Chapter 6

With the ball at his feet on the wing, Zhou Yi did not pass it this time. He charged forward along the sideline.

However, he soon encountered the interception of a Blue Team player, a No. 7 who blocked his path.

Faced with the interception, Zhou Yi did not choose to break through with speed or feints. Instead, he directly passed the ball to a teammate in the center, while he bypassed the Blue Team's No. 7 from the outside, turning his head to shout, "Pass it to me!"

It was unclear whether it was Zhou Yi's firm and unquestionable tone that made the teammate holding the ball involuntarily want to listen to him, or whether it was Zhou Yi's previous crisp and clean performance in helping the ball move from the backfield to the front that earned his teammates' trust.

In any case, after hearing Zhou Yi's shout, the teammate did not hesitate and passed the ball over.

Zhou Jianliang heard someone nearby exclaim "Oh!" with obvious dissatisfaction. Clearly, this person was the parent of the passer, who was unhappy that their child had so easily given up the ball.

This final match was not only a stage for the young players on the field to showcase themselves, but also a place where parents in the stands hoped their children could be a bit more selfish.

After bypassing the defender, Zhou Yi received the ball passed by his teammate, completing a beautiful one-two wall pass.

"Great ball!" Xiao Wang, sitting in the stands, couldn't help but clap and exclaim.

Hao Dong, sitting next to him, was not as excited, but a smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.

He had seen what he wanted to see for the first time.

Now he was even more curious and wanted to continue watching to see how this attack would end.

***

Zhou Yi continued to dribble along the wing, and the Blue Team also shifted their defensive focus to his side.

But just as everyone thought Zhou Yi would continue to break towards the baseline and then cross, he suddenly cut the ball with his right foot as he entered the 30-meter area, directing it towards the center. He also took the opportunity to shake off a Blue Team player who came to defend him.

As Zhou Yi cut inside and dribbled horizontally, he lifted his head for a moment. In that instant, a bird's-eye view of the penalty area appeared in his mind.

He could clearly see which areas were open, which areas had his teammates, and which areas were filled with Blue Team players.

He found an open space on the left side of the penalty area. There were no Blue Team players here because his dribble on the wing had shifted the defensive focus of the Blue Team to this side, making the other side relatively weak.

Opportunities were fleeting, and as he dribbled horizontally, the opponents would soon shift their defensive focus back.

Thinking of this, Zhou Yi suddenly swung his right foot while dribbling, chipping the ball up.

The ball flew over the heads of the red and blue players in front of him, falling into the open space behind them!

At this moment, the Red Team's No. 9 forward, Huang Zhihua, appeared in this area and lifted his foot to control the ball passed by Zhou Yi!

As the top scorer in the national tryouts, his fundamentals were naturally the most solid among the twenty-three players. Zhou Yi's chipped pass was handled beautifully by him, landing steadily in front of his feet.

"Great ball!" Xiao Wang couldn't help but stand up from his seat in excitement.

The stands erupted in a mix of cheers and exclamations.

Amidst the noise, Huang Zhihua swung his left foot and shot from the corner of the penalty area!

But perhaps he was too focused on the angle, and the ball ultimately went wide of the far post, flying out of bounds.

"Oh, what a pity!" Xiao Wang held his head, as if he himself had missed the shot.

Hao Dong, sitting next to him, was not particularly disappointed, as his eyes were fixed on Zhou Yi.

"Xiao Wang, if I'm not mistaken, that substitute is called Zhou Yi, right?"

"Ah? Yes, yes, that's right, Zhou Yi." Xiao Wang was a bit surprised by Hao Dong's sudden question.

"Um..." Hao Dong lowered his head and flipped through the profiles of all twenty-three players, finding Zhou Yi's name on the last page.

The profile showed that Zhou Yi's previous position was forward, and he had never played in the youth teams of professional clubs or received professional training. However, he had been the main forward in the school football teams from elementary to high school, with a high goal-scoring efficiency.

But in the "disadvantages" section, it was written, "Average speed, not a speed player," "Slightly thin, lacking in physical strength," "Not a player who can run from the first to the last minute of a match, his activity range as a forward is not large, mainly concentrated in the midfield and in front of the opponent's goal"...

In short, his speed, stamina, and strength were not his strong points, and his physical attributes were average.

But why did someone with so many disadvantages have a high goal-scoring efficiency and a high number of goals, and could always be the main forward of the team?

Hao Dong did not look down on school football, as many players from his generation and the next generation also played in schools during their elementary school years. Schools might not necessarily produce high-level players, but they could have good prospects.

These good prospects, after joining the youth teams of professional football clubs and receiving formal training, would have their talents discovered and cultivated, eventually becoming qualified professional players.

Zhou Yi had not received professional training but had a very good goal-scoring ability. Why?

What did he rely on to score goals?

Why could he score so many goals?

Hao Dong became increasingly interested in this substitute.

***

While Hao Dong was puzzled by Zhou Yi, on the field, Huang Zhihua was still regretting losing such a great opportunity. After the shot, he calmed down and realized that he shouldn't have shot immediately after receiving the ball. The space was very good, and there were no Blue Team players around him. He had enough time to control the ball, adjust, and even move forward to find a better opportunity to shoot...

But unfortunately, in that split second, his mind was focused on one thing: shooting.

He now realized what he should have done, and he turned to look at Zhou Yi, giving him a thumbs up.

This was the basic etiquette on the football field. If a teammate passes you a good ball, you should show your gratitude.

Moreover, in such a game, if someone is willing to pass the ball to a teammate and create such a scoring opportunity, it's even more important to show gratitude. If you don't thank them, they might not pass to you next time.

Huang Zhihua was not foolish and knew that as a forward, he was very dependent on passes from other teammates.

***

Zhou Yi proved his ability with his actual performance and earned the recognition of his teammates, especially Huang Zhihua's thumbs up, which everyone saw. If Huang Zhihua praised Zhou Yi, who else would have any complaints?

After the game resumed, whenever the Red Team had the ball, more and more people were inclined to pass it to Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi no longer had to shout "Pass it to me!" every time he passed the ball, fearing that the ball would never come back...

With his passes in the midfield, everyone gradually realized that the Red Team was actually gaining the upper hand!

Some people didn't understand why. Zhou Yi's many passes seemed ordinary, not like the previous through balls that went straight to the heart of the opponent's defense. Why did the Red Team's performance gradually improve?

But to those who understood, every one of Zhou Yi's passes was worth studying.

Hao Dong, sitting in the stands, had his eyes increasingly bright—originally, he thought it was just a formality, but it turned out he might really find a gem...

***

With the Red Team gradually gaining the upper hand, their attacks increased. Under Zhou Yi's passing, the Red Team players had more opportunities than when they were fighting individually.

They were not fools and naturally knew the importance of teamwork. But previously, no one wanted to humble themselves to be the one who set up others.

Now that Zhou Yi was willing to do it, they were happy to cooperate with him.

Eventually, they even formed a siege on the Blue Team.

However, with the Blue Team forced to tighten their defense, the Red Team found it difficult to score, as the good scoring opportunities were mostly gone.

Zhou Yi, after all, was a temporary midfielder. Although his previous performance was good, he lacked experience in playing midfield. In the face of a dense defense, he had no other good ideas besides passing the ball back and forth.

The situation remained at a stalemate, from the first half to the second half, with the score still 0-0, and no one had scored.

But Hao Dong, sitting in the stands, did not find the game boring just because there were no goals. In his view, the game had only just returned to normal...

And all of this was because of a person named Zhou Yi.

Most of the time, Hao Dong's eyes were fixed on Zhou Yi.

He observed him carefully, not missing a single detail.

He noticed that before each reception, Zhou Yi would turn his head back and forth, clearly observing the surroundings, even the blind spots behind him.

Through observation, Hao Dong understood to some extent why Zhou Yi's profile stated that he had a high goal-scoring efficiency and was good at scoring. He grasped the situation around him through these head turns, making it easier for him to find open spaces, thus creating shooting opportunities in a relatively relaxed environment...

This also allowed him to quickly take on the responsibility of organizing attacks and linking the team when suddenly playing as a midfielder. Through constant observation, he understood the situation on the field, knowing the positions of his teammates and opponents well. In such a situation, he naturally knew where to pass the ball.

This should be his ability.

But what Hao Dong was more concerned about was the qualities Zhou Yi demonstrated in this ability—teamwork spirit, willingness to serve the team and others when everyone wanted to show off; a calm mind, while Huang Zhihua's individual ability seemed prominent, his lack of clear and calm thinking when facing opportunities was evident from his repeated missed shots. Zhou Yi, on the other hand, could organize the team's attacks smoothly, indicating a very clear and calm mind. He knew what to do and how to do it.

In Hao Dong's mind, he had already determined the final candidate, but he was not 100% sure about Zhou Yi because he wanted to see how far Zhou Yi could go. Or rather, Zhou Yi needed something outstanding to prove himself.

Unconsciously, Hao Dong had raised his expectations for Zhou Yi. Previously, he thought that as long as someone demonstrated a sense of teamwork, it would be enough, but now he hoped Zhou Yi could show even better performance...

***

PS: Don't forget to vote for the book while reading. The recommendation votes refresh daily, so don't waste them!

Also, welcome to join the new reader group: 424533354

[Page Break AD Start]

[Page Break AD End]