At the end of September, the first season officially kicked off. The eight classes in the second year of high school were randomly divided into two groups through drawing lots, similar to the preliminary stage of the World Cup, and a group round robin tournament was held. The top two teams in each group will advance to the knockout stage next year. In the three group stage matches, our opponents are Class 4, Class 5, and Class 6; The other group consists of Class 1, Class 3, Class 7, and Class 8. Both sides have no absolute advantage, and each class is intensively training and developing tactics, making the campus atmosphere refreshed throughout the semester.
Holding a decent 'football season' at Luzhen Middle School is not easy, and its value lies in its scarcity - even if not everyone is passionate about football, everyone expects their class to go further. During the group stage, there was ample preparation time, and at this point, I finally deeply understood the principal's foresight. For him, the outcome of the competition was not the key, but the atmosphere created was the key.
Since the beginning of the season, victory has been crucial for us, despite the limited number of matches, which has made us cherish every game even more.
In the first match against Class 4, our formation still needs to be adjusted, and so does our opponent; Our forward created several good opportunities and ultimately scored a goal. However, before we could fully immerse ourselves in the joy of scoring, the opponent quickly advanced from the center circle to our penalty area; Fortunately, the opponent's regular shot did not pose a threat to me. I caught the ball steadily and observed Mao Fei's position in the front court, making a long pass to his feet. He then launched a brilliant counterattack with speed - this is our most proficient offensive strategy.
The first game was won 4-0, followed by the next two games being 5-0 and 6-0 respectively. These days are unforgettable. At first, it may not have attracted much attention, but by the end of the semester, the whole school's attention was focused on Class 2, Grade 2, becoming the only team in the entire grade and even the whole school to maintain a clean sheet. This achievement, which I have longed for countless times in my dreams, has finally become a reality.
However, subsequent competitions may be even more challenging. Due to intense competition on the field, three players in the starting lineup received two yellow cards and were suspended. Zheng Hai also suffered an ankle injury during the game. Nevertheless, I can still accept that with a speed forward like Mao Fei, we can fully adopt a defensive counterattack strategy in the upcoming games, as long as the defense line can be stable.
Fortunately, we did not play against Class 1 too early. Although their goalkeeper was not top-notch, the forward line led by Lu Haixiang was exceptionally outstanding, as evidenced by their performance in the sports meeting. In their three group stage matches, the scores were 8-4, 7-2, and 10-5 respectively. Despite conceding goals in each game, they also achieved "slaughter" in each game.
The semi-finals will be held in the next semester, and our opponent is another group, Class 27 of Grade 2, who ranks second. I think there shouldn't be too many problems, even though their front line is equally strong. Even if I can't achieve a clean sheet, I have full confidence in winning.