Chapter 49: Sparking an Italian Youth Storm (Part 2)
The ball almost tore through the net.
Lu Yang scored a powerful free kick!
For the first time, the Star of Italy took the lead!
Four-three!
"F*ck! Why didn't you jump! Crap! You're playing like crap!" The Millwall head coach cursed loudly, dissatisfied with the wall's reaction.
Millwall's players couldn't find the words to respond.
Morici stood nearby, who would have believed Lu Yang would take the free kick?
"It's appeared again! That bizarrely curved elevator ball!"
"Lu Yang has scored such a free kick goal in the league before! Clearly, Millwall didn't take Lu Yang seriously. If they had seen that goal, they wouldn't have been so careless!"
"It's the first time the Star of Italy has led in the entire match! Can they hold onto it?"
While celebrating, the Star of Italy adjusted their lineup according to pre-match plans.
Lu Yang was no longer a defensive midfielder but appeared in the left-back position.
Canyes dropped from right midfielder to right-back, forming a five-man defensive line!
Versachi retreated from the attacking midfielder position to where Lu Yang was initially, partnering with Morici as dual defensive midfielders.
Sogel, the tall forward, directly withdrew from the penalty area, looking more like an attacking midfielder.
Parrot wandered near Sogel, playing as the right shadow striker.
Substitute Bai Zhami was at the forefront, playing as a central forward positioned slightly to the left!
This is a 5-2-1-2 formation, Lu Yang and Canyes absolutely cannot advance anymore; they've almost completely abandoned offense, with a very clear intent!
This bus, they've parked it!
This victory, they're fixed on it!
Given that in the attacking midfielder position is Sogel, capable of holding and receiving the ball, this is even clearer.
Sogel won't organize attacks; he simply serves as a front field pivot, facilitating midfield passes. Ninety percent of the time, after receiving the ball, he chooses to pass it back.
Parrot roams away from the penalty area, closer to Morici.
It's hardly a stretch to call it a midfield rectangle formation of 5-4-1.
Such extreme tactics are difficult for proud and ambitious young players to execute.
But the Star of Italy did it.
They don't care about face; they only want to win.
The five tutors looked at the lineup change and couldn't help but chuckle.
Whose idea was this genius tactic?
Have they no shame?
...
In the eighty-second minute of the match, the second layer of Lu Yang's Perpetual Motion Machine effect was activated, with a five percent increase in various abilities, his running distance exceeded 12 kilometers!
Millwall launched a frantic counterattack, unable to accept losing to a group of kids with an average age of less than nineteen.
Especially when two of them were previously playing in the fourth league level.
The atmosphere on the field became increasingly tense.
The main referee constantly blew the whistle; Millwall received three yellow cards in the past five minutes.
The Star of Italy team also received two, belonging to Lu Yang and Morici.
Lu Yang was expected, but who would have thought Morici, the small stature player, could make a decisive challenge in a critical moment, an airborne tackle that could destroy a person even if it couldn't break the ball!
Sevajos watched Lu Yang and Morici on the field, feeling strongly shocked.
As a talent always well protected, he had never experienced such scenes.
Breaking through while bearing someone else's tackle and tackling someone else's breakthrough.
Even the short Morici could achieve this!
This made Sevajos ashamed of his previous weaknesses.
If given another chance, he'd perform better in this game!
Bam!
To shrink defense is to passively take hits.
Even though Canyes already denied the opponent the chance to reach the bottom line, when the opponent launched a long pass lob from the flank, the Star of Italy's defense momentarily couldn't withstand it.
If it wasn't for Lu Yang, this "left-back," also rushing into the penalty area to help with the scramble, the team might have already conceded.
In the eighty-ninth minute of the match, Millwall launched the closest attack to goal.
They kicked from the flank, and Lu Yang was tangled by Millwall's right winger.
The Star of Italy's tall defender was pushed by the midfielder advancing from the opposition and missed the header opportunity.
Millwall's tall forward was nearing the ball.
Fortunately!
In a critical moment, Lam contributed by disrupting the ball ahead of time.
Morici was the first to reach the ball, without stopping, he directly kicked it forward, a rapid pass and shoot, switching attack and defense!
For the Star of Italy, a black lightning began to sprint!
An instant counterattack broke out!
When Bai Zhami caught up with the ball, there were two Millwall defenders beside him.
But when he kicked the ball forward again and caught up with it, he had left those two far behind.
He's too fast!
Facing the goalkeeper, Bai Zhami hit a shot with a tricky angle, successfully changing the score to five-three.
Bai Zhami, killed the match!
Four minutes later, the referee blew the whistle.
Millwall team members buried their heads, saying nothing.
While for the Star of Italy, all the substitutes rushed onto the field, celebrating passionately as a team.
They defeated a Championship team!
They conquered a group of capable and experienced mature players!
They overcame their fear of slugfests!
"Victory! Victory! Victory!"
The audience followed along with loud shouts.
In this match, Sevajos, as the offensive core, delivered as expected, using sharp breakthroughs and passes, securing two assists; Lu Yang's free-kick goal was created by Sevajos, considered one assist, he's the team's primary weapon!