Chapter 9: Cuju (Part 2)

This has brought considerable pressure to Gao Yuan, as his skills are merely at an amateur level and he is not a true Maradona. In the past, his teammates would actively come to support him, often utilizing Gao Yuan to draw in most of the opponents and breaking through from other open areas. However, the current group of companions clearly lacks this awareness. Even when someone comes to assist Gao Yuan, they do not grasp the essentials and are unable to help him; at times, they even block his path to breakthrough, inadvertently causing more harm than good. As a result, under the pressure of multiple opponents, Gao Yuan began to frequently make mistakes and lose the ball. Nevertheless, his presence still exerted tremendous pressure on the opposing team, leading to a back-and-forth exchange where both sides appeared evenly matched.

Du Yi chuckled and said: "Wang Hu, Mr. Gao is now one of our central army's personnel. How about it? It is entirely reasonable for him to take the field. In future cuju matches, he will always be on the field. If you lose, you lose; don't bring up other excuses."

The soldiers from the front camp rushed forward to intercept, but Gao Yuan weaved through the crowd, swiftly passing by six or seven individuals in one breath. He sprinted over fifty meters, leaving approximately thirty meters to the main gate of the front camp. At this moment, another six or seven people stood in front of Gao Yuan, lined up in a row about ten meters away from him.

Plateau Road: "Don't celebrate too early; we are still one goal behind"

As a result, the power of the Wang Hu and Wang Bao brothers was immediately diminished. Even if they managed to gain possession of the ball in the front line, the close defense from opponents and the blocking of shooting angles made it difficult to pose a threat to the main camp's gate. Either they carelessly lost the ball to the opposing team, or their shots were deflected off the opponents.

After the goal was scored, the surrounding soldiers immediately erupted in cheers for Gao Yuan's performance and the game, akin to a sudden flood, as the football skills displayed by Gao Yuan were unlike anything the soldiers had ever seen before. They were not only novel but also far more visually appealing than the football played by previous armies. Meanwhile, soldiers from the central camp, including Du Yi and Li Yinghong, rushed over to congratulate Gao Yuan.

Du Yi placed a hand on the shoulder of the plateau and said, "Miss, now you understand that I was not wrong."

In front of the forward camp's gate, there was only one soldier on guard, but his position was not advantageous; he could only look up and watch the ball fly over his head. Among the five or six soldiers from the central camp who were in position, Li Yinghong managed to seize the ball's landing spot. Without waiting for the ball to touch the ground, she leaped into the air, executing a kick that sent the ball soaring like a meteor between the two goalposts. This completed a typical cross from the baseline, demonstrating the tactical coordination of the central camp's strategy. Li Yinghong managed to seize the ball's landing spot. Without waiting for the ball to touch the ground, she leaped into the air, executing a kick that sent the ball soaring like a meteor between the two goalposts. This completed a typical cross from the baseline, demonstrating the tactical coordination of the central camp's strategy

This is essentially a simple wall-pass technique used in football for two players to bypass an opponent. This time, the pass was finally accurate, allowing Gao Yuan to successfully evade the opponent's pressing and advance with the ball along the left side.

Trailing in the score, with one's own tactics completely countered by the opponent and lacking alternative means, the soldiers in the front camp also suffered significant blows. Furthermore, there were very contradictory aspects in defense; if full effort was put into defending against Gao Yuan, many gaps would appear on the field. Conversely, if the defense against Gao Yuan was relaxed, his individual breakthroughs would also be difficult to stop. As a result, under such circumstances of neglecting one side for the other, a crushing defeat was inevitable. In less than twenty minutes, Gao Yuan and Li Yinghong scored two consecutive goals, ultimately securing victory in this cuju match.

Yuan Xuandao: www.hetushucom.com "General, do not be too pleased too soon. Cuju involves sixteen players, and even with this one extra person in your central camp, it cannot change the overall situation. We are still leading by two flags now"

After the match resumed, the situation changed dramatically. In defense, Gao Yuan employed a man-to-man marking strategy, positioning four players in his own half to mark the Wang brothers, Wang Hu and Wang Bao, with a two-on-one approach. However, the two defenders did not engage simultaneously; instead, one would stay close to the opponent while the other provided support from behind, focusing on disrupting the opponent's ability to receive the ball without directly contesting it with the Wang brothers. The second defender would remain in the back, ready to assist and monitor the angles for blocking the opponent's shots.

After witnessing the goal from the high platform, Li Mu slightly nodded. Upon seeing Li Yinghong's ecstatic reaction after scoring, Li Mu couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle, saying, "This crazy girl will probably find it difficult to get married in the future"

At this moment, most of the soldiers from the front camp were drawn to the left side by Gao Yuan, while behind them, they struggled to chase after Gao Yuan. Meanwhile, Gao Yuan's peripheral vision also noticed that Li Yinghong and five or six soldiers from the central camp had positioned themselves according to their own arrangement, encircling from the right side. Thus, Gao Yuan immediately kicked the ball towards the center

In just a few minutes on the field, Gao Yuan scored two goals, bringing the match to a tie. The morale of the soldiers in the central camp was undoubtedly boosted, while the forward camp, unwilling to accept defeat, also recognized Gao Yuan as a significant threat. Consequently, they dispatched five or six individuals specifically to defend against him; as soon as Gao Yuan received the ball, four or five players would rush in to surround him.

After scoring the goal, Li Yinghong excitedly waved his arms and shouted loudly. He suddenly jumped onto the highland player who came over to celebrate, giving him a tight embrace.

At this moment, Gao Yuan also returned to his own half and caught up with Tian Hu. He did not compete with Tian Hu for position, but instead stayed close behind him. When the ball fell from the air to chest height, Gao Yuan suddenly darted in front of Tian Hu, intercepting the ball with his chest and immediately sprinting forward towards the direction of the barracks.

Yuan Xuan laughed and said, "The General is overly concerned. Currently in Handan City, there are at least eighty young gentlemen who wish to marry the young lady. It is said that the King is also inclined to have the young lady enter the palace to serve him."

At this moment, on the stands, Li Mu and the other generals were also quite surprised. Yuan Xuandao remarked, "This young lad indeed has some skill in cuju."

Li Yinghong said: "Yes, we must win against the front barracks today, it all depends on you"

Watching the group leave, Li Yinghong said with a smile, "This time it feels really satisfying; we finally won against them once." Turning to Gaoyuan, he added, "Gaoyuan, starting tomorrow, you will teach us how to play cuju. Next time, even if you don't participate, we will still be able to win against them."

After the victory, the soldiers in the central camp were, of course, overjoyed, and Gao Yuan was naturally the greatest contributor to the triumph, receiving a warm welcome from the soldiers

Li Yinghong was both surprised and delighted, pounding his chest several times and saying, "You really are something, you should have been on the field long ago."

Li Mu smiled and said, "This crazy girl, if she really enters the palace, I fear she won't last a single day before she has to come out."

Wang Hu snorted twice, said nothing further, and left angrily with his companions

Thus, the two sides maneuvered for a few more minutes, and Gao Yuan found a gap through the crowd, passing the ball out, allowing others to score another goal, which also enabled the central camp to take the lead in the score for the first time.

The match resumed, and although the score had returned to a level playing field, the dynamics on the field had completely changed. The front camp's tactics, relying on the brothers Wang Hu and Wang Bao to compete for possession in the forward area, were largely countered by the central camp. Meanwhile, the central camp, under the leadership of Gao Yuan, began to implement some simple combination tactics. Although they also made numerous mistakes, they managed to succeed two or three times out of ten attempts. Each successful attempt posed a significant threat to the front camp's goal.

Li Mu smiled and said, "General Yuan, it seems that your front camp is likely to lose this time."

After a stalemate of more than ten minutes, the front army once again intercepted the ball in their own half. A soldier swung his thigh vigorously and kicked the ball forcefully into the front field. Wang Hu, Wang Bao, and several defensive soldiers from the central army, who were waiting in the front field, immediately rushed to compete for the ball. However, taking advantage of their height and strength, Wang Hu and Wang Bao once again pushed aside their opponents, seized the ball, and then Wang Hu kicked it powerfully, scoring another goal.

Gao Yuan immediately lifted the ball from his toes, sending it soaring over the heads of the crowd, tracing a large arc as it rolled towards the goal. Although several former soldiers from the barracks turned and desperately chased after it, they were still a step too late, following the ball into the goal.

After stabilizing their defense, the central army camp frequently began to launch counterattacks. The highland also intentionally retracted and moved closer to the two flanks, rarely forcing breakthroughs. Additionally, they continuously instructed others on how to coordinate with them, how to position themselves, and how to receive their passes

However, the soldiers of the front camp were not convinced. Wang Hu said to Du Yi: "Xiao Du, don't be too pleased too early. This time, you did not win by your own strength. If it weren't for Mr. Gao taking the stage, you wouldn't have been able to defeat our front camp at all. If you have the ability, don't let Mr. Gao take the stage; let's have another match next time."

Once again taking the lead in the score, the soldiers in the front camp cheered with great joy. Meanwhile, before the match began, Gao Yuan gathered several key players from the central camp, including Li Yinghong and Du Yi, to urgently discuss tactics with them. After all, one person alone cannot manage everything, and now he could only sharpen his skills at the last moment. Fortunately, the members of the central camp had already developed immense respect for Gao Yuan. Although they did not fully understand the tactics he laid out, they still followed his instructions diligently. As the match had not yet started, Gao Yuan took the opportunity to gather key players from the central camp, including Li Yinghong and Du Yi, to urgently discuss tactics with them. After all, one person alone cannot manage everything, and now he could only sharpen his skills at the last moment. Fortunately, the members of the central camp had already developed immense respect for Gao Yuan. Although they did not fully understand the tactics he laid out, they still followed his instructions diligently.

Immediately, six or seven people rushed over to surround Gao Yuan. However, by this time, Gao Yuan had already gained speed, preventing the soldiers from the front camp from calmly setting up a blockade. As a result, Gao Yuan managed to bypass two of them in quick succession, and with the ball, he had reached a position approximately twelve to thirteen meters from the left side near the bottom.

After a stalemate of more than ten minutes, Gao Yuan, on the left side, gained possession of the ball. Immediately, four or five players rushed in to surround him. At this moment, Du Yi finally found a suitable open space to receive Gao Yuan. Thus, Gao Yuan promptly passed the ball to Du Yi. After receiving the ball, Du Yi, following the tactics laid out by Gao Yuan, remained stationary and simply kicked the ball diagonally forward to Gao Yuan, who was running straight ahead, bypassing the opponent's blockade.

Amidst the noise and laughter, the match resumed, with the front camp kicking off from the backfield. A soldier struck the ball high and far, sending it soaring into the backfield of the central camp. At that moment, the brothers Tian Hu and Tian Bao were waiting there. The ball flew towards Tian Hu's side, and as he watched the trajectory of the ball, he adjusted his position to assess where it would land.