With the Black Spider Team leading by three goals to nil, their fans danced jubilantly throughout the stadium.
Their voices rose higher and higher, swelling with pride and arrogance.
Every ti the Chen Clan gained possession of the ball, the jeers began imdiately.
The boos were deafening. Insults and crude remarks were hurled without restraint.
Under the relentless intimidation and ridicule from the Black Spider supporters, many Chen Clan fans could no longer endure the humiliation.
So quietly left the stadium; their heads lowered in sha. A few young won broke down in tears, overwheld by the taunts directed at them.
They had never before been publicly mocked or called such vile nas.
Several n attempted to defend the won, fists clenched in anger, but the stadium staff quickly intervened and issued stern warnings.
Any further disruption, they declared, would result in expulsion.
The atmosphere inside the arena beca both heavy and electrifying.
The remaining Chen Clan supporters wore grim expressions, their faces pale with frustration.
In contrast, the Black Spider fans laughed and celebrated openly, confident in their team’s dominance.
To them, the victory was already secured.
After today’s match, their team would reclaim its pride.
No one would dare look down on them again.
Even the formidable Blood River Team would be forced to show them proper respect.
Inside the various VIP chambers, the sentints were much the sa. Many of the nobles and gang leaders believed the match was effectively over.
How could the struggling Chen Clan possibly mount a coback?
It was already deep into the second half, and ti was steadily slipping away. In another twenty minutes, the final whistle would sound.
There was simply no way the Chen Clan could overturn a three-goal deficit.
Yet, despite their confidence in the outco, none of them prepared to leave early. They all intended to watch the match to its conclusion.
Most especially the three powerful gangs and the clans that had recently joined the football movent, they observed every second with careful attention.
They studied the Chen Clan’s mistakes ticulously, determined not to embarrass themselves when their own turn ca.
A three-goal humiliation was sothing they could not afford.
Leaders of the Wolf Skull Gang, the Red Serpent Gang, the Mountain Tiger Gang, and the Fang Clan all wore solemn expressions.
Beside each leader, trusted elders recorded the Black Spider Team’s formations and tactical patterns. Notes were taken rapidly, every pass and movent analyzed.
While others were studying the match, the Black Spider Gang leader leaned back in his seat with visible satisfaction.
He lifted a bottle filled with chilled spirit water and took a long sip. The cold liquid slid down his throat, and he exhaled with pleasure.
"The match is already in the bag," he thought smugly. "It’s ti to make so changes."
He narrowed his eyes at the field.
"I can see the players are beginning to tire."
With that, he decided to substitute two fatigued players simultaneously.
On the opposite sideline, the Chen Clan Matriarch was also preparing adjustnts of her own.
Her expression remained stern, but her eyes burned with calculation rather than despair.
When the ball rolled out of play, both sides signaled for substitutions.
Two fresh players entered the field for each team.
The Black Spider leader replaced his defensive midfielder and left winger with a more attacking midfielder and a supporting striker.
The ssage was clear.
He wanted more goals.
He wanted to crush any lingering hope of resistance.
Confidence, perhaps even greed radiated from the decision.
As for the Chen Clan, the Matriarch substituted their striker for another striker, and she replaced their defensive midfielder with an attacking midfielder.
Now the Chen formation included a holding midfielder and an attacking midfielder, strengthening both their midfield control and their offensive options.
To the average spectator, these changes appeared insignificant.
But high above, in the highest VIP chamber, Mo Jian observed with quiet interest.
"What a brilliant decision," he murmured, taking a asured sip of spirit tea.
With twenty minutes remaining, he knew better than anyone that anything could happen. Until the final whistle blew, the ga was never truly over.
And in this second life of his, he longed to witness another impossible coback.
The match resud at a swift pace.
The Black Spider Team quickly regained possession, displaying unwavering confidence. Their morale remained high, bolstered by their chanting supporters.
They pushed forward aggressively, eager to extend their lead and cent their dominance.
But this ti, sothing changed.
A newly substituted Chen midfielder read the play perfectly and intercepted a forward pass cleanly.
It happened in an instant.
The Black Spider players froze in shock.
This was the first ti their passing rhythm had been disrupted so decisively throughout the match.
The Chen attacking midfielder moved with remarkable agility. His footwork was sharp and controlled as he accelerated forward.
From the left flank, a Black Spider defender rushed in, intending either to dispossess him or commit a tactical foul.
But to his astonishnt, the Chen player executed an unfamiliar maneuver.
With a swift motion, he dragged the ball inward with the inside of his foot, then flicked it outward in one seamless action, slipping past the defender’s reach.
The movent was fluid.
Effortless.
Devastating.
The Black Spider defender stumbled and fell, his eyes wide with disbelief.
A collective gasp swept through the stadium.
What was that?
Spectators leaned forward, jaws dropping.
It was the first ti they had witnessed such a refined display of skill. The technique was elegant, almost like a carefully rehearsed dance.
Dribbling past his opponent, the Chen midfielder surged beyond the halfway line.
Ahead of him stood three Black Spider defenders, and one Chen striker sprinting into space.
The Chen striker raised his hand, signaling for the pass.
Without hesitation, the midfielder lofted the ball forward.
It sailed through the air in a graceful arc.
Two Black Spider defenders leaped, attempting to head it clear.
They mistid their jump.
The ball skimd just beyond their reach.
Behind them, the Chen striker tracked its trajectory carefully. At his side, a Black Spider defender matched his pace, both n calculating where it would descend.
The ball dropped several steps ahead.
Whoosh!
Both players exploded forward.
The entire stadium seed to hold its breath.
In the blink of an eye, the Chen striker pulled ahead. Fresh legs and unspent stamina gave him the advantage.
He reached the ball first and brought it under control with his dominant right foot.
Without slowing, he charged toward the penalty area.
As he approached the edge of the eighteen-yard box, the Black Spider goalkeeper rushed off his line, attempting to close the angle.
The crowd roared.
The Chen striker did not panic.
His eyes remained calm.
With a delicate touch, he chipped the ball upward.
Ti appeared to slow.
The ball rose gently, tracing a perfect parabola over the outstretched hands of the stunned goalkeeper.
All eyes followed its descent.
Would it dip under the bar?
Or sail too high?
On the sideline, the Chen Clan Matriarch’s heart pounded violently against her chest.
The ball descended.
It brushed just beneath the crossbar and slipped cleanly into the net.
For a split second, there was silence.
Then...
"GOOOOOOAL!"
"GOOOOOOOAL!"
"IT’S A GOOOOOOOOOOAL!"
The Chen supporters who had remained erupted in disbelief and joy.
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