Chapter 530: Explosion Point (Daily Transition)

Along with the referee's whistle.

The match officially began.

Spain possession.

Morata kicked off and passed to Pique.

Argentinian midfield and forward players quickly rushed past the midfield circle, spreading out a pressing net.

The ball was quickly passed among the red jerseys.

"The footwork technique is too good."

"Still, old age has caused a huge drop in reaction and physical confrontation."

Iniesta was knocked off balance, struggled to regain control of the ball, and passed it to Li Kang, who had come to support.

Banega decisively headed it.

This Argentine midfielder, talented since his youth, was once hailed as the successor to Redondo.

But his fame came from off-field: this guy liked to film videos while eating fast food, causing two leaks of 'sports' videos.

What's more admirable is: the male protagonist in the video, although constantly changing combat poses, the combat lasted only three minutes.

"Banega is a man who dares to block a car with his foot."

"Can he stop Li Kang?"

"Well, he didn't block."

Li Kang lowered his center of gravity, left pull right push, dribbling and changing direction, easily shook off Banega.

From God's perspective, the Argentine midfield and forward frenziedly dropped back into position.

On the sidelines.

Bosque, in the technical area, excitedly raised his hand, signaling his players to strengthen connection with the left flank.

The other side.

Sampaoli frantically roared, gesturing for the team to speed up defensive recovery positioning.

At the start of the match, the two head coaches first entered a state of fierce battle.

"Li Kang can pass now."

"No pass, choose to carry it himself!"

"Second acceleration, he devoured Taliafico."

"Taliafico didn't give up the spirit of tenacious fighting, but couldn't catch up."

"Mascherano, no longer at his peak, facing Li Kang's experience is rich, does not lightly press forward, but instead retreats early to the area ahead of the back line."

"Li Kang continued to sprint on the left flank."

"The young Lo Celso wanted to block Li Kang's path toward the interior, his posture elegant, defensive spacing also well grasped."

"Can't stop him."

"Li Kang forcibly changed lanes, shaking off Lo Celso!"

"The Argentine defensive line sharply contracted."

"Watching Li Kang's violent breakthrough is simply a pleasure!"

Kazan Arena, cheers like a tsunami flooded the stadium.

The spectators gazed at the lone bullfighter number 6 breaking through the formation, excited beyond measure, adrenaline soaring!

Li Kang dribbled into the front of the penalty area.

True Eye burst forth.

In his view, Rojo's movements were too slow.

"Alba's quick forward run, Morata's crossing movement, opened up the space between Argentina's two central defenders!"

"Hey! Li Kang didn't go into that space!"

"Decelerate, touch the ball left to pull two steps apart."

"Rojo had to follow."

"Wow! Li Kang's direction-changing speed is terrifying! It fooled out a larger space!"

"Cut inside!"

"Fake shot, real dunk!"

"Again changed direction, shaking off the pursuing Lo Celso!"

"Again fooled out the left side space!"

"Still not passing!"

"Charge into the left side of the penalty area!"

"Li Kang's zone!"

"Single soldier extreme!"

Fans worldwide were utterly stunned at this moment!

Especially those who usually don't watch football couldn't help but marvel: can football still be played like this? One person threw the entire Argentine defensive line into chaos!

Maradona in the stands, astonished, crossed his arms and hugged himself.

Miniano prepared to celebrate early.

Sampaoli panicked and uneasy.

Too terrifying.

Boom!

A close-range low-driven shot, it swept past Caballero's armpit.

As a goalkeeper, Old Casillas has already performed excellently: facing the constant slight shifts of the club teammates ahead of the defensive line, he can still find the most reasonable defensive positioning.

When everyone thought the Argentine goal was about to be lifted.

A bald figure appeared near the goalpost.

Mascherano almost at the moment Li Kang shot, threw himself out!

The splits motion.

Risking anal fissure.

The former world-class waist, stubbornly used his right foot to block the ball out!

"Unthinkable!"

"God-level block!"

"Crucial clearance!"

"The ball was blocked out for the goal line!"

"Corner kick!"

Li Kang staggered two steps, patted his thigh.

Mascherano quickly turned over and lay prone on the grass, painfully covering his anus.

After the referee understood the injury, he quickly raised his hand towards the sideline, signaling the team doctor to come on.

Sideline.

Bosque clapped loudly.

Sang Boli was extremely worried, fearing that the defensive mainstay in the lineup would suffer another anal fissure.

Live broadcast room.

Danmaku flying.

【Little Li blocks, Little Horse gets anal fissure.】

【Awesome!】

【Curious, what does anal fissure feel like?】

【Li Mingdeng is too fierce! Lone rider breaks formation! Violent breakthrough, forcefully break through Argentina's defense!】

【Actually, these teammates' offensive runs and pulling were also quite good.】

【Mascherano is very smart, knowing he's old, he didn't go head-to-head with Li Kang like before.】

【I recall the 2014 World Cup semifinal, Little Horse Brother didn't spare his anus, blocked Robben's shot inside the penalty area!】

Two minutes later, the team doctor left the field.

Mascherano climbed up again.

The human body's self-healing ability is strong; especially parts that have been injured before become even stronger.

Before the corner flag was sent out.

He friendly patted Li Kang's butt in the penalty area.

After going to the Chinese Super League and playing for half a season, Little Horse completely fell in love with the Eastern Land, often emphasizing on social media how great the Eastern Land is, and also attaching photos taken when touring famous historic sites.

"Iniesta took a tactical corner kick."

"It's a bit too complicated."

"Morata was one step away from forming a shot, Otamendi's clearance!"

"Didn't clear far!"

"Higuain is diligent, his defensive attitude positive: stop the ball, turn, and flick with the outside of his foot."

"Found Di Maria!"

"He's rushing forward!"

"The Pampas Eagle's wings spread and soar!"

Iniesta quickly blocked Higuain's position to prevent a counterattack wall-pass.

Alba used all his strength to chase back.

Pique, Ramos, and Carvajal temporarily switched to a three-center-back formation.

Busquets observed Messi's running tendency: his brain working at high speed.

Di Maria dribbled a few meters, observed Messi's position.

He violently swung his leg widely.

Smack!

A fierce arc, like a blade, swept over Alba's head on the recovery path.

"Beautiful!"

"Flew over the midfield line!"

"Found Messi on the right flank!"

"It's a bit difficult."

"Messi is now fighting alone."

"Higuain, Lo Celso, Rojo and others can't rush over that quickly!"

In Spain's half, the 40-meter zone on the right side.

Messi calmly trapped the ball.

Busquets did not immediately press, but maintained a subtle distance with the opponent.

Increase the distance.

Shorten the distance.

He firmly kept his foot down, steadily controlling his center of gravity.

Slow down, let Messi slow down, let Argentina's transition attack slow down.

The gap is getting shorter.

He's marking tightly!

Nice! Messi does a step-over turn!

That's it, it's over!

Oh dear, passing the ball to Messi is like putting money in the bank and then forgetting the password—it's too safe.

The Kazan Arena, silent for a few minutes, erupts again.

People were still savoring Li Kang's violent demolition when Messi exploded again.

Busquets was frustrated; he hadn't been knocked over like Boateng, and even though he anticipated Messi's series of moves—stepping back, doing a step-over, and pushing the ball—he just couldn't keep up with Messi's cadence.

Messi!

Messi!

He's charging straight at the Spanish defense!

Messi's corridor!

Ultimate solo play!

The thirty-meter zone.

Messi pulls the ball past Ramos.

Charge inside!

Ramos felt no panic—it wasn't the first time Messi had beaten him—and he quickly chased back, digging his cleats into the turf.

Curved attacking path versus diagonal defending path.

Pique comes over to help defend.

Unbelievable! Ramos turned and chased back with explosive speed—how fast!

Pique is in position!

The two tall Spanish center-backs simultaneously close down Messi!

Close-range pickup equipment transmits a fierce scuffle sound.

All three go down at once.

The ball loses control and rolls slowly forward.

An astonishing scene unfolds!

Messi gets up and continues dribbling forward!

From all sides of the stands, loud applause erupts!

Tens of thousands of fans involuntarily shout Messi's name!

Carvajal!

Real Madrid's fullback shifts to midfield, becoming the last line of defense.

Spanish fans needn't worry—Carvajal's frontal defense is world-class; he doesn't bite on any rhythm changes from opponents.

Wow!

Unmatched cadence!

Messi does three step-overs, pushes the ball past, then uses the simplest move to complete the breakthrough!

The great way is simple!

Shot!

Smack!

Messi's shot inside the box involves an extremely small leg swing.

It feels like he hardly exerted any force.

The blasted ball, however, is a perfect blend of power and curve!

De Gea leaps for the save; by now he's thoroughly familiar with the Adidas match ball.

Spanish fans are utterly despairing.

Argentinian fans are overjoyed.

Bosque is extremely nervous.

Sampaoli is wildly excited.

Clang!

The ball smashes into the post and flies out over the baseline.

Messi stares blankly, then lies dejected on the grass and rolls over.

What a shame!

From 2018 to now, Messi has hit the crossbar or post a total of twelve times!

In this World Cup, must his nickname change from the Catalonia blacksmith to the Pampas blacksmith?

If we count from September 2017, Messi has hit the crossbar or post twenty-six times in total—no matter, he's still the European Golden Boot!

Just as the match kicked off, Li Kang and Messi each completed a peak dialogue on the attack.

In today's football, these two players are the ultimate in trapping, passing, and shooting.

Ramos and Pique look at Messi helplessly.

Mascherano and other Argentinian players look at Li Kang helplessly.

The live broadcast room.

Li Kang vs. Messi.

Seek the psychological shadow area of the defending players on both sides.

The two of them are fighting for the opening burst. Neither scored? My first half over 11.5! It's over!

Just rush a few more times and we'll have it, right?

From now on, it won't be easy to charge; both sides will set up the interception line, position, allocate stamina, depth layers, and formation rotation.

Li Kang and Messi are about to switch to combat mode.

The match resumed.

De Gea kicked out a goal kick, passing to Piqué.

Di María quickly pressed forward.

Higuaín then headed toward Ramos.

Their task is simple: not let Spain easily build an attack from the back.

"Piqué's footwork is still not bad."

"Even under interference, they can still steadily find midfielder Li Kang."

"Having Li Kang makes a difference; Spain's midfield and defense don't need to switch to overly complex ball-playing patterns."

"Sampaoli continues to intensify the pressure; at this moment, six Argentine players have rushed past the midfield circle."

Spain's half-field forty-meter area.

After receiving the ball, Li Kang adjusted his body inclination.

A simple pull-ball dribble caused Banega, who lunged forward, to lose his balance.

Banega is strong, but not enduring; as he lunged forward and fell, he struggled to kick, missing the ball, and his shin to knee area struck Li Kang's knee.

Li Kang, who hadn't yet accelerated, was tripped and fell to the ground.

Beep!

The head referee blew the whistle.

Banega quickly helped Li Kang up and explained to the referee that it wasn't intentional.

This is the World Cup; the Argentine midfield has reined in the fiery temper they had in the league.

"The head referee didn't show a card, just gave a simple verbal warning."

"There's nothing we can do."

"Banega, marked by Li Kang, was completely dominated; in a one-on-one he couldn't defend, and even if he didn't want to foul, he'd end up fouling."

Iniesta took a free kick in his own half.

Morata dropped back, pulling the Argentine defensive line forward.

Li Kang made an arcing run forward, and Mascherano and Lo Celso quickly narrowed the central defensive coverage distance.

The interchange of the legendary connection was Sampaoli's main pre-match research topic.

Too bad.

The ball had no connection with Morata or Li Kang.

After receiving the ball, Koke leaned his body and made a wide shift!

Smack!

The ball fell toward the left flank!

Saúl and Carvajal surged forward at high speed!

The former stopped the ball at that moment.

The Real Madrid full-back quietly eased his speed.

On the sideline.

Bosque clenched his fists.

After 2014, he tried every means to make Spain no longer cling to the tiki-taka system.

On the other side.

Sampaoli jumped up in fury, frantically gesturing.

The cunning Spaniards.

They actually used the core as a feint point.

"One front, one back."

"Li Kang attracted most of Argentina's defensive forces."

"The flank space is huge!"

"Argentina's full-back Mercado pushed forward."

"Saúl slowed his dribbling speed."

"What are we waiting for? These few seconds are enough for the Argentine players to get into position."

Spanish players, in positional attack, do not greedily seek a mismatched advantage.

Saúl is waiting.

Waiting for a teammate's forward run from the other side.

Waiting for the expansion of the attacking point.

Carvajal went around behind Saúl.

The combination of the Atlético Madrid youth and the Real Madrid full-back created a local two-on-one.

At the moment when Carvajal and Mercado were side by side, he accelerated again!

Saúl also sent a through pass at that moment.

Perfect pass-and-run lead time!

The spectators haven't recovered yet.

Imperial Horse's full-back has already received the ball near the baseline, without hesitation, smoothly kicked, sending a cross!

A Gen Ting penalty area, the wind whistles and cranes cry.

The pass is of high quality!

When did La Mo Si get up there?

He suppressed the 1.74-meter Ma Si Qie La Nuo, leaping high!

Knife-wielding defender!

Header, flick-on!

When did Yi Nie Si Ta come up?

The ball is placed at the penalty spot.

Yi Nie Si Ta faces Ao Ta Men Di and Luo Huo's blockade, with no chance to shoot.

After all, he's older, lacking the confidence of his youth.

Smack!

He taps the ball backward with his heel.

Set up the cannon!

The spectators followed the ball's trajectory and saw the black-haired figure of the number 6 in red.

Immediately after.

A bald figure quickly appeared in the field of view.

Li Kang's control radius is larger, with longer legs, he touches the ball first.

Ma Si Qie La Nuo wants to slide tackle!

Li Kang flicks the ball with the instep of his left foot.

Ma Si Qie La Nuo withdraws his action.

Li Kang flicks the ball again with the instep of his left foot.

The rhythm changes.

Flick, pause, flick.

Their duel occurs in an instant.

Ma Si Qie La Nuo decisively blocks his right-foot shooting motion.

Li Kang's left foot lands.

He swings again.

He curls the ball with the inside of his toe.

He lifts it up.

Outside of the foot!

Thud!

The ball lifts off the ground!

Ma Si Qie La Nuo looks bewildered, watching a black shadow sweep past above his shoulder, tracing a strange arc in the sky over A Gen Ting, heading toward the far corner.

Ka Ba Lie Luo is stunned like a wooden chicken.

Everything happened too fast; the view was completely blocked by the chaotic crowd, and the A Gen Ting goalkeeper could not anticipate that strange shot path in advance.

The ball falls into A Gen Ting's net.

1:0!!!

The whole stadium erupts.

(End of chapter)