Team Spirit

Chapter 242 Premier League Golden Boot, Champions League Winning Curse

The media are smart; they know exactly what makes this game so exciting.

After the match, many people interviewed Juninho.

Juninho Pernambucano was also candid: "I have never seen an opponent like this before."

“I have absolute confidence in free kicks, but today I have to admit that Lu Kai’s free kick ability is stronger than mine.”

"If there is a king of free kicks in football today, then that person can only be Lu Kai."

The reporters present were all deeply moved.

Juninho Jr. personally placed the crown on Lu Kai's head, and he indeed held that title.

After the interview, Juninho turned around and saw Lu Kai.

Lu Kai came over and exchanged jerseys with him: "I think your free kick skills are better than mine."

Juninho Jr. nodded.

Chen Tao, who was standing to the side, was quite surprised.

Juninho Jr. didn't deny it?
But why did he publicly state that Lu Kai's free kicks were stronger?
what's the situation?
“In fact, besides my free kicks with curves, I’m proficient in all kinds of free kicks,” Juninho said with a smile, “including your own unique knuckleball.”

"Besides you, there are two other people in the football world who have mastered this skill."

"One is Pirlo of AC Milan, and the other is Ronaldo of Manchester United."

Lu Kai nodded.

Juninho the Younger: "But none of them are as good as me!"

"Besides that, there are no free kick techniques that I'm not good at, such as the knuckleball, the powerful free kick, the scimitar, or the ground-sweeping free kick."

"I've been interested in this since I was a child, and my talent for free kicks is unmatched."

As he spoke, Juninho Jr. rushed toward the ball and kicked a dipping shot.

The game is over, and there are players, staff, reporters, and even fans in the stadium.

But now, everyone's eyes are on Juninho.

He then kicked a knuckleball, a curved shot, and a dipping shot in succession.

"Carlos's S-shaped free kicks require too much power and have a low probability of success, and sometimes they also need the weather to cooperate," Juninho said, adding that it's not that he doesn't know this technique, but that the technique itself is not consistent enough.

Lu Kai asked, "Then why did you say you were inferior to me?"

Juninho Jr. sighed: "Because this isn't a match."

"Outside of matches, my free kicks are unbeatable."

"But I've observed that your free-kick ability is at its peak during matches, and it's higher than mine."

"Take, for example, the last free kick we took today."

"Under the same level of difficulty, you scored. The success rate for that position is less than one percent. But you still managed to score!"

"But I failed to score."

"You're a player with a big heart."

"The competition is your best stage."

"That's the biggest difference between us."

that's the truth.

Despite the boosts from various attributes and skills, Lu Kai's overall free-kick goal rate is lower than Juninho's.

But as the other party said, the more critical the situation, the less Lu Kai could afford to fail.

"It's just about waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out," Lu Kai said, indicating that he wasn't as mysterious as Little Juninho made it out to be.

Juninho Jr. naturally didn't believe it.

But what Lu Kai said was true.

Some people believe that courage is something that can be cultivated through experience.

But that's not courage; it's just cognition and numbness.

True courage is a consumable.

There are only so many people.

You might have more, and I might have less, but it doesn't matter much.

It depends on when you use that courage.

If you use your skills at every little hurdle you encounter, then when a life-or-death situation truly requires you to step forward, you might not be able to.

Some people are timid and submissive their whole lives, but they can always break their own routine and burst forth for the sake of certain people.

Most competitive sports involve a large amount of repetitive activity.

With one to three matches per week and ten months of high-intensity work throughout the year, every match is a battle for the players.

But in a battle, is there any distinction between important and unimportant?

Therefore, many players' morale is worn down by the meaningless regular games, making it increasingly difficult for them to step up in crucial moments.

This is why the saying "it's bad to be in good form too early" applies.

Only Lu Kai was different.

He is the only player in football with an "AFK mode".

In a normal match, Lu Kai only needs to activate various skills and follow the steps. He doesn't need to put in too much effort, and what he gets are just the panel data.

However, he is an all-around player, who can use his strengths to attack the opponent's weaknesses.

So overall, his performance was excellent, with a flawless and outstanding season.

But looking at his performance in each game individually, and his handling of the ball each time, there is nothing special about him.

This is why, even after Lu Kai's basic skills improved in recent years, he is still considered to have "limited talent."

He can never play football like Ronaldinho, no matter how hard he tries.

And Ronaldinho is available anytime.

However, when it comes to truly important matches, Lu Kai will utilize his basketball IQ, mental calculation ability, courage, and so on, fully mobilizing his abilities to unleash a level of performance that exceeds what is displayed on the stat sheet.

At this point, he could even kick footballs more beautifully than Ronaldinho.

Juninho Jr. encountered a "full-force" opponent today.

It's not surprising that they lost at the upper limit.

Lu Kai's situation sounds absurd, but there are actually players in the football world who play like this.

However, such players are often criticized for having an improper attitude.

Because these players performed far worse than Lu Kai when they were "idling".

After all, their skill set corresponds to their mental commitment to the game. They cannot maintain a high level of physical exertion when they are in a relaxed mental state.

For example, Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner.

When he's bad, he's really bad; his ball control, passing, and shooting are comparable to the Chinese national football team.

But when it gets really strong, it does reach the top level.

……

[Ding! Your free-kick skills have impressed Juninho, earning you a gift from him:]

[Six Meridian Divine Sword - Juninho the Master: Your free-kick ability has been improved. When choosing the same direct free-kick technique as before, the ball speed is increased by 5% (not stackable); when choosing a different direct free-kick technique, the goal probability is increased by 50% (stackable), but resets when duplicate techniques are used.]

【Set-pieces: 87+3】

[You helped Giroud complete the player mission "Who is F1?", allowing him to completely dominate Benzema in the race, thus accelerating the player's development. You earned:]

[Mass-building powder: Athlete's item. Enhances the effectiveness of your strength training. Side effect: Chest muscles will develop exceptionally well in the short term.]

???

The Six Meridian Divine Sword is definitely a good thing.

With the same shooting technique, the ball speed increases by 5%.

This is an absolute nightmare for the goalkeeper.

Lu Kai's free kicks are already quite fast, and the faster they are, the harder they are to save. Even goalkeepers below the top tier can't keep up unless they're in top form.

It's gotten a little faster now... Any improvement to the limit is extremely difficult.

Lu Kai pushed his limits, and without those goalkeepers, their save rate against Lu Kai's free kicks would have significantly declined.

With different shooting techniques, the probability of scoring from a free kick increases by 50%.

The probability of scoring with the final shot—a curved shot, a low shot, a knuckleball, or a dipping shot—can increase by 200%.

In the "Free Kick Hat-trick Mihajlovic Master" build, scoring a brace grants a 100% chance of scoring on a free kick.

Even scoring two free kicks can increase the probability of scoring by 300%.

In theory, Lu Kai's strongest free kick would increase the probability of scoring by 500%.

Although this probability can be reduced depending on factors such as the quality of the wall and the ability of the opposing goalkeeper.

However, in any case, the chances of scoring with this pinpoint shot are probably higher than with a penalty kick.

They're practically the nemesis of teams that foul.

Chelsea: ? ? ?

In comparison, what is that “muscle-building powder” that Giroud came up with?

While improving physical strength is good, the side effect of enlarged pectoral muscles is really embarrassing.

Many muscular men who only work out their chests would probably be a D-cup if they wore women's clothing.

This kind of muscular build doesn't fit Lu Kai's aesthetic standards.

"Oh Shet!"

Wailing could be heard coming from the Green Gun Milk Cafe downstairs.

Lu Kai adjusted the large floor-to-ceiling glass from blurry to transparent.

It turned out that some players were watching the Champions League draw.

The teams that made it to the quarterfinals this year are truly a gathering of strong teams.

There were only two dark horses.

But none of them are particularly weak.

One is Villarreal, a strong team in La Liga.

One of them is Premier League legend Dartford.

Dartford's draw results are in, and their opponent is... AC Milan!

This could be fatal.

This season's Milan is even stronger than last season's Milan.

This season's Green Gun is more than 50% weaker than last season's Green Gun.
"UEFA is such a damn storyteller! They didn't manipulate the draw, and now I've scored an own goal in the next match!" Ashley Young slammed in his anger.

He's been a media darling lately.

Own goals were ridiculed by some media outlets, but the "goal-cheating" miracle was praised by others.

His fans and his detractors are both extremely polarized, showing signs of fandom-like tendencies.

The Premier League has had a poor run in the Champions League this year, with only the two strikers reaching the quarterfinals.

Arsenal's opponent is Barcelona.

The two teams are old rivals, with very similar playing styles and philosophies, resulting in frequent player exchanges.

It is rumored that Barcelona is interested in signing Thierry Henry, the King of Red Guns, as well as a series of young (and inexpensive) football stars.

For Arsenal, this match is about boosting morale and consolidating their peak performance.

But for Barcelona, ​​this might be a test of their mettle.

Regardless of the outcome, the trend of Arsenal players moving to Barcelona will not change.

Those in the same industry are often rivals.

Arsenal's decline was directly caused by Barcelona's undermining of their foundations.

The third pairing is Real Madrid and Juventus.

The fourth pair is Inter Milan and Villarreal.

It was truly spectacular.

March 11 to March 25.

Green Gunners have won two and lost one of their three Premier League matches.

Two goals and one assist, in good form.

The loss was to Liverpool, who are currently third in the Premier League.

On March 28, the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals kicked off.

The Green Gunners, playing at home, fielded a five-defender defensive formation.

Unfortunately, they still couldn't stop AC Milan's formidable strength and lost 0-2 at home.

April 1st, the 32nd round of the Premier League.

Dartford drew 2-2 with Sunderland.

Lu Kai scored a goal.

April 4th, Champions League quarter-final second leg.

Dartford suffered a 1-3 defeat, losing both matches to AC Milan.

Lu Kai scored his team's only goal.

AC Milan avenged their defeat in last season's Champions League final, defeating Green Gunners.

But neither Shevchenko, nor Kaká, Pirlo, nor Maldini seemed particularly happy.

Because they all knew that the team in front of them was not the one that had defeated them.

To truly avenge this humiliation, we'll have to wait several years.

However, how many of them will remain in Milan a few years later?
At least Shevchenko knew the definite answer.

After the match, Lu Kai also offered his best wishes to AC Milan, believing them to be a championship-caliber team.

In addition, the results of the other matchups have also been released.

Arsenal eliminated Barcelona.

Real Madrid eliminated Juventus.

Villarreal eliminated Inter Milan and will meet them in the semi-finals.

The Green Gunners' morale was also affected after their Champions League campaign ended.

In the next round of the Premier League, they drew with Charlton Athletic, another mid-table team.

Many media outlets believe that the Green Gunners are in a slump and are likely doomed.

This is also a problem with young players; they are too prone to a sudden collapse.

However, starting from the 34th round of the Premier League.

Lu Kai erupted!
Sky Sports: "Brace! Lu Kai plays with ease, leading his team to a 3-3 draw against Premier League leaders Chelsea!"

BBC: "Hat-trick! Lu Kai scores 3-1 against Tottenham, truly deserving of the title of King of London!"

The Echo: "Tottenham slipped from fourth to fifth in the Premier League, thanks to Lu Kai for bringing Liverpool a rocket! Helping Tottenham enter the Champions League zone!"

Manchester Evening News: "One goal and one assist! Lu Kai helps his team to a 2-0 victory over Birmingham, and the team climbs to tenth in the Premier League!"

Bild: "Six goals and one assist in three rounds, Lu Kai has entered superhuman mode! His Premier League goal tally this season has surpassed 30! From leading Henry by one goal to leading by six goals, has he secured the Premier League Golden Boot in advance?"

Kicker: "After being eliminated from the Champions League, Lu Kai is making a full-fledged comeback in the Premier League, and Henry's three-peat Premier League Golden Boot title may be in vain!"

On April 18th, the Champions League semi-finals kicked off.

The teams that made it to the semi-finals this year are AC Milan, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Villarreal.

The first two fought each other, and the latter two fought each other.

Villarreal is arguably the biggest dark horse of the year, having gone through one more round than Green.

The second leg of the Champions League semi-final concluded on April 25th.

Arsenal, led by Wenger, effortlessly ended Villarreal's dark horse run and advanced to the Champions League final.

AC Milan swept Real Madrid, defeating their opponents twice once again.

However, Real Madrid's loss was also unjust.

They had a smooth season at one point.

Tactically, Ten Hag has Lu Kai's guidance.

The squad also includes talented players or super substitutes such as Essien, Duff, Cannavaro, and Cicinho.

Zidane was also present during the match.

This should have been the best opportunity to win the treble, and they certainly lived up to that expectation.

However, as 2006 approached, due to the dramatic changes in the Spanish political arena, Real Madrid's manager, Florentino Pérez, suffered severe political suppression.

In order to protect himself, Florentino was forced to announce his resignation last month.

Real Madrid's top management is in turmoil, clearly indicating that the club is about to enter a period of upheaval.

Who has the mind to care about how the team plays?
Moreover, many people don't even want the team to play well.

The Galactic Battleship was torn apart, and its combat power plummeted.

Let alone AC Milan, if Green Gunners were to face Real Madrid at this point, they would probably win as well.

On the same day Real Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League, Ten Hag was unilaterally dismissed by the team.

Furthermore, the team did not buy him a plane ticket from Milan back to Madrid.

The reason is that Real Madrid has collapsed on all three fronts this month.

First, they were eliminated from the Copa del Rey, then overtaken by Barcelona in the league standings, making their title hopes almost impossible. They were even caught up by Valencia and Sevilla.

This is going to make Ten Hah take the blame.

Ten Hagh was a man of temper, and without hesitation, he flew directly to London to catch up with the Marines.

Subsequently, Lu Kai contacted Duff and other veteran Green Gunners to help Ten Hag pack up his belongings in Madrid and send them to London.

Ten Hag and Real Madrid have completely broken off relations, and neither side is willing to tolerate the other.

May 7th, the final round of the Premier League.

Dartford vs West Bromwich Albion at home.

They easily defeated their opponents 4-2, sending West Bromwich Albion back to the Championship.

The opponent's final ranking was nineteenth.

Dartford, on the other hand, climbed to ninth place in the Premier League.

There has been a huge improvement compared to last season.

They've improved from a relegation-threatened team to a mid-table position.

However, what everyone is most concerned about in this match is Lu Kai's goal tally.

Lu Kai scored twice in the match, bringing his Premier League tally for the season to 34 goals and 8 assists.

He not only won the Premier League Golden Boot this season, but also joined the ranks of the legendary players, Alan Shearer and Andy Cole, as the record holder for most goals in a single Premier League season.

Henry scored 27 goals, finishing as the Silver Boot winner this season.

Moreover, Lu Kai also won the European Golden Boot for the first time with these impressive statistics, beating Luca Toni, who had 31 goals in Serie A!

The Premier League season subsequently concluded.

Chelsea finished with 91 points, securing their second consecutive Premier League title with considerable dominance.

Manchester United have recovered with 83 points, but unfortunately, the points total that would have secured them the title in the past only puts them in second place this year.

Liverpool is third.

Arsenal, on the other hand, has experienced a precipitous decline, from a title contender and a Champions League sure team to now being a top-four contender.

Arsenal would not have qualified for the Champions League if Dartford hadn't managed to snatch a win from Tottenham late in the season.

Tottenham finished fifth.

Blackburn Rovers are sixth.

Newcastle is seventh.

Bolton is eighth.

The FA Cup final took place on May 13th.

Liverpool beat West Ham United to win the title.

May 17th, the Champions League final.

AC Milan and Arsenal have met in the Champions League knockout stage for two consecutive years.

Come to think of it, AC Milan has been facing mostly familiar faces this year.

Ultimately, Milan defeated Arsenal 2-1 with goals from Shevchenko and Kaká, winning the Champions League trophy they should have won last season.

The Rossoneri have reached their peak!
Milan fans are very confident that they will not repeat the mistakes of the previous two Champions League-winning teams, which "disintegrated after winning the title".

Porto and Green Gunners couldn't stop the big clubs from poaching talent, but AC Milan has enough heritage.

Everyone thought so.

Until Moji was formally charged!
The Italian football scandal involving Calciopoli has moved from the rumor stage in April to the formal handling stage.

This means that the reports about Moggi manipulating Serie A through refereeing are true.

Italian football is facing an earthquake.

AC Milan...it seems like they're going to be gone too!
For a time, the Champions League title became a terrible curse!

Those who win the Champions League will die a horrible death!

(End of this chapter)