Football System: Penalty Zone Hero

Author's note: Bonus chapter #1 20/20 power stones.

...

Chen Yingxiong was very depressed. The feeling of being looked down upon during training came back to him again.

When he could use his header advantage, he became a foil to his teammates. He thought it was normal that his teammates didn't understand him, but head coach Advocaat and assistant coach Porter had watched him play two youth team league games. Didn't they know how to use his header?

He decided to talk to Advocaat.

As a player who had just joined the first team, Chen Yingxiong did not seem to have the slightest sense of keeping a low profile. It seemed natural for him to talk to the head coach.

While studying Russian at night, Chen Yingxiong told Yesenin about his plan.

He was used to asking Yesenin for his opinion, after all, he was not a human being... No, after all, besides himself, Yesenin was the only one who always accompanied him and could talk to him. This night was a little easier, otherwise he could only stare at the ceiling in a daze and count the grids on the ceiling.

After two weeks of contact with Chen Yingxiong, Yesenin gradually understood Chen Yingxiong's temper. This 18-year-old boy had the confidence, cheerfulness and liveliness of his peers. At the same time, perhaps because he was close to being born in the 1990s, he had a strong sense of autonomy and didn't like others to arrange things for him. He always had his own ideas and wanted to express them.

This was something Yesenin gradually realized during the time he lived with Chen Yingxiong.

"How do you plan to convince him?" Yesenin asked this question in Russian.

Chen Yingxiong was stunned for a moment, knowing that he was practising Russian, he also tried to answer in Russian. "Uh, tell him... header... is, um, for the main attack, not for feinting..."

"Will you need me to translate for you then?"

Chen Yingxiong wanted to say no, but then he changed his mind. This kind of negotiation was related to his future. If his hearing and speaking problems led to misunderstandings between the two sides, it would be terrible. He didn't want Advocat to misunderstand him. Although he sometimes tampered with the head coach's arrangements, he was actually very careful to control the degree.

"Yes." He nodded and replied in Russian.

…

After the training on the second day, Chen Yingxiong asked Advocaat for a private talk through Yesenin.

Advocaat seemed unsurprised and agreed to the request.

The conversation was arranged in his office. In the huge head coach's office, apart from him, there were only Chen Yingxiong and his translator Yesenin, no one else, not even assistant coach Porter was present.

"Is there anything you want to tell me?" Advocaat asked.

On the way here, Chen Yingxiong had thought about it many times about how he should discuss this issue with the head coach.

He chose a less aggressive way to talk to the head coach, saying, "Well, I have some doubts about your use of me in some set-piece tactics. I hope to get some clear answers from you."

Advocaat sat on the chair, crossed his legs, and clasped his hands on his abdomen. After listening to Yesenin's translation, he tilted his head and said, "Is it about the arrangement that you can only make feint attacks and not attack in the first place?"

Chen Yingxiong nodded. "Yes!"

"Well...you want to be the main attacker?" Advocaat asked, tapping the table with his fingers.

"I am still confident in my heading ability, sir." Chen Yingxiong glanced at Yesenin. Of course, I am confident, this inhuman guy gave it to me!

Advocaat stared at Chen Yingxiong for a while, but Chen Yingxiong did not back down but chose to look the head coach in the face. He was making a legitimate request, and his attitude was correct and his methods were peaceful, so he did not think there was anything wrong with it.

Isn't it said that in European football, players and coaches communicate frequently? The head coach will communicate with the players at any time to understand what they are thinking.

Taking the initiative to ask to talk to the head coach was just in line with their habit.

Advocaat thought about it for a while, then nodded. "Okay, as you wish!"

It was Chen Yingxiong's turn to be surprised...

He had never expected that it would be so smooth, he only said three sentences and it was done... He even suspected that this was not real and that he was dreaming - is this head coach so easy to talk to?

Even Yesenin was a little surprised. In fact, before coming here, he simulated this scenario in his mind, and then felt that the probability of Advocaat rejecting Chen Yingxiong's request was as high as 94% - he was the head coach of the team and had absolute authority. 

Chen Yingxiong was just a small ant who had just been transferred from the youth team. Why should a big man listen to a small one? If Chen Yingxiong was the team's top scorer, he might threaten the head coach with a transfer. But what qualifications did Chen Yingxiong have to sit down and negotiate with Advocaat face to face?

Who would have thought that this big shot would actually agree to the request of a small character?

He couldn't figure it out.

Chen Yingxiong was quite surprised, but good things are good things, and he got the result he wanted. After happily thanking the head coach, he said goodbye.

…

Chen Yingxiong quickly felt the changes that the head coach promised him.

During the next corner kick and offensive free kick tactical training, he was designated as the main attacking point.

Chen Yingxiong was eager to try and wanted to let his new teammates see his heading ability.

As for what this main attacking point should do, Advocaat did not make too many arrangements, just told him to "just head the ball in."

As a forward, especially one with excellent heading skills, heading the ball into the goal was simply a basic requirement.

After listening to Yesenin's translation, Chen Yingxiong turned around and looked at the opponent's defensive lineup. He easily found the 21-year-old Korean midfielder Li Hao who was playing as a defensive midfielder.

He smiled at Li Hao.

Li Hao was confused by the laughter. He didn't know why the Chinese man, who was of average strength and disobedient, was laughing, and why he was laughing at him.

But he soon found out the answer...

When the football was kicked out, Chen Yingxiong rushed towards him like a locomotive!

Li Hao was about to jump up to fight, but Chen Yingxiong had already leapt up!

Then he was pinned down by Chen Yingxiong and used as a "stepping stone"...

Chen Yingxiong, who overpowered Li Hao, headed the pass from his teammate into the goal.

The main goalkeeper Kontefalski did not make a save and just watched the ball go into the net.

There was a surprised gasp from someone on the field.

However, many first-team coaches were not surprised at all by Chen Yingxiong's goal. They had already seen how powerful Chen Yingxiong was in the air...

He just rushed over like this, then jumped one step ahead of the opponent, and then collided head-on with the defender. As a result, in nine cases out of ten, the defender would fall to the ground, while he would arrogantly head the ball into the goal in the air.

Chen Yingxiong did not shout in celebration after landing. This was not a game, but a training session. He leaned over with a smile and extended his hand to Li Hao who was knocked to the ground by him.

Li Hao was depressed and had no place to vent - you shouldn't hit a smiling person... The other person took the initiative to show goodwill, and as a senior, he couldn't get angry with him.

He could only take the hand that Chen Yingxiong handed over and was pulled up in disappointment.

After being pulled up by Chen Yingxiong, Li Hao recalled the smile Chen Yingxiong had just before he reached the summit - this guy definitely didn't mean well!

…

If one header can be easily interpreted as "this guy is lucky", then Chen Yingxiong, who keeps heading the ball into the goal, is changing the way his teammates see him - teammates who didn't know what ability this guy had to enter the first team before, have found the reason why he can enter the first team. It is this domineering header skill!

When facing the substitute defence, Chen Yingxiong was able to win eight out of ten headers, and four of them were able to score goals. A 40% goal rate was already amazing.

Chen Yingxiong was very satisfied with his performance in training. He already felt that the way his teammates looked at him changed.

This was exactly the effect he wanted!

In this team, as a newcomer, if he wanted to quickly integrate into the team, there was nothing better than showing his strength. Only by letting his teammates recognize his strength could he stay in the first team for a long time.

But Chen Yingxiong's good days seemed to end abruptly.

Advocaat changed Chen Yingxiong's team, and the people defending him were replaced by main lineup defenders such as Martin Skrtel and Eric Hagen.

Hagen patted Chen Yingxiong on the shoulder and said to him in English. "That's a great header, Yingxiong. So even in training, I won't show mercy. I don't want to be suppressed by a young man who just joined the team, ha!"

Eric Hagen did as he said.

In the first header, he used the experience card to make Chen Yingxiong unable to jump up, and Chen Yingxiong could only watch Skrtel jump up and head the ball out.

Several times afterwards, the experienced Norwegian international Hagen and the talented Skrtel caused him trouble...

Moreover, his headers were always called fouls by assistant coach Porter because of collisions.

"foul!"

"It's a foul to hit someone!"

"I told you to look for an opening! Don't just run straight into it..."

Seeing that Chen Yingxiong was in trouble, Li Hao smiled. The guy who had just humiliated him was also humiliated by others!

Chen Yingxiong's happiness didn't last long. His brows gradually furrowed, and the expression on his face became more and more solemn. 

All his previous pride disappeared without a trace.

Yesenin was standing on the sidelines watching the training as his translator. After seeing Chen Yingxiong encounter setbacks, he turned his head to look at Advocaat who was making adjustments.

...

AN: Decided to increase the amount of power stones for chapter since we're collecting them so fast. Thank you for your support!

Saturday - Free

Sunday - Free

Bonus Chapter #1 - 20 Power stones

Bonus Chapter #2 - 40 Power stones

Bonus Chapter #3 - 60 Power stones

Bonus Chapter #4 - 80 Power stones

Bonus Chapter #5 - 100 Power stones

I need power stones to keep posting new chapters! Keep 'em going!