Mark Roca was stunned. He did not expect Xia Ruofei to challenge him. His footwork was not bad, but he was not the team's number one free kick taker. His strength was that he was good at defense and had a strong view of the overall situation, so he was competent in the middle and back field. However, he was not good at taking free kicks.
Not to mention, Xia Ruofei's current position made it difficult for even some free kick experts to win.
His teammates saw that Mark Roca was stunned, and they could not help but laugh. Then they started to jeer at Mark Roca, telling him not to be afraid and to fight bravely.
Even the manager, Ruby, said with a smile, "Roca! You are one of the fans' favorite young players. Although Mr. Xia is our boss, you are a professional player. How can you be afraid when facing a challenge from someone who has never played professional football? "
Melundo, who was about the same age as him and had also been trained by RCD Espanyol, cheered Mark Roca on. "Roca, nothing can stop you. Go and kill the boss. You are a hero!"
Mark Roca showed a bitter smile. He had to do it even if he did not want to.
He could only bite the bullet and walk over. The players and coaches naturally gathered around to watch the fun. Zhou Leiyun and Jiang Xiaochen cheered for Xia Ruofei excitedly.
Mark Roca asked a little cautiously, "Mr. Xia, how do you want to compete?"
Xia Ruofei said with a smile, "I'm fine with anything! Why don't we make it simple? Just shoot at a fixed point. Also, put a dummy on the other side of the goal. After all, in a real game, there must be a goalkeeper guarding! "
"No problem!" Mark Roca thought and said, "But … we can't decide the winner with one goal. Let's each kick 10 goals. The team that scores the most goals wins. Is that okay?"
Mark Roca proposed this rule to eliminate the influence of luck as much as possible. If Meng Qi could make a world-class kick, it would be impossible for him to be super lucky with every kick, right?
"Agreed!" Xia Ruofei said with a smile, "Since it's a competition, then let's have some fun. If I lose, I'll invite the entire First Team, including the coaches, team doctors, interpreters, and other staff, to have a big meal at the best restaurant in Barcelona!"
The players, coaches, and staff cheered.
Mark Roca said, "Okay! If I lose, I will also … "
He had originally wanted to treat everyone to a big meal. He was now a star player in the First Team. Although treating the entire team to a big meal would make him feel a little pained, it was not like he could not afford it.
However, Xia Ruofei waved his hand and interrupted him, saying, "If I win by luck, then you just have to promise me that you will have at least one assist in the next round of the league. How about that?"
Mark Roca hesitated for a moment. In the next round, RCD Espanyol would be challenging Valencia in an away game. Valencia was a traditionally strong team in La Liga. Although there was still a gap between them and Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid, they were a frequent participant in European matches and were much stronger than RCD Espanyol.
In addition, RCD Espanyol was playing in an away game. It would not be easy to score a goal under such circumstances.
However, Mark Roca could not back down. He hesitated for a moment before nodding and saying, "No problem! If I can't do it by then, I will also treat the entire team to a big meal. Two meals! "
Xia Ruofei laughed and high-fived Mark Roca. They had reached an agreement.
The staff went to move a dummy and placed it in front of the goal. This way, the shooting angle, which was originally not very big, became even smaller. If one wanted to shoot directly, one had to go around the human wall and the "goalkeeper" at the same time. Moreover, at such a long distance, if the ball's speed was not fast enough, even if it hit the goal range, it was very likely that the goalkeeper would save it in actual combat.
Everyone present was a professional player. Under the watchful eyes of so many people, it was impossible for them to take advantage of the opportunity to use a very low ball speed to increase their accuracy. Otherwise, it would become a joke.
"Who's first?" Xia Ruofei stood in front of the football and said, "Why don't you go first?"
"Okay!" Mark Roca said.
Therefore, Xia Ruofei took a few steps back, while Mark Roca stood in front of the football.
He first picked up the football, then stepped on the turf near the penalty spot. Only then did he squat down and carefully place the football on the penalty spot. After placing it, he felt that it was not good, so he picked it up and adjusted the position.
In the process of placing the ball, Mark Roca adjusted it several times.
However, no one urged him. Now, no one was heckling. Everyone watched quietly.
After Mark Roca set up the ball, he began to retreat step by step. He retreated a long distance — this was normal because the penalty kick was too far away from the goal. If he wanted the football to have enough initial speed, he must have a long run-up distance.
Mark Roca finally stopped. He put his hands on his hips and looked at the goal in the distance. He looked very much like Cristiano Ronaldo. After taking a deep breath, he began to run forward.
Mark Roca's speed was getting faster and faster. When he came to the front of the football, one of his feet was firmly planted in the turf and the other leg was swinging widely. There was only a "bang" and the football was like a cannonball, flying in an arc in the direction of the goal.
This time, Mark Roca was well prepared. After the football was kicked out, it was very good whether it was initial speed or angle.
The football quickly bypassed the human wall and spun in the direction of the goal.
The speed of the ball was very fast. In almost the blink of an eye, the football came to the goal and was about to fly into the goal from the top right corner of the goal.
But everyone heard a "bang" and the football hit the corner of the crossbar and the column hard, and then bounced out.
Everyone could not help but sigh loudly in unison.
Mark Roca's performance was almost perfect, but his luck was a little bad. As a result, the ball did not go in.
He himself was very depressed. He felt that the ball should go in as soon as he kicked it, but it was just a little bit off. It was estimated to be a difference of one or two centimeters. Otherwise, it would be an absolute dead corner.
Mark Roca held his head regretfully and sighed. Then he nodded at Xia Ruofei and said, "Mr. Xia, it's your turn!"
A staff member had already brought another football over. Xia Ruofei smiled and nodded. He casually used his foot to place the football in the position where Mark Roca had just served.
Then, Xia Ruofei looked up at the goal and took three to five steps back. Without any preparation, he directly strode forward and kicked the football in the middle and lower part.
The football flew up with a whoosh and soon exceeded the height of the human wall.
After crossing the human wall, the football was still rising rapidly. Looking at the direction of the movement, it must be an anti-aircraft kick. By the time it came near the goal, it must be high in the sky.
Just as everyone sighed secretly and Mark Roca was secretly happy, the football had reached its highest point. Then, its trajectory seemed to violate the law of a parabola and suddenly fell rapidly.
In the blink of an eye, the football whizzed from the bottom of the crossbar into the goal net.
The training ground was silent for a long time before bursts of applause broke out.
"That's an 'elevator ball!'" An assistant coach could not help but murmur with a look of great astonishment.
Manager Ruby looked at the field and nodded. "Yes, and his footwork is quite accurate!"
Ruby looked at Xia Ruofei with a complicated expression. If Xia Ruofei's kick was not a fluke, then his talent was too frightening. But it just so happened that such a talented person was not a professional player. It was a waste of God's gift!
Xia Ruofei's free kick also shocked Mark Roca. He recovered after a long time and said to Xia Ruofei, "Mr Xia, good footwork!"
Xia Ruofei smiled and said to Jiang Xiaochen, who was next to him, "Xiaochen, tell him it's his turn to kick."
After Mark Roca listened to Jiang Xiaochen's translation, he nodded and picked up a football and walked to the penalty spot.
Xia Ruofei's stunning performance did not discourage him. Instead, it aroused his fighting spirit.
This time, Mark Roca no longer pursued extreme speed and angle. He steadily kicked the ball into the goal.
However, the speed of the ball was much slower than Xia Ruofei's kick, and the arc was very ordinary. If it were in an actual game, the ball was likely to be saved by the goalkeeper.
Mark Roca's face was a little hot. He felt as if he was cheating. Xia Ruofei did not care at all. He clapped at him with a smile on his face, and then walked to the penalty spot again.
Similar to before, Xia Ruofei did not prepare carefully. He just casually placed the ball with his foot, and then after a few steps back, he strode up and kicked again.
With a swish, the football went into the net.
This ball was the same as before. It was extremely fast and had a strange arc. Even the position of the ball that flew into the goal was similar to before.
2 to 1. Xia Ruofei still maintained the lead.
The game continued.
The two players went up to take the free throws in turn. After a while, both of them took nine free throws. Mark Roca also played well under pressure. He kicked a total of six balls. Although the speed and arc of the ball were not satisfactory, considering such a long distance, such a difficult human wall placement, and other factors, the result was quite good.
However, compared with Xia Ruofei's result, the result of six free throws was not worth mentioning. The first nine balls were all sent into the net by Xia Ruofei in the same way and in the same position. It was like a computer copy and paste, with almost no mistakes.
9 to 6. There was no suspense about the result of the game. No matter what the result of the last free throw was, Mark Roca had already lost the game.
However, he did not give up the last free throw just because the game was doomed.
This time, Mark Roca also threw caution to the wind. After letting go of all the psychological burdens, he played beyond his level and kicked the ball into the goal with a beautiful arc.
Among the ten free throws he made, this one was the most beautiful.
After the penalty, Mark Roca could not help but raise his arms and shout, cheering himself on.
Xia Ruofei smiled and clapped at Mark Roca, saying, "Good kick!"
Mark Roca said with a look of shame, "Compared to Mr. Xia's footwork, I'm still a long way off …"
"No, no, no. In my opinion, you're already very good!" Xia Ruofei said.
He was not entirely comforting Mark Roca. After all, the player was still very young. It was very rare for him to be able to play such a beautiful free kick.
Xia Ruofei placed the football on the penalty spot and then began to retreat step by step.
Everyone was even somewhat immune to Xia Ruofei's beautiful elevator ball. Although Xia Ruofei's hit rate was a frightening one hundred percent, and although each kick was a superb interpretation of the art of football, the first nine kicks were almost exactly the same. No matter how beautiful the goal was, if anyone watched it nine times in a row, they would develop aesthetic fatigue.
However, everyone soon discovered that Xia Ruofei had retreated a little far this time.
During the previous free throws, Xia Ruofei had only retreated three to five steps, and then directly ran up and made the free throw in one go.
Now, Xia Ruofei had retreated seven or eight steps, and the distance of his run-up was obviously a lot farther than before.
Xia Ruofei retreated nine steps and looked at the goal again. Only then did he take a deep breath and start to run up with small, quick steps.
Xia Ruofei's speed was getting faster and faster, and his strides were getting bigger and bigger. By the time he rushed behind the football, his speed had already increased, and his right leg had already begun to swing back as he took the last step.
After a large swing of his leg, Xia Ruofei's body tilted slightly, and his right leg was like a whip as it slammed heavily into the middle and lower part of the football.
The football whistled out like a heavy cannon and bypassed the right side of the human wall. After avoiding the human wall, the football drew a very large arc and deviated to the left side of the goal.
However, in the process of flying, the football changed direction again. It drew a large arc and flew past the dummy acting as the goalkeeper, and drilled directly into the upper right corner of the goal.
If one stood in front of the goal, they would be able to see that the football had drawn a very exaggerated S-shaped arc and finally drilled into the goal.
If it had been a real game, the goalkeeper's center of gravity would have been swayed. There would only be one result, and that was to watch the football enter the net.
After the free throw, the entire stadium was silent. Even Wu Lei, who had blind trust in Xia Ruofei, could not help but open his mouth in surprise.
A scene appeared in everyone's mind. It was the violent free kick that the short and stout Roberto Carlos, who was wearing a yellow jersey, took after a long-distance run-up.
Xia Ruofei's free kick almost perfectly replicated Roberto Carlos's S-shaped free kick.
It took a long time for everyone to come back to their senses. They burst into applause and praise, and some players could not help but whistle.
Mark Roca was stunned. After a long while, he said with a wry smile, "Mr. Xia, I admit defeat!"
Xia Ruofei said with a smile, "Since I won, don't forget your promise! I will be there to watch the next round of the game! "
"I will do my best to fulfill my promise!" Mark Roca said seriously.
Xia Ruofei nodded and said, "Well, I've wasted so much of everyone's time. You guys continue to train! Isn't there still a team match? I'll be your cheerleader! "
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