Chapter 65

At this moment, the team on the field, the Management team, was truly brimming with morale.

They were proactive in intercepting the ball, and their footwork was swift. Surprisingly, the midfield and defense managed to execute two precise short passes.

Zhou Hai couldn't sit still anymore and made a substitution, bringing on four players, all for the midfield and attack.

After the substitutions, the Mechanical and Electrical team was immediately different. Their speed, interceptions, and dribbling were noticeably superior. Within 10 minutes, they launched four consecutive attacks, each reaching the Management team's goal. Three of these shots were on target, but they failed to score, as all were saved by Cheng Daqi.

Zhou Hai could see that the Management team's goalkeeper was very skilled.

He asked the players if anyone had seen this goalkeeper before.

Everyone said they hadn't.

Zhou Hai thought this was likely a foreign player.

But it was strange; why didn't they use such a strong goalkeeper and striker in the previous two matches?

In the first half, the teams exchanged attacks, and neither side scored again. However, the game was not dull, with both teams having numerous shots on goal. The two goalkeepers' performances were even more impressive.

Even during the halftime break, the cheers from the stands never stopped.

The underdog's transformation and the dark horse's dominance were the most exciting scenarios. Now, the Management team had suddenly transformed, fiercely challenging the Mechanical and Electrical team, and the enthusiasm of the students watching the game was completely ignited.

The second half began.

The Mechanical and Electrical team brought on two more starters. Five minutes into the game, the Mechanical and Electrical team scored.

A few skilled one-twos in the front field tore through the Management team's defense. Faced with the Mechanical and Electrical team's trident, Cheng Daqi was helpless.

2:1.

Ten minutes later, Bian Xuedao, who had been absent for a long time, returned.

This time, he showcased his dribbling skills and passing awareness.

He dribbled past three players from the Mechanical and Electrical team and found himself in a position to shoot from the left side of the small penalty area.

Everyone in the stadium thought he would definitely take a powerful shot. The Mechanical and Electrical team's goalkeeper still vividly remembered Bian Xuedao's long-range shot from the first half and was fully focused on his feet.

Kang Kai also thought so.

But his playing habits made him run to the right side of the penalty area, hoping to help Bian Xuedao break through the surrounding defense.

Under the watchful eyes of thousands of spectators, Bian Xuedao took his shot.

He made a motion as if he were going to take a powerful shot.

The Mechanical and Electrical team's goalkeeper, who was closely watching Bian Xuedao, thought: Here it comes.

Yu Heng and Zhou Hai, standing on the sidelines, thought: Here it comes.

The spectators around thought: Here it comes.

However, when Bian Xuedao touched the ball, he changed his force, and the ball unexpectedly passed to Kang Kai in front of the goal.

Seeing the ball at his feet, Kang Kai poked it with his toe. The goalkeeper, who had been deceived by Bian Xuedao's feint, was unable to reach the ball.

Goal!

Another wave of cheers erupted, and the Management team's stand turned into a sea of joy.

Amateurs see the excitement, but experts see the skill.

Bian Xuedao's pass was more impressive than his previous two scoring shots, representing a player's vision and style. Such a striker is twice as lethal.

Kang Kai, like a deer, bounded to the stand where the class beauty was sitting, waving his right fist vigorously. Du Yufan also ran over, hugging Kang Kai to celebrate.

Management vs. Mechanical and Electrical, 3:1.

To most people, this score suggested a watered-down game.

The Mechanical and Electrical team, fired up, put in their best effort to counter-attack the Management team.

In the second half, most of the Management team's starting players were experiencing physical fatigue, and Yu Heng began making substitutions.

Yu Heng's mistake was to replace four backfield players at once.

The newly substituted players hadn't adapted to the game's rhythm, and the Mechanical and Electrical team started bombarding the Management team's backfield.

The three new defenders were very stiff, easily knocked down by a feint or easily bypassed. No matter how skilled Cheng Daqi was, it was useless. Soon, the Mechanical and Electrical team's attacks paid off, scoring two goals in 15 minutes, leveling the score at 3:3.

In the last 10 minutes, Zhou Hai was already considering discussing the recruitment of players with the Management team after the game.

He didn't want to embarrass the Management team and was about to tell the captain on the field to ease up when the situation on the field suddenly changed.

Tong Chao, Du Yufan, Bian Xuedao, and Kang Kai, four players in a line, broke through the Mechanical and Electrical team's left flank.

The ball was repeatedly contested near the penalty area. The Management team passed it in, and the Mechanical and Electrical team's defenders kicked it out. The Management team pressed forward, and the ball was passed in again. After several exchanges, the ball reached the corner.

Du Yufan got the ball and passed it in with a half-high ball, originally aiming for Kang Kai in front of the goal. It hit a Mechanical and Electrical team defender's back and changed direction.

The amateur defender, hit in the neck, didn't care where the ball went.

Before the ball hit the ground, Bian Xuedao suddenly appeared and kicked it with a powerful shot.

Due to being blocked by his own defender, the Mechanical and Electrical team's goalkeeper couldn't judge the ball's trajectory.

Score: 4:3.

Hat-trick!

Despite the Mechanical and Electrical team's all-out counter-attack, the Management team's formation retracted, and the newly substituted players were now in the rhythm. The Mechanical and Electrical team's two opportunities were thwarted by Cheng Daqi's left and right saves.

The final result was the Management team defeating the Mechanical and Electrical team, securing their only win in the group stage.

Upon hearing this score, everyone who didn't come to watch the game immediately thought the Mechanical and Electrical team had watered down the game.

The team leaders of the 1st and 2nd groups, who had already advanced to the top 8, immediately began inquiring about the Management team's striker from the morning game.

To have scored a hat-trick against the Mechanical and Electrical team, known for their balanced defense and attack, even if the Mechanical and Electrical team had watered down the game, the striker must have had some skill.

Yu Heng's joy lasted only a few hours.

In the afternoon, the Law and Literature team defeated the Computer Science team 5-2, and both the Law and Literature team and the Mechanical and Electrical team had 6 points, advancing to the top 8.

On June 1st, Children's Day, the "Dongsen Cup" football tournament's group stage concluded, and the top 8 teams were determined. They were: Group 1's Transportation and Graduate teams, Group 2's Civil Engineering and International Students teams, Group 3's Mechanical and Electrical and Law and Literature teams, and Group 4's Media and Materials teams.

The school announced that, for fairness, the two teams from Group 4 would rest for 5 days, with the next match starting on June 7th.

At the same time, considering the strong opinions from all sides, the tournament organizers announced some adjustments to the rules:

First, the number of foreign players allowed on the field was increased from 1 to 5.

Second, the maximum number of players per team was reduced to 30.

Third, the number of substitutions per match was reduced to 4.

To prevent students from becoming bored, the school announced that the school sports meet would be held on June 3rd and 4th, seamlessly connecting the events, revealing the school's intentions.

During the rest days, some people took the opportunity to rest, while others were extremely busy.

The five foreign player slots were a result of the top 8 teams strongly demanding it from the organizers.

The 8 team leaders explicitly stated that if this request was not met, the subsequent matches would be boring.

This was not the fault of the 8 team leaders. Entering the top 8, the entire college had high expectations for the teams. However, even the top 8 teams were only half good, and the other half, no matter how many substitutions were made, would not see a significant improvement.

The 8 teams eliminated in the group stage, although not as strong overall, each had a few strong players who were held back by their teammates and couldn't advance further.

Not using these players was a waste.

The 8 team leaders, having obtained satisfactory results from the school, immediately returned to their colleges to convene a meeting with all team members, announcing the new rules, and reducing the team size. Some players who were brought in to fill numbers could stop training.

The remaining core players held a small meeting, asking for help in identifying potential foreign players.

Watching the game and playing the game are different. Only those on the field, who have directly faced the opponents, know who the true strong players are.

In the Law and Literature team's small meeting, they identified a defender from the Computer Science team and Du Yufan from the Management team.

In the Mechanical and Electrical team's small meeting, they unanimously identified Bian Xuedao, Cheng Daqi, and Du Yufan.

The Mechanical and Electrical team thought no other teams would notice the players from the Management team's last match, but they soon realized they were wrong.

The team leaders of the 8 eliminated teams were the most popular people in recent days, with Yu Heng being the most sought after.

The Management team's last group stage match was truly spectacular.

Although many people didn't watch the game live, they pieced together the match from various sources.

The Management team, with a completely new lineup, overwhelmed the Mechanical and Electrical team. Even when the Mechanical and Electrical team brought on their main players, they couldn't turn the tide.

Those who watched the game live said that the Management team, from the goalkeeper to the striker, had a half-good team, but it was unclear why they only used them in the last match.

Everyone who approached Yu Heng had one purpose: to ask him to help connect them with the players from the last match.

Actually, they could find the players privately without going through Yu Heng, but they were afraid that Yu Heng would sabotage their efforts. They had to follow the rules; Yu Heng was the team leader, and respecting him was also respecting themselves.

Yu Heng was very cooperative, giving out information with a smile to anyone who asked, but he would say, "Sorry, brother, being the sports minister is a leisurely job. Whether the players come or not depends on your sincerity."

Actually, Yu Heng had considered assigning a team with better relations to take the players, benefiting himself, but when he learned that Bian Xuedao was the student who had fought four people under the girls' dormitory and hadn't been punished, he immediately dropped the idea.

The Management team's match was over, and Bian Xuedao didn't want to play anymore.

Loving football is one thing, but playing without good teammates is too tiring. In regular practice matches, the outcome doesn't matter, but in such matches, the pressure is much greater.

Most importantly, he knew the school's lockdown was about to end, and Shan Rao was about to be released. He still had to spend time with her!