Volume One: Our Own League Chapter 29: Turning the Match Around in the Final Moments

Hearing the cheers from the young women in the stands, Xu He remained unaffected. At this moment, only one thought occupied his mind: once the match was over, he would train diligently to improve his shooting skills as soon as possible. His shooting had now reached a point where improvement was no longer optional but necessary. Clenching his fists tightly, Xu He silently encouraged himself: “Come on, Xu He, you can do it! Go for it!”

The match resumed. Xu He played with even greater intensity, tirelessly sprinting up and down the front line, throwing the opposing defense into complete disarray. This opened up many opportunities for Class Ten’s football team, but their opponents had already retreated en masse, parking the bus at the edge of the penalty box. Breaking through their goal seemed nearly impossible.

Class Ten’s offense was fierce, but there were simply too many defenders in their way. As time ticked by, Zhu Ge, who had been calm and collected at first, began to grow anxious. There was truly little time left for them.

At this critical juncture, Zhu Ge waved his hand, signaling for all the players of Class Ten to press forward—victory demanded a goal, and they had to seize it in this match.

On the wing, Xu He received the ball. With a deft separation of man and ball, he slipped past a defender. As more defenders rushed toward him, he sent a cross flying into the penalty area.

Liu Peng, stationed in the box, leapt up and cleared the ball with a header, sending it out of the penalty area. Fortunately, Class Ten’s players were still in position on the outside, regaining possession and organizing another attack.

“Lin Xuefeng! Lin Xuefeng! Lin Xuefeng!” The young women in the stands, led by Xia Xinyi, chanted in unison, forming an impromptu cheer squad for Lin Xuefeng.

Xia Xinyi watched anxiously as Class Ten’s football team faced adversity. Her worry was for Lin Xuefeng. In this moment, she rallied the girls around her, urging them to cheer for Lin Xuefeng and Class Ten, to lift their spirits when they needed it most.

Their shouts reached Lin Xuefeng’s ears, instantly filling him with fighting spirit. He charged into the opponent’s penalty area, dribbled past two defenders, and unleashed a powerful shot—only for Yuan Fang to block it with his body, sending the ball out for a corner.

The young women immediately rewarded Lin Xuefeng’s effort with applause, urging him on.

Corner kick!

Class Ten had won a corner. Zhu Ge hurried to Mu Yang and said, “Old Mu, should we bring on Yang Xin? Xu He can come off!”

Mu Yang frowned, hesitated for a moment, then replied coolly, “Wait a bit longer!” With that, he strode into the penalty area.

Watching Mu Yang’s retreating figure, Zhu Ge could only sigh in resignation. Time was running out. At a moment like this, bringing on their tallest player seemed imperative. With Yang Xin’s six-foot-three frame on the field, he would stand out among the rest. Even Liu Peng, formidable with headers, wouldn’t be able to out-jump him. Bringing Yang Xin on now was the logical choice.

It was clear Mu Yang placed great trust in Xu He.

Zhu Ge had underestimated Xu He’s importance in Mu Yang’s eyes.

The corner was taken; Lin Xuefeng curved the ball into the penalty area of the joint Class Fifty-Eight football team. Xu He leapt high but failed to connect, and Liu Peng once again headed the ball away.

A collective sigh swept through the crowd.

At this point, those who had been cheering for Class Ten were running out of hope and gradually fell silent. The atmosphere had sunk to a new low.

This weighed on the players of Class Ten as well.

Zhu Ge frowned deeply—this was not a good omen.

If the team couldn’t break the spell with a goal soon, Class Ten was truly doomed to lose this match.

Zhu Ge longed to substitute Yang Xin for Xu He. Unfortunately, Mu Yang disagreed. Zhu Ge could only continue to cheer Xu He on, hoping he could help the team score.

Suddenly, Zhu Ge played a reverse through ball, swiftly rolling the ball into the penalty area to Zhang Zhen’s feet. Zhang Zhen shot at once, sending the ball straight toward Class Fifty-Eight’s goal.

Zhang Zhen’s shooting skills were superb, and this strike was full of menace. Players from Class Ten raised their arms, ready to celebrate.

But to everyone’s shock, the ball was blocked by goalkeeper Jiang Hao.

A miraculous save!

Jiang Hao, an otherwise ordinary keeper, pulled off a spectacular stop at a crucial moment. Was this fate itself refusing to let Class Ten win?

Everyone had thought it was a certain goal, only for it to end like this.

Class Ten’s morale plummeted.

On the field, the players felt dejected, convinced that no matter how hard they tried, they simply could not score. It seemed victory would not be theirs today, and they resigned themselves to it.

Seeing this, Zhu Ge’s brow was knit in deep worry. Was this match truly lost?

Xu He was filled with remorse. If it weren’t for his shortcomings, Class Ten would already have scored and taken the lead.

Just as the team was about to give up, a harmonious chorus rose from the stands: “The Five-Starred Red Flag flutters in the wind, how resounding is the song of victory...”

Dressed all in white, the young women in the stands stood up, shoulder to shoulder, arms linked, heads held high and chests out, their emotions surging as they sang “Ode to the Motherland.” Their voices, full of energy, poured into the hearts of Class Ten’s players.

The united spirit of these young women gave the team renewed strength. Those who had already given up stood tall once more, like javelins, their spirits rekindled.

Seeing this, Zhu Ge’s confidence was reignited. He gestured boldly for his teammates to attack.

As the song drifted to Xu He’s ears, a shudder ran through his body. His heart, which had never given up, became even more vibrant, and the fatigue in his limbs was swept away by a surge of new energy.

The song was like a clear spring, washing through his body and soul.

Xu He found his motivation once more.

The match wasn’t over yet; they hadn’t lost!

Attack!

Xu He charged swiftly into Class Fifty-Eight’s penalty area, disrupting the defense and searching for an opportunity.

After finishing the song, the young women began chanting “Go Lin Xuefeng!” in unison, then sang the anthem again and again, spurring Lin Xuefeng and the team onward.

Buoyed by this stirring chorus, Xu He brimmed with fighting spirit.

I will score a goal.

He glanced at the defender in front of him, then suddenly squeezed toward the center, drawing the defenders with him. In the next instant, he spun and sprinted to the far post, signaling for the ball as he ran.

“Captain, over here! I’m open!” Xu He motioned, roaring silently in his heart.

He dared not shout aloud for fear of drawing defenders’ attention, so he slipped quietly toward the far post.

Outside the box, Zhu Ge spotted his move and sent a diagonal pass into the penalty area.

A chance!

The ball rolled straight to Xu He’s feet. Only then did the defenders of Class Fifty-Eight react, whirling around to converge on him from all directions, intent on cutting him off and denying him any chance.

But Xu He remained unruffled and calm. He surveyed the field closely, and suddenly his eyes lit up. With a sudden swing of his leg, he feinted a shot, causing all the defenders to raise their legs to block. Seizing the moment, he cut inside, dribbling quickly toward the byline.

Before the defenders could recover, he swung his leg and sent a powerful cross into the center of the area.

At the near post, Zhang Zhen was tightly marked by Liu Peng and couldn’t get a shot off. But the tussle between them allowed the ball to roll past, racing toward the far post.

From the crowd, Lin Xuefeng burst forth and met the ball, slotting it home with a push of his foot.

With a resounding thud, the ball flashed like a streak of white light, slipping through Jiang Hao’s legs and into the net.

In the seventy-seventh minute, Class Ten equalized. Lin Xuefeng scored, assisted by Xu He.

The crowd of young women erupted in cheers, chanting Lin Xuefeng’s name.

Lin Xuefeng had become a hero.

Not content with just shouting his name, they broke into song once more, singing “Ode to the Motherland”: “The Five-Starred Red Flag flutters in the wind, how resounding is the song of victory...”

On the field, Lin Xuefeng was overcome with excitement. He dashed to the sideline and slid across the turf on his knees in a passionate celebration, prompting the young women to scream with delight. Xia Xinyi frantically snapped photos, capturing Lin Xuefeng’s moment of passion.

After his sliding celebration, Lin Xuefeng remembered Xu He and ran over to embrace him.

“Xu He, that was a fantastic pass! Thank you for the assist!” Lin Xuefeng said, exhilarated.

Xu He hugged him tightly and congratulated him: “Congratulations on your goal—you were incredible. But let’s keep it up, we still need to score again.”

Lin Xuefeng was momentarily stunned, not expecting Xu He to say that. He was struck by his teammate’s positive attitude.

After a moment, Lin Xuefeng replied, “Yes, let’s keep it up! Let’s work together again!”

Xu He nodded in agreement.

But as he turned, he was taken aback—he was being substituted off for Yang Xin.

A complex feeling welled up in Xu He, but he quickly ran to the sideline, high-fived Yang Xin, and left the field. He had hoped to keep fighting and help his team take the lead. Now that it was no longer possible, he felt disappointed, but he threw himself into cheering for his team from the sideline, hoping they would win.

In the seventy-ninth minute, Zhang Zhen, now on the wing, sent in a cross. In the box, Yang Xin outleaped the “Shaolin Monk” Liu Peng and headed the ball into the net, giving the team the lead.

As the ball flew into the net, Xu He jumped up in excitement, pumping his fists and shouting, “Class Ten, amazing! Yang Xin, amazing!”

The stadium exploded; everyone from Class Ten cheered wildly.

But it wasn’t over yet.

In stoppage time, Yang Xin met a cross from Lin Xuefeng in the penalty area and headed it home.

Three to one—Class Ten had come from behind to defeat Class Fifty-Eight.

With victory secured, Xu He was overwhelmed with emotion. At the final whistle, he rushed onto the field, embraced his close friend Li Jie, and leapt with excitement, celebrating this hard-fought win.