"You must wake up and cheer up! It's probably the worst, worst half you've ever played. We can concede goals, we can lose, it's okay to lose at home, but I can't tolerate you conceding goals like that! Isn't there a shame in kicking like this? You have your mom and dad in the stands, right? On Sundays, you come all the way and show them what you look like? Take off your jersey if you don't want to play! I won't stop you! ”

I've never seen a coach scold people so fiercely. Almost everyone was trembling in the locker room, and almost everyone felt like the coach was scolding them.

We really deserve to scold. I thought that after recuperating on the National Day, the home match against the school would be a good opportunity for revenge, but the half-time score of this orange-white battle was really miserable. In the seventh minute of the opening game, Xuexue made a steal in the front court and went straight to the penalty area, and Yan Xi scored with his left foot. When we took the lead, I believe my parents were cheering and celebrating in the stands as much as we did. But the joy didn't last long. In the defeat to Yuki, we were ahead for more than 50 minutes, and we didn't hold our lead for even five minutes.

We played in a back four, with the left-back not playing on Luka, but a cameo by the little seven who played as a left winger. Despite our pre-match stress on trying not to foul on the left, his 11th-minute tackle gave the school a free-kick. Pu Yun stood in front of the ball again, and although I practiced free kicks with Miller many times during the holidays, Pu Yun must have not relaxed himself. This time it was no longer an elevator ball, and Chubby hit a ball that went to the far end of the goal. The ball was extremely fast, like a slash to the ground, and it grazed the post along the turf and into the goal.

History is repeating itself, and he once again silenced our stands, but this is just the beginning. Five or six minutes later, Yoon Il Young received a cross in the penalty area, and the ball hit Miller's hand, and the result was a yellow card and the referee's finger pointing to the penalty spot. This time, without thinking, I pounced on my right hand, but Ah Hua's penalty was hit to the left. The angles weren't tricky at all, the ball wasn't fast, as long as I pounced to the left, I could save with my eyes closed. He smiled at me when he scored and said that everyone had changed. Not really, this is the third time that we have fallen behind the colonels 1-2 at home, and we have not learned any lessons.

But the worse is still to come, after falling behind, our backline seems to have lost its mind, mistakes are repeated, and no matter how much I command and shout, I can't wake up. In the 25th minute, Pu Yun crossed from the side in a counterattack, Ah Hua and Yin Rirong were still outside the penalty area, far from running to the outflanking line, but Ye Ruiyang, who did not have much defensive pressure, kicked the ball in a ghostly way, did not clear it out of bounds, but formed a shot with a tricky angle. I was caught off guard and could only watch the ball go into my own goal.

Sleepwalking was carried through the entire backline, and in stoppage time in the first half, the usually most solid man made mistakes. The power he gave Ye Ruiyang was too small, and he was directly robbed by Yin Rirong. At this time, there is only Ye Ruiyang on the back line, he doesn't dare to foul, as long as he puts down Yin Rirong, there is a high probability that we can only fight with seven people in the second half. Yoon Il Young entered the penalty area and deftly picked up a shot in the face of the attack, and the Colonel penetrated our goal for the fourth time.

No. 1 Middle School 1:4 Outside the school, the numbers on the scoreboard were shocking, and they hung on the sidelines in shame like a public display. There has never been a half-time scoreline so desperate, and this is still on our home turf, and my parents even came to see it. After conceding the fourth goal, everyone seemed numb. Perhaps everyone is missing the days of Kwong Hao and Yuan Yikong, and in that undefeated season, we had every strength to engage in a tug-of-war with the Outer Schools, who until the last second were just about to equalize the score at our home stadium. It's only been a few months, but has our quality changed so much that we're three goals down at half-time? We can't attack, we can't defend, that's what we've really done in the two games of the new season. Mu Zheng's body was still very bulky, as if he was half asleep. After a summer vacation, he appeared to have lost the shooting skills that won the Golden Boot last season. He had two good chances, including a one-on-one from 2-1 down, and if he had equalised, there might not have been a last-ditch first-half finish. I'm not blaming him, he is still running tirelessly after missing the opportunity, but as if he can't control his body, he can't even keep up with him. Relying on Yan Xi alone, it is difficult for us to find a chance to break through from the defense line of the outer colonel.

If only I had strings. It's not like he hasn't fallen behind before, he won't say anything, he just takes the lead, leads by example, and takes the lead in killing the enemy and capturing the flag. After all, he's a striker and I'm a goalkeeper. What can I do to be behind behind, and so far behind?

Two defeats in a row were inevitable, I conceded seven goals in two games, and I only conceded five in last season. After losing this game, I'd better go to the coach and resign, and I have to take responsibility.

"Listen up. To scold you is to love you. The coach's voice softened a little, she walked to the whiteboard and picked up the marker, "Let's stop thinking about those mistakes in the first half, and don't think about the year of unbeaten at home, it's all over." The opponent in the second half was not the Colonel, it was ourselves, we had to play better than the first half, and I believe it was the worst half we played this season, and it will not be worse in the future. ”

None of us dared to respond, so she yelled and heard clearly, and everyone responded.

"First of all, we defend well and we can't concede any more goals, that's our bottom line, nobody wants your mom and dad to see you concede seven or eight, right? Everyone on the defensive line has to remind each other that the captain has done a good job, you have to learn from him and shout more. Secondly, we tried to close the score. Chase one by one, as long as the score can be narrowed, we have a chance to equalize or even overtake, and Jieqi Middle School set an example for you in the last game. Make good use of all the set-pieces, control the second drop, and the back line of the Colonels has changed a lot, not so impregnable ......"

The coach patiently stroked tactics on the whiteboard, but she didn't say a word when she was interrupted by a reluctant and sluggish voice. He seemed to hesitate for a long time, but finally spoke.

"I'm sorry, coach...... I probably won't be able to play in the second half. ”

Everyone turned their heads to look at the speaker in surprise, and then they were even more surprised. It's Mu Zheng. He almost buried himself in his chair, the tip of his nose gasping low.

"What's wrong? Hurt? Ming Ming asked. He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"That...... Coach, me, I can't play anymore. Xuexue, who was sitting next to him, lowered his head, completely lost his usual look of not being afraid of heaven and earth, and didn't dare to look at others.

"No, big brother, the first half was a problem for our defenders. I'll admit that I'm acting like I'm mentally retarded, but don't pick on you. When Ye Ruiyang heard this, he hurriedly got up from the stool and walked to Mu Zheng's side, pulling his hanging arm, but it was just shaking weakly.

"I'm sorry, Ruiyang. I'm not feeling well, I can't play today, and I'm a burden on the pitch. Next time, next time I will definitely stick to it. Mu Zheng still had his eyes closed, probably because he was too tired, and it took strength to open his eyelids. But his tone was still very solemn, as if he had made a promise.

"How long have you been like this? Does your mom know? The coach dropped the pen, hurriedly walked to Mu Zheng, and put his hand on his forehead. Mu Zheng said softly, if there is something, he will tell her.

"Study, I'll send Mu Zheng back to rest. You stay and play. Xu Mu walked to Xuexue's side and asked in a consultative tone, maybe this was the gentlest thing she had ever said to Huang Minxue. Xuexue didn't answer, just stared at the coach, almost a small animal in a cage begging its owner to let it out.

"Coach, you can let Xuexue accompany Mu Zheng." I couldn't help but go to the coach and beg her, feeling that I was going to cry if I didn't help and say something, "Everyone will cheer together with the two of them." ”

But...... What happened to Mu Zheng? I felt a chill as if I heard a huge bird flapping its black wings outside the window. Mu Zheng has never shown such fatigue, and the abnormality of his studies makes me suspect that what I see is only the tip of the iceberg.

"I'm sorry Mu Zheng, I don't know your situation." Ye Ruiyang apologized, "If you don't feel well, just rest well." ”

"It's okay, it'll be fine......" Mu Zheng's eyelids jumped.

The coach didn't want to keep them on the field, and soon asked Xuexue and Xu Mu to send Mu Zheng to rest. As she watched them leave, the gloom on her face was heavier than ever. Even if we played so badly today, she didn't show that kind of sadness that was so clear at a glance. It scared me even more, but I didn't have time to think about it. The second half is about to begin. We lost two main players and a substitute, and the coach gave a response plan to replace Brother Chuan and Luca. Brother Chuan replaced Xuexue in midfield, while Luka went to the left-back position, and Xiaoqi returned to the attacking line.

"We played ugly enough in the first half, let's fight against the water, we have to die vigorously, we can't be so columsy!" In the final moments before the start of the second half, when everyone was back in a circle on the pitch, I had to say something to boost morale, "Let's play well and let the opposition know that it's not that easy to take three points away from our turf!" ”

"We all get it! For Mu Zheng and Xuexue, I will also fight! Ye Ruiyang responded to me almost without thinking.

"Leave it to me!" Yan Xi was still a child's voice, but his gaze and tone were unwavering, completely lost his usual appearance of a troublemaker.

"'As long as you can't kill Lao Tzu, Lao Tzu will stand up'!" Xiao Qi spit out this sentence fiercely, I don't know where the dialect is spoken, but the momentum is extraordinary. [1]

"That's right! Stand up and fight with them! "I'm kind of gritting my teeth," one 'one hit', three 'fight'! One Middle School—"

The shouts of "fight" came to an abrupt halt and then shook for a while, and the stadium, which had been like a pool of stagnant water since the first half, finally regained its former vitality. With a little sore throat, we dispersed and returned to our places.

"Ke Ke, today is the last time I will pit you." Miller escorted me to the door, and we both exchanged fists. When he turned around, he found Lukka behind him, and he blinked his shining eyes and squeezed a very simple sentence out of his throat. Captain, I'll do my best.

Let's do it together. With that, I tapped him on the shoulder and pushed our number 10 into his position.

Lao Tzu is about to stand up.

Perhaps the 4:1 lead was too big, and the foreign colonels did not attack on a large scale, and after winning the ball, they mainly relied on returning passes, wanting to reduce physical exertion while controlling the pace of the game and winning at the lowest cost. But we've come to our senses and we're not as messy as we were in the first half. The resuscitated chasseurs stepped onto their horses and raised their muskets again. Our midfield stepped up their pressing, with Miller and Luka also actively involved in the attack, fighting for every ball and putting pressure on the Colonel's defence. The Colonel's attack was lackluster, and we won the ball in quick succession to burn the flames into their half of the field and form a siege in front of their penalty area. In a short period of time, we had four corners in a row. The retirement of the seniors had a big impact on the two teams, we lost the defensive commander and the midfield brain, and the air defense advantage of the foreign colonel declined due to the departure of Liu Chi. As Miller kicked the fourth corner, Brother Chuan's header hit the crossbar and popped up, and the students from other schools finally breathed a sigh of relief. But before we could catch our breath, we made another midfield tackle, Luka received the ball on the flank, and the quality of the cross was good, if it weren't for the central defender's desperate clearance at the risk of scoring an own goal, Yan Xi, who was actively outflanked at the back post, would have had another good chance to shoot.

The foreign colonel's Toda allowed us to set off an offensive frenzy again and again. Halfway through the second half, we had the initiative firmly on the pitch. If you only look at the situation in these ten minutes, some people will probably think that it is us who leads by three goals. However, the score is brutal and realistic, and at the same time tells us that although the offensive line has woken up and the cooperation in the front court is impressive, the lack of scoring ability is an indisputable fact. Xiao Qi and Miller each had chances to shoot from distance, but neither of them could pose a real threat to the goal. Mu Zheng's departure made it difficult for Yan Xi to stand alone, and under the "special care" of the two players, it was quite difficult for him to connect the ball, let alone get a chance to shoot. The forward reserves are still too weak, in contrast, the colonel saw that the attack was weak, so he took the initiative to make adjustments, replacing Ah Hua, who was the captain, with a speedy striker, ready to wait for an opportunity to counterattack when we pressed hard. According to Yue Yin, they also have two substitute strikers on the bench with their own characteristics.

In the last year, we haven't had too many injuries or suspensions and the bench is relatively thick. However, now that the seniors have retired and the recruitment of new recruits has not been successful, the thin lineup will immediately reveal its original shape, and it is not easy to use up three substitutions in each game. Once again, I felt that football is similar to war – not only to compete with the bravery of the soldiers, but also to compete with the strength of the forces in the rear. The only ones left on the bench are Ah Hui and Zhao Rui, but they are both defensive players, and what we need now is to score goals. It is difficult for a good woman to cook without rice, and no matter how much the coach strategizes, it is difficult to solve the problem of no one in the team.

In the case that there is no way to strengthen the attack through substitutions, whenever there are corner kicks and free kicks, Lao Ye and Ming Ming will rush to the penalty area of the school to attack, leaving only Luka or Miller in the backfield to block the counterattack. The two centre-backs were on the verge of switching to centre-forwards, as if they had run out of ammunition, and there was nothing they could do but clumsily draw their knives in hand-to-hand combat. It was in this way that we gritted our teeth and pressed the Colonel against their half. In the fiftieth minute, the desperate attack finally paid off. Mi Le took a corner kick, Ye Ruiyang put in a wonderful header in the penalty area, and the ball quickly bounced to the ground and flew neatly into the net. Chased one back. Lao Ye, who scored his first goal, did not celebrate, and his face was not excited, so he picked up the ball and kicked it to the center circle.

"Two left!" Even after half the time, Xiao Qi's shouting was still clearly recognizable. He caught up with Ye Ruiyang and slapped him hard. Our crowd also applauded and cheered for our performance from the stands. The narrowing of the score made everyone's confidence rise sharply, and the foreign colonel, who still held a two-goal lead, was a little out of touch in the thinking of the whole team. The frontcourt players want to score goals to maintain their advantage, but the backcourt players still maintain a relatively slow transmission and do not want to attack easily and lose the ball. In the ever-changing field, the disunity of will often gives the opponent an opportunity to take advantage of, not to mention that our team has already gained momentum. The dismounted cavalry raised their mutilated swords and approached the opponent's throat step by step in the hail of bullets. Yan Xi completed a series of wonderful dribbles after receiving the ball on the left side, first brushing off the defenders of the colonel outside the penalty area, and then dodging and moving in the penalty area, dodging the steal behind Yin Rirong, and shaking off the central defender in front of him, his right-footed shot crossed the goalkeeper's ten fingers and bounced to the outside of the right post of the goal out of the bottom line. It's the door frame again! The home goal was a betrayal of us, saving the opposition twice.

Time passed minute by minute, "there is not much time left for the Chinese team", I used to feel funny when I heard this sentence, and when I really stood on the court as a chaser, I knew the helplessness and anxiety in this sentence. In the second half, the Colonel couldn't pose much of a threat, and on several occasions I rushed out of the box to receive return passes from my team-mates, and was indirectly involved in a couple of attacks. It's all I can do but shout, we need to attack, keep attacking. As a captain, I don't want to be in the "big rear" and watch my comrades fighting desperately on the front line. But I could only stay in the back, like an outsider.

If only I could have been a little bit more competitive in the first half, but I seem to have been born like this, and it's okay to do things steadily, but it's a bit of a fool's dream to do miracles. Every time, it's just a little bit close.

But maybe my buddies can do it! When Yue Yin had just broadcast the information of four minutes of stoppage time, Xiao Qi received a pass from Luka and completed a heavy bombardment outside the penalty area, causing the goalkeeper of the foreign school to make a save. Yan Xi, who scored twice, staggered to his feet, and the shot just now caused him to be hit hard by the goalkeeper of the foreign colonel, I don't know if he was injured, but it must have hurt for a while. He didn't shout or shout, and when he saw Xiao Qi take out the ball from the net, he gritted his teeth and ran towards his half of the court step by step. It was a goal that he spelled it out. At 3:4, there were people on and off the field shouting "only one is missing". Towards the end of the game, we finally had a chance to make up for our mistakes. It's not too late to make amends, with four minutes to go and three goals to win away from our home stadium doesn't seem like a solid one. The more "young" Yuki can score three goals in ten minutes, and we are not impossible. The offensive advanced to the front of the penalty area of the Colonel again, and the strong opponent had no other way but to clear the siege with a big foot, and the defense was a little careless. After a few transfers, Xiao Qi, who pulled to the right side, hit the bottom line, he shook off the defender behind him, and sent a high-quality inverted triangle pass with his right foot, Yan Xi wittily went straight to the goal, taking away the two close marking players, and the ball rolled from behind them to the left rear at high speed.

At this moment, most of the defenders of the Colonel are drawn to the right side. A player dressed in white ran to the course of the ball, and in front of him was a large open space in the left goal of the Colonel. A great chance to score.

It's our number 10. Luka, wearing the number that symbolizes the core, appeared at the right place at the right time, picking up his right leg. The chance to defend the home ground is close at hand, and the miracle of chasing three goals in a row seems to be within reach. It turned out to be a bit of black humor, Luka's foot was kicked out, but the ball didn't touch it, and it passed in front of him. Luka, who was empty, didn't care about the shaking of his body, and turned around to chase the ball again, but the defenders of the Colonel had already firmly controlled it. In a panic, Luka, who was eager to counter-attack, put down his opponent, and the referee blew the whistle for a foul. Everyone spread their hands or shook their heads, and retreated helplessly. When the goalkeeper of the school dragged out the set-piece, the three long whistles at the end of the game also sounded.

In the end, we still haven't been able to change the fate of two consecutive defeats.

"Luka, what are you kicking? You don't know how to play football! ”

Before I could think about anything, there was a roar from the other end of the court. Xiao Qi rushed to Luca's side.

"You speak! Can't understand people? You explain it to me! I don't blame you for not kicking in, how can you kick me empty? Are you kidding us? ”

Luka shrank his head into his shrugged shoulders and turned his back to Xiao Qi, not daring to look at him. Seeing this appearance, Xiao Qi became even more angry, and pushed Luka from behind, almost making him fall on his head.

"What are you crying about? Still a man? will cry! Don't try to trick everyone into sympathizing with you! ”

What am I doing? Why is my mind empty? Originally, I didn't want to bully people. But why am I so stunned? Am I scared? Have I really been shoveled into a fight before because of the strings? Did you really do it with adults to save Miller? Should be. But why am I stunned when there is such a one-sided conflict on the pitch now? Xiao Qi is obviously younger than me, but I am still the captain. Because Luca isn't my brother, and isn't Millet either? Am I so selfish, so cowardly?

Xiao Qi is really fierce, but he is our own person. "In the end, what we remember is not the attack of the enemy, but the silence of the friend." It seems that some famous person said it, I don't remember. In fact, an attack from a friend made me feel more helpless and fell silent than an attack from an enemy. I froze until I saw Yan Xi and Pu Yun pull them apart, and I remembered that I should have rushed to the scene of the incident as soon as I woke up. [2]

This kind of performance, I really don't deserve the captain's armband anymore.

[1] From the movie "Tokyo Trial", it is a Hunan dialect.

[2] It is said to be a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.

Group A Round 2

Jiang Yuan No. 1 Middle School 3:4 Jiang Yuan Foreign School

No. 1 Middle School Branch: 1:2 Jieqi Middle School

Jiang Yuan Foreign School 2 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses, scored 7 goals, conceded 3 goals, goal difference 4 goals, total 6 points

Jieqi Middle School 2 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses, score 5 goals, concede 3 goals, win 2 goals, total 6 points

Jiang Yuan No. 1 Middle School 0 wins, 0 draws, 2 losses, scored 5 goals, conceded 7 goals, goal difference -2 goals, total 0 points

No.1 Middle School 0 wins, 0 draws, 2 losses, scored 1 goal, conceded 5 goals, goal difference -4 goals, total 0 points

Data within Jiang Yuan's No. 1 Squadron

Scorer charts

The number of goals scored by the player

Yan Xi 2

Ye Ruiyang 1

Millet 1

Mu Zheng 1

Assists

Player assists

Millet 1

Huang Minxue 1

Yan Xi 1