69novels Chapter 13: First Battle of Life and Death
Chapter 13: First Battle of Life and Death
"Just got here, guys, overslept. What's the situation on the field right now?"
"Didn't you see the scoreboard? Including stoppage time, there are only fifteen minutes left, and they're still 0-2 down. Monaco is doomed."
"I used to think highly of them as a strong team in Ligue 1. But to play like this with home advantage is outrageous. Tear up the ticket, tear up the ticket."
"So you're saying Monaco's Europa League hopes are basically over? Even if they have a breakout performance and beat Tottenham in the next round, they'll only have a maximum of nine points."
"Are they really hoping Tottenham will pull off a shock defeat to Qarabag when the match starts later?"
"Should we bet on Anderlecht to repeat Monaco's upset loss at home next round and also lose to Qarabag?"
"This is simply unrealistic. To hand over our qualification hopes to someone else is just too ridiculous."
The chat room was flooded with comments, all of which were fans' complaints.
Amidst the chorus of complaints, a comment suddenly popped up: "Wait! Look at the sidelines, someone's warming up!"
"That figure... looks familiar?"
"Holy crap! It's Jiang Ming!"
"The Chinese players are warming up?!"
"Is he going to play?"
"Stop talking nonsense, it's a bit late, can't you say something reasonable?"
"Check the screen yourself! Jiang Ming is standing next to the fourth official; it's time to replace him!"
The live chat exploded instantly.
"What the hell? Monaco has gone mad? Is Jardim really going to throw the game away and bring in Jiang Ming to sell jerseys?"
"I don't understand this move! If they really want to sell jerseys, wouldn't it be better to save them for the game against Tottenham? That game would generate real buzz!"
In the commentary booth of Lay's Sports, Sun Chen glanced at the substitution screen on the sidelines, visibly paused for a moment, and then spoke after regaining his composure:
"In the 80th minute, Monaco made another substitution, replacing El Shaarawy on the left wing, pulling out a surprise move..."
At this point, Sun Chen's tone suddenly rose: "Wearing number 25, only seventeen years old, a young player from China, Jiang Ming!"
Jiang Ming stood outside the sideline, waiting for the fourth official to show the substitution card.
To say I wasn't nervous would be a lie.
This was his first official match in his professional career.
Unfortunately, it was a do-or-die game, and the team was down 0-2, pushed to the brink of elimination.
With so many advantages combined, Ronaldinho's inherent composure prevented him from being overwhelmed by the pressure of the field, unlike other young players who might be stunned when they first appear on the pitch.
Jiang Ming took a deep breath to suppress the agitation in his heart.
Following the way those star players take their place on the field, he bent down slightly and lightly touched the grass with his fingertips.
The moment his fingertips touched the grass, the familiar system notification sounded in his mind.
[Ding! Quest triggered: Elf Rebirth - Phase Two]
[Your performance in daily training impressed the head coach, and you have been selected for the Europa League squad.]
The team is currently in a deep disadvantage and trailing in the score; someone urgently needs to step up and stabilize the situation.
As a former legend, you've always been the coach's trump card, kept on the bench, but you haven't fully recovered yet.
The talent of a football prodigy should not be buried. Unleash your potential and conquer the entire field!
[Mission Objective: To help the team keep their hopes of advancing alive]
[Rewards: Will be awarded based on overall performance]
The fourth official quickly adjusted the substitution card, with the red number 25 standing out prominently in the camera's view.
Jiang Ming gave El Shaarawy, who had been substituted off the field, a high five, and then heard a voice behind him.
"Jiang, don't be nervous. Just kick like you did in training. Just unleash your creativity." Yardin put his hands in his pockets and spoke in a low voice.
"Go for it, kid! If the future is yours, prove it to me!"
……
"I know many fans are hoping that Jiang Ming can play."
Sun Chen, the commentator for Lay's Sports, paused, a hint of helplessness in his voice:
"But to be honest, it's too risky to put a 17-year-old on the field in such a high-pressure, life-or-death situation."
"Let's see if Jiang Ming can hold out."
……
On the field.
Bernardo Silva on the right wing nodded to Jiang Ming from afar, as if to say hello.
The team's vice-captain, Moutinho, stood beside him, his tone calm:
"Kid, you played pretty well in the training matches. How about it, can you hold your own on the actual field?"
Jiang Ming raised an eyebrow, knowing that this older brother was there to take care of him, the newcomer, and grinned, "Not bad, Ruoang, I quite like this atmosphere."
Moutinho twitched the corner of his mouth, almost doubting that he had misheard.
Is this kid such a show-off? Maybe the boos from the stands weren't loud enough?
"Alright, you've got a good mindset. You've got the makings for big tournaments."
Moutinho pointed behind him, and Fabinho, who was pointed to, immediately gave him a thumbs up.
"Fabi and I will help you clean up your mess, then you can get to work."
"Beep—"
The referee blew his whistle, and the game resumed.
Anderlecht pressed forward across the board, waiting for Monaco to push up again so they could launch a counter-attack.
But this time, things were different from what was expected; the atmosphere on the field suddenly changed.
Monaco stopped pressing forward rashly and instead focused on slowly passing the ball around in their own half.
Judging from their pace, it seems like they are the ones in the lead.
……
"What the hell? At this point, why has Monaco suddenly stopped attacking?"
"Jiang Ming had complete possession of the ball, and Fabinho was even acting as his bodyguard to take the bullets."
"This guy's got a real knack for getting on camera. So Jardim's still trying to sell jerseys?"
……
The 83th minute of the match.
DeFour, the "Killer King" who already had five fouls in this game, didn't take Jiang Ming seriously at all.
But this kid just keeps slowly passing the ball right under his nose.
Isn't this blatant provocation?
So DeFour made a bold decision.
He wanted to steal the ball from Jiang Ming's feet and teach the kid a lesson about the harsh realities of society.
Without hesitation, he stared at Jiang Ming, waiting for his chance to make a move.
When Jiang Ming received the ball again with his back to him, Defor suddenly exerted force and started quickly.
He turned sideways to gather his strength, putting all his power into the impact.
"It's over!" Yaldin, standing on the sidelines, felt a sudden pang of fear upon seeing this.
Just as the impact was about to hit Jiang Ming,
Jiang Ming gently flicked the ball outwards with his foot, and his body turned around accordingly.
Like a nimble Spanish cowboy.
Defort, like a bull that has seen the red cloth, charged straight at them.
The two brushed past each other by the smallest of margins.
"What?"
DeFol's impact missed its mark, leaving him with nowhere to absorb the force. It was as if he had hit an invisible wall. He staggered a couple of steps and fell straight onto the lawn.
"My God! What am I seeing!" The English commentator at the scene couldn't hide his excitement.
"Faced with Deford's full-force charge, Jiang somehow managed to shake him off balance as if he had eyes in the back of his head!"
Jiang Ming's lips curled up into a two-pixel smile; everything was indeed going according to his plan.
DeFour committed the most fouls in this game, and his personality is inherently extreme.
Faced with his frequent temptations, she would certainly not be able to resist.
So he deliberately dribbled the ball around in front of Defour in order to lure him out of his original defensive position.
Plans are in place!
Jiang Ming turned around without pausing, seized the opportunity, and delivered a precise diagonal pass to the right flank of the field.
Monaco's passing in the backfield over the last few minutes has already stretched the opponent's formation, revealing a small gap in the defense.
Bernardo Silva was positioned perfectly in that spot, making a run forward to receive the ball and simultaneously beating the offside trap.
There were no more defenders in front of him, creating a one-on-one opportunity.
Bernardo Silva, facing the goalkeeper one-on-one, took a deep breath.
The team conceded a one-on-one chance in the first half, and he must seize this opportunity.
Bernardo Silva used his calf to push off with the instep of his foot, sending the ball straight towards the far corner of the goal.
Anderlecht goalkeeper Proto rushed to the ground, but it was too late.
The ball grazed his body and slid steadily into the goal behind him.