Chapter Nine: The First Lesson in Coordinated Defense—Drive Them Away!
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In the morning, Chen Qian was awakened by the humming sound of the dryer. Stepping out of the bedroom, she saw Wei Lai holding dumbbells and training in the living room.
“Up so early? Why not sleep a little longer?” Chen Qian tied up her hair and glanced toward the dryer.
“Doing laundry?” she asked.
Wei Lai replied, “Washing the bedsheets and duvet covers!”
Chen Qian said, “They were already washed before you came!”
Wei Lai grinned and made up an excuse, “I sweated a lot last night; the sheets got a bit damp.”
“Is that so?” Chen Qian didn’t doubt him and went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Before long, her father got up too.
Nothing much had changed; yawning, he turned on the morning news, then went to freshen up. After washing, he lay down on the sofa.
“Honey, aren’t you going to the factory today?” Chen Qian came out to ask.
Chen Qian was a teacher, currently on summer break, so she was resting.
Wei Chenggong ran a fertilizer factory; he was a medium-sized boss—not extremely wealthy, but enough to support the family’s needs.
Lying on the sofa and scrolling on his phone, Wei Chenggong waved his hand, “Not going today. I’ve arranged a game with Old Wang and the others this afternoon.”
Then he looked at Wei Lai and said, “Son, do you want to play?”
Wei Lai shook his head immediately.
He wasn’t interested. His dad played terribly, and their teammates were even worse.
...
“Xiao Lai! Just finished eating, are you going out to train now?”
Having just eaten, Wei Lai grabbed his football and was about to leave. Chen Qian looked at her son with concern.
She always felt like her son’s training load was a bit too heavy.
She knew football required years of training and was a very demanding sport, but Wei Lai seemed to be putting in even more effort than others.
“I just joined the U15 Division B team. Now is the time to train hard and catch up, or I’ll fall behind later!” Wei Lai hugged the ball, smiled, and already had his cleats in hand, ready to head out.
“Good son.” Wei Chenggong gave a thumbs-up and smiled, “Dad will always support you!”
Wei Lai looked at Wei Chenggong.
“Dad!”
“Hm?” Wei Chenggong turned to him.
Wei Lai wanted to say so much:
I’ll take you to the World Cup?
Wait for me to grow up?
I’ll make it to the national team?
But those words felt too grand and empty!
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Only one sentence remained on the tip of his tongue…
“I will train even harder!”
Wei Chenggong paused, then slowly smiled, “Ah!”
He found an open field. Since it was morning, there were hardly any people around except some elderly strolling about.
Wei Lai found a shaded spot to sit and slowly closed his eyes.
A card floated before him.
[Extra Training Card x30]
These cards allowed him to enter simulated match scenarios without sleeping.
It was a gift from Coach Yakult, called a newcomer’s package.
Coach Yakult also said he had to use these 30 cards to graduate from his course within a month.
“Strength training is complete. Your physical condition makes you a heavyweight player among your peers, even at higher-level squads!”
Coach Yakult asked, “You haven’t neglected foot speed or agility training, right?”
“Of course not!” Wei Lai answered seriously.
Increasing strength inevitably brings stiffness, so he trained hard to keep his muscles flexible.
“Good!” Coach Yakult waved his hand gently, and a ball appeared out of thin air, falling to be effortlessly stopped at his feet.
“Next, we move to practical training. The defensive midfielder position is central. This creates gaps around you—front, back, left, and right. Learning how to use these spaces wisely is your goal!”
As he spoke, the field transformed, revealing six players.
Three wore red jerseys; three wore blue.
Their faces were obscured by mist, making them indistinguishable.
Coach Yakult stood in the middle of the red team, dribbling the ball, then looked at Wei Lai. “Watch closely. The first lesson is called ‘Driving Pressure.’”
With that, Coach Yakult kicked the ball sharply.
Wei Lai focused intently.
The ball reached the blue team’s feet, and they began forming various triangles.
This is the classic triangle attack pattern in football.
But as their formation took shape, the red team quickly closed in, pressing the opponent’s positions.
It was a three-on-three offense-defense duel.
Wei Lai watched the red team where Coach Yakult stood—they were defending but showed no signs of tackling. Instead, they constantly pressured the opponent’s passing.
Whenever a pass was made, they immediately appeared beside the ball carrier to block turning and apply physical pressure.
They prevented the opponent’s forward progress.
Wei Lai noticed that whenever the blue team tried to advance, a red player pressed the passer, Coach Yakult intercepted the passing lane, and another defender shadowed the advancing player, gradually pushing him toward the sideline.
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The blue team passed repeatedly; the red team pressed relentlessly.
Eventually, the red team forced the blue team to the sideline.
At this critical moment, three red players instantly formed a surround, pinning the ball carrier against the sideline and pressing intensely, successfully stealing the ball.
Wei Lai’s mouth opened slightly.
“This…”
Coach Yakult approached and said, “This is driving pressure! Constantly pressing your opponent, shrinking their passing space, forcing them into corners to create a favorable defensive position.”
“Sometimes defense isn’t passive. Like this, continuous high pressing without possession can seize initiative!”
Coach Yakult smiled. “So, why are they being pressed?”
Wei Lai instinctively said, “Safe ball!”
Coach Yakult was momentarily stunned, then nodded, “Exactly! Safe ball!”
“A qualified midfielder always passes safe balls—never losing possession!”
“We block the outside, creating a safe zone inside for them to pass safely, but we gradually press, shrinking their space. Even if they realize it, it’s already too late!”
Coach Yakult’s tone was firm: “This is driving pressure!”
“Want to try?”
Wei Lai’s spirits lifted, “Let’s go!”
The moment Wei Lai stepped onto the field, his vision suddenly narrowed.
Before, he had a lateral view, allowing him to see all the gaps, but now, being on the field, his view was limited.
“During this, you must not only defend yourself but also direct your teammates to coordinate the defense!”
Coach Yakult finished speaking and loudly commanded, “Start!”
Wei Lai immediately closed in on the nearest attacker wearing number 3 and turned to watch the opponent.
The opponent quickly passed the ball forward. Wei Lai followed instantly.
Bang!
The ball was flicked over Wei Lai’s head with the foot’s instep, landing behind him.
Another blue attacker had already made a forward run and easily gained possession.
[Blue Team Successfully Breaks Through]
Wei Lai: “???”
Coach Yakult: “Not pressing hard enough! Timing is off! You’re positioned centrally, and the opponent is using a pivot. You need to suppress that pivot!”
Wei Lai gritted his teeth, “Keep going!”