Chapter 1 I'm Going to Score

Everyone saw Chen Yingxiong point at Manchester City's goal, not just Kuyt, but the Manchester City players and fans, and even the commentators noticed the gesture.

The meaning of the gesture was easy to guess, and everyone agreed on it—Chen Yingxiong was clearly saying that he was going to kick the football into Manchester City's goal.

So when the game started and Chen Yingxiong got the ball again, the Manchester City fans in the stands stopped booing and burst into loud laughter. The laughter was mocking Chen Yingxiong's overestimation of himself and his arrogance in making that gesture toward the goal just now.

Liverpool, this broken team, wants to score against our Manchester City team? Keep dreaming!

We're not just going to win, we're going to shut you out on our home field!

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Adam Johnson had agreed to Chen Yingxiong, but that was under duress, and he was actually quite skeptical.

Pass him the ball no matter the quality of the opportunity? That's not a very rational approach…

As an assister, doing so only demonstrates one's own incompetence, because one is unable to create better opportunities, and just kicks it randomly, then hopes that the receiving teammate can perform exceptionally, or that luck will favor him.

That's too unreliable.

So when he got the ball, he didn't pass it to Chen Yingxiong. He chose to cooperate with Enrique, who was surging forward, passing the ball to Enrique, who then completed the cross. Unfortunately, Enrique's cross was blocked by Manchester City defender Clichy.

Chen Yingxiong roared at Adam Johnson, pounding his fist into his palm: "Friend! Friend! Trust your friend, Adam!"

Adam Johnson smiled wryly.

How could trusting a friend seem so unreasonable?

During the corner kick, Chen Yingxiong didn't get to the ball. Joe Hart rushed out early, leaping high and plucking the ball out of the air.

At one meter ninety-one, he jumped in the air, raised his hands high, and still had an advantage over Chen Yingxiong…

As Chen Yingxiong ran back, he gestured to Adam Johnson: If you're a true friend, pass me the ball!

※※※

Adam Johnson passed the ball to Chen Yingxiong, this time when he thought there was a chance, but Chen Yingxiong didn't get the point. Because he collided with Kompany in the penalty area, neither of them fell, but being blocked by Kompany like that, he lost the opportunity.

The collision was clearly planned in advance, to make him miss the ball's landing point.

However, Kompany's strength and timing were well-controlled, neither using too much force, causing Chen Yingxiong to fall in the penalty area, which might cause a foul and give Liverpool a penalty. Nor was he too afraid of fouling and used too little force, giving Chen Yingxiong the opportunity to break through and grab the point.

Chen Yingxiong certainly knew what the other side was thinking, so he looked up and glared at Kompany. Kompany glared back without fear.

Forwards and defenders are always sworn enemies. There's no need to pretend to be gentlemen and show a friendly demeanor in this regard. If you disagree, then fight! Who's afraid of whom!

Chen Yingxiong glaring at Kompany was just a conditioned reflex, the person he really wanted to find was Adam Johnson.

Taking advantage of a dead ball situation, he grabbed Adam Johnson: "Look, Adam. Did you think that was a good opportunity just now?"

"I thought it was," Johnson replied, in his opinion it was indeed a good opportunity.

"But not for me. Because if you think it's a good opportunity, the opposing defenders will think so too, so their defense against me will be stricter, and in my opinion it's not a very good opportunity… Do you understand, Adam?"

Johnson wasn't stupid, he certainly understood such a simple principle, he just hadn't thought of it at first.

He now realized: "So that's how it is! But if it's not even a general opportunity, even though the other side's defense isn't strict, how can you create an opportunity?"

Chen Yingxiong found it difficult to explain to him, so he just gave an example.

"Do you think Zidane scoring that goal against Leverkusen in the Champions League final was a good opportunity when Carlos passed it to him?"

Carlos's cross at the time didn't look like a pass at all, it looked more like a clearance kick gone wrong… But as a result, when it fell to Zidane, it became the best goal in the fifty-year history of the Champions League.

So, whether it's a good opportunity or not doesn't depend on the assister's judgment, but on the finisher's ability.

That's what Chen Yingxiong meant, he patted Adam Johnson on the shoulder: "You have to believe in your friend's ability, Adam! I, Chen Yingxiong, am a man even stronger than Messi! Ahahaha!" Such arrogant words, spoken from Chen Yingxiong's mouth, didn't make Adam Johnson feel disgusted, because as Chen Yingxiong's friend, he had already known what kind of person Chen Yingxiong was during the past half season of contact.

He often said this kind of thing when they were fooling around in private.

Moreover, with Chen Yingxiong's strength, last season's brilliant achievements were still there, he certainly had the qualifications and confidence to "speak wildly."

Adam Johnson felt that what Chen Yingxiong said also made sense. Opportunities that were opportunities for him might not be opportunities at all in Chen Yingxiong's eyes. On the contrary, opportunities that didn't seem like opportunities to him might be excellent scoring opportunities in Chen Yingxiong's eyes.

"Okay, I'll pass the ball to you, no matter… whether it's an opportunity or not."

He nodded.

Chen Yingxiong convinced Johnson, and he ran back with satisfaction.

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The game soon started again, and this time Johnson kept Chen Yingxiong's instructions firmly in mind. No matter whether it was an opportunity or not, as long as the football fell to his feet and he was on the wing, he would just cross!

At first, Chen Yingxiong didn't get any of them.

Johnson's approach also led the commentators to criticize him for kicking wildly and being out of form.

But Johnson withstood the pressure and continued to do so.

He really believed in Chen Yingxiong's ability…

How could Chen Yingxiong bear to let his good friend remain in the spotlight?

If he couldn't score again, then he would really be letting down his friend's trust.

Now, no matter whether it was an opportunity for himself or for Johnson, he would fight for the point again and again, just hoping that the "because of friendship" talent could play its role. The talent description said it was a ten percent chance, wasn't that one success out of ten times?

Then rely on quantity to pile it up!

In the twenty-eighth minute, Liverpool launched another attack. The ball fell to Adam Johnson's feet again.

Previously, the commentators had been criticizing his crosses for being random, not caring whether Hero was in position, with no pattern at all, completely based on his mood. Logically speaking, Johnson's crosses shouldn't be so bad, but no one knew the reason.

In any case, Adam Johnson's performance in this game made many people unable to understand.

This time he was even more excessive, not even raising his head, not even checking where Chen Yingxiong was, and just crossed directly!

The football drew an arc in the air and flew into the penalty area.

The football wasn't very high, it could even be said to be a bit low.

Considering that the penalty area was full of people at this time, the ball might not even reach Chen Yingxiong and would be intercepted halfway.

This ball was definitely not an opportunity for Johnson.

※※※

Kompany in the penalty area didn't take it lightly just because Johnson had "crossed randomly" again. Although he was staring at the football, he always kept an eye on Chen Yingxiong's movements.

Chen Yingxiong was running towards the front point, planning to grab the ball.

He quickly followed and firmly occupied the inside line. Although he didn't like Chen Yingxiong, he didn't dare to underestimate this person at all.

Because he knew how strong this person was!

Who would have thought that his approach of sticking close to Chen Yingxiong and keeping him on the outside line would help the other side…

At this moment, Chen Yingxiong suddenly stopped and turned around!

Yes, turned around!

Just like a basketball center, during the dribbling process, he suddenly stops, then leans against the opponent with his back and does a turnaround dribble.

Chen Yingxiong's movements were exactly the same, except that he didn't have a ball in his hand.

He turned around while sticking close to Kompany!

Due to inertia, Kompany's body had a brief moment of stiffness. During this time, he became the pillar that Chen Yingxiong relied on.

When Chen Yingxiong completed the turn, his positional relationship with Kompany changed to him being in front, while Kompany was blocked behind him! The situation was completely reversed!

In the crowded and cramped penalty area, Chen Yingxiong completed a basketball-style move that was rare to see elsewhere.

When he turned around, he fully utilized his body, spread his arms, and blocked Kompany firmly behind him.

At the same time, Johnson's pass actually found the path to the front of the goal in the dense crowd, dodging countless legs along the way, and flying to Chen Yingxiong.

Now Chen Yingxiong was facing the football and goalkeeper Joe Hart, which was much simpler for him.

Chen Yingxiong held off Kompany, who was struggling desperately to interfere with him, with one hand, and then lifted his foot and poked it!

Joe Hart made a save, but the distance was too close, and Chen Yingxiong's turn was too sudden. He never expected that the other side could get around Kompany under his close defense, and then take a shot as soon as he got around…

"Goal!!!"

The commentator roared excitedly.

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"goooooooooooAL!!! goAL! goAL! goAL! Hero scores! He equalizes the score for Liverpool!"

"What a beautiful escape! We can hardly see such moves on the football field! This move reminds me of Bergkamp's goal against Newcastle… the same turn, but he didn't control the ball with his feet. This is a great skill for a center forward to get rid of close defense in the penalty area!"

The commentator had nothing to say about Chen Yingxiong's goal. The focus of everyone's attention and praise was on Chen Yingxiong's escape move.

When everyone saw Chen Yingxiong suddenly get rid of Kompany in the penalty area and appear in front, their eyes lit up. They didn't expect Chen Yingxiong to think of using such a move to get rid of Kompany, and they didn't expect Chen Yingxiong to be so tall and yet perform this move so smoothly, without any sense of stagnation.

"Hahaha!" The Italian TV commentator laughed. "This is Hero! He can always use his genius imagination to make some amazing moves for us! These moves are not difficult to do, but few people can think of them in that situation! He is a true fantasia!!"