Volume One: Our Own League Chapter 011: No More Chances to Start

Their Class Ten football team consisted of sixteen players, and their internal training matches were played seven-a-side.

This was Xu He’s first internal training match since joining the team, and naturally, he took it very seriously.

He hoped to showcase his abilities and earn the recognition of his teammates.

Xu He gathered his resolve, determined to perform well today.

As Xu He's close friend, Li Jie easily saw through his thoughts. Grabbing Xu He's arm, he encouraged him, "Believe in yourself. You can do it!"

Xu He nodded firmly at Li Jie.

A whistle sounded—the temporary referee, one of the teammates, signaled the start of the training match. The Blue Team, Xu He's side, started with the ball.

Mu Yang controlled the ball at midfield.

It was evident that Mu Yang’s footwork lacked finesse; his playing style was bold and direct.

He used his body to shield the ball from Zhu Ge of the Red Team, then sent a direct through-ball behind the Red Team’s defenders.

During training, Mu Yang had witnessed Xu He's impressive speed, so he immediately sought to exploit it to breach the opposition's defensive line.

His footwork wasn’t delicate, and his style was aggressive and straightforward, hence his direct approach from the outset.

With a swift motion, the ball rolled rapidly past Zhong Haokun, the Red Team's defensive midfielder, heading towards the defensive line.

The Red Team players were startled!

A blue flash had already torn through their defense, chasing the ball towards the penalty area.

Xu He!

It was Xu He!

"This guy is way too fast!" Zhu Ge, gritting his teeth and accelerating back to defend, muttered inwardly.

He was a deadly weapon, truly hard to defend against.

"Stop him!" Lin Xuefeng shouted to his defensive teammates.

The Red Team’s center-back had anticipated that the Blue Team would play such through-balls and had been keeping an eye on Xu He, but it was futile—Xu He was simply too fast.

So fast that he couldn’t even touch Xu He's shirt.

The center-back tried desperately but couldn’t stop Xu He.

Xu He, like a sharp arrow, pierced through the Red Team’s defense in an instant, chasing the ball alone, headed straight for goal.

Li Jie shouted, "Beautiful, Xu He!"

Xu He timed his run perfectly, launching forward the moment Mu Yang passed the ball, sprinting out without being offside. Now he faced the goalkeeper one-on-one.

The Red Team players were so tense they could barely speak.

Their goalkeeper rushed out, lunging at Xu He, who had caught up to the ball.

The Blue Team collectively shouted, "Shoot, Xu He!"

Facing the charging keeper, Xu He remained calm, immediately spotting the defensive gap.

Without waiting for his teammates' shouts, Xu He suddenly turned sideways and pushed the ball with his foot.

Xu He silently implored, "Go in!"

Bang—the ball was struck, flying towards the far corner.

Mu Yang, Li Jie, and the other Blue Team players raised their fists in anticipation of celebration; the Red Team players' faces darkened with frustration.

Swish—the ball sailed past the advancing goalkeeper...

But soared over the crossbar!

The field fell silent.

Xu He’s eyes widened in disbelief!

He missed!

He had fired a shot way off target.

He had aimed for the far bottom corner—how did it end up soaring high?

Xu He clutched his head, bitterly frustrated.

What a fantastic opportunity!

The other teammates were disappointed, but Mu Yang frowned slightly, noticing something amiss. He couldn’t be certain yet; he needed to observe more.

The match continued, and the Red Team gradually took control.

Zhu Ge and Lin Xuefeng possessed excellent ball control, and with Zhong Haokun acting as their bodyguard, their midfield operated smoothly.

Suddenly, Lin Xuefeng burst forth down the flank.

He raced along the wing, broke through two defenders in succession, cut inside towards the box, and after drawing defenders, he sent a reverse pass towards the penalty spot, where striker Zhang Zhen calmly slotted the ball into the corner.

One–nil!

Zhang Zhen’s shot was a delight to watch—so effortless and expressive.

Watching Zhang Zhen, Xu He felt deeply frustrated.

Why did Zhang Zhen make scoring look so easy?

Li Jie approached and patted Xu He’s shoulder, saying, "Don’t be discouraged; you’re amazing too!"

Hearing Li Jie's encouragement warmed Xu He's heart.

He replied immediately, "Don’t worry, I won’t let this get me down. I’m a tough nut! I won’t give up!"

Li Jie’s lips curled into a smile—this was the Xu He he knew.

Li Jie said, "Keep it up!"

Xu He replied, "Let’s go!"

The match resumed, and Xu He was exceedingly proactive up front, constantly darting and tearing through the Red Team’s defense, making it hard for their defenders to cope—many secretly resented him.

Just then, Li Jie sent a precise cross, placing the ball at the center where Xu He awaited.

The Red Team’s defenders were still some distance away, leaving Xu He ample time to set up his shot.

It was an excellent opportunity!

Xu He thought, "This time, I’ll definitely score!"

He focused intently, mentally replaying the shooting techniques, then swung his leg and struck the ball hard.

Bang!

The ball flew out swiftly, with great power!

The Red Team players’ eyes narrowed.

The Blue Team players were delighted, eyes fixed on the ball, thinking, "This is the chance!"

But the ball went straight into the arms of the Red Team's goalkeeper.

Oh!

The Blue Team players sighed in regret.

Mu Yang thought, "Just as I expected!"

The Red Team, unaffected, launched a swift counterattack.

Lin Xuefeng received Zhu Ge’s pass in midfield, sprinted down the wing, charged towards the Blue Team’s penalty area, then suddenly crossed the ball—sending it to the edge of the box where Zhang Zhen stood.

Zhang Zhen glanced at the top right corner of the Blue Team’s goal, swung his leg, and blasted a shot—the ball flew into the top right corner.

Two–nil!

Zhang Zhen again!

That shot was superbly executed—both in power and placement.

Zhang Zhen’s shooting skills were truly remarkable.

To be honest, before this match, Xu He hadn’t regarded Zhang Zhen as a threat. In previous trainings, Zhang Zhen seemed utterly ordinary, lacking any standout qualities—his speed wasn’t great, his physique neither tall nor strong, and his footwork was unimpressive.

As a direct competitor, Xu He felt no pressure from Zhang Zhen.

He thought Zhang Zhen posed no threat at all.

But now, he realized he was gravely mistaken.

Zhang Zhen seemed mediocre in every aspect, but he was not without distinguishing features—he had a remarkably sharp skill.

That was his exceptional shooting ability.

From different positions, using varied techniques and footwork, he executed every shot with precision. He was confident, composed, even nonchalant when shooting.

His shots appeared comfortable, fitting, and fluid.

This guy was truly talented.

Perhaps his place on the team was secured solely due to his superb shooting.

Without comparison, there is no harm.

In the face of Zhang Zhen’s sharp shooting, Xu He’s own clumsy, poor finishing seemed even more awkward.

Xu He’s weaknesses were laid bare.

As a striker, Xu He’s shooting really wasn’t up to standard.

Seeing Xu He in a daze, Li Jie grew anxious, fearing his friend might not handle the blow.

He hurried to Xu He’s side, reaching out to comfort him.

But at that moment, Xu He suddenly snapped out of it and exclaimed admiringly, "Amazing, truly amazing! That shooting technique is unmatched!"

Li Jie was momentarily stunned—he hadn’t expected Xu He to praise his competitor so openly at such a moment, and felt both amused and helpless.

Apparently, he had underestimated his friend.

Xu He hadn’t been defeated.

Seeing Li Jie nearby, Xu He spoke admiringly, "Did you see that? His shooting is incredible! I have to work twice as hard, otherwise I won’t have a place in this team!"

Li Jie silently gave Xu He a thumbs-up.

Honestly, Xu He’s resilience was impressive.

If it had been him, he would’ve been wallowing in self-pity, losing all confidence and composure.

He wouldn’t have had Xu He’s unshakable fighting spirit.

Xu He continued, "Old Li, it looks like it’ll be hard on you—I need you to help me practice shooting after school. I can’t let him outshine me!"

Li Jie stared at Xu He, a chord struck deep within him.

He nodded firmly and declared, "Alright, I’ll definitely help you practice shooting."

Xu He gave Li Jie a sweet smile, saying, "Let’s do it!"

The match wasn’t over, nor had Xu He given up.

Though he recognized the gap between himself and Zhang Zhen, he refused to surrender. As long as the match wasn’t finished, he would not abandon his quest to score.

Xu He turned and waved to his teammates, shouting, "Come on, let’s keep fighting! We haven’t lost yet!"

Seeing Xu He like this, Mu Yang was taken aback.

But as the match resumed, Mu Yang snapped back to attention and continued playing.

Xu He was right—they hadn’t lost yet.

Keep fighting!

Mu Yang waved his teammates forward, signaling them to press up and attack.

The Blue Team players, fired up, surged forward like a tide, launching a furious offensive. But their midfield suddenly lost possession, and Zhu Ge quickly passed the ball back to Lin Xuefeng on the wing. Lin Xuefeng cut inside with the ball and, from just inside the box, fired a left-footed shot, scoring to widen the gap—three–nil.

Indeed, the Red Team’s morale was soaring; nothing could stop them.

Trailing by three, Xu He and his team still refused to give up.

Especially Xu He—he fought relentlessly, pushing hard for a goal.

As long as the match wasn’t over, they would not give up or retreat; attack!

Xu He raised his arm and shouted.

The Blue Team players surged up like waves, seizing the final moments to attack.

Xu He immediately signaled for the ball—today, he had to score!

His position was good, and Li Jie passed the ball to him from midfield.

Zhong Haokun, the Red Team defender, knew Xu He’s speed was dangerous and rushed up, determined not to let him get a start. But Xu He didn’t even trap the ball—instead, he flicked it gently upward, the ball swiftly passing just in front of Zhong Haokun’s face and sailing over his head.

Xu He swiftly sidestepped, dodging the charging Zhong Haokun.

A brilliant, unconventional flick to beat his man.

Spectators at the sidelines applauded Xu He—his move was creative and elegant.

After getting past Zhong Haokun, Xu He sprinted towards the ball.

Facing Zhu Ge, who was also rushing in, Xu He deftly pulled the ball in a 360-degree turn, executing a Marseille roulette to beat Zhu Ge, drawing gasps of amazement from the crowd.

Xu He’s moves were fluid and graceful.

He seemed like a nimble sprite on the pitch.

Past Zhu Ge, confronted by the Red Team’s center-back, Xu He nutmegged his opponent and broke through, facing the goalkeeper one-on-one.

This time, I will score!

Mu Yang, Li Jie, and the other Blue Team players stared intently at Xu He’s back, inwardly roaring, "Xu He, score! This time, you must!"

One-on-one!

Xu He’s eyes locked onto the charging goalkeeper, his heart fiercely resolved, "This time, I will score!"

Watching for the right moment, Xu He silently recited his mantra, swung his arms, lifted his leg, and shot—

Bang!

Xu He struck the ball hard, and it flashed out like a white bolt, dazzling the goalkeeper.

The ball zipped past the goalkeeper, heading straight for goal.

The Blue Team players were excited—this time, surely!

Even the Red Team players fixed their gaze on the ball, secretly sighing—this time, it must go in!

Clang!

A metallic sound rang out—the ball crashed into the far post and bounced out over the goal line.

No goal!

Watching the ball bounce out, Xu He felt a deep sense of loss: "Looks like for the weekend match against Class Six, I won’t have a chance to start. What a pity!"