Chapter 33: What a Supple Waist! (Please Favorite)

The starting lineups for both teams are as follows:

Jiaozhou Willy Football Academy (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Zhao Xuan.
Defenders: Wang Wenbin, Li Kai, Mao Biao, Yang Fan.
Midfielders: Guo Fan, Ma Chenchen, Zhao Jun, Wei Lai, Yuan Kai.
Forward: Cheng Chong.

Guangdong Provincial Guangfa Youth Training (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Shao Zixuan.
Defenders: Shuai Hao, Li Yutong, Qiu Hang, Wang Jiajia.
Midfielders: Zhuang Ali, Chen Shaojie, Yu Jiahe, Zhao Shuo, Zheng Jie.
Forward: Luo Xiang.

“Whoa! What’s up with this guy? Did you guys bring in a foreign player?” Guo Fan pointed at Zhuang Ali in astonishment.

Zhuang Ali turned his head and retorted in flawless Mandarin, “You’re the real foreigner, idiot!”

“Enough with the trash talk! The match is about to start!” Cheng Chong reminded them.

Guo Fan immediately snapped into game mode, his gaze sharpening with focus.

A crowd had already gathered, more than double the number from the last couple of days. This match promised to be spectacular—an intense showdown between the nation’s top youth academies.

The referee signaled to both goalkeepers, then blew the whistle.

Beep!

The whistle sounded, and Guangfa Youth Training kicked off first.

At the kickoff, the players from Willy Football Academy surged forward, launching themselves into the opponent’s half and initiating aggressive pressing.

Right from the start, unlike the previous days, the two teams charged headlong into combat.

“Pass it!”
“Quick pass!”
“Switch the play!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The ball was passed at lightning speed, nearly all one-touch passes, threading through every gap with pinpoint accuracy and almost no errors.

Guangfa Youth Training aimed to maintain their rhythm, while Willy Football Academy pressed high to apply pressure.

The tempo kept accelerating!

“Too fast!” Chen Shaojie retreated slightly, signaling for the ball.

“Go for him!” Guo Fan shouted, rushing forward alongside Yuan Kai, flanking from left and right.

Chen Shaojie received the ball with his back to the goal, both players intent on preventing him from turning.

Chen glanced behind him, then after controlling the ball, shouted to his center-back, “Get the ball!”

In a flash, Guo Fan and Yuan Kai stepped forward again, trying to intercept the return pass.

Unexpectedly, Chen Shaojie’s right foot suddenly stepped on the ball, then sharply pulled it back, spinning between the two defenders and breaking free.

“Damn!”
“Son of a—!”

Guo Fan and Yuan Kai shouted, immediately turning to chase.

But the ball had already been passed forward to a teammate.

Wei Lai watched the opponent with intense focus, scanning left and right for his teammates’ openings, while also noting the positioning of the opposing players.

He then shifted a few steps to the right.

In the next moment, the ball rolled toward Zhuang Ali.

Zhuang Ali tried to receive it but suddenly saw Wei Lai rushing up beside him.

“When did he get there?” Zhuang Ali panicked slightly, but confident in his physical strength, he intended to push Wei Lai away.

However, a thigh suddenly crossed in front, as Wei Lai stepped in to contest position.

Zhuang Ali pushed fiercely but couldn’t move Wei Lai an inch.

“Seriously?” Wei Lai bore down on Zhuang Ali, searching for a passing angle, but all his teammates were tightly marked.

He had no choice but to turn while holding off Zhuang Ali, passing the ball back to the safest center-back.

“Great pass!” Mao Biao praised angrily.

Wei Lai, relieved to have maintained possession, turned away.

Zhuang Ali stared blankly at Wei Lai’s retreating figure. Confident in his own physique, he was stunned by how solid Wei Lai’s base was.

“Ha!” Yang Fan couldn’t help but laugh. “The foreigner’s shocked!”

Wei Lai dropped back to receive a pass and sent it off to Ma Chenchen with a clean, unhesitant kick.

Wei Lai didn’t cling to the ball; fully aware of his own dribbling limits, he simply played it out in one strike.

His role was to defend and serve as a reliable pivot in passing sequences.

“Be careful! Willy’s attack is fierce!” Chen Shaojie warned in a low voice.

Willy Football Academy’s offensive prowess was top-tier.

Yuan Kai’s individual skills were impressive, and Guo Fan’s speed posed a huge threat.

Not to mention Cheng Chong, the towering center-forward standing in the middle.

The ball was passed to Guo Fan, who drove down the sideline, approaching the baseline. He feinted with a step, then explosively accelerated, creating half a body length of space before delivering a precision cross into the center.

Bang!

Cheng Chong headed the ball but collided with Guangfa defender Li Yutong. Nearby center-back Qiu Hang quickly booted it clear.

“Fight for it!” Qiu Hang shouted. “Push it out!”

At that moment, Wei Lai leapt high, nearly landing on Yu Jiahe’s back as he flicked a header pass.

The ball was sent to Yang Fan, who was positioned on the flank.

“Solid!” Yang Fan praised fiercely.

Receiving the ball, Yang Fan and Yuan Kai combined for a quick one-two, with Yang Fan driving to the baseline and crossing.

But this time, Cheng Chong couldn’t get a touch; the goalkeeper punched the ball away forcefully.

“Push it out! Push it out!” Qiu Hang shouted anxiously, his palms sweating after two consecutive threatening attacks.

“Up front, win the ball back!” Yu Jiahe, tightly marked by Wei Lai, bounced up and down in frustration, as if eager to throw a pair of electric shocks.

‘Use your head! They’re too strong to push away!’

Wei Lai met the descending ball, lightly flicking it with his toes to control, then quickly passed to Wang Wenbin on the right.

“Damn it! Missed the ball twice?” Chen Shaojie grew impatient.

If this kept up, Willy Football Academy would build unstoppable momentum.

“Awesome, Old Wei!” Yang Fan gave Wei Lai a thumbs-up while retreating.

But Wei Lai was too focused to respond, his eyes constantly scanning, his mind moving with the crowd’s flow.

He needed to anticipate every possible landing spot.

At that moment, Wei Lai’s concentration was terrifying.

Ping!

The ball struck the crossbar. Qiu Hang cleared it again with a strong kick.

“Push it out! Don’t play with fire!” Yu Jiahe called in reinforcements, pressing alongside Zhuang Ali from left and right to trap Wei Lai.

“I don’t believe two of you can hold me down!” Yu Jiahe and Zhuang Ali locked eyes on the ball, constantly judging the best moment to leap.

But just then, Wei Lai suddenly jumped.

“What the hell?”
“What’s he doing?”

The two looked on in shock as Wei Lai arched his body slightly backward, pressing down on both of them to prevent their jump, then headed the ball sharply, flicking it far behind.

Goalkeeper Zhao Xuan reacted quickly, securing the ball steadily and signaling for calm with both hands.

Wei Lai braced his core, stabilizing his body.

Yu Jiahe stared at Wei Lai in astonishment. “What a beastly waist!”

Zhuang Ali eyed Wei Lai’s midsection.

“What kind of waist is that!” Mao Biao laughed heartily.

Wei Lai’s anticipation of the ball’s landing was a rare skill.

Every jump was nearly a maximal reach, allowing him to claim the ball at its highest point.

Unless his opponents pinned him down, preventing him from jumping, no one could stop Wei Lai.