Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Trigella Appoints the Generals, Wahaha Team Players to Play Abroad?
Maxa stood on the sideline with a solemn expression.
This was not what he had imagined.
How had the Wahaha Team suddenly undergone such a transformation?
Are Deng Kai’s thighs really that muscular?
But Ronaldo’s thighs are equally robust, so why has Sporting Lisbon’s form declined so severely after losing Deng Kai?
Trigella saw through it all but chose to remain silent.
Without the engine, your Gundam might have the best weapons, but they are useless if it can’t move.
Moreover, you haven’t been using your best weapons frequently, instead opting for an ordinary machete.
Deng Kai’s significance to Sporting Lisbon U15’s was no longer just that of a player.
He was half the team.
The team could manage without Ronaldo, but now they simply couldn’t do without Deng Kai.
In the 73rd minute, Gao Lin dropped back to link up play and passed the ball to Yu Shihao.
Yu Shihao returned the ball to the advancing Deng Kai.
Deng Kai immediately booted a cross to the right flank, finding Wu Xudong who had burst forward.
Wu Xudong sent in a cross from the flank.
Gao Lin headed for goal, earning a corner kick.
Hao Junmin took the corner, Gao Lin got a touch at the near post, altering the football’s trajectory.
Among a throng of players in the middle, Feng Xiaoting managed to get a touch on the ball and finished with a goal.
The football went straight into the net.
Three to four!
The Wahaha Team had clawed back three goals!
By the 79th minute, Veloso had intercepted a pass in the defensive half and sent the football flying with a long kick to the front.
Ronaldo took off immediately, won the ball against Feng Xiaoting, and went on a solo run, scoring spectacularly.
Five to three!
A hat-trick!
In the 85th minute, Deng Kai kept control of the ball in front of the penalty area, performing Backheel Drags and ’fried meatballs’ despite being besieged by three Sporting Lisbon players, without losing possession.
Eventually, the seasoned Semedo took it upon himself to pull Deng Kai down.
But just before hitting the ground, Deng Kai managed a lob pass.
Everyone’s attention was drawn to Deng Kai.
However, Yu Shihao of the Wahaha Team had long been ready and was the first to spring forward, shooting and scoring.
Four to five!
The Wahaha Team kept the scoreline tight.
Deng Kai also completed a three-goal, three-assist performance—a double hat-trick feat!
But he pushed away his celebrating teammates, charged into the goal to pick up the football, and headed back to the midfield.
He signaled the Wahaha Team players not to give up, as they still had a chance.
This attitude also infuriated his "ex-teammates."
After the restart, Sporting Lisbon’s players also stopped holding back, playing their game with abandon.
After all, it was a friendly match, so they played as freely as they wished.
This drove Maxa to the brink of rage.
But he could impose no limits on the team; this shepherd had lost the ability to manage the flock that had lost its "head sheep."
In the 90th minute, Marcelino’s shot veered off the goalpost.
Goal kick.
Zeng Cheng passed the football to Shao Jiawei.
Shao Jiawei was looking for his teammates.
Deng Kai called for the ball as he dropped back.
The Sporting Lisbon defenders immediately followed Deng Kai and were ready to team up to press Shao Jiawei as well.
Full-force pressing in the midfield and attack.
Shao Jiawei quickly passed to Feng Xiaoting at his side.
Bang!
Facing the pressing, Feng Xiaoting showed the advantage of being a regular soldier. Instead of passing to Deng Kai, he launched a long pass to Hao Junmin on the right midfield.
Hao Junmin smoothly controlled and nudged the ball, taking off down the flank in a sprint.
Wu Xudong immediately dashed from the backfield, ready to overlap with Hao Junmin.
"Go inside!"
Deng Kai shouted to Wu Xudong, while he himself also inserted from the middle running forward.
Wu Xudong immediately changed direction, preparing to make a run down the outside, he instead cut inside off the ball, surging through the rib space.
Even though he didn’t take the ball out wide, Wu Xudong’s movement still provided Hao Junmin with a passing option, and before Araujo could close in, Hao passed the football back to Wu Xudong.
Wu Xudong then passed it back to Deng Kai, who had caught up.
Upon receiving the ball, Deng Kai nudged it and pointed with his left hand towards Yu Shihao ahead on the left.
Lisbon’s right center-back, Manuel, immediately reached out to pull Yu Shihao’s jersey.
Lisbon’s left center-back Angelo also checked the positions of Yu Shihao and Gao Lin to ensure they were not in a position to receive Deng Kai’s pass.
Boom!
The football flew forward, but not towards the left.
Outside of the foot pass!
After passing the ball in the ribs, Wu Xudong was supposed to have fallen back.
But he was too caught up in the moment and instinctively continued his forward charge.
He ran past Angelo from behind, who didn’t notice him at all.
It was Wu Xudong whom Deng Kai was targeting all along!
Wu Xudong received the ball inside the penalty area.
The control wasn’t great.
Pilar made a decisive move to confront him.
Angelo also lunged at Wu Xudong.
But Wu Xudong didn’t need to adjust; he chased down the football and blasted a shot!
The football soared into the sky, striking the net right above the goal.
Strength brought about a miracle!
Five to five!
The Wahaha team leveled the score!
In the end, the match ended with the score frozen at five to five.
Both the score and the match process were highly unexpected.
Maxa had already gone to the bathroom to make a call at that time.
He had a clearer picture of what he was up against.
Forget about Bugala; no way was he going there.
Ronaldo was very dissatisfied with the outcome of the match, frustrated that despite his excellent performance, he couldn’t secure a win for his team; he couldn’t pinpoint where the problem lay.
Trigella also prepared an individual scouting report for the players of the Wahaha team based on this match.
This report would later be sent to the Wahaha team to take back to the mainland.
Yu Shihao, scored a goal, able to adapt to playing as a winger, a fast forward, or a shadow striker.
Promising potential, but a clear development direction needs to be established.
Whether it’s becoming a winger with high-speed dribbling, a technically skilled winger, or a poacher type forward.
The sooner a development path is established, the higher his future achievements will be, otherwise he might end up mediocre, not excelling at anything.
He’s not the kind of super-genius who can master many different styles.
Wu Xudong, scored a goal, extremely fast, showing attacking talent. Previously trained as a winger, but due to his rough dribbling and poor technique, he was shifted to right-back.
As long as he can capitalize on his speed advantage, he will become a very distinctive player.
Gao Lin, a center forward. Clearly plays a pivotal role, excellent in confrontations, but his shooting leaves much to be desired, and his potential seems capped.
Hao Junmin, an intelligent player. Speed, passing, shooting, and ball control all very good; he acts as the team’s vice-core, with the potential to become a playmaker.
Shao Jiawei, a center back. His defensive capabilities are quite strong, particularly his defensive instincts, but the problem remains the same as Wu Xudong’s, with his foundational skills being rather rough.
His template is that of an English center back, which could maximally conceal his weaknesses and play to his strengths.
Feng Xiaoting, a center back. Has great potential, a good sense of the ball, and a higher ceiling than Shao Jiawei. However, in terms of defense, he is a notch below Shao Jiawei.
Chen Tao, a defensive midfielder. Strong running ability, broad defensive coverage, possessing a decent long pass, and makes smart defensive choices. Has the potential to switch between defensive mid and center back positions.
These evaluations don’t completely match the contents of the match.
For instance, judging solely from this match, the defensive midfielder Chen Tao was completely overrun by Deng Kai.
None of the players in Wahaha team’s backline was up to par.
But these were Trigella’s judgments; he could see what others could not, even glimpsing unrevealed aspects of a player’s abilities.
The reason he compiled so many scouting reports was because... Trigella felt that among these players, there were some worth taking a gamble on.
"Keira, do you think it’s possible for us to sign these players if we want to?"
Listened to Trigella’s question over the phone, Deng Kai was extremely excited.
Because this proved that Chinese players were not lacking in talent from a young age, and the theory of racial limitations didn’t hold. The rise of Asia in the 2022 World Cup was further evidence of this.
Yet, Deng Kai’s reply to Trigella was, "It doesn’t look optimistic."
He hoped Trigella would succeed.
But he was also well aware of the situation back home.
