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Chapter 88 Challenge
October [-], [-], BJ University Stadium.

After successfully hosting the National Soccer School Echelon Invitational Tournament last year, this competition has gradually attracted the attention of domestic fans and media. The most obvious thing is that more sports media have started to report on this competition. For today’s 89-year-old echelon final match, reporters from more than ten media outlets across the country were filming on the spot.

Although the peers are enemies, and these influential media are also in a competitive relationship, but in this kind of competition, all the reporters seem very relaxed, chatting with their familiar peers before the start of the game.

After chatting for a few words, a younger reporter suddenly asked the old reporter beside him: "Is that tall guy from the Yunjia echelon also a player? He's a bit taller than other players—the 89-year-old echelon is so tall at the age of 13?"

The old reporter glanced at him and said casually: "You kid has not prepared well. That tall guy is Long Bisheng from Yunjia Tianyu's 89-year-old echelon. He just turned 13 years old, and his height is 1.8 meters 1.8. He is the tallest player in this age group in the country. He was [-] meters tall last year."

"It's so tall, why don't you play basketball." The little reporter who is only 1.7 meters tall said a little angrily.

"What is that? There are many tall young players in this age group. Dalian also has a center forward with a height of 1.8 meters. Last year, he performed better than him. Now the physical fitness of young people is getting better and better." The old reporter said casually.

"Damn, there's a tall guy in Hubei too." The little reporter suddenly pointed to the Hubei Ejinlong Football School and shouted.

"What are you making such a fuss about? Are there any young players in Hubei who are taller than Long Bisheng?" The old reporter seemed very dissatisfied with the young reporter's fuss, but when he turned his head and glanced at the Ejinlong Football School in Hubei, he couldn't help opening his mouth: "That person...is Cai Sheng! That's right, Cai Sheng, the former main center of the Chinese national team! He seems to be the head coach of the Wuhan Yazhi reserve team, how did he come here?"

"Cai Sheng? The center of the Xu Genbao National Olympic Team, the Cai Sheng who was known as the 'Asia's No. 31 high center' at the time?" The little reporter looked carefully, and finally confirmed: "Yes, he is still so thin. But he seems to be only [-] years old. Has he retired?"

"He retired last year. After all, he is too tall, and his physical fitness has always been poor. His condition has declined relatively quickly, and he can no longer play the main force in Wuhan. However, he has been training coaches for the past few years. Now he is the head coach of Wuhan Yazhi Reserve Team. There is no reason to come here." The old reporter thought hard.

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Ding Yu and the coach of the 89-year-old echelon of Wuhan Ejinlong Football School immediately hugged when they met. Ding Yu and this coach named Pan Kai had worked together for a while and were familiar with each other. After they parted, Ding Yu asked with a smile: "Why is Cai Daguo here today? Does he also like to watch this kind of game?"

Pan Kai turned his head and glanced at Cai Sheng who was standing not far away, and then said softly, "He's here for a personal matter this time... The defender Cai Guoqing in our team is his nephew."

Ding Yu nodded suddenly. There are no reserve team games of the clubs in October, which is why he can come to BJ. Cai Sheng is also the head coach of a reserve team. It is not a big problem to pay attention to his nephew during this break.

After walking over to chat with Cai Sheng for a few words, Ding Yu walked back among his players and began to arrange tactics.

"Our tactics are still the old way, attacking from the midfield, performing their own duties, and showing their own characteristics, that's enough." Ding Yu said to all the players: "Today's lineup is still [-], goalkeeper Wu Bufan, defender Yang Yong, Li Jie, Liu Jun, Zhao Yi, midfielder Hu Gandang, Zhou Zhou, Zhang Yi, Dai Guangming, forward Zhong Tao and Long Bisheng. I think you are very clear about what you should do on the field. All I ask of you is to stay focused on the pitch and give the best of yourself!"

"Understood!" The players answered in unison, and Ding Yu waved his hand: "Let's go, warm up!"

During the warm-up, while pressing his legs, he whispered to Long Bisheng next to him: "Aaron, you have to work hard. In these three group matches, the players on the field performed very well, but your performance is poor...You know, our performance now may be directly linked to whether we can get a professional contract. We can't be discouraged at this time."

Long Bisheng was deeply touched, and the surroundings usually seemed cynical, but he had nothing to say to his friends, he nodded: "I know, I will play the first game today, I must behave well."

In the three games of the group stage, Long Bisheng got a chance to play in each game. One of them started two games as a substitute. The first game was replaced after more than 70 minutes.

His performance in the three group matches this year was a bit worse than last year. After all, he was still very eye-catching in the last game of the group match last year. The main reason for this situation is that Ding Yu did not specify who is the core in this year's game. He emphasized on the whole, and his position is not a good tactical center. Naturally, his performance was not too conspicuous.

More importantly, before the start of this game, Ding Yu talked to Long Bisheng and asked him not to show his improved footwork in the game. In simpler terms, that is to let Long Bisheng try his best to fight for the header in the game, and reduce the chance of taking the ball with his feet. Just like last year, he became a standard top-heavy high center forward!

While ordering Long Bisheng to do this, he also told other players not to look for Long Bisheng on the ground during the game, but to concentrate the ball on Long Bisheng's head when playing high-altitude balls!

Faced with Ding Yu's somewhat unreasonable request, Long Bisheng obeyed unconditionally, but at this time, his lack of adaptability was completely exposed - which directly caused his performance to be worse than last year. In the game, he had to be careful not to use his feet at all times, which distracted him and prevented him from fully devoting himself to the game.

Fortunately, in the three games, Long Bisheng has gradually adapted to this kind of treatment and playing style. In addition, the team is not centered on him, so he has no pressure to adapt, but in the eyes of others, it will naturally feel that this big man has not improved at all compared with last year-although his jumping ability and header ability have improved a lot compared to last year.

"I have already adapted to this kind of game. Anyway, after getting the ball under my feet, I just need to pass the ball out as soon as possible and compete for the high ball." Long Bisheng smiled and said to the surroundings: "You should feed me some good shots from the wing. I was not very lucky in the last game. The header almost went in."

"Aaron, you haven't scored a goal in an official game, have you? You must think of a good way to celebrate. If you score a goal, celebrate it!" Li Jie said beside him.

"Don't distract him, it's serious to play well." Hu Gandang glanced at Li Jie, and then said to Long Bisheng: "Remember, don't think about other things when you are on the court, just play well!"

Feeling the sincere encouragement from these friends in the dormitory, Long Bisheng was moved in his heart, but he was born not good at expressing his feelings with words, so he just nodded viciously and vigorously.

At this moment, the on-duty referee signaled to the coaches of the two teams that the game was about to start, and the warm-up players ran onto the court one after another, and Long Bisheng was of course among them.

According to the usual practice, before the start of the game, players from both sides should shake hands one by one to express their friendship. This is also a practice in this kind of youth game. Since the two clubs have always had a good relationship, the atmosphere was very harmonious during the handshake. For example, Dai Guangming and the others kept saying hello to their familiar friends.

But of course there are exceptions. There is a tall guy in the Hubei team—probably about the same height as Li Jie—who has been looking at Long Bisheng very unfriendlyly. When Long Bisheng shook hands with him, he said harshly: "Your name is Long Bisheng, right? My name is Cai Guoqing—in this game, don't try to win a header over my head!"

Long Bisheng was stunned for a moment, then nodded, let go of his hand with an "oh", and went to shake hands with others.

And the players of Yunjiatianyu next to them couldn't help laughing—it's too funny that such a rough-looking guy with the same name as Cai Guoqing, the famous boy with a white face.

But Dai Guangming and his surroundings looked at Cai Guoqing a little strangely, Wu Bufan couldn't help but wanted to say something, and finally endured it.

"Damn, what's the matter with that guy, God of Songs? Is there any festival between him and Aaron? Why are you so rude?" After shaking hands and walking towards him halfway, the surroundings couldn't help asking Dai Guangming, and Wu Bufan next to him was also dissatisfied.

"The God of Songs is not a person who likes to bully people, and he usually has a good temper." Dai Guangming thought for a while: "Maybe there is some reason for it... But the God of Songs is good at defending high center forwards. Don't forget who his uncle is... If Aaron can defeat him, it means that Aaron's level is already quite high!"

"I hope he can win." The surroundings were uncharacteristically not very optimistic.

PS: Don't blame me for being late.

After today, even if I'm about to step into the threshold of 30 years old, I don't know why, but I don't feel any emotion in my heart, hehe...

(End of this chapter)