Hunter and Hussar

Chapter 95 Desperate
Hopefully it's just a cramp.We helped Le Ben stretch his legs for a while, and he could finally stand up slowly.In less than an hour, the ceiling of the bench and the stands were covered with a shallow layer of snow.The other two juniors helped him back to the locker room first.The last few minutes of first-half stoppage time passed quickly, we didn't bring in a new player and at one point it was seven men.To be honest, not only the coach, but we ourselves don't know who else we can replace.

It's not worse, but in a desperate situation.The excellent performance of Daxue and other schools greatly consumed our physical energy, and Leben's departure made us lose our last offensive weapon.After returning to the locker room, the snow was still falling silently outside the window, recklessly, as if to completely bury the entire stadium.The warm room was lifeless, and the current Yizhong may be a person who is still alive but unable to struggle, letting the dirt and snow slowly pour on his face.

But how can you sit still and wait for death?We were alive, there were 30 minutes to go, and more importantly, the score was still 0-0.You don't need to score many goals, you only need one, one fatal blow, and the first rank of general among millions of troops can completely reverse the defeat.If it was that person, he would definitely say in the locker room at halftime, don't worry, leave it to me.Then, probably towards the end of the second half, he would dribble the ball flexibly in the frontcourt, dodge and maneuver, and blast a thunderous shot at the nick of time, leading the team to a 1-0 victory like every time before.We trust him and rely on him. I just need to do my job well and guard the door at the last moment.

But there is no such person.

Maybe I can say to the coach, let me play midfield in the second half.I played it last year, and it was discussed before the game that I should play this position.What's more, I am the captain, and I will set an example with my own actions like my younger brother, and take the lead in holding the gate of victory.

But I don't have this ability at all, otherwise I would have played that position long ago.Before we really got into the game, goalkeepers always seemed to be people who lost punches when we kicked and kicked—or people who didn't want to run, and people who were pulled over to make up the numbers.I'm probably one of the latter two.In terms of sports, I was not as good as others by nature, and I didn't have much fighting spirit the day after tomorrow, let alone hard work.In fact, I may not love football much.But...why am I thinking about this?At the moment of life and death, am I still making excuses for my hesitation?Time is passing by every minute and every second, this is a slow death of staying in place, but I let myself, let myself, who is already the captain, stay here without moving.

The phone rang.Someone answered the phone.It was dull at first, but soon his eyes lit up, he stood up quickly, and replied that he would tell everyone immediately.The call took less than 1 minute.For a short time, all eyes were on the caller, and they found vitality from the expression on his face, as if a soldier who was unkempt and lingering in the trench during the war suddenly received a wrinkled letter from his home. letter.

The branch school took a 1-0 lead in the away game, and it was Jiang Xiaofei who scored the goal.At this moment, Yue Yin sent this crucial news from another battlefield.It was like a shot in the arm, reinjecting hope into our bodies.Victory, as long as a small victory with one goal, we can smoothly qualify for the group stage.Only when every inch of skin is completely soaked in the black water of despair, can we know that every breath is full of hope.Nothing is more precious than this.

"Coach, let me play in the second half!"

The coach looked at the person who volunteered, but did not answer immediately.

"We changed to three backs, let Luka and Mi Le go to the midfield to strengthen the attack, and Yan Xi went straight back to the striker." Not only did he recommend himself, but he also gave a plan for the formation of the second half, "We need to attack, everyone can rest assured Go on the ground, leave the defense to me and the captain!"

When Xu Mu said this, he looked back at me deliberately, his eyes were firm.

"Forget it, when the main players from other schools come up in the second half, who can you guard against?" It was Xuexue who said this nonchalantly.He took off his down jacket, revealing a fluffy beige sweater, his little face was flushed, showing a contemptuous expression.

"Huang Minxue! You are too much! Do you want to demolish me at this time?"

Xu Mu seemed to be really angry. He didn't say that he wanted to fight and learn, but stood straight in place and yelled at him in a quiet voice, but it was much scarier than usual.

"Xuexue, how can you say that?" Mingming secretly tugged at the sleeve of Xuexue's sweater, and the other party unceremoniously shook off his hand.

"Didn't Xu Mu be able to defend against Mu Zheng alone in the past? There must be no problem!" Mi Le was also speaking for her, "And after training so many times this semester, she is still very stable."

"Pull it down, any single defense against Mu Zheng is all blown out. She is defending against Mu Zheng who was just sick in elementary school..." Xuexue raised his legs as he spoke, without changing his face or beating his heart. I don't care what everyone's face looks like.

"Stop looking down on people! As long as you can get in today, I will slap you hard in the face! Huang Minxue, I have recognized you!" Xu Mu gave Huang Minxue a hard look, turned his head vigorously, and stopped looking at him up.

Xuexue bit her lip, still with an indifferent expression.He obviously patted him, probably wanting him to apologize to Xu Mu, but he turned a deaf ear to it.

"Is anyone else ready to play?"

The coach finally spoke, asking about other substitute players.Zhao Rui first said that it would be no problem for him to play in any position, while the other juniors shook their heads one by one.It was warm in the room, but they shivered a little.The second half is bound to be our last hand-to-hand battle, and any attack or defense may determine the outcome of the battle.This kind of life-and-death situation is the first time for us to experience it, and we may feel a little weak when we watch it off the court.

"Xu Mu." The coach walked up to Xu Mu, and put his hands on her shoulders as if he had delivered a heavy responsibility, "It's up to you. Go to the bathroom and change your clothes. Snow is heavy, don't wear too little."

"Okay!" Xu Mu looked at the coach with the most grateful and resolute eyes I've ever seen, and then resolutely walked out the door with his bag.Another semester passed, and as a full member of our team, she hadn't even played a game and wasn't even able to fully use the locker room.But she persisted.Maybe she thought about giving up before, but she never really left, and stood up with the bravest gesture at the most critical moment.

Learning is really too much.I don't know if he looks down on Xu Mu or girls.Maybe just kidding?But also too out of place.But... Xuexue shouldn't be so stupid or so bad.What's more, he and Xu Mu have been classmates and friends for many years.How can you say such a thing?
But didn't Pu Yun "provoke" me again and again today?Although his attitude and tone are much gentler than Xuexue.

"Ke Ke." Just as he was thinking, Mi Le put his head next to my ear.I responded quietly.

"I heard what Pu Yun told you."

"Eh?"

"You protect our gate, and I will protect you. I will not let you cry." His voice was very soft, as silent as snowflakes falling, but in the brightly lit locker room and the warm wind float together.

"We'll win."

"Ah."

"Captain, I will do my best too." Luka also came to my side, with a permanent light shining in his green eyes.The three of us secretly touched our fists.

"Snow is flying in Guanshan, and there is no smoke from the beacon fire." It is inevitable to think of these verses.The heavy snow has made a stranger to the world, cleaning up those things that are used to it, leaving untouched whiteness.Snow is new, and so is the world.Against the howling north wind, the world seems to have re-laid the stage for the decisive battle for us. [1]
"Jiang Yuan No. 32 Squadron replaced, replaced No. 11 Xu Mu, replaced No. [-] Le Ben." The MC of the other school still mispronounced Le Ben's surname after all, but the little guy who struggled to cramps still stayed in the locker room Rest here, obviously go to take care of him.Although he failed to perform outstandingly on the offensive end, Le Ben still did his job dutifully.At the time of parting, he struggled to stand up with his legs wrapped in ice on the stool, and pressed his forehead tightly against Luca, as if he wanted to give all his last energy to his companion.

"Jiangyuan's foreign school team is replaced, replaced by No. 7 Yin Rirong..." The next substitution message made me feel like I was knocked on the head.That familiar figure picked up the junior with "KOOK" printed on his back on the sidelines. He still didn't say a word, and came to the field on the flying snow as if he was on a horse.

The opponent really doesn't intend to let us pass easily.

"The last three and 10 minutes. The branch school is still leading, success or failure depends on it!" Before the game, we gathered together in the snow, like the final military meeting before the war.In the 10-minute battle, we have to hold it firmly with our broken hands.

"The captain is right! Everyone, don't worry about attacking! Leave the rest to us!" Xu Mu shouted imposingly.

"It's still the same sentence: One middle school must win!"

Piercing through the clouds and snow, our slogan echoed between the vast sky and the earth again, more uniform than ever before.Walking back to the door, I suddenly saw the tall flagpole of the foreign school, which was waving in the wind and snow. "We will see you when the season is poor, and you will see them one by one." At the last moment, you must not lose the chain.I didn't hit the woodwork again, even though it helped me twice in the first half.What I patted was my left arm, as if I was saying this to it, as well as to myself. [2]
The game starts again!Wind, cloud, and snow interweave in the sky, complementing the running and killing on the ground.After the formation change, we finally got through the midfield. Ah Hui, who has always been diligent, became the commander of both offense and defense in the second half, and confronted Yin Rirong head-to-head several times.Under his scheduling, Luka and Miller were also liberated and devoted more energy to the offensive end.They actively cooperated with Yan Xi, and we finally had a chance to threaten the gate of other schools.A diagonal pass from Yan Xi to Mi Le was successfully received by the latter, and No. 3's shot was once again rejected by the junior with "Alan" printed on his back.I didn't see him in the first round, probably he was only the second or even third goal of a foreign school, but today he saved twice the goals we were bound to win.After completing a save, it was not over yet, and Luka's close-range shot was blocked by him like a master, and was blocked outside the goal line.

After missing the goal several times, the foreign school slowly regained control of the midfield.The opportunity to win with the small, the big, and the weak against the strong is fleeting, and if you fail to grasp it, you will be crushed by absolute strength like mountains and seas.The offensive of foreign schools has been wave after wave, especially for capturing the defensive loopholes after our offensive failure.We have to survive this most difficult period of time, tossing around the opponent's onslaught, and looking for the chance of a fatal blow again.Wanting to prove himself, Xu Mu was brave and extraordinary, and he rushed to the first header to clear the siege during several set-piece defenses.She combed her hair to the back of her head and tied it into a crisp ponytail. The exposed forehead was gradually red and swollen due to several high-speed flying balls, but she didn't care at all, and she might not have realized this situation at all. .Lao Ye and Brother Chuan were also more decisive on the defensive end. As the drummer of the band, Xu Mu also grasped the team's defensive rhythm on the court. She set an example to cheer for the whole team.In response, several shots from other schools were saved or confiscated by me. Every time I completed a successful defense, the defenders and the bench would shout loudly to boost morale.In the heavy snow, everyone's fighting spirit was burning, and the splashing snowflakes fell on the frozen red cheeks and were quickly melted.

The foreign school's offense once again advanced to the frontcourt, and Luca ran back to help defend without hesitating his physical strength.He was very active on the left today, making great contributions on both ends of the offense and defense. What is even more commendable is that he no longer lacks self-confidence and is hesitant as before.It was probably his best game of the term - he didn't have to play so well and could have gone home if his goals hadn't been stolen last game.

But fate seems to be playing a joke on him.If he hadn't come back to defend, or hadn't tried so hard to block Yin Rirong's shot with all his strength, maybe the ball wouldn't have hit him by coincidence.The last time it was a misjudgment, but this time there is no excuse, and everyone can see clearly.The moment the referee blew the whistle and pointed to the penalty spot, Luka slammed the arm that hit the ball hard, almost in desperation.

"It's okay, get up, the captain is still here!" Xu Mu ran to him first, pushing his tensed back.

Luka didn't stand up, letting the snowflakes fall on his trembling curly hair non-stop.

"Luka! It's okay!"

Xiao Qi's voice came from far away from the stands.

"Get up, let's take care of something together." Ye Ruiyang also came to his side, as well as Brother Chuan and Mi Le, who took turns rubbing Luka's head.

"Leave it to me. I'm here, don't be afraid." I also walked over, pushed everyone away, squatted next to Luka's ear, and asked as if discussing, "Let's continue kicking, shall we?"

"Yeah!" Luka pursed his lips, nodded vigorously at me, and then bit his finger hard.I understand, sometimes I want to cry, so I quickly bite or pinch somewhere, once it hurts, the tears can't come down.

"You must always trust the captain! Our captain is the penalty shooter!" After Luka got up, Mi Le put his hand on his shoulder, and everyone accompanied him out of the penalty area, leaving me and the kicker Opponents are one-on-one.

It is either Pu Yun or Yin Rirong who can take a penalty kick.Pu Yun still understood what he said, but Yin Rirong didn't know where he would play.I was speculating, but there was a substitution message from the sidelines.The one who was replaced was a junior with "Chians Uda" printed on the back. He couldn't understand the language at all, but Luca might know it.And more importantly, the players waiting on the sidelines. No.9.

There is no doubt that Iowa was put on a special trip to kick the penalty kick.Across the wind and snow, when he undisputedly came to me, he neither smiled nor said hello, but just gave me a cold look, and then straightened the ball.

Since elementary school, I have faced Shi Zhenhua's penalty kicks countless times, and I have almost never made a save. Since junior high school, I have been scored by him with penalty kicks three times in a row.However, the failures of the past are not worth mentioning at this moment.There is no longer a way to be nostalgic, and the only thing that can be grasped is the present.Life and death are only a matter of thought, and there are still about 10 minutes left in the game. One-on-one from the penalty spot to the goal line is not only a game of skills, but also a contest of psychology.Ah Hua is no longer the striker who always only plays the right hand of the goalkeeper, and I am no longer who I used to be.We don't need to be polite to each other, and we don't need to comfort each other. I must be stronger than my friends.

bring it on!I also kept silent, just jumped a little, opened my arms, and greeted the figure of Ah Hua running towards the ball.

It was a wolf-like howl, which almost tore apart the dense cloud, the wind blew up, and the snow flakes flew up, as if rolling from the earth to the sky.After numerous failures, I guessed that he was going to kick the ball to my left and jumped there without hesitation.The fast-moving ball was firmly blocked by my left hand. Luca rushed to him and kicked it out of the sideline without even leaving a corner kick to the outside school.

Well done, I patted my left arm approvingly.It didn't fall, but it seemed to be reborn, holding the last hope for us.It seems that the goalkeeper is not the kid who does nothing. Keeping a goal is as important as scoring a goal.Maybe I love standing in front of the goal, and that roar is my deepest emotion for it.Luka hit me hard on the head, and I slapped his waist hard.

We are still alive.The game is far from over.

[1] Respectively quoted from Wang Wei's "Longxi Journey", "Mulan Poetry", and Xiang Ziyan's "Ruan Langgui · Shaoxing Yimao Heavy Snow Journey to Poyang Road".

[2] Quoted from Wen Tianxiang's "Song of Righteous Qi".

(End of this chapter)