Chapter Twenty-Two: The Expert in Coercive Seizure

"Coach Zhao!" He Chaoyue found Zhao Xiaotang and bowed slightly.

Zhao Xiaotang nodded with a smile. "Xiao He, I heard you're not feeling well?"

He Chaoyue gave a dry cough. "Just a bit exhausted."

Zhao Xiaotang nodded. "You need a balance between work and rest. Traveling the world for matches is truly grueling."

He Chaoyue was left speechless.

Zhao Xiaotang spoke up, "Team A is in for a tough match today!"

He Chaoyue nodded subconsciously. "Yes, Team A... wait, what?" He turned his head, surprised. "Team A is in for a tough match?"

Zhao Xiaotang nodded. "Team B has made some changes. If it’s this version of Team B, and with you not on the field, Team A really might stumble."

He Chaoyue remained puzzled.

Zhao Xiaotang laughed. "You'll understand in a moment!"

On the pitch, the match had already begun.

Team A took the initiative to attack. Perhaps fueled by an inherent psychological advantage, their play was bolder and more aggressive. Without fully probing the opposition, they passed the ball directly forward. It had to be said that Team A’s movement and passing lanes were excellent. Their momentum was fierce.

"Damn it! They’re already attacking?" Yang Fan felt anxious. He shouted forward, "Drop back! A few of you, drop back!"

But Zhao Jun continued his leisurely retreat, glancing around periodically as if ready to launch a counterattack at any moment.

"What are you doing?" Yang Fan was furious, ready to hurl an insult: "You bastard, you’re just preten—"

Before he could finish, Wang Xiaomiao took flight. Literally—he flew right over the sideline.

Wang Xiaomiao was bewildered. He had been performing step-overs, trying to dribble past the sluggish-looking No. 4 defensive midfielder. But the next second, as he flicked the ball to change direction, he was sent airborne.

"What the hell?" Yang Fan stared in astonishment. He saw Wei Lai step on the ball, leisurely dribbling it forward. Just a moment ago, Wang Xiaomiao had been showboating with his footwork right in front of Wei Lai. But the moment he flicked the ball to accelerate, Wei Lai had taken a long stride and sent him flying with a perfectly timed challenge. The timing was impeccable.

"Nice!" Zhao Jun gave Wei Lai a thumbs-up as he dropped back to support.

Wei Lai calmly passed the ball while glancing at Wang Xiaomiao. "Showing off gets you struck by lightning," Wei Lai shook his head. *What is there to show off?*

He Chaoyue frowned. "Wang Xiaomiao was overconfident."

Zhao Xiaotang chuckled. "True, he was, but even if he hadn't been, he still wouldn't have gotten past him."

"What?" He Chaoyue turned his head; this was the second time he’d asked that question.

Zhao Xiaotang maintained his expression. "Just keep watching. It’s about to get interesting."

*Bang!*

Mumuti’s shot was off-target, flying directly over the crossbar.

"Did you forget to wash your feet? That was a world-class pass from me!" Guo Fan looked frustrated.

Mumuti quickly said, "Friend, friend, calm down."

Team A restarted play. Wei Lai spotted an opportunity and immediately shouted, "Press them! Disrupt them!"

With that, Wei Lai charged straight at Weng Shaojie without hesitation. Faced with Team B's high press, Team A hurried to pass the ball to Weng Shaojie. As soon as Weng received it, he felt immense pressure from behind.

"When did he get there?" Weng Shaojie felt a wave of uncertainty, but his opponent wouldn't let him turn. He chose to pass back.

Wei Lai roared, "Keep the pressure on!"

Team B swarmed forward like madmen. Team A tried to look for Weng Shaojie, but he was being tightly marked by Wei Lai.

Seeing the ball move to the flank, Wei Lai turned his head. "Yang Fan, you go too!"

Yang Fan was stunned. "I should really go?"

"No nonsense!" Wei Lai said decisively. "Press up! I'll cover for you!"

"Alright then!" Yang Fan charged forward immediately.

Instantly, Team A's passing space was further compressed. Wei Lai’s eyes were bright, locked onto the ball as it traveled across the pitch. *Drive them! Pressure them!* In a high press, you can use this to your advantage. It’s about how to utilize it effectively to create opportunities even in the opponent's half.

*Bang!*

Under pressure, Team A was forced to clear the ball with a long kick. Mao Biao looked up, eyes on the ball, and spread his arms. "This is mine!"

Before his voice faded, Wei Lai’s voice rang out. "Captain Mao! Hold your position, this is mine!"

As he spoke, Wei Lai sprinted toward the landing spot like a tiger. Team A’s center-forward, Ding Hao, felt his eyelid twitch. He was a center-forward, but not a stationary target man! However, his physical condition was a level below Wei Lai's.

*Thud!*

Wei Lai planted his right foot, his thigh muscles bulging, and he leaped into the air like a beast. His core coiled like a bow, then snapped!

*Bang!*

The ball was perfectly headed to Mao Biao. Mao Biao easily cushioned the ball with his chest, and as it hit the ground, he flicked it to Wang Wenbin. Wang Wenbin followed the flank to find the supporting Ma Chenchen, who then found Zhao Jun. Team B had regained possession!

He Chaoyue was surprised. "Team B has practiced their high press this well?"

Zhao Xiaotang laughed. "We've practiced it, but it wasn't this good before. It’s just that we have a pressing expert on our side."

"A pressing expert?" He Chaoyue looked at Zhao Xiaotang.

Zhao Xiaotang pointed to the pitch. "Keep your eyes on No. 4. Watch his positioning choices and his defensive command."

He Chaoyue stared at Wei Lai, watching his positioning, his commands, and his constant movement. The more he watched, the more shocked he became.

"It’s not passive!" He Chaoyue exclaimed.

Zhao Xiaotang looked at He Chaoyue and thought to himself, *Indeed a genius, so sensitive.*

"Exactly! It’s not passive. Even when we don't have the ball, our defense isn't passive—it’s proactive!"

He Chaoyue frowned. "Proactive defense... this..."

Zhao Xiaotang continued, "Drive them! Pressure them! That is the theory behind a high press. And he is using his commands to drive and pressure them. Look at every one of Wei Lai’s positioning choices; he’s not just cutting off their passing lanes, he’s also neutralizing Weng Shaojie as a release valve. If they want to play the ball on the ground, they have to be prepared for an interception. Otherwise, they have to resort to clearing it long! That is the intent of our defensive anchor."

He Chaoyue frowned. "That’s true, but what if Weng Shaojie drops back to receive and uses his individual skill to break away?"

Zhao Xiaotang couldn't help but laugh. "Why do you think Wei Lai dares to do this? With a vast space behind him, he proactively occupies the pivot position. Doesn't he know that if he gets beaten, the defensive line will be exposed to a counterattack? It might not happen once, but after a few times, they’d be in trouble! So why does he dare to do this?"

He Chaoyue pursed his lips, hesitating. "Could it be..."

On the pitch, Weng Shaojie dropped back to receive. "Pass it to me!"

Weng Shaojie didn't dare wait any longer; if he did, the defense might collapse. He needed to take responsibility and open up a gap for the defense to pass forward.

*Bang!*

The ball arrived, and Weng Shaojie felt the pressure from behind again. But this time, he didn't choose to pass back. Instead, while playing with his back to the goal, he feinted left and right repeatedly, trying to disrupt his opponent's center of gravity. But his opponent was like a shadow, and the pressure never let up.

"Damn it!" Weng Shaojie cursed under his breath. He decided to gamble. Just as he trapped the ball and prepared to turn and pull away, his foot suddenly felt empty. He knew the ball had been poked away.

"Oh no!" Weng Shaojie’s heart sank.

But by now, Mumuti had already surged to where the ball was. Simultaneously, Cheng Chong pushed past the defensive line and into the penalty area. Mumuti charged diagonally. Seeing the opponent’s fierce momentum, the defense could only spare one man to challenge him.

"Go press him!" Wei Shangzhi shouted urgently. They couldn't let Mumuti get into shooting range.

Just as Liu Yang was about to initiate his sprint, Mumuti suddenly passed the ball forward, slipping it to Cheng Chong.

"Don't let him turn!" Goalkeeper Wan Tao roared. Wei Shangzhi also held his ground against Cheng Chong. But at that moment, Cheng Chong didn't turn either; he gently tapped the ball to the side.

Mumuti arrived on the spot and met the ball with a fierce strike. It was a low, driven shot that skimmed the grass and zipped straight into the goal.