Volume One: Our Own League Chapter 23: Xu He’s First League Match Approaches

To be honest, after the match ended, no one thought Class Sixteen’s football team was particularly impressive. Their performance was truly mediocre, and Zhu Ge didn’t see any outstanding players among them. The only one who stood out was their captain, the tall number 5 central defender amid a group of short players. Yet, even his skills weren’t remarkable. Their victory was little more than luck.

Of course, it was also due to Class Six’s carelessness. As Xu He had pointed out, Class Six relied too heavily on Yang Hao, or perhaps Yang Hao was too self-centered, which gave Class Sixteen the opportunity to set a trap from the start—relentlessly exhausting Yang Hao and leading Class Six into defeat.

Still, Yang Hao’s ability was undeniable. Even though he was targeted during the match, he nearly broke through Class Sixteen’s goal twice. Had he scored on just one of those attempts, Class Sixteen would not have won. Clearly, luck was on their side.

Yang Hao should not be underestimated either. Zhu Ge mused, “Perhaps we’ll meet Class Six in the knockout rounds.” He believed Class Six would advance.

Turning to Xu He and his group, Zhu Ge said, “Alright, go get some rest. The second match is coming up soon. Watch it carefully—after all, we know nothing about those teams and need to gather as much information as possible.”

Xu He and the others nodded in understanding. Xu He immediately asked Li Jie beside him, “Want to go buy some drinks?” Li Jie raised his bottle of cola and replied, “Already got one!” Xu He glanced at everyone’s drinks and nodded. Indeed, with Lin Xuefeng around, no one ever lacked refreshments.

All these drinks were gifts from Lin Xuefeng’s fans, who now surrounded him. Sitting there, Lin Xuefeng looked somewhat uncomfortable. When he saw Xu He’s gaze, he sent a pleading look his way.

Xu He looked at the somewhat “pitiful” Lin Xuefeng, then at Xia Xinyi and the others nearby. He pretended not to notice Lin Xuefeng’s expression, casually thanked him, and picked up a bottle of mineral water before leaving.

Lin Xuefeng stared in disbelief at Xu He’s retreating figure, as if seeing him for the first time. Even without turning around, Xu He could imagine Lin Xuefeng’s expression at that moment and couldn’t help but chuckle mischievously.

Lin Xuefeng rolled his eyes. What a bunch of unreliable friends! Left alone, he had to enjoy the company of his fans by himself.

Returning to his seat, Xu He was immediately drawn to a familiar short boy on the sidelines. The boy was practicing ball control, fully focused and meticulous. Though his dribbling was a bit awkward, he showed no sign of discouragement and continued to train with earnest determination.

It seemed that every time he saw this fellow, he was training seriously. Xu He felt admiration for Lu Yiming, realizing that Lu genuinely loved football and hadn’t joined the team on a whim. Unfortunately, the boy had no prior experience. Even with his effort, finding a team to play league matches in the future seemed unlikely.

Still, Xu He gave a thumbs-up for Lu Yiming’s attitude. If Lu kept practicing like this, he might succeed one day. Perhaps, by the time they reached high school, Xu He would see Lu playing in official matches, maybe even facing him on the field. Watching Lu’s persistent, dedicated figure, Xu He silently encouraged him: “Keep it up, Lu Yiming!”

Soon, the second match was about to begin. This was another game in Group A, between A3 and A4—Class Fourteen’s football team and the Joint Team of Class Seventeen.

Xu He knew nothing about either team. Class Fourteen wore Brazil’s yellow jerseys, while the Joint Team of Class Seventeen sported the blue and black stripes of AC Milan.

Before the match started, the Joint Team made a splash with several flamboyant members. Their goalkeeper, for example, wore a baseball cap and a purple scarf on his arm—whether he was a fan of Genzo Wakabayashi or Oliver Kahn, he certainly stood out. Another player wore a blue headband with white spots, and another had a red and green sweatband. Surprisingly, the two with headbands looked so alike that you couldn’t tell them apart—they must be twins.

These three strutted onto the field, waving and jumping for attention, as if afraid the crowd wouldn’t notice them. Their display was almost comical.

Xu He couldn’t help but be amused; were they here to play football or to show off? Compared to them, the rest of the Joint Team members were more conventional in their appearance.

Li Jie remarked in Xu He’s ear, “Those three really love being in the spotlight, don’t they?” Xu He just smiled. Li Jie added, “Let’s hope their skills are as unique as their outfits.”

Class Fourteen’s players, by contrast, were ordinary in every way, making their team less memorable.

Suddenly, Li Liying turned to Xu He and asked, “Who do you think will win this time?” Hearing this, Zhu Ge, Li Jie, and even Lin Xuefeng all focused their attention on Xu He.

Xu He smiled wryly, “You really think I’m a prophet?” He had no information on either team, so how could he predict the outcome?

The others realized this and relaxed.

The match soon began. Xu He noticed that the twin defenders played on opposite flanks—left and right—with no overlap. Their performance was decent: solid in defense and able to join the attack. If their forwards were stronger, they would have earned assists.

Class Fourteen’s defense, however, was mediocre, even poor. Watching them, one could appreciate how much stronger Class Sixteen’s defense was; the difference was clear. Fourteen’s backline was riddled with gaps, looking shaky.

Unfortunately, the Joint Team’s forwards failed to capitalize, so the match was deadlocked.

Suddenly, Class Fourteen’s attack caught Xu He’s attention. Their trio up front worked together smoothly, producing dazzling combinations that threatened the Joint Team’s goal. Xu He, Zhu Ge, and the others applauded their skill.

This gave the flamboyant goalkeeper a chance to shine. Despite his poor fundamentals, his jumping and reflexes were decent, and he wasn’t afraid to dive—particularly those airborne side dives. Most amateur goalkeepers avoided such moves for fear of injury, but he was different, loving the spotlight.

He made exaggerated airborne saves, drawing gasps and admiration from the crowd. After each save, he would dramatically give a thumbs-up to the sky, as if congratulating himself.

Despite the trio’s brilliant cooperation, they couldn’t break through the goalkeeper. The Joint Team’s twin fullbacks contributed well, but their forwards were too weak to finish.

The game ended in a scoreless draw. With that, the first day of the league concluded.

All in all, Zhu Ge and his teammates had gathered plenty of information. Zhu Ge addressed his team, “Alright, today’s matches are over, and we have a general understanding of our opponents’ strengths. At this point, our team is the strongest—the championship should be ours.”

Xu He and the others nodded confidently.

Zhu Ge continued, “Let’s head home early tonight and rest well for tomorrow’s training.”

The Group B league wasn’t until Friday, so they had a few days.

After the next day’s training, Zhu Ge announced the starting lineup for the weekend’s match. Truthfully, Xu He was nervous, as the newcomer Yang Xin had performed far better than him in training, and he thought the starting spot would go to Yang Xin.

But Zhu Ge said, “The final starting player is…” He looked between Xu He and Yang Xin, then declared, “Xu He!”

Hearing his name, Xu He’s heart leapt—he was thrilled. He clenched his fists and roared inwardly, “The league, here I come!”

He was full of anticipation for Friday’s match, eager to step onto the pitch and play. Xu He looked resolutely at Zhu Ge and said, “Don’t worry, captain! I’ll give it my all—I won’t let you down!”

Zhu Ge smiled gently, patted him on the shoulder, and said, “No pressure, we all believe in you!”

Xu He felt warmth in his heart.

Friday arrived at last. Xu He was excited—his first league match was about to begin. With mixed emotions, he stepped onto the field.

His first league match—had come!