"Goal! Goal!"
"We actually broke through Japan's goal! Is this still the familiar script?!"
"So beautiful! The National Football Team is so beautiful!"
"Wuwu, the National Football Team is doing great today, wuwuwu..."
"..."
The huge circular stadium.
Cheers and shouts erupted suddenly.
On the four stands,
over 40,000 Dragon Country fans, dressed in the National Football Team's red jerseys, suddenly jumped up and roared with all their might.
Many waved the Five-Star Red Flag, their eyes reddening as they cheered.
Parallel world.
November 19, 2024.
Lú Dǎo, Dragon Country, White Heron Stadium.
2026 World Cup Asia Qualifiers, National Football Team vs. Japan.
On the scoreboard, the 1:2 score was incredibly striking.
Despite falling behind by 2 goals,
in the 49th minute of the match, the Dragon Country National Football Team launched a quick counterattack, breaking through Japan's goal again after 5 years!
Two months ago, facing the same Japan team, the Dragon Country National Football Team suffered a 0:7 defeat in Saitama, with almost no ability to fight back throughout the match.
It was expected that today would be another one-sided affair.
But the 1:2 score and the long-lost fighting spirit of the National Football Team players on the field rekindled hope among Dragon Country fans who were hoping for a miracle.
Perhaps today...
they could earn points against Japan, the strongest team in the group!
Even if it was just 1 point,
the National Football Team's chances of qualifying for the World Cup would greatly increase!
Although fans had previously cursed the National Football Team for its poor performance,
many even shouted dispirited words like, "So what if we qualify, we'll just embarrass ourselves at the World Cup."
But true fans have a deep love and high expectations for the National Football Team.
Dragon Country football is "in ruins, waiting to be rebuilt."
It also needs an opportunity to communicate with the world!
The National Football Team players on the field celebrated wildly.
The National Football Team coaches and substitutes also jumped up and rushed to the sidelines.
But behind everyone,
a tall, handsome teenager, who looked seventeen or eighteen, sat on the substitute bench, too lazy to even lift his butt.
"Da Lei's goalkeeping technique is so poor, Xiao Weizi only has a hot-headed temper, Xie Wuneng runs around aimlessly... The overall team can't keep up with the pace of the game at all, and Little Japan, a bunch of weaklings, are actually getting cocky."
"Thankfully, the spirit of daring to fight and compete is back, otherwise, it would be completely over..."
"..."
The Dragon Country substitute bench.
Tang Yi rested his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped into fists supporting his chin, as he scrutinizingly observed the National Football Team players on the field.
His voice was very soft, and his speaking pace was slow.
His face was full of a calmness that was unbefitting of his age.
But a closer look at his clenched fists showed his fingernails digging into his flesh.
National Football Team assistant coach Mario Tokic, excitedly roared as he sat back down.
The murmuring beside him startled Tokic.
He knew Tang Yi.
An 18-year-old substitute forward, with good physical qualities and a top performer among Dragon Country players of his age.
Thanks to the National Football Team's recruitment of excellent young players, he had just joined the national team half a month ago and had no previous appearances.
Our "rookie forward" is nervous...
Tokic smiled, about to offer comfort.
Instead, Tang Yi heavily patted Tokic's shoulder, "Tokic, you haven't seen much of the world either."
"Tang..." Tokic tilted his head, staring at the large hand on his shoulder, stunned.
Tang Yi casually withdrew his arm.
It had all been an unconscious action.
He hadn't expected that a mere act of accidental heroism would lead him to this parallel world, sitting beside Tokic, who he had crossed paths with in his previous life.
Half a month had passed since he transmigrated.
Tang Yi had long understood his situation, but he hadn't quite gotten used to it yet.
This was a world not much different from his previous one.
The development trajectory of international football was also largely the same.
The biggest difference was Dragon Country football!
In his previous life, starting from 1998, Dragon Country football, shortly after professionalization, reached a turning point and developed rapidly on the right path.
By 2028,
the Dragon Country National Football Team consistently ranked among the top 8 in the world, dominating other Asian countries.
As for Dragon Country football in this world...
it was a long story.
But no matter what, being able to continue his professional career in this way was a huge stroke of luck for any player.
"Tang, your English is so good?"
Tokic looked at Tang Yi as if he was seeing him for the first time, "No need to worry, we just scored 1 goal, the momentum is good!"
"I just have a bit of a language talent."
Tang Yi replied calmly.
As for the National Football Team's good momentum...
The match had already restarted.
After conceding a goal, Japan launched a full-scale attack, making it difficult for the National Football Team to even cross midfield; any occasional counterattack opportunities were quickly snuffed out by Japan.
Before transmigrating, Tang Yi was not only a professional player capable of playing any position in the midfield, but also the dual captain and absolute leader of the world's top wealthy club, Liaodong Team, and the Dragon Country National Football Team, retiring at the age of 35 in 2028. He was a seasoned veteran of the football world, and he saw the situation on the field clearly.
What did "good momentum" mean?
If things continued like this, the National Football Team conceding another goal would be a blink of an eye.
Before his thoughts could finish turning,
a huge sigh echoed throughout the stadium.
1:3.
Japan easily scored with a header from the small penalty area, once again taking a 2-goal lead, instantly shattering the Dragon Country fans' newly risen hope of equalizing.
In contrast, a small group of Japan fans in the corner of the stands cheered wildly, many even jumping up and down, doing a "frustrated" dance with their hands and feet.
The Japan players on the field seemed to treat Lú Dǎo as their home ground, celebrating boisterously.
Tang Yi narrowed his eyes, a suffocating anger churning in his chest, but he couldn't release it.
He turned to Tokic beside him and said in a deep voice, "Tokic... no, Coach Tokic, we need someone who can hold their ground in the front, let me play."
"Someone who can hold their ground? Do you mean a target man in the front?"
Tokic stared at the situation on the field, then looked at Tang Yi.
After a dozen seconds, he stood up and found the National Football Team's head coach, Ivan.
The two murmured for a while, and the latter kept looking back at Tang Yi...
In the TikTok live broadcast room for the match,
the bullet comments scrolled up like crazy.
"Haha, great news!"
"Japan, come on, score one more! I bet on 1:4!"
"1:5, 1:5!"
"1:10!"
"..."
Many people made sarcastic comments.
But there were more supporters of the National Football Team.
"Haters shut up!"
"Dragon Country people not supporting the Dragon Country team, are they crazy!"
"The National Football Team's fighting spirit is good today!"
"Japan's market value is 30 times ours; the National Football Team scoring 1 goal is a mission accomplished for me!"
"Maybe we can still score!"
"Dragon Country, victory is certain!"
"..."
A few minutes later,
Lin Liangming, the goal-scoring hero, fell to the ground injured and could not continue the match.
The National Football Team's troubles worsened.
The bullet comments scrolled even more wildly, a chorus of pessimism, while supporting voices were mostly silent.
When the National Football Team made a substitution,
the tall Tang Yi stood by the sideline.
The live broadcast room completely exploded.
"Tang Yi?"
"Down by 2 goals, bringing on a young player, is Ivan suffering from Alzheimer's?"
"It's over, the National Football Team has given up, they're going to make the young player take the blame!"
"National Football Team is done.jpg..."
"..."
In Fan Zhiyi's live broadcast room,
guest Guan Zeyuan stood up with his hands on his hips.
"Tang Yi is 1.88 meters tall; the National Football Team needs a target man for counterattacks. Maybe we still have a chance, everyone should believe in science..."
"It's over, the jinx Guan Daxiao has spoken!"
"Still believing in science, and the National Football Team still has a chance?"
"Tang Yi is so scared he can't even move on the sidelines, what chance does the National Football Team have!"
"..."
Fan Zhiyi, however, looked thoughtfully at Tang Yi on the screen, remaining silent.
In Xu Liang's live broadcast room next door,
the bullet comments were also full of ridicule.
Xu Liang pouted his big mouth, defending Tang Yi, but there were few supporters...
Tang Yi, far away in White Heron Stadium, could not see the bullet comments.
He stood blankly on the sidelines, calmly pondering the series of words that had appeared before him.
"【Host detected fighting for the country, Green Field Leader System (Incomplete) activated, system upgrades when team reverses and wins.】"
Green Field Leader... System?
Upgrade by reversing and winning?
Tang Yi had a very clear understanding of himself.
Currently, besides his previous life's match experience, his technical ability was completely inadequate.
Playing against Japan, he could only try to use his experience to steal a goal or two when the opponent relaxed.
In the team's overall disadvantage, that was all he could do.
But with the system, there were infinite possibilities!
Looking further down...
"【Gain 100% support from a star player, gain one ability from that star player.】"
"【Gain worship points, can increase host's personal prestige level, gain legendary star player ability (unlocked after system upgrade success).】"
"【Become team leader, can gain hidden rewards (unlocked after system upgrade success).】"
"【Star Player Supporters: 0】"
"【Star Player Abilities: None】"
"【Worship Points: 22000】"
"【Personal Prestige Level: Domestic Elite Player (Worship points reach 10000, market value 50,000 Euros)】"
"【Note: Your strength has been recognized, you have entered the national team. Before you perform well, you are just a nobody in the eyes of fans.】"
"【Personal Attributes】"
"【Tang Yi (Dragon Country)】"
"【Height: 1.88 meters】"
"【Weight: 88 kg】"
"..."
The more he looked, the more something felt off. He had a system, but not a single ability was available!
"Damn it!"
No matter how calm he was, he couldn't stand this.
Tang Yi cursed directly...
In TikTok Fan Zhiyi's live broadcast room,
"This kid has good fighting spirit. Judging by his mouth shape, he's already cursing Little Japan on the sidelines!"
Staring at Tang Yi on the screen, Fan Zhiyi, who had been stroking his chin silently, said seriously, "Xiao Tang is capable. His physical condition is similar to mine. Coming on as a surprise player, he can definitely break through the opponent's goal!"
The bullet comments scrolled in the live broadcast room.
No one took Fan Zhiyi's praise of Tang Yi seriously.
But in White Heron Stadium,
Tang Yi's lips curled up.
"【Fan Zhiyi support 100/100, gained Peak Fan Zhiyi's Heading Ability - Mount Tai Overwhelming.】"
"【Mount Tai Overwhelming, Gold Skill, Host jump +10%, aerial duel +10%, heading success rate +20%, heading accuracy +20%, average usage per game 3/3.】"
"【Note: Star player skills are divided by level: Blue - Silver - Gold - Red - Orange. Can be used 3 times per game.】"
The system prompt instantly appeared.
Star Player Supporters changed from 0 to 1.
The Star Player Abilities section now had "【Peak Fan Zhiyi Heading - Mount Tai Overwhelming】" listed.
Fan Zhiyi, Fan Da General!
Heading!
With this, reversing Japan was possible!
And with the system,
performing excellently in the match, then moving to Europe, and continuing to play for the country, would no longer be a dream!
Slowly scanning the vast expanse of red in the four stands,
carrying the skills of the National Football Team's predecessors,
Tang Yi stepped onto the White Heron Stadium pitch...