He judged correctly!
He was certain that Mancini’s shot could go over the wall!
He chose to trust in the strength of the Great British Imperial Star, and his trust was rewarded!
He executed a perfect save!
The Italian goalkeeper, who had been scored against three times in this match, had not lost confidence. He firmly believed he was a good goalkeeper, and indeed, he proved it.
Bang!
The soccer ball was forcefully blocked by Areola’s hand.
Due to issues with hand positioning and the ball’s spin.
The ball flew high but did not go out of bounds.
The English players surged forward, charging into the penalty area, ready to contend for the header.
But after landing, Areola quickly got back up and jumped again.
He plucked the ball from above the heads of several players.
In the process, he experienced some collisions.
If he had fallen holding the ball due to the pain in his rib, the referee would have stopped the match and called a foul on the English player for charging the goalkeeper.
But Areola didn’t.
Because he saw Morici frantically waving on the right side of the penalty area.
"Ah!"
Enduring the pain, Areola swung his big hand, throwing the ball towards Morici.
It was then that the English players noticed Morici.
Rashim was the first to rush towards Morici. He had no special intuition; it was purely his professional running habit.
But even so, Rashim was still a step late.
Morici didn’t stop the ball at all; instead, his left foot, like a whip, struck the incoming ball directly in the air!
A truly rocket-like super-fast pass-shot!
In an instant, the football seemed to traverse space, appearing directly in the air at the center circle.
And there, Lu Yang was sprinting at full speed!
Both central defenders of the England backline were present, with one directly retreating near the penalty area.
While Chaloba’s retreat was limited, maintaining a position one or two meters in front of Lu Yang.
He didn’t directly contest the ball with Lu Yang because he knew Lu Yang was strong in aerial duels and had unmatched judgment of the ball’s drop point.
If Lu Yang controlled the ball in a contest, it would take just a moment for him to get past Chaloba.
Therefore, Chaloba wisely allowed Lu Yang to receive the ball while he would defend him head-on.
With both center-backs in position, it would be difficult for Lu Yang to pose a genuine threat.
As long as they delayed, the main force would return, and it would be manageable.
Even if Lu Yang attempted a shot, it would either be blocked or have such a poor angle that the goalkeeper would find it easy to save.
Chaloba had everything planned out.
But...
Lu Yang ran past!
He visibly ran past!
According to the ball’s drop point and Lu Yang’s running speed, the ball would land behind him.
Chaloba was stunned, had he misjudged from staring at the ball in the air too long?
He instinctively leaned forward.
If Lu Yang didn’t contest for the ball, Chaloba could control it as soon as it rebounded upon hitting the ground.
Compared to directly disrupting aerial balls, controlling a ball after it hits the ground is much simpler.
The principle that footwork is more reliable than heading holds true in any sport.
He wasn’t confident in the header contest, but Chaloba was assured in disrupting the ball.
Chaloba and Lu Yang rapidly closed in on each other.
Simultaneously, the ball was quickly descending.
Bang!
The ball indeed landed behind Lu Yang!
However... just as it landed, Lu Yang didn’t slow down, still running, only raising his trailing leg a bit higher.
His heel tapped the ball directly.
The ball bounced back up into the air and swiftly moved towards the England Team’s penalty area.
And Lu Yang swiftly flew past Chaloba.
Only Chaloba was left dumbfounded... Where did the ball go?
Where did it disappear to?
The whole stadium fell silent.
What kind of dribbling was this?
There had never been such a running and dribbling move!
Was this a Scorpion Tail or Divine Dragon Tail?
This was freaking art!
After turning around, Chaloba finally saw the ball dropping from the sky again, along with Lu Yang holding off his teammate at the top of the penalty arc.
Why did I have to become the background for this classic moment?
Is it just because I’m the only named defender on the England Youth Team’s backline?
Chaloba was devastated.
His intuition told him that no matter the outcome, he’d definitely become an indispensable part of the post-match analysis.
Just like Cortino and even for a much longer time.
In the world of football, a lot of red cards are shown.
Other than the top few infamous ones, very few red cards stay talked about for ten or twenty years.
But Lu Yang’s recent move, unprecedented, will be hard to surpass in the future.
Chaloba getting bypassed this time would probably be remembered for decades!
Dammit!
On the other side, Lu Yang was holding off another England Team’s center-back, fiercely contending against him.
The physical prowess of an English center-back goes without saying—more brutal than Lam.
To withstand him, Lu Yang had to lean heavily.
His whole back was completely pressed against the opponent’s chest, forming an angle with the ground of less than forty-five degrees!
If the opponent suddenly withdrew force, Lu Yang would definitely fall straight to the ground.
But the opponent wouldn’t dare!
Withdrawing force has its costs.
What if Lu Yang anticipated it and was ready for the withdrawal?
Then recklessly withdrawing would only make the center-back miss the best defense opportunity.
Moreover, this defender was confident enough.
He believed that under his pressure, Lu Yang, who could barely stand, had no chance of taking a shot.