Chapter Thirty-Eight: Confrontation

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Perhaps it was a bit late tonight, but I was delayed by some matters. There's still tomorrow's chapters to be written tonight as well—such a bitter feeling! I have things to do tomorrow.

What kind of sound was that?

Surprise? Shock? Joy? Let us return our attention to the field.

It was a volley from Yang Chen, executed without any interference. Umut Kartak, the goalkeeper, made no attempt to react. If nothing went wrong, this would be a clean and decisive goal. Yet, it seemed Yang Chen’s mastery over the volley was not quite perfect.

The ball soared over the keeper but crashed against the crossbar!

“Incredible! Absolutely incredible! The ball didn’t go in?!”

Chen Nu’s mouth dropped wide—was this for real? It didn’t go in? But clearly, the focus now was no longer whether the ball went in or not.

While everyone was still immersed in the shock of the missed goal, Mo Mo had already darted forward like a flash of lightning. As the rest were still stunned, Mo Mo’s composure allowed him to keep a cool head in this moment. “This is a good opportunity,” Mo Mo told himself.

“Mo Mo? Mo Mo! Mo Mo!! Mo Mo!!!”

While Chen Nu was still searching for where the ball had bounced, he suddenly saw that Mo Mo—who had almost no chance of controlling the ball—had seized it in the brief moment when the players were at a loss!

“The Chinese team still has a chance! There’s still hope!”

Chen Nu’s voice was fervent and excited, and the Chinese fans instantly realized it too—Mo Mo had actually gotten the ball!

Number 4, Fatih Akayel, a defender from Fenerbahçe, had felt his heart clench the moment he saw Yang Chen’s shot. There was a brief lapse in his focus, and then he realized the ball had soared over his head.

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Fatih Akayel remembered that one of his teammates was behind him, but when he turned around, he saw only the fiery red Chinese jersey. Instinctively, Fatih Akayel extended his leg, hoping to intercept the ball!

But the nimble Chinese player in red was agile beyond compare; the two brushed past each other, almost shoulder to shoulder. But where was the ball? Fatih Akayel tried to recall—oh! As they passed, Mo Mo’s left toe poked the ball right through Fatih Akayel’s legs. And who was behind Fatih Akayel?

“The penalty area! Mo Mo has broken into the penalty area! Mo Mo is about to shoot!”

Mo Mo’s expression was calm as ever. He hunched over, keeping his head low, trying to find an opening. Goalkeeper Umut Kartak chose to charge out. His black, tight-fitting kit made him look powerful and imposing. Mo Mo showed no sign of slowing down, as if he intended to carry the ball straight into the net.

Umut Kartak’s advance wasn’t particularly fast. He kept his body low, ready to spring at any moment, prepared to either jump or lunge and snatch the ball from Mo Mo’s feet. Mo Mo realized he couldn’t afford to hesitate; he slowed his pace, closing the distance between them. And just as Mo Mo was about to shoot, Umut Kartak launched himself forward.

But Mo Mo had already chipped the ball! Yes, a deft chip—a quick step on the ball, rolling it onto the top of his foot, and with a light lift, sent it flying. The ball didn’t rise very high, but it was enough; Umut Kartak could not reach it.

“Mo Mo chips it! Umut Kartak’s fingertips seemed to graze the ball—he touched it, definitely touched it! The ball clearly rose higher, flying off the crossbar. It’s a corner kick, without a doubt.”

Head coach Bora Milutinović held his head in disbelief, while Hao Haidong slapped his teammate’s leg in regret.

The stadium was filled with sighs from Chinese fans, lamenting the missed golden chance.

“Now Li Xiaopeng will take the free kick. It’s obvious that both Mo Mo and Yang Chen are being tightly marked now. It seems their near misses have put the Turkish side on high alert.”

Li Xiaopeng narrowed his eyes, surveying the field. Opportunities were scarce, and his own set-piece skills were not exceptional. He sighed, preparing to pass short to Xu Yunlong, when suddenly, his eyes lit up!

“Li Xiaopeng prepares to take the corner. Xu Yunlong appears poised to receive. Li Xiaopeng sends the ball into the box! The target is Du Wei! But Du Wei’s angle isn’t ideal!”

At the last moment before delivering the corner, Li Xiaopeng spotted Du Wei. In his position, there weren’t many defenders nearby—their attention was all on Yang Chen and Mo Mo. Sensing this, Li Xiaopeng decided to loft the ball into the penalty area, and this time, his delivery was accurate.

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Du Wei positioned himself precisely at the dropping point of the ball. But the only issue was, a Turkish player was grappling with him from behind. Du Wei hesitated not a moment and chose to spin and volley at a sharp angle!

“Du Wei! Du Wei’s volley! Umut Kartak dives to save it! He punches the ball away!”

As Du Wei struck from a tight angle, Umut Kartak reacted swiftly—he threw himself across, both hands deflecting the ball. And at that moment, exclamations erupted all around!

Umut Kartak looked up, his pupils contracting. Reflected in his eyes were two red figures, both surging toward the ball. Who were they?

“The ball hasn’t gone far! Yang Chen! Mo Mo! Both of them have shaken off their Turkish markers almost simultaneously! The Turkish side seems dazed by this relentless wave of attacks! Yang Chen gets to the ball first! He’s going to shoot!”

Mo Mo halted his run; Yang Chen had reached the ball just before him. This time, nothing could stop him.

Chinese fans cheered loudly—cheers they had given countless times before, yet each time felt like the first: passionate, exuberant.

In all four corners of the stadium, the crimson Five-Starred Red Flags seemed to come alive, fluttering and trembling. Everyone wished for just one thing—to see Yang Chen score.

“Yang Chen!!”

Chen Nu’s voice was charged with excitement. Everyone awaited the coming moment.

Whether it’s victory or defeat, we will face it together.