Sitting on the substitute's bench, Cao Baming looked at the field ahead.
The roar of the fans echoed in his ears; the match was about to begin.
For a moment, a strange feeling washed over him, as if he had been traveling around the Tang Kingdom just yesterday, and in the blink of an eye, he was back in this familiar place.
Everything before him was still so familiar. Although it was Crystal Palace's away ground and he had only visited once before, he could still feel that sense of familiarity.
As the referee's whistle blew, the match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace began!
Using his time perception ability, Cao Baming had already foreseen the situation a dozen seconds later. The opponent had chosen a conventional backward pass and possession-based start, with no fancy intentions.
It seemed his previous prediction was wrong. He had thought that since they considered themselves the weaker side, they would definitely look for opportunities at the start.
But they hadn't. If that was the case, it wouldn't be so easy to get the ball back later!
After all, Messi could stay in his most comfortable attacking midfield position, and with the iron triangle at the back, they wouldn't lack possession. It wouldn't be easy to snatch it away.
Indeed, the reality was just as he had seen.
However, at this very moment, Cao Baming felt that wave of fatigue. He would likely need to rest for at least half an hour, or even longer, to use this ability again.
And now, the biggest problem was that if he wanted to use this system skill on the field, it seemed unlikely!
It would be great if he could see the opponent's upcoming tactics on the field, but the current situation didn't allow for it.
As soon as he used the ability, for the next few minutes, let alone playing on the field, even walking a few steps would be exhausting. In a weakened state, he might not even be able to stand up.
This was certainly not ideal. The good news was that this wasn't permanent, and he could upgrade it.
Regardless, he had to find a way to reduce the energy consumption, otherwise, if he couldn't use it during the match and could only use it to buy stocks, that wouldn't do.
The match was intense. In the seventh minute, Henry's long-range shot from outside the box found the top corner, igniting the atmosphere of the entire stadium!
Arsenal led 1-0!
The King of Henry stepped up to showcase his shooting prowess to the world with an unstoppable, world-class goal of exceptional quality!
In the World Cup, his brilliance might have been temporarily overshadowed by Zidane and Mbappé, but back at the club, he had plenty of opportunities to prove himself!
The familiar King had returned!
Subsequently, Crystal Palace gradually changed their tactics, becoming more defensive.
With the score against them, it was clear that there were disagreements within the team. Cao Baming saw it clearly from the sidelines, as if the entire team was speaking.
The forwards couldn't get hold of the ball in their disadvantageous situation, and they were surely anxious. At this moment, they wanted to strengthen their attack to equalize quickly, not retreating but pushing forward more.
However, the defenders at the back had the mindset of playing it safe. Since they had already conceded a goal, why take more risks? They should retreat as much as possible and shrink their defensive area.
As a result, visually, there was a very obvious disconnect. Just like the Tang team in the World Cup, the entire formation was like an empty city, with many players gathered in the front and back, but no one in the midfield.
However, the Tang team had Cao Baming. What did Crystal Palace have?
It was predictable that they would inevitably concede more goals!
Cao Baming secretly made this prediction: in the first half, the opponent would concede at least two more goals!
And precisely as he had predicted, just five minutes later, Crystal Palace conceded again. This time, it was an assist from Messi, and Henry completed his brace!
This wasn't their first mistake! However, this time, it directly resulted in a conceded goal.
The goalkeeper did his best.
He did everything he should have, and even things he shouldn't have!
After conceding consecutive goals, Crystal Palace's coaching staff indeed panicked. They finally saw the problem.
Only twenty minutes had passed.
After adjustments made by the head coach, the situation improved slightly, but the gap in strength between the two teams was still evident.
In the subsequent twenty minutes, Crystal Palace did not concede any more goals.
Cao Baming continued to watch the field intently. He had known from the moment the opponent's coach recognized the problem that this plan was no longer viable.
As the first half was nearing its end, the players on the field shouted, exerting their last bit of energy.
Both sides wanted a final attack!
Crystal Palace gradually stabilized their rhythm. Facing the 0-2 scoreline, they clearly couldn't accept it either!
Who would want to go into halftime with such a score? Even scoring one goal would be good!
However, for Arsenal, the current situation was merely a continuation of what had come before. Their attack had never stopped, and they had even changed their attacking patterns and methods.
Cao Baming watched from the sidelines, not without surprise.
It seemed Arteta had indeed studied several tactical approaches during his absence!
Just what he saw now already included several variations, and they seemed to be quite effective.
The game time reached the forty-third minute.
The regular halftime of a football match is usually forty-five minutes, and now there were only two minutes left until the end of regulation time!
Thomas held the ball on the left flank, attempting a short-range combination. His gaze had long been fixed on Messi in the front.
Messi's position was consistently to the right, closer to his own "Messi corridor."
The moment the opponent's player pressed, he wanted to perform a Luka Modrić-esque feint, pull the ball back, and then directly deliver a diagonal pass that would amaze everyone!
However, his envisioned scenario was too idealistic!
As soon as he pulled the ball back, the daydream was shattered. The opponent had anticipated his move and intercepted the ball before he could even make contact!
At a crucial moment, Crystal Palace thus found themselves with an excellent counter-attacking opportunity!
Cao Baming's eyes widened!
For a moment, he seemed to feel the outcome!!
A scene flashed through his mind: the opponent crossed from the wing, the tall striker's header deflected off White's back and into the goal!
They had conceded! And it was an own goal!!
But then he looked back at the field, and the ball was being advanced on the other flank.
Could the illusion be wrong?
A few seconds later, a transfer pass that no one expected, and then the scene that followed, Cao Baming had seen it before.
After triple-checking, he closed his eyes.
A few seconds later, cheers erupted from the field. Another goal!