The Retreat of the World Guard

The second half of the game is about to begin.

When Wu Bin stepped back onto the court, you could feel that all the players from Nantong Zhiyun were particularly relaxed.

It's that kind of ease you feel when facing an opponent who poses no threat to you.

Fan Zhiqiang stood on the forward line, hands on his hips, looking at Wu Bin from afar with a disdainful smile on his lips. He teased his teammates, "Hey, isn't this the kid I've easily beaten countless times? He actually dares to come on the field again. Looks like he hasn't had enough of being humiliated."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was just loud enough for Wu Bin to hear.

Wu Bin ignored it, and slowly walked to the midfield defensive midfield position. His gaze calmly swept across the entire field, his fingertips slightly curled, and his mind rapidly replayed every defensive technique that Gullit had taught him in the virtual space.

The whistle blew, and the second half of the game officially began.

Nantong Zhiyun continued their attacking rhythm from the first half, and as soon as the ball was kicked off, it was quickly passed to Fan Zhiqiang.

Without the slightest hesitation, he charged down the right flank with the ball, heading straight for Wu Bin's defensive area. He used a series of changes of direction and feints, just like in the first half, clearly still not taking this "tough guy" seriously.

All eyes were on the two of them.

Fujian Tianxin was naturally afraid that Wu Bin would be easily defeated again;

Nantong Zhiyun, on the other hand, had a mocking expression on his face, waiting to see a one-sided crushing defeat.

This time, however, Wu Bin did not blindly rush forward and passively follow like he did in the first half, nor did he simply rely on his physical strength to hold his own.

Following the defensive logic taught by Gullit, he stood sideways in Fan Zhiqiang's path, keeping his center of gravity extremely low, his eyes fixed on Fan Zhiqiang's shoulders and feet, accurately predicting his breakthrough direction.

Fan Zhiqiang quickly changed direction, but he remained motionless, only slightly adjusting his footwork, always blocking the core route of Fan Zhiqiang's inside cut;

Fan Zhiqiang made a feint to shift his weight, but he remained calm and unmoved, driving Fan Zhiqiang step by step toward the blind spot on the sideline, giving his opponent no chance to turn around and move forward.

"What's going on?" Fan Zhiqiang's expression changed slightly, and a strange sense of astonishment rose in his heart.

The Wu Bin before me seemed to have suddenly become enlightened, no longer the clumsy and flustered naive young man.

His positioning was extremely tricky, and his defense was as solid as a wall. Every move he made was precisely predicted. No matter how I changed direction or how I swayed, I could not get rid of his entanglement. Instead, he gradually compressed my space to move and forced me to the vicinity of the sideline.

Fan Zhiqiang was unwilling to give up, so he exerted his strength and slammed his shoulder into Wu Bin, trying to break free of the defense by using physical confrontation.

But Wu Bin was prepared. He exerted his core strength and steadily withstood the impact, his feet remaining motionless. Instead, he used the momentum of Fan Zhiqiang's exertion to slightly turn his body and further block his breakthrough route.

Fan Zhiqiang struggled a few times, but not only did he fail to break free, he also lost his balance and the ball slipped slightly out of his control.

This is the time!

Wu Bin's eyes sharpened, and he decisively kicked out, his fingertips precisely touching the ball with a clean and crisp interception, firmly stealing it away. He then quickly made a short pass to his midfield teammate, launching a counter-attack!

A gasp of surprise erupted from the sidelines!

"Wu Bin! Well done!"

"Beautiful! That interception was brilliant!"

On the bench, Wu Bin's teammates from Fujian Tianxin reacted and shouted his name.

Head coach Zhao Qiang suddenly stood up, his brows relaxing and his disappointment completely disappearing, replaced by unbelievable joy. He clenched his fists tightly and couldn't help but shout in a low voice, "Good!"

The players from Nantong Zhiyun were also taken aback, their eyes filled with doubt as they looked at Wu Bin.

This young man, who was easily beaten twice by Fan Zhiqiang in the first half, was able to intercept the ball from Fan Zhiqiang so cleanly and efficiently, without the slightest recklessness. His defensive movements were steady and precise.

The "victim," Fan Zhiqiang, stood there, his face alternating between pale and flushed, a mixture of embarrassment, astonishment, and a barely perceptible panic spreading from his fingertips throughout his body.

He stared intently at Wu Bin's retreating figure, his previous disdain and mockery completely replaced by seriousness—this kid seemed truly different, a complete contrast to the useless player who could only tough it out in the first half.

"No, I have to use my real skills!" Fan Zhiqiang gritted his teeth.

The game continued, and Nantong Zhiyun, unwilling to give up, launched an even fiercer attack.

Fan Zhiqiang put in all his effort, repeatedly dribbling the ball towards Wu Bin's defensive area, trying to regain his pride, but each time, Wu Bin firmly defended against him.

With precise positioning, he blocked all threatening passing lanes; with decisive interceptions, he thwarted Nantong Zhiyun's attacks time and time again, and even occasionally launched a quick counterattack based on the interception.

These impressive defensive plays restored the Fujian Tianxin players' confidence in Wu Bin.

He is no longer fighting alone!

Wu Bin began loudly reminding his teammates to cover and block, and used his defensive rhythm to drive the entire midfield defense.

The originally loose Tianxin defense line gradually became impenetrable.

In the 62nd minute, Fan Zhiqiang regained possession of the ball.

He tried his best, making three quick changes of direction in a row, trying to shake off Wu Bin by changing his rhythm.

However, Wu Bin maintained a steady stance with sharp eyes. No matter how Wu Bin moved, Wu Bin could accurately predict Wu Bin's next move and firmly block his path of breakthrough.

In desperation, Fan Zhiqiang lost his patience and made a through pass, intending to pass to his teammate who was making a forward run. However, Wu Bin had already anticipated his passing intention, moved a step ahead, and steadily intercepted the ball. He then directly passed it to striker Chen Long in the frontcourt.

After receiving the ball, Chen Long sprinted forward, shaking off Nantong Zhiyun's defense, and fired a shot that found the back of the net!

1:2! Fujian Tianxin pulls back a win!

Cheers resounded throughout the training field!

The Fujian Tianxin players ran towards Chen Long, who had scored the goal, to celebrate.

Although it was just a warm-up match, it was really exciting to score against Nantong Zhiyun, a strong team in China League Two!

Then, his teammates rushed to Wu Bin and hugged him tightly. All the previous misunderstandings and doubts vanished at that moment.

"Wu Bin, you're amazing!"

"That interception was crucial! Thank you so much!"

Wu Bin smiled, patted his teammate on the shoulder, and said calmly, "Stay calm, defend well, we still have a chance to score!"

Head coach Zhao Qiang smiled, slapped his tactical board, and shouted, "Well done! Wu Bin! Keep it up!"

His gaze toward Wu Bin was full of admiration and satisfaction.

This little guy is not only the team's defensive anchor, but he can also direct his teammates to form a zone defense. He can become the core of the offensive and defensive transition!

At this age, and in a team of this caliber, they are extremely rare.

Fan Zhiqiang's face darkened completely, his eyes filled with rage and resentment, his hands clenched into fists.

He was repeatedly blocked by Wu Bin, and his previous contempt had long since turned into anger and embarrassment.

He stared intently at Wu Bin, secretly vowing to break through his defense, score another goal, and regain his pride.

What? You're saying they're still leading by one goal?

Given the disparity in strength between the two teams, winning by only one goal is quite embarrassing.

Therefore, Nantong Zhiyun will not play a defensive counter-attacking style like in an official match.

In the 78th minute, Nantong Zhiyun launched another fierce attack, with the entire team pressing forward.

Fan Zhiqiang received a cross from his teammate on the wing and dribbled straight into the penalty area. This time, he gave it his all, moving at top speed and even using physical contact to try and force his way through Wu Bin's defense.

But Wu Bin remained calm. He did not rush in blindly, nor was he disrupted by Fan Zhiqiang's rage.

He simply adjusted his position slightly, always standing between Fan Zhiqiang and the penalty area, using his body to suppress him while anticipating his shooting angle, and reminding his teammates to drop back and cover.

Fan Zhiqiang wanted to cut inside, but Wu Bin held him firmly; he wanted to pass, but his teammates blocked his path; he wanted to shoot, but his angle was already blocked, leaving him in a dilemma.

In his panic, Fan Zhiqiang lost his composure and took a hasty shot, but the ball went wide of the goal and out of bounds.

"Great!" Zhao Qiang, standing on the sidelines, clapped again.

Even Wei Xin, the head coach of Nantong Zhiyun, nodded slightly.

Although Wu Bin didn't directly intercept the ball, his steady positioning and command forced Fan Zhiqiang to take an absurd shot, thus defusing the attack.

As professional coaches, they certainly knew that Wu Bin's "interception" was quite technically sophisticated.

Virgil van Dijk, the future world's best defender, actually does this quite often.

Some people laugh at him, saying, "As long as he keeps retreating, he won't get past you," but that really underestimates him.

What is the biggest problem for an average guard?

One lunge, one leg out, one loss of balance, and I was beaten, then it was a one-on-one situation, and I lost the ball.

Van Dijk neither retreats nor lunges, making it difficult for opponents to get past him with feints or changes in rhythm.

At the same time, Van Dijk will also direct his teammates to help defend other opposing players, making it difficult for the player with the ball to make the right choice in a short period of time.

It can be said that Van Dijk's strategy of fighting and retreating was not cowardice, but rather a form of control.

He doesn't make mistakes proactively; he waits for his opponents to make mistakes.

Then, complete the defense in the calmest and safest way.

This defensive strategy was clearly used by his fellow Dutchman Ruud Gullit many years ago, and now he has taught it to Wu Bin!

On the field at this moment.

Fan Zhiqiang roared and slammed his fist on the grass, his face full of despair and resentment.

He was completely dumbfounded. He couldn't understand how a former Chinese Super League striker like himself could be so easily outmaneuvered by a young defensive midfielder from a China League Two team.

So far in the second half, he hasn't even had a single decent shot on goal!

With their star striker underperforming, the players of Nantong Zhiyun gradually lost their fighting spirit, their faces filled with fatigue and frustration.

They originally thought they could win this game easily, but to their surprise, Wu Bin in the second half was like a different person. With precise defense and calm anticipation, he completely shut down their offense.

On the other hand, under Wu Bin's leadership, the Fujian Tianxin players are getting more and more motivated, their defense is becoming more and more stable, and their counterattacks are becoming more and more threatening.

In the 88th minute, Wu Bin intercepted Fan Zhiqiang's pass again and then passed it directly to Zhang Lei next to him.

Zhang Lei launched a counter-attack with a precise long pass, and striker Chen Long made a run forward and unleashed a powerful shot that found the back of the net once again!

2-2! Fujian Tianxin has tied the score!

The entire venue erupted in cheers.

Well, it didn't really get a big buzz, since there weren't many viewers.

But Zhao Qiang was still excitedly waving his arms and shouting, "Good! Well done!"

Fan Zhiqiang slumped on the grass, his eyes vacant, his body completely drained, no longer displaying his previous arrogance and haughtiness.

He watched Wu Bin rush towards his teammates to celebrate, and all he felt was a deep sense of defeat—he had lost, lost to a boy he had once ridiculed.

Soon, the referee blew his whistle, and the match ended!

Fujian Tianxin snatched a last-minute equalizer against their opponent!

Although no winner was ultimately decided, it was clear that Nantong Zhiyun had lost the match.

Fujian Tianxin, on the other hand, seemed to have won a final match.

Wu Bin's teammates rushed towards him, surrounding him and calling his name repeatedly.

Zhang Lei also walked over, his previous defiance gone, and he simply said in a low voice, "You really are strong."

Head coach Zhao Qiang didn't say anything more, but gently patted Wu Bin on the shoulder to show his approval.

Wu Bin was naturally very happy.

He was well aware that today's match had laid a solid foundation for his professional football career.

There's absolutely no problem with him securing a starting position at Fujian Tianxin!

soon.

Nantong Zhiyun's head coach Wei Xin also came over.

He put his arm around Zhao Qiang's shoulder and pulled him aside: "Dude, what's your number 18's name?"

Zhao Qiang looked wary: "Why are you asking this?"

Wei Xin chuckled: "I think with his skill level, playing in the third division is a waste of his talent. You can see that he'd have no problem playing in the second division, right? How about this, you let me have him..."

"Damn, I knew you were after him." Zhao Qiang waved his hand and shoved Wei Xin.

Don't even think about it!