If you are a brother, come and play football

Chapter 326 Crushing the Brazilian Nursing Home (Please Subscribe)

The invitational tournament generated an explosive amount of buzz after it started.

In Europe, there have been all-star team games in the past, and people usually watch a lot of star players, so it's not as crazy as this.

But in Asia, in Hong Kong.

It's hard to understand if you haven't experienced this period.

When Real Madrid's six superstars came to China, they were treated like royalty.

As for Hong Kong, it naturally has a biased view of Westerners.

With so many foreign dignitaries and football legends arriving all at once, Hong Kong suddenly became much more prominent.

Some media outlets that wanted to be more objective wrote that the motherland had influence.

Some people simply maintain the same attitude, saying things like "star players only want to come to Hong Kong." Some people have been slaves for too long and simply can't change.

The Union Jack being lowered was more painful than death.

However proud they are, they have to admit that the King of the Land Ball has face and has also given Charles a big compliment.

Although it's only been a little over three months, the princess's pregnancy is already quite noticeable.

The title "Domestic British Crown Prince" is attractive enough.

Hong Kong media are no less adept at this than Teachers' Fleet Street.

The hype surrounding Lu Deyang and his girlfriends only subsided slightly once the invitational tournament officially began.

There's no way around it, Hong Kong just loves gossip.

A British princess, Italy's most beautiful woman, and the lead singer of a rising Japanese group.

These are almost all elements that Hong Kong media like.

The free-kick tournament consists of preliminary rounds, group stages, and a final.

Some celebrities and members of the public were invited to participate in the preliminary selection, but the focus was mainly on the star players.

Beckham couldn't resist the temptation and participated in the World Free Kick Championship.

After all, his free-kick skills are very strong, and he certainly wouldn't miss the opportunity to show off in front of fans all over the world.

Redondo also participated in the competition and even made it into the main event.

However, his free-kick skills still don't allow him to break through.

There are too many free-kick experts. If you don't take free kicks and don't train enough, even if you have a good feel for the ball, it won't make a difference.

With only the final round of the free-kick tournament remaining in late July, Groups A and B are also about to begin their semi-final matches.

Lu Deyang, representing Maradona's Friends team, drew the Brazilian Legends team.

The Ajax legends team was drawn against the AC Milan legends team.

Overall, teams with recently retired players still have an advantage.

Opinions differ on who was better, Maradona or Pelé, but in 1997, Maradona was definitely better than Pelé, given his age.

Van Basten is finding it increasingly difficult to compete in the league, but playing against those legends whose average age is over 50 is still a piece of cake for him.

Fleet Street also found its own humor.

The Celtics secretly brought in three active players, but they still failed to advance from the group stage.

Although there are no strict requirements for this, it is somewhat unfair. There is a huge gap in ability between active players and retired legends. Any active player in the second division is better than 80-year-old Pelé.

Even the best players can't defy the passage of time.

The biggest impact is the decline in physical fitness. Even though the old guys have become coaches, their ball control is still good. They can occasionally show off a long pass from 40 meters away, which is more impressive than the ball control of the main players of the big clubs.

But after a couple of attempts to fight back, he had to go to the hospital.

Unless someone is exceptionally talented and gets younger with each game, there's no way around it.

Moreover, the invitational tournament was mainly for entertainment purposes, and with the addition of some celebrity guests who spontaneously joined in the fun, the Peninsula Hotel quickly turned into a football forum.

Every day in restaurants or cafes, you can always see famous coaches or veterans sitting together discussing issues.

Redondo put down his coffee and said, "I always thought it was just a small friendly match, but I didn't expect the fans to be so enthusiastic."

Fans from all over the world are now gathering in Hong Kong.

Even though those legends have retired, there are still quite a few fans who have the money and time to come and see them. Any one of them can have hundreds or even thousands of people come to support them, and when they all come together, it's quite a sight.

"There are too many legends, so the base number is large."

Lu Deyang said with a smile.

Of course, some legends are very strong, but they don't have that much influence.

Just like when Kaká attends an event versus when Seedorf attends an event, the number of fans at the event will definitely be very different.

"Yes, I was startled too."

Redondo said with a smile, "Fortunately, there are many legends around, so I don't have to be too careful when I go out. Fans are less curious after seeing so many stars."

He is still very interested in international metropolises.

These days, when Lu Deyang is busy, he always takes his teammates shopping together.

"I mainly watch the Premier League here."

Lu Deyang said.

Otherwise, a current star like Redondo would cause quite a stir wherever he goes.

The people here have an inexplicable sense of self-confidence. Their masters come first, they come second, white people are on par, then Indians and Filipino maids are a mess, and only then do they consider their "poor relatives".

Where does a city that needs to input resources get its confidence?

Therefore, Lu Deyang has always been a staunch hawk, valuing the land more than the people.

He didn't want any more "relatives" who constantly complained about not being able to afford tea eggs and who claimed Japanese people as their fathers.

The Mencius has already written it very clearly: "If you regard me as a blade of grass, I will regard you as an enemy."

Relationships are reciprocal.

However, Lu Deyang did not explain to Redondo.

The situation in China is far more complex than in those South American countries.

The two chatted about the local customs and culture of Hong Kong.

In fact, Lu Deyang didn't know much about it either.

His impressions of this land mainly came from movies and stars like Xia Yufang.

I have met quite a few leaders these days.

The greater the influence of the event, the happier the higher-ups are.

Lu Qiuwang's move was a great help.

It really is a world where only the British get hurt.

If Lu Qiuwang were to enter politics, this wave of political capital would be quite substantial.

The two then chatted about Hong Kong culture.

Lei Dongduo knew more than Lu Deyang.

The main problem is that this small place has suffered a lot of hardships over the past hundred years, and Lu Deyang really doesn't know the origins of the names of those streets.

A few days later, Lu Deyang won the World Free Kick Championship.

This 25-meter free kick, the longest possible, is not a challenge for him.

The runner-up was Mihajlovic, and the third place was somewhat surprising – it was Deisler. The German prodigy was very clever when taking the penalty, constantly engaging in a psychological battle with the goalkeeper, choosing one spot in the corner and another in a safer position, so he didn't hit the woodwork.

……

A few days later, at Hong Kong Stadium.

The highly anticipated match is finally about to begin.

Maradona's Friends Team vs. Brazilian Legends Team.

"We're finally playing on the same team."

Maradona grinned.

This is one of the more regrettable things in his career.

If they were really on the same team as Lu Deyang, the two of them could easily dominate Serie A.

During the warm-up, both teams brought the atmosphere to a climax.

Brazil's veterans still have a plan in mind.

They pulled off a variety of tricks just by juggling the ball, drawing waves of cheers from the crowd.

Maradona, who was also known for his fancy footwork, turned his head and asked, "Aren't we going to teach them a lesson? You're the active European player with the most free kicks."

Is there any correlation between scoring more free kicks and juggling the ball?

Lu Deyang joked.

"As long as you're happy, that's all that matters, as long as you don't lose to your opponent."

Maradona said.

Lu Deyang: ...

That old man has always been cunning.

He clearly didn't want to lose to Pelé, but he kept talking about the King of the Road.

Don't be fooled by the fact that these Brazilian legends are around 50 years old on average; many of them are still very competitive. If you really don't challenge them, their passing and movement combinations might not be worse than those of top teams.

If Lu Guowang (the "King of the Road") hadn't taken it seriously, Maradona might not have been able to lead his team to victory by himself. After all, the friends he invited weren't young either; it would have been like a retirement home brawl.

The Legends team really depends on how hard the younger players fight.

If you really put them in direct confrontation, the old guys can't handle it.

Maradona was always sarcastic and sarcastic, so Lu Deyang simply started juggling the ball too.

It was only then that I remembered I hadn't participated in the lucky draw.

[Your good friend Francisco Totti is often ridiculed for his spelling and grammar, a prime example of a player with low cultural literacy but high skill level in football. Therefore, we are drawing a highly educated football prodigy. Ding! You have obtained a single-match trial card for the 6th round of the 1983-1984 Brazilian Serie A, Corinthians vs. Flamengo, featuring Socrates Blasilero Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira.]

A football expert!
This is a player who prefers to use his heels more than Curly Hair.

His abilities are undeniable; if he and Zico and others were in a small country, they might be the greatest legends in that country's history. However, Brazil has too many talented people, one generation after another.

Although not many years have passed, the Brazilian attacking trio combined were not as famous as Ibrahimovic.

However, in terms of strength, each of them should be stronger than Ibrahimovic.

These days, if you don't brag, nobody will know you.

Lu Deyang started playing fancy penalty kicks, which pleased Maradona.

Maradona even deliberately passed Lu Deyang a few difficult balls to receive, letting Lu Deyang showcase his skills.

Just like how people often talk about their buddies when drinking, Maradona was also introducing his buddies to the world.

Because of this incident, Lu Deyang was also scolded by Basten.

But there's no way around it; he's an active AC Milan player, he can't be so shameless as to join the Milan Legends team. Those who just retired are considered legends, but Lu the King of Football hasn't retired yet.

Seeing the retro Brazilian jerseys on the other side, Lu Deyang was also excited.

If both teams' players are in their prime, even if Lu Guowang averages 5 goals per game, he might not be able to beat the other team. Pelé and his teammates are all superhuman players, not to mention that this is the strongest 11 in Brazil's more than 100-year history.

Some younger fans might not recognize those gleaming names.

However, the players who idolize them, or whose fans idolize them, are all very famous stars in recent years.

"Both sides are making final preparations. Ferguson is coaching Maradona, and Dalglish is coaching Pelé. This is truly a clash of titans." "If Pelé hadn't been a bit sluggish, the outcome of today's match would have been very uncertain. Of course, it will be extremely difficult for Dejan's team, Maradona's friends, the Brazilian Legends, to advance."

"The average strength of the Brazilian Legends team at their peak was definitely stronger, but the Maradona Friends team had younger players, which speaks for itself. Moreover, this individual player is Dejan. I even suspect that today's match will be like a professional player playing against elementary school students."

"Alright, let's take a look at the starting lineups for both sides."

Maradona's Friends team's 4-4-2 parallel midfield:

Goalkeeper: Neri Pompidou

Defenders: Giuseppe Bruscolotti, Ferrara, José Luis Brown, Oscar Ruggeri
Midfielders: Ludjohnsen, Maradona, Matthäus, Olardizia
Forwards: Careca, Caniggia

Brazilian legends' 4-2-4 retro double midfielders:
Goalkeeper: Gilmar
Defenders: Junior, Nilton Santos, Carlos Alberto, Dezama Santos
Midfielders: Zico, Socrates
Forwards: Roberto Rivelino, Falcao, Pelé, Jair Ventura Filho.

"Maradona's Friends team was built around the 1986 World Cup champions and Napoli champions, plus two of Maradona's lifelong rivals, Dejan and Matthäus. The strength of this lineup needs no further explanation. Even when they were not at their peak, they were still quite formidable."

"As for the Brazilian legends team, it can only be said that some geniuses died young. If Garrincha and the others were still alive, Maradona's idol Rivelino would never have had the chance to start."

"This was a star-studded match, and one of the greatest matches in football history."

Lu Deyang stood in the halfway point warming up, and it felt fucking ridiculous.

Brazil has so many talented people.

Kaka's idol, Rai, couldn't even make the squad, let alone start.

Those old guys sitting on the bench, any one of them is a famous figure, a pioneer of various technical moves, or a lifelong rival of some famous players.

Moreover, this 4-2-4 formation with four defenders is quite outrageous, with three right-backs and one left-back. The Brazilian Legends' formation is essentially a 0-0-1-0.

These full-backs were all formidable attackers throughout their careers, with Santos being a pioneer in attacking full-back strategies.

If this team weren't primarily composed of champions from the 60s, today would have been a fierce battle.

Before the event started, Lu Deyang was thinking of just having some fun.

But standing in front of these legends, his fighting spirit immediately surged.

Ferguson stood on the sidelines.

He kept his eyes fixed on Lu Deyang.

He was very familiar with Lu Deyang's situation.

Seeing Lu Deyang get serious, he silently mourned for those old guys.

This battle of the ultimate football kings will end with the one and only king beating up all sorts of Pelés, White Pelés, the King of the Garden, Lone Star, the Football Association Doctor...

It seems that the longer the nickname, the more ruthless the person.

He remembered seven or eight nicknames for Lu Deyang, which made him equivalent to more than half of the Brazilian legends team.

beep—

At 4:30 p.m., the referee blew the whistle to start the match.

Careca passed the ball across, and Caniggia immediately passed it back.

Maradona was caught in a happy dilemma after receiving the ball.

On the left is Lu Deyang, and on the right is Matthäus.

The two toughest enemies of my career have become my teammates.

Unlike in the later stages of his time at Napoli, he no longer needed to dribble the ball to draw opponents before making his own forward runs. Although his dribbling ability had declined, he could still coordinate with his teammates.

With that in mind, Maradona simply chose to step on the ball and pull back.

Like Matthäus, he also has an excellent long pass, which is not common among number 10s.

If my teammates can run, why should I run myself?

Maradona stood in front of the defensive line, observing the situation on the field.

The old guys in Brazil are still really going all out.

As the youngest striker, 43-year-old Falcao was responsible for pressing 37-year-old Maradona, while 67-year-old Pelé simply moved forward to ask for the ball, showing no intention of contesting.

The fans at the scene burst into laughter.

The old guys all ran forward, treating the iron triangle as engineers.

If Zico and Socrates had played seriously today, they might have suddenly died on the field.

The 4-2-4 formation is completely contrary to the rules of football.

Maradona deliberately gave Falcao a chance, but he was a bit overconfident and made a direct pass to Zico on the center circle line.

Although Zico was one of the younger players on the Brazilian team, he slowed down considerably after retiring.

Lu Deyang rushed forward and made a clean and decisive tackle.

Ten years ago, Zico would never have conceded a goal like that.

Dezama Santos came up very quickly; he wasn't even on the defensive line.

However, Lu Deyang slowed down and turned left onto the right side of the road.

Jico was very determined in his pursuit.

However, he had no way of getting around from behind to Lu Deyang's front.

The difference in physical condition between retired and active players is too great. The lack of professional training and a certain degree of self-discipline has the greatest impact on their physical condition.

Zico bumped into Lu Deyang twice from behind, but neither of them caused any problems.

Upon seeing this, Dezama Santos quickly slid in and tackled.

It's quite remarkable that someone in their early 60s can still do such a move, but the precision wasn't very good; he kicked Lu Deyang directly in the ankle.

However, the force was not great, and Lu Deyang only stumbled, so the referee did not blow the whistle.

The ball was deflected into the penalty area, and Carlos Alberto tried to clear it, but the legendary Brazilian captain was a little too slow. Lu Deyang rushed into the penalty area and unleashed a powerful shot, easily piercing the goal.

"Deyang!"

"Dejan Goal!"

"I told you, after the first half, it would be the end for the Brazilian legends. Don't think Dejan is bullying older stars with his youth. Even if both sides are about the same age, the winner will still be the same. I even doubt that 60-year-old Dejan would beat Pelé and his teammates who were in their early 20s!"

Careca, who was making a forward run, shrugged and said, "Playing with you is really easy, I just have to run a few steps."

Lu Deyang smiled and waved his hand.

It was just an exhibition match.

Maradona and his teammates excitedly ran up to celebrate.

This guy didn't forget to make some little gestures towards his idols to lighten the mood.

Pele stood there with his hands on his hips.

Regardless of their current abilities, these legends are indeed very serious about their performance on the field. Even their reactions after conceding a goal are spot-on. Just by looking at their emotions, you would think it was an important match.

Sitting in the stands, Maldini said, "I really envy Dejan. I'd like to participate in a competition like this too."

“If you had retired earlier, Diego Maradona might have invited you; after all, you’ve been rivals for half your lives,” Redondo said with a sneer.

These Italian players are fucking incredibly resilient.

Despite having played for the first team for 12 years, Maldini is only 29 years old.

Following the usual practice for Italian defenders, this guy has at least 6 more years in his prime, and he won't retire until he's around 40 years old.

The more I play in Serie A, the more I feel this.

The best proof is that only players from the Italian national team who participated in the 1982 World Cup are still playing in top-tier leagues.

Totti watched the field.

Brazil has many big names on the field.

But in his opinion, it was nothing special.

Brazil has many talented people, but none of them can break the mold like Lu Deyang.

Taller people have a higher center of gravity, while shorter people have a lower center of gravity and are more agile.

No player who is 187 cm tall has such a versatile center of gravity and agile footwork as Lu Deyang. The clumsiness that comes with his height is innate and related to his long legs and feet.

Even though Socrates' heels were very flexible, his height made it seem deliberate.

Van Basten had that same feeling about him.

No matter how hard you exert yourself, if your legs are longer than others, you will still be slower than them when you move.

However, Lu Deyang didn't have that feeling when he played football.

On the contrary, it has a different kind of beauty.

Totti thinks this might be his talent.

A talent beyond talent, subconsciously using the most comfortable dribbling moves, avoiding those deliberate adjustments to the exertion, so it doesn't look stiff.

Moreover, it's entirely an instinct.

……

Compared to commentary from other countries around the world.

Cai Meng and the young Coach Zhang were much more serious now, and sitting next to them was Chess Saint Nie Weiping, a veteran football fan.

Nie Weiping said, "Judging from their strength, I have high hopes for the Brazilian Legends team. However, we must point out that age is a major factor limiting the performance of the Brazilian players. It's clear that the Brazilian Legends players are very motivated, but they have a lot of skills but can't fully utilize them. Even if the opponents don't deliberately create contact, an occasional challenge can still be deadly."

"Yes, yes, hehe, that's the most deadly thing. Youth has the advantage in boxing. Lu Deyang's solo run this time was a combination of physical strength and speed, without any technical moves. This reminds me of his AC Milan teammate Totti. Totti liked to combine physical strength and technique, mainly focusing on a confrontational style."

"The Brazilian team still needs to find a way to speed up the passing and reduce physical contact."

Brazil restarts the game.

Maradona's friends did not press him aggressively.

A group of active players in their 40s going up to press a 60-year-old football legend is somewhat shameless.

Pele maintained excellent footwork, and his dribbling rhythm was even smoother than those ancient videos, likely due to the change in the ball's weight.

Pele didn't keep the ball after a few steps; once he reached the backfield, it was impossible for him to continue dribbling.

Falcao's receiving the ball immediately changed the situation.

He could only pass the ball back quickly. Socrates lobbed it to Zico without stopping, and Zico chested it forward, sending a lobbed pass before the ball hit the ground. The ball went straight behind the defense.

The Brazilians executed a brilliant combination play.

Once in the penalty area, age no longer mattered. Pele fell to the ground in a single encounter with Ferrara and Brown, but fortunately he got up quickly.

The team's main focus for this play was marking Falcao.

Falcao clearly knew this, so he opted for a header pass when he jumped.

boom--

41-year-old Rivelino unleashed a brilliant volley, but fortunately, 86 World Cup champion goalkeeper Neri Pompeo, still in top form, jumped to the side and successfully caught the ball with both hands.

Although the attack did not pose a significant threat, it still drew cheers from the crowd.

The Brazilian's series of passes that never touched the ground to initiate the attack was quite brilliant.

Pompeo was about to throw the ball when he slowed down.

You're an average age of 40 playing against a team with an average age of nearly 60, and you keep playing fast-paced offense and defense. Those old guys don't even need to play; they'll be exhausted from running.

Ferguson clearly noticed the goalkeeper's concerns and grinned.

Normally he would be swearing.

However, in these exhibition matches, winning or losing isn't that important. Often, they'll even deliberately give the opponent a chance to score, mainly just to entertain the fans.

(End of this chapter)