Team Spirit

Chapter 232 Kick Lu Kai off that damned throne
Lu Kai's goal spurred the Brazilians, who hadn't fully rested, to refocus on their attack.

In the 25th minute, Amoruso and Motta engaged in a fierce battle outside the penalty area.

Both of them fell to the ground.

The referee ultimately showed Motta a yellow card, and São Paulo was awarded a free kick in an excellent position.

Their goalkeeper, Rogerio, took the free kick himself.

"Rogerio's free kicks are incredibly accurate; in South America, he's the Beckham of South American football."

"It's uncertain whether young Neuer can withstand this test."

"Actually, it would be more reliable to have Van der Sar."

"Unfortunately, Van der Sar is getting old and his energy is limited. Green Gunners have given many of their playing opportunities to Joe Hart and Neuer this season."

The camera focuses on the two players facing off directly.

Rogerio begins his run-up.

boom!
A free kick with a curve successfully cleared the wall.

Moreover, the position from which they hit was extremely tricky.

That's almost a ten-point mark.

However, Neuer had anticipated this and thought Rogerio's free kick was likely to succeed, so he moved towards that direction as soon as he took the kick.

He leaped into the air, supporting the sky with one hand!

Touch the football.

when!
The football deflected off the post and bounced back into the penalty area.

"That was a beautiful shot!"

"Neuer has done a great job!"

"This young player has excellent fundamentals, and his physical attributes are also good—tall with long arms and legs. His movement speed is also quite fast..."

Chaos erupted inside the restricted area.

Since Rogerio is the team's primary free-kick taker, the team has long had a way to deal with his inability to score from free kicks, and has even practiced this method many times.

So São Paulo remained calm.

Rogerio immediately ran back towards the backfield, trying to get back to his position as soon as possible.

The players in the backfield retreated to avoid a counter-attack.

The midfielders and forwards then rush towards the ball, aiming to foul and create a dead ball situation, preventing the Green Gunners from launching an attack.

Inside the penalty area, Li Weifeng was brought down by Alocio.

But before he fell, he passed the ball to Ashley Young on his right.

"Don't let him keep passing the ball!"

São Paulo immediately blocked Ashley Young's long pass route.

Junior even rushed over and jumped up early, not afraid of being outmaneuvered by Ashley Young.

Ashley Young is indeed smart; he flicked his right foot back into his own penalty area.

Joe Sue immediately pressed against him, using both hands and feet.

He didn't give Ashley Young a chance to turn around, continuing to pressure him.

Ashley Young had no choice but to pass the ball back to the goalkeeper.

Once the ball is passed back to the goalkeeper, Green Gunner can only clear it with a long kick.

Even if the goalkeeper's footwork is a bit lacking or he's a bit nervous, São Paulo could still capitalize on the goalkeeper's mistake and score a goal!

After all, this goalkeeper is said to be only nineteen years old, and this season is his rookie season. Previously, he only played for Schalke 04's youth academy.

boom!
Noir made no mistake, delivering a powerful kick.

"Oh! Neuer's clearance was decisive this time, he didn't falter. He deserves credit for this defense."

"Ashley Young is furious. He passed the ball back and got knocked down by Josué. Wait... why did Li Weifeng pull Ashley Young away?"

Inside the Green Gunners' penalty area, Li Weifeng restrained Ashley Young, saying, "Don't distract the referee."

Ashley Young wasn't stupid either; he immediately quieted down.

Sure enough, the referee's eyes followed the ball, and if there was no chance of a goal, he would blow his whistle and show a yellow card to the São Paulo player.

Even ordinary tactical fouls can result in a yellow card, let alone the kind of high-intensity tactical foul that São Paulo committed to ensure he could take down the opponent.

However, the referee never actually blew the whistle.

Instead, he ran straight ahead.

Because he realized that this was probably more than just a simple kick to clear the ball.

This is a long pass!

"This is...an opportunity!"

"Ribery makes a super one-on-one run!"

"Neuer's kick was spot on. Was it a coincidence?"

In the shot, Rogerio is still some distance from the penalty area.

Ribery had already shaken off his pursuers on the right and caught up with the ball.

The football bounces forward after landing.

But before the ball could land a second time, Ribery followed up with a powerful lob shot.

"Ribery's lob from midfield!"

"Rogerio was too late... He jumped to block, but he couldn't reach the ball!"

“GOAL!!!”

"Two to zero!"

"Green Gun's counterattack succeeds!"

"Goalkeeper Neuer and right winger Ribery have connected."

"This was a very imaginative and bold attempt."

"Rogerio has been hunting geese all his life, but this time he was pecked in the eye by a goose."

Alfred said eloquently from the sidelines: "Even the best emergency plan is ultimately reactive."

"Goalkeepers taking free kicks naturally create defensive vulnerabilities."

"This situation has existed before, exists now, and will exist in the future."

This goal caused a significant drop in São Paulo's morale.

Not only were they down by two points, but midfielder Josué also received a yellow card after being reissued by the referee.

Ashley Young was extremely pleased with himself.

After all, he was the key figure in this attack, orchestrating the offensive and drawing a yellow card—although no one mentioned his name.

But Ashley Young never underestimated his own contribution.

In the 31st minute, Mineiro's long-range shot from outside the box was blocked by Vidic.

Brazil's attack was not as refined as before.

Players' mentality is inevitably affected by the score.

In the 37th minute, Ribery received the ball on the right flank, and Ashley Young made a run down the wing to receive it.

But Junior's flying tackle brought Ashley Young down.

Ashley Young made another crucial contribution, resulting in another yellow card.

Judging from Ashley Young's expression as he rolled over, this time it really hurt.

In the 42nd minute, Motta delivered a through ball, and Green Gunners launched a counter-attack.

Ribery receives the ball outside the penalty arc and encounters Lugano who comes out to intercept it.

Lugano made a tackle, and Ribery cut inside to the right and jumped to avoid it, but his speed was affected, and he couldn't catch up with the ball immediately.

However, Lu Kai caught up from behind and took the football, resulting in a perfect handover between the two.

Lu Kai sprinted forward into the penalty area.

However, he was sandwiched between three São Paulo center-backs on the left, center, and right, with almost no distance between them.

boom!
Lu Kai barely managed to complete the low shot.

However, his strength was limited, and Rogerio redeemed himself by making a save.

Lu Kai wanted to rush towards the ball for a follow-up shot.

However, blocked by two center-backs, São Paulo's Danilo finally cleared the ball.

São Paulo had a false alarm.

They almost made it a tradition for the Green Gunners to open champagne at halftime.

The first half ended immediately.

Back in the locker room, the São Paulo defenders fell silent.

Lu Kai is far stronger than they thought.

They thought they could easily steal the ball from Lu Kai, suppress him with their bodies, or stay close to him with their speed... but they failed to do any of that.

Calling it a land tank might be a bit of an exaggeration.

But in terms of physical confrontation and collisions, Lu Kai is definitely a qualified "English striker".

The problem is that Lu Kai is not a physical striker.

His passing, shooting, and ball control are all just as good as this.

Any São Paulo player would get completely overwhelmed if they were to defend Lukas one-on-one, just like they would be overwhelmed if they were to defend Ronaldo and Ronaldinho one-on-one.

But Ronaldo and Ronaldinho defeated their opponents using a single method, while Lu Kai can defeat them in multiple dimensions.

Even their close-quarters defense was almost broken by Lu Kai.

São Paulo's defensive legend Lugano had to shake his head and say, "No wonder he won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards back-to-back; he truly deserves the title of the world's best player."

EdCarlos: "Lu needs at least two men marking him, and more when he gets close to the penalty area!"

Rogerio: "I will not let them score again, no matter what."

The São Paulo coach then spoke privately with Amoruso, telling him that the team's attack depended on him.

In the second half, the team needs to shift its focus more towards defense.

In the Green Gunners' locker room, Guardiola was giving everyone instructions for the second half.

This was the result of a discussion with Lu Kai.

In terms of theory, Guardiola is very professional and can translate it into language that players can easily understand, thanks to his own experience as a player.

The same thing is much harder for coaches with an academic background to do. Since Guardiola joined, Alfred's workload has visibly decreased.

This is a teaching assistant who can truly help him, not someone like Southgate who only knows how to build relationships, or someone like Ten Hach who has neither connections nor ability.

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

Ribery of São Paulo received the ball on the right, cut inside to the edge of the penalty area, and then attempted a shot that resembled a pass.

The football hit the far post and bounced out.

In the 53rd minute, São Paulo was awarded a corner kick.

Defender Rosato flicks the ball on with his head at the near post.

But Motta cleared the ball with a header at the second spot.

Chen Tao then launched a counter-attack with the ball and was fouled near midfield, drawing a yellow card from Danilo.

The São Paulo players were very unhappy, as such a flying tackle would not warrant a card in South America.

In fact, in the Premier League, this level of competition wouldn't warrant a card.

The Club World Cup's overall refereeing standards are closer to those of European competitions, making it more suitable for European teams.

In the 56th minute, the Green Gun Army pressed forward.

Mertens passed the ball to Chen Tao on the left flank, then made a run forward himself.

Chen Tao took the opportunity to dribble back two steps, adjust his angle, and then crossed the ball at a 45-degree angle with his right foot, directly lobbing it into the penalty area.

Chen Tao's footwork is very professional, with an upward lift, which falls into the category of low-altitude passing techniques.

The football didn't fly very high, but its speed was extremely fast, and it plummeted sharply in the latter half of the flight.

This kick, aimed straight for the far corner, is itself a potential shot.

Inside the penalty area, Giroud sprinted towards the near post to create space.

Lu Kai's attack from behind was the real killer move.

Lu Kai charged forward relentlessly, emerging from behind Edcarlos and in front of Rosato.

He launched a diving tackle shot.

The football was kicked by Lu Kai with the instep, flying in the opposite direction and entering the goal from the near corner.

Rogerio, rushing towards the far corner, was heading in the opposite direction and was naturally powerless to stop him.

"GOAL!"

"Three to zero! Lu Kai scores twice! This is another connection between China and Guo!"

"Chen Tao's pass was full of imagination!"

The Chinese fans watching the game live were all excited.

Some people even started singing "Ode to the Motherland" and were proud of the consecutive highlights of Li Weifeng, Chen Tao and Lu Kai.

Those who didn't know better might have thought that Japan had finally and sincerely surrendered to China because of its defeat in the war.

"Oh! Lu Kai is also very excited! He threw three punches in a row on the sidelines. This is his own unique celebration move, but because it is quite aggressive, he uses it less often."

Lu Kai activated the blessing of [Farmer's Three Punches].

The São Paulo players were a bit stunned, completely unaware of Lu Kai's "sinister intentions".

In the 59th minute, Ashley Young flew up and passed the ball across to Lu Kai.

Lu Kai dribbled two steps to the left, then suddenly kicked out with his left foot, delivering a Batistuta GOAL!

The football went straight into the net.

Rogerio got to the ball, but it didn't change the outcome; the ball still hit the side netting from the inside, and the goal stood.

"A hat trick! That's insane! This is Lu Kai's sixth hat trick in official matches this season!"

"It seems that the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards did not discourage Lu Kai; on the contrary, they boosted his spirits!"

In the 64th minute, Green Gunners made two substitutions.

JR replaced Ribery.

Pepe replaced Motta.

Lu Kai has always been very careful about how he uses Mota.

As soon as the situation becomes clear, substitute Motta and make sure he doesn't play a lousy game.

While this made it easier for Motta to integrate and lowered his personal statistics, you should just treat players like Motta as having durability.

It can only be used on the tip of a knife.

In the 67th minute, São Paulo got a lucky break.

They sent a long pass from the center circle.

Amoruso charged forward to contest the ball.

Pepe and Vidic, who were tracking back, were locked in a fierce battle, resulting in a miscommunication and a collision between them, neither of them able to clear the ball.

Instead, Amoruso, who was already a body length behind, picked up the ball and scored with a low shot.

Neuer angrily slammed his fist on the goal.

His bonus for shutting out the game!
"One to four! São Paulo managed to save face."

"Amoruso is still as sharp as ever, and he can still score goals."

"São Paulo rushed into the goal to retrieve the ball; they haven't given up yet!"

In the 69th minute, Green Gunners used their last substitution.

Youngster Marcelo replaced Firo.

In the 76th minute, Pepe intercepted the ball in the penalty area and passed it to the left.

Marcelo dribbled forward and launched a counter-attack.

After crossing the halfway line, he passed the ball diagonally to Chen Tao.

Chen Tao charged towards the top of the penalty area, Lu Kai made a forward run, and together with Giroud, they attacked into the penalty area from the left and right.

Lu Kai's side undoubtedly has more defensive players.

Giroud's place was almost empty.

Chen Tao sent a through ball.

Giroud is left-footed, and his right foot is not good at controlling the ball, so this kind of quick through ball from behind is even more difficult to deal with.

He stopped the football too far.

Fortunately, he is tall and has long legs, and the ball bounced to the left.

He reached his left foot forward as far as possible, tilted his body slightly to the side, and unleashed a powerful shot.

The football soared into the sky, struck the crossbar, and bounced into the goal.

Giroud, who was lying on the ground, immediately got up and went to the corner flag area to celebrate.

"What a beautiful goal! Giroud's first touch was criminal, but luckily the shot was lucky enough to be a spectacular sight."

"Five to one! Green Gun has killed the game."

"Chen Tao played exceptionally well, providing two assists for a goal. He may be the most imaginative player in Chinese football since Lu Kai!"

"If he continues to play like this, Chen Tao will undoubtedly be the core of the national team in the future!"

In the 78th minute, Amoruso collided with Pepe and fell to the ground, subsequently leaving the field due to injury.

Marcio came on as a substitute.

Amoruso wasn't injured to the point where he couldn't continue the match.

But when he thought about the contract offered by AC Milan, he pretended he couldn't stick to it.

After all, he really wants to return to a top European club and see if he can get a championship he didn't appreciate when he was younger.

In the 87th minute, JR was knocked down by Rosato while dribbling laterally.

The latter was dyed yellow.

It was a free kick from a good position.

Lu Kai stood behind the ball, switching places with Rogerio.

São Paulo's best free-kick taker has already shown his skills today.

If Neuer hadn't been phenomenal, Rogerio would definitely have scored.

It truly lives up to its reputation.

But Green Gunner's best free-kick shooter...

Ten seconds later, the whole stadium erupted in cheers!
Rogerio stood motionless in place.

Feeling the strong wind brush against his face, his pupils contracted repeatedly.

Is this the legendary elevator ball?
So weird!

I can't see the football at all!
There's absolutely no way to catch them!

I originally thought that those top European goalkeepers who fell to the knuckleball were nothing but charlatans, and that I would not be fooled by such a trivial trick.

Looking back, I realize my performance was actually worse than that of those goalkeepers.

Seaman, Schmeichel, Casillas, Dida, Buffon... they could still react to some extent.

He himself was stunned and speechless.

Europe truly deserves its place at the pinnacle of world football.

I was arrogant and ignorant before.

Whether it's free kicks or saves, I'm not at the world's top level!
Rogerio sat dejectedly on the ground.

Lu Kai shattered the notion that Brazil was the best football nation.

“GOAL!!!”

"Six to one!"

"Lu Kai scores four goals! He single-handedly defeated the strongest team in South America!"

"South American football has no right to question his title as the world's best player!"

"Of course, the Brazilians still have one more chance to reclaim the world number one spot, and that is the World Cup in Germany six months from now!"

"If Brazil can win the championship or defeat England head-on, they can end England's three-year streak as the world's best team and even dethrone Lu Kai from his position as the world's number one, putting him back in the competition with Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and rising stars like Adriano and Kaká!"

"This Club World Cup was a timely slap in the face, a wake-up call for Brazilians!"

"Stop focusing too much on the Green Guns. This second-generation Green Guns team is not very strong, and many people can defeat them... However, the truly terrifying one is the Green Guns King, Lu Kai!"

"I believe that from today onwards, Brazilian football, and even the entire South American football community, will have only one goal:..."

"Kick Lu Kai off that damned throne!"

(End of this chapter)