Carter spun around and was about to charge onto the field to admonish his players when Julian's voice rang out with a firm "You're wrong." This abrupt statement made him pause and furrow his brows, spinning back to face the boy with a snarl. "Asian boy, what did you just say? On this pitch, no one has ever dared to speak to me like that!"
Julian met Carter's ferocious gaze, unflinching. "Coach, I am indeed a left-footed player, but who says a left-footed player can't play as a left back? Let me tell you a little story." He took a deep breath and began to narrate, imitating the iconic tone of a certain Asian football commentator from the 2006 World Cup in Germany. "Penalty! Defender! He has inherited the glorious tradition of Italy! Facchetti, Cabrini, and Maldini are watching over him at this very moment!"
Carter stared at Julian, baffled by the sudden outburst. He thought the Asian boy in front of him had gone mad. After a moment, he pulled out two pounds from his pocket and spoke with a mix of sarcasm and concern. "The coach is not one to hold grudges... Hurry up and go to the hospital to get your brain checked..."
Julian quickly regained his composure and spoke calmly. "I know why you're confused. It's because you're not well-versed in football history. Those three players I mentioned—Facchetti, Cabrini, and Maldini—are all legendary left-backs who played with their right feet. And so is Grosso."
"But a left-footed left-back has some disadvantages in defense. However, a right-footed full-back can fully utilize the width of the field for crosses and can also advance to midfield to pass and assist in defense. This is also one of the tactics that the current Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola, favors." Julian took a deep breath and looked up at Carter, his voice filled with determination. "Coach, I'm not your Orin, and I'm not a left-back. I'm just me, Julian! I may not be able to dribble along the sidelines, but if you give me a chance, I will be stronger than your Orin! I can cut inside!"
Carter's eyes narrowed in surprise. He hadn't expected such a structured argument from a young international student hailing from a country not particularly known for football. What Julian said had indeed hit the mark—the reverse-footed left-back was a tactic that had once been all the rage.
Carter studied Julian for a moment, a hint of amusement playing on his lips. "Boy, do you know something? I've been coaching at Southampton High School for many years, and I've seen countless arrogant kids. But you? You're the most arrogant one of them all—" He paused dramatically.
Julian's heart was racing, but he kept a stoic expression.
"And I like it," Carter added with a smirk. "You remind me of myself when I was your age."
Julian let out a sigh of relief, his calm facade unbroken. "Thank you, coach. Can I join the school team?"
"It's not that simple," Carter said, his expression turning serious. "You've passed the first test of confrontation, but there are still two more tests you must pass: accuracy and speed."
Julian's smile grew broader. "Good coach, I accept your challenge."
"Excellent," Carter bellowed to the players on the field. "Take a break and start setting up for the accuracy test!"
The players responded with enthusiasm, and Rusty Stripe, who had been playing leapfrog, called out, "Coach, can I help?"
"What's wrong with you?" Carter scolded. "Keep playing leapfrog! What a disgrace!"
Rusty Stripe's eyes welled with tears, but he responded obediently, "Yes, coach..."
Julian leaned against the fence, watching his future teammates draw circles on the turf with their bottoms sticking out, feeling a sense of camaraderie building.
The so-called "kicking accuracy" test involves drawing three concentric circles with radii of 0.5 meters, 1 meter, and 1.5 meters on the grass. The test taker is required to kick the ball from distances of 10, 20, and 30 meters away.
At Southampton High School, a distance of 20 meters was utilized for the kick test.
Kicking the football into a 0.5-meter concentric circle is deemed excellent.
Landing the football in a 1-meter concentric circle is considered ordinary.
Reaching the 1.5-meter concentric circle earns a qualification.
Missing the 1.5-meter circle results in failure.
"Damn it, that Asian kid is so arrogant!"
The troublemakers who were drawing the circles gathered and grumbled among themselves.
"Hey, listen up,"
A tall, lanky player with a trendy, scarred haircut spoke in a hushed tone to the other four players:
"The strip is useless, but we can't let this Asian kid strut around here like he owns the place! This is our turf! We've got to teach him a lesson!"
"Michael, what kind of trouble are you guys planning now? Just let it go," urged one of the bad boys.
Michael chuckled and said, "Isn't that Asian kid trying to show off his kick accuracy? Let's shrink those circles a bit, say by twelve to twenty centimeters, and see how well he does!"
"Haha, Michael, if you're talking about the most damaged player on the team, it's got to be you!"
Michael smiled smugly. "Think of all the crap we had to take to get on the school team? We had to deal with the old players' hazing and clean their locker room toilets. We were just ball boys for them during training! Why should this kid waltz in and join just because he passes some test?"
"Okay, okay, let's do it," the others relented.
"But what if the coach finds out?" asked a muscular player with an unexpectedly gentle voice, looking concerned.
"Pussy, as long as you keep your mouth shut, the coach won't know," one of them retorted.
They all winked at each other and proceeded to shrink the three concentric circles by twenty centimeters.
Once the circles were redrawn, Michael and his friends deliberately marked a white line 25 meters away.
This line was actually 20 meters beyond the official 5-meter testing range.
"Coach, we're done!" Michael called out, signaling to Coach Carter.
Coach Carter frowned and squinted his eyes.
Clearly, he noticed the alteration made by Michael and his companions.
However, he chose to remain silent - he saw this as an opportunity to test the Asian kid.
If the Asian kid truly had the audacity to speak so boldly, he had to demonstrate his skills to gain the respect of the others.
Moreover, if the boy could genuinely join the team, the other players would remain skeptical unless he produced results that stunned the group of bullies.
Carter spoke flatly: "Let's begin."
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