The Coach Isn't One to Hold Grudges...
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Carter turned around, ready to go onto the field to scold his player, but when he heard Gunnard say "You're wrong," he immediately frowned and turned back, roaring at Gunnard's face, "What did you just say, kid? On this field, no one has ever dared to speak to me like that!"
Gunnard met Carter's fierce gaze head-on and calmly said, "Coach, I am indeed left-footed, but who says a left-footed player can't play as a left-back? Let me tell you a little story—"
there's a famous football commentator. During the 2006 World Cup in Germany, this commentator delivered an impassioned commentary that went viral across ."
Gunnard took a deep breath and, imitating the tone of Huang Jianxiang, shouted with passion, "Penalty! Penalty! Penalty! Grosso has done it! Grosso has done it! Don't give the Australians any chance! The great Italian left-back! He has inherited the glorious tradition of Italy! Facchetti, Cabrini, Maldini, their spirits are with him at this moment!"
Carter: …
Carter thought that the kid in front of him might have gone crazy from being yelled at.
Carter hesitated for a moment, then took out two pound notes from his pocket and said, "The coach isn't one to hold grudges… you should hurry to the hospital and get your head checked…"
But then Gunnard returned to a normal state and calmly said, "I was still young in 2006. When I first heard that impassioned commentary, I found it funny, exaggerated. But later, I realized that only someone who truly understands football could appreciate the depth of that commentary."
"Why didn't he mention anyone else, but specifically Facchetti, Cabrini, and Maldini?"
"Because those three legends were all left-footed left-backs! And so was Grosso!"
"The left-footed left-back is the classical soul of the Italian team!"
"A left-footed full-back does have some defensive disadvantages. However, a left-footed full-back can make full use of the field's width for cross-field passes, and can also move up to the midfield to assist with passing, organizing, and defending—this is precisely one of the reverse-footed attacking tactics that current Barcelona coach Guardiola favors most."
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Gunnard took a deep breath and said proudly, "Coach, I'm indeed not your Olin, and I'm indeed not a natural left-footed left-back. I'm just me, a , Gunnard! I may not be able to dribble and break through along the sideline, but if you give me a chance, I'll be stronger than your Olin! I can cut inside!"
Carter's pupils suddenly shrank!
He couldn't believe that a young international student from a football-poor country like could say such tactical words.
Moreover, this kid's words hit the nail on the head!
The inverted full-back was indeed a once-popular tactical strategy!
Carter pondered for a moment, "Kid, do you know? In all my years of coaching at Southampton High School, I've seen countless arrogant kids, but you are the most arrogant one I've ever met--"
Carter scrutinized Gunnard with a gloomy face for five seconds.
Gunnard's heart pounded, but his face remained calm and composed.
Carter suddenly grinned, "I like your arrogance. I see in you the way I was when I was young."
Damn!
You scared the hell out of me!
I thought the coach was going to start trash-talking!
Speaking of which, coach, don't you have any self-awareness?
Could you have been as handsome as me when you were young?
Gunnard breathed a sigh of relief, but his face remained unfazed, "Thank you, coach. So, does that mean I can join the school team?"
Carter shook his head, "It's not that simple. Do you think I'm the kind of coach who would let you join the team just based on some passionate words? No, you've only passed the first confrontation test. To officially join the team, you still have two necessary tests - accuracy and speed."
He's not easy to deal with...
But the more it's like this, the more it shows that he's on the right track to joining the school team.
Speed was his forte in his previous life.
As for accuracy, with the two star-level skills from Beckham that he got for free, there was nothing to worry about.
A mature smile appeared on the corner of Gunnard's mouth, "Okay, coach, I accept your tests."
"Very well." Carter shouted to the players on the training ground, "You guys, pause for a moment and draw concentric circles for the accuracy test!"
"Yes, coach!"
The players on the training ground immediately got busy.
Rusty, who was doing frog jumps, said breathlessly, "Coach, can I help too?"
Carter frowned and shouted, "What's it to you? Keep doing frog jumps! You embarrassing thing!"
Rusty almost cried, "...Yes!"
Gunnard stood on the sidelines, hands in his pockets, leisurely watching his future teammates drawing circles on the grass with their butts sticking out.
The so-called "accuracy" test involved drawing three concentric circles on the grass with radii of 0.5 meters, 1 meter, and 1.5 meters. The test taker needed to kick from 10, 20, and 30 meters away.
In Southampton High School's accuracy test, the 20-meter distance was used for assessment.
If the football could be kicked into the 0.5-meter concentric circle, it was considered excellent.
If the football could be kicked into the 1-meter concentric circle, it was considered average.
If the football could be kicked into the 1.5-meter concentric circle, it was considered passable.
If it was kicked outside the 1.5-meter large circle, it was considered a fail.
"Damn, that kid is so arrogant!"
The bad boys who were drawing circles gathered together and whispered.
"Hey, listen to me,"
A tall, long-legged player with a fashionable scar on his buzz cut lowered his voice and said to his four companions:
"Rusty is useless, but we can't let this kid get cocky! This is our territory! We have to teach him a lesson!"
"Watergate, what馊主意do you have this time? Hurry up and tell us!" The other bad boys were already impatient.
Watergate chuckled, "That kid is going to test his accuracy, right? Let's make the concentric circles smaller, shrink them inwards by ten or twenty centimeters, and see how he can kick accurately!"
"Haha, Watergate, you're the most devious one on the team!"
Watergate smiled proudly, "How much did we suffer to get into the school team? Not to mention being bullied by the older players to clean the locker room and toilets, we could only be ball boys and pick up balls while they trained. Why should this kid get to join the team directly after passing the test? Just for this, we have to mess with him!"
"Okay, we'll listen to you, let's do it!"
"Isn't this bad? What if the coach finds out..." A muscular male player with an extremely gentle and pleasant voice said worriedly.
"Sissy, as long as you keep your mouth shut, the coach won't know!"
These bad boys winked at each other and shrank all three concentric circles inwards by twenty centimeters.
After drawing the concentric circles, Watergate and his companions deliberately drew a white line 25 meters away.
This line was 5 meters beyond the specified 20-meter test line.
"Coach, we're done!" Watergate raised his hand and signaled to Carter.
Coach Carter frowned and narrowed his eyes.
He could certainly see the tricks Watergate and the others had played.
However, Carter didn't say anything - this was also a test for the kid.
Since the kid dared to make such passionate and arrogant remarks, he had to show his true skills to prove himself.
Moreover, if this kid could really join the team, he wouldn't be able to convince the other players without showing impressive results that could shock these bad boys.
Carter said expressionlessly, "Let's begin."
...
end.