The Blaze of Battle (4)
The ball is in! "GOOOOOOOOOOOAL! What a beautiful goal!" the commentator excitedly said: "The scorer is number 15, Zhang Xu, for the White Stars!"
"This is a player from China who joined the White Stars team only this summer, not even three months ago!"
"However, judging by Zhang's performance in the last three games, he has completely adapted to the league, the White Stars have got themselves a great deal!"
When Zhang Xu's long-range shot penetrated the goal of Antwerp, the Bosuil stadium suddenly fell silent, and it took three seconds for the fans to react to what had happened.
Those who needed to curse did so unreservedly, and those who needed to applaud and cheer did so vigorously. Thus, the entire Bosuil stadium was as lively as a boiling kettle.
Zhang Xu didn't care about these messy things. Seeing the goal, he immediately ran off, passing through the field like the wind, went to the coach's bench, hugged the equally excited Head Coach Mazu and Assistant Coach Philip fiercely, then ran to the substitute bench, took something out of a bag, and charged towards the red crowd of White Star fans in the Bosuil stadium.
While running, he unfolded the thing and put it on himself.
It turned out to be a bright Five-Star Red Flag!
The bright red Five-Star Red Flag fluttered in the wind as Zhang Xu ran at high speed, making a rustling sound!
This red lightning quickly reached the front of the White Star fans, blending into the already boiling red ocean.
"Zhang Xu, well done!"
"Well done, you are the pride of us China!"
"Zhang Xu, we are proud of you!"
"Long live the People's Republic of China!"
...
A wave of shouts and drumbeats, a series of flying red scarves, and the Five-Star Red Flags fluttering in the wind interwove together, creating a perfect red landscape with the image of Zhang Xu, wearing the Five-Star Red Flag and raising his hands.
The journalists at the scene captured this moment, believing that the next day, all over Belgium, this heart-stirring image would be seen.
Zhang Xu's teammates also joyfully came to the stands section and stood closely with him. When all the players arrived, the captain, Driss, shouted a command, surprising Zhang Xu.
All the players lifted their jerseys!
Underneath each jersey was a white undershirt, each with a single character written on it. The ten players lined up to form a sentence:
Celebrating the 62nd anniversary of the founding of China!
Seeing this, both the fans and Zhang Xu were stunned, then the stands erupted!
Zhang Xu was moved, his eyes moist.
He quickly stood in front of his teammates, bowing deeply to express his gratitude.
Driss pulled Zhang Xu over and said loudly, "Haha, we are teammates, no need to be so formal! Come, let's cheer together to celebrate this hard-earned beautiful goal!"
...
Pogba watched Zhang Xu's unrestrained celebration, feeling uneasy. A kid he didn't even bother to look at was now competing with him, equalizing the score with a long-range shot. Unbearable!
"Kid, it seems I can't continue playing with you! I need to show my true skills and let you see what a real rising star is!"
...
After being gently reminded by the referee, Zhang Xu and his teammates stopped their wild celebration and returned to the field to continue the game.
When the game restarted, Zhang Xu immediately found Pogba much more challenging. He no longer tangled with Zhang Xu. If there was any tangle, it was tactical or brief, no longer deliberately playing a confrontational game.
"What's wrong, tall guy, scared?" Although Pogba stopped playing, Zhang Xu wouldn't let him off, as the coach wouldn't let him off either.
"Hmph!" Pogba just snorted and ran past Zhang Xu.
"This stinky kid, seems he doesn't want to play anymore!" Zhang Xu couldn't do anything about Pogba's lack of response and could only try his best to disrupt and defend against Pogba's offensive organization.
As the game progressed, Pogba regained his usual form, turning the midfield into his playground. His ability to control the pace of the game became increasingly evident. He masterfully dictated the flow, seamlessly switching from defense to attack. Antwerp's attack became much sharper.
His passes were razor-sharp, slicing through White Star's midfield, creating numerous opportunities. Pogba's vision allowed him to spot and exploit gaps in White Star's defense, sending precise through balls that put the defenders on high alert. His presence in the midfield was a constant source of concern for White Star, as he orchestrated play after play that tested their defensive resolve. Every touch and pass by Pogba made White Star's defense tense.
In the last ten minutes of the first half, Pogba passed 6 threatening balls. If it weren't for Zhang Xu's speed, strength, and solid defense, and the unity of the White Stars' defense, the score could have changed again.
When the referee blew the whistle for the end of the first half, the three defenders sat down on the field, panting.
Zhang Xu was also struggling. Although he had no physical issues, the mental pressure was too great. Standing on the field, he looked at Pogba walking towards the player tunnel, feeling a sense of powerlessness.
Is this the gap between me and a top player?
It seems I have a long way to go!
But no matter what, I have to complete the task given to me by the coach and the system today!
Pogba, no matter how outstanding you are, I'm set on you today!
...
During the halftime break, Head Coach Mazu didn't make many adjustments. The current tactics weren't the problem; the team was already doing very well.
Of course, he still specifically praised Zhang Xu and again emphasized the threat of Pogba, asking Driss and Zhang Xu to do their utmost to contain Pogba's midfield offensive.
...
The game quickly restarted.
As Pogba passed Zhang Xu, he snorted arrogantly: "Kid, how you feeling? I hope you don't think I'm going to take it easier on you in the second half. I'm not gonna let up, I'll leave a deeper impression on you in the second half! Hahaha!" Laughing, he left.
Zhang Xu clenched his fists, staring at Pogba's back.
Alright, if that's the case, then I'll show you the determination of someone who has burned all his boats!
...
Zhang Xu was a man of his word.
Soon, Pogba felt the pressure from Zhang Xu.
In the 48th minute, Pogba dribbled and broke through. After shaking off Driss, he prepared to pass to a teammate on the left.
Before he could pass, he felt a strong force from the ball under his feet, his body falling to the left, crashing to the ground.
It turned out, Zhang Xu, seeing Pogba with the ball, gradually approached him. When he saw Pogba pause after shaking off Driss, he immediately rushed over and tackled him with a beautiful slide tackle, bringing Pogba and the ball to the ground.
"Damn it! Do you want to die, kid!" Pogba was furious, jumping up and confronting the standing Zhang Xu.
"Hmph! I got the ball first! It's a precise tackle. If you're not happy, huh, come on then!" Zhang Xu retorted firmly.
Their foreheads pressed against each other, their eyes fiercely staring at each other!
"Whistle! whistle!" Seeing the two about to fight, the main referee quickly intervened, warning both players before indicating the game to continue.
"Hmph! Kid, just you wait!" Pogba was seething with anger.
"I've always been waiting, it's just that you don't dare!" Zhang Xu retorted fearlessly.
In the 53rd minute, the two clashed again.
Pogba stared at Zhang Xu, his feet constantly moving over the ball pulling of stepovers. Zhang Xu ignored his fancy footwork, focusing only on Pogba's shoulders.
Focusing on the opponent's shoulders is a tactic he learned from Captain Driss, indicating the direction of the opponent's breakthrough.
Pogba's face showed a strange smile, then his left shoulder dipped slightly.
Zhang Xu quickly shifted left and blocked the left lane.
"Haha, kid!" Pogba laughed, then pulled the ball over and pushed with his right foot, ready to pass by Zhang Xu.
Seeing he couldn't stop him, Zhang Xu decisively tripped Pogba, bringing him down again.
"You're fouling! Damn it! Is this all you've got?" After getting up, Pogba glared at Zhang Xu and yelled.
"So what if it's a foul?" Zhang Xu replied lazily: "As long as I can stop you, it's a successful defense!"
"Uh!" Pogba was speechless, then angrily shouted: "Damn it! Okay, let's see how many times you can foul me!"
The referee came over and showed Zhang Xu a yellow card, sternly warning him.
Zhang Xu "happily" accepted it, more sincerely than anyone else.
...
In the first half, Pogba was tenaciously entangling Zhang Xu. Now, it has become Zhang Xu tenaciously entangling Pogba. Although the active and passive players have changed, the situation on the field had similar traces. In other words, under Zhang Xu's reckless defense, the White Star team finally stabilized the situation. However, football was unpredictable.
In the 69th minute of the match, Pogba and Zhang Xu collided again, but this time Zhang Xu didn't foul him, so the referee did not blow the whistle. The football bounced to the right and was taken up by Antwerp's other midfielder Dunk, who, after a few steps, made a diagonal pass, intending to pass it to the left forward Dio. Unfortunately, the quality of this pass was not good. The ball was too high, and Dio could only jump up, hoping to head the ball back to his supporting teammate.
At that moment, the defender Vincent, who was guarding Dio, nudged Dio. Dio couldn't control the part of the ball he headed, and the football, grazed by his head, unexpectedly flew towards the edge of the penalty area. There, another Antwerp forward, Schmidt, was just in place. He didn't hesitate and took a direct volley! The football instantly drilled into the goal guarded by Kevin!
Goal!
Antwerp had scored an unexpected goal to once again take the lead!