Master Tutoring Class

Chapter 197 Get Running!
On November 7th, before the start of the U17 World Cup in Japan, a large number of fans had already flooded into the live broadcast room.

They had already started discussing it extensively beforehand.

"I'm coming!"

"After much anticipation, they have finally arrived! Rise up, Chinese youth!"

"That game the day before yesterday gave me goosebumps, it was awesome!"

"That's absolutely incredible! It's a massacre!"

"That was great to watch! Keep it up for this one!"

"Mali is a tough opponent; in the last match, they pushed the Spanish U17 team to the brink of defeat."

"Indeed! That number 9 center is fucking amazing, it's so tough to guard him. I hope Mao Biao and Xiang Yu can hold on!"

"No problem! Definitely no problem, I trust these young men."

"Live stream started! Teacher Zhan, the live stream is starting!"

As the live broadcast time drew closer, half an hour before the start of the match, the live broadcast room suddenly lit up.

Instantly, the live chat exploded with comments.

Zhan Jing and Zhang Lu sat in the commentary booth organizing the documents needed for the match, while a very pretty young lady gave a pre-match introduction.

"After the match the day before yesterday, the Chinese U17 team defeated the Canadian U17 team 6-0, which is very exciting news for us fans. We also hope that the boys can continue this momentum and keep up the good work!"

"And with such an intense competition, how could we miss out on a sweet and sour drink? Delicious yogurt!"

While the live broadcast was being prepared, in Kawasaki, Japan, the Zebin Stadium was preparing for the second match.

Chinese national youth team locker room.

The changing room was rather basic; besides the changing room and the toilet, there was no other space.

Liu Xiaoyang and the other physical therapists spread their clothes directly on the ground and turned to shout:
"Wei Lai, He Chaoyue, and Xiang Ming, come over for physiotherapy and relaxation first!"

The three of them immediately ran over and lay down on the ground.

Liu Xiaoyang pressed his hands back and forth on his thigh muscles, and Wei Lai frowned slightly.

"acid?"

Wei Lai nodded: "It's a little bloated!"

"The result of accumulated fatigue is that you played more than 20 rounds of the Chinese Super League and then immediately participated in the U17 World Cup without getting enough rest in between. I suggest that after this tournament, you find a physiotherapy center for deep muscle relaxation, which will be good for your health!"

Wei Lai nodded, having taken it to heart.

Even to avoid injury, Wei Lai needs to find a physiotherapy clinic for a proper massage. As for the physical examination, it will be done for him when he goes to Amsterdam Arena.

He Chaoyue and Xiang Ming are in a better situation. Unlike Wei Lai, they haven't been involved in such high-intensity matches continuously, so they haven't accumulated much fatigue.

A new group of people went to do the installation.

Chen Shaojie's injuries are recovering well, which makes Wei Lai nod in approval.

So far, everything is moving in a positive direction.

"Yo~~~~~~~~"

Wei Lai turned his head and kicked the sleazy Yang Fan to the ground.

"Don't fucking make that damn noise in front of me, it's annoying!"

Wang Hao always pulls this stunt, making Wei Lai almost reflexive to it.

He doesn't dare kick Wang Hao, but he doesn't dare kick Yang Fan either?
Yang Fan rubbed his buttocks and grinned, saying, "Old Wei is as nervous as if he's on steroids."

He Chaoyue nodded; "I could feel it too."

Yang Fan turned to He Chaoyue and teased, "Hey! Isn't that a flamingo?"

Chen Shaojie, standing to the side, corrected, "Yes! Phoenix of Fire! So cool!"

Yang Fan: "Same! They're all birds anyway!"

He Chaoyue rolled her eyes and left.

His hat-trick in his first match quickly earned him a nickname from the Japanese media after the news was published.

'Phoenix of Fire'!
Wearing a bright red battle robe, combined with the characteristic of a ponytail, the metaphor is somewhat apt, but it's also quite childish.

Xue Guohao walked into the locker room and clapped his hands, saying:
"Alright, stop fooling around. The competition is about to start. Go outside and warm up now."

The players immediately stepped out of the locker room.

The moment they stepped out of the players' tunnel, another burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted.

"There seem to be more people than before!"

Yang Fan spoke up.

He Chaoyue: "I guess it's because we played well, so more people came."

After saying that, he waved his hand and said, "Don't think about these things, let's win the game first."

Chen Shaojie, Yu Jiahe, and others also came out.

As they walked out of the players' tunnel, they suddenly heard a familiar singing voice.

Let's all climb the mountain to watch the waves, and sing loudly in this valley!

Players like Chen Shaojie and Yu Jiahe, who came from Guangfa's youth training program, immediately turned their heads away.

Several fans in the stands were wearing red jerseys, but not the jerseys of the Chinese national youth team; instead, they were from the Guangdong Guangfa team that once dominated Asia.

【Up the Mountain】A cheering song widely circulated in Guangdong Province, which resounded throughout the country in 2015, accompanying that red lion as it ascended to the top of Asia.

A banner suddenly unfurled; it wasn't large and had a single line of text written on it.

'The young tiger hides in the forest, waiting for the wind to rise!'

Chen Shaojie took a deep look, then turned and said, "Let's go! Time to warm up!"

"This is the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Japan. The second round of Group B is about to begin, with China's U-17 national team facing off against Mali's U-17 national team!"

"In the first round, the boys performed exceptionally well, defeating the Canadian U17 team in a resounding victory. Now, a brand new challenge lies before them."

"Mali's U17 team didn't receive much attention before the tournament, but in their last match, they pushed Spain's U17 team to the brink of defeat, which shows that this team is really aggressive."

"Their high pressing and rapid speed are issues that need to be closely monitored!"

As Zhan Jing explained, Zhang Lu nodded in agreement.
"The Malian youth national team has excellent physical attributes, with both strength and speed. If we try to compete head-on in these areas, it will be difficult for us to gain an advantage. Therefore, we need to find opportunities through tactics and rhythm. This depends on Coach Xue Guohao's ability to control the current situation and make tactical adjustments."

After the warm-up session, both teams returned to the locker room.

A few minutes later, accompanied by rousing music, the players from both sides entered the field.

"The players are entering the field. Let's take a look at the starting lineup for this match."

中国U17国家队（4-3-1-2）：
Goalkeeper: Chen Zhe.

Defenders: Lu Chaokuan, Mao Biao, Xiang Yu, Zhang Yuan.

Midfielders: Wei Lai, Pei Le, Yang Fan.

Shadow Strike: Xiang Ming.

Forwards: He Chaoyue, Qianxi.

Mali U17 National Team (4-4-2):
Goalkeeper: Comas.

Defenders: Suleiman Dijk, Alette Koulibaly, Treos, Madu Trat.

Midfielders: Ablas Carey, Mark, Seth Kone, Ablas Diack.

Forwards: Martialdi, Madu Cannebia.

"Both sides adopted a relatively retro formation. The Chinese U17 team used a 4-3-1-2 shadow striker formation, which was very popular in Serie A in the past, while Mali opted for a 4-4-2 diamond midfield formation."

"Compared to the first game, their choices were more conservative. They didn't put too much pressure on their offense, but made many changes in their defense."

"Clearly, both the Chinese and Malian U17 teams are very wary of each other!"

"There have been personnel changes on the Chinese national youth team side. Yang Fan has moved to the defensive midfield position, and Zhang Yuan has replaced the right-back position. This may be the key change that Coach Xue Guohao made for this game. Chen Shaojie did not start in this game."

After a pause, Zhan Jing continued to explain the formation.

"The 4-3-1-2 formation originated in Argentina and was popularized by Argentina."

"In 2000, this formation was widely used in Serie A. The one we are most familiar with is Torino in the 02/03 season, who won the double title thanks to the outstanding performance of Brazilian player Ricardo. Ricardo was in this position at the time. In Argentina, this position is called 'hook,' while in China it has a more elegant name: classic attacking midfielder!"

"The midfield of this formation is arranged in a diamond shape, with the three midfielders forming an inverted triangle. The two midfielders in parallel positions are called 'shuttles,' but there is also a crucial base. In Italy, this position is called the deep-lying midfielder, who is in charge of a series of important responsibilities such as organizing, distributing the ball, and making decisions. It can be said that the two central axes in front and behind complement each other, one is a 'hook,' and the other is a 'base.' The performance of these two positions affects the result of the entire game!"

Zhang Lu nodded and said, "But there is also a problem. The 4-3-1-2 formation is a very narrow formation. The two shuttle midfielders move straight up and down. In attack, this may cause us to not be able to make full use of the width of the field. If we play too narrowly, we can't create space, which makes it difficult to pose a threat."

"Especially in modern football, which is closer to a total football tactical philosophy, it is difficult to open up space as much as before. Of course, we should also trust these players and the national youth team coaching staff. Perhaps they have other ideas?"

On the field, the players from both sides have already lined up.

Wei Lai glanced left and right; his teammates were all highly motivated, and Xiang Ming in front of him looked eager to try.

It has to be said that these national youth team teammates get into game mode really quickly.

This is also very beneficial for their performance!

"Don't rush!"

Wei Lai slowly exhaled: "Seize the opportunity, strike the most crucial blow, and take control of the overall situation. We must keep it under control!"

The Malian youth team is like a wild horse that has broken free of its reins. Once Wei Lai loosens the reins, these guys become completely uncontrollable.

Therefore, Wei Lai must hold the reins tightly and not relax in the slightest.

They meticulously and steadily advanced the game according to the tactics.

Beep!
The whistle blew, and the game began.

"The match begins! In the second round of Group B of the Japan U17 World Cup, China's U17 national team faces Mali's U17 national team. This is not only the second round of the competition, but also a crucial battle for qualification. Both teams will fight tooth and nail to win this match. How will China's U17 national team perform in this game? Let's wait and see!"

After a brief introduction, Zhan Jing immediately got into the zone and turned his attention to the game.

"China's U17 team kicked off first, and the ball was passed back all the way. Mali has already started to press forward. As expected, they are using a high-pressing tactic. They don't want China's U17 team to have the ball easily. Wei Lai dropped back to receive the ball. How will he deal with this situation?"

As the foundation of the lineup and also as a defensive midfielder, Wei Lai plays a crucial role.

If the base can't withstand the pressure, everything else is out of the question!
"That's a really strong pressure!"

Wei Lai turned his head to take a quick look, then met Mao Biao's pass with a lateral pass.

Then, Wei Lai continued to create space and directed Lu Chaokuan to pass the ball towards the sideline.

"Captain Lu, find Pei Le!"

Lu Chaokuan immediately passed the ball to Wei Lai, who then moved forward a few steps, creating new space.

Throughout this process, Wei Lai kept observing.

"Pei Le!"

Pei Le passed the ball back to Wei Lai, who then swept it across to Yang Fan.

Yang Fan passed the ball directly to the wing.

At this point, the opposing midfield line had completely pushed into the Chinese U17 team's half.

Wei Lai observed again, carefully noting the position of each person.

"That's it!"

Wei Lai took a few steps back and started moving instantly.

Madu Cannebia immediately followed him.

"So fast!"

When Wei Lai turned his head to observe, he noticed that the guy started moving instantly and caught up with him in just two steps.

Then, using his tall and strong physique, he continuously put pressure on Wei Lai.

Snapped!
Wei Lai had no choice but to step on the ball, lower his center of gravity, and stick his butt out to carry the opponent behind him.

"We've got it!" Zhan Jing shouted anxiously, "Wei Lai has stepped on the ball, how should we handle this?"

At this moment, Wei Lai suddenly pushed the ball gently to the diagonal rear.

Zhang Yuan suddenly followed up and delivered a long pass at a 45-degree angle.

"Zhang Yuan, launch a long pass!"

The ball sailed over the dense crowd and landed precisely in the right half of the field.

There, Xiang Ming had already reached the landing point and quickly gained control of the ball.

"It's picked!" Zhang Lu roared. "Xiang Ming! Charge!"

Xiang Ming dribbled straight forward, charging towards the rib area.

He Chaoyue moved inside, pressing down on the opponent's center-back Koulibaly and preventing him from interfering with Xiang Ming.

The right center-back and right back on the far side were unable to provide support at all.

Xiang Ming entered a one-on-one situation.

"Xiang Ming is still approaching, and Mali's U17 full-back Suleiman Dik is starting to close in. Xiang Ming, slow down."

Xiang Ming started to slow down!

At the same time, his center of gravity was slowly lowering, which was the prelude to a change of direction.

Suleiman Dik stared intently at Xiang Ming's foot as he touched the ball.

Suddenly, he saw a small, preparatory movement from Xiang Ming's right foot, indicating a push towards the left.

"left!"

Suleiman Dik immediately made a decision and stepped to the left. At that moment, Xiang Ming's right foot landed directly on his right side without touching the ball. He suddenly shifted his body to the side, feinted with his left foot, and pushed the ball with his right foot.

Fried meatballs!

Dang Dang!

Xiang Ming used a feint followed by a simple and decisive dribbling move to get past the opposing full-back.

"Xiang Ming! It's over!"

Zhan Jing exclaimed with delight, "That's right! That's the kind of confidence we need, the confidence to beat someone one-on-one! Well done!"

Xiang Ming descended to the bottom and looked up at the central axis.

"Old He!"

Xiang Ming passed the ball to Xiang Ming.

No matter how much he disapproved of it, he still believed in any superior archery technique.

boom!
A sideways pass.

He Chaoyue immediately quickened his pace, but it wasn't easy for him either, as he still had to carry Mali's youth team center-back Koulibaly.

Just as he was about to shoot, a force suddenly came from behind him.

At this moment, He Chaoyue was standing on one leg and could not control her body's center of gravity at all.

But he still made a shooting motion.

boom!
The ball narrowly missed the goalpost and rolled out of bounds.

"Hold!"

Watching the ball go out of bounds, He Chaoyue couldn't help but mutter a curse under her breath.

"Ah~~~ What a pity!" Zhan Jing said regretfully; "He was interfered with. He must have been pushed. The Malian center-back is very experienced. He suddenly interfered with He Chaoyue just as he was about to shoot, which caused the trajectory of the ball to change."

"However, this is not bad news. At least our attack was effective. Will the Mali youth team dare to press us like this again?"

In the stands, Dragons fans cried out in disappointment:
"Ah! What a pity!"

"That guy pushed someone, shouldn't they give him a card?"

"Does the referee even know how to call a call? Why isn't a card being given?"

"Damn it! I want to swear!"

He Chaoyue retreated, nodding to Xiang Ming and saying, "I won't do it again!"

Xiang Ming smiled at He Chaoyue, then turned and left.

He Chaoyue paused for a moment, then immediately followed.

"Are you scolding me?"

"Resist!"

"Yang Fan! Stick close to him!"

Yang Fan pulled and tugged, desperately trying to interfere.

They're putting them on! They're putting them on!
Damn it! He's as strong as a bear!
Yang Fan suddenly pulled, and Xiang Yu appeared in the opponent's passing lane, making a clean and neat interception.

"Excellent defensive support!"

Janjin roared, "Mali's youth team's attack failed to pose a threat; they couldn't find their key player, Madou Cannebia!"

"Position has returned to the Chinese U17 team. Wei Lai is already running to receive the ball, but two players are surrounding him. How is Wei Lai going to pass it?"

As soon as Wei Lai received the ball, he felt the pressure from both sides.

The ball is flicked to the left with the feet, and the body faces to the left.

The two Malian U17 players turned to the left in unison. At that moment, Wei Lai pulled back with his foot, flicked the ball with the instep of his right foot, and turned it in a big circle to the right.

Not only did they manage to break free, they also created distance between themselves.

He learned this trick from the puppeteer's coach!
Of course, what he did was a bit awkward, but it was indeed quite practical.

"Wei Lai is looking for an opportunity to pass the ball. He passed it to Pei Le and is directing his teammates to press forward. Is he going to take the initiative?"

Wei Lai noticed that Mali's midfielders had not crossed the halfway line.

It is estimated that the last counterattack really gave them a headache, which is why they dared not take any rash actions.

But by doing this, they have plenty of space to utilize in midfield.

"Press up!"

"Both full-backs are ready to move at any moment!"

"Pei Le, please send a reply!"

After receiving Pei Le's pass, Wei Lai immediately swept the message horizontally to Yang Fan.

Then, Wei Lai pulled himself to the side and looked up at the distance again.

His gaze swept over He Chaoyue, Xiang Ming, and Qianxi.

The three of them also noticed the look in his eyes, and they understood what it meant.

[Get running, you bastard!]

The three turned around almost simultaneously, and at the same time, Yang Fan passed the ball to Wei Lai.

"Old Wei! Get him!"

Yang Fan immediately roared after passing the ball.

Wei Lai suddenly swung his left arm and delivered a long pass behind the defense.

Swish!
Millennium, He Chaoyue, and Xiang Ming were launched simultaneously.

The three of them pressed forward frantically.

Just then, He Chaoyue suddenly slowed down, falling slightly behind.

"Ok?"

The Malian center-back immediately reacted and also slowed down to approach He Chaoyue.

At that moment, the ball in the air suddenly plummeted.

He Chaoyue raised the instep of her foot to stop the ball in front of her left side, and immediately followed up to prepare for a shot.

Just then, Koulibaly approached again and used the same trick.

He straddled the goal, trying to disrupt He Chaoyue's shot.

But at that moment, He Chaoyue suddenly twisted his left foot, bypassing Koulibaly in the opposite direction and creating space for a shot.

Koolibaly moved forward in terror, and he even saw He Chaoyue's calm eyes, as if they were telling him something.

'The same trick doesn't work on me!'

The ball bounced to the right.

Pei Le immediately shouted, "Shoot!"

Zhang Yuan: "Shoot! Don't hesitate!"

Yang Fan clutched his head; "It's over! Old He can't use his right foot, he's left-handed. Holy crap?"

Yang Fan saw He Chaoyue swing her right leg in a rather awkward posture and suddenly kicked her.

The ball flew past the defensive line and hurtled towards the goal.

Ding!
The ball hit the goalpost and bounced out.

"Quick! Get them out of there!"

The Malian goalkeeper was terrified.

But then, a foot suddenly appeared in sight.

"He Chaoyue cuts the ball with his left foot, creates a shooting angle, and unleashes a powerful shot... Ah!!! The post! No! There's still a chance, Xiang Ming!"

The moment the ball was poked into the net by Xiang Ming, Zhan Jing suddenly stood up and roared:

"Goal! Xiang Ming scores on the rebound!"

"Xiang Ming! Xiang Ming! He opened the scoring for China's U17 team! Clever positioning and a beautiful follow-up shot!"

"China's U17 national team 1-0 Mali's U17 national team!"

After scoring, Xiang Ming immediately rushed towards the corner flag.

He tilted his head back, pointed his index fingers to the sky, and smiled.

"As expected, we still have to rely on me!"

"Well done!" He Chaoyue ran over and hugged her.

Xiang Ming said smugly, "Don't make me clean up your mess."

He Chaoyue nodded; "I'll practice with my right foot again, but I won't do it again."

Xiang Ming suddenly fell silent: "This is really boring!"

Phew~~~~
Wei Lai slowly exhaled, a bright smile appearing on his face.

In!

We made it in!

That makes things much easier.

"That was a really good attack! Wei Lai made a long pass behind the defense. Although it wasn't a perfect free kick, it still dipped. Most importantly, He Chaoyue anticipated the ball's trajectory and braked accordingly. That's what teamwork is all about!"

Zhan Jing exclaimed in admiration.

Zhang Lu immediately chimed in: "He Chaoyue handled that shot well. If he had shot directly with his first foot, he would likely have been interfered with like the first attack. But he took the initiative to cut inside, which allowed him to get rid of Koulibaly and create a shooting angle again. Then he shot with his right foot. Although his right foot is probably not fully developed yet, it was still quite good."

"Finally, it was Xiang Ming's follow-up shot and his clever positioning. These young men worked together to complete this attack. Well done."

The Chinese national youth team players retreated happily.

Xiang Ming turned his head and shouted, "Old Wei, well done!"

Wei Lai immediately responded with a thumbs-up.

Awesome!
Xiang Ming smiled broadly: "What's next?"

Wei Lai shouted loudly, "Control!"

The game restarted, and after conceding a goal, Mali launched another fierce attack.

However, he was gradually driven to the wing by the national youth team players, and then Wei Lai and Pei Le worked together to steal the ball.

After those possessions, the Chinese U17 players began to dominate the game for a long time.

boom! boom! boom!
Wei Lai kept running and passing the ball one after another.

Based on their previous two attacks, Mali dared not press forward rashly, and they dared not give the Chinese national youth team any space in their own half.

They finally understood that the Chinese national youth team had set up a defensive turret in their own half, just waiting for them to press forward.

The midfielders dared not push past the halfway line, resulting in insufficient numbers of players pressing in the attacking third.

The Chinese national youth team can conduct passing and scheduling very calmly and easily.

"F*** it! We can't let them transmit and schedule things like this!"

"Press up!"

"Forced looting!"

The Malian U17 midfielders needed to act immediately.

At this moment, Wei Lai suddenly looked up and gazed into the distance.

The three men, who had just lifted their feet, suddenly put them down, their center of gravity shifted, and they dared not move.

Wei Lai smiled and passed the ball laterally to Yang Fan.

'Just kidding!'

Zhan Jing couldn't help but laugh and said, "The Malian youth team doesn't dare to advance!"

Zhang Lu nodded; "The first two long passes have already caused them enough trouble. Now that we're pushing forward, our rear artillery emplacements should start loading shells."

"The situation is under control. Now it's up to Wei Lai to decide whether to continue controlling the game or to attack!"

Wei Lai chose the former.

Mali is a team with a passionate playing style, characterized by rapid attacks, intense defense, and fast transitions between offense and defense.

However, this type of team also has a fatal flaw.

That's a lack of patience!

They get easily agitated; just keep provoking them and they'll lose their minds.

As their rationality slowly crumbles, Wei Lai only needs a small change in pace to completely shatter their mentality.

So what we need to do now is to transmit information steadily.

No mistakes allowed!

We mustn't be reckless!
Keep them on your heels.

It makes them feel frustrated, irritable, and angry.

In this way, their formation will collapse on its own!

(End of this chapter)