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

Chapter 91 Post-Match Transition: Another Source Power? (Chinese National Football Team Story)
"Many people may recall the waiting and disappointment we experienced in the Asian Cup over the years, the regret of Kuala Lumpur in 2007, and the desolation of Doha in 2011, but at this moment, the evening breeze has blown away all the bitterness."

"Sydney is beautiful tonight. The Opera House's shell stands silent in the night, and the lights of the Harbour Bridge twinkle in the traffic. But even more moving than this scenery is the sea of ​​red in the stands!"

"That is a faith that has traveled 4800 kilometers and gathered from all corners of China. Perhaps we will experience setbacks in the future, and perhaps there will never be an absolutely smooth road on the road of football, but tonight, we can proudly say: Chinese football is no longer a bystander in the Asian championship!"

"Thank you, Li Luo. See you in the finals!"

Even after giving his post-match speech, He Wei was still deeply moved and unable to calm down.

The 64-year-old coach Zhang remarked with emotion, "I have never seen the Chinese national football team lift the Asian Cup trophy in my entire life."

The red wave at Sydney Stadium has not faded.

Chinese fans chanted the hero's name loudly.

"Li Luo!!!"

Wave after wave.

Li Luo and his teammates thanked the stands.

His mental strength had not fully recovered, and his head was still slightly dizzy.

[Shock Points Gained: 1201453!]

How many?

How much did this match add? How much overflowed? How come Australia is even more Everton than Everton itself?

[Should I spend 100 million Shock Points to redeem the International Cup All-Star Blind Box?]

[Currently being redeemed]

Rumble!
Rumble!
The most terrifying thunder.

A gorgeous card, shimmering with iridescent light, rapidly coalesced in the wind!

The wind howled.

Everything around seemed to vanish in an instant, including the sounds of shouts and cheers.

[Blind boxes are now open]

The opponent in the final is definitely not as good as Postecoglu in terms of tactical strategy, and correspondingly, the opponent's players' abilities will not be constrained by tactics.

and so.

Let's add another module for immediate combat capability!
The figures on the cards keep changing.

Gradually, the changes slowed down and eventually froze.

Suddenly.

A dazzling light enveloped the entire world.

Li Luo seemed to have traveled through time and space, vaguely seeing the image of Matthäus lifting the World Cup trophy. Then the scene changed drastically, switching to: stepping on the advertising board, facing the stands with outstretched arms, his clothes and black hair being blown by the night wind.

yes.
Yourself?

[You have the Matthäus template. The module's fit reward has been changed to the optimal solution that best suits your body.]

Congratulations on obtaining the "Core Power" module (Growth Module).

[You have perfectly mastered the use of core strength in different combat environments, including the transverse abdominis, erector spinae, internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, and gluteus maximus.]

[Additional attribute boost: Physical contact 80 → 88!]

Another source of power, and this is a module that grows with the user's abilities, so its attributes have also improved.

Li Luo was overjoyed.

great!
Back to the Bundesliga, what about those fierce white and tough black players? Give them a try! Let's see if they can still easily upset me!
Don't let me lift that skinny little bamboo pole too high!

Humph.

Who will dare to say I'm "timid in the Bundesliga, but a force to be reckoned with in the Asian Cup" from now on?
Think of this.

He couldn't help but laugh.

The red ocean churned violently once again.

Click, click, click!

The spotlight flashed.

Reporters on the sidelines kept pressing their shutters.

"No matter how tough the game was, he always smiled when facing the fans. What a perfect image of a Chinese hero!"

Post-match press conference.

Perrin's expression remained calm.

It is a tranquility born of extreme joy.

"I can say this: Li is leading the Chinese team to make history!"

"Without him, the Chinese team should be packing their bags and leaving Australia by now."

"The adjustments made at the end of the match were not my doing; Li suggested them to me on his own initiative."

"Thank you, Mr. Black Gold, for your tactical inspiration to the Chinese team."

"The effects of the tactical adjustments are already evident to everyone."

"With five days until the final, the Chinese team will definitely prepare well!"

clap clap clap!
The applause was warm.

Media reporters felt that Perrin had done a very good job.

He was able to give Li Luo ample freedom, constantly enduring external pressure and doubts, and leading the relatively weak Chinese team all the way to the finals.

A few minutes later.

Australian head coach Postcooglou pulled out a small tactics board, bracing himself for a barrage of questions from the local media.

As the host of this Asian Cup, the pressure of losing is immense.

“You have no idea what I’ve been through.”

“My initial strategy and my subsequent adjustments were all seen through by Li.” “I still don’t know what happened, especially the adjustments. Even if Li has top-notch vision and an extraordinary mind, he should have tested the waters. But he didn’t test the waters. It’s as if he could rehearse everything in advance. Then, he stepped on Australia’s most critical weakness and kept hitting it!”

The small magnetic flag was being constantly moved.

Postcoglu shook his head repeatedly, marveling at the incredible sight.

"Football is a team sport, but a talented player can exploit the weaknesses in the opponent's system!"

“I would say that Lee is the Beckenbauer and Cruyff of our time.”

"The freedom of Cruyff and Beckenbauer within the Total Football system at the 1974 World Cup."

suddenly.

Someone interrupted, "If you stick to your own football philosophy, wouldn't Australia have a better chance of beating the Chinese team?"

Postcogru frowned. "Hmm, it seems you're right, but also wrong."

Crash.

Australian journalists immediately launched a barrage of criticism.
Player interview.

The reporters stared helplessly at the billboards covered with the AFC logo.

What a mess the AFC has come up with with these ridiculous rights protection guidelines, causing many star players from the top five European leagues to refuse to stand here for interviews.

Gao Lin looked serious as he faced the barrage of cameras and microphones.
"Li Luo didn't yell at us during the game. He was reminding us not to wait for the whistle. That reminder was crucial, because we almost conceded a goal."

"I know that South Korea beat Iraq 2-0 and will meet them in the Asian Cup final."

"Hmm? Maybe it'll be a little easier to play."

"The Australian head coach is very good. Without Li Luo's guidance, we would have played very passively."

"Playing against the South Korean team would be a real, head-to-head battle; there would be no suffocating feeling."

"Fear of Korea? Doesn't exist, we have Li Luo!"

The term "fear of Korea" means that from 1978 to 2015, the Chinese national team and the South Korean national team played each other 32 times in international A-level matches, with a record of 2 wins, 11 draws and 19 losses, a winning percentage of only 6.25%, and a goal difference of 22:45, indicating that China was at a disadvantage in all aspects.

This huge gap stems not only from the difference in strength, but also from the psychological collapse in key battles. For example, in the 1989 World Cup qualifiers and the 1996 Olympic Games qualifiers, the Chinese team collapsed many times when they were leading or only needed to hold on to a draw, forming a vicious cycle of fearing to lose and losing more and more.

Chinese fans are heartbroken! Only two wins in 32 games? What's going on? Are they getting thrashed by the Koreans like this?
The interview session is about to end.

Gao Lin paused for a moment, then added, "If we have the opportunity to make history with Li Luo, I believe none of my teammates on the national team will be afraid of our opponents."

The Australian players could not hide their disappointment.

The feeling of losing on home turf is far more so than a typical defeat, carrying a heavier and more bitter taste.

Especially for those players who have already established themselves as key players in Europe, wearing the national team jersey and dreaming of winning the Asian Cup, the psychological gap is huge, and they are crying.

Kangaroo legend Tim Cahill, however, displayed the composure and responsibility of a veteran. Instead of wallowing in the negative emotions of defeat, he waved to his teammates, calling them to the stands to sincerely apologize to the Australian fans and accept all criticism and regret.

Finally, Cahill specifically sought out assistant coach Lee. The two, who had previously played side-by-side at Everton, were now on the Asian Cup stage together again in different capacities, posing for a photo.

Return to the national football team's camp.

Li Luo entered the single dormitory room.

I am not tired.

However, the mental energy drained by the spatial rehearsal has yet to recover.

He could barely keep his eyes open, and after lying on the bed for a while, he fell into a deep sleep.

South Korean campsite.

The atmosphere was cheerful, filled with the joy of advancing to the finals. Someone patted Son Heung-min on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Heung-min, I think Lee Nak's speed is about the same as yours, right? And you're equally good with both feet, so you'd better do your best in the finals!"

"Senior, there's a gap between me and Li Luo. I'm much slower than him. It's slow here!"

Son Heung-min extended his index finger and poked his forehead, speaking earnestly with a touch of sincere humility.

This remark made everyone present burst into laughter.

The Korean senior who had spoken earlier waved his hand dismissively and replied, "It's alright, we'll help you keep him in check. So what if this kid is powerful?"

"Our predecessors were not on par with stars like Totti and Maldini back then, but they still won games, didn't they?"

While talking.

Some people, with ferocious expressions, imitated vicious actions such as elbowing, stomping on the head, and kicking the groin.

"Elbow strike to Totti!"

"Stomp hard on the back of Maldini's head!"

"Smash Zambrotta's balls!"

"Ha ha!"

The laughter in the locker room grew more frequent and unrestrained.

Upon hearing these words, 22-year-old Korean Xiao Sun panicked and hurriedly waved his hands, stammering urgently, "No, no, senior, this can't be! I...I want to have a fair duel with Li Luo!"

As he finished speaking, the hesitation in his tone gradually faded, leaving only an undeniable firmness.

No one knows the path he has walked better than him.

Having grown up in Hamburg's youth academy, he suffered bullying because of his foreign identity, and was even maliciously fouled by his Turkish teammates in an official match. Even when he scored a goal, he would be cursed by his teammates.

At this time, he had not yet undergone enough trials to smooth out his rough edges and change his temperament, and had not yet transformed into the Yue Buqun of the football world who was later ridiculed by fans.

His eyes were filled with an innocent clarity, and his playing style was as clean as if it were free of any impurities.

But this insistence angered the Korean senior from earlier.

The other person's face darkened, and his tone instantly hardened as he said fiercely, "Hey! How dare you talk to us so loudly? Do you really think that spending a few years in German youth training has made you forget that you're Korean? If we really cripple Li Luo, won't you be smiling as you lift the championship trophy? Stop pretending to be so high and mighty!"

Son Heung-min shook his head.

My thoughts drifted: 'Li's experience must be very similar to mine, right? He's endured so much hardship and put in so much effort to get to where he is today. If the Korean team defeats him through dishonest means, then the championship trophy will feel like it's stained with shit to me.'

Suddenly, someone stepped in to smooth things over:

"How could we possibly hurt Lee? The referee isn't one of our own, we don't need to do that. The Korean team can easily beat the Chinese team! Hey! Stop bullying Heung-min, if he cries, how will he wash my socks?"

(End of this chapter)