vrcanaries Chapter 40: I drank it!!!
Chapter 40: I drank it!!!
Domestic sports channel broadcasting room.
He Wei picked up the silver thermos on the table and took a sip of hot water.
He cleared his throat and spoke into the microphone.
"Welcome to the rescheduled match of the first round of La Liga, viewers."
"The two teams facing off are Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid."
"This match was originally scheduled for last August, but it was postponed until today due to strike protests."
He Wei stared at the live feed on the screen, and his speech began to quicken involuntarily.
"For Atletico Madrid, they just experienced a crazy, high-pressure, 7-0 defeat three days ago."
"Tonight, facing Real Sociedad, who desperately need points to avoid relegation, can Simeone's team hold on and maintain that formidable pressure? We'll have to wait and see!"
……
The scene then cuts back to the Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastián.
The Basque Country is known throughout Europe for its passionate and xenophobic football fans.
The referee was holding the ball, striding towards the center circle, ready to blow the opening whistle.
Li Jing stood near the center line, stretching his ankles, his mind still quickly processing the habits of the Real Sociedad players given by the coaching staff before the match.
Just at this time.
A half-full plastic cup that hadn't been finished suddenly flew down from above the stands.
A crisp "snap" sound.
The plastic cup crashed heavily onto the grass at Li Jing's feet.
Yellow beer foam splashed everywhere, with a lot of it landing directly on his white socks and calves.
A sour, malty alcoholic smell instantly filled the air.
Gabi, who was standing not far away, immediately changed his expression and turned to complain to the Fourth Official about this extreme behavior.
"Captain, don't go."
Li Jing reached out and stopped Gabi without showing any anger on his face.
This is an away game, and these fans are trying to provoke the Atletico Madrid players in this way.
If you lose your composure before the game even starts, you'll fall right into the opponent's trap.
Since the system has already defined itself as the biggest villain in all of La Liga.
Why bother with manners then? Just stick to the villain persona!
This is called psychological warfare!
Li Jing bent down and picked up the crumpled plastic cup from the grass.
He turned his head and looked directly at the highest, most loyal fan section.
Li Jing grinned, letting out an extremely provocative and arrogant sneer.
He did it in front of tens of thousands of Basque fans.
He raised his wrist.
He poured the remaining half-glass of beer into his mouth!
After swallowing the tattered beer mixed with rainwater and bits of grass, Li Jing even raised his right hand and waved it twice forcefully at the section of the stands where he had just thrown the glass.
"Thanks, buddy, this beer's alright!"
Li Jing lip-synced to a phrase that everyone in the audience could understand, then casually tossed the cup behind the "GG" sign on the sidelines.
The entire Anoeta stadium fell into an extremely eerie silence for half a second.
Followed by.
The even more frenzied, deafening boos and insults, almost enough to lift the roof off the stadium, completely overwhelmed the Calderon players!
……
The barrage of comments on major domestic live streaming platforms exploded in that instant, displaying a frenzied and chaotic flow.
"Holy crap! The atmosphere at this away game is incredible! They're throwing wine glasses at the players?!"
"Holy crap! He actually drank it straight away? That's amazing, holy crap!"
"Li Jing's mental fortitude is ridiculously tough. He even dared to wave and provoke after being attacked at an away game?"
"These Basque fans don't want Atletico Madrid to leave standing up today!"
"Don't forget that just three days ago Atletico Madrid committed a shocking 7-0 thrashing. The entire La Liga now sees them as thugs and thugs! Today's match will absolutely be a pure physical battle!"
"I want to see a bloodbath! Referee, just start issuing cards! Five red cards to start this game!!!!"
These inflammatory comments on the screen brought the already tense and hostile atmosphere before the start of the match to its peak.
……
The director quickly switched the camera to the big screen, displaying the starting lineup for the home team, Real Sociedad.
An attempt to divert attention from the extremely volatile situation at the scene.
He Wei looked at the list that had been sent back, his voice filled with great doubt.
"Real Sociedad's formation today was very interesting."
"The goalkeeper is Bravo, and the defense is led by Iñigo Martínez."
"But in midfield, Javi Prieto and Griezmann, these two absolute key attacking players, are actually positioned at the very front."
贺炜仔细分析着画面上的战术排位：「虽然字幕给出的提示是常规的4-4-2或者4-3-3。」
"But judging from the players' actual positioning on the field just now..."
"They've amassed all their forces near the center line!"
"Facing an Atletico Madrid team whose physical condition was a concern, they actually abandoned the defensive counter-attacking style that their coach usually used. This was simply a complete all-in attacking game!"
……
The moment the words were spoken, the image on the big screen flashed.
Atletico Madrid's starting lineup then filled the entire screen.
The moment He Wei saw those eleven names, he gasped in shock in the broadcasting studio.
"Atletico Madrid's starting lineup is even more amazing!"
"Goalkeeper Courtois."
"Godin will partner with Miranda in defense."
"The midfield partnership remains the same: Gabi and Li Jing!"
"Up front, Falcao and Diego Costa!"
He Wei's tone became extremely shocked, and his speech quickened: "Simone didn't rotate any players at all!"
"This is the same lineup that played a full 90 minutes of high-pressing just three days ago!"
"Faced with such an extremely unfriendly and frenzied away game, and such a dense schedule of rescheduled league matches."
"He sent up all of his key players, whose physical strength was likely to be completely exhausted."
He Wei slammed his hand on the table, his voice booming: "This is a desperate, no-holds-barred tactical deployment!"
He Wei in the broadcasting studio immediately perked up.
Over the years of his commentary, what he particularly enjoys watching most is this kind of all-out, high-stakes, all-out attack!
……
"Beep—!"
The referee finally blew the whistle for a second.
The match has officially begun.
Real Sociedad gained possession of the ball.
Forward Diego Ifran stood in the center circle, flicked the ball back, and passed it directly to defender Inigo.
The ball began to be passed around in the Royal Sociedad's half!
Without uttering a single word, Li Jing instantly exerted force with both legs.
He, along with Diego Costa and Falcao in front of him, transformed into three red-eyed hounds.
They pressed forward relentlessly towards Real Sociedad's ball carrier.
Atletico Madrid immediately launched the same high-pressure pressing mode as in the previous match from the very first second of the game!
Inigo, who had the ball, instantly felt the same terrifying pressure that Villarreal had faced three days earlier.
He had intended to play a one-two with Carlos Martinez on the wing.
However, under Costa's close marking and pulling, Inigo's passing motion was completely distorted.
The ball was poked out of bounds by Atletico Madrid's full-back Filipe Luis.
……
The referee waved his hand, pointing towards Atletico Madrid's half.
The ball outside the penalty area for Real Sociedad.
Carlos Martinez ran over quickly, picked up the ball from the caddie, and held it above his head.
He looked ahead.
On the Real Sociedad coaching bench, head coach Philippe was shouting at the top of his lungs.
Martinez understands today's tactical approach.
That means never letting the ball linger at your feet for too long!
We absolutely cannot engage in a close fight with these Atletico Madrid lunatics in a dangerous area!
Martinez threw the ball directly to Griezmann, who was there to receive it.
Griezmann didn't stop the ball. Instead, he met it with the instep of his right foot and flicked it high into the air, launching a long pass into Atletico Madrid's half.
The ball arced high through the air, bypassing the tight midfield defense.
Real Sociedad forwards Ifran and Prieto immediately started their run, sprinting frantically towards the ball's landing point.
This long pass and cross directly created an opportunity for their strikers to engage in a close-quarters battle.
The entire Real Sociedad midfield and forward line began to engage in extremely frantic off-the-ball movement and stretching in Atletico Madrid's half.
This tactic is extremely flawed, but its purpose is very clear.
They were like a pre-woven net, directly and ruthlessly covering Atletico Madrid's backfield and the area where they could pass the ball.
Godin leaped high in the backfield and headed away the poorly positioned long pass with great difficulty.
However, he didn't control the ball's trajectory well, and it bounced off Griezmann's thigh and rolled out of bounds again.
……
The ball was moved forward, and the throw-in was transferred to the vicinity of Atletico Madrid's penalty area.
Real Sociedad still had possession of the ball.
Griezmann quickly walked over and picked up the ball.
He turned his head and his gaze quickly locked onto the positions in front of Atletico Madrid's penalty area.
Gabi is directing the defensive line to retreat.
Li Jing stood at the top of the penalty area, looking up to observe the running routes around him.
Griezmann's mind flashed back to the crazy plan that had been in the tactics room before the game.
"As long as the captain's passing to number 13 is cut off, Atletico Madrid's backline will automatically collapse and make mistakes."
Griezmann raised the ball and threw it powerfully towards Prieto near the right side of the penalty area.
Prieto receives the ball with his back to goal.
Gabi immediately pressed close, trying to corner Prieto.
……
Prieto felt a tremendous pushing force coming from behind him.
Instead of forcing a turn to engage in a physical confrontation, he cleverly used the outside of his left foot to pass the ball back to Griezmann outside the penalty area, following Gabi's push.
"The center-back should move up!"
Gabby immediately turned around and shouted.
Griezmann faced the rolling ball without any intention of stopping it.
In this kid's extremely keen vision, behind Atletico Madrid's extremely high defensive line at the start of the game, there was a huge, empty vacuum!
This is Atletico Madrid's biggest tactical weakness right now!
The formation is pushed too deep, putting immense pressure on the back line!
Griezmann slammed his right foot down hard, giving the Atletico Madrid defenders no time to react.
The ball was violently shoved directly into the gap between the two center-backs, Godin and Miranda!
Real Sociedad striker Ifran made a lightning-fast run and successfully beat the offside trap!
One-on-one!
Ifran took a large step and went straight into the penalty area, facing the decisive goalkeeper Courtois.
Without any hesitation, he swung his right foot and unleashed an unreasonable, powerful shot!
The ball, splashing water from the grass, darted past Courtois's armpit at high speed!
"Whoosh!"
The ball slammed into the white net!
……
The Anoeta Stadium instantly erupted into complete madness!
The Basque fans in the stands all jumped up from their plastic seats, waving various yellow and blue inflatable batons and scarves wildly in the air.
Countless full or empty beer glasses and white scraps of paper rained down from the highest point of the stands like a blizzard.
The corner flag area in Atletico Madrid's half was covered with a thick layer of these messy things.
……
Inside the broadcast room.
He Wei suddenly stood up straight from the commentator's chair, slamming his hands heavily on the table.
"Real Sociedad scores in the second minute!"
He Wei's voice was even a little hoarse from extreme shock.
"Incredible! Absolutely incredible!"
"Who would have thought that Atletico Madrid's extremely aggressive high-pressing tactics would be countered by Real Sociedad using the same high-pressure strategy!"
"This was a perfectly prepared and flawless tactical blitzkrieg!"
"Atletico Madrid scored with a lightning-fast goal in the last match, and this time they're reaping the bitter fruit!"
"Could it be that Atletico Madrid is going to suffer a crushing defeat away from home in this match?"
……
Inside the restricted area.
Courtois scrambled to his feet from the slippery grass, his face flushed red.
The two-meter-tall Belgian man took off his heavy right goalkeeper glove and slammed it hard onto the grass in front of the goal line.
Then, he turned around abruptly.
He raised his long leg and kicked the white metal doorpost hard.
"Clang!"
A loud, muffled thud.
Courtois launched into a tirade against Godin and Miranda in front of him.
"My damn shutout bonus!"
"Only two minutes! The game is already ruined after only two minutes!"
"Are you two sleepwalking up there?! You can't even keep an eye on a person's shadow!"
This scene, with its stark comedic contrast—the angry goalkeeper and the frustration of having just conceded a goal—created a unique emotional clash within the penalty area.
Godin raised his hands guiltily, indicating that the ball was indeed caught off guard because the defense had pushed too far forward.
……
The home team's coaching bench.
When manager Philippe saw the ball hit the net, he was so excited that he jumped up and down on the sidelines.
He clenched his fists tightly, completely disregarding the image of a head coach.
He slammed his knees onto the grass at the edge of the field, completing an incredibly long and passionate knee slide that stretched for three meters.
The knees of those well-made gray trousers were stained with two huge blobs of green grass juice.
After sliding down his knees, Philip quickly got up from the ground, turned around, and hugged the assistant coach next to him tightly.
"Did you see that?! Did you fucking see that?!"
Philip shook the teaching assistant's shoulders frantically and yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Antoine is an absolute genius! His proposed high-post offensive tactic has worked flawlessly!"
……
on the field.
Griezmann was surrounded and hugged by several Real Sociedad teammates who rushed over, who frantically ruffled his hair.
A few seconds later, he broke free from the crowd.
Griezmann turned around and stared intently at Li Jing, who was standing near the center circle.
The blond-haired Frenchman extended his right hand, his index and middle fingers together.
He swung it outwards with an extremely cool air, right next to his eyebrows.
His young face was beaming with an arrogant, triumphant smile, his provocation undisguised.
This series of detailed actions, designed to ignite hatred, instantly brought the tension on the field to its peak.
……
Sidelines.
The Atlético Madrid coaching bench was eerily quiet.
Assistant coach Burgos jumped up anxiously from the plastic chair, his hands gripping the tactical board tightly, his knuckles turning white.
"Diego! Should we change formation immediately?"
Burgos shouted at Simone.
"Make them all retreat and defend! These Basques are insane!"
"A direct counter-offensive is too risky! The several dozen meters of undefended space behind our lines was just breached!"
Simone stood ramrod straight, his hands in the pockets of his black suit trousers.
He stared at the field, completely ignoring his colleague Philip, who was celebrating wildly next to him.
"What's the panic?"
Simone let out a short, cold laugh.
He extended his right hand and pointed his index finger at the tall figure in the center circle of the field.
"Take a good look at Li Jing."
"Do you see even the slightest sign of anxiety in him?"
"Hermann, you still don't understand."
"What's most terrifying about this kid is never his insane, tireless physical ability!"
"It's not just his game, but his terrifyingly precise tactical adaptability on the field!"
……
on the field.
Li Jing didn't even budge.
He even leisurely bent down and picked up a plastic lighter that had been thrown down by fans watching the collision from the grass at his feet.
He tossed it casually, and it went straight out of bounds.
Li Jing raised his right hand and rubbed the tip of his nose very hard with the back of his hand.
The tactical radar in my brain started frantically replaying the moment the ball was conceded.
The match has reached the 15th minute.
For the past fifteen minutes, Atletico Madrid have had an extremely difficult time.
Real Sociedad's four midfielders were like four pieces of chewing gum, firmly blocking Gabi's forward passing lanes near the midfield line.
As Li Jing ran back and forth, he constantly observed and calculated the opponent's positioning logic.
"So that's how it is."
A flash of insight struck Li Jing, and he finally understood.
The opposing team's four midfielders are positioned high up in the middle, they're not just running around aimlessly.
Their lateral stretches and forced forward runs were all designed to create space for the Frenchman Griezmann to pass the ball and receive it!
A very clear logic for breaking the deadlock instantly flashed into Li Jing's mind.
"The tactical core of this broken team is Griezmann."
"We just need to completely crush Griezmann on this pitch."
"This seemingly fierce high-pressure paper array will soon turn into a pile of scrap metal."
……
Atletico Madrid won a throw-in in the attacking third, and the referee blew his whistle to stop the game.
Take advantage of this gap in the dead ball.
Li Jing strode directly to Gabi's side.
Gabi, his face dark, was pulling hard on the captain's armband, preparing to call his teammates back to their positions.
"team leader."
Li Jing reached out and grabbed Gabi's arm tightly.
"Go tell Costa later that the pressing intensity in front of the forwards cannot be reduced even slightly."
Gabi paused for a moment, then reached up and wiped the sweat from his chin.
Li Jing continued to make arrangements extremely quickly.
"But remember this: don't try to guard that Frenchman up close anymore."
"Leave the entire central defense zone to me."
Gabi's eyes widened suddenly, and he pointed directly at the extremely empty midfield area.
"Is the whole thing being entrusted to you alone?"
Gabby's face was filled with disbelief.
"The opposing team has four players pressing near the center line!"
"If you try to cover such a large area by yourself, what if Griezmann leads you astray?"
"I bet your stamina won't last thirty minutes before you completely collapse!"
Li Jing grinned, forming an extremely dangerous arc, revealing a set of white teeth.
"Trying to fool me?"
"Don't worry, leave it to me."
Li Jing turned around decisively.
He took a long stride and strode across the halfway line.
He forcefully positioned himself defensively and pushed forward a full ten meters.
This massive body was like a wall of thorns, pressed directly against the center circle!
……
Gabby watched the figure from behind.
hiss!
It feels so damn safe!
……
(P.S.: 20,000 words in one day, 1mm less style for every chapter less. Don't worry, brothers, keep reading!)