But Sotu gestured with a large wave and held Tom’s shoulder.
"Tom, you’re still young..." Seeing Tom’s face that looked a decade older than his, Sotu couldn’t bear to pretend and explained, "Lu Yang’s impact is not just about enjoying privileges."
"In fact, he is using this approach to erode Gubbio’s defense. His intention is very clear; he wants to take down their number five player in advance!"
Tom was taken aback.
This... is it really that ruthless?
How confident must he be?
But looking at the situation in the first half, you can’t deny that there’s indeed a possibility.
After all, the opponent is already burdened with a yellow card.
Defensive midfielders and forwards are different; this yellow card is somewhat troublesome for Gubbio.
"This indeed involves Lu Yang and his personal grudges, but at the same time, it benefits the team’s offense. Look here, and here, and here... In these three attacks, Gubbio’s defensive midfielder positioned himself very accurately."
"He is always able to block Sogel’s outward position, and his defensive anticipation is quite excellent. This is also why our left flank hardly attempted any crosses in the first half."
"Neither Lu Yang nor Bai Zhami could deliver effective crosses."
"Once that player is taken off, and the substitute defensive midfielder doesn’t have his sense of position, gaps will inevitably appear. By then, the threat of our crosses will greatly increase."
"So, Lu Yang’s actions can also be seen as him single-handedly piercing through the opponent’s defense."
Tom seemed to understand yet was confused; could Lu Yang really possess such impressive tactical awareness?
Are you sure he’s not just annoyed with their number five?
Sotu gave a profound smile; Lu Yang is anything but simple.
What a joke!
In the locker room.
Lu Yang was speaking: "My idea is simple, we must take down their number five. I don’t like him, not at all! So I hope everyone can support me. I know I’m playing a little less team-oriented this match."
Naji: "Don’t say that, Lu, you led us to take the lead, that’s the right path."
Latu Yidi: "Charge ahead with confidence, we are your strong backing!"
Fernandez: "Don’t be modest, we’ll cooperate with you no matter how you want to play; that’s what we’re supposed to do."
Bai Zhami: "I’m willing to keep running for you!"
Sogel: "Yes, that’s exactly the kind of team we are!"
Everyone hugged together, the atmosphere was incredibly good.
However, Sotu’s face turned a bit green as he just walked in.
And Tom snickered at the side.
Sotu coughed twice: "In the second half, everyone should try their best to create opportunities for Lu Yang to charge against the opponent’s number five player. He already has a yellow card; he won’t last long."
"Once he’s subbed off, the left flank can attack with gusto, and then we can cross more to create threats. Especially you, Bai Zhami; you need to adapt to Sogel’s runs and strive to deliver beautiful passes."
Sotu plans to seize the opportunity; since the situation is already in our favor, not taking advantage would be a waste.
Everyone nodded.
...
In the second half, San Remo started a new round of assault against Gubbio’s number five player.
Most of the time, it was Lu Yang charging forward.
Even San Remo’s midfield core, Morici, stayed in the defensive midfield position during this phase to prevent Lu Yang from losing possession and getting countered by the opponent.
One could say, San Remo was truly going all out today.
They were using Lu Yang as the absolute core of their attack.
And the usually steady Lu Yang saw his highest number of possession losses in history today.
But similarly, his explosive capability was once again evident to everyone.
At least, many reporters now realized that one person alone couldn’t stop Lu Yang!
This is actually a very important signal.
Especially in a battle of giants, a player with top-level explosive ability often decides which way the scales of victory will tip.
San Remo previously only had half of such a player.
Bai Zhami.
He had top-level speed, but lacked the corresponding intelligence and playing habits, so he could only count as half, which wasn’t threatening enough.
But now, they have added another half... Lu Yang.
This makes a world of difference.
Bam!
Lu Yang was once again brought down by the opponent’s number five player.
The position was fairly distant from the goal.
The main referee came over once again to warn him that if he committed another foul, he would receive his second yellow card of the match.
After Lu Yang got up, he immediately ran towards the penalty area to prepare for the attack.
On San Remo’s side, their players lined up near the edge of the penalty area, preparing to receive Morici’s free kick.
This was a position where a direct goal was not possible, but a good spot for making plays.
Lu Yang intentionally crowded in front of Gubbio’s number five player.
The two occasionally pulled at each other, but it was all minor actions.
Bam!
Morici found Lu Yang and took the kick directly.
This was not a threatening pass over the wall.
Instead, it was a point-to-point high ball pass.
This was meant for Lu Yang.
Lu Yang leaned into Gubbio’s number five player.
The opponent was at a disadvantage in the physical contest against Lu Yang.
If he didn’t have the yellow card, he would definitely use some small tactics to bring Lu Yang down.
But now, Gubbio’s number five didn’t dare to risk it.
He was worried about getting a red card.
So he could only be fixed firmly behind Lu Yang.
"Remember what I told you before?" Lu Yang suddenly spoke.
Gubbio’s number five was stunned.
Bam!
The football came rushing in.
Lu Yang didn’t even stop the ball, instead, as he leaned against Gubbio’s number five player, he turned and executed a volley shot on the fly!
The football was like a bomb, rushing directly into the net, unstoppable by anyone.
At this moment, Lu Yang was like a victorious war god.
This was a super goal of power and beauty.
The commentators on site were instantly boiling over.
"My God! What did I just see! This is an incredible goal!"
"Carrel! Why did Carrel appear in the Italian Third Division? How should the opponent even play?"
"Yes, Lu Yang’s half-turn volley shot is just like Florence’s Carrel!"
"The Crown Prince of the Purple Lily finally proved his legitimacy; he possesses the tyrannical shooting passed down from Carrel!"
"This is definitely a War God level performance!"
"Gubbio’s defenders in front of Lu Yang look like kittens, though they struggle desperately, they’ve never taken the upper hand in the contest."
"Let’s take a look at the replay, oh, such an intense physical contest! In contests of this level, making a shot is no easy task for players."
"Being able to complete a shot is already good for a forward, yet Lu Yang managed to score such a breathtaking goal."
"He dominated the entire match, he dominated Gubbio’s number five player!"
"Oh! Gubbio made a substitution; they took off their number five player. It seems the head coach believes that he, burdened with a yellow card, is no longer suitable to stay on the field."
"This is a correct decision; we could see he really couldn’t stop Lu Yang, and that incredible goal proves it best."
The subsequent match proceeded just as Sotu expected.
With the loss of the main defensive midfielder, Gubbio’s defensive gaps widened.
Lu Yang and Bai Zhami clearly increased their crosses from the flanks.
And Sogel began to display the dangers of a center forward.
Lu Yang and Bai Zhami performed a simple combination on the flank. Although it was seen through by the opponent, Lu Yang still smoothly completed a cross from the flank.
Sogel’s header was deflected by the opponent’s goalkeeper.
To be fair, the opponent’s goalkeeper didn’t perform poorly today.
But... having Lu Yang and Morici score three miracle goals successively is a tough pill for any goalkeeper.
The right winger Fernandez rushed into the box and got the first drop point, but he didn’t shoot immediately, missing a good chance, he had to pass the ball to Versachi on the outside.
Faced with defense, Versachi made a direct horizontal pass.
Morici stepped up and took a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, sending the ball into Gubbio’s net for the fourth time.
It was a successful tactical play; the cross from the left flank was crucial.
Sotu clapped with satisfaction and signaled everyone to keep going.