Chapter Sixteen: Submission

  "Volvio, don't forget what I told you before, Chuko is an excellent goalkeeper."

  Facing Peia and Pagano's confusion, Kolso smiled and explained. Then he added another sentence.

  "As a goalkeeper, he is better than Buffon!"

  With Kolsch's understanding of Chiang, he pounced on Draniero two to three balls, hoping they were still relatively large. In any case, he would win this contest with Baldy.

  However, when it comes to Koulorso's statement, Pei Ya shows a clear expression of disbelief. Balde is his beloved general, and he knows best what kind of strength he has. Although Balde still has a gap with the requirements of the first-line team, among all the clubs in Italy, there are only a few people who are better than him at the same age.

  "In terms of ability, 18-year-old Baldi can already compete for a starting position in Serie B. The main goalkeeper of the Chinese national team is probably not much better than that, let alone Chu Jiang, who has never been selected for the national team? Mr. Corsi must be exaggerating!"

  Compared with Peia's distrust, Pagano was half-believing and half-doubting.

  "Mr. Corsi may have exaggerated a bit, but if that Chinese youngster can hold his own against Balotelli, then he's quite a good prospect too. Inter Milan has already used up this year's non-EU quota on the Brazilian Coutinho, so it seems we won't be able to sign him directly... In that case, do we have an opportunity... Not in a hurry, let me take another look..."

  Three people in the stands each had their own thoughts, while on the field, Drogba had already brushed past Baldi, who was walking out of the door.

  "Francisco, get your PyStation ready!" Draenero said with a relaxed expression, looking very confident.

  "Hmph!" Baldy ignored him.

  Standing in front of the ball, Drogba gently stepped on the turf and sized up Chu Jiang standing at the door.

  "Beware, I won't show any mercy!" Dragneel shouted with a grin.

  Chu Jiang stood quietly in the center of the goal, slightly bowing his waist, staring at the football. To Drazner's shout, he didn't understand, but still raised a palm as a response.

  30 meters is a bit far for young players. However, it's not a big problem for Dragnea with his strong footwork.

  Run-up, swing leg.

  "Boom!"

  The football flew out quickly.

  Chu Jiang swiftly moved three steps to the right and jumped up, hugging the ball in his arms. In his eyes, this shot had speed but lacked a bit of angle, not too difficult!

  The first shot, didn't go in!

  For such a result, Durrant is not unexpected, the smile on his face remains unchanged. Just on the court, his feet are still a bit stiff, and the low quality of free throws is also within his expectation.

  "Here comes the second ball!"

  Doraneiro, activate again! Accelerate, curve and shoot for the moon!

  "Boom!"

  This time, the football emitted a louder sound than before, and it flew rapidly like an arrow off the string, heading straight for the top right corner of the goal.

  "Good ball!"

  The boys watching the game let out a shout of surprise.

  The ball had just been kicked out, Chu Jiang's pupils contracted slightly, and a strong premonition forced him to move quickly to the left.

  Sidestepping, pushing off the ground, and jumping! Chu Jiang sprang into the air, his body fully extended, his left hand clenched into a fist.

  "Boom!"

  Just as the football was about to fly over the goal frame, an iron fist flew in like a flying general and slammed heavily onto the football.

  Wow!

  In a burst of cheers, the football flew out in an arc, over the crossbar and out of bounds.

  The second ball, still didn't go in!

  "What a beautiful shot! Perfect save!"

  Pagano couldn't help but exclaim loudly.

  This shot, this tackle, fully demonstrated the charm of football, conquered Paganini who had been engaged in football for many years, and left Peia stunned.

  "He really is a goalkeeper!"

  Baldi was equally stunned.

  "The first ball I can catch, but this second ball is a bit difficult!" Baldy couldn't help but look at Chu Jiang with newfound respect.

  At first, he didn't think much of this strange Chinese boy. Even after being scored five goals by Chu Jiang, Baldi's view did not change much. After all, in a formal match, defensive positioning can still be used to block the ball, and defense relies on overall strength rather than individual combat.

  Moreover, guarding the safety of the goal is the true responsibility of a goalkeeper. If the goalkeeper's ability is not up to par, no matter how good they are at saving penalty kicks, it will be of no use. In this world, there is no team that would trust a goalkeeper with poor defensive skills.

  However, Chu Jiang's second shot seemed to clearly remind Baldy, "Defending, I'm still better than you!"

  Seeing the second ball being blocked out, Drogba's smile solidified, and his always relaxed expression also became somewhat solemn.

  "This person is not simple!"

  He glanced silently at Baldy.

  "If he stays on the team, Francisco might have to give up his starting position." Draener thought silently.

  Professional football is so cruel, the winner advances, the loser is eliminated, and even leaves the team in a sorry state.

  "No way, I must help my brother. This ball, I absolutely have to score!"

  Drogba rearranged the football and rekindled his strong fighting spirit.

  Quickly adjusting his mentality and state, Draenero took off running again.

  "Boom!"

  The instep of his foot kicked hard on the ball, and the football suddenly took off from the ground, rubbing against the grass and rushing away.

  Stick to the earth!

  This ball is very difficult to save. Once a high-quality shot is kicked out, it is much more difficult to save than a header, and the requirement for the goalkeeper is extremely high!

  Everyone held their breath and stared intently at the football.

  Along the trajectory of the football, it was the lower left corner of the goal, with an angle tightly attached to the goal post.

  "This ball is going in!" The same thought flashed through everyone's mind.

  At this moment, a figure flashed out from the goal line like a cheetah!

  Bang!

  The football was heavily hit by an iron fist onto the goalpost and bounced out.

  The ball didn't go in!

  In the midst of everyone's astonished gaze, that figure stood up, and it was indeed Chu Jiang! It was this slightly frail-looking young man who, with a godly aura, had single-handedly killed off the ball that was about to advance inevitably!

  This rescue is like a withered tree being broken off, shattering all previous doubts! From now on, who dares to underestimate this Chinese youth?

  "This child has a great future ahead of him!"

  The thoughts of the three people by the field were surprisingly consistent this time.

  Although it was not a regular match, and although he had been prepared for the shot, facing such a tricky angle and such a fast ball, being able to react so quickly and correctly shows that as a goalkeeper, Chu Jiang's reaction speed and ability to judge the trajectory of the ball are both exceptional, and rare among his peers at this age.

  This is the gift of being a goalkeeper!

  "He's stronger than me!" Baldy thought, convinced. Speaking without reserve was one of Baldy's shortcomings, but also one of his strong points. Being open-minded and straightforward, that was his personality. He would never be jealous of others being stronger than him; when faced with someone stronger, he would acknowledge it at once.

  He patted the grass clippings off his jersey, Chu Jiang furrowed his brow and rubbed his shoulder. The ball had come too fast just now, Chu Jiang had completely reacted subconsciously. His 19-year-old foresight and 18-year-old reaction allowed him to make the correct choice in the first instant. However, his physical fitness was still slightly inferior, so after this save, his shoulder had a slight strain.

  "There are still many things I need to improve on." Chu Jiang thought silently. In his home country, he had never felt that he had any shortcomings, but on the first day of arriving in Apiano, he already felt a lack in his physical abilities.

  At 178 cm tall and weighing 66 kg, he is considered relatively sturdy in his home country. However, compared to the similarly 18-year-old Baldy, Chu Jiang looks like a skinny guy.

  Francisco Baldi, height 187cm, weight 84kg!

  For the third ball's fumble, Dragic was very depressed, extremely depressed.

  This shot basically played his best level. Such a ball didn't go in, and it was undoubtedly a heavy blow to his confidence.

  With a gloomy face, Dlanero put down the fourth ball, feeling somewhat anxious in his heart.

  He's only 17 years old, after all. His early fame has given him a lot, but it can't make him as seasoned as an old veteran. Chu Jiang's outstanding performance put considerable pressure on Delaneiro, and he couldn't relieve this pressure very well.

  Finally, his fluctuating mentality interfered with his performance. The fourth ball flew high and out of the goal.

  Chu Jiang VS Delanie, 4:0!

  This result was beyond everyone's expectation. Even Korsou didn't think that Chu Jiang would shut out Delaneiro.

  Watching the high-flying football, Drogba covered his head in frustration.

  "Calm down!"

  An English sentence echoed in Delaneiro's ears, and he raised his head, looking at Chu Jiang with astonishment.

  That sentence was shouted out by Chu Jiang!

  Chu Jiang pointed to his heart with his hand, then pressed down gently with both hands, looking at Delaneiro with sincere eyes.

  "He signaled me to calm down. Indeed, I was a bit out of control just now. But surprisingly, it was him who reminded me..." Dranero's eyes couldn't help but feel a little strange. Chu Jiang's move made him extremely surprised.

  Chu Jiang picked up a football from the side of the court and kicked it hard to Dorneiro's front, bowing down and applauding vigorously, indicating that Dorneiro should come again. Originally, he was going to throw the ball with his hand, but considering his own tragic hand-throwing attribute, he simply used his foot to kick it over.

  He easily stopped the ball, Drogba placed the ball on the penalty spot, took a deep breath, and looked at Chu Jiang with an unusual gaze. Chu Jiang was still calm and composed, seriously staring at the football, ready to make a save at any moment.

  "Should I let up or not? It's hard because I need to let up but can't make it too obvious." Chu Jiang was somewhat torn.

  If he knew that Chu Jiang's calm face was thinking this way, Dlaneyro might feel even more depressed...

  Anyway, Dorian is after all a young and promising talent. After realizing his own problems, he quickly adjusted his mentality. He stopped looking at the ball and stopped looking at Chu Jiang. Dorian seriously adjusted his breathing, putting aside issues like whether or not to pass the ball, keeping his mind clear and calm.

  "It feels great!"

  Draenero's light start, his footsteps seemed to contain some kind of magical rhythm.

  "Boom!"

  Chu Jiang suddenly felt his heart rate tighten, and without thinking, he quickly sprinted to the right, using force to jump up and do a flip. At this moment, the idea of releasing water was unknowingly thrown to the back of his mind.

  "What a mess!"

  The moment he stretched out his right arm, Chu Jiang felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. The hidden injury that was buried in his body when he saved the third ball suddenly appeared at this moment. This kind of pain is not very big and will not affect general movements, but for high-difficulty saves, it will have some restraint.

  Bang!

  The football smashed into the intersection of the crossbeam and the vertical post and bounced into the net!

  The ball is finally in! A world wave!

  4：1。

  Although he didn't shut out his opponents, Chu Jiang's outstanding performance and good sportsmanship have already won over Baldy, won over Drajic, and won over everyone present!

  No matter where it is, people with strength can win the recognition of others. From this moment on, Chu Jiang gained the respect of everyone in the Apiano Youth Training Camp.

  ————

  There will be two updates tomorrow morning and a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration at night.