately adjusted Dartford's season goal to "staying in the Premier League".

The discussion about whether Green Guns can successfully avoid relegation has surpassed the discussion about who among the "Magic Guns and Cars" will win the championship.

After all, Green Gun's decline was too rapid.

However, Green Gunners' rotation in this match was also in preparation for the Champions League.

September 14, Green Penguin Stadium.

The brand-new stadium welcomed its first foreign challenger – Benfica.

The first round of the Champions League has officially kicked off.

This is a derby of black market shops!
"Great news, Huang!" Huang Jianxiang said with concern. "As we all know, Green Gun's condition is not good right now. The blood loss in the summer is still too much for them."

"Datford has significant problems with its squad and tactics, and the players' individual abilities are also insufficient. Apart from Lu Kai's outburst leading the team to victory, they struggle to play attractive football."

"Today is likely to be another day of bad luck."

"Of course, considering that Green Gun has always been able to achieve better results in cup competitions, they might be able to bring us some surprises in this match."

Benfica's starting lineup is as follows:
Nuno Gomez, Miccoli
Simão, Armando, Fernández, Giovanni

Leo, Rocha, Anderson, Nelson
Moreira

-

Green Gunners fielded their main lineup, with only slight changes:

Vardy, Lu Kai, Ribery
Barton, Motta, Modric

Filho, Vidic, Kompany, Ashley Young
范德萨

-

Lu Kai has completely replaced Giroud at center forward.

Lu Kai's physical strength, jumping ability, and other skills are now on par with Giroud's.

He has the ability of a center forward, but he doesn't play like one.

On the contrary, this lineup has only one purpose: to create shooting opportunities for Lu Kai.

This season, Alfred has repeatedly emphasized that while the purpose of this tactic may seem to be for Lu Kai, in reality, Lu Kai is carrying the team forward alone, and everyone must do their best.

After all, China is currently ranked number one in the world, so why would we care about the empty title of scoring goals?
In the sixth minute, Benfica launched the first attack.

Simão, once hailed as Figo's successor, dribbled continuously on the left side.

Gomez moved to the left to receive the ball and then played a through ball after a one-two pass.

Simão seized the opportunity to break into the penalty area, receive the ball, cut past Kompany, and unleash a low shot.

Van der Sar made a diving save but failed to touch the ball.

But he had already blocked all shooting angles.

The football slid past the far corner of the goal.

Benfica fans let out a disappointed sigh, almost ready to celebrate the goal.

But if the first threatening attack came so close to the goal, what will happen next time?

Benfica is full of confidence.

In the eighth minute, Ashley Young made a run down the right flank.

Ribery used his screen to cut inside, but unfortunately his attempt was thwarted.

Ribery passed the ball back to Modric and then tried to cut into the penalty area himself.

Lu Kai then moved out of the penalty area from the center forward position.

Ashley Young is calling for the ball on the right side.

Modric has many passing options, which Benfica can't possibly exploit.

Since no one followed Lu Kai after he withdrew from the restricted area, no one followed him.

Modric seized the opportunity to pass to Lu Kai.

Lu Kai turned and dribbled the ball toward the right side of the arc, raising his right foot high.

But the next moment, he handled the ball gently, tapping it to the left with his right foot.

He accelerated to catch up with the ball and unleashed a powerful shot with his left foot.

This set of movements involves shifting the center of gravity laterally twice in succession.

He faked a shot and then dribbled past center-back Rocha.

He then used his physical attributes and explosiveness to shake off Fernandez, who was tracking back.

Swish!
The football went straight into the net.

"GOAL! 1-0! Dartford takes the lead!"

"One moment Benfica almost scored, the next moment Lu Kai scored a brilliant long-range shot."

"Lu Kai's desire to score has increased significantly this season, and the key is that his scoring efficiency is also high."

"This time it was another powerful left-footed shot, and the quality of that shot could even be compared to Adriano, the king of Inter Milan!"

"You should know that Lu Kai's left foot is his weaker foot!"

The camera focuses on Lu Kai, who has finished his Luuuuu performance.

The details of Lu Kai's attack were then repeatedly played.

He delivered his final kick while carrying Fernandez, who was following up from the side and behind.

The latter had absolutely no effect on Lu Kai's shooting power and accuracy.

Guardiola remarked from the bench, "Giroud, this is the correct way to use your body."

"Don't waste any extra energy, just block the opponent, don't engage in unnecessary confrontations, and concentrate all your strength on attacking the goal."

"Your physical condition is very good, but you're using it too roughly."

Giroud seemed to understand, but not quite.

Chen Tao shook his head and said, "It's inherently difficult to get a player who has had a physical advantage since childhood to make good use of every bit of their physical strength."

"They already have path dependency."

"Only players who are not physically strong would cherish every bit of energy and care so much about every confrontation."

Southgate head.

Currently, the Green Gun team has many skilled players in physical combat, but the most talented are Vidic, Pepe, Lu Kai, and Modric.

Both of them were once players with extremely weak physical strength, so they are almost perfect in terms of being extremely strong in physical confrontation.

The first two are players with exceptional physical talent, while Vidic has mastered the art of physical confrontation and achieved great skill.

Pepe, on the other hand, is a natural-born fighter, skilled without any formal training.

The research on combat by the others was inferior to that of the four of them.

In the 14th minute, Simão made a solo run down the left flank to the byline.

Modric didn't expect his opponent to be so sharp, and Simão dribbled past him with a powerful touch.

Ashley Young rushed over and made a flying tackle to destroy the ball.

As a result, Simão headed the ball away first, bypassing the flying tackle.

Simão then broke into the penalty area from the side.

He dribbled past Motta, who was rushing back to defend, with a reverse dribble.

Another powerful shot.

Kompany stepped up on the edge of the six-yard box and deflected the ball wide.

The Benfica bench erupted in applause.

"Simão is still Simão! He was previously replaced by Ronaldo in the national team, but now it seems that he deserves to start more than Ronaldo."

"The Portuguese coach will probably have a happy dilemma for next year's World Cup."

Figo, Ronaldo, Simão, Quaresma – it would be a shame to miss any of them!

In the 19th minute, Benfica launched a siege on Green Gunners.

Vidic clears the ball with a header.

Lu Kai did not move forward, but instead dropped back to receive the ball.

Motta passed the ball to Lu Kai.

Lu Kai easily evaded Armando's challenge with a quick flick of the ball and delivered a through pass.

This shot completely pierced Benfica's defense.

Vardy stood out and made a one-on-one run.

The opposing goalkeeper, Moreira, fought and retreated, but remained firmly in his goal, leaving no openings.

After penetrating the penalty area, Vardy unleashed a powerful shot, aiming for a corner. However, because the opposing goalkeeper was well-positioned, Vardy felt a regular shot wouldn't go in.

Unfortunately, the football hit the post and bounced out.

Vardy missed a golden opportunity.

Lu Kai didn't blame Vardy.

This goal simply shows that the opposing goalkeeper was a cut above the rest, making Vardy overthink things.

In the 22nd minute, Simão again drew the enemy's attention on the right before sending out a through ball.

Armando received the ball on the wing and swept it across from deep on the left side of the penalty area.

Gomez was positioned too far forward and missed the opportunity to shoot.

But another striker, Italy's "new short-legged tiger" Miccoli, followed up with a shot.

Despite being unmarked, the shot went wide.

This Italian international previously played for Juventus, but failed to stay with the Old Lady and was subsequently abandoned here.

He can be the core player of a strong team, but he can't be a mainstay of a top team.

Twenty-fourth minute.

Ashley Young is back on the scene.

Simão focused on attacking him throughout the day, and it was very effective.

But who knows if this isn't a trap set by his vice-goat?
It's important to know that the Green Gunners' main offensive line this season is the right side.

No matter who you encounter, it will at least be a situation where both sides are exploding.

boom!
Modric played a through ball.

Ashley Young received the ball at the byline and delivered a precise cross with his right foot.

You can't go wrong looking for Lu Zhun!

Ribery was at the near post, and when he saw that the ball was still about two meters away from him, he knew it wasn't for him, so he didn't try to catch it.

Instead, she turned to look at Lu Kai, who was not far away.

Lu Kai passed the ball back to Ribery without stopping, while pointing behind him.

Ribery passed the ball back without stopping it.

The football whizzed past Lu Kai and found Vardy at the far post.

boom!
With no one marking him, Vardy met the ball with a low shot without stopping it.

That series of passes was incredibly fast.

Benfica's center-backs and goalkeeper were unable to react.

The football stirred up waves of white spray.

"GOAL! Two to zero!"

"Beautiful teamwork; this is the flash of brilliance between geniuses."

"These young players have great imaginations, and once they get started, their future is limitless!" "I even see some of the Arsenal red guns in them, but Arsenal is much more skilled."

Outsiders might not see it, but Guardiola could see the key to this attack.

First of all, Green Gun's current synergy isn't enough to produce that kind of fluid, unstoppable play.

The reason it was possible was because Ashley Young and Lu Kai had a tacit understanding and accurately found Lu Kai.

Ribery was drawn to the ball, which is why he looked at Lu Kai first, and at the same time saw Vardy behind Lu Kai.

After Lu Kai passes the ball to Ribery, coupled with his hand gestures, Ribery is able to make a seamless pass.

Vardy noticed Lu Kai receiving the ball and looked over, which is how he saw Ribery pass to him and was mentally prepared.

The element of chance is greater.

In the 27th minute, Simão and Ashley Young really went head-to-head.

After drawing Ashley Young's attention with a series of dribbles, he delivered a through ball.

Armando surged forward into the penalty area, creating a one-on-one opportunity.

However, before he could catch up with the ball, Van der Sar rushed out and shoved it away.

Armando was subsequently taken down as well.

Van der Sar first got up and hugged the football, then fell to the ground.

Benfica wanted to claim a penalty, but the referee said the goalkeeper was fine.

In the 33rd minute, Ashley Young blew past Leo, who then tackled the ball out of bounds, winning a corner kick.

Modric takes the corner kick.

Lu Kai leaped high to the front of the line.

With a backward glance, the football went just over the crossbar.

They almost broke through the defense again.

In the 37th minute, Green Guns once again won a counter-attack opportunity.

Motta passes the ball to Modric.

Modric dribbles forward.

Lu Kai and Vardy made forward runs from almost the same position.

Modric passes the ball.

Vardy slowed down and yielded.

Lu Kai took two steps and backheeled the ball to Vardy behind him before accelerating towards the penalty area.

Vardy passed the ball across to Modric, who came up from the edge of the box.

Modric delivered a first-time, outside-of-the-foot lob pass.

The ball pierced Benfica's already crumbling defense.

Lu Kai and the football met unexpectedly at the penalty spot.

Moreira rushed out.

This time, he still used the same front-to-back positioning method as against Vardy, trying to distract Lu Kai.

However, Lu Kai immediately curled a shot without stopping the ball.

He fell to the left, and the football arced to the right and nestled into the far corner of the net.

“GOAL!!!”

"Three to zero!"

"As expected of the defending champions, Green Gunners' dominance in the Champions League is still very strong!"

"Their overall strength may have weakened considerably, but against capable teams, their offensive power is clearly greater than before!"

"Especially Lu Kai, every kick of his is deadly!"

Benfica was completely silent.

Simang kept shaking his head.

This feeling is very strange.

He swore he knew his team could beat Green Gunners; they really had the advantage.

But Green Gun's finishing efficiency is just too insane.

Is it possible that Lu Kai, who doesn't participate in defense, doesn't play a key role in distribution or organization, has such explosive shooting efficiency?

If he had played for a big team with a perfect roster, wouldn't his goal tally have been off the charts?
Many people felt a chill run down their spines as they watched Lu Kai celebrate his goal.

It's hard to say how the Celtics will perform this season, but Lu Kai's individual stats are probably going to explode!

In the 42nd minute, Simão received a through pass from his teammate, made a run on the right side, cut past Kompany, and then delivered a cross.

Nuno Gomez's direct shot was blocked by Vidic, and he could only take one step.

By the time he raised his foot to shoot, Motta had already returned and poked the ball away from behind.

Benfica missed a golden opportunity and failed to get a shot on goal.

In the 45th minute, Benfica once again traded blows.

Simão dribbled laterally and then delivered a through pass.

Leo runs forward to receive the ball and executes a super triangular cutback pass in front of the baseline.

Both Gomez and Simão were on the inverted triangle route, but neither touched the ball.

Instead, Fernandez, who later broke into the penalty area, took a low shot from the penalty spot.

The football finally pierced the Green Guns' goal.

"GOAL! 1-3! Benfica has pulled one back!"

"That was a perfect team play, just like Green Gun's second goal."

"Compared to Green Gun's lucky breaks, Benfica had more fluid attacks like this. Today, they mainly lacked finishing ability."

"Kompany, the center-back for Green Gunners, suffered today. He is completely unsuitable for defending against players like Simão."

Ashley Young doesn't care about what's behind him at all.

"They'll probably need to make some adjustments at halftime, otherwise Simão could continue to change the score."

Although Simão didn't score or provide an assist, it's clear to everyone that he's Benfica's king today.

As expected, in the second half, the leading Green Guns made the first adjustments.

Li Weifeng replaced Kompany.

The camera immediately focused on Kompany, wanting to see if the young man was deeply affected.

“You’re unlucky to have a right-back like Ashley Young. Now Li Weifeng will have to suffer.” Guardiola was chatting with Kompany. “Being substituted in this situation doesn’t mean I don’t trust you, it’s to protect you.”

"Otherwise, even if the team wins, you won't be happy if you get ripped apart by Simão."

Kompany nodded; Mr. Alfred and the Marines had both said these things to him in the locker room.

He even wanted the coach to substitute him.

At this stage, he is unable to face Simão alone.

If he doesn't come out, Simão can do whatever he wants.

He went out, and Simão could easily shake him off with a change of direction and a turn; he couldn't keep up.

This is also the only weakness of the Vidic-Kompany center-back pairing: their relatively slow speed.

Filho on Vidic's side has a good defensive awareness and is fast, so he can be of help.

But Kompany really gave it away for nothing.

In the 47th minute, Li Weifeng also failed to gain any advantage.

Simang is too agile.

Even Li Weifeng faces immense pressure defending against them alone.

Simão scored a goal by himself.

Li Weifeng, who had been defending, immediately moved, but the ball couldn't get past him, and he collided with Simão, both falling to the ground.

The referee blew the whistle.

Li Weifeng committed a blocking foul.

Simão then took the free kick himself.

You know what, the quality is extremely high.

The football successfully cleared the wall of players.

boom!
Van der Sar saved the free kick.

Wow! Van der Sar is still going strong for his age!

"They even managed to dive out like that!"

"With that kind of save ability, buying him for three million euros is such a bargain!"

"Van der Sar still maintains the level of a starting goalkeeper for a mid-table Premier League team!"

Lu Kai smiled slightly at this.

More than that!

Even if he goes to a top club, Van der Sar can still be the starting goalkeeper for three to five years.

Benfica has always played attacking football.

Now that they need to catch up, they're going all out.

In the 53rd minute, Green Gun seized another counter-attack opportunity.

Li Weifeng cleared the danger with a long kick.

Lu Kai and the opposing center-back Rocha engaged in a fierce battle while running, vying for position.

Finally, the football landed.

Lu Kai jumped up first and headed the ball to the side.

Vardy dribbled at breakneck speed, heading straight for the penalty area.

When they reached the top of the arc, Nelson and Anderson had to double-team Vardy to prevent him from advancing further.

Vardy naturally passed the ball to the right.

Ribery receives the ball just outside the penalty area.

Anderson passes to Ribery.

Ribery dribbled to the left, actively approaching Anderson, and then passed the ball down to the right.

In fact, he can shoot as soon as he receives the ball.

Now, by adjusting to a position closer to the center, I can also shoot.

But he slid to the right because...

Lu Kai, who had caught up with the ball on the right side of the penalty area, unleashed a powerful shot.

Moreira, who had moved over, didn't know whether Lu Kai would choose the far corner or the near corner, so he spread his limbs to expand his defensive area.

As a result, Lu Kai hit a ground ball... through the legs of the goal!
“GOAL!!!”

"Four to one! Lu Kai completes a hat trick!"

"Ribery's assist was very selfless, but Lu Kai's goal conversion rate certainly did not disappoint him!"

"The Green Gun's counterattack efficiency is terrifyingly high!"

"So far, Green Guns' performance in various competitions has not been outstanding, but their finishing rate should be the highest they have been in six years!"

"Center forward Lu is terrifying! He's a goal-scoring machine; he scores with every shot!"

Moreira was completely bewildered.

Lu Kai is incredibly efficient.

This guy's archery skills are incredible!
Why is it that he has to be the starting goalkeeper today?
Grass!
In the 56th minute, Benfica seemed hesitant to organize an attack and pushed forward with a large contingent of players.

Center-back Anderson launched an attack with a long pass.

Miccoli broke through on a one-on-one and scored with a long-range shot.

Unfortunately, the linesman raised his flag.

Offside, goal disallowed.

Without Ashley Young, it's easier for the Green Gunners' three defenders to set up offside traps.

Ashley Young: ???
In the 57th minute, Benfica didn't attack, so Green Gunners will have to.

Ribery dribbled past midfield and passed the ball back to Ashley Young.

Ashley Young passed to Motta and attempted to move forward, but was entangled by the opposing midfielder Armando.

Mota gave it to Lu Kai.

Benfica had been attacking for almost an hour, but by retreating to the pits, they made a conservative mistake.

They retreated collectively and took their defensive positions.

The idea is correct.

Moreover, Vardy, Modric, and Ribery also moved forward into the penalty area, creating that kind of pressure for them.

But they didn't realize that their defensive line had been pushed too far back and was disconnected from the midfield.

Lu Kai dribbled the ball for two steps and was unmarked about five meters outside the arc.

Logically speaking, he should have passed the ball to one of the three players inside the penalty area.

The problem is... Lu Kai himself is a long-range shooting master no less than Lampard or Gerrard.

Does he really have to pass the ball?

boom!
Lu Kai unleashed a powerful shot with his right foot.

He is not afraid of his initial actions being noticed by the other party, because the other party will not have time to stop him.

Does it really make a difference whether the goalkeeper is prepared or not?

【Bati GOAL】!
The football went straight into the net.

Moreira only made the save after the ball had already gone in.

This shows just how fast the ball was in that shot.

"GOAL! Five to one!"

"It's Lu Kai again! This shot was earth-shattering, a four-goal haul, who can withstand this?"

"Lu Kai completely dominated this match!"

“There are three levels of players on the field, one is the other players, the average level.”

"One is an excellent player, Simão."

"One of them is the world's number one player, Lu Kai! He's unstoppable today!"

(End of this chapter)