Chapter 23: Wow! How Sophisticated! (Two-in-One)

"The broadcast camera cuts to the VIP box, where we see the legendary Beatle Paul McCartney. His father's generation were Everton fans."

"Amanda Holden, judge of *Britain's Got Talent*."

"Mary Berry, the baking master."

"Everton's fans come from all walks of life."

"Right, let's cut to the close-up stands. A group of young girls wearing Everton jerseys—very cute, in their golden age of 16-18. At this time, their faces haven't started to fill out, and their hair is still thick and lush."

"The close-up is on 16-year-old Kelly, wearing casual clothes today. She currently plays for the Queens Park Rangers youth women's team and has great talent. I hear she might transfer to Arsenal Women in the winter. Her expression is... very confident, haha, and she even made a face at the photographer."

The commentator patiently introduces the spectators in the stands.

Instructor Zhang cannot find a gap to speak and can only chuckle along.

The next moment.

Goodison Park erupts with a thunderous roar.

The giant flag bearing the UEFA logo is slowly retracted.

The referee crew leads the teams out of the tunnel.

...

"Now, let me introduce the starting lineups for both sides."

"Everton is playing a 4-2-3-1 formation!"

"Goalkeeper: Howard."

"Defenders: Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Baines."

"Double Pivots: Barry, McCarthy."

"Attacking Midfielders: Mirallas, Naismith, Barkley."

"Forward: Lukaku."

...

"Wolfsburg is wearing their white away jerseys today, playing a 4-5-1 formation."

"Goalkeeper: Benaglio."

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

"Midfielders: Caligiuri, Malanda, Li Luo, Gustavo, De Bruyne."

"Forward: Bendtner."

"After many years, we see a Chinese player on the European stage once again!"

...

The pre-match ceremony ends.

Beep!

With the main referee's whistle, the match officially begins.

Wolfsburg has possession.

Bendtner kicks off and passes back to the defensive line.

The formations of both sides quickly intersect and overlap at the center circle.

The 19-year-old black midfielder Malanda is a bit nervous. He hasn't had much playing time for Wolfsburg in the past, and for this match, Hecking gave him one task: "Whoever handles Li, you handle them."

Where is Li?

Oh, oh, oh.

Li has crossed the center line and charged into the opponent's half.

...

Before Li Luo even receives the ball, he is being harassed and grabbed by Everton's McCarthy.

Wherever he goes, McCarthy follows.

"Hehehe, Irish international McCarthy, who transferred to Everton last year for 13 million pounds. His interception counts and tackle success rate... ranked sixth in the Premier League last season."

"He loves physical confrontation and is very aggressive."

"Oh, they both fell down while off the ball, Li Luo and McCarthy."

"The referee has blown the whistle to stop the game."

Wolfsburg's back line was still passing the ball, looking for an opportunity to build an attack, when they heard the whistle.

The LED screen in mid-air plays the replay:

Li Luo takes a short step to pick up speed, trying to make a diagonal run, but McCarthy grabs his arm and slips, causing both of them to fall.

...

Lip-reading experts are on standby, ready to carefully interpret the players' conversations on the pitch.

"Li Luo is very composed. He gets up, raises his hand, points at McCarthy, and waves his hand at the referee with a casual air: 'It's fine, just give him a red card.'"

"McCarthy, who was preparing to give Li Luo a thumbs up, panics and tries desperately to defend himself."

"The referee smiles and gives a verbal warning."

"The game continues."

Li Luo looks confused.

McCarthy silently makes a prayer gesture: The referee was almost fooled by the Chinese kid; thank goodness I didn't get booked early on.

...

In the livestream chat:

- ["It's fine, just give him a red card."]

- [Haha.]

- [Everton's midfield is tough, sticky, and loves to grab and touch; truly a clinging little demon.]

- [Indeed, they are specifically designed to counter technical midfielders like Li Luo.]

- [In a while, as soon as Li Luo gets the ball, they'll turn up the intensity.]

....

In the technical area.

Hecking shouts a reminder: "Malanda, protect Li!"

The assistant coaches echo the sentiment.

The young defensive midfielder's mission tonight is to protect the Chinese genius.

On the other side.

Martinez looks confident: An 18-year-old technical genius, when facing Premier League brutes... his body still needs another year or two of development.

'As long as we freeze Li.'

'Everton will easily launch transition attacks.'

....

De Bruyne takes a quick free kick.

Li Luo touches it once and transfers it to Caligiuri on the other side.

"Right flank."

"The winger engine."

"Caligiuri!"

Everton's fullback is smart, quickly maintaining distance from Caligiuri at the edge of the penalty area.

He knows Caligiuri's dominant foot is his right, making it difficult for him to cut inside from the right.

"Seal the inside."

"Caligiuri wants to go to the byline... the Everton fullback sticks to him."

"There's no way through."

"The Wolfsburg winger has to pass it back."

Snap.

The moment Caligiuri passes back, he immediately makes a run into the box, but the Everton fullback is no fool and tracks him tightly.

Wolfsburg can't pull off a one-two combination.

They have to reorganize.

The rhythm of the passing slows down slightly.

The Everton fullback immediately abandons Caligiuri and narrows the gap between himself and his fellow defenders.

"Wow."

"So advanced."

"In the Premier League over these years, especially for lower-to-mid-tier teams, the overall tactics are progressing faster than other leagues, especially in the use of fullbacks."

"Wolfsburg reorganizes the attack with a long ball from De Bruyne."

"Going for the left flank this time, targeting Everton's weak side."

"Two against one."

....

Sebastian receives De Bruyne's pass.

Malanda rushes forward, trying to assist and ready for an overlapping run.

Everton's other fullback, Coleman, shows his brilliance.

...

"Beautiful."

"The 1.7-meter-tall Coleman has a low center of gravity, fast footwork, and is excellent at defending against inside cuts."

"This time."

"Is he actually trying to defend two players at once?"

Coleman bends his knees, turns sideways, lowers his center of gravity, and waits patiently.

Waiting for Sebastian to accelerate.

Waiting for the connection between Sebastian and Malanda.

Snap!

The moment Sebastian passes the ball.

Coleman pokes his foot out.

"Beautiful!"

"These mid-to-high-tier Premier League teams have been so ahead of the curve in developing their fullbacks over the last two or three seasons."

"Counterattack!"

....

In the livestream chat:

- [Two-on-one, and he can still steal the ball?]

- [Everton's two fullbacks, they have such good technique and are so smart, why are they playing as fullbacks?]

- [Otherwise, how did they finish fifth in the Premier League last season?]

- [The era of the flanks.]

- [With such fierce wingers, of course they can feed excellent fullbacks.]

- [Huh? Why is Everton's counterattack so good? It feels a bit like Arsenal?]

- [Martinez is Spanish; it's technical counter-attacking football.]

....

Hecking feels like he's fallen into an ice cellar.

Martinez applauds vigorously.

Everton has launched a flowing counter-attacking storm.

"Mirallas!"

"Stops with his right foot, long pass."

"The genius youngster Barkley helps his teammate stretch the width of the attack!"

"Wow!"

"Lukaku controls and carries past Naldo, breaking through Wolfsburg's high defensive line!"

"191 cm tall, 95 kg, the 21-year-old Belgian powerhouse!"

"Keep charging!"

"Little Beast!"

Lukaku hasn't gained his extra weight yet.

He is very fast.

Wolfsburg's young center-back, Knoche, is no fool and uses all his strength to chase him down.

Wolfsburg's captain and goalkeeper, Benaglio, is no fool either, loudly directing his teammates to seal the inside while quickly adjusting his position to cover the near post.

Goodison Park.

The home stands erupt with cheers.

The away section emits a sigh of horror.

...

"Huh?"

"Why did Lukaku drift wide?"

"Why go to the outside?"

"Why drift wide?"

"Knoche might not be able to seal you off."

Lukaku, carrying the ball to the edge of the penalty area, has lost his shooting angle.

Without waiting for his teammates.

He chooses to have a go himself.

Bang!

A powerful, thundering shot whistles through! It catches goalkeeper Benaglio off guard, causing him to fumble it. The ball bounces on the turf of the Wolfsburg penalty area, but luckily Knoche follows up to clear it with a big kick.

The ball finally drifts out of bounds.

Lukaku looks blank, turns around, and gives his teammates a thumbs up.

"Spectacular."

"Everton almost scored."

"Wolfsburg players' defensive thinking is unified, and they managed to resolve the danger with difficulty."

....

In the livestream chat:

- [Is the half-time over 1 goal going to fail?]

- [There should be a goal; if an Everton teammate had been there to support, Lukaku wouldn't have been forced to the outside so easily.]

- [Why do I feel like Wolfsburg can't beat Everton?]

- [It's difficult.]

- [Everton, fifth in the Premier League, playing at home, is pinning Wolfsburg down.]

- [The flanks are being countered, the center is being frozen; Wolfsburg is in a tough spot.]

.....

During a dead-ball phase.

The spatial perception module in his brain quickly constructs a geometric model.

Li Luo, while tracking back, carefully reviews Everton's tactical shifts.

The problem on the flanks is too difficult.

What to do?

As an excellent midfielder, he should think hard about how to break the "hardest point," dismantle the opponent, control the overall situation, and lead the team to victory.

However.

Li Luo decides not to worry about "how to break the flank deadlock"...

De Bruyne moves up and says seriously: "Li, don't take on too much work, I will pass the ball to you!"

....

"Game continues."

"Coleman throws the ball in."

"Everton prepares for a strong attack."

"The genius youngster Barkley is dispossessed by Gustavo."

"The former Bayern player's defense is still steady."

"Everton doesn't launch an immediate counter-press, but chooses to retreat and settle into position. I think Martinez's football philosophy follows a path between Klopp's and Wenger's."

Gustavo passes the ball to Malanda.

The young midfielder is a bit flustered.

He has limited opportunities at Wolfsburg and has never shouldered the task of launching transition attacks.

"What are you standing there for?"

"Don't waste the opportunity."

"Pass it forward."

"19-year-old Malanda still lacks experience..."

"Beautiful, he passes the ball to Li Luo, who is retreating diagonally."

"That's a fantastic pass."

Malanda's belief gradually firms up; he understands what his task is in the attacking phase for this match.

....

Li Luo is in a sideways position, preparing to receive the ball.

His young teammate might not be fully in the zone, and the quality of the pass is a bit poor.

At the same time.

Everton's attacking midfielder Naismith charges over like a fierce beast.

Mirallas and Barkley on both sides also make early runs, blocking Li Luo's forward passing lanes.

He's being surrounded.

Li Luo must either pass back or break through head-on.

In an instant.

Countless memory fragments flash through his mind.

[Kroos' 'body-facing reception and escape']

....

Hecking is worried.

Martinez is confident.

Even Li Luo, who has been unstoppable in the Youth Champions League final, cannot shake off the charging Naismith the moment he receives the ball.

No one can violate the laws of confrontation on the pitch.

Li Luo has no time to perform complex dribbling moves.

Naismith will use his body to knock him down.

A one-touch pass? Mid-tier Premier League teams have ways to counter that.

'The Chinese genius's weaknesses when holding the ball in midfield have been identified. Everything is under my control, and next is...'

The next moment.

Everyone gradually wears a dazed expression.

....

The body-facing escape thinking, tested by the rigors of the Bundesliga, La Liga, the Champions League, the World Cup, and so on.

It is about to shine brightly at Goodison Park.

Not relying on ball control.

Relying on spatial perception, anticipation of spacing, and rhythm changes, he performs actions that are simple to the extreme.

Like four ounces moving a thousand pounds.

....

"This..."

"What?"

The commentator's tone is puzzled.

They see Li Luo on the pitch adjust his body orientation, remaining calm even when facing the charging Naismith at the moment of reception.

He drops his shoulder and takes a long stride.

He stops the ball with his right foot in the opposite direction.

Snap!

He pushes off with his left foot and starts his run.

One man, one ball, strolling leisurely away from the Everton midfielder's pressure.

"Wow!"

"That's high-level!"

"Composed."

"Effortless."

"Naismith becomes a backdrop; his sprint rhythm is disrupted, he lunges into empty air, loses his balance, and has to slow down awkwardly."

"Li Luo didn't use any flashy dribbling moves."

"By calculating spatial distance, grasping space, and using only the simplest rhythm changes and misplaced stops... he completed a full-body escape!"

The commentator and Instructor Zhang are speechless and incoherent.

In the livestream chat:

- [So cool!]

- [Stunning, body-facing escape, one man, one ball; the breeze on the north bank of the Mersey blows his white jersey and black hair.]

- [Awesome.]

- [Li Luo's style of play is too cool, too high-level; he's a huge fan magnet.]

- [Hecking, the peerless manager, he made Li Luo abandon flashy dribbling to return to simplicity.]

- [Li Luo's 'body-facing reception and escape' is a passive dribbling technique, not an active one. We haven't even seen the full-blown version of the Manchester United crown prince yet.]

- [Such a simple move? My son could do that anytime, anywhere.]

....

Goodison Park.

Applause ripples through the stadium.

Even the Everton fans can't help but gasp in amazement.

In the technical area.

Hecking's gaze is blank.

Martinez looks terrified.

....

Everton's midfield barrier reacts quickly.

They rapidly adjust their positions to fill the space behind Naismith.

Li Luo doesn't rush to pass.

After taking a few steps.

He distributes the ball to Caligiuri, who has found space on the flank.

Then he suddenly accelerates and fiercely cuts into the space between Everton's lines.

"Caligiuri sees De Bruyne's hand signal."

"Don't hesitate!"

"You won't win by charging down the flank; since there's space for a pass, cross it directly!"

Snap!

The commentator acts as if he's holding a game controller.

Before he finishes, Caligiuri sends a 45-degree cross from the 30-meter area.

The ball spins violently.

Flying toward the edge of Everton's penalty area.

A tall, towering figure appears.

"Bendtner!"

"The 1.9-meter Bendtner!"

"He heads it down, laying it off for Li Luo behind him!"

Everything happens very quickly.

Bendtner plays the role of a target man, heading the ball down.

The moment Li Luo receives the ball.

Everton midfielder McCarthy rushes over recklessly, like a flying "sandbag," slamming toward the Chinese teenager.

Something unexpected happens.

In a flash of lightning, Li Luo adjusts his body orientation.

He drags the ball with his right foot.

Then he gently pushes the ball with the outside of his foot.

He pushes off with his left foot.

"Slightly awkwardly" dodging the opponent's body collision.

His steps are nimble.

The ball's path, however, is a bit "drifting."

The whole stadium is stunned.

Again... it's this simple, to the extreme, body-facing reception and escape?

The commentator and Instructor Zhang don't have time to praise him.

Because from the broadcast angle, they realize: while Li Luo completes the escape, he perfectly catches Everton's defensive line exposing a gap.

Pushing the boat with the current.

...

The spatial perception module captures a flaw in the opponent's defense.

The smartest Wolfsburg teammate is about to cut into position.

Snap.

The moment Li Luo completes his escape, he swings his right foot slightly.

The ball skims across the turf like a dull knife, piercing through Everton's defensive line.

"De Bruyne!"

"No adjustment, a one-touch shot."

"Did he miss?"

"It's in!"