novelhk Chapter 9 Preparations
Chapter 9 Preparations
After the high-intensity, rapid short passing exercise, the team immediately switched to the next training exercise.
Fixed-point ball stopping test.
A small red circle was drawn around the field, and a fully automatic ball machine continuously sent long, half-high balls from a distance.
Players need to immediately reduce their effort and control the ball, stopping it steadily within the red circle without going out of bounds or making a mistake, in order to meet the standard.
As the test progresses, the ball-launching force and flight speed of the ball-launching machine will be continuously increased, raising the difficulty level layer by layer.
The core purpose of this training is to hone players' ball control and power-reducing skills under different ball speeds and rhythms.
In a formal match, a poor touch or a touch that is too far away can easily lead to a loss of possession.
This will create huge hidden dangers for the defense, which is also a fundamental problem that professional players need to avoid the most.
But for Jiang Ming, this level of assessment was utterly insignificant.
He is now carrying Ronaldinho's technical template.
Looking at the world of football, Ronaldinho is synonymous with historical-level ball control.
Jiang Ming had previously watched videos of Brazilian legends' matches after Ronaldinho's retirement.
The former superstar spent most of the time strolling around on the court, his physical condition no longer at its peak.
The delicate touch, accurate passing vision, and natural ball control have never faded.
The core technologies that have been truly honed to perfection will not be lost rapidly with age.
Those players who lose their skills as they age may not have possessed those skills in the first place...
"That's it, this is the best I can do." Mbappe plopped down on the ground.
The ball, which had just traveled at 70 km/h, was now three meters away from him.
"Kylian, a ball speed of 70 is already considered excellent for young players like you," Fabinho laughed. "Even Bernardo, who has the best footwork in the team, can only control a ball at a speed of 90 at most."
"That's enough. It's not like we're shooting. Normal passes don't have that much power," Bernardo Silva said casually.
Yaldin nodded and spoke in a deep voice:
"There won't always be comfortable passes on the field. The higher your ceiling, the more reliable you will be in crucial moments."
He glanced across the training field, signaling for the training to continue.
"Next."
The players took turns stepping forward to be tested by the high-speed long passes from the ball machine.
A ball speed of 70 kilometers per hour became a watershed moment for most people.
Maintaining control of the movement is already the limit; a slight misstep will result in a failed attempt to stop the ball, causing it to roll out of the designated red circle.
Some defenders are even worse than 17-year-old Mbappe in this test.
Soon, it was Jiang Ming's turn.
In the eyes of the first-team players, this young Asian player, who was temporarily promoted from the U19 team, has good short passing skills.
However, when faced with high-speed long passes, weaknesses will inevitably be exposed.
B. Seal leaned to one side, particularly curious about Jiang Ming's test.
Yesterday he watched Jiang Ming's warm-up training with the U19 team.
Bernardo Silva knew that Jiang Ming's footwork was extraordinary, but he didn't know how high it could reach.
The ball-serving machine is charging up and running.
The ball flew out at a speed of 50 km/h.
Jiang Ming kept his footing steady and lowered his center of gravity.
At the moment of contact with the ball, gently dislodge it with your ankle; the movement is effortless and graceful.
The powerful ball seemed to lose its impact, landing motionless in the very center of the red circle.
The people on the sidelines weren't too surprised.
They can stop the ball at that speed.
The ball machine increased its speed again, to 60 km/h.
Jiang Ming remained calm and composed.
70km/h.
75km/h.
80km/h.
The ball machine accelerated, and Jiang Ming made zero mistakes throughout the entire process, maintaining composure and showing no signs of strain.
Bernard watched silently, a hint of seriousness creeping into his eyes.
Fabinho's previous relaxed demeanor vanished.
Sitting on the ground resting, Mbappe looked on in disbelief. "Is this...is this really my teammate who used to sit on the bench?"
"That's enough." Yaldin stood at a distance, taking in everything. "Proceed to the next test."
In subsequent training sessions, Jiang Ming completed each session with exquisite personal skills, much to the astonishment of the crowd.
Finally, everyone spent an hour indoors listening to head coach Jardim explain the tactics for tomorrow's match.
Today's training session in preparation for the Europa League has now concluded.
The setting sun bathed the entire Latourby Training Centre in its glow.
The players gradually dispersed to relax and rest.
"Jiang, wait a bit before you leave, there's one more thing."
Jiang Ming was about to leave the training ground when Caldera stopped him.
Not long after, the physiotherapist I had seen that morning walked over quickly with a complete test report in hand.
He avoided the crowd and handed the documents to Yardin alone, reporting the various data in a low voice.
Cardiopulmonary function, physical fitness, endurance, muscle strength...
Yaldin lowered his head and flipped through the report, his expression growing increasingly grave.
Is this really the physique of a professional athlete?
Yaldin's mind began to race.
Logically speaking, players who fail the physical examination should not be included in the roster.
However, the team is currently plagued by injuries, and with qualification for the Europa League finals at stake, they cannot afford to lose.
Furthermore, Jiang Ming demonstrated impressive immediate impact today, and may prove to be a valuable asset to the team.
After weighing the pros and cons and considering all the options, Yardin slowly closed the report, having already made his decision.
He looked up at Jiang Ming, who was waiting quietly not far away, and his expression returned to calm.
"Jiang, your body can't sustain you for the entire match," Yardin said in a deep voice.
Jiang Ming nodded slightly upon hearing this, thinking to himself, "As expected, he failed the medical test."
"But..." Jardine drawled, "you can still be included in tomorrow's Europa League squad as planned and be on the bench."
Jiang Ming paused for a moment, then nodded solemnly: "Okay, boss!"
……
China, far across the ocean.
"That Real Madrid game early this morning was really exciting, wasn't it? They played Shakhtar Donetsk 3-4. It was a goal-fest."
"Ronaldo contributed two assists and two goals, directly involved in four goals. Who dares to criticize him now? Real Madrid will definitely win the Champions League this season!"
"Come on, do you think you can beat Barcelona's MSN trio?"
"Well, Real Madrid still has the BBC! Besides, doesn't Barcelona rely on biased refereeing to win the Champions League? Have you already forgiven Chelsea?"
"Yes, Real Madrid has forgiven Atletico Madrid."
"I*****!"
The top news item on Dongqiudi (a Chinese sports betting platform) was Real Madrid's Champions League match last night.
Many fans interacted enthusiastically in the comments section, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
Suddenly, this news item was removed from the top of the list.
Instead, Monaco's Europa League player registration list for the match against Anderlecht was used.
"Is Dongqiudi acting up again? They haven't even covered Monaco U19 yet..."
When the fans saw that it was Monaco, they seemed to remember something and quickly clicked on the news.
Soon, among the names of the foreigners, I found a short two-character name.
It's not that the fans have particularly sharp eyes.
Instead, the editor who wrote this news article deliberately enlarged the name "Jiang Ming".
He stands out from the crowd!
After being exposed to the highlights of the last episode, Jiang Ming has gradually gained some fame in the Chinese football circle.
"Holy crap? Jiang Ming's in the Europa League squad?"
"Are you starting or a substitute?"
"Nonsense, this is just the player roster. Monaco doesn't have a mole who would leak the starting lineup..."
"Then I have to put on a good show tomorrow!"
And so, a top-listed match list successfully served as a warm-up for tomorrow's Europa League.