Volume One: Our Own League Chapter 53: The Final Round of the Group Stage Approaches

After everyone learned about the national tournament, their efforts intensified. During daily training, the team became even more engaged and proactive. It was clear they were all preparing to join the school team—the allure of the national tournament was simply too great.

Of course, Xu He was no exception. He had always been the most enthusiastic during practice, and now he was even more so, still the most dedicated among them. Xu He also noticed that Mu Yang had grown more earnest. Mu Yang’s expectations for himself and for the team grew much stricter; what used to be familiar drills were now repeatedly criticized as subpar, and he insisted everyone relearn and train with care.

Yet no one complained. Instead, they followed Mu Yang’s training regimen with complete seriousness. This pleased Mu Yang greatly. His spirits in leading the team were much higher, though his face maintained its usual cool, somewhat unapproachable expression. But that didn’t affect the team’s motivation—they were used to it by now.

Other teams around them still scoffed at their training, seeing the Tenth Class Football Team’s methods as mere theatrics designed to stand out for the sake of being different. The players, however, paid no mind. They followed Mu Yang’s instructions meticulously and, gradually, grew to trust him. After all, the Tenth Class Football Team’s results were excellent.

After team training, Xu He always stayed for extra practice. Now, with another reason to push himself, he trained even harder. But he knew he wasn’t the most dedicated—someone else worked even harder: Lu Yiming, who always wore the number 47 white jersey of the Huaxia National Team. He too trained on the field, often staying much later than Xu He. Lately, he’d even brought a helper to assist his training, redoubling his efforts.

Xu He truly admired this guy, believing that Lu Yiming was destined for success and would become extraordinary in the future.

Currently, Xu He was focused on improving his shooting skills. He knew this was the area in which he needed the most immediate progress; without it, he could never secure a spot in the starting lineup, much less make the school team. His determination to improve his shooting intensified, and his extra practices became even more grueling. But he had no complaints—he devoted himself entirely to it.

These days, Xu He felt his skills were improving, which gave him even more motivation. With such effort, Tuesday arrived quickly.

Li Jie also returned. Yet, when he came back, his nose was still running—his cold clearly hadn’t improved much, even by Tuesday. Nevertheless, he returned to school, showing his love of learning and his unwillingness to fall behind in his studies.

Who would’ve thought that Li Jie’s first question to Xu He would be, “I heard our school is forming a football team to compete in the national tournament?”

Xu He had thought Li Jie came back early to catch up on his studies, but it turned out he was also here because of the national tournament. Later, Xu He realized he’d misunderstood—Li Jie had genuinely returned for his studies; it was only after arriving at school that he heard about the tournament and the school team.

Xu He replied, “Yes, you heard right.”

Li Jie was overjoyed, exclaiming, “That’s amazing—a national tournament! Just the sound of it is impressive. If I could compete in something like that, I’d brag about it for a lifetime. I really want to participate!”

Seeing Li Jie almost swooning, Xu He shook his head. “Alright, can you be a bit more normal?”

Li Jie turned to him, saying, “Hey, don’t you want to go?”

“Of course I do!” Xu He said immediately. “Why do you think I’m training so hard? Don’t worry, I, Xu He, am definitely making the team.”

Li Jie made a fist to cheer him on. “Go for it, you’ve got this!”

After that, the two of them talked excitedly about joining the school team, unable to contain their anticipation for the national tournament—they wished they could compete right away. Still, their attention soon returned to this afternoon’s league match.

That afternoon, Group A would play its final round, deciding the two teams advancing to the semifinals. Xu He was already thinking about the game, full of anticipation. Of course, he still threw himself wholeheartedly into his studies—education was important and not to be neglected.

Time spent studying always passed quickly, and soon it was time for the afternoon extracurricular period. The Group A matches would soon begin.

The first match was between Class Sixteen (A1) and Class Fourteen (A3); the second was Class Six (A2) versus the Seventeen-One Joint Team (A4).

After two rounds, Class Sixteen had two wins and six points, topping the group and almost certain to advance. Many felt Class Sixteen’s strength wasn’t as great as their results suggested—their two wins had come from last-minute goals, both 1-0, and many attributed their success more to luck.

Second place was Class Fourteen, with two draws and two points. This was a surprise, as most considered them one of the weaker teams, yet they were second in the group—a situation that left many puzzled.

Class Six was third, with a record of one draw and one loss, four goals scored, five conceded, and one point. The Seventeen-One Joint Team was fourth, also with one draw and one loss, but had scored none and conceded one, thus ranking below Class Six.

This meant Class Sixteen had effectively secured advancement, possibly even as group leaders, so the final match was of little importance to them. Yet, for these young players, things weren’t so complicated—they played football for joy and the thrill of victory. Every time they stepped onto the pitch, they cherished the chance to perform and fight for a win.

Class Fourteen, with only two points, had not yet qualified. They had to give their all in the final round—victory would guarantee advancement. A draw would leave their fate to the outcome of the other match, with elimination or a miracle advancement both possible.

With Class Fourteen facing Class Sixteen, and Class Six facing the Seventeen-One Joint Team, for Class Six and Seventeen-One to advance, they not only had to win but also hope for a favorable result in the other game.

So, the final round in Group A was actually quite straightforward. The first match—Class Sixteen versus Class Fourteen—would be decisive.

Of course, these matches weren’t played simultaneously; the school only had one football field. There might be collusion, but few believed it likely—it wasn’t a professional league with tangled interests. Here, it was all about the game and the happiness football brought them.

Xu He and the Tenth Class team came to watch from the sidelines. Li Jie asked, “Xu, what do you think about this match? Who do you think will win?”

Xu He studied the pitch. Honestly, after two rounds, he still hadn’t figured out these teams completely. “If I had to pick, I’d go with Class Sixteen. Their Zhuo Jun is really impressive.”

Indeed, like everyone else, Xu He had noticed only Zhuo Jun’s talent on the Class Sixteen team. As for Class Fourteen, their front three’s coordination was excellent, but their defense was weak and unstable. So, Xu He favored Class Sixteen.

“I believe Zhuo Jun won’t let me down,” he added.

Li Jie observed Xu He, then the field, and said, “I agree—even though Class Sixteen isn’t particularly strong and has nothing special, I have a feeling they’ll win.”

But as soon as the match began, Class Fourteen proved them wrong. Their front three combined brilliantly, slicing through Class Sixteen’s defense—even Zhuo Jun couldn’t stop them. With seamless passing, they broke through, bypassed Zhuo Jun, and their striker, Qin Tailong, slotted the ball into the net.

One-nil—Class Fourteen took the lead.

Xu He and Li Jie exchanged glances; Class Fourteen’s attack was much better than they’d expected. It now seemed unlikely Class Sixteen could come back—their offense was weak, almost nonexistent.

The onlookers shot teasing glances at Xu He and Li Jie. The two could only share a wry smile—they had misjudged this one. Who would have thought Class Fourteen would erupt in the final round, giving everything for a chance to advance?

As the match continued, Xu He and Li Jie hoped Class Sixteen would respond and equalize, but Class Fourteen kept the upper hand, their front three relentlessly besieging Class Sixteen. Zhuo Jun was run ragged on defense, with no chance to organize an attack.

Class Sixteen was thoroughly suppressed and seemed doomed. The players of Class Six and the Seventeen-One Joint Team watched anxiously, knowing that if Class Fourteen won, nothing they did would matter—they would be eliminated regardless. All they could do was hope Class Sixteen would at least equalize.