Under the coach's command, the players began to move towards the penalty area. This free kick was almost certainly going to be a direct shot, especially since the man standing behind the ball was named Carlos.
At this moment, everyone else was moving, but Carlos stood his ground, hands on his hips, looking forward. He was contemplating, planning the trajectory of his pass or shot.
As the Tangguo team's players walked towards the wall designated by the referee, their panic was palpable. Cold sweat beaded on their brows, and their legs trembled uncontrollably.
Even their goalkeeper was a bit better than them!
Cao Baiming observed all of this. The original tactic assigned by the coach was for a few of them to form a wall, with Cao Baiming positioned behind it to contest the second ball.
But the current situation was too much for Cao Baiming to bear. Their defensive wall was effectively useless. Looking at the state of these players, he knew none of them would dare to jump to block the shot.
With no other choice, Cao Baiming once again displayed his leadership qualities and stepped forward.
"Wu Lei, go over there. Let me be part of the wall."
Wu Lei looked bewildered but said nothing, secretly feeling relieved.
Subsequently, the wall underwent some adjustments under Cao Baiming's direction. Although he wasn't the tallest player on the team, he was perhaps the only one willing to jump and block the shot!
He positioned himself directly between Carlos and the goalkeeper. At the same time, he quietly instructed his teammates to maintain a certain distance from him.
Since none of you want to jump, then stay further away.
After this adjustment, the goalkeeper seemed satisfied. The referee gestured, signaling Carlos to prepare for the kick.
At this instant, everyone's tension reached an extreme, akin to reaching the peak of a roller coaster, ready to plummet down.
The fans watched the fear on the Tangguo players' faces and felt a pang of anxiety for them.
Carlos's cannon shot was comparable to Cao Baiming's. If this ball struck a player directly, it could cause a concussion at best, or even instant death at worst. This was no laughing matter.
Then, the referee blew his whistle. Carlos took a small step back, and continued to retreat...
The Tangguo players, facing him, felt their hearts race faster!
He didn't stop until he was ten meters behind the ball. Then, he adopted a starting stance and began his run-up!
A ten-meter run-up, combined with thighs thicker than a man's waist, was enough to terrify anyone!
Cao Baiming stood his ground, his focus heightened, ready to receive the ball. However, his peripheral vision caught his teammates on his left and right, their legs so weak they could barely stand. Some even instinctively leaned back, as if about to flee!
There was no alternative; he had to rely on himself!
Two seconds later, a loud sound. The sound wave and the ball arrived simultaneously at Cao Baiming's eye level!
The shot was indeed like a cannonball. Only by facing it directly could one truly grasp the pressure it exerted!
The ten-meter run-up and accumulated power were not in vain; they had infused the ball with spirit and strength!
It also evoked the classic thunderous strike from Carlos's time at Real Madrid twenty years ago!
The fans erupted in thunderous cheers, while the Tangguo fans' hearts pounded with extreme tension.
Cao Baiming was completely focused, anticipating the ball's direction. But as the ball approached, his heart grew cold.
The shot inexplicably curved around him, giving him no chance to intercept. Cao Baiming had used all his might, yet he couldn't touch it!
The ball continued its flight towards the goal!!! It was incredibly fast and powerful!
The goalkeeper cursed under his breath, his arm trembling violently as he lunged to make a save!
However, the ball slipped past his fingertips and into the net!
Cao Baiming shook his head in frustration. His well-laid plan had gone to waste!
He then looked at his teammates beside him. They had all collapsed onto the grass, their legs truly weakened!
The situation unfolded exactly as Cao Baiming had predicted: only he had desperately jumped to intercept; the others, even if they wanted to, couldn't muster the strength.
At this moment, the Samba legion, with Carlos's goal, had clawed back one point!
Their comfortable four-two lead had narrowed to four-three! The Tangguo fans were greatly disappointed!
Carlos had successfully enacted a reverse revenge. Cao Baiming couldn't tolerate this!
From now on, he wasn't going to back down. He wouldn't hold back. He would score as many goals as possible in the remaining dozen minutes!
He was enraged. The opposing Samba superstars still seemed to lack sufficient respect for the Tangguo team, still arrogantly believing they could turn the tide.
Someone had to step up and douse their self-confidence with a splash of cold water!
Observing the situation on the field, Cao Baiming regained his focus, meticulously analyzing everyone's psychology, predicting their subsequent movements and directions based on their actions.
Soon, he discovered a path to score!
Although this attempt ended in failure, when he was serious, Cao Baiming never lacked opportunities!
After repeatedly attempting for the third time within five minutes, he finally breached Ederson's goal!
"Five-three!! Tangguo team has extended their lead again!!!"
The commentator's voice was filled with excitement, let alone the fans. This match was truly a roller-coaster experience!
Cao Baiming's eyes flickered, but there was no excitement on his face; rather, a sense of unfinished business.
With only ten minutes left until the final whistle, his original plan would have been to substitute himself for rest. However, he had changed his mind.
He wanted to keep playing, keep scoring!
To completely extinguish their arrogance!
The pain in his leg was still intense, perhaps even worse than before.
Although the system had accelerated his injury recovery, it was difficult to match the rate of exertion on the field.
As time wore on, the fans began to notice that Cao Baiming's leg injury had not healed. They simply didn't know how severe it was.
A few more minutes passed in the game.
The Samba legion was gradually starting to feel the pressure exerted by Cao Baiming alone.
They saw that Cao Baiming's left leg seemed to be problematic, but they dared not target him with fouls. They knew that if they did, the Tangguo fans would beat them to death before they even left the stadium.