Chapter 51

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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As the forward from Nanding Middle School received the ball, he took a deep breath and firmly gripped the letter containing the secret that his mother had given him. The forward's speed was remarkable, and there was no one in front to intercept him. After a few strides, he charged forward with the ball. The substitute center-back immediately abandoned the player he was marking to chase after him, while the other center-back hurriedly retreated to his own penalty area.

The three forwards of Nanding Middle School advanced in a dispersed formation. Seeing someone pressing from the left, the forward decisively passed the ball diagonally. The attacking midfielder, who was positioned closer to the center, quickly arrived and advanced the ball to the edge of Guanglin Middle School's penalty area. With only one center-back left in the penalty area, Guanglin had to abandon the other forward and step forward to press.

Unfortunately, the attacking midfielder of Nanding Middle School had already anticipated this move and passed the ball quickly, bypassing the defender. The forward received the ball and was now in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper was helpless against such a situation and could only watch as the ball was kicked into the net.

The bench and cheerleaders of Nanding Middle School erupted in joy. Despite being at a significant disadvantage, they were now leading, and this was certainly worth celebrating. The goal scorer sprinted back to his own half, surrounded and congratulated by his teammates.

Zhang Guangda also stood up, but he was furious. The tactics he used in this match were not wrong, but he couldn't find a way to break through Nanding Middle School's solid defense. The players on the field lacked the ability to adapt to the situation, and they were not yet capable of executing his tactics.

"You two are pressing too far forward. Don't forget, you are defenders, defenders!" He pointed at the two full-backs and shouted, then sat back down in frustration. If they lost this match, the gap with Fushui Middle School could widen to nine points, and with only four matches left, it would be almost impossible to catch up.

After the goal, the two full-backs, fearing further criticism, no longer ventured forward to assist. Instead, they stayed back to defend their half. This reduced the pressure on Nanding Middle School, and they even managed to create two long-pass counterattacks. Fortunately, Guanglin's defense was timely, and no further goals were conceded.

The first half ended with Guanglin Middle School leading 1-0 against Nanding Middle School.

During the halftime break, the players of Guanglin Middle School returned to the dressing room with blank expressions. They couldn't understand why, despite dominating the play, they were trailing. They didn't dare to complain about the coach's tactics, only that the other team had been extremely lucky.

Coach Zhang gave a brief summary of the first half and then announced a substitution. He made a surprising decision. Not only did he make a substitution, but he also changed the formation. The two full-backs were replaced by Wang Bai and substitute center-forward Liu Haichuan. Everyone was surprised, thinking the coach would go all out with a three-forward, five-midfielder formation. However, after drawing on the tactical board, he said, "Liu Haichuan, you will play as a man-marker in the second half. I want you to mark the fast forward on the right side of the other team. Follow him wherever he goes, and don't let him get away. Do you understand?"

"Understood!" Liu Haichuan rarely got the chance to play, and although he was unfamiliar with the position, he cherished this opportunity.

"Wang Bai, your position is here!" Zhang Guangda pointed to the attacking midfielder position. "Connect the midfield and the attack. If Yu Peng creates space, you should actively move into it. Got it?"

"Got it!" Wang Bai nodded firmly. It had to be said that Coach Zhang's level was high. Initially, everyone thought he would stick to the original tactics and rely on Wang Bai's individual ability to seek a miracle. However, he decisively changed the formation when the wing attacks were ineffective, making a positive adjustment based on the situation.

Many stubborn coaches, when their tactics fail, blame the players' abilities and refuse to admit their lack of adaptability.

As the second half was about to begin, Wang's father, watching from the stands, pointed to his son and said to the surrounding uncles, "Look, that number 19, that's my son!"

"Number 19? I don't recognize him," said an uncle who often came to watch the games.

Another uncle looked at the formation and said, "Guanglin is changing their formation, playing with three center-backs. What position is number 19 playing?"

"Midfield," Wang's father said proudly.

An uncle who was well-versed in the game frowned and muttered, "This is ridiculous. A substitute center-forward playing as a center-back? It would be better not to change the formation. What is Coach Zhang up to?"

The game resumed, and although Guanglin changed their formation, Nanding Middle School remained unchanged. With a one-goal lead, they continued their defensive strategy, staying in their own half and leaving three forwards near midfield to wait for counterattack opportunities.

Three minutes into the second half, Wang Bai, who was in the midfield, had not yet touched the ball. The two midfielders of Guanglin, facing the opposition's midfield pressure, dared not easily pass the ball to the center and could only pass it sideways and to the wings, where their attacks were not threatening.

In this situation, Wang Bai had to actively retreat and work with his teammates in the center. Finally, at the fifth minute, the ball came to his feet.

Nanding Middle School was unfamiliar with this new number 19 and had no specific tactics to counter him. No one came to mark him. Wang Bai easily accelerated, dribbled forward, and then moved the ball horizontally under the pressure of the opposing midfield. At this moment, right-winger Zhao Jianbin actively charged forward, shielding the opposing defender and waiting for the pass.

Wang Bai passed the ball and immediately started running. Zhao Jianbin understood and, without stopping the ball, kicked it back to the space in front of Wang Bai. Wang Bai shook off the opposing midfielder's interference and, with his right foot, unleashed a powerful shot.

At this point, the ball was about 25 meters from the goal, and the angle was slightly off. The goalkeeper did not expect him to shoot, and the defenders in the penalty area were focused on marking Guanglin's forwards, not blocking the shooting path.

The ball, like a bolt of lightning, drew a beautiful diagonal line in the air and shot straight into the top left corner of the goal, hanging on the net. The goalkeeper was stunned.

1-1, Guanglin Middle School equalized the score!

"Wow!" "Great goal!" The stands erupted in cheers. Wang's father was immediately surrounded by the uncles, who patted him and praised number 19's outstanding performance. Wang's father was flushed with excitement, as if he had drunk a liter of old wine.

On the field, the players of Guanglin Middle School also cheered. Wang Bai's hair was tousled by his teammates. He waved to bring everyone back to their half and, while fixing his hair, said, "It's not over yet. We need to win this match. Let's go!" "Let's go!!" everyone responded. This goal was like a shot of adrenaline, reigniting everyone's fighting spirit.

The game resumed, and Nanding Middle School was now wary of Wang Bai. A midfielder closely marked him, but Wang Bai deliberately moved him back and forth, taking advantage of his stamina.

His frequent movements began to show the numerical advantage in the center for Guanglin Middle School. After creating space, a midfielder of Guanglin received the ball and, facing an open field, boldly dribbled forward. He didn't encounter any obstruction until he reached the edge of the penalty area, where the opposing center-back rushed out to tackle. In the chaos, he poked the ball to the side of the Guanglin midfielder. Wang Bai, who was nearby, immediately started running, took the ball, and broke into the penalty area. The Nanding midfielder, who had been left behind, hurriedly chased and pulled his jersey. Wang Bai's neck tightened, and he leaned back, losing control of the ball, which was kicked out of bounds by the opposing center-back. The referee's whistle immediately sounded.

The players of Guanglin immediately surrounded the referee, demanding an explanation. The referee decisively pointed to the penalty spot and showed a yellow card to the Nanding player who had committed the foul. Wang Bai had created a penalty for Guanglin!

Facing the opportunity to score from the penalty, the team's first penalty taker was center-forward Hao Bin. His penalty was not particularly tricky but was powerful and fast. The goalkeeper, although diving in the right direction, could not stop the ball from entering the net.

2-1, Guanglin Middle School took the lead!

The stands erupted in noise again, and the uncles praised number 19's ability to create scoring opportunities. With one goal and one assist, he was undoubtedly the biggest hero of the match for Guanglin Middle School.

However, the game was not over. It was only 15 minutes into the second half, and there was still half the time left, with the outcome still uncertain.

Faced with Wang Bai's frequent movements, the midfielder of Nanding Middle School finally lost patience and was also running out of stamina. He no longer closely marked Wang Bai but suddenly lunged to intercept the passing route of Guanglin's midfield.

This sudden change caught Guanglin's midfielder off guard, and he made a low-level mistake, passing the ball directly to the Nanding midfielder. He looked at the position of the forward and immediately sent a long pass over the top, attempting to break through the defense.

Then everyone saw the forward, who had initiated the counterattack in the first half, and the substitute Liu Haichuan, who had been brought on in the second half, tangled together. The forward did not manage to break free from Liu Haichuan's defense and, under his physical pressure, almost lost his balance and could not run at full speed. The ball rolled out of bounds. Although this was the first counterattack attempt by Nanding in the second half, Liu Haichuan had been highly focused since coming on and had excellently completed the task assigned by the coach.

Subsequently, the left-winger of Guanglin Middle School retreated to receive the throw-in. After the ball was thrown, he made a long pass to the right, where Zhao Jianbin received it. Zhao Jianbin dribbled forward and, in a one-two with the second forward Yu Peng, charged to the baseline and crossed the ball.

From the moment Zhao Jianbin received the ball, Wang Bai started sprinting into the penalty area. The ball, after a curved flight, was headed by center-forward Hao Bin, who jumped between two center-backs and tried to head it. The header was too direct and was saved by the goalkeeper.

However, before the goalkeeper and others could react, Wang Bai appeared like a ghost, facing the ball in mid-air and, from close range, unleashed a powerful shot, sending the ball into the net.

3-1, Guanglin Middle School scored three goals in the second half!

"When did he get there?" "His attacking awareness is too strong!" "That follow-up shot was really beautiful!" The uncles' comments made Wang's father smile broadly, and he was in high spirits today.

Wang Bai sprinted to the sidelines and gave Coach Zhang two thumbs up, praising his timely change of formation and effective tactics. Not only the players on the field but also the substitutes on the bench rushed to the sidelines to celebrate with them. Wang Bai's hair was once again tousled.

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