Awakening the Messi template, Florentino Pérez begs me to join Real Madrid

Wow! That's awesome!

The Al Ain fans erupted in cheers, followed by even more enthusiastic applause for Omar's brilliant individual performance.

Wu Shi stood there, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

They were already behind in less than ten minutes.

He looked at Omar. The other man was slowly running back, enjoying the cheers of the home fans.

Zheng Zhi ran over and patted Wu Shi on the back:

"Don't worry about it, that's just how that kid is. Next time, stick even tighter and don't give him any room to maneuver."

Wu Shi nodded, forcing himself to calm down.

This is Omar. This is the "Gulf Messi".

Unlike the Asian Youth Championship, this time I was directly defending against him and felt the pressure of his effortless technique.

Not only is he making progress, but he is also making rapid progress.

The game continued. Al Ain dominated possession, with Omar frequently calling for the ball in midfield to orchestrate attacks.

Although Evergrande was behind, they didn't play in a rush, after all, it was a two-legged match.

Falling behind temporarily is not a problem; maintain a steady defense, launch a counterattack, and look for opportunities.

In the 21st minute, Wu Shi also got his first chance to shine.

Feng Xiaoting intercepted the ball in the backfield and immediately launched a long pass to Wu Shi, who had dropped back. Under close marking from the opposing defensive midfielder, Wu Shi used his body to hold off the ball, chested it down, and turned smoothly!

Just as he turned to advance, Omar had already returned to his defensive position without him noticing, and silently appeared behind him, poking him with his foot!

The ball has been destroyed!

After Omar made the interception, he immediately launched a counter-attack, sending a through ball behind Evergrande's defense. Fortunately, Zhang Linpeng was fast enough to chase back and clear the ball.

"A complete player on both offense and defense..." Wu Shi thought to himself, looking at Omar's retreating figure with a chill. This guy is not only the core of the offense, but his defensive awareness and positioning are also outstanding.

The first half ended in a stalemate between the two sides. Al Ain had over 60% possession, but produced few truly threatening shots. Omar was tightly marked by Evergrande's midfield, and although he occasionally showed flashes of brilliance, he struggled to comfortably orchestrate consecutive attacks. Evergrande, on the other hand, had two counter-attacking opportunities, but their finishing was poor.

1-0. The atmosphere in the locker room wasn't relaxed.

"Our defense after conceding a goal was good, especially in limiting Omar," Lippi affirmed first. "But it's not enough. Zheng Zhi, your stamina will drop in the second half, and you might have difficulty marking him closely. Wu Shi, you need to take on more responsibility for limiting him, especially when he moves to your side."

He turned to the team: "In the second half, temperature and physical condition will be key. We need to control the ball more intelligently and wear them down. We should launch counter-attacks whenever we have the chance, and we need to be decisive. Set pieces will be an important weapon."

At the start of the second half, Al Ain significantly intensified their attack. Omar covered a wider area, frequently switching to the left or right flank to receive the ball, attempting to avoid Zheng Zhi's close marking.

In the 58th minute, Omar received the ball on the left wing, facing Sun Xiang's defense. He feinted a cross towards the inside, causing Sun Xiang to shift his weight, then suddenly flicked the ball outwards and accelerated down the wing!

Sun Xiang is beaten! Omar dribbles into the penalty area!

Wu Shi came over from the middle to cover and block the crossing lanes.

Omar was near the byline, seemingly about to cross, but suddenly flicked the ball behind him with his heel and turned quickly at the same time!

Cruyff turned around!

Wu Shi was completely caught off guard by this move and missed his target!

After turning around, Omar curled a left-footed shot into the far corner from a tight angle!

The ball traced a beautiful arc, passing over goalkeeper Li Shuai's fingertips...

It grazed the outside of the far post and rolled out of bounds!

"Waaaaah—!!!" Another huge sigh echoed throughout the stadium.

Omar looked up, clutching his head in his hands, deeply disappointed that his shot had missed by a hair's breadth.

Wu Shi broke out in a cold sweat. That was too close! This guy dared to make such a risky move in the restricted area, and he did it so effortlessly!

We can't let him do whatever he wants anymore.

In the 65th minute, Evergrande won a free kick in the attacking third. The position was good, about 28 meters from the goal, slightly to the right.

Zheng Zhi and Conca were both standing in front of the ball. Wu Shi also walked over.

"I'll do it," Wu Shi said. He felt his foot was in good shape today, and this position was suitable for the outside of his foot.

Zheng Zhi glanced at him, nodded, and stepped aside.

Wu Shi positioned the ball, stepped back, and took a running start.

A powerful outside-of-the-foot strike! The ball, spinning wildly, flew over the wall and into the top left corner of the goal!

The Al Ain goalkeeper made a diving save, his fingertips barely touching the ball, but he couldn't stop it from going into the net!

1: 1!

"Goal!!! Wu Shi! A beautiful outside-of-the-foot free kick! Evergrande has equalized the score away from home!" the commentator shouted excitedly.

Wu Shi pumped his fist and embraced his teammates who rushed towards him. This goal not only equalized the score but was also a powerful response to Omar's repeated brilliant performances!

After scoring, Evergrande played with more composure. Al Ain, on the other hand, became somewhat impatient, pushing forward aggressively and leaving more space in their own half.

In the 78th minute, Evergrande launched a classic counter-attack. Muriqui intercepted the ball in his own half and made a long run, attracting several defenders before passing the ball to Wu Shi, who was making a run down the right flank.

Wu Shi dribbled into the penalty area and, facing the onrushing goalkeeper, calmly passed the ball across to the far post!

Gao Lin arrived in a flash and slotted the ball into the empty net!

2: 1!

In the end, Guangzhou Evergrande defeated Al Ain 2-1 away from home, gaining an advantage in the qualification round.

As the final whistle blew, Wu Shi and Omar met again on the field. Both were covered in sweat and grass clippings; Omar's face showed resentment, but his eyes remained clear.

"Well played," Omar said in English, pointing to Wu Shi. "That free kick was fantastic."

"You too." Wu Shi shook hands with him. "You almost beat me to a pulp."

Omar smiled, a smile tinged with weariness, but more so with the respect of a worthy opponent: "Next game, I won't let you have it so easy."

"I'll be waiting."

The two exchanged jerseys. Omar's number 10 jersey was soaked with sweat and felt heavy in his hand.

On his way back to the locker room, Wu Shi looked at the jersey in his hand and recalled Omar's elfin performance during the match.

Very strong. Technically, Omar is indeed ahead.

But football is more than just technique.

Back in the locker room, Lippi praised the team's performance, especially their discipline on the defensive end and the efficiency of their counter-attacks.

"Wu Shi," Lippi called him aside, "that free kick was crucial. But more importantly, you did a better job in marking Omar defensively in the second half than in the first. You've learned to use your body and positioning, instead of just running after the ball."

Wu Shi nodded. He knew that this victory was the result of the team's hard work, and also an important step in his personal growth when facing top-level technical opponents.

As I showered, the warm water washed away my fatigue. The voice of "Silver" echoed in my mind, carrying a rare hint of approval:

[Defensive rating against Omar: 7.2/10. Significant improvement from being outmaneuvered to gradually being able to disrupt and limit him. Offensively, his crucial free-kick goal was invaluable.]

[Overall contribution rating for this match: A-]

[Integration level slightly improved: 8.30% → 8.40%.]

[Estimated global ranking for this age group: 83.]

[Commentary: Under the intense pressure and high temperature of an away game in West Asia, against a technically superior opponent, you demonstrated both offensive and defensive prowess, even scoring a crucial goal. This proves you have the initial ability to influence matches on Asia's highest stage. But remember, Omar is merely a touchstone on your path to higher goals. The real test lies ahead.]