Such physical prowess was enough to make anyone envious, and with that envy came a sense of dread, a primal fear that struck deep within.
Finally, the day had arrived, a day that would witness a friendly match within the ranks of the Forest Club!
The youth players of Nottingham Forest Club were each exceptionally skilled, discovered by scouts and brought to this top-tier team capable of competing in the Premier League. Though their ranking in the Premier League might not be stellar, reaching such a level was the realization of their dreams.
And this day was their carnival because they had the chance to face the undisputed greatest football icon in the world, Cao Baming!
If there was anything more thrilling than being an opponent to Cao Baming, it was undoubtedly facing him head-on in a direct confrontation.
The young players had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and now the day had finally dawned. They were engaging in a friendly match on the club's main pitch. Recalling the final score of the last friendly game held on this very ground, the young players already felt a deep-seated sense of trepidation.
The team that had come to challenge them last time was, to be frank, quite outstanding even within the first division. The fact that they were so thoroughly defeated was a testament to the prowess of the "Chao Ba" (a nickname for Cao Baming and his ilk). Today, it was their turn to be on the receiving end.
However, these individuals held no grand expectations for the final score. They didn't particularly care, as they were all part of the same team, and there was an inherent difference in caliber.
Simply having the opportunity to face Cao Baming directly was an incredibly exciting prospect for everyone. They were already delighted.
"Who cares if the score is twenty to zero or two hundred to zero, brothers, let's play this friendly match to the fullest and show Cao Baming what we're capable of!"
"Brothers, the friendly match is about to begin. Old rules apply: whoever scores today is treating!"
"No, no, no! Let's set a new rule today. Whoever manages to dribble past Cao Baming, that brother will treat us all to a meal every day!"
"Great idea, great idea! But I want to add another condition: whoever can defend against Cao Baming's breakthrough, whether it's one-on-one, two-on-one, or three-on-one, that brother will also treat us all to a meal every day, no matter how many people!"
"Amazing, amazing! This makes it even more exciting!"
Counting the people around him, there were at least twenty-odd individuals. With so many youth players, including substitutes, if each person had to treat, they wouldn't have to worry about meal expenses for at least two weeks.
Moreover, according to the old rules, treating wouldn't involve simply grabbing something from a street food stall. For the sake of face, they would usually opt for more upscale restaurants for treats. This meant a full two weeks to enjoy lavish meals, which was fantastic!
At this moment, everyone was filled with excitement. However, even more than not having to worry about meal expenses for two weeks, they were eager to actually achieve these feats on the field. The sense of accomplishment that would bring to their hearts would undoubtedly far surpass any material reward.
To showcase their skills in front of Cao Baming, to completely bypass him, and to astound others, perhaps they could even become world-renowned new stars, highly potential newcomers hitting the headlines, and thus embark on the path to the peak of their lives.
They had trained diligently during this period, precisely to perform well in this friendly match and to demonstrate their abilities to Cao Baming, so as not to be too looked down upon.
They understood that superstars of Cao Baming's caliber wouldn't even notice a group of youngsters like them. They were mostly under 18, and their average time on the football field was less than 10 years.
Furthermore, their football skills couldn't be compared to the youth players of traditional top-tier clubs. Clubs like Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, and Manchester City were leagues ahead in talent recruitment. They were well aware of this.
However, Cao Baming had learned from rumors that within Nottingham Forest's youth team, there was an individual of extraordinary talent and exceptional ability, widely discussed.
This young player was named Nelson, coincidentally sharing the same name as a former teammate at Arsenal. Cao Baming was now eager to see how this young player's skills measured up. Was he truly as legendary as everyone claimed?
The players had already taken to the field, making their final warm-up preparations. Despite being on the same team, these young players had seen Cao Baming very few times.
After all, Cao Baming himself had only joined the club less than two weeks ago, and the youth team trained separately from the senior team, so they rarely interacted.
Being able to witness such a top-tier superstar in person was an incredibly exciting event for the players.
During the warm-up, they could already feel the surging tension. Cao Baming was not far away; even watching him perform simple ball-control drills was a pleasure to behold.
Many of these players already considered Cao Baming their idol. Even if they couldn't achieve their goals in this match, they wanted to learn something from Cao Baming's playing style.
In any case, they were still young, and learning should never stop.
After the final warm-up phase concluded, the two teams walked onto the pitch to begin the match. The referee for this game was an experienced and highly skilled official from the local area.
Cooper had selected the starting lineup for this friendly match, which was identical to the previous one. Only two or three days had passed, with no player injuries or requests for leave. Everyone was eagerly anticipating this match.
As the match began, Cooper quietly took his seat in the dugout, observing the situation on the field.
In an instant, these young lads displayed the courage of 'newborn calves that fear no tigers,' quickly moving across the field.