[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-am-the-football-star":3,"chapter-i-am-the-football-star-i-am-the-football-star-chapter-450":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I AM the Football Star",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1686145,2153,"Chapter 450 - 126: Going Home to Italy? (Mid- - at 9,700 Words)","i-am-the-football-star-chapter-450",450,"\u003Cp>He judged correctly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was certain that Mancini’s shot could go over the wall!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He chose to trust in the strength of the Great British Imperial Star, and his trust was rewarded!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He executed a perfect save!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Italian goalkeeper, who had been scored against three times in this match, had not lost confidence. He firmly believed he was a good goalkeeper, and indeed, he proved it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soccer ball was forcefully blocked by Areola’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to issues with hand positioning and the ball’s spin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball flew high but did not go out of bounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The English players surged forward, charging into the penalty area, ready to contend for the header.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after landing, Areola quickly got back up and jumped again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He plucked the ball from above the heads of several players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the process, he experienced some collisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had fallen holding the ball due to the pain in his rib, the referee would have stopped the match and called a foul on the English player for charging the goalkeeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Areola didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he saw Morici frantically waving on the right side of the penalty area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enduring the pain, Areola swung his big hand, throwing the ball towards Morici.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was then that the English players noticed Morici.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rashim was the first to rush towards Morici. He had no special intuition; it was purely his professional running habit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so, Rashim was still a step late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Morici didn’t stop the ball at all; instead, his left foot, like a whip, struck the incoming ball directly in the air!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A truly rocket-like super-fast pass-shot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the football seemed to traverse space, appearing directly in the air at the center circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there, Lu Yang was sprinting at full speed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both central defenders of the England backline were present, with one directly retreating near the penalty area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Chaloba’s retreat was limited, maintaining a position one or two meters in front of Lu Yang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t directly contest the ball with Lu Yang because he knew Lu Yang was strong in aerial duels and had unmatched judgment of the ball’s drop point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Lu Yang controlled the ball in a contest, it would take just a moment for him to get past Chaloba.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, Chaloba wisely allowed Lu Yang to receive the ball while he would defend him head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With both center-backs in position, it would be difficult for Lu Yang to pose a genuine threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as they delayed, the main force would return, and it would be manageable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Lu Yang attempted a shot, it would either be blocked or have such a poor angle that the goalkeeper would find it easy to save.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chaloba had everything planned out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yang ran past!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He visibly ran past!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the ball’s drop point and Lu Yang’s running speed, the ball would land behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chaloba was stunned, had he misjudged from staring at the ball in the air too long?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He instinctively leaned forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Lu Yang didn’t contest for the ball, Chaloba could control it as soon as it rebounded upon hitting the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to directly disrupting aerial balls, controlling a ball after it hits the ground is much simpler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The principle that footwork is more reliable than heading holds true in any sport.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t confident in the header contest, but Chaloba was assured in disrupting the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chaloba and Lu Yang rapidly closed in on each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, the ball was quickly descending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball indeed landed behind Lu Yang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However... just as it landed, Lu Yang didn’t slow down, still running, only raising his trailing leg a bit higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heel tapped the ball directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball bounced back up into the air and swiftly moved towards the England Team’s penalty area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Lu Yang swiftly flew past Chaloba.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Chaloba was left dumbfounded... Where did the ball go?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where did it disappear to?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whole stadium fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of dribbling was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had never been such a running and dribbling move!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this a Scorpion Tail or Divine Dragon Tail?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was freaking art!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After turning around, Chaloba finally saw the ball dropping from the sky again, along with Lu Yang holding off his teammate at the top of the penalty arc.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did I have to become the background for this classic moment?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is it just because I’m the only named defender on the England Youth Team’s backline?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chaloba was devastated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His intuition told him that no matter the outcome, he’d definitely become an indispensable part of the post-match analysis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like Cortino and even for a much longer time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the world of football, a lot of red cards are shown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other than the top few infamous ones, very few red cards stay talked about for ten or twenty years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lu Yang’s recent move, unprecedented, will be hard to surpass in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chaloba getting bypassed this time would probably be remembered for decades!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dammit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Lu Yang was holding off another England Team’s center-back, fiercely contending against him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The physical prowess of an English center-back goes without saying—more brutal than Lam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To withstand him, Lu Yang had to lean heavily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His whole back was completely pressed against the opponent’s chest, forming an angle with the ground of less than forty-five degrees!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the opponent suddenly withdrew force, Lu Yang would definitely fall straight to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the opponent wouldn’t dare!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Withdrawing force has its costs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if Lu Yang anticipated it and was ready for the withdrawal?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then recklessly withdrawing would only make the center-back miss the best defense opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, this defender was confident enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed that under his pressure, Lu Yang, who could barely stand, had no chance of taking a shot.\u003C\u002Fp>",977,"2026-06-06T13:45:08.170Z",1,"novelbin.me","9b9f526e3202bcb16a4bb4239fc0e92fcbb6ed003ff3de443eb146c9990c77d7","i-am-the-football-star-chapter-301","i-am-the-football-star-chapter-449",836,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-am-the-football-star-cover.jpg"]