Chen Tao's goal greatly boosted the morale of the Chinese football boys.
They were originally arrogant "geniuses" from all over the country, stars of hope selected through layers of trials.
Each person refused to acknowledge others, and the team as a whole played like a scattered mess.
Otherwise, no matter how big the gap, they wouldn't have allowed the opponent to score 4 goals in the first half.
It wasn't until Chen Tao used his unparalleled technique to toy with Everton that everyone realized Everton was not invincible.
When threatened, they would also fall into disarray and give opportunities.
This was precisely what the Chinese football boys should exploit.
Under Chen Tao's leadership, the football boys turned the tide, with everyone diligently defending while also looking for attacking opportunities.
The arrogant young men were truly willing to calm down and defend.
Everyone stood in their positions, maintaining their fighting spirit and engaging in physical contests with the Everton players.
Why?
Why couldn't they beat foreigners?
Why should they be humiliated by these British delinquents?
Damn it!
The football boys, with their eyes bloodshot, actually withstood Everton's frantic counterattack!
Everton, having been repeatedly toyed with by Chen Tao, naturally burned with anger and rushed forward to attack.
Overwhelmed, they lost the composure they had in the first half, showing no coordination, with everyone wanting to stand out.
As one side gained and the other lost, the Chinese football boys successfully cooperated to complete a steal!
"What a great opportunity! Our fast break!"
Huang Jianxiang slammed the table in admiration, startling his celebrity guest, Su Xing, next to him.
Two simple passes in midfield, the target was clear: find the big brother!
Whoever scores is the big brother.
The 15-year-old youth player became the attacking core for the 18-year-old youth team players!
Chen Tao stepped up, raising his hand for the ball.
A long pass flew overhead, with the Everton midfielder behind him jostling and desperately body-checking to prevent the Asian from turning.
"Damn it!"
Just as he bumped Chen Tao forward a half step, Chen Tao used the opportunity to break free from the defensive range.
He stopped the ball in the air, cushioning it with his ankle and flicking it to the right, while rapidly turning his body to the left!
The instantaneous body-and-ball separation caused Dansmore's brain to short-circuit!
Reacting a mere 0.2 seconds too late, he was already easily shaken off by Chen Tao!
His teammates, arriving one after another, couldn't stop this guy!
A nutmeg, then two consecutive feints with a step-over to break through, and he once again charged into the penalty area!
Unstoppable!
"This..."
Once was a coincidence, twice was their own oversight, but three, four times...
Dansmore had to admit.
The slender, tall Asian in the white number 24 jersey possessed technique comparable to South American players.
He was in a League of his own, leading the entire field by a huge margin!
Before, they had looked down on these football boys, looking down on these rookies from the football desert of the East.
Now it seemed their Everton youth academy was the real rookie!
Seeing Chen Tao once again move through as if unimpeded, a group of people desperately rushed forward, wishing seven or eight of them could surround him at once.
The goalkeeper dared not come out, trembling on the goal line.
Yet, a football suddenly flew out of the crowd, accurately heading towards the right side of the six-yard box.
"Eh?"
"What?!!!"
There, the domestic champion of the football boys, forward Jin Hui, was unmarked within 3 meters.
He steadily received the ball, facing almost an empty net!
The rest was too simple: a plain and unadorned push shot.
4-2.
The football boys scored again to pull one back!
After scoring, Jin Hui still couldn't believe it, staring blankly at Chen Tao.
"Why, why did you pass to me?"
Chen Tao looked at him as if he were an idiot:
"You were in a good position, who else would I pass to?"
"Uh..."
The two were quickly engulfed by their excited teammates.
They had broken through Everton U18's goal twice!
Seeing the foreigners' mournful faces was simply too satisfying!
"A brilliant cooperation! A great team victory! The indomitable spirit of the football boys earned them a goal!"
"Well done, China National Football Team!!"
Coach Liu Yue's mouth twitched as he looked at Huang Jianxiang; his friend was as excited as he was during last year's World Cup.
It was a bit excessive.
However, this goal was the ultimate individual heroism of the young player Chen Tao.
He alone could dismantle the opponent's defense, an unparalleled technical dominance!
Liu Yue even felt like he was dreaming.
When could domestic players' technique rival South American talents?
He had entered the show with the attitude of just doing his job for the money, holding no hope for finding football talents.
At this moment, Liu Yue finally believed.
It turns out... our country truly has geniuses!
1.4 billion people, such a vast population, how could there be no geniuses?
It's just that the vast majority of geniuses are completely destroyed by the rigid youth training system, the chaotic professional football environment, and the corrupt upper echelons.
Moreover, there are many potential geniuses who have never even been exposed to systematic football training.
Unknowingly, as a former National Football Team player, Liu Yue almost shed tears.
...
The final score was 4-4.
Chen Tao, with his unparalleled ball skills, had no opponent in the front field.
Even with a four-person clamp, he could find an angle to break through.
At worst, he could pass it out and let his teammates organize the attack.
Other players also helped Chen Tao share the pressure, and the football boys were even able to execute fluid attacking combinations.
In contrast, Everton completely lost face.
They started playing dirty.
Tackling, pushing from behind, classical wrestling—they resorted to all sorts of unscrupulous tactics.
The football boys were not muscular players; their physical confrontation ability was at a disadvantage, and the game once again became passive.
Especially Chen Tao; he was the most fouled player on the field, his white jersey completely stained green with grass stains.
If it weren't for a mysterious boost in concentration that allowed him to dodge opponents' dirty tackles at the last moment, Chen Tao would definitely have to be carried off.
"Hey! What the hell?!"
The Chinese coaching staff quickly protested to the Everton coach, implying they were resorting to dirty tricks because they couldn't win fair and square.
Maroney, the plump Everton youth academy director, was helpless and could only remind his players on the sideline, which made their actions slightly less aggressive.
Maroney even complained to the Chinese side:
"This is how the Premier League is; the physicality is quite strong. The referee wouldn't blow the whistle for this level of pulling and shoving."
Coach Liu Yue was almost cursing.
You call that pulling and shoving?
It's almost unlimited combat!
Under Everton's shameless dirty tricks, the game ended.
Both sides shook hands with a 4-4 draw, and both looked regretful.
Everton was naturally unhappy about being tied after leading 4-0, finding it hard to believe they were evenly matched with a group of trial players from a football desert.
The football boys were also very unhappy.
We clearly could have won!
They couldn't stop Chen Tao at all!
Before leaving the field, the football boys still held their heads high, shaking hands with their opponents in a victorious manner.
The youth coaches from both sides also exchanged words:
"Chen is truly a treasure player. We at Everton are definitely interested in him; there will be a place for him in the first team."
"Where he wants to go specifically, he needs to decide himself. I can't make the decision."
"Then please persuade him. Everton is a top-tier club in the Premier League and will never treat him unfairly."
"Thank you for the invitation; we will convey it."
Liu Yue knew very well that this matter was not that simple.
The trial was advertised as a visit to Everton and Bolton, with the chance to gain a trial qualification with a Premier League club.
In reality, it was just a gimmick.
The "football boy" program only had a preliminary agreement with the clubs, with no contractual evidence whatsoever indicating that any player would stay in the Premier League.
Even if Everton truly signed someone, it would be difficult for them to get a chance to enter the first team.
This was merely a means to expand the Chinese market.
Both sides were well aware of this, only the young players, unaware of the truth, came with dreams.
They had no idea what they were about to face.
In the locker room, a group of passionate youths were celebrating wildly, loudly playing Jay Chou's new song on the stereo.
Everyone sang along, full of youthful vigor.
Facing adversity, they had not lost to foreigners!
The team's hero, Chen Tao, who had crushed Everton with his skills, sat quietly in the corner, carefully replaying everything that had just happened.
"Do I... really have world-class football talent now?"
The feeling on the field just now was incredibly wonderful.
Every time he touched the ball, it became an extension of his body; he knew exactly where the ball was without even looking.
No matter how complex the situation, he instinctively knew how to handle the ball.
Complex dribbling moves that previously required countless practices on the field to succeed, and moves that were difficult to execute in competitive play, now became instinct, allowing him to easily dribble past opponents without thinking.
Everton's youth academy couldn't even put pressure on him!
Facing these Premier League club U18 players was like facing a group of elementary school students.
If Chen Tao wanted to, he could dribble the ball from his own goal to the opponent's goal, and no matter how many Everton players came, he would ensure they couldn't touch the ball.
Unless they resorted to crude fouls and tackles.
Before the opponent's body contact, Chen Tao could already react in advance.
This was the most terrifying thing!
"What if I played against a top League adult team? What if I played against world-class stars?"
A thought uncontrollably emerged!
If he were to face Cannavaro now, facing Italy's World Cup-winning defense, would he...
Just as Chen Tao was lost in thought, he was suddenly interrupted by Coach Liu Yue.
"Chen Tao, there's something I want to tell you in advance; the program organizers will formally discuss it with you later."
"What?"
"I don't know what you think about Everton..."
Before Liu Yue could finish, there was a sudden knock at the locker room door, and an uninvited guest slipped in.
A plump man wearing a 1960s-style fedora and a suit, with a rosy complexion, quickly scanned the room, instantly locked onto Chen Tao, and approached with a smile, pulling out a business card.
"Excuse me for the interruption, please allow me to introduce myself."
"I am Steve Rowley, chief scout for Arsenal Football Club."