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Chapter 2: Crescent Moon Scimitar

The match reached the 78th minute, with the deadlock continuing.

Hamburg II's defensive midfielder, Gideon Jung, an fringe player from Hamburg's first team, was currently with the second team to regain his form.

He and David Kinsombi formed a formidable double pivot, like an impenetrable wall.

Hansa Rostock II's few counter-attacking opportunities were all intercepted by Gideon and Kinsombi's fierce tackles, which was also the main reason Hamburg II hadn't conceded.

Their defense was solid, but their offense was helpless.

Bored fans began to yell at the attacking players: "Lazy bums, get moving!"

"My grandma runs faster than you!"

"You're too weak, I'd be better than you!"

"That Asian dog, get back to your hometown, Hamburg doesn't keep trash!"

As a professional player, enduring boos or cheers from fans is a daily routine, not to mention that the reborn Fan Tao had long been accustomed to the fans' curses.

He was increasingly joyful at this moment, not because he was a masochist, but because the scenery in his eyes had begun to change.

He had been strolling for 5 minutes; apart from when Hansa Rostock II's defenders had the ball and Fan Tao went up to press for a while, he had been strolling the rest of the time.

Gradually, he could feel the flow of the game, as if every player's movement was captured in his eyes, and he had a strong premonition that an opportunity was coming soon!

"Stroll for 5 minutes, accuracy +50%."

However, the fans' anger was also rising; they didn't understand why the head coach would give an inactive player a chance on the field, or why he would substitute the starting attacking midfielder Lise.

The fans' insults were no longer directed solely at the players on the field; foul language had spread to Head Coach Schweinsteiger.

The on-field predicament reminded the fans of the disgrace of Hamburg's main team being relegated, and boos filled the air.

Match in the 85th minute.

"Stroll for 10 minutes, accuracy +100%, special vision activated!"

Hansa Rostock II's left midfielder Hofmann had the ball; the score was still tight, and he was eager to break through the midfield.

Gideon keenly sensed his weakness, blocked his breakthrough path with his body, and tackled decisively!

A perfect tackle! The ball quickly came to Kinsombi's feet.

Fan Tao was unmarked; he stood strangely between the opposing defender and midfielder, where a temporary vacuum area had formed.

Kinsombi didn't hesitate, tapping the ball with the inside of his foot, sending it to Fan Tao's feet.

This was a tactical arrangement by the coach: once possession changed, quickly pass the ball to the open player; personal preferences had to take a backseat.

If Fan Tao wasted this opportunity, the coach would punish him; if Kinsombi didn't pass, the coach would scold him mercilessly.

No professional player wanted to face the coach's resentment; once they were stuck on the bench, it symbolized the end of their professional career.

Fan Tao advanced with the ball; the opposing midfielders quickly chased back, and the defenders held their positions, not allowing Fan Tao to easily dribble past them.

Fan Tao hadn't intended to dribble past anyone anyway; it wasn't his strong suit.

He brought the ball to the right wing, and the right winger Joshua raised his hand, signaling for the ball.

According to the tactics, Fan Tao should have passed to him for a one-two, but he didn't.

At this moment, Fan Tao's gaze was fixed on the striker Bollas, who was standing to the side of the opposing defender; the defender's attention wasn't on him, a typical case of watching the ball, not the man.

Such behavior in a professional match would be punished.

Bollas also noticed Fan Tao staring at him; he didn't understand how Fan Tao could accurately find his position when there were defending players in front.

But he didn't need to understand; he only knew it was time to move!

Bollas's thigh muscles contracted sharply, and he sprinted forward like a leopard.

Just as Bollas started his run!

Fan Tao's left foot dug into the turf like a steel nail, his body rotated to lock onto Bollas's position, his right leg muscles instantly tensed, like a drawn bow.

He kicked the ball on its lower middle part, fiercely rubbing the inside of his foot along the surface of the ball!

The ball screamed off the ground with violent rotation, like a Round Moon Scimitar cutting across the sky, its powerful spin giving it a bizarre curve.

Hansa Rostock II's defender reacted, leaping high, attempting to clear the pass.

The ball grazed past his scalp; the defender missed it!

Passing over the defender, the ball accurately came to Bollas's feet; when he touched it, he found that the ball's rotation had just weakened, allowing him to perfectly control it in front of him.

Striker one-on-one!

Bollas dared not waste this sole excellent opportunity of the entire match; if he failed to score this one-on-one, he would be stuck on the bench.

Bollas dribbled furiously into the penalty area; Hansa Rostock II's goalkeeper charged out!

But the goalkeeper wasn't fast; Bollas, a speed-type striker, calmly feinted, faking out the goalkeeper.

Then, without hesitation, he pushed the ball into the net with a shot, scoring steadily.

The commentator yelled with all his might:

"GOAL!!!!!!!"

"In the 89th minute, Hamburg II leads 1-0!"

"This goal must be credited to Hamburg II's attacking midfielder Fan Tao; his excellent vision accurately found the surging Bollas!"

"This pass was surgically precise; the ball drew a deadly arc in the air, beyond the reach of the defenders!"

"I can't believe this beautiful Round Moon Scimitar came from an 18-year-old Chinese youngster."

"Fan's excellent performance helped the team kill the game 1-0!"

The Harburg training base was ignited by this goal; the fans, like performers of Sichuan opera's face-changing, offered cheers and shouts of encouragement.

The commentator exhausted all his superlatives, as if to sweep away the dullness of the previous 89 minutes; Fan Tao's teammates unbelievably covered their heads, no one daring to believe Fan Tao could make such a pass.

Gideon was even more shocked; he was an fringe player from the first team, and even there, he had never seen anyone make such a beautiful pass.

If this wasn't a miracle, then perhaps that magical Oriental boy wasn't far from the first team.

After scoring, Bollas rushed straight to Fan Tao, jumping onto him and hugging him tightly: "Fan, thank you for the assist, your pass was amazing!"

Fan Tao also smiled with relief: "You handled the one-on-one well, you didn't waste the chance, but you should go to the corner flag to celebrate and greet the fans."

"Let's go! We'll go together." Bollas pulled Fan Tao to the corner flag area, celebrating with the fans!

Bollas knelt on one knee, signaling Fan Tao to lift his foot, and the two performed the classic "shoe-shining" celebration, a way for the goal-scorer to thank the assister.

Schweinsteiger watched Fan Tao from the sidelines, unable to help but think: This kid really has some talent, but he's too frustrating; he runs too little on the field, I'll have to give him a good talking to later!

Assistant Coach Otto saw the slight curve of the head coach's lips and understood that the head coach was moved by the Chinese kid's talent.

The more talented a player was, the stricter Schweinsteiger would be with them; he couldn't tolerate young players wasting their talent.

This Chinese kid's hard days were coming.

"Did you record it?" In the stands, Wang Jianjun, a Chinese reporter holding a notebook, asked his young assistant Tang Qianqian.

"The picture is slightly blurry, but the process is clear."

"What about that pass? Can this angle show the curve?"

"No problem!" Tang Qianqian showed the video to Wang Jianjun.

In the footage, Fan Tao, wearing number 44, made a precise pass that was constantly replayed, and the sharp curve of the ball in the air was fully recorded.

"Good, we'll use this; it'll be tomorrow's headline!" Wang Jianjun nodded with satisfaction.

With the development of the internet, online broadcasts could include videos, which were much more convenient than newspapers.

As a reporter stationed in Hamburg, Wang Jianjun rarely got such exciting footage of a Chinese player.

He had a premonition that this video would become popular on various Chinese internet platforms.

As for the fact that it was just a friendly match in the German fourth-tier League, no one would care.

Chinese fans, after so many years of disappointment, desperately needed a star of hope.

Moreover, such a beautiful pass, some would even believe it was Bundesliga level.

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