Chapter 1 The Beginning

Zhang Jun dribbled the ball towards the Swedish team's penalty area. Facing Svensson, he faked left and right, but Svensson, who had initially been swayed off balance, didn't fall for it this time. Helpless, Zhang Jun passed the ball back.

Svensson laughed happily. He had successfully forced the captain to pass back, which was quite an achievement. During halftime, the coach had repeatedly told him that he believed he could defend Zhang Jun. At that time, he had been somewhat skeptical, but now he was completely convinced – he could indeed defend Zhang Jun.

Because he was on the same team as Zhang Jun, he usually didn't have this opportunity. Now, he could truly compete with Zhang Jun on the field, and gradually, his initial apprehension was replaced by boiling passion.

A minute later, the Chinese team came back, and so did Zhang Jun. Ke Lu passed the ball to Wu Shangshan, who dribbled for a couple of steps before passing it to his partner, Zhang Jun. Zhang Jun took a touch, unleashing his sprinting speed to burst past Baumsson, and once again faced Svensson.

This time, Zhang Jun was even more focused, his feints appearing more realistic at high speed.

He first charged fiercely to the left. Just as Svensson thought he was going to break through on the left, he suddenly stopped and turned to the right!

Svensson's body faltered as he tried to shift his weight back. By the time he had managed to move his six-foot-five frame over, Zhang Jun had abruptly cut back to the left, accelerated, and dribbled past on the left!

"Beautiful! The whole sequence was done without slowing down, a complete and fluid motion!" the commentator shouted.

Zhang Jun glanced at the goal, confirmed the goalkeeper's position, and then unleashed a shot!

Just as the ball left his foot, it was blocked by a leg, deflecting it wide of the goal and out for a corner.

"Ah! Svensson's tackle was decisive! How did he catch up from behind? He's not known for his speed..."

Svensson's speed couldn't match Zhang Jun's, but he was much taller. Falling down at that height covered a considerable distance. Just now, he had watched Zhang Jun break past him and couldn't catch up in time, so he had taken a gamble, betting that Zhang Jun would shoot immediately. This way, he could dive in with a sliding tackle, his height compensating for the difference in speed, allowing him to block Zhang Jun's shot with the tip of his foot.

Zhang Jun looked at Svensson still lying on the ground, shook his head with a helpless smile, and reached out to help him up, "Nice work, Andrela."

Praised by Zhang Jun, Svensson didn't realize that they were currently opponents. He scratched his head sheepishly and chuckled, "Haha, you did well too, Captain."

Zhang Jun slapped his broad back forcefully, "Don't get cocky, kid. You're going to suffer later!"

China had a corner kick. Li Yongle delivered the corner, and Zhang Jun, ahead of the Swedish defenders who were all over six-foot-three, managed to win the header, a powerful header aimed at the goal!

If goalkeeper Isaksson hadn't been focused and reacted quickly, it might have resulted in a goal.

The header startled Svensson. Initially, blocking Zhang Jun's shot had made him feel pleased with himself, but he hadn't expected Zhang Jun to retaliate so quickly. He immediately banished all his smugness and didn't dare to show the slightest joy.

Could his pride have angered the captain?

Isaksson awkwardly pushed the ball over the crossbar, giving China another corner kick.

This time, China changed their corner kick strategy. They took a quick tactical corner, with Li Yongle passing the ball to Yang Pan, who then dribbled horizontally along the edge of the penalty area, patiently looking for a suitable opportunity.

Isaksson saw Yang Pan dribbling horizontally and assumed he would definitely cross, so he moved slightly outwards, hoping to intercept the ball in the air before Yang Pan crossed it.

Yang Pan also noticed Isaksson's movement. He knew exactly what the other guy was thinking, but unfortunately, he had no intention of crossing, or rather, he had originally planned to cross, but immediately changed his mind after seeing his position.

Yang Pan looked up again. Isaksson was confident in his judgment. This was a sign of crossing! He took another step forward.

Seeing the opposing goalkeeper's actions, Yang Pan smiled mockingly. He was currently facing away from the goal line, and the opposing defender was still several yards away. Perhaps they thought Yang Pan's left foot wasn't as good as his right, so they weren't pressing him too closely.

Don't think I can only shoot with my right foot, kids!

Yang Pan suddenly fired on the spot!

Using his right foot as a pivot, he used the momentum of his body to rotate, slamming his left foot onto the ball, shooting! A powerful long shot!

Isaksson saw Yang Pan swing his foot and thought he was going to cross, his body already lunging outwards before he realized something was wrong. The trajectory of the ball was clearly aimed at the goal behind him!

Damn it!

Isaksson desperately leaped backward and stretched out his right hand, but he still couldn't reach the ball. Just as the Swedes were feeling despair, God gave them a hand. Yang Pan's shot hit the crossbar, not bouncing into the goal, but flying out for a goal kick!

Sighs and exhalations mingled in the stands. Some were happy, some were disappointed.

"During this period, the Chinese team's attack has been too fierce, and the entire Swedish team has focused their attention on defense. But simply defending like this isn't a solution. Hopefully, they can produce some beautiful attacks. A one-sided World Cup match isn't very interesting," the commentator said, speaking up for the Swedish team.

People tend to sympathize with the weaker side, and now, in the eyes of many, the constantly suppressed Swedish team was clearly the weaker side.

The Swedes themselves certainly didn't think so. Ibrahimović was looking for every opportunity to score, either by shooting himself or assisting his teammates. In any case, they had to level the score first.

Xiang Tao was very unhappy. Due to the presence of Ibrahimović, he couldn't go up to assist the attack. For an attacking fullback like him, who craved attacking, shooting, and crossing, being tethered to the backfield like a dog during a normal match was a huge torment. That's why, even though he was versatile in defense, he didn't really like playing center back. Because playing center back meant not being able to go forward to assist the attack as freely as a fullback.

That damned Swedish giant! Xiang Tao glared resentfully at Ibrahimović in the distance.

Before the match, Coach Qiu had asked him to defend Ibrahimović. Because he had a lot of experience playing against him in the league, he had readily agreed. He hadn't expected Ibrahimović to be so troublesome in this match, especially in the second half. Watching Ke Lu charge forward and play rings around Baumsson, he was itching to get involved.

Now, he felt like he was being played rings around by Ibrahimović… How pathetic.

Just as Xiang Tao was lost in thought, the Swedish team stopped a Chinese attack. Immediately afterward, they launched a quick counterattack, passing the ball into the Chinese half in just three passes!

The Swedish fans got excited, their emotions, which had been suppressed by the Chinese fans, erupted. They shouted and cheered loudly, cheering for their team.

Ljungberg passed the ball to Linderoth, who quickly passed it on to Källström.

The midfielder from Manchester United observed the situation on the field and quickly made a decision. He continued to dribble, using his technique and speed to get past Wang Yu, and then quickly passed the ball out before Wang Yu could catch up.

His target was Ibrahimović.

Ibrahimović received the pass. He had already observed the surrounding situation before receiving the ball, so he didn't waste any time observing this time. Instead, he turned around directly and surged forward!

Xiang Tao rushed up, intending to stop his dribble.

Ibrahimović faked a pass, tricking Xiang Tao into hesitating. His passing foot then circled the ball and moved it aside, then he chased after the ball, hoping to keep Xiang Tao behind him.

Although Xiang Tao had worked hard in the second half, he hadn't allowed Ibrahimović to score. This time was no exception, he didn't want to let him score. So he immediately toughened up and pushed back.

Facing Xiang Tao's charge, Ibrahimović didn't accelerate away from him, but used his physical advantage to stay firmly in front, just half a body length ahead of Xiang Tao, leaving him nowhere to put his foot in.

At the same time, facing Liu Peng, who was rushing up to help defend, he pulled the ball back and pushed it aside, easily shaking off Liu Peng. These two moves seemed ordinary, something any midfielder could do well, but he was doing these moves inside the penalty area! Usually, forwards in the penalty area would quickly create space and then shoot. Only Ibrahimović liked to use his skills to dribble past players inside the penalty area before shooting, and what was even more terrifying was that he could make moves that a five-foot-six player could make with his six-foot-three frame, which was truly amazing.

Now, Xiang Tao, who was stuck behind, felt very strained. The big guy looked a little thin, but if he really pushed against him, he wasn't sure he could knock him over.

"Damn it... son of a bitch!" Xiang Tao tried hard to stretch his foot to intercept Ibrahimović's ball, but the other guy's good positioning prevented his leg from reaching the ball. Ibrahimović's left elbow was pressing against Xiang Tao's face, making him feel extremely awkward.

Ibrahimović, having shaken off Liu Peng, didn't hesitate any longer. He knew that the goalkeeper he was facing was An Ke, who had just been named the best goalkeeper in Europe last season. He didn't dare to be careless, so he immediately shot.

An Ke guessed the direction correctly, but just as Ibrahimović kicked the ball, Xiang Tao also took a risk and slid towards the ball. After Ibrahimović shot the ball, his toe just touched the ball, causing the ball to change direction in the air!

This was a deadly tackle. An Ke's original correct diving direction became the wrong direction, and he watched helplessly as the ball flew into the goal behind him!

Goal!!!

The Swedish fans erupted.

Ibrahimović spread his arms and ran towards the sideline, then dived forward! The moment the ball entered the goal, he seemed to see a bright future beckoning to him. The Chinese team was strong, but they weren't weak either! Zhang Jun, come on, let me challenge you! Again, challenge!

"A beautiful goal! Ibrahimović has scored his third goal of the tournament, helping his team equalize! Now the Chinese team and the Swedish team are back on the same starting line! What an exciting moment! Earlier I was saying that I didn't want to see a one-sided match, and Ibrahimović immediately satisfied me! Cheer for the Swedish team!"

Xiang Tao lay on the ground. He could feel that the ball had hit his foot at the end. That kick he had stuck out was really unnecessary...

Why did he tackle early, not late, but precisely at this moment?

An Ke got up, retrieved the ball from the goal, and kicked it hard towards the center circle. Zhang Jun was already standing there preparing to kick off. After kicking off, An Ke went to pull Xiang Tao up, "Don't lie on the ground... it's just an equalizer, is it that big of a deal?! Get up!"

Xiang Tao pouted, also surprised. Usually, An Ke would shout non-stop whenever a goal was scored against him, cursing the defenders who had made mistakes, making many people afraid of him. Why was he so gentle today?

He soon understood... An Ke vented all his anger on the opponents. In addition to saving their shots, he also demonstratively roared at them, waving his fists, gnashing his teeth, and baring his fangs... Xiang Tao saw a black-haired Kahn...

※※※

Qiu Suhui didn't seem too disappointed with his team conceding a goal, only shaking his head slightly. In his heart, it would have been strange if the Swedish team hadn't scored a single goal. A team with Juventus's top scorer wasn't a pushover that could be easily bullied.

Letting the Swedish team equalize wasn't scary. Based on the Chinese team's current form, they could still score again. So, this match wasn't about competing with the Swedish team on who conceded fewer goals, but on who scored more goals.

He stood up from his seat, then walked to the sideline, shouting Ke Lu's name loudly, "Ke Lu! Ke Lu! Step up the attack! You decide how to play specifically!"

Ke Lu nodded, indicating that he heard.

Before the match, he had boasted in front of Xiang Tao and Zhang Jun that he would teach the Swedish team a lesson, letting Coach Qiu know that the Swedish team was nothing special. So what if they equalized? He, Ke Lu, hadn't shown his full potential yet.

The Swedish team once again invaded the Chinese penalty area. Xiang Tao and Ibrahimović, who had the ball, were entangled. He admitted that Ibrahimović's skills were good, and he also admitted that the goal they had conceded earlier was because he had lost to Ibrahimović. But so what?

Ibrahimović was looking for an opportunity to shoot while fighting with Xiang Tao. Having scored a goal, he had gained a lot of confidence. After scoring one goal, he naturally craved a second.

He felt that Xiang Tao behind him seemed to have moved away from his body. This was a good opportunity!

Ibrahimović didn't hesitate and swung his foot to shoot. But just as he swung his foot, Xiang Tao quickly slid in from the side, and the ball rolled away from Ibrahimović, causing him to swing and miss.

Watching Ibrahimović comically swing and miss, Xiang Tao's inner frustration was finally relieved to some extent. It could be considered as retaliating once and venting some anger.

Also using a sliding tackle to stop the opponent from shooting, this time it was much more timely than the last time.

"Damn! Still want to use this trick?" Xiang Tao spat fiercely on the ground.

Every corner kick from the Swedish team made the Chinese fans a little worried, because there were too many people over six-foot-three in the opposing team, especially the two center backs, whose height seemed a little out of place in the Chinese penalty area. One was six-foot-five, and the other was six-foot-six, too abnormal!

But An Ke's outstanding performance ensured that this kind of corner kick couldn't pose a threat to the Chinese goal. This time was the same. His coverage area was wide, and the entire penalty area was his defensive zone. The Swedish corner kick was sent towards the goal, and he leaped high and directly caught the ball.

Catching the ball, An Ke kicked the ball hard to the frontcourt as soon as he landed. From a certain perspective, the Swedish corner kick was also a Chinese offensive opportunity.

Ke Lu looked around at the situation. Both of the Swedish center backs had gone up, but there were still four defensive players in the backcourt, two fullbacks and two midfielders. And there were only him and Zhang Jun in the Chinese team's frontcourt.

How should he play? How could this attack pose the greatest threat to the Swedish team and bring the greatest benefit to the Chinese team?

Although Svensson had gone up, there were still two Swedish players paying attention to Zhang Jun. If he passed to him, Zhang Jun himself might not be confident in breaking through the defense of two people in the shortest possible time and threatening the goal.

Besides Zhang Jun, did he have any other passing targets? What should he do?

The ball was still in the air, but it was approaching him rapidly. Baumsson, that annoying tailgater, had stuck to him again. Should he pass the ball to Zhang Jun with one touch? Or should he first get rid of this annoying guy?

Ke Lu's brain was running at full speed. He was considering the feasibility of various plans in his mind. Don't think Ke Lu didn't have much education, but he was very smart, otherwise Qiu Suhui wouldn't have shouted, "You decide how to play specifically." It was because he believed that this midfielder was good at using his brain to play football, good at thinking.

When the ball flew to Ke Lu, he still hadn't made up his mind. Baumsson pushed him lightly from behind, and he took advantage of the momentum to rush forward, bumping the ball with his chest and creating some distance from Baumsson.

Then he turned around, putting himself in a position facing Baumsson and the opposing goal.

This put him in a very favorable position to make a move.

Baumsson hadn't expected that his push would actually benefit the opponent. He hesitated for a moment, but still didn't press forward. Now that the other guy was already facing him, rushing forward would only allow himself to be faked out. He carefully maintained the distance, guarding against Ke Lu's every move.

Zhang Jun looked around. He retreated slightly, keeping himself parallel with the last defender, while the opposing defenders were obviously trying to create an offside trap, all pushing forward.

When would Ke Lu pass the ball? Zhang Jun turned to look at Ke Lu, carefully making sure he wasn't in an offside position.

Ke Lu naturally also saw the situation on Zhang Jun's side. He was slowly dribbling the ball, Baumsson was slowly retreating with his rhythm, the opposing defenders were pressing forward, but Baumsson was retreating. Obviously, they hadn't communicated with each other and lacked coordination.

Ke Lu felt that he could take advantage of this.

He leaned his body slightly, facing Zhang Jun. Baumsson felt that he was going to pass the ball, so he moved his body in that direction, trying to cut off the passing route between the two and force Ke Lu to face him one-on-one.

"Don't think about running away… bastard!" Baumsson muttered to himself in his heart, vowing to make Ke Lu lose face. Now his chance had come.

The two fullbacks also noticed Ke Lu's movements. They stepped up their pressure, determined to make this Chinese attack fall into the offside trap.

Ke Lu supported his body with his left foot, raised his right foot, and then kicked towards the ball. This was a passing action, no doubt!

But just as Baumsson stretched his foot to block the ball, Ke Lu's right foot drew a circle on top of the ball and didn't pass the ball out! Immediately afterward, using his left foot as a pivot, he turned his body to the left, and at the same time, his right foot wrapped the ball and dribbled forward, accelerating and breaking through from the left!

Because of Ke Lu's slow dribbling earlier, the distance between Baumsson and the opposing defensive line was very close, so this move not only broke through Baumsson's defense, but also passed through the defensive line organized by the two Swedish fullbacks.

"Beautiful! He has passed through the Swedish team's last line of defense! Now he is behind all the Swedish defenders! One-on-one!!"

The Chinese fans immediately became excited, shouting Ke Lu's name loudly.

Cutting inside, accelerating, and moving closer to the goal. Baumsson and the two Swedish defenders had given up on Zhang Jun and were all rushing towards him.

"Zhang Jun is unmarked! Pass to Zhang Jun! Pass to Zhang Jun!" Some fans shouted loudly in the stands near the Swedish goal, but they soon saw that Ke Lu had no intention of passing. "What are you doing?! You're not a striker! Zhang Jun is the striker, give it to him, let him shoot!"

Of course, Ke Lu knew what he was doing. He wanted to shoot, he wanted to score, to score his first goal in this World Cup!

As an attacking midfielder, it was a bit of a disgrace if he didn't even have a single goal.

Isaksson was forced to abandon his goal and attack, he had to block all the angles before Ke Lu could shoot.

Ke Lu glanced at Isaksson, who had abandoned his goal. Just because he rarely scored didn't mean his shooting skills were lacking!

Ke Lu accelerated and dribbled the ball, making his shooting angle look even smaller. Isaksson was overjoyed, believing that this was the result of Baumsson and him forcing him.

He slid towards the ball… He was determined to win this ball!

But Ke Lu didn't fulfill his wish. While running, he suddenly stretched out his right foot and gently chipped the ball…

The ball flew over Isaksson's body and into the empty goal at a very small angle!

Goal!

"goooooooooal!!!"

Ke Lu jumped up forcefully and waved his fist fiercely.

The Chinese team took the lead again in the seventy-seventh minute! The Swedish team's equalizer lasted less than five minutes before they fell behind again!

"This was completely directed by Ke Lu, this is his one-man show! He single-handedly kept the match going according to the Chinese team's script, Sweden lost to this kid alone!" the commentator shouted excitedly.

Lagerbäck squatted on the sidelines, watching the Chinese players celebrating the goal on the field helplessly. After Ibrahimović equalized, he thought they still had a good chance of defeating the Chinese team, but he didn't expect that less than five minutes after equalizing, they were behind again…

This damn match!

He punched the ground hard.