Fox in the Penalty Area

After Shi Jisheng took Xia Xiaoyu around the team's youth team training base, dormitory, and locker room, he finally led him to the first team training ground.

"At this time, the training of the first team should not be over yet. You can still see them training when you go." Dai Zetao said beside him.

Although Xia Xiaoyu was very anxious, he still nodded with a smile.

In fact, it depends on what he wants - those youth team training grounds, dormitories and locker rooms don't need to be seen first, they can be put in the back. Anyway, he will stay here for a year in the future, and he has plenty of time to get familiar with them.

But if he missed Hu Lai's training because of this, Xia Xiaoyu would be very disappointed.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but quicken his pace.

Shi Jisheng and Dai Zetao were also unknowingly brought up by him.

Sun Yonggang, who was filming behind, couldn't help laughing when he saw this scene.

Really anxious...

It stands to reason that the documentary about the football teenagers of Dongchuan Middle School was finished when they were eliminated, but why did he insist on adding such a part of Xia Xiaoyu's coming to stardom?

He thought that Sun Yonggang knew very well that as long as Xia Xiaoyu came to Shanxing, he would definitely go to Hu Lai.

The scene where the two met at the training ground of the Shining Star Club was exactly what Sun Yonggang wanted to capture.

A football teenager has all his expectations and worries about professional football, and meets the "predecessors" who provide him with courage and goals on the training ground of a professional football club. This is the best symbol of the integration of campus football and professional football.

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"Sure enough, the training is not over yet!" Dai Zetao said excitedly when everyone heard the muffled sound of the sneakers hitting the football before they reached the first-team training ground.

Xia Xiaoyu accelerated the speed of his feet, and led a group of people around a bush.

The training ground of the first team appeared in front of their eyes.

But when they saw the situation on the training ground, they were all stunned.

The imaginary heated training scene did not appear, only a figure with his back to them was alone on the field, shooting the football under his feet towards the goal.

Seeing this scene, Sun Yonggang was shocked, and he exclaimed in a low voice: "Hu Lai is still practicing extra shooting?!"

With Hu Lai's shooting skills, he even practiced shooting alone?

Or, could this be the reason for his superb shooting skills?

Dai Zetao came back to his senses and shook his head and said, "No. I remembered, he seems to have been asked to be the team's number one penalty shooter since yesterday... He should be practicing penalty kicks."

"That's right, he scored a penalty in the last game against Youjiang Honglian..." Sun Yonggang also realized this. He is a reporter who specializes in reporting on campus football, but that doesn't mean he doesn't pay attention to what's happening in professional football or Hu Lai.

Then everyone decided not to bother Hu Lai with a tacit understanding, but to observe him secretly off the court for extra training.

Sun Yonggang excitedly gestured to the photographer to point the camera at Hu Lai instead of Xia Xiaoyu.

In the camera, Hu Lai pulls the football under his feet, and instead of placing the football seriously, he steps on the penalty spot casually, and then backs away to prepare for a run-up.

Everyone who saw this scene couldn't help but breathe lightly, because they found that there was no goalkeeper in the goal, but a row of mobile dummies were placed, which were used as props for free kick training to imitate the opponent The player's human wall.

Now Hu Lai put this thing on the goal line to simulate the range of goalkeeper saves.

They noticed that the row of mobile dummies took up more than half of the goal, leaving only a two-person gap on the left and right and space above the dummies' heads.

Obviously, these spaces will be the target of Hou Lai's practice-he must kick the football into these gaps to score.

This difficulty is not low at all!

Include all four theoretical dead angles of up, down, left, and right.

Everyone here knows the ball.

In their opinion, if Hu Lai can really guarantee to kick the penalty kick into the gap left by him, then few people can save his penalty kick...

Xia Xiaoyu also noticed that behind the moving wall, there were already some footballs in the goal!

Looking at Hu Lai who was about to play football now, he was a little nervous, as if he was afraid that Hu Lai would not be able to do it...

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Hu Lai started to run up and ran to the front and back of the football in two steps. He raised his left foot and seemed to be about to shoot!

wait? Left footed shot? Hu Lai is not good at left foot!

Such a thought flashed through Sun Yonggang's mind, and his eyes widened when he didn't realize it.

In fact, not only Sun Yonggang, but everyone else's eyes widened. They saw that when Hu Lai's right foot, which was supposed to be a supporting foot, stepped on the side of the football, he suddenly flipped his ankle and hit the football with his toe!

At the same time, his left foot also swung past the place where the football was, but he missed the football - the ball had already been stabbed towards the goal by the toe of Hu Lai's right foot!

The football was bouncing forward on the turf, not very fast, and went straight to the lower left corner of the goal.

Everyone opened their mouths involuntarily, watching such an amazing scene.

Xia Xiaoyu clenched his fists involuntarily, as if he was expecting something...

But the football didn't roll into the goal, but rolled out of the baseline against the outside of the goal post!

"Damn!!" Hu Lai, who shot the goal, put his head in his hands and cursed.

At the same time, he heard an exclamation from behind: "Ah!"

Only then did he realize that there were a few more people on the sidelines at some point, and one of them was still pointing towards him with a camera.

They all looked like they had seen a ghost, and they were dumbfounded, which made Hu Lai not even know who made the ghost cry just now.

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"You actually came to the flashing star?!" Hu Lai looked at Xia Xiaoyu in front of him, his eyes widened and he asked in surprise.

"Yes, Captain Hu, when Brother Tao came to look for me, I thought you were also in Flashing Star, so I agreed without hesitation!" Xia Xiaoyu said excitedly.

Dai Zetao next to him coughed: "I was indeed going to use you as a reason to persuade him, but before I had time to say it, he had already agreed..."

When he said that, Xia Xiaoyu stood in front of Hu Lai, looking at him with a smile.

"That's right, Shining Star is indeed a place suitable for young players. Chen Xingyi is also here, you know that?" Hu Lai said to Xia Xiaoyu.

Xia Xiaoyu nodded vigorously: "I know, we were discussing this before the national competition, fate is really amazing..."

Hu Lai heard him hear the "National Competition", and suddenly remembered that the National Competition should have been played at this time, and I don't know how Dongchuan Middle School's grades are. Since he became a professional player, he has paid little attention to campus football...

So he asked: "What are your results in this national competition?"

Unexpectedly, as soon as he asked this question, Xia Xiaoyu's expression instantly became depressed.

"Uh, what's the matter?"

"I'm sorry Team Hu, we only made it to the top 16 of this competition and were eliminated..."

Hearing what Xia Xiaoyu said, Hu Lai was stunned: "Is it eliminated after two rounds?"

Xia Xiaoyu lowered her head, bit her lip, and said nothing, as if she didn't intend to defend herself.

At this time, Sun Yonggang, who had been standing by the side, stood up and explained for Xia Xiaoyu: "Dongchuan Middle School was unlucky. It ran into Yuntai Middle School in the 16th and 8th rounds, and then was eliminated..."

"Wait a minute." Hu Lai raised his hand to interrupt Sun Yonggang's narration, and asked, "Where is Yuntai Middle School? Why haven't I heard of it before?"

"Oh, Yuntai Middle School in Nanjia City, Jiang'an Province is not the traditional strong football school. Their best result in the national competition was fifteenth. That was five years ago. Later, they didn't even He entered the national competition. Until a transfer student named Lin Zhiyuan came to the school and joined the football team..." Sun Yonggang introduced.

"Wait a second, who is this Lin Zhiyuan?"

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"...In the 84th minute of the game, stoppage time has reached the last moment, Qingyang Yigao launched an attack towards the goal of Yuntai Middle School! This is likely to be their last offensive... from the wing Breakthrough! Cross! Zhou Zijing—Header!! Wow! Lin Zhiyuan! He made an incredible save! He saved Zhou Zijing's header! It also ruined Qingyang Yigao's hope of equalizing the score! "

"The referee blew the whistle for the end of the game! The game is over! The game is over! The Qingyang Yigao final... This contest between the two dark horses ended with the darker Yuntai Middle School having the last laugh It's over! Who would have thought that Yuntai Middle School, whose best result was the fifteenth place in the national competition, could make it all the way to the final and win the championship?! This is football! This is youth!"

"Lin Zhiyuan! This talented goalkeeper is the key figure and the greatest contributor to Yuntai Middle School's historic national championship! It is because of his high-blocking and low-blocking in the game, trying to keep the goal without losing, that the overall strength is not lost. The weak Yuntai Middle School defeated so many strong opponents and won the championship trophy... This goalkeeper, who had received complete systematic training in the echelon of a professional football club in Germany, showed higher performance than other peers in the game. Ability to excel..."

Zhou Zijing opened his eyes, and the ceiling came into view. He turned his head and looked out the window. Outside the thin window screen was the gray sky and the iconic city skyline of Shanhai City.

He was in a hotel room by the Chunhui River in Shanhai City, waiting for his father to come back alone.

Then he didn't know what happened, he fell asleep on the bed without even changing his clothes.

He dreamed of the final of the national competition again.

Dreamed about how his team was beaten.

Dreamed about the team's last attack.

At that time, he was struggling to take off in the restricted area of ​​Yuntai Middle School. It was really a take-off with all his strength. After he jumped up, he even had a feeling of "I will be on the verge of reaching the top, and I can see all the small mountains."

No one can stop my goal!

This is how Zhou Zijing felt at the time.

Facing the flying football, he shook his head like a lion, and specially threw the football to the back.

He thought that the person on the opposite side of the ball would definitely not be able to save it again...

But I didn't expect that Lin Zhiyuan would pounce back from the front point, and then unbelievably fished the football out of the goal line!

At that time, Zhou Zijing, who had landed his header, almost raised his arms to celebrate the goal, but just raised his hand halfway, he saw Lin Zhiyuan single-handed the football that was about to fly into the goal from the edge of the far post. brought it out...

His hands went straight back to his head.

This was Qingyang Yigao's last attack in the national competition.

After that, the referee blew the whistle for the end of the game. He failed to lead the team to achieve the previous "small goal".

Zhou Zijing, a senior in high school this year, also lost his chance to win the national championship forever.

There was a sound of unlocking the door, and Zhou Zijing's father, Zhou Shenghai, walked in. Seeing his son lying on the bed with dazed eyes, he frowned: "What kind of decadent expression do you have?"

"I accidentally fell asleep just now, and dreamed about the final of the national competition." Zhou Zijing said looking at the ceiling.

"You just fell asleep like this?" Zhou Shenghai was a little nervous, "You don't change your clothes, you don't cover your quilt...Are you afraid of catching a cold? Let me tell you, this is the time when you have just signed a contract with Shanhai Sailor. .In case you catch a cold, it will affect your training and performance in the team, which will be bad for your future..."

"Dad, you don't care about the national championship I lost!" Zhou Zijing sat up from the bed and glared at his father.

"Okay, it's almost done." Zhou Shenghai waved his hand, "You're going to be a professional player now, and you're still thinking about what to do with the champion in your student days? If you don't have it, you won't have it...Winning a national championship will make you a professional player in the future." Is the football path going more smoothly or something? Look at that Chen Xingyi, two consecutive national championship champions and the top scorer, the result? Isn’t his performance in the Golden Arrows mediocre and he can only go to the Chinese Premier League?”

Zhou Zijing said loudly: "That is my youth!"

"That's right."

"Right? What's right?" Zhou Zijing was at a loss.

"Youth is always full of pain and regret."

"..."

"Okay, okay, don't keep thinking about the national competition... If you are not happy with that Lin Zhiyuan, you two will continue to fight in professional football. Didn't he go to the South China Tigers? Scoring him in the professional league is no better than scoring in the national competition." His ball is better?" Zhou Shenghai patted his son's generous shoulder. "Look ahead, son, you have a long football career ahead of you."

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"...Our South China Tigers Club is very happy to sign a talented player like Lin Zhiyuan, who has performed very impressively in the National High School Football Championship..."

In the press conference hall of the Lotus Stadium, a signing ceremony for new players is being held.

At this time, it is no longer the transfer window period, so this is not the joining ceremony of the first-team players, but the youth team.

It's just that if you look at it by the standards of the youth team, the scale of this press conference is a bit "excessive".

Not only did they use the venue for the press conference held by the first team, but the number of journalists from more than 20 media on the scene almost caught up with the number of media reporters at the press conference of the South China Tigers first team.

After Lu Heng, the general manager of the South China Tigers Club, finished his speech, the press officer indicated that the reporters could ask questions.

Immediately, more than a dozen hands were raised, and their eyes were all focused on the tall young man beside Lu Heng.

The press officer randomly selected one, and the reporter who was selected stood up and came to the door of the newspaper and went straight to the topic: "Excuse me, Lin Zhiyuan, you have been trained in the German Westin Athletic echelon since you were a child. If you can continue to play at Westin Athletic, why do you choose to return to China?"

"My father's work in Germany is over, and our whole family has to come back, so I came back." The tall young man spread his hands, with a natural tone.

"Would that be a pity? After all, your future at Westin Athletic will definitely be better than returning home..."

"It's okay..." Lin Zhiyuan shrugged, "The South China Tigers are one of the best championship clubs in China. I think joining the South China Tigers is better than staying at Westin Athletic."

This made the local reporters laugh, and also made Lu Heng, the general manager of the South China Tigers Club sitting next to him, laugh happily.

After laughing, the press officer pointed to another reporter and stood up: "Then Lin Zhiyuan, why didn't he directly join a professional team after returning from Germany, but went to high school and participated in the national competition for high school students?"

"Ah, this... I think life experience should be as rich as possible, so that it is fun."

"Then why did you decide to play professional football after only one year of school?"

"I've already won the national championship, so it doesn't seem interesting to play for another year..." Lin Zhiyuan curled his lips. "And our school stipulates that the third year of high school is to withdraw from the team. Even if I don't leave, I will not be able to play in the national competition if I continue to study. Why do I keep it?"

The last reporter whose name was called stood up: "As we all know, Hu Lai is now recognized as the most successful representative of the development from campus football to professional football. You are also stepping from campus football to professional football. Do you have the confidence to reach Hu Lai? What about Lai's height?"

Lin Zhiyuan chuckled lightly: "Isn't this height a little too low?"

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"So that Lin Zhiyuan received professional training in a foreign club, then returned to a domestic school as a transfer student, and then participated in the national competition as a student player...is it still possible?" Hu Lai asked after listening to Sun Yonggang's story road. "In this way, those schools that want to win the championship can directly recruit players from the professional echelon to represent their schools in the competition?"

"Theoretically, it is possible, but the premise is that the echelon players who are poached from the school must give up their status as registered players in the original club and become a real student in terms of status." Sun Yonggang explained. "But in fact, very few players who have received long-term training in the professional football club echelon would be willing to do so. After all, leaving the original echelon and going to school to play football may not be as good as professional football clubs in terms of training level and game quality. And those who are willing to leave are mostly those who can’t play in the original club and feel that they have no future if they continue to practice... You have no reason to stop these people from leaving the talent training system of professional football and go to school, right?”

Hu Lai felt that what Sun Yonggang said made sense, so he nodded.

Sun Yonggang continued: "Besides, neither the Football Association nor the Ministry of Education has any objection to this kind of thing, because they actually hope to use this method to give those who have no room for improvement in the professional football talent training system and have no talent to go on. Those who go down, find another way out. If you can’t play professional football, then go back to school, honestly go to college or college, get a diploma, and learn skills. Isn’t it better than crashing to death on the south wall in the professional football system? ?”

Hu Lai thought of his father, who learned to play football since he was a child, and was seriously injured in the end. As a result, he failed to play professional football.

"And after these people leave the professional team and return to the campus, no one else can control them if they want to play football. There is no non-compete agreement... Of course, the practice of stepping on two boats is strictly prohibited. The National League just In the first two years, this situation was really serious. At that time, the Football Association killed a group of people-everyone who was found out would be banned from competitions at all levels across the country for ten years. After the ten-year ban expired, basically everyone It was also abolished. The school was banned from participating in all football matches under the Sports Association of the Ministry of Education for three to five years. After severely punishing a group of unbelievers, fewer people dared to do so.

"To put it bluntly, rules are established by enforcement. If there are rules that are not enforced, or not strictly enforced, there will be many people who take advantage of loopholes. Once you strictly enforce the rules, everyone will consciously abide by the rules. Now the level of the National Competition It is getting higher and higher, and even if many schools rely on recruiting retired echelon players to participate in the competition, they may not be able to take advantage of it. So in fact, that phenomenon is not very prominent, and it is still within a range that everyone can accept.

"Actually, there are student players who have been trained in the echelon of professional football clubs every year in the national competition and the qualifiers. Some of them have been trained for a long time, and some have been trained for a short time. No one pays attention to it. Lin Zhiyuan is so concerned, The main reason is that he came back from abroad, he used to be in the German Westin Athletic echelon, and it is said that he is also the main force, which has attracted a lot of attention, otherwise no one would care at all."

Before Hu Lai crossed over, he had never heard of a team named "Westin Athletic" in German professional football, but now he knows very well that this is a football club in this world, an old Bundesliga team , but the strength is not very strong, the history of the club is not very brilliant, and it has not won any important championships.

It's just that no matter how brilliant they are, they are still compared with the rich clubs in Germany. They have more than 100 years of professional football experience, a more professional youth echelon construction, and a talent training system, which are still much more advanced than Chinese football.

A person who can be the main goalkeeper in such a Bundesliga professional team echelon has nothing to say about his strength.

"That's why I said Dongchuan Middle School was unlucky." Sun Yonggang said with emotion. "Actually, Qingyang Yigao was more unlucky. This time, under the leadership of the more mature Zhou Zijing, they were expected to win the championship. They met Lin Zhiyuan in the final. Ten goals were scored in the first five games. In front of Lin Zhiyuan, Zhou Zijing failed to score a goal and lost the national championship."

Hu Lai recalled Zhou Zijing's performance in the Dongchuan Middle School competition, and nodded: "Oh, that Lin Zhiyuan still has some skills."

Then he turned his head and said to Xia Xiaoyu: "Don't take it too seriously. No matter what the result is, the national competition is over, and you have no chance to play again. If you come to Flash Star, you should train hard. Your career has just begun. Maybe Come to Wang Guangwei and me for anything, and if you can solve it, I will help you solve it."

Xia Xiaoyu nodded again and again: "I will work hard, Captain Hu!"

"Don't call me Team Hu, I'm not the captain." Hu Lai waved his hand, "Let's go, I'm going to continue practicing penalty kicks."

"Are you still practicing?" Dai Zetao next to him was a little surprised, "I thought you had finished practicing..."

"How could it be possible to finish training? I have to practice 100 extra penalty kicks every day after training. I only practiced 56 when you came." Hu Lai said as he turned and walked to the court.

After taking two steps, he suddenly stopped, turned and pointed at the photographer, and said to Sun Yonggang, "Brother Sun, tell your photographer to delete all the content that I just photographed for my extra practice."

"Huh?" Sun Yonggang was very surprised, and the photographer was also a little nervous.

"This is my secret weapon, it doesn't matter if you peek at it, the video must never be leaked!" Hu Lai said seriously.

Sun Yonggang thought that Hu Lai was worried that the content about his failure to score a penalty kick just now would affect his image after broadcasting...

After all, he is now a young genius who is placed high hopes by countless Chinese fans, or is he known as the most successful person from campus football to professional football, don't you want to lose face?

So he nodded again and again: "Don't worry, Hu Lai. Delete it now."

Then he stared at the cameraman and deleted the video he had just captured.

Hu Lai nodded, turned around and ran towards the court again.

He continued his training again.

Xia Xiaoyu and the others didn't stay on the sidelines either, they turned and left.

After walking away, Xia Xiaoyu in the camera said to Shi Jisheng, director of youth training: "Director Shi, can I come to train tomorrow?"

Shi Jisheng nodded: "Of course you can if you want... But didn't you have to prepare first?"

"I'm ready, Director Shi." Xia Xiaoyu said with a firm expression, "I will do my best in this year to meet the requirements for going to the first team."

Shi Jisheng thought to himself that it was right to take this kid to the first team to watch Hu Lai's training, and his motivation was obviously stronger.

"Okay, come on then, lad."

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Note: Regarding the echelon players of professional football clubs leaving their original clubs, going to school, and then continuing to play football and participate in national competitions, it is already a very common phenomenon in the more mature Japanese school football league.

Many players who feel that there are not many opportunities in the professional echelon will turn to campus football to find another way to save the country and realize their professional football dreams.