Chapter 26: The Last Elegy of Yugoslav Football?

The LED scoreboard hung high in mid-air at Old Trafford Stadium.

The time had reached 88:49.

2:1.

Gazing at Lewokusen's number 10 on the field.

Manchester United fans inexplicably felt a bit nervous.

Lewokusen fans were somewhat excited.

Everyone knew the Dragon Descendant's long-range shooting power.

But his free-kick ability was just a mystery!

In modern football's development to this day, the technical gap between long-range shots and free kicks is like that between a mule and a stallion!

"The suspense of the match has come."

"The Calhanoglu on the bench, watching this scene, would surely want to try again!"

"If Lewokusen seize this free-kick opportunity, they will equalize the score!"

"It's difficult! De Gea is in great form; even Calhanoglu's free kick cannot break through the goal he guards!"

"From the wall's position, Li Kang cannot blast a direct free kick; he should lay it off for Jisilin!"

Beep!

The head referee blew the whistle.

Li Kang's face still bore a calm expression.

He began his run-up.

In God's perspective.

The flow of time seemed to slow down severalfold.

The shadow area in his brain wildly spread.

In front of him.

A black silhouette clad in a number 11 jersey suddenly appeared.

With each step.

The black silhouette grew increasingly clear.

Its movement and posture were flawless.

The negative emotions it emitted also frenziedly devoured Li Kang's consciousness.

Turbulent.

Fragmentation.

Shattered.

Unwilling.

Regret.

That was the last elegy of Yugoslav football.

Li Kang's steps, movements, and the silhouette gradually synchronized.

He arrived before the ball.

He completely overlapped with the black silhouette.

In God's perspective.

A black, smoky shooting trajectory suddenly appeared!

There was no extremely exaggerated shooting posture.

There was no booming blast of a heavy artillery shot.

There was no graceful turn like a crescent moon blade.

Old Trafford Stadium was silent, not even a sparrow's chirp.

All spectators and staff were staring intently at the ball's trajectory!

That terrifying and eerie great arc!

It seemed as if it would strangle every player on the wall!!!

De Gea stood ready, shifting his feet.

At the instant the ball passed over the wall.

Both feet kicked hard into the turf!

All curved shots.

Just like Calhanoglu's free kick.

It was useless for him!

Just as the red glove was about to pluck the ball.

The ball's trajectory changed.

De Gea's pupils contracted slightly!

A sudden acceleration.

A sudden plunge.

It silently brushed past his fingertips.

It clung to the goalpost.

It boomed into the goal.

2:2.

The whole stadium fell silent.

Time seemed to freeze for a few seconds.

Immediately afterwards,

Only then did Old Trafford Stadium send out sounds of amazement.

Even the commentator was so shocked he lost his words.

"A free kick that cannot be described in words!"

"It violates the laws of physics!"

"What incredible footwork is needed to make the ball change direction after going over the wall!"

"A 17‑year‑old youngster actually possesses such superb free‑kick skill!!!"

"Li Kang! The free kick went straight in! He helped Lewokusen equalize the score!"

Dragon Kingdom livestream.

The big screen replayed the goal in slow motion.

Only then did the fans notice.

The ball's spin was incredibly intense!!!

The barrage of comments went crazy!

-【Holy cow! Only in slow motion can you feel how awesome this free‑kick is!】

-【It's like a work of art! Unfathomable!】

-【Only Mi Ha Yin Luo Wei Qi and Xiao Ru Ni Ni Ao could kick such a free‑kick, right?】

-【Who are these two? When it comes to free kicks, Ka Luo Si and Bei Ke Han Mu are the best—Profound Iron Heavy Sword and Crescent Moon Blade!】

-【Watch the replay carefully, Li Kang's free‑kick motion…】

At the moment the goal was scored,

All the negative emotions in Li Kang's mind instantly vanished.

He lifted his head and glanced at the match time.

He again refused his teammates' celebration.

He picked up the ball from the net.

He ran toward the center circle.

The Manchester United fans present clearly had not fully recovered from the shock.

The Lewokusen fans in front of the TV were stunned.

Many fans who had criticized the club over the No. 10 jersey incident secretly felt ashamed.

Who said Qia'er Han Ao Lu is the new generation's free‑kick king?

On the sidelines,

Fan Jia'er angrily crushed the water bottle.

"Damn it! Can't we even hold the last few minutes?"

"Is that kid Ba Luo Te Li? Or does he think equalizing isn't enough?"

"Damn! We'll push forward too!"

Ji Gesi quickly handed over a new bottle of water.

On the other side,

Bei La La Bi and Qia'er Han Ao Lu buried their heads deeply.

As a normal human being, embarrassment occupied the joy of equalizing.

Shi Mi Te and his assistant coach celebrated wildly.

"Defend! We must hold this draw!"

"How long is the injury time? Hurry! Make the players hold on at all costs!"

The fourth official on the sideline by the center circle held up the injury‑time board.

3 minutes.

Play restarted in the center circle.

Ma Xia Er passed back to Ai Lei La.

Manchester United's formation surged forward wildly!

In the dying stages of the match, the psychological shadow of conceding two goals in a row was too great!

What a pity.

Fei Lai Ni, that big lug, made a small mistake in coordination while pushing forward.

Sun Xingmin completed a tackle.

He immediately passed the ball to Li Kang's feet.

Li Kang made a gesture to advance.

But no teammate made a forward run.

Captain Ben De Er roared from the back: "Pass back! Li!"

Shi Mi Te and his assistant coach also shouted wildly: "Defend!"

Being able to equalize the score.

They were already satisfied.

Modern football is not a one‑person sport.

A trace of negative emotion arose in Li Kang's mind.

Manchester United players frenetically pressed forward.

A large gap had already appeared in the backfield.

This is the best counterattack opportunity!

He could only pass the ball back to Kelamo.

"After Lewokusen equalized the score, they weren't in a hurry; they wanted to slow the pace of the game."

"Shimite perhaps wanted to bring the advantage of two away goals back for the second leg!"

-【Lewokusen's head coach still wants to blow up Manchester United in the second leg? Luni and Mata haven't even come on yet!】

-【They'll just cling to that away-goal advantage, utilitarian football is truly disgusting.】

-【Li Kang just managed to bring out the team's momentum, but that damn coach cut it off!】

The final three minutes.

Li Kang remained the focus of Old Trafford Stadium.

Manchester United launched a frenzied attack.

Possession changed hands several times.

Lewokusen's number 10 always managed to appear in the right spot at the crucial moment, thereby thwarting the opponent's advance.

Manchester United's passing combination in tight spaces.

He would also easily see through their passing lines.

The forwards Linjade and Maxia'er were completely bewildered.

It seemed as if their own running intentions...

It was also under the control of Lewokusen's Dragon Descendant.

Fanjia'er once again squeezed a bottle of mineral water: "This kid is too freaky!"

Finally.

The chief referee blew the whistle signaling the end of the match.

Manchester United 2:2 Lewokusen.

The feelings of both sets of fans were quite complex.