prynovel Chapter 55 The Limits of Physical Fitness!
Chapter 55 The Limits of Physical Fitness!
The match has reached the 22th minute.
The pitch at El Sadar Stadium has been completely soaked by rain and sweat.
It was incredibly muddy and slippery when you stepped on it.
Osasuna's players have finally adapted to this completely unreasonable and chaotic start.
The situation on the field took an extremely dangerous turn.
Team captain Puniar challenged Li Jing for the ball near the center circle.
The veteran player and the ball were uprooted by Li Jing and slammed heavily onto the grass.
The referee did not blow the whistle, indicating that it was a legitimate collision.
Puniar climbed out of the mud.
He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving violently.
He realized that trying to outmaneuver the number 13 player wearing the captain's armband in midfield was suicidal.
Puñar ran to the right flank and grabbed his own full-back Beltrán by the collar.
He opened his mouth wide and roared wildly at his teammates.
"Stop dawdling in the backcourt!"
"Just kick it forward with a big kick!"
"Get the ball into their penalty area! Charge in and fight them hand-to-hand!"
……
That's football.
Tactics on the field are always changing in an instant.
At this point, Osasuna had found the most reasonable solution.
Osasuna completely abandoned their midfield push.
Although Li Jing wasn't always able to shut them down in midfield.
However, a more reasonable approach would be to make quick long passes over the midfield.
Avoid Li Jing directly!
They've already started using this style of play without even realizing it.
The goalkeeper gets the ball.
Go directly to the defender; if the defender gets the ball, everyone should look for the forward!
The football is launched high into the air.
It crossed the midfield and landed directly ten meters from the edge of Atletico Madrid's penalty area.
Then, he leaps violently to grab the first landing point in the air.
Faced with such extremely brutal physical impacts and working at heights.
Atletico Madrid's reserve defense, composed of players like Pulido, immediately exposed its most fatal weakness.
Slow to turn, poor at physical confrontation, and extremely unpredictable in judging the landing point.
Osasuna striker Nino leaped high and effortlessly headed the ball to his onrushing teammate.
Atletico Madrid's defense was immediately overwhelmed.
The defense line was breached, and the flanks were lost.
Li Jing could only run back frantically.
He single-handedly swept through and filled gaps in a dangerous area stretching forty meters.
He was breached on the left and slid in to clear the ball out of bounds.
He missed a shot on the right and kicked the ball into the stands before the opponent could shoot.
The intense sprints back and forth had soaked his jersey completely, making it cling tightly to his latissimus dorsi muscles.
……
The camera then focused on the Atlético Madrid fans on the sidelines.
Every time Li Jing starts a race, he receives tremendous cheers and encouragement.
Especially female fans of Atlético Madrid.
In the last few matches, the number of female fans on Atlético Madrid's bench has been rising rapidly.
After the Atlético Madrid jerseys got wet with sweat, they felt a bit see-through.
What's the reason that makes them feel so incredibly safe?
……
domestic.
In the BJ studio.
He Wei held the tactics board, his voice extremely excited.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
"The tactics have completely changed!"
"Osasuna has stopped playing ball around the ground; they've started bombarding Atletico Madrid's penalty area with high balls!"
"As we introduced earlier, this city has a unique Mad Cow Festival culture."
"People probably first learned about this uniquely charming holiday from Hemingway's book 'The Sun Also Rises'."
"During the festival, from July 6th to July 14th each year, every morning at 8:00 AM, participants and tourists dressed in white and wearing red scarves run along the 848-meter-long 'Running of the Bulls' trail."
"Behind them were six ferocious bulls and six steerages leading the charge. This was definitely an adrenaline-pumping 'race against time'."
"This is Pamplona's Mad Cow Festival culture!"
He Wei placed his hands on the table.
"At this moment, Osasuna on the pitch were like mad bulls!"
"The El Sadar Stadium has now completely transformed into an arena for mad bulls and wild dogs!"
The broadcast feed switches to a panoramic view.
The Atletico Madrid substitutes in their red and white jerseys were scrambling around in the penalty area.
The boos from the crowd mingled with the cheers of the home team, creating an extremely oppressive and suffocating atmosphere.
……
The match has reached the 32th minute.
Osasuna finally managed to breach their defenses through continuous high-altitude bombardment.
Osasuna full-back Beltran receives the ball.
He sped up and sprinted along the right side of the road.
Atletico Madrid's substitute full-back tried to press closely, but Beltran forcefully pushed him aside with his body.
Near the bottom line!
Before the covering center-back could arrive, Beltran swung his right foot and delivered an extremely subtle cutback cross.
The ball skimmed along the grass, tracing an arc.
He bypassed three Atletico Madrid defenders inside the penalty area.
They headed straight for the back point.
"It leaked!"
Atletico Madrid substitute center-back Pulido shouted as he turned around, watching in despair as the ball rolled toward the completely empty far post area.
Osasuna striker Nino had already positioned himself in position.
He roared as he met the ball, then slid in and unleashed a powerful shot!
However, his control over distance was clearly a little lacking.
He only touched the soccer ball with his toe.
The football changed direction and headed straight for the far corner of the goal.
However, even this little bit is enough!
……
Atletico Madrid's substitute goalkeeper didn't even have time to react.
The home fans had even raised their hands, ready to stand up and cheer for the goal.
In that split second that determined life and death!
At the edge of the penalty area, a massive figure kicked up a cloud of mud and water as it flew in with a low, sliding tackle!
It's Li Jing.
The instant he reached the byline in Beltran, his brain had already calculated the only possible route for the pass.
He started his run and sprinted back in a straight line half a second before the defense missed a player.
His legs slid across the grass.
"Bang!"
Li Jing's right foot struck the ball hard on its underside just millimeters before it crossed the goal line.
The ball changed its trajectory and flew fiercely over the crossbeam!
Successfully rescued!
But this is not over yet.
Because the grass was too slippery, the momentum of the sprint was extremely strong.
Li Jing couldn't stop his gliding body at all.
He charged straight into the goal, mud and water still clinging to him.
"Thump!"
A dull, metallic thud echoed clearly throughout the entire stadium via the baseline microphone.
Li Jing's back slammed heavily against the solid alloy goalpost.
The thick iron pillar trembled slightly from the impact.
The sound was filled with an extremely terrifying pain!
To put it simply...
It sounds painful!
……
Sidelines.
Atletico Madrid's bench.
Today, key players like Falcao and Gabi, wearing fluorescent yellow vests, heard that muffled thud the moment they heard it.
They all jumped up from their chairs.
Falcao clutched his bald head tightly with both hands, staring wide-eyed at the goal.
"My God!"
Falcao cursed loudly and pounded on the edge of the ceiling next to him.
"He was at the top of the arc! How did he manage to run back from such a distance?!"
"This ability to provide a safety net is insane!"
Gabby stood to the side, swallowed hard, and clenched the towel in his hand.
Only those who have actually played football know how terrifying physical strength and willpower it takes to complete such shuttle runs and goal-line clearances midway through a match.
……
At the same time.
Inside the VIP top-floor bulletproof glass box.
Atletico Madrid CEO Marin's face, covered in thick hairspray, had just turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
The moment Nino took the shot, he even closed his eyes, ready to accept the fatal goal.
Sigh, the substitutes still can't hold on!
But then he saw Li Jing kick the ball away to clear it.
Marin collapsed onto the large leather sofa.
He gasped for breath and let out a long sigh of relief.
He raised his hand and hastily wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with the cuff of his expensive bespoke suit.
Just a moment ago, he was so scared that he almost had a heart attack.
If it weren't for Li Jing's incredible save...
We're about to concede a goal!
……
In the VIP box on the other side of the venue.
Yang Mi's lips twitched noticeably.
She didn't quite understand why the fans on the sidelines were cheering.
Shouldn't the most important thing be whether Li Jingshou is injured?
That impact was so strong, it made her feel pain in her hallucination!
on the big screen.
The director showed an extreme close-up.
Li Jing slowly stood up from the mud.
He didn't fall to the ground and roll around in pain exaggeratedly.
He simply steadied himself, casually brushed the grass clippings off his shoulder, and slightly twisted his neck, which had gone numb from the impact.
The muscle lines of the neck are extremely clear on the screen.
Yang Mi saw this scene.
Her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
She pressed her hands against the soundproof glass of the private room, her fingertips turning white from the pressure.
She murmured softly.
"That's a solid iron pillar..."
"Just how painful must that be?!"
Yang Mi bit her rosy lips, her gaze fixed on the back of number 13 who had run back to the midfield.
Seeing his artist's extremely out-of-control state, the manager opened his mouth, but ultimately chose to remain silent.
We haven't even seen it yet, how did it turn out like this?
She had a bad feeling.
Could they have taken their on-screen romance too seriously?
……
The match quickly progressed to the 43rd minute.
The first half was an extremely brutal and relentless physical battle with absolutely no room for respite.
This caused a precipitous collapse in the physical condition of all the players on the field.
Take advantage of the gap when the ball is dead on the sideline.
Several Osasuna midfielders bent over, their hands gripping their knees tightly, their chests heaving violently.
Atletico Madrid's substitutes are in an even worse situation.
Youngster Kirk stood with his hands on his hips, sweat dripping down his chin.
His legs were even trembling slightly on the grass.
This group of people has never engaged in such intense competition before.
……
Domestic broadcast room.
He Wei looked at the halftime statistics sheet that the director had just handed him.
His voice trembled slightly from excessive excitement.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
"This was an absolutely outrageous match!"
"There are still a few minutes left in the first half, but the two sides have already had a total of 25 shots on goal!"
He Wei picked up the statistics sheet and shoved it in front of the camera.
"but!"
"Yet they only managed a paltry three shots on target!"
"Most of his energy was completely used up in the fierce physical battles and sprints back and forth in midfield!"
"That's pure wild dog kicking!"
"It turned football into a more frequent form of rugby."
"But it also possesses the most primal aesthetics of football. The most intense exchanges, the purest essence, are what make for the most captivating matches."
"Even more incredible is Atletico Madrid's number 13, Li Jing!"
"He endured immense fatigue from Osasuna's numerous rapid counter-attacks during this half."
"What's even more outrageous is that every time his defense was breached, he could still maintain full speed and chase back!"
……
The game continues.
Inside the private room.
Marin couldn't sit still any longer.
He looked at the group of substitute players on the field who were running themselves ragged, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.
If this continues into the second half, Osasuna won't even need to play; these substitutes will be exhausted on their own.
Marin quietly moved to the edge of the sofa.
He hid in Principal Wang's blind spot and took out his phone from his pocket.
His fingers trembled violently as he frantically typed on the screen.
He sent the text message directly to Atlético Madrid's sporting director, Camino, who was sitting on the bench.
"Notify Simone immediately!"
"At the start of the second half, Falcao and Gabi must be substituted on!"
"This tactic is playing with fire!"
"If we lose this game today and lose our betting money, you're all fired!"
……
Just as Marin pressed the send button and looked up,
His pupils suddenly contracted.
His discerning perspective on football, honed over many years as the club's CEO.
He was horrified to discover that the situation on the field had undergone an extremely terrifying change in that very second.
The first half has entered the final stoppage time.
The countdown has only a dozen seconds left.
Normally, if a defender gets possession of the ball at this point, he will either pass it back immediately or stall for time, waiting for the referee to blow the whistle to end the first half.
But Li Jing, who stood in the backcourt as the last line of defense, did not do so.
Li Jing proactively approached the center-back Pulido who had the ball, raising his right hand high to ask for the ball!
Pulido simply pushed the ball forward.
The moment Li Jing gained possession of the ball.
He did not turn around.
He did not pass the ball to goalkeeper Courtois.
He dribbled the ball, turned sharply, and charged forward!
"What is he doing!"
Marin screamed in despair inside the private room, and he even couldn't help but stand up halfway.
"Are you crazy?!"
Marin clearly saw that the group of Atletico Madrid substitutes, who were almost out of breath, gritted their teeth and dragged their heavy legs forward as their captain dribbled the ball forward.
Disconnected!
There was a fatal disconnect between the front and back lines.
"If we lose possession in midfield at this point and launch a counter-attack..."
"Our backfield is an absolutely wide-open space that anyone can easily dominate!"
"Damn it!"
"The first half ended in just a few seconds! There was practically no added time in the first half. Couldn't they have just kicked the ball out and finished the first half comfortably?!"
Sweat dripped directly from Marin's forehead onto the expensive carpet.
……
But Li Jing remained extremely calm on the field.
His lungs were expanding violently.
His brain was working at lightning speed the instant he dribbled forward.
He completely blocked out the noisy cheers from the surroundings.
Li Jing was very clear about what he was doing.
He is waiting.
This was the extremely dangerous yet extremely valuable opportunity he had been waiting for.
These substitutes are very weak.
They may only have one real chance throughout the entire match against Osasuna.
That is the absolutely fair time to drag the opponent onto the football field – the extreme point of both sides' physical strength!
At this point, no matter how fast the defensive player's mind works, their thigh muscles will become unresponsive due to lactic acid buildup.
It doesn't matter if you're a star athlete or not.
Under the influence of lactic acid buildup, everyone is equal!
All that everyone can fight for is that last bit of willpower.
Li Jing dribbled the ball past the center circle.
He keenly observed the positional changes between Osasuna's two center-backs.
Due to extreme fatigue, Osasuna's center-backs were a beat slower in their lateral movements.
A deadly defensive gap, stretching forty meters, appeared between the two center-backs.
"Now."
Li Jing gritted his teeth, facing Nekounan who was rushing towards him, attempting a foul.
He didn't use any fancy feints to shake things up.
As he ran, he deftly flicked the ball to the side with the outside of his right foot!
The ball instantly soared into the air.
It has an extremely strong lateral rotation.
The ball flew like a guided missile skimming the ground, piercing through the gaps in Osasuna's defense with extreme precision!
Heading straight for the dangerous area at the edge of the restricted zone!
……
Osasuna's defender turned and chased back.
But their thighs felt like they were filled with lead, completely unable to keep up with the incredibly fast pass.
Just when everyone thought the ball was about to roll out of bounds.
Atletico Madrid's substitute midfielder, young Koke, burst out from the side!
Kirk's face turned bright red.
He was panting heavily, and he could even hear the sound of the bellows pumping in his chest.
With his last breath, he forced his way into the restricted area.
He simply didn't have the extra energy to stop the ball or adjust his footwork.
Facing the onrushing goalkeeper.
Koke met the ball with all his might, stretching out his right foot.
An extremely ugly, even unbalanced, toe-poke shot!
The ball slipped under the goalkeeper's arm.
It slowly rolled into the empty doorway.
It hit the white net!
1: 0!
Atletico Madrid are playing away from home, with a severely depleted squad and a largely reserve lineup.
In the final seconds of the first half.
They've knocked on the door of Osasuna!
……
The voices of the 30,000 home fans in the stadium came to an abrupt halt.
The three thousand die-hard fans in the away team's stand instantly went wild!
A tremendous cheer pierced the sky.
Inside the VIP box.
Marin jumped up from the sofa.
He completely forgot that he had just been sending a text message angrily criticizing the management.
He completely forgot how he had just been paralyzed with fear.
Marin's face turned red as he turned around and forcefully waved his fist at Principal Wang on the sofa.
He spoke with extreme flattery and excitement.
"Look!"
"This is our ultimate offensive strategy!"
"Our coaches and players will never give up on an offensive opportunity!"
"Mr. Wang, if you acquire 20% of Atletico Madrid's shares, this deal is guaranteed to be a profitable one!"
……
on the field.
The referee blew the whistle to end the first half.
After scoring, Koke didn't even have the energy to slide on his knees at the corner flag.
He was completely exhausted and lay sprawled out on the muddy grass.
The Osasuna players stood there, staring at the scoreboard in disbelief.
They trampled Barcelona.
But in the first half, they were defeated by a group of substitutes and that damn number 13.
They dragged it out until it died.
……