"Devin receives the ball, and his choice is – pass! Direct pass!"
"Zhang! GOOOOOOOO... oh, Zhang Xu's powerful long shot hit the crossbar! What a pity, I think we should suggest the club to raise the height of the opposing team's goal by one centimeter in advance. This way, Zhang's long shot would have been a goal! Haha!"
Amidst the regret, Gross didn't forget to make a few jokes, which immediately made the fans burst into laughter. The fans also greeted Zhang Xu's fantastic shot with enthusiastic applause.
Zhang Xu's father stood up nervously when Zhang Xu took the shot, his eyes fixed on the ball flying towards the goal. When he saw the ball hit the crossbar and not go in, he shook his arm in disappointment.
Turning to his wife, Zhang Xu's father smiled, "This kid has improved his skills a lot. If it were before, he wouldn't have been able to make such a shot. Good job!"
"Of course, it's good. Just look at whose son he is!" His mother proudly puffed up her chest, wearing a smug expression.
Although Nicole couldn't understand her parents' Chinese, she still smiled at her mother's expression.
Feeling frustrated for missing such a good opportunity, Zhang Xu waved his hand in disappointment. He gave a thumbs-up to the passer, Devin, and returned to his position.
"Hey, Zhang! That was a beautiful shot!"
"What a shame! Zhang, otherwise, you would have scored the first goal us! But I have a feeling you'll score today!"
"Go for it, Zhang! You'll definitely score!"
...
Zhang Xu's teammates around him all gave him a thumbs-up, and Dris even patted Zhang Xu's shoulder, jokingly saying, "Zhang, you're performing so well that you're determined to steal my job!"
Zhang Xu quickly pretended to be in pain and supported his shoulder, saying, "Come on, boss, didn't you see I intentionally kicked it high?"
"Haha, you little rascal! Haha..." Driss burst into laughter, amused by Zhang Xu's antics.
The commentator Gross keenly observed that Zhang Xu had a strong desire to attack today. He jokingly said, "Our new star Zhang seems a bit off today. In the past, he used to stay in the backfield and build a solid defense for our team. What's going on today? He started the game with a thunderous long shot!"
"Could it be because of the power his dear parents gave him? Hmm, I think in future matches, we should invite the parents of every player on our team to come. That way, our team will be invincible!"
"Haha..." The fans laughed heartily.
"But it might not necessarily be his parents' influence," Gross continued jokingly, "Did you all see the beautiful lady standing next to his parents? Perhaps she's the one who gave Zhang the power. So, in the future, we should invite the players' girlfriends too! Oh, that raises a question, what if a player has several girlfriends? Who's going to teach me how to handle that?"
"Haha..." The fans were in stitches.
Meanwhile, on the field, Zhang Xu had no time to listen to Gross's humorous commentary. He was busy organizing the team's defense and launching powerful attacks. In his new role as the central midfielder, he started off a bit rusty, but as the game progressed, he adapted to his role.
In the 23rd minute, the synergy between Zhang Xu and Driss was evident. They coordinated effectively to disrupt the opposition's attack. Zhang Xu applied direct pressure on the ball carrier, while Driss strategically blocked potential passing lanes. Together, they stifled the attack, regaining possession for White Star.
Zhang Xu then cleverly passed the ball back to defender Alexander, drawing the opposing forwards towards him and creating space elsewhere. Alexander, recognizing the shift, passed the ball to left-back Rosario. Rosario, spotting Zhang Xu's cue, launched a long pass towards him.
The pass was lofted and somewhat slow, giving an opposing midfielder time to close in on Zhang Xu. As the ball descended, Zhang Xu used a shoulder barge to test his opponent's strength. Realizing the opponent lacked the physicality of players like Pogba, Zhang Xu skillfully positioned himself to receive the ball.
As the pass descended towards Zhang Xu, his technique in controlling the ball was critical. He positioned himself between the ball and the opponent, using his body as a shield. As the ball approached, he carefully timed his movement, stepping forward slightly to meet it. With his chest, he cushioned the ball's descent, effectively deadening its momentum and bringing it down to the ground in front of him. This touch was gentle yet firm, allowing the ball to settle at his feet without bouncing away, ready for his next move.
The midfielder attempted to dislodge Zhang Xu with a forceful push, but Zhang Xu's solid stance made him unmovable. He controlled the ball with ease, using his body to shield it from the opponent. Then, with a deft turn of his left foot, he swiftly evaded the midfielder, leaving him off-balance and nearly stumbling.
Now facing SV Rosler's goal, Zhang Xu saw the defender advancing to block a potential long shot. But instead of shooting, he cleverly nudged the ball past the onrushing defender with his right foot, directing it into the central, unguarded area of the penalty box.
Meanwhile, Henry, anticipating the play, positioned himself to receive Zhang Xu's pass. As the ball rolled into the penalty area, Henry aligned his body with the trajectory.
He didn't rush his shot; instead, he waited for the ball to come into his path. At that crucial moment, Henry, with perfect timing, met the ball.
With a composed stance, he observed the goalkeeper's position, calculating the best angle for his strike.
As he struck the ball, Henry employed a technique that combined power and precision. He hit the ball with the instep of his right foot, aiming for the far corner of the goal. His follow-through ensured that the shot maintained its direction and speed, making it difficult for the goalkeeper to react in time.
The goalkeeper, caught off-guard by the speed and placement of Henry's shot, could only stretch out his hands in a belated attempt to save. But the ball went straight through the goalkeeper's hands, nestling into the back of the net.
The stadium erupted as White Star took the lead, 1-0 against SV Rosler.
"Zhang received the ball, haha, the opposing midfielder couldn't handle our star monster at all! Zhang suddenly turned and dribbled, breaking through the midfielder's defense. He's going to shoot – oh, he passed!"
"Great pass! Henry is there, and he – GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! The ball is in! Henry received Zhang's pass and pierced the SV Rosler team's goal. Our White Stars team leads 1-0!"
Seeing the ball go into the net, Gross went crazy, and all the White Stars team fans at Stade Stadium went wild. They cheered loudly, jumped tirelessly, and waved scarves and flags without stopping.
Even though it wasn't Zhang Xu who scored the goal, his assist was crucial. So, Zhang Xu's father was excited and shouted, "It's in!"
Nicole, like his parents, waved her scarf and screamed loudly.
After the first goal, Zhang Xu was fully in control as the midfield maestro.
Passing, receiving, passing again – under his direction, the entire team operated seamlessly, both in attack organization and solid defense.
At this point, head coach Mazu finally relaxed. He returned to the coaching bench from the sidelines and smiled at assistant coach Philip, "Haha, I was worried that Zhang wouldn't adapt to his new role, but it seems I was wrong! Mr. Philip, it looks like I owe you another hundred euros!"
"Haha!" Philip laughed heartily. "Mr. Mazu, the best part of the show is yet to come. Let's sit here and enjoy Zhang's spectacular performance!"
Under Zhang Xu's guidance, the White Stars team gained more momentum, while SV Rosler, initially looking to play an offensive game, began to retreat and focus on defending.
A team trying to break down an opponent determined to defend is always a challenging task. The White Stars team was no exception, and despite Zhang Xu's attempts, they struggled to make significant progress against SV Rosler's turtle-shell defense.
Could this become an unsolvable problem?
At this moment, Zhang Xu suddenly recalled various game recordings he had watched before. Similar situations were not uncommon, and many teams had successfully breached the turtle-shell defense.
He continued to organize the attack while brainstorming for a solution.
Slow down the pace of the attack? Try to lure the opponent out?
Possible!
So, Zhang Xu slowed down the attack and started playing the ball in their own half, even deliberately showing a few vulnerabilities in hopes of luring the opposing players out.
It worked initially, but it didn't last long. After a few fast breaks initiated by Zhang Xu that almost led to conceding a goal again, the opposing team refused to be fooled anymore. No matter how many vulnerabilities you show, I'm not coming out!
It seems a change in tactics is needed!
Create free-kick opportunities?
Does the team have any free-kick specialists? It didn't seem like it.
But it's worth a try!
So, Zhang Xu and his teammates attempted to dribble into the opponent's half again.
The results were promising, and they quickly gained three or four set-piece opportunities in decent positions. However, no matter who took the free-kicks, they couldn't create a goal, as their free-kick proficiency was quite low.
Zhang Xu, with only 27 points in free-kick ability, didn't dare to attempt a fancy free-kick.
It seemed earning free-kicks wasn't a viable option either.
How about earning corner kicks?
This was also a type of set-piece, but a more specialized one. Zhang Xu tried a few times, but even with his jumping ability, he struggled in the tight marking of three or four opponents.
As White Star strategized to penetrate SV Rosler's staunch defense, they opted for a classic but effective approach: utilizing the wingers for crosses with central players aggressively attacking the ball. Eager to see if this strategy could dismantle the robust "turtle-shell" defense, they set their plan in motion.
In the 41st minute, the play began to unfold. Zhang Xu, positioned near the halfway line, initiated the attack with a pass to Driss. Driss, in turn, sent a diagonal ball towards Gil on the wing. Gil, under Zhang Xu's tactical guidance, feigned a move inside, luring the defenders in. As they took the bait, he exploited the space they vacated, pushing the ball down the sideline with pace and following it with a rapid sprint.
Gil's acceleration was impressive, swiftly carrying him to a spot just meters from the goal line. As a defender closed in, the window for a cross was narrowing. Without hesitation, Gil swung his right leg, delivering a powerful, flat-trajectory cross into the penalty area.
In the box, players like Henry and Gregory, along with Driss, jostled for position under the close watch of SV Rosler's defenders. They were all poised, eyes on the incoming ball, ready to challenge for it in the central airspace.
Here it comes!
Then, in a moment of orchestrated chaos, as Henry struggled to find his timing, a surge of energy burst into the penalty area. It was Zhang Xu, charging in from outside. His timing and speed caught SV Rosler's players off guard. With a powerful leap, Zhang Xu soared above the fray, covering an impressive distance, arriving directly above everyone's heads.
His eyes locked onto the ball with fierce determination.
As the cross descended, Zhang Xu met it with a thunderous header.
A loud "thud" resounded!
His forehead connected with the ball with such force that it echoed throughout the stadium.
The ball, struck with immense power, rocketed toward the goal line, bouncing beyond the goalkeeper's desperate reach and over the line.
Goal!
With a powerful header, Zhang Xu had rewrote the scoreline again!