Volume 1: Our Own League 152: The School Team Tryouts Officially Conclude

Of course, besides Lin Xuefeng, Li Jie on this flank was also quite impressive.

This left-back, Li Jie, displayed remarkable tactical understanding with Lin Xuefeng. Not only was he fast, but he also had a very sharp football IQ, making him an exceptionally promising prospect—at least when it came to providing support in the attacking third.

Yangtong Mingxiong recalled Principal Wang's words once again: "Our school team will be primarily built around the first-year class!"

It seemed that Principal Wang truly understood the students in their school.

The players of the First-Year Team B were naturally ecstatic, celebrating enthusiastically as many of them rushed toward Lin Xuefeng. Even Tang Jike rushed over to Lin Xuefeng, though his mood was far from joyful.

Indeed, Xu He could tell that Tang Jike was feeling unhappy.

Tang Jike must have been extremely dissatisfied with this particular attacking sequence. He believed that Lin Xuefeng should not have taken the risk of shooting, but should have safely squared the ball across to him in open space, which would have guaranteed a goal.

Although Lin Xuefeng had scored this time, it was simply too risky.

From that angle, he might not have scored even one out of ten attempts; this time, it was sheer good fortune.

However, Tang Jike knew how formidable Lin Xuefeng was, and in the matches to come, he would still need to rely on Lin Xuefeng's passes and assists to score goals. Therefore, despite his deep dissatisfaction, he still ran up to congratulate Lin Xuefeng.

He hoped to win Lin Xuefeng's favor so that Lin Xuefeng would pass the ball to him in the future.

To be honest, Lin Xuefeng had not given it that much thought at all.

As long as they were teammates on the pitch, Lin Xuefeng would pass to anyone and always prioritize the collective. His mind was nowhere near as scheming as Tang Jike's; even without all those ulterior motives from Tang Jike, he still would have passed the ball to him.

As long as he deemed it a good opportunity, he would definitely pass.

Failing to notice Tang Jike's hidden thoughts, Lin Xuefeng accepted the congratulations and ran back, preparing for the restart.

The match was far from over, and with plenty of time remaining, there was no room for complacency for even a single second.

The players of the United Team were naturally furious and utterly unable to accept this.

Believing that their strength was by no means inferior to these first-year kids, they immediately launched an assault, besieging the First-Year Team B's goal.

Naturally, the United Team's number 39 forward was the most proactive of them all.

He had played a rather frustrating game so far—an experience he had never encountered before. Unable to accept failure, he was driven to attack, determined not to be outdone by the first-year players.

The United Team's number 39 forward immediately raised his hand, signaling his teammates to cross the ball.

Chen Wei on the flank received a pass from Qidan. Looking to repeat his previous trick, he immediately shaped up to cross.

With a sharp thud, Li Jie slid in and cleared the ball out over the baseline.

Li Jie's timing on the sliding tackle was utterly flawless, and the execution was sharp and clean. It was a stellar piece of defending.

The United Team quickly took the throw-in, and the ball soon found its way back to Chen Wei's feet.

Li Jie suddenly surged forward to press, flustering Chen Wei so much that he almost lost possession. Fortunately, Chen Wei reacted quickly, using his body to shield against Li Jie and steady himself. However, Li Jie still managed to stretch out a leg from behind and poke the ball out over the baseline once again.

Under Li Jie's tight marking, Chen Wei found it nearly impossible to deliver a cross. Consequently, the United Team's number 39 forward was rendered completely useless, entirely neutralized.

Watching this from the sideline, Yangtong Mingxiong nodded repeatedly. Though unassuming at first glance, Li Jie's defending was remarkably solid. Chen Wei possessed undeniable individual quality; while his ability to beat defenders was somewhat lacking, his ball-retention skills were quite decent.

Yet, facing Li Jie, Chen Wei looked thoroughly embarrassed in defense.

This alone spoke volumes about Li Jie's true caliber.

At this point, the United Team had no choice but to adjust their tactics, ordering their full-back to push far up the pitch and assist Chen Wei. But even when facing this two-man combination, Li Jie handled them with ease, putting on an exceptional defensive display on the wing and denying them any meaningful openings.

This left the United Team's number 39 forward extremely anxious, constantly gesturing for crosses from his teammates and even showing faint signs of grievance.

It was clear that the number 39 forward was growing desperate.

During this phase, he frequently dropped deep into the penalty area to link up with his teammates and search for combinations. However, he still relied overwhelmingly on his aerial ability to assist the team, spending far too little time controlling the ball at his feet.

Xu He's eyes lit up as he remarked, "Could this guy only be good at headers?"

Hearing this, Zhu Jun's eyes flashed with a sharp light as well, finding himself somewhat agreeing with Xu He's assessment.

Look at how the United Team's attacks were currently stalled. Logically speaking, this player should have dropped deep to receive and hold the ball, utilizing his physique and shielding ability to secure possession in the attacking third, allowing his teammates to make forward runs while he teed them up to tear through the First-Year Team B's defensive line.

However, although this player did drop deep, he offered virtually no link-up play or ball retention, appearing severely unconfident in his ability to control the ball with his feet.

This plunged the United Team's offense into an awkward predicament, rendering it largely toothless.

Li Jie's true strength was now fully on display.

Li Jie's defensive prowess was clearly superior to Chen An's from the first half, as Chen An had failed to contain Chen Wei's impact.

Li Jie was truly formidable, successfully curbed the United Team's offensive momentum.

Realizing that Chen Wei was heavily restricted, Qidan increasingly shifted the play to the other flank. While the players on the opposite side lacked Chen Wei's razor-sharp crossing ability, they at least had opportunities to deliver the ball into the First-Year Team B's penalty box. This would activate the number 39 forward, increase the pressure on the defense, and inevitably force Li Jie to loosen his marking on Chen Wei, creating future openings for them.

Qidan abruptly switched the ball to the other side, and the winger immediately crossed it into the box.

Unexpectedly, this time the cross was pinpoint accurate, sailing right over the head of the First-Year Team B's central defender and straight toward the number 39 forward in the center. The number 39 forward leaped high, towering over the defender, and unleashed a ferocious header that smashed the ball directly into the back of the First-Year Team B's net.

Jiang Hao in goal barely had time to react; the ball traveled simply too fast.

Three to five, the United Team clawed a goal back.

To be frank, this felt somewhat like an unexpected stroke of good fortune.

The players of First-Year Team B could only offer wry smiles. They had just succeeded in shutting down the opponent's main threat, only to concede from the opposite side out of nowhere—it was truly speechless.

Li Jie felt the United Team had simply gotten too lucky!

As the match resumed, both sides poured more energy into their attacks, trading blows in a genuinely entertaining fashion. Yet Xu He and his companions watched with intense anxiety, because the United Team's offensive threats remained very real.

Shortly before, First-Year Team B's midfielder Wang Jun delivered a razor-sharp through ball that sliced open the United Team's defense. Utilizing his pace, Tang Jike made a successful run, broke straight into the penalty area, and unleashed a thunderous shot against the goalkeeper.

The ball flashed rapidly toward the United Team's goal.

It traveled with blistering speed, immense power, and a tricky trajectory—by all accounts, a certain goal. But the United Team's goalkeeper pulled off a miraculous save, tipping the ball away by the narrowest of margins.

Tang Jike buried his face in his hands, utterly crestfallen.

The United Team quickly launched a counterattack. After stringing together several dribbles through the center, Qidan rapidly shifted the ball out wide to Chen Wei. Receiving the pass, Chen Wei feinted to beat his man. However, Li Jie instantly closed him down. Overwhelmed by the immense pressure, Chen Wei instantly abandoned his forward intentions, dragged the ball back, and squared it quickly to the center, affording Li Jie no chance to intervene.

The ball arrived swiftly in the middle, where the on-rushing Qidan struck it first time with a fierce shot that skimmed the turf and flew into the bottom near corner.

Jiang Hao's diving reaction was too slow, missing the ball entirely.

Yangtong Mingxiong shook his head continuously; this goalkeeper was simply too poor, failing to stop a shot like that.

Three minutes later, the United Team's attack rolled back in waves. This time, Chen Wei drifted into the center and played a quick one-two with Qidan before darting back out to the flank. Qidan promptly fed the ball back to Chen Wei, who immediately attempted a cross. The ball soared into the air, only to be intercepted by a stretched leg from Li Jie, sending it looping out toward the edge of the penalty area.

The United Team's number 11 forward leaped outside the box and headed the ball back into the danger zone. Inside the box, the number 39 forward met it with a flick of his head, sending it looping in an arc right over the head of goalkeeper Jiang Hao and dropping down into the First-Year Team B's net.

The United Team's number 39 forward had completed a hat-trick, capping off an exceptional performance.

The scoreline on the field shifted to five-to-five as the United Team leveled the score. The United Team's players had all performed admirably, especially the number 39 forward.

The match was now drawing to a close. Both teams traded blows on the pitch in a lively, fast-paced encounter, with both sides posing significant attacking threats.

First-Year Team B's midfielders Wang Jun and Zhao斌 both put in commendable shifts, supplying several quality passes. Just moments prior, Zhao斌 delivered a sudden diagonal cross to the edge of the left side of the penalty box. Lin Xuefeng arrived at the spot, executed a sudden drag-back, and curled a sublime left-footed shot. The ball traced an arc that bypassed the defenders and dipped into the net right between the goalkeeper's fingertips and the goalpost.

Lin Xuefeng's razor-sharp technique was put on full, undeniable display.

Xu He could not help but stand up and applaud. Lin Xuefeng's curling effort was truly exquisite, and Xu He admired it deeply.

Six to five, First-Year Team B reclaimed the lead.

Lin Xuefeng's performance genuinely caught everyone's eye. Though his frame appeared somewhat slender, the energy contained within his body was astonishing.

Later on, Lin Xuefeng actually had a chance to complete a hat-trick when First-Year Team B won a free kick just outside the penalty area. Lin Xuefeng's free-kick ability was formidable, and he likely would have scored directly. However, he unselfishly handed the opportunity over to Zhao斌, whose proficiency at dead-ball situations was equally impressive.

Unfortunately, Zhao斌's direct free kick struck the goalpost and bounced out. Seizing the moment, the United Team launched a swift counterattack. Qidan drove forward on a long solo run and fired a low shot that slipped right under Jiang Hao's arm, sending the ball rolling into the net and cementing the final score at six-to-six.

At that moment, the referee blew the final whistle.

The trial match for the Jinguan City No. 17 High School team thus drew to its curtain call, with the announcement of the official squad roster coming up next.

To tell the truth, Xu He cared deeply about the release of this name list.

Once the match ended, all the players gathered according to their three groups once more, awaiting the final verdict. Meanwhile, Yangtong Mingxiong and Xu Dongsheng were huddled on the podium, animatedly discussing and seemingly finalizing the ultimate selection.

Xu He trusted that before long, the Jinguan City No. 17 High School team would be officially established.