Chapter 26

Nominalistically, this was a trial match for new players, but for the players of the Teda Youth Team, wasn't it also a trial for them?

This was a war without gunpowder.

The law of the jungle applied on the football field as well; there were too many players and too few spots.

The Teda first team and the youth team shared the same training ground, but the first team coaches would never come to evaluate the young players. Usually, the youth team coaches would proactively submit training reports and recommend players to the first team.

This made the problem obvious: who to recommend was up to the youth team coaches. If they said you weren't good enough, you weren't. So, the key was to build a good relationship with the coach...

But for Liu Hao to be recommended to the Teda team with his physique was a bit too absurd.

This guy clearly wasn't cut out for football. Which coach would be bold enough to recommend him?

Liu Hao finally understood that the Teda team was actually selecting foreign players, and he was just a filler. It was like buying a pound of meat and being a few ounces short, so they added some scraps...

He could stand on the field thanks to Lai Yuxin's arrangement.

Alihan stood between the charming He Xiaoling and the tall Lai Yuxin, looking more like he was enjoying a spring outing than evaluating players.

The other members of the coaching staff stood elsewhere, holding paper and pens, but who could blame them? After all, the boss was there. Standing with the beautiful ladies, they claimed to be evaluating players, but they were actually chatting idly...

"Liu Xiaopang, you play as the right winger," the youth team coach seemed very familiar with Liu Hao and didn't ask what position he played, but directly assigned him.

The other youth team players exchanged glances, probably thinking that this guy must have a special relationship with the head coach to get such an opportunity.

What special skills did he have?

Right winger? Was he a ball of lightning? Another Elton? It didn't seem so.

Did he have magical feet that could kick the Becks curve?

Did he...

These were just pre-match speculations.

"Wei Ge, what are you up to?"

The guy the players called "Ge" had been sitting on the sidelines and suddenly stood up, squeezing next to the coach and asking with a smile. It was clear he wasn't angry that the head coach didn't put him in the starting lineup, but rather curious about the arrangement.

Of course, only he dared to call the coach "Wei Ge"...

Yu Genwei, a legendary figure in Tianjin football, grew from a "young killer" in 1993 to a "stabilizing force" in 2005. He witnessed the ups and downs of Tianjin football since its professionalization. It was he who kicked the Chinese national team into the 2002 World Cup, who saved the Tianjin team from the brink, who led the team to victory with his goals, and who helped the team achieve historic breakthroughs...

Although Yu Genwei was very humble, he really didn't like being called "Wei Ge," but this guy dared...

Of course, this guy dared because his name was also well-known. He was Du Zhenyu, who was training with the youth team due to an injury.

"Du Chezhen, I've told you many times, don't call me that..." Yu Genwei was angry, but his baby face made him look more adorable.

After a moment of anger, he smiled, "I'm just repaying a favor to Xiao Wen. She always reports on me so perfectly, even heroes can't resist beauty..."

This time, it was Du Zhenyu's turn to be speechless. It was all about repaying a favor! "Wei Ge, I don't like being called 'Chezhen' either..."

"You don't know him? He's the one who sent Hai Niu back to the second division. You should watch more football, not just play. If you only play and don't watch, you won't improve. But you're already old, so it's no use, ha ha."

Yu Genwei and Du Zhenyu had a very good relationship, and they talked very casually, saying whatever came to mind.

Oh! Du Zhenyu finally took a good look at Liu Hao, who had been standing on the field early.

The shortest player on the field was Liu Hao, who was 1.68 meters tall. This unique sight seemed out of place, especially compared to the tall foreigners in front of him.

The foreigners were genuinely surprised. Such a fat old guy was also here for a trial.

Was this the talent of Chinese football? They all looked very confident.

If a team were compared to a car, the youth team might be a 1.2-liter, while the foreign team was at least a 1.8-liter. The gap was too big.

Although He Xiaoling was known for selling inferior players, it didn't mean she would bring in track and field athletes to fill the ranks.

With the idea of buying good players at a low price, she always selected players who were around 28-29 years old, had good skills, but couldn't make it in their home countries, and brought them to China to sell.

Many Chinese clubs were short on money but wanted practical, good players, so they also liked dealing with He Xiaoling.

But why did the players who performed well in trials often disappoint after signing?

Many clubs couldn't figure it out...

Just like now, the foreigners' teamwork was like a flowing stream, flawless... The youth team was helpless against them.

Especially in the air, they couldn't even touch the ball.

As for physical contact? The adult foreigners' bodies were too strong, and the youth team players could only fall.

This would be a massacre!

Just three minutes into the game, the youth team felt a severe sense of suffocation.

How could they play? There was a fat guy who couldn't play football in front of them, and they were playing 10 against 11. Was the coach being too extreme?

But the next moment, everyone was stunned.

A casual clearance ball flew straight to Liu Hao.

Liu Hao actually stopped the ball and then held his ground against the opponent's collision?

Fat guys also had advantages! Being fat meant a heavy and stable base!

Then, he easily passed the ball to the nearest teammate.

Liu Hao had once summarized a very practical principle.

To minimize mistakes, short passes were the safest. Once the ball was at a teammate's feet, it was no longer his problem, and at least he wouldn't be blamed...

Don't underestimate this calculated pass. Because of these two or three seconds, the ball was in a teammate's possession, giving all the players a moment to catch their breath.

Liu Hao inadvertently "controlled" the team's rhythm...

Then, the ball finally reached the front of the opponent's penalty area.

The young player who always called Du Zhenyu "Ge"...

After getting the ball, he couldn't resist taking a hasty shot.

He lacked the confidence to break through the wall-like defense in front of him.

So, he had already decided—shoot first, then see what happens!

His right foot was fully extended, and the shot was powerful.

But as mentioned earlier, there was a tall wall in front of him.

So, his shot stopped two meters away and couldn't continue.

But an unexpected event occurred. The foreigner who stepped forward to block the shot, fearing the ball's power, actually crossed his hands to protect his groin...

The result was a handball.

The handball occurred right on the penalty spot!

This unexpected gift made the young player's eyes shine even brighter. It was almost like a penalty kick. A strong kick might just send the ball into the goal?

Actually, the closer to the penalty area, the more technical the free kick needed to be.

Because there was a tall and wide wall in front.

Now, players rarely jump to defend free kicks, leaving space under the wall. This change was forced by free kick experts.

The first to do this was Ronaldinho...

So, brute force shots were usually blocked by the wall.

The key was the curve.

A curved ball could go around the wall, but it was too difficult to go around from the sides. It had to go over the top.

To go over the top, the ball needed enough distance to arc and drop, but the distance from the penalty spot to the goal was too short, making it hard to kick.

The youth team's free kick taker was usually the young player, but just as he was about to go and get the ball, he saw someone faster than him, like a ninja, appear in front of the ball.

It seemed like it was his right to take the free kick?

"Umm... Uncle, I'm the designated free kick taker," the young player explained awkwardly to Liu Hao.

Despite the mysterious newcomer, the young player's tone was still friendly.

Oh... How could he forget that?

"Alright... I'll let you take it..." Liu Hao didn't want to steal the free kick, feeling a bit embarrassed, so he scratched his head and stepped aside.

There would be other opportunities.