Chapter 74

The whistle for halftime finally sounded, and the media team seemed to have waited for this whistle for a thousand years.

No one looked up at the surrounding audience, no one spoke, and everyone lowered their heads and walked to the rest area.

Yang Enqiao greeted everyone at the side of the field, saying “It’s okay,” “You’ve worked hard,” and “There’s still time” from time to time.

Bian Xuedao saw Shan Rao and Guan Shunan at the far end of the rest area.

He was very curious about why Guan Shunan was here, but he didn’t go to ask. With the team performing like this, he couldn’t be seen cozying up to a girl in front of everyone; it would easily cause a backlash.

Bian Xuedao took a bottle of water, found Cheng Daqi, and asked, “You have the best view. Tell me what the problem is.”

Cheng Daqi took a sip of water and said, “Xu Zhiyou is out of form. The midfield is chaotic, lacks structure, can’t attack, and can’t defend. In the back, one follows the ball, and one follows the player. This might work against other college teams, but it’s a big problem against today’s international student team. Also, there’s a top player on the other side, which is like a natural disaster.”

Bian Xuedao asked directly, “How do we solve it?”

Cheng Daqi thought for a moment and said, “Change the goalkeeper, I’ll play center-back, and find a stronger defensive midfielder with good stamina, who can attack and defend, and is willing to fight. Also, get Xu Zhiyou back in form. If he can’t, let the coach play his position and bring in someone else. Find a fast player in the team to break through the opponent’s flank and create pressure in their penalty area to test the level of their center-backs.”

Bian Xuedao said a bit dejectedly, “A goalkeeper is half the team. If you don’t play as a goalkeeper, won’t we get torn apart in the second half?”

Cheng Daqi said, “Is there a big difference between conceding three and conceding twenty?”

Bian Xuedao asked, “But you can’t be moved. Who can play as a defensive midfielder?”

Cheng Daqi said, “In this team, I think you’re the best fit.”

Bian Xuedao immediately went to find Wu Tian.

At this point, Wu Tian didn’t have many options. His thoughts were similar to Cheng Daqi’s, but he didn’t know Cheng Daqi could play center-back, and he certainly didn’t think Bian Xuedao could play as a defensive midfielder.

Bian Xuedao told Wu Tian the plan Cheng Daqi suggested. Wu Tian looked at Yang Enqiao, who gritted his teeth and said, “Losing to the International Team isn’t too embarrassing, but please, at least score one in the second half!”

In the international student team’s rest area, two foreigners were filming the entire match with a camera. Everyone saw them, but no one paid much attention.

When Bian Xuedao sat next to Xu Zhiyou, Xu Zhiyou was staring blankly at the empty field.

Bian Xuedao patted Xu Zhiyou and pointed to the international student team’s rest area, saying, “The foreigners are filming the whole match. They played a few moves in the first half that I can’t do, but you can. In the second half, you don’t need to do anything else. Just show them the same moves in front of their camera. Even if we lose, it won’t look bad.”

Without caring whether Xu Zhiyou had heard him, Bian Xuedao turned and exchanged a glance with Shan Rao, stretched his legs, and pulled his waist, preparing to play as a defensive midfielder for the entire second half.

In the second half, the international student team kept their previous lineup, while the media team replaced a defender with stamina issues, and Bian Xuedao moved back to play as a single defensive midfielder.

Guan Shunan said to Shan Rao in surprise, “Bian Xuedao is playing as a defensive midfielder. Is he crazy?”

The media team’s adjustment was very effective.

Bian Xuedao’s speed, explosive power, and tackling awareness were far superior to the 5th player who ran around the field in the first half.

Moreover, his anticipation and positioning were outstanding. He was very good at using his body to position and protect the ball, and what delighted Wu Tian even more was that Bian Xuedao had excellent jumping ability and was good at defending against aerial balls.

Bian Xuedao’s presence was like adding a protective shield to the media team’s defense. The international students couldn’t easily break through the defense as they did in the first half.

The international student team attacked several times, noticed the change, and began to slow down, planning to break through from the flanks.

At this point, the international student team’s midfield was extremely frustrated.

In the first half, the media team had a crazy 5th player who chased the ball all over the field. Although his speed and skills were average, he was very annoying.

In the second half, the 5th player was replaced, and the center-forward was brought in.

The most frustrating thing was that this former center-forward, now a defensive midfielder, was even more bizarre than the 5th player in the first half. He was tense, strong, skillful, and aggressive in tackles. He was on the left side one moment and on the right the next, and even when he went forward to assist, he quickly returned.

“Playing like this, he won’t last long,” everyone thought.

Bian Xuedao’s off-the-ball movement reduced the pressure on his team’s defenders and increased the pressure on the international student team. The international students, who had been pushed hard by the 5th player in the first half, were already less energetic.

The international student team requested a substitution.

The white 9th forward, who was increasingly frustrated by the 16th player, and with a large lead, was substituted early, and a defender was brought in.

The intention was clear: to tighten the defense. Indeed, with a three-goal lead, it was reasonable to be more conservative.

With one less forward, the pressure on the defense was reduced. Under Bian Xuedao’s leadership, the entire formation moved forward a bit.

At the 55th minute, Bian Xuedao advanced to assist, passed to Wu Tian, who changed direction and quickly cut inside, and shot from a tight angle, but the ball went wide of the post.

At the 57th minute, Cheng Daqi passed a long ball to Xu Zhiyou, who made a through pass. Duan Qifeng shot from close range, but the goalkeeper blocked it.

At the 60th minute, Xu Zhiyou used the opponent’s own move against them. He flicked the ball over one player with his heel, stopped and dribbled past another, and played a one-two with Duan Qifeng in the penalty area. Seeing the goalkeeper positioned forward, he feigned a powerful shot but instead kicked a delicate chip—

Everyone in the stadium watched as the ball sailed into the net.

Goal!

1:3!

After scoring, Xu Zhiyou didn’t celebrate. He just stared at the ball in the net, his eyes strange, as if he could see through the grass and into the distant ground.

Xu Zhiyou redeemed himself with this goal!

The previously quiet stands finally came alive, and the students watching the game shouted “Good goal!”

Yang Enqiao waved his arms and jumped up. To him, it wasn’t just a goal; it was a sign that things were turning around.

Wu Tian clapped and encouraged everyone, giving Xu Zhiyou a big thumbs up.

Xu Zhiyou was back, or perhaps he had an epiphany!

His style and vision were very different from the first half. Bian Xuedao watched Xu Zhiyou for a while and noticed that his movements were less stiff and more fluid, as if he was enjoying every touch of the ball. His passes were creative and wide-ranging.

The black forward was locked down by the defenders, and Bian Xuedao and Xu Zhiyou, one a power player and the other a technical player, were causing chaos in the midfield. With Wu Tian’s speed on the flanks, the situation on the field began to shift.

It’s not hard to understand. It’s easier to play with the lead, but once the situation turns, communication within the international student team became a problem, let alone timely adjustments.

Bian Xuedao continued to run tirelessly, forgetting whether he was a defensive midfielder or an attacking midfielder. Wherever the ball was, he was there.

The international student team began to make substitutions, bringing in a midfielder 17 and a defender 22 to add strength and push the battle to the midfield.

The newly substituted 22, a Korean international student defender, had another task: to man-mark Bian Xuedao.

Everyone could see that the energetic Bian Xuedao was incredibly destructive and needed to be held back and tied down.

Yang Enqiao didn’t wait for Wu Tian’s signal to make a substitution. He could see that the current lineup was starting to show signs of a counter-attack.

Guan Shunan asked Shan Rao, “Why is your Bian Xuedao so energetic?”

Shan Rao didn’t know the reason but said, “He runs every morning and often swims.”

At the 72nd minute, Bian Xuedao pulled the ball back, feinted to shake off the Korean defender, then poked the ball through his legs and immediately started a sprint to the edge of the penalty area. Seeing defenders coming to block, he didn’t wait for them to close in and, at a distance where everyone expected him to pass, he took a shot on the spot—

Many people in the stands who had played against Bian Xuedao or watched him play thought the same thing: Here we go again!

The ball hit the crossbar with a loud “bang,” the sound resonating in everyone’s ears like a giant drumstick.

After being nutmegged, the Korean defender felt embarrassed and defended Bian Xuedao even more closely. Despite his efforts, pulling and tugging, he couldn’t stop the charging Bian Xuedao.

It was then that he remembered that this guy was originally the absolute center-forward in a 4-5-1 formation.

At the 75th minute, Wu Tian cut into the center, passed to Duan Qifeng in front of the penalty area. Duan Qifeng, with a calm “Cow’s Tail” move, dribbled to the left but was quickly closed down by the defenders. Everyone thought the ball was lost, but Bian Xuedao, lurking outside the penalty area, quickly darted out and, at a tight angle, unleashed a powerful left-footed shot.

Many people on the field and in the stands barely saw how the ball traveled before it went in. A foreigner on the sidelines recorded this incredible shot with his camera.

Left foot, he used his left foot!

Like many male students who often watch goal compilations, Guan Shunan’s first reaction to Bian Xuedao’s shot was that it was very similar to Roberto Carlos’s, a powerful, direct shot with almost no curve.

2:3!

The stadium erupted again. A game that was thought to be a foregone conclusion now seemed to have endless possibilities, especially with a player like Bian Xuedao showing his attacking prowess.

Yang Enqiao jumped up from his seat again, encouraging the substitutes to cheer for the goal.

Even a more dignified loss is better than a win, and Yang Enqiao’s almost luxurious pre-match expectations quietly revived.

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