Manchester United's heir apparent, but can't play football.

Chapter 18 The Great Flood?

Chapter 18 The Great Flood? (Three-in-One)

Good evening, viewers.

"We are currently broadcasting a friendly match between China and the Netherlands."

"The Chinese team plays an aggressive style, probing wildly on both wings and crossing into the penalty area."

"The Dutch team is a bit hesitant, adopting a low defensive posture. Even when they gain possession, they don't dare to make transitions. Their tactics are very conservative, and they only clear the ball with long kicks."

"Hmm? It's raining."

"The grass is getting wetter and wetter."

"The rain seemed to seep out from between the rocks, or like moonlight that had been shattered. The sound of the rain was clear, sometimes murmuring, sometimes singing, as if it were whispering to the towering pines and cypresses."

"The air was filled with..."

"."

"Waaaaaah! A sudden flood has submerged the entire stadium!"

Ding Ding Ding ~
The urgent ringing of the alarm clock startled Li Luo from his reverie.

"Why would I have such a dream?"

"I can't believe it!"

Complex emotions quietly spread through my heart: What is the meaning of life? What is the origin of the universe?
suddenly.

He noticed that the properties panel had undergone subtle changes.

[Physical Strength: 90→90.01]

[Jump: 80→80.03]

[Footwork Strength: 81 → 81.02]

what?
Can you become stronger while sleeping during puberty?

No wonder some footballers have unusual talents and don't like to train much.

[Passes: 49.9 → 50]

"The training effect brought by the one-touch passing module has also boosted my passing attribute to 50!"

"Get up quickly, it's a Bundesliga match day, we can't be late."

A few hours later.

A bus emblazoned with a wolf's head pattern slowly travels along a country road in the Baden-Württemberg region.

"Coming."

"That's the Sinsheim Automobile and Technology Museum, and across the street is Hoffenheim's home stadium."

"So cool, it looks like a spaceship that has landed in a field."

Bendtner looked listless, yawning, and melancholy, like a primary school student who hadn't finished his homework on a Monday morning.

Blackgold crossed his arms over his chest, looking anxious, not because of the opponent's strength. No matter who the opponent is, the Wolfsburg manager is always full of anxiety: although he saved the club in a sense back then, he always felt that his coaching philosophy was outdated.

Especially after their "bullying the weak and fearing the strong" tactic was broken in the second half of last season, they were targeted and countered by their opponents in every game. For most of the time, Blackgear could only play low-post defense and rely on the extraordinary performance of their forwards to win.

Most of the players, however, were full of fighting spirit and in high spirits.

Midfield teammate Gustavo told Li Luo 'Hoffenheim stories' all the way.

"Now that I've finished telling my story, let me tell you my own."

"I started out in the lower leagues of Brazil. I was lucky enough to be loaned to a club in the Brazilian second division once."

“Rangnick discovered me and brought me from Brazil to the German second division – Hoffenheim. Those few months felt like a dream, going from the lower leagues of Brazil to the German second division.”

"I was promoted to the Bundesliga along with Hoffenheim."

"Later, I joined Bayern Munich and won many championships with the team."

"Then, you know, in the World Cup semi-final two months ago, I started as a deep-lying midfielder, and the German team scored seven goals."

The Brazilian laughed at himself.

Li Luo nodded.

I thought to myself: Gustavo made 12 interceptions in that game, but he still couldn't stop Brazil from being slaughtered; I need to study the essence of this problem when I have time, and find a growth path that suits me.

The seat next to me.

De Bruyne was a little resentful: last season, Wolfsburg was also thrashed by Hoffenheim. He felt very frustrated and powerless at that time, and he was determined to win tonight.

Night falls.

The city of Sinsheim on the Rhine River is gradually enveloped by an almost primal restlessness.

Fans from towns and villages across Baden-Württemberg gathered at the Rhein-Neckar Arena.

The blue team flag fluttered in the wind.

The blue scarf was held high.

"Zhuangdianertai! Zhuangdianertai! Good evening, viewers."

"We are now broadcasting live the third round of the 2014/15 Bundesliga season."

"Hoffenheim hosts Wolfsburg."

"In their last encounter, Hoffenheim defeated Wolfsburg 6-2."

What kind of story will unfold tonight? Let's wait and see.

Pre-match press conference.

Black Gold blushed as the reporters teased him.

"Don't mention that 6-2 game again!"

"What's past is past, and we've learned our lessons."

“Every match is an independent event, and past head-to-head records are of no value as a reference.”

The other side.

Hoffenheim's head coach, Marcus, spoke with a firm tone.

"I know nothing about any genius from Wolfsburg."

"Can one or two games prove someone is a genius?"

"Over the years, I've seen too many geniuses. Every single one of the German players who lifted the World Cup trophy was a super genius."

"All I know about tonight is Hoffenheim's Firmino. He scored 16 goals and provided 11 assists in the Bundesliga last season. He will be our hero."

German journalists wanted to refute this.

But I found it impossible to refute it.

Maradona is too cunning; he's subtly helping the German team with his words.

Player tunnel.

Gustavo and his fellow Brazilians embraced warmly.

De Bruyne whispered to Li Luo about his experience playing against Hoffenheim.

"Li, let's cheer each other on. I'm confident this time."

Li Luo nodded seriously.

He had done his homework on paper and prepared in advance.

Captain Benaglio, looking serious, said, "Lee, tonight's game will be very tough. Be mentally prepared, especially since we're playing away. You'll feel the boos from tens of thousands of people. Good luck!"

Benaglio felt a little depressed thinking about the massacre he suffered in Hoffenheim last time.

Massacre.

The goalkeeper suffers the most psychological trauma.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, the crown prince of Wolfsburg, stared intently at Firmino of Hoffenheim. The Brazilian, sensing the gaze, showed no annoyance and returned a smile.

A hot air balloon bearing the Bundesliga logo slowly ascended into the sky.

The players from both sides stood on the green field.

The audience in all four stands cheered wildly, and a huge TIFO image quietly unfolded in the home stand.

Blue marine smoke grenades also exploded in the corner at the same time.

Smoke billows.

"The atmosphere at the Neckar Arena is very intense."

"Now we will introduce the starting lineups of both sides."

"Hoffenheim's formation tonight is 4-4-2!"

Goalkeeper: Baumann.

"Defenders: Strobl, Süle, Bicakcic, Andreas."

Midfielders: Rudy, Polanski, Firmino, Salihovic.

Forwards: Modeste, Szalai.

"In the diamond 4-4-2 formation, Firmino's tactical role is crucial."

"When he first arrived in Hoffenheim, he was diagnosed with malnutrition, but he looks much better now."

Wolfsburg's formation is 4-5-1!

Goalkeeper: Benaglio.

"Defenders: Sebastian, Naldo, Knoch, Ricardo."

Midfielders: De Bruyne, Gustavo, Li Luo, Arnold, Caligiuri.

Forward: Bendtner.

"Wolfsburg's away kit this season looks better than their home kit."

"De Bruyne looks a bit thin, but according to reports, he has plans to build muscle recently."

"Can Black Gold avenge its defeat tonight?"

Beep!
Accompanied by the referee's whistle.

The game officially begins.

Hoffenheim has possession of the ball.

The big guy, Modeste, kicks off and passes the ball back to the backfield.

next moment.

His teammates sprinted across the center circle.

"We need to seize the initiative from the start!"

"Why is Firmino trailing behind to receive the ball?"

"They've almost dragged us to the back line."

"pretty."

"After receiving the ball, he skillfully dribbled past Bendtner who came to press him."

"Proceed quickly."

"Split the sides!"

The football flew precisely to the wing.

Ströbl made several stops and dribbles, then charged into the 30-meter zone in Wolfsburg's half of the field.

Looked up.

Seeing their two center forwards press into the Wolfsburg penalty area.

He decisively abandoned the inside cut and overlapping runs, and went straight for a cross!

Snapped!
Cheers and applause erupted from all four stands.

The football curled out and spun into the penalty area.

"Two ghosts knocking on the door!"

"Modeste is 1.87 meters tall, and Szaloy is 1.93 meters tall!"

"This is the spirit of Ma's Huo Village!"

Wolfsburg's defense made a concerted effort to disrupt the attack.

Snapped.

The football bounced off Modeste's head and flew limply toward the goal.

Goalkeeper Benaglio leaped into the air and easily caught the ball.

Wolfsburg fans in the away stands let out a series of terrified cries.

Almost there.

The bottle was opened again, just like last time!

Li Luo and his teammates in the attacking third barely managed to get back into the penalty area, and seeing the ball change hands, they decisively spread out.

Through spatial perception models in the brain.

He discovered that the tactics his opponents were employing tonight were both ancient and modern.

An ancient cross from the flanks.

An ancient double-ghost knocking door.

However, the way they built their offensive strategy seemed ahead of its time.

'Why is Firmino, an attacking midfielder, allowed to drop back to the defensive line to assist in passing and advancing the ball?'

Command area.

Marcus kept yelling and shouting, his expressions exaggerated:
'What Wolfsburg prodigy?'

'Stop bragging, okay?'

"In their last encounter, the Bundesliga media hyped Wolfsburg to the skies before the match, but they still got thrashed by Hoffenheim!"

He knows that many of his ideas are outdated, but the legacy left by the previous head coach can make up for the problems.

Firmino is a key player.

Hoffenheim's current player structure makes it difficult for them to play any advanced style of football.

But Firmino's unique ability can catch opponents off guard.

The other side.

Black Gold paced back and forth anxiously.

"Look, they didn't get a good start, so they're going to have to play low post defense again."

"Marcus is like a big tortoise."

"He has absolutely no Rangnick vibe!"

Hoffenheim's miracle back then wasn't achieved through cowardice.

But Hoffenheim is very flexible these days.

When it's time to deploy buses, we will deploy buses without hesitation.

The pace of the game slowed down.

Wolfsburg's advance was not significantly hampered.

In the blink of an eye, they pinned their opponents in the penalty area and launched a siege.

"oops."

"Once you cross the 30-meter line, there will be interference."

"Hoffenheim doesn't let De Bruyne play comfortably. Every time he receives the ball, two big men rush at him."

"The last time we faced each other, in the 6-2 game, it was the same situation."

"We believe that a midfielder with unlimited potential like De Bruyne will gradually overcome this predicament in the subsequent matches."

"Hehehe, you're right, he's constantly improving too." Hoffenheim also values Li Luo highly.

The versatile midfielder Rudy was paired with the Chinese youth team.

Rudy is very capable.

The only drawbacks during this period are: slow turning speed, slow speed, and poor jumping ability.

However, the Hoffenheim coaching staff believed that during the 'positional defense' phase, a 180cm tall midfielder could use his physique to overpower a 173cm tall midfielder.

Hoffenheim's owner, Hopp, has developed several "high-tech devices" to improve players' overall physical fitness during training.

On the green football field.

Li Luo really liked opponents like Rudy.

It is slower than itself.

Their thinking speed is also slower than mine.

At most, they would pull on their own arms, tug at their clothes, or restrict their ability to turn around after receiving the ball.

Several localized game strategies.

Rudy was so anxious that he paced back and forth, his cheeks flushed: with any other opponent, he would have already crushed them.

Hoffenheim fans booed wildly, trying to disrupt Wolfsburg's midfield.

Many people realize without even realizing it:

Li Luo's spatial awareness, combined with his quick passing, makes him a natural enemy of traditional deep-lying midfielders in mid-table Bundesliga teams.

Time passed by minute by minute.

Li Luo became the player with the most touches during the 'positional warfare phase'.

Against the backdrop of Rudy's 'slow' movement, the Chinese boy appeared incredibly dashing and agile.

A series of consecutive one-touch passes.

Continuous lateral running.

Through his spatial perception model, the passing routes he constructed resembled intricate steel wires, strangling Hoffenheim's "bus".

The quality of the passes was somewhat inconsistent.

However, Hoffenheim's formation was compact, and the players dared not risk losing their positions.

Most of the resources were poured into De Bruyne.

This caused the other Wolfsburg players' passing and running on the perimeter to resemble a training session.
The Wolfsburg teammates did not question the quality of Li Luo's pass; instead, they felt that they had not been active enough in their running during positional attacks and had not kept up with Li Luo's pace.

Yes.

With such football intelligence and vision, who would dare doubt the quality of his passing during positional attacks?

Maybe they deliberately spread that rumor!

By guiding the team's overall rhythm changes, the goal is to break through the defensive wall.

"Grandmaster."

"Free and unrestrained."

"Li Luo's style of play makes Wolfsburg's overall pace faster."

"Is he going to use his best skills to break through this time?"

"No."

"The ball was passed to De Bruyne, who had made a run into space."

"Oh dear, Bendtner wasted the Belgian's brilliant pass."

"It's okay, it's just a beat-up bus, we need to be patient."

Studio.
-
【handsome. 】
-
[Li Luo dances around near the opposite penalty area, organizing ground attacks and breaking down the defense.]
-
[The most effective way to attract followers.]
-
[Rudy has a high success rate in ground duels in other competitions, so why couldn't he keep up with Li Luo tonight?]
-
[I understand now. De Bruyne draws two big men, Li Luo takes over the midfield, and he's responsible for speeding up the game; De Bruyne, off the ball, breaks free from his markers, runs into space, then slows down and changes the pace, continuously wearing down Hoffenheim's overall stamina.]

VIP private room.

Volkswagen executives were very dissatisfied.

They whispered among themselves, complaining about their own coaching staff.

"How could Black Gold let Li get so tired?"

"Why not let Lee be like that big oaf Bendtner? Just wait for his teammates to pass the ball in the penalty area."

"We have set up bonuses for Li for goals and assists."

"Forget it, we can't interfere with the club's tactical plans."

Command area.

Black Gold applauded from time to time.

He also thought of the pressure he was under from the Volkswagen Group's top management: find a way to get Li Luo to score goals and put up better stats.

"Oh shit."

"An amateur directing professionals? How can the team's record improve like this?"

"How could we possibly let a talented midfielder like Li play as a striker in positional play!"

The assistant coach, clutching a tactics board, hurriedly approached: "Boss, this is bad! More and more people are surrounding Li. If we lose possession, it'll be easy for Hoffenheim to launch a counter-attack."

"Ok?"

"Immediately, immediately move Li to the forward position!"

"Push Knoch up to midfield, and the rest of you spread out your attacking space and increase the distance between your runs!"

The other side.

Marcus yelled.

Make sure your players don't lose their positions and don't let the Wolfsburg players create space for them.

The Wolfsburg coaching staff's signal for adjustments reached Li Luo's ears.

Should he move up to the front line and position himself parallel to Bendtner?
This is a good thing.

He had just been thinking about how to break through the Huocun bus route through organizational scheduling.

Now it's fine, let the teammates think about it.

In his first Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt, Li Luo learned how to orchestrate transition attacks and break down high press.

In the second Bundesliga match against Hoffenheim, Li Luo learned how to break down a low-block defense when facing a defensive wall.

These two opponents, with their distinct styles, provided the Chinese youth with a wealth of experience.

"Hmm? One is high-speed and the other is fast!"

"Bendtner is tall."

"Li Luo is fast."

"Huocun increased its forces to encircle and suppress Li Luo, but the latter moved to a position closer to the restricted area."

"Cruyff once said: 'Defense should shrink the space, while offense should expand the space.'"

"That's also what we're seeing right now."

The commentator looked puzzled.

What's the point of Li Luo, who is 173cm tall, playing as a forward in positional warfare?
Hoffenheim's defense is tall and strong.

The game gradually became dull.

The cheers at the Neckar Arena grew fainter.

The 28th minute of the game.

Changes occur suddenly.

Wolfsburg midfielder Caligiuri received a difficult pass from De Bruyne during a fierce challenge.

Wolfsburg full-back Sebastian quickly made a run forward and overlapped on the wing.

The two players hit each other repeatedly against the wall.

They broke into the edge of the restricted area of Hoffenheim.

"oops!"

"Pretty!"

"There's nothing we can do, there are just too many people."

"Süle's precise positioning caused the ball to bounce up."

"Bendtner takes a long stride."

Li Luo was not idle.

Try to weave in and run to the front point to seize the most reasonable finishing opportunity.

suddenly.

The geometric model shaped by spatial perception coalesced into a red phantom.

[False positioning]

The red phantom rushed towards the back point.

why?
Shouldn't the most logical position be the front post?
Sometimes, offense doesn't need to be rational?
Back!

Rudy was a little confused.

He didn't understand why Li Luo wanted to move back a bit.

The ball can't possibly be moved there!
Don't follow, go help defend your teammates.

Snapped!
Snapped!
Two consecutive sounds of the ball being touched caused a brief period of chaos.

The football flew out of the crowd.

Falling towards the rear point position.

Following that elusive trajectory, everyone was astonished to discover...
The Chinese boy happened to appear at the exact spot where the ball landed.

Unattended.

The entire audience was stunned.

The commentator asked excitedly, "How did Li Luo end up there?"

Black Gold looked completely bewildered.

Marcus frowned.

why?
Why was Li Luo there?
Tens of thousands of audience members at the scene were also searching for the answer in their hearts.

Between thoughts.

The Chinese boy, whose gaze was focused on him, raised his arms and swung his legs.

Snapped!
A crisp sound of the ball being struck.

To Hoffenheim goalkeeper Baumann, it was like the sound of a bomb timer—there was simply no time to react!
He couldn't possibly get from the near post to the far post in time!

The football went into the net.

0:1! ! !

The whole place was boiling.

De Bruyne looked incredulous.

Bendtner was still trash-talking the opposing center-back.

The Wolfsburg teammates were stunned for a fraction of a second before excitedly rushing towards Li Luo.

So cool.

They were slaughtered by Huo Village in their last encounter.

Tonight, Li Luo sounded the horn of revenge!
[Shock level +1!]

[Shock level +1!]

【.】

Looking at the rapidly increasing experience points, Li Luo was momentarily at a loss for how to celebrate.

I haven't learned how to celebrate yet from the tutorial videos.

He could only foolishly rush towards the away stands and raise his fist at the Wolfsburg fans who had traveled with the team.

He was met with enthusiastic cheers.

"Li Luo!"

"."

Li Luo did not indulge in the joy of victory. His mind kept thinking: the 'unreasonable' positioning and positioning may not necessarily lead to a goal; but it is more unexpected and confusing to the opponent's defense than 'reasonable' positioning.

"Pretty!"

"The ball is in!"

"Chinese youngster Li Luo broke the deadlock and scored his first Bundesliga goal."

"This helped Wolfsburg gain the lead."

"A graceful and elegant shooting posture, textbook perfect."

"The key is positioning."

"In slow motion, Li Luo's positioning and positioning caught the Huocun defense off guard."

"Incredible, top-notch door-to-door sense."

The commentator's tone was enthusiastic.

He couldn't help but think of his earlier questioning of Li Luo, so he gently slapped himself.

Coach Zhang beamed with joy: "He's so well-rounded! Li Luo's offensive attributes are so comprehensive. He can control the game in a 'reasonable' way and finish in an 'unreasonable' way. It's simply unbelievable."

CTV5 live broadcast room.

The goal was being replayed on the big screen.
-
[Ghostly movement.]
-
I've been looking at this for ages and I still don't understand how Li Luo ended up there.
-
Isn't this just picking up a loose ball? I could have scored from that position too.
-
It's not hard to kick the ball in; the key is getting to that position and securing that point.
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[Wow, Li Luo can play as a shadow striker?]
-
[Müller, known as 'Little Lilo'.]

Courtside.

The teaching assistants from Wolfsburg hugged each other excitedly.

Black Gold rubbed his face with both hands.

"Boss, your adjustment was amazing! Li Zhen scored!"

"Cough cough cough, that's right, kick it like that, give Li even more freedom!"

The other side.

Marcus flew into a rage and roared furiously at his disciples.

VIP private room.

Volkswagen executives cheered with joy.

The armrests of the seats were slapped loudly.

"I fucking knew it."

"I knew that Li Neng's goal would cause his commercial value to skyrocket, like a gushing river of gold."