I AM the Football Star

Chapter 56: Chapter 24: He Turned Soccer into Basketball

Twenty minutes left in the match.

Palermo’s players launched a frenzied counterattack.

They had dominated the entire game today, yet were temporarily trailing.

They would never accept such soccer.

Moreover... today was supposed to be the day they crowned themselves league champions!

As long as they won this game, they would be at the top of the rankings.

Why should they lose?

Boom!

An opponent player’s powerful shot was blocked by Lu Yang’s body, flying high.

Beep!

Palermo’s threatening attack was stopped by Morici’s foul, earning Morici a yellow card.

Beep!

Another great opening for a Palermo player was thwarted by Lu Yang’s sliding tackle, earning Lu Yang a yellow card.

Beep!

Vedian also returned to the midfield to help defend, and received a yellow card.

San Remo’s defense line was on the verge of collapse.

But their efforts paid off.

Until the eighty-second minute of the game, San Remo still had not conceded a goal.

Meanwhile, Palermo, flustered, completely lost their wits.

Boom!

Lu Yang made a bold and clean tackle; the opponent hardly expected Lu Yang, already carrying a yellow card, to dare a tackle.

But Lu Yang’s defensive expertise assured him he would not foul.

”Copper Wall and Iron Wall” is a skill that massively enhances his defensive capabilities—tackling, intercepting, sliding, aerial duels, and breakout, all possible.

Today, he truly transformed into a solid wall.

The commentator was also stunned by Lu Yang’s defense: ”Oh my god, I must be mistaken. Today Lu Yang not only scored a brilliant Panenka penalty but his defensive stats are unbelievably impressive.”

”He’s dominating the game completely! He’s playing soccer like it’s basketball!”

”So far, Lu Yang has made 11 tackles, 10 interceptions, succeeded in 15 aerial duels—he’s truly a Copper Wall and Iron Wall!”

”Such stats are rare even in a basketball game! After this match, Lu Yang’s tackle stats will rank third in the Italian D Division, and interception stats will be second!”

”He’s not a central defender, but in this match, he’s even more than a central defender!”

Two minutes later.

Boom!

San Remo’s tall central defender made a mistake, Palermo’s striker bypassed him, gaining a good shooting opportunity.

He unleashed a powerful shot.

At the crucial moment, San Remo’s substitute defender Naji lunged to the right, using his head to block the soccer ball.

The ball flew high.

Naji fell to the ground, unable to rise.

Three seconds later, Lu Yang won his sixteenth aerial duel of the match, heading the ball to the returning Vedian.

Then, he instantly activated!

The opponent was entirely pressing up to San Remo’s half; now that San Remo had ball possession, they could counterattack!

Vedian returned the ball to Morici.

Morici once again unleashed his sometimes effective killer move.

Facing Palermo’s half, without stopping, he spun and shot directly facing the incoming ball!

Super-fast rocket pass-shot!

The ball took off instantly, flying towards Palermo’s half.

Palermo’s defenders hurriedly retreated.

Yet a red-white flash dashed past them.

”It’s Lu Yang! My god!”

”How is he so fast!”

”Palermo’s defenders can’t keep up with Lu Yang; it’s just him! Catching the ball is a solo effort!”

”Eighty-fifth minute of the match, Lu Yang can still run so swiftly; his speed has been grossly underestimated!”

”Perhaps not as fast as Vedian and Arnold, but already faster than the average Italian D Division sprinter!”

”Especially after Lu Yang accelerated, overtaking three people! It’s almost a recreation of the scene when Vedian won a penalty earlier!”

”Today’s Palermo died because of speed!”

”Palermo’s goalkeeper rushes out; he’s positioned too far forward; going back wouldn’t help, better to rush out.”

”Both sides are nearing the soccer ball; Lu Yang is slightly ahead! But Lu Yang doesn’t have time to handle the football; even if he catches the ball, the opposing goalkeeper will pounce on him!”

”Top strikers may have many ways to handle this, even forcing a foul from the opponent goalkeeper, but Lu Yang clearly lacks those dribbling skills.”

”Forget dribbling; even stopping the ball properly is difficult.”

The commentator spoke rightly; the opponent goalkeeper’s timely rush likely prevented a match-winning goal.

Palermo theoretically still had time for a counterattack.

However...

Lu Yang reached out his right foot, the ball landed on the top of his foot, never bouncing once.

Until...

Lu Yang tossed the soccer ball out again with the top of his foot.

Shooting directly without stopping the ball!

And it was a...

Panenka lob shot!

The opponent goalkeeper had already begun squatting to prevent Lu Yang’s shot, but the ball unexpectedly flew up.

He reached out his hands, less than ten centimeters away from the ball, but was powerless.

A rainbow sailed over his head.

Then landed solidly in the net.

San Remo led two to zero!

Five minutes remained in the match!

”GOAL! GOAL! GOAL!”

”He scored! Lu Yang scored again!”

”A shot filled with imagination, a Panenka lob!”

”Another Panenka, another Panenka!”

”He’s truly a big-game player!”

”His right foot seemed like a black hole, perfectly absorbing the football without any ripple. The subsequent lob without stopping the ball, with a fantastically bizarre angle, nearly recreated the previous penalty shoot scene.”

”Ingeniously talented! This is a flash of brilliance exclusive to prodigies!”

Palermo’s goalkeeper froze on the spot, with a numb expression.

In this match, he faced only three shots.

And Vedian’s kick flew directly wide, without even requiring a save.

In other words, he made saves twice, and Lu Yang twice used the same Panenka lob to break through the goal.