62

Shuimen nudged Captain Bread with his elbow, urging him to speak up.

Bread, taking a deep breath, hesitantly said, "Sorry, Coach, we let you down. In the second half, we'll fight with everything we've got—"

Carter waved his hand dismissively. "No, you've misunderstood. You didn't disappoint me. On the contrary, I'm actually quite satisfied with your performance in the first half."

Bread looked at Carter in shock. "But Coach, we're down by two goals…"

Being two goals behind was one thing, but the bigger problem was that the Stags had been completely dominated, unable to mount any counterattack at all.

If this continued into the second half, they might concede three more goals!

The graffiti on the wall—the 5:1 scoreline from five years ago—suddenly felt hauntingly possible.

But Carter simply said, "You all heard the stats just now—Albert's numbers were off the charts. But think about it from a different perspective: with such strong stats and such a big advantage, they only managed to score two goals in the first half. Doesn't that mean our defensive strategy was actually working?

"In the first half, they burned through nearly 70% of their stamina trying to break us down. Their goal is to conserve energy for their next game against Rugby Golden Fleece in three days.

"So in the second half, they'll definitely ease up on the intensity."

What the—?!

From this perspective, the Stags' defense had actually held up fairly well.

Yes, their left flank was a glaring weakness, but they had managed to survive Pirate Ship's relentless attacks without letting the scoreline get out of control.

The first half was already over, and the score was 2-0, but just as Carter predicted, Pirate Ship wouldn't press as hard in the second half.

That meant… the Stags actually had a chance!

Every player lifted their heads, staring intently at Carter.

Carter's voice was deep and firm: "For the first ten minutes of the second half, we'll continue our defensive counterattack strategy. I need you to hold the score at 2-0—absolutely do not let them extend their lead. Do you have confidence?"

"YES!" The players shouted in unison.

"Good! If you can survive the first ten minutes, I'll start making substitutions.

"And once the substitutions begin, we'll switch from 4-2-3-1 back to our most familiar 4-4-2 diamond formation—our best system."

"Yes, Coach!"

Despite their response, worry was still written all over their faces.

They were still two goals behind—switching back to 4-4-2 didn't seem like it would change anything.

Unless…

Unless the left flank gets reinforced.

Gu Ran's expression remained calm, but inside, his blood was surging uncontrollably.

The 15-minute halftime break ended.

Both teams returned to the field, ready for battle.

Pirate Ship came out fired up, while the Stags wore grim, determined expressions, ready to fight to the death.

The second half began, with the Stags taking the kickoff.

Just as Carter predicted, Pirate Ship's intensity dropped noticeably.

They had already secured their lead, so there was no need to overexert themselves. More importantly, they wanted to avoid injuries and conserve stamina.

In three days, Pirate Ship would be traveling to face the powerful Rugby Golden Fleece.

If they could secure a draw in that game, they would basically guarantee a spot in the national top 16.

If they won, they would advance to the knockout stage.

So naturally, their main focus was on that match.

The first ten minutes of the second half dragged on, uneventful and dull.

The moment of tactical adjustment was getting closer!

On the Stags' bench, Carter calmly gave the command.

"Go warm up… Pretty Boy."

"Yes, Coach," Pretty Boy responded smoothly.

Gu Ran's heart nearly stopped.

That phrase—"go warm up"—had sent a jolt of pure adrenaline through his veins.

But then—it wasn't for him…

Carter observed the match quietly, then turned to Gu Ran. "Gu, how's your stamina?"

What the—?!

It's happening.

IT'S HAPPENING!

Gu Ran's chance was finally coming!

Gu Ran forced himself to remain composed. "Coach, I promise, my stamina is perfectly fine."

With 58 points in stamina, he couldn't last a full match, but he could definitely give his all for 35 minutes.

Carter smirked slightly, his tone mocking. "People tend to overestimate themselves."

Gu Ran responded instantly, his voice firm. "I'm not overestimating myself, Coach! I can do this! Let me play!"

Carter glanced at Gu Ran's determined expression and let out a soft chuckle.

"You really want to go out there? You do realize you've only been on this team for three days? You haven't even properly trained with the squad yet. If I send you in now… I'd have to be insane to do that."

Gu Ran didn't back down. "Coach! Give me this chance! I'll destroy those arrogant bastards for you! Please, believe in me!"

For a brief second, Carter's tight lips curled into a smile—a rare one. But it was gone in an instant.

"Tell me—did you do anything you shouldn't have last night?"

"No!" Gu Ran immediately answered. "Absolutely not!"

Carter shrugged. "Then what are you waiting for? Go warm up."

Gu Ran froze.

"Coach… YES!"

FINALLY! FINALLY!

Gu Ran shot to his feet, pulling down his pants—

—to change into his No.3 shorts.

He began warming up on the sideline.

He was finally about to make his national tournament debut!

Even though he had 12 years of advanced football knowledge, and even though he had mentally prepared to be subbed in, now that the moment had arrived—

he couldn't contain his excitement!

I need to play well.

I need to prove to Coach that he made the right choice!

I need to—

Mid-stretch, Gu Ran suddenly froze.

Wait.

Did I just get PUA'd by that old bastard…?

Damn it—I let my guard down!

I'm not some hot-blooded anime protagonist—I just want to play football! Coach, you didn't need to manipulate me!

Gu Ran let out a helpless chuckle and continued his warm-up.

Carter watched him, murmuring just loud enough for himself to hear—

"Using a Chinese kid who's only been on the team for three days as my secret weapon… I must be insane. Hehehe."

Seeing the Stags' substitutes warming up, the Pirate Ship players started mocking them.

"Look at that—these stinking fish-sellers are making substitutions!"

"Haha, as if changing players will help them now!"

"Wait… am I seeing things? Are they actually bringing on an Asian?"

"Captain Albert says that kid's Chinese. Supposedly, he can fight seven guys at once."

"No way! The country bumpkins are so desperate that they're turning to Kung Fu now?"

"HAHAHAHA!"

BEEP—

With a break in play, the Stags made their substitutions.

No.11 Pretty Boy replaced the exhausted Bohr.

No.3 Gu Ran replaced the gasping-for-air Temp.

The formation shifted—back to 4-4-2.

Most importantly—the left flank was now in Gu Ran's hands.

As Gu Ran jogged onto the field in his gold-trimmed Messi boots, the Manchester crowd erupted into a storm of jeers.

Discriminatory gestures and insults poured in nonstop.

Gu Ran grinned coldly, cupped a hand to his ear, and mockingly gestured for them to be louder.

The Manchester students lost their minds, screaming even more insults.

Bread hurried over. "Gu, ignore those bastards—just focus on defending the left side."

Gu Ran smirked, his eyes turning ice-cold.

"Don't worry.

They'll pay for this."

BEEP!

With