"Tactic One" sounded like a rather perfunctory name.
But the tactical content Wang Fa explained was detailed and specific, unlike those flashy motivational speeches or overly ambitious goals. This specificity first brought a sense of achievable reality.
Almost naturally, the students temporarily forgot who their Sunday opponents were, throwing themselves wholeheartedly into practicing "Tactic One."
Led by Fu Xinshu, the students began their warm-up exercises.
The football was placed at the center of the field. It was 8:00 PM. The students of Hongjing No. 8 Middle School's football team had begun their first football lesson since abandoning the sport.
The students actually had only two short days to practice the tactic.
But Wang Fa's statement—that success only required completing one tactical coordination—was deeply imprinted in their minds.
Everyone was full of drive.
They skipped lunch, bringing food packed in plastic bags to the field to grab a few bites, saving time to practice more passing drills.
Dinner was even simpler—steamed buns and sports drinks would suffice. From sunrise to sunset, they kept running across the field.
From initially failing to execute the coordination smoothly to gradually being able to complete shots; from having their tactics completely disrupted during practice matches to successfully breaking through their own teammates' defenses.
The simplicity and clarity of the goal made the results of training visibly apparent.
With every successful shot, the students couldn't help but punch the air in triumph.
Then they would start the next round of training.
——
The two days of focused training felt slower than expected.
Of course, deep down, the students wished time would pass even more slowly, giving them more time to prepare.
But that day would inevitably arrive.
September 25th, Sunday, school bus.
The autumn sky was clear and crisp, rice ears bending branches as they swayed in the wind.
The bus traveled the same road they had taken a week ago, but this time, the atmosphere inside was somewhat subdued. The students were unusually quiet.
Quiet didn't mean they weren't talking. On the contrary, the boys kept discussing match tactics.
How to kick off, how to cross, how to distribute the ball when facing defense.
Although these were things Wang Fa had repeated to them many times, with the coach not around, everyone felt uncertain.
Lin Wanxing glanced beside her.
Yes, the bus seat that should have been Wang Fa's was empty.
Wang Fa had long mentioned that he had a trial training session at Yongchuan Evergrande Club on Sunday.
That morning, to gauge Wang Fa's attitude, Lin Wanxing specially bought a full set of KFC deluxe breakfast.
Smoked chicken pastry, century egg and lean meat porridge, soy milk, coffee, cheese chicken panini...
The spread covered the entire table under their rooftop sunshade.
Even Wang Fa himself was startled by the breakfast display the moment he stepped out of his room.
Fortunately, Comrade Wang Fa was the epitome of unflappability. He naturally sat down and ate most of the food.
It was Lin Wanxing who couldn't hold back first: "What are your plans for today? Are you still going to Yongchuan? What time's your high-speed rail ticket?"
She looked at Wang Fa with hopeful eyes, but the answer she got was—"Leaving right after eating."
After saying this, Wang Fa leisurely stood up, washed his hands at the sink, and took the coffee from another set meal.
Watching Wang Fa's carefree retreating figure, Lin Wanxing suddenly thought this might not be so bad after all.Wang Fa's stance was clear—this was indeed an inconsequential match, with no formidable opponents or any must-achieve objectives.
The boys only needed to execute a "Tactic One" play.
That was all.
——
Hongjing Pearl Club Stadium, Green View International High School side.
Compared to Hongjing No. 8 Middle School's straightforward tactical goal, Green View International was under considerably more pressure.
Green View International's coach, Chen Yuan, was a former professional player who had once competed at the highest level in the Chinese Super League with top-tier clubs.
Most in his line of work transitioned to coaching after retirement, but coaching positions varied in prestige. Landing a role in a professional youth team like his was proof of his exceptional professional competence.
Thus, after learning about their opponent for this round, he conducted research on their previous match.
He obtained the official match footage and even leveraged his connections to treat the referee from Hongjing No. 8 Middle School's last game to a meal, gathering relevant insights.
This, of course, did not involve any unethical conduct like match-fixing. He merely inquired in detail about Hongjing No. 8 Middle School's tactics in their last game, assessing the players' skill levels and dynamics to formulate an appropriate strategy.
Chen Yuan admitted to feeling nervous. Despite his professional expertise, if Green View International High failed to advance to this round of the Youth Super League main tournament, his job could very well be on the line.
Before the match, Chen Yuan gathered all his players for a final tactical briefing.
The players had just finished warming up, their bodies glistening with a light sweat.
From their expressions, Chen could tell they weren't taking today's game seriously enough.
He clapped his hands sharply, the crisp sound snapping all the players to attention.
"Focus up! Take this seriously! The fact that Hongjing No. 8 Middle School made it to this playoff means they defeated their previous opponent," he emphasized. "Although Anning Experimental is just a regular high school team, they have a decent football program. Don't underestimate today's rivals."
"Understood, Coach," replied Green View International's captain, the number 9 center forward.
Having said this, Chen worried about burdening the players with too much pressure, potentially making them play timidly, so he added, "But we shouldn't overthink it either. They managed to equalize against Anning Experimental last time because Anning got too eager and tried to score more. Hongjing No. 8 Middle School is still just a high school team at heart, relying on a single tactic of long passes for counterattacks targeting spaces behind the defense, as I stressed in the locker room."
The players nodded in agreement.
Chen Yuan: "They show strong fighting spirit and resilience in the second half. So, we need to score several goals in the first half, then we can slowly wear them down after the break."
"So, for the first half, we stick to the tactic you just outlined?" the captain asked.
"Yes, Hongjing No. 8 Middle School's right-back is weak in one-on-one situations, making it easy to break through. So, we'll focus attacks down the right flank and deliver crosses. Look for opportunities to exploit the gap from the position I mentioned."
The players nodded again.
"What if they adjust their tactics?" the captain suddenly inquired.
Hearing this, Chen Yuan glanced toward the distant coaching bench.
It was said that Hongjing No. 8 Middle School had a coach, but currently, only a girl was sitting there, appearing to be just a team leader.
"Unlikely," Chen said with confidence. "To put it bluntly, they're just here to have fun playing. They don't really have a proper coach."
——
On the other side of the field, Hongjing No. 8 Middle School's side.Lin Wanxing sat under the shade of the canopy, unaware that she had just been observed.
She shielded her eyes with her hand and looked toward the field.
The students had just finished their warm-up, still dressed in their colorful sportswear. Compared to the orderly and disciplined Green View International team, they looked like a ragtag bunch.
Lin Wanxing watched the students, and the students watched her back.
After a while, they were still staring at each other, and the atmosphere grew somewhat awkward.
"If you have something to say, just say it," Qin Ao blurted out impatiently.
"What do you mean? I was waiting for you all to speak first," Lin Wanxing replied.
"Why should we speak first? Shouldn't the teacher say something to boost morale?" Lin Lu shouted.
Just then, a loud chorus of "Go! Go! Go!" erupted from the neighboring rest area, the roar so thunderous that Lin Wanxing was startled.
Inspired by this, she cleared her throat.
"Everyone, do your best~"
As she was about to speak, Qi Liang's voice drifted over from the corner behind her.
Lin Wanxing gave a light cough and fell silent.
"Teacher, are you at a loss for words?"
"Is this what the liberal arts top scorer in the college entrance exam is like?"
"You should have thought more about it."
The boys began chattering all at once.
"What kind of declaration do you want to hear?" Lin Wanxing said, slipping her hands into her pockets. "Before we came, Comrade Wang Fa already explained the goal of this match, didn't he?"
"Success is defined as completing one 'Tactic One' play," Chen Jianghe said.
"Then let's complete one," Lin Wanxing said, both lightly and solemnly.
—
The field had just been watered in the afternoon, and the mist rose about half a meter high.
The players from both teams took their positions.
A sharp whistle pierced the clear sky, and the match officially began.
Green View International kicked off first, passing the ball two or three times before quickly moving it to the wing.
Lin Lu immediately rushed to confront them, facing off against Green View International's captain, the number 9 center forward wearing the armband.
The slender Lin Lu seemed like a cardboard cutout in front of the number 9, completely unable to stop the opponent's forceful breakthrough. Still, Lin Lu tenaciously chased back, cutting off the opponent's path into the penalty area.
Seeing that he couldn't break into the penalty area, the number 9 opted to cross the ball. The ball flew into the penalty area, where Qi Liang won the first header and cleared it. However, Hongjing No. 8 Middle School had no tactical coordination after clearing the ball. Chaos reigned in front of the goal, and the cleared ball was regained by Green View International, who resumed their attack.
This was roughly everything that happened within the first minute after the whistle.
In just 60 seconds, Green View International had already executed one very sharp, fast-paced attack.
Although Lin Wanxing's understanding of soccer came almost entirely from cramming over the past ten-plus days, the overwhelming momentum, sharp breakthroughs, and precise crosses made her feel the "pedigree" of a top-tier team.
Before the Hongjing No. 8 Middle School players could react, Green View International launched a second fierce assault.
Following Coach Chen Yuan's pre-match arrangement, the players continued to execute their left-wing breakthrough tactic. They once again overpowered Lin Lu, created space, and delivered a cross.
Seeing this, Chen Weidong jumped to clear the ball but misjudged it and failed to make contact. The ball flew toward the center of the penalty area.
At that moment, Zheng Feiyang appeared in the covering position, got to the ball before the opposing forward, and booted it long toward the front field.
With a loud "thud," the ball made sharp contact with his shoe.
On the coaching bench, Chen Yuan suddenly sat up straight. This timely defensive cover had taken him by surprise.Hongjing No. 8 Middle School's move could only mean they had withdrawn their midfielders and switched to a three-center-back formation. While this could effectively protect their goal, it also implied a weakened midfield offensive power.
However, Chen Yuan reconsidered—though unusual, Hongjing No. 8 Middle School was still just an ordinary high school team. Perhaps their shift to a "three-center-back" setup wasn't an intentional tactic but rather a natural defensive reaction to sharp attacks.
The ball was kicked out of bounds, creating a dead-ball opportunity for players to hydrate by the sidelines.
Chen Yuan stood up and relayed his observations to his players: "Try breaking through from midfield in the next attack. They're one man short there."
The Green View International players nodded, took a few more sips of water, tossed their bottles aside, and conveyed the instructions to their teammates on the field.
This highlighted the advantage of live coaching—being able to immediately communicate observed game developments for tactical adjustments.
Following the coach's arrangement, Green View International's captain and playmaker began organizing the attacking routes, preparing to launch their assault through midfield passing.
But as if receiving some signal, Hongjing No. 8 Middle School's three midfielders suddenly began retreating, firmly stationing themselves at the edge of the penalty area.
Green View International could only resort to continuous peripheral passing, struggling to penetrate the defense.
They were facing a blatant defensive bunker. Green View International's No. 9 wasn't surprised—most underdogs would adopt such turtle-shell defense against stronger opponents. No team could play flawlessly forever; with persistent attacks, opportunities would eventually emerge.
He started distributing the ball, constantly switching play from midfield to the wings. Following the coach's instructions, he looked for crossing opportunities while attempting direct through passes into the penalty area targeting the striker, hoping to create chances through chaotic scrambles.
Once, twice, three times...
What surprised Green View International's No. 9 was that Hongjing No. 8 Middle School's defensive positioning proved tighter than expected.
The three center-backs had clear roles in the penalty area—(No. 7) Chen Weidong and (No. 11) Qi Liang were responsible for challenging the first ball, while any balls that slipped through would be systematically cleared by No. 18.
Whenever Hongjing No. 8 Middle School briefly gained possession, they would anxiously launch long balls toward their striker. These simplistic, crude long passes were easily controlled by the prepared Green View International players.
"Thump!"
Another foolishly crude long pass sent the ball comically crashing against the sideline fence.
Green View International players exchanged mocking smiles on the field—exactly as their coach had predicted, this was the extent of their opponents' tactical repertoire.
Some players lazily jogged toward the coaching bench for water, already acting as if victory was assured.
Green View International's No. 9 ran toward where the ball had landed. The moment his hand touched the football, he suddenly sensed a whiff of conspiracy.
OpenNovel