Chapter 35 A Ray of Light in the Darkness

Yang Muge breathed a sigh of relief when he saw He Ying dribbling the ball forward.

His mission was accomplished. It was a success as long as he didn't lose the ball himself.

He couldn't decide what happened next, nor could he participate. He had completely become a spectator.

If He Ying didn't score this goal, he would prepare to defend.

With that thought, Yang Muge went to find Zhou Yi. He knew Zhou Yi's stamina was a big problem. He shouldn't be able to run anymore. He had just sprinted from the penalty area, a good thirty meters or so. Running like that might cause cramps.

But when he turned his gaze to where Zhou Yi had been, he didn't see him!

Zhou Yi wasn't there!

Where was he?

Yang Muge was shocked and looked forward. He saw Zhou Yi's back as he sprinted!

He was startled - this kid could still run?

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Almost everyone's attention was on He Ying, who had the ball. No one cared about Zhou Yi, after all, He Ying was the most important person right now.

He saw He Ying dribbling towards the La Masia youth team's goal, and in front of him, Muneza was also retreating rapidly. In addition, other La Masia defenders were also quickly returning, all running towards He Ying.

He Ying faced Muneza, ready to use the same trick again, using continuous changes of direction at high speed to shake him off.

But this time, he cut to the left, and Muneza blocked him. He flicked back to the right, and Muneza was still in front of him!

He hadn't shaken off Muneza!

Muneza gritted his teeth and followed He Ying. He was going all out. Even if he knew he might get injured, he would never allow the opponent to break through him twice in the game and score!

At this moment, it was no longer just a competition of victory or defeat, but also involved dignity and honor. If he lost to the same person twice in a row, what face would he have to continue being an example in the eyes of others as the captain of La Masia's youth teams at all levels?

If I can't even deal with this guy, how will I wear the Barcelona first team jersey in the future?!

With this in mind, Muneza ignored the warning from his knee and forcibly kept up with He Ying, blocking him and preventing him from fully picking up speed, creating opportunities for his teammates to surround He Ying.

He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Bartra had already forced his way up from the outside, sandwiching He Ying in the middle, one inside and one outside.

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"This Muneza is too tenacious!" Xu Yang frowned and exclaimed.

He Ying failed to shake off his opponent with two consecutive changes of direction. If this continued, He Ying would be forced into a dead end - he had already run off course and wasn't facing the goal directly, but towards the sideline.

This was because Muneza was squeezing him. Muneza was in the center, and since he couldn't shake him off, he could only take the ball towards the sideline.

But when he was fighting alone, what was the point of taking it to the sideline? He couldn't form a shot, and the best outcome might be a corner kick, but the goal rate for corner kicks was too low.

He was anxious for He Ying off the field.

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He Ying on the field also knew the predicament he was facing.

Not being able to shake off Muneza meant that if he wanted to shoot, he would have to do so under Muneza's interference. Of course, he could force a shot and pin his hopes on his feeling at that moment.

But the success rate was too low.

Didn't Zhou Yi say? This is our last attack, we have to make it successful.

Then how could he just kick the ball out casually?

But if he didn't shoot... he would be surrounded by the opponent and squeezed to the sideline, losing the angle and opportunity to shoot.

This was a quick counterattack, a moment when he was fighting against the entire opposing team alone. He was fighting alone.

This feeling was both familiar and strange to He Ying. It was familiar because the last time he faced the La Masia youth team, he was surrounded by this feeling of fighting alone throughout the entire match.

It was strange because he hadn't experienced this feeling of loneliness for quite a few games.

While dribbling the ball, He Ying stole a glance ahead. He was about to rush into the opponent's penalty area, and Muneza and Bartra were both in front of him. He couldn't see who else was around him, but he could feel them.

The opponent's encirclement had already formed, and the inner defenders were closing in on him. If he didn't want to be dispossessed, he would have to take the ball to the sideline, which would squeeze him to the sideline, away from the goal.

He couldn't let them succeed!

He Ying made a decision, even if he was in a tiger's den, he had to break through at this time!

Though a thousand men stand in my way, I shall go!

Just as He Ying was about to force a breakthrough into the penalty area, he suddenly heard a hoarse shout: "He Ying! Left rear! Pass back!"

When he heard this voice, He Ying felt his scalp explode, as if he had been walking alone in the dark for a long time, and just when he was about to give up, a light shone on him!

Then, he flicked the ball to the right front with his right foot, dodging the steal from the La Masia youth team player who rushed up from the left inside, and rushed towards the sideline.

After catching up with the ball, he swung his right foot and kicked the ball out, but not a shot, but a cross pass!

The ball passed to the diagonal rear, left side, inside!

With the action of swinging his leg, he twisted his body, lost his balance, and fell to the ground.

But before falling, he saw a figure in a white Chinese team jersey in front of the rolling ball... it was his roommate - Zhou Yi!

That's right.

He Ying remembered.

Why hadn't he felt that loneliness for a long time? It was because since the game against the Dortmund youth team, when his roommate came on the field, he was no longer fighting alone on the road to victory!

I have teammates fighting side by side, trustworthy... comrades!

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When He Ying passed the ball, everyone was too nervous and their vision had narrowed, so they only then realized... Zhou Yi had somehow rushed to the front of the La Masia youth team's penalty area!

And... there wasn't a single La Masia youth team player around him - those people were all around He Ying!

"That kid!!" Xu Yang blurted out, exclaiming.

"Stop him!!!" Borel, the La Masia youth team coach next door, roared until his voice was hoarse.

"Woo-!!" Sun Pan howled in the backcourt, "Screw them, Zhou Yi! Screw them!!"

The onlookers outside the field who were cheering for the La Masia youth team all exclaimed - why was there such a major lapse in marking!

Alan Powell, Tim Kist... and other scouts who were tracking and observing the Chinese team, all became uncontrollably nervous. They stared intently at the field, not daring to breathe, and even more afraid to make any noise, as if afraid that even a little disturbance would affect Zhou Yi.

They just watched, watching Zhou Yi rush forward and receive He Ying's ball!

But...

Perhaps he rushed a little too fast in the last two steps, a little staggering, his steps weren't very steady, and his footwork wasn't in rhythm. It looked like it would be good enough if he could stop the ball...

Stamina, stamina!

He's fucking running out of steam!

Hao Dong's expression on the field was ferocious, but he was completely unaware of it.

In fact, it was already unbelievable to many people that Zhou Yi could sprint all the way from the backcourt to the frontcourt and keep up with He Ying's speed.

In fact, when he passed the ball to He Ying, he had already done everything he could.

He didn't have to rush up, nor was he obligated to. Even if this attack didn't result in a goal, it was definitely not his responsibility.

But he rushed up and took on the responsibility that didn't belong to him - if this ball didn't go in, he would be responsible for it!

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Zhou Yi caught the ball staggeringly, and the La Masia youth team's goalkeeper decisively abandoned his goal and rushed towards Zhou Yi, intending to take the ball directly while he was unsteady, or save his hasty shot.

He was confident.

Because he could see clearly that Zhou Yi was staggering and fighting against his own inertia in order to maintain his balance, but could inertia be so easily defeated? Now his center of gravity was almost transferred to the front of the ball, his whole body was leaning forward obviously, his upper body was in front, and the ball and his feet were dragging behind. How could he shoot like this?

He had to be careful... this kid was faking a penalty!

With this in mind, the La Masia youth team's goalkeeper held back when he attacked.

Just as he slid down on the artificial turf towards Zhou Yi, he saw the ball suddenly fly up!

Yes, it flew up!

It was flicked up by Zhou Yi with his toe in an embarrassing situation!

The ball just flew over the goalkeeper who fell to the ground and flew forward, towards the goal eight or nine meters behind him!

He looked back at his goal, which was empty and seemed huge.

He just watched, even if he bumped into someone, it didn't make him shift his gaze.

Zhou Yi, who had completed the shot, also lost all his balance, lunged forward, and collided with the attacking goalkeeper, falling to the ground.

But he also looked up at the front, looking at the ball.

Everyone was looking at the ball.

The ball fell from the not-so-high sky, touched the ground, rebounded, and moved forward.

Touched the ground again, rebounded again, and moved forward again.

The distance of each touch-and-rebound forward was shorter than the last.

But in the end, it no longer bounced up, but rolled forward on the grass...

Not fast, but stubbornly rolled towards... the goal!

Meaningless screams rang out from the sidelines.

Bartra, wearing the captain's armband, chased back, leaping up and sliding towards the ball. He gritted his teeth and his expression was terrible as he stared at the ball.

But he didn't tackle the ball. No matter how persistent and terrible his gaze was, it couldn't shorten the distance between him and the ball by even a centimeter.

Before his foot arrived, the ball rolled past the goal line and into the goal...

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Seeing the ball dodge Bartra's flying tackle and successfully roll into the goal, Zhou Yi rolled over and lay on the grass, then raised his fists and pointed them at the sky.

Then his vision went black, and He Ying's ecstatic face suddenly appeared. He screamed and pounced over, falling from the sky, and his whole body pressed down on Zhou Yi...

On the sidelines, Xu Yang turned around and hugged Hao Dong next to him tightly, his temples were gray and he was already in tears.

On the bench, Liang Qiqi stood up from his seat with a whoosh. He stared blankly at the field.

And around him, Yang Fei, Lai Cong... those substitute teammates had already cheered hysterically.

On the field, Sun Pan ran all the way from the goal to the frontcourt, howling. Guo Nu followed him, as well as Yang Muge, Liu Nian, Li Liang, Li Linyuan, Li Xiang, Yang Hua, Zhang Tao... all the teammates who had stayed in the back half and entered the spectator mode, all ran to the La Masia youth team's penalty area. They cheered, rejoiced, and ran wild on La Masia's artificial turf.

In the huge shadow cast by the magnificent Camp Nou stadium, their dirty, wet white jerseys were dazzling.

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Borel stood on the sidelines, staring blankly at the field, as if he were a statue. On the La Masia youth team's bench behind him, someone sat curled up in a chair with his hands on his head, unwilling to witness what was happening on the field.

The La Masia youth team players on the field were also staring blankly at the ball in the goal. Only their violently heaving chests could prove that they were living beings.

Bartra sat up, propping himself up with his hands, looking at the ball in the goal. He had tried his best, but he still couldn't stop the ball. This feeling of powerlessness made him very uncomfortable.

The coach of the La Masia Football School, who was responsible for turning the scoreboard on the sidelines, was also very surprised. After seeing the Chinese team players cheering and celebrating wildly, he turned his head to look at the La Masia side. Whether it was the coach or the players he was familiar with, they were all stunned and completely beaten.

After hesitating for a moment, he still turned over the scoreboard on the Chinese team's side, and the black number "1" became "2".

2:1, the Chinese team took the lead for the second time!