Chapter 82 of 100

Chapter 82

14 min read3,473 words

Liu Yan and Kim Hyo-ri arrived together, even before the assembly time. Their arrival made the school team members' eyes dart around, not knowing where to look.

Kim Hyo-ri was wearing a plain white short-sleeved shirt with lace flowers on the chest, which made her chest appear even more impressive. She wore a light blue denim skirt that revealed her round, smooth, and fleshy legs. Liu Yan, on the other hand, was dressed in a black silk short skirt and a pink top, which accentuated her slender and elegant figure, resembling a supermodel.

The two of them greeted Wang Bai enthusiastically, causing everyone to feel envious and jealous. After everyone had gathered, Coach Zhang gave the order, and the school bus set off for Yimin District.

The match was to be held at the Yimin District Sports Center. It was said that the venue was not large, with only an open-air stand that could accommodate 3,000 spectators, but the basketball court was standard.

When the school bus arrived at the sports center, it was just past 1 PM, an hour before the match was to start. However, there were already no fewer than 500 spectators in the stands, indicating that the Yimin District fans were more enthusiastic about the high school league than those in Guanglin District.

The members of the Guanglin High School team changed into their uniforms in the locker room and began listening to the coach's tactical arrangements.

Today, Coach Zhang had set up a rare 4-4-1-1 formation. The starting lineup for the midfield and defense remained unchanged, with Liu Haichuan, who had been switched to a center-back, continuing to sit on the bench. The only change was that the second striker, Yu Peng, was replaced by Wang Bai, who would play as the attacking midfielder, with Hao Bin as the striker.

He then required the two midfielders to have clear roles: Xue Zhichao was not allowed to push forward and was primarily responsible for defense and tackles, while Meng Xudong was responsible for passing the ball forward and was encouraged to push forward to support Wang Bai.

The two wingers were tasked with making more 45-degree long passes, without necessarily trying to reach the baseline, and were required to ensure that the crosses were sudden. Hao Bin's main responsibility was to win the first point and set up the attack, while Wang Bai was responsible for finishing the attacks.

"Yimin High School is good at positional play. Their defense is very tight when they play steadily. So you must attack quickly, be fast! Break through their defense, find the gaps, and give them a fatal blow!"

Everyone could see that Coach Zhang was putting all his hopes on Wang Bai. Even the team's top scorer, Hao Bin, seemed to be a supporting role. They thought that if Wang Bai wasn't in top form, they wouldn't win. After that, Zhang Guangda made some additional defensive arrangements, and the players left the locker room to adapt to the field.

Wang Bai was called by the coach: "If we lead by three goals in the first half, I'll bring Liu Haichuan on. He was switched to a defender because of you, so you have to take responsibility."

Wang Bai, surprised by the coach's move to add a bit of pressure, confidently replied, "Don't worry, Coach Zhang. Today, I'll show Yimin what I'm made of and teach them a lesson."

Coach Zhang, seeing his confidence, laughed and said, "One of their center-backs has already been accepted into Haigang University and will definitely be a key player in the university league next year. He's not easy to deal with, so be careful."

Wang Bai smiled dismissively and followed the others out.

The players from Yimin High School were already on the field, each team occupying half of the court. Surprisingly, some enthusiastic fans from Guanglin High School had also come to support them. A small group of about twenty people were gathered in the stands, separate from the Yimin High School supporters, making them quite noticeable.

They didn't bring banners or flags, but Wang Bai recognized some of them, as they had greeted him after the last match, so he recognized them.

Liu Yan and her friend also noticed this group of uncles and saw two students who looked like they were from Guanglin High School. Upon asking, they confirmed that they were supporters of Guanglin, so they sat down with them.

The two students were the ones who had watched the team's training on the playground last time. One was a know-it-all about the team, and the other was a quiet, reserved type. They had become loyal fans after watching a few matches. Both were second-year students, which is why Liu Yan recognized them.

Before the match started, the know-it-all chatted with the two girls, asking why they were there. Learning that one was a school newspaper editor and the other was accompanying her, he was delighted. He had thought they were family members of one of the handsome players, but now he saw an opportunity.

But before he could start showing off his eloquence, the quiet one whispered, "They are Wang Dali's cultural festival performance partners." The know-it-all felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, and his enthusiasm quickly dissipated as he focused on the game.

When the match was about to start, the know-it-all immediately noticed the changes in Guanglin High School's lineup and said, "Yu Peng is on the bench, and Wang Bai is indeed being heavily relied on. Is he going to play as a striker too?"

The quiet one didn't say anything, and the two girls didn't understand what he meant, so no one responded.

After the kickoff, the know-it-all observed the positions and said, "Oh, he's still playing as an attacking midfielder. But this formation is really unusual. I wonder if they can adapt to it."

Although they had never played this formation before, the midfield and defense were still the same, so there were no issues with coordination and connection on the field. With Wang Bai as a focal point in the attack, the two midfielders no longer had to worry about finding a balance between attack and defense; their main task was to supply the ball.

At the start of the match, the players from Yimin High School were positioned further back, so their defense was tightly packed. Although Guanglin's passing and movement were smooth, they couldn't find a good opportunity. The ball was eventually cleared out of bounds on the right flank, giving Guanglin a throw-in.

Zhao Jianbin took the throw-in and passed the ball to Meng Xudong in midfield. Meng Xudong received the ball and charged forward, drawing the attention of the opposing midfielder.

After a few steps, Meng Xudong passed the ball to Wang Bai, who had dropped back to receive it. Wang Bai turned with the ball, didn't stop, and immediately accelerated, quickly breaking through an opposing midfielder who was trying to press him. He then charged into the opponent's half like a cheetah.

The ball moved swiftly under his feet. A defender tried to intercept him from the front but was thrown off balance by Wang Bai's quick movements and was easily bypassed.

Wang Bai then entered the penalty area, facing a center-back. He gently nudged the ball to the center, took a step forward, and leaped over the defender's long legs like a hurdler. He then took two more steps and shot the ball just before the goalkeeper could reach it.

A lightning-fast breakthrough, dribbling past three players, and scoring, 1-0!

The spectators were stunned. Such a remarkable performance was rare in high school leagues. His speed was simply incredible. From receiving the ball to scoring, it took only a few seconds, and he had broken through all the defenses alone.

The know-it-all and the quiet one were speechless with their mouths wide open. The two girls, who didn't understand the game, were just happy that Wang Bai had scored within the first five minutes, so they clapped and cheered, and the surrounding uncles joined in.

"Amazing..." the know-it-all muttered, and the quiet one said, "I thought he was already strong, but he's even stronger than I imagined."

On the Guanglin High School bench, the players were cheering but also wondering why Wang Bai seemed faster and more agile than before. Had he been hiding his true abilities during training?

Zhang Guangda's fists were pounding in his palms, and he was shocked: "Too outstanding. This is not the level of a student player. How did he train to achieve this?"

The players from Yimin High School were taken aback by the sudden goal and felt it was a bit strange. They were a bit dazed at the kickoff, and their captain, the center-back who had been marking Hao Bin, shouted to remind everyone to focus.

He clapped loudly, urging the others not to be affected by the goal. This morale-boosting move had some effect, and the players regained their composure. The midfielder responsible for marking Wang Bai kept reminding himself not to lose his position and to stay close to him, using his body to prevent Wang Bai from gaining speed.

After the kickoff, Yimin High School, known for their steady play, pushed forward step by step, compressing Guanglin's midfield and defense into their half.

They formed a combination in the center, and after a series of passes, the ball reached the feet of their forward. However, Guanglin's center-back, Lu Guanghe, had a good defensive position and kept interfering with the opponent. The Yimin forward tried to shoot, but the ball went wide.

Guanglin's goal kick was sent to midfield, where Xue Zhichao contested the ball with an opponent. The ball fell to Meng Xudong, who, seeing that the other midfielder was focused on Wang Bai and was far away, decisively pushed forward. He attracted the attention of the opposing midfielder and then passed the ball to Zhao Jianbin on the wing.

Zhao Jianbin advanced with the ball, and seeing that the opposing defender allowed him to penetrate but stayed near the penalty area, he followed the coach's instructions and did not try to break through. Instead, he made a long diagonal pass into the penalty area.

The Yimin defenders did not expect this move. As the ball was in the air, Hao Bin, who had anticipated the drop point, started moving quickly.

The midfielder marking Wang Bai saw him suddenly accelerate towards the open space on Hao Bin's right. The defender, who had a good position, tried to block Wang Bai's path, but he felt as if he had collided with a fast-running wild bull and was pushed back, almost losing his balance.

Wang Bai's speed did not diminish. At this moment, Hao Bin's header was already on its way. He jumped near the penalty area and, instead of shooting from a distance, flicked the ball to the ground, creating an open space on his right!

A swift figure appeared near the ball's landing point. As the ball hit the ground and bounced up, he turned and struck it with a powerful volley. The ball flew into the net, 2-0!

---