The sidelines exploded instantly.
“Holy crap!”
“Gu Fei got nutmegged?”
“That move was ruthless!”
Gu Fei froze in place, his face flushing red instantly.
Tobías had already bypassed him and was dribbling forward.
Team A’s center back pushed up, and Tobías looked up at the edge of the penalty area.
Team B’s forward started a run between the two center backs.
At that moment, everyone thought Tobías would pass to the wing.
Because there was no space in the middle, but Tobías pushed the ball with the instep of his foot.
The ball seemed to have eyes, sliding through the narrowest of gaps between the two defenders.
It wasn’t fast, but it just happened to cross over the outstretched toes.
It wasn’t off-target, landing right in front of Team B’s forward.
One-on-one!
Even Team B’s forward was stunned for a moment.
“Shoot!”
Tobías shouted.
The forward snapped out of it and swung his foot to push the ball into the net.
The goalkeeper was half a beat slow to dive, and the ball rolled into the bottom right corner of the goal.
The whistle blew.
Team B scored!
The field was silent for a second before Team B’s bench jumped up.
“Goal!”
“Beautiful!”
“That through ball was amazing!”
“Damn, how did he make that pass?”
The scoring forward rushed toward Tobías, flushed with excitement: “Brother Tobías!
That pass was so comfortable!
I could’ve scored with my eyes closed!”
Tobías just patted his shoulder: “Keep running, there’ll be more.”
No one on Team A said a word.
Gu Fei stood near the center circle, his captain’s armband hanging on his arm, his face looking terrible.
He had been nutmegged, and then Tobías had provided an assist.
The few people who had just been flattering him didn’t dare to look at him now.
On the sidelines, Coach Li lowered his voice: “Coach Chen, this kid didn’t train for nothing at River Plate.”
Coach Chen frowned: “His passing vision is indeed good, but he doesn’t really know how to play the social game.”
Coach Li understood what he meant.
Not knowing how to play the social game is sometimes more troublesome here than not knowing how to play soccer.
After the game restarted, Gu Fei was clearly anxious.
After getting the ball, he didn’t pass, forcing it into the middle, and was trapped by two Team B players.
Tobías stepped up and cleanly intercepted the ball, and Gu Fei immediately rammed into him.
Tobías had already passed the ball out and dodged him.
Gu Fei missed his target and almost fell.
A few stifled laughs rang out around them.
Gu Fei completely lost face; he pointed at Tobías and gritted his teeth: “You, come here.”
Tobías stopped and looked at him.
Gu Fei suppressed his anger, his voice not loud, but loud enough for everyone around to hear: “Do you think that just because you played a few good balls, you can establish yourself on the team?”
Tobías didn’t say anything, and Gu Fei continued with a cold laugh: “Let me tell you, the national youth team isn’t River Plate’s youth academy.
If you want to stay, you need to know the rules.”
The expressions of several Team B players changed.
Someone quickly tried to smooth things over: “Brother Fei, it’s all just a game, don’t get angry.”
Gu Fei pushed that person away: “Get lost.”
He stared at Tobías: “Apologize to me now, call me Brother Fei, and listen to me more in training from now on, and I can pretend what just happened never happened.”
Tobías looked at him, his eyes calm.
Gu Fei thought he was scared and stepped forward again: “Otherwise, do you think a filler overseas player like you deserves to make the final roster?
With one word from me, you won’t even be able to leave the base in one piece.”
When these words were spoken, many people on the field lowered their heads; they all knew Gu Fei wasn’t bluffing.
His father, Gu Jianguo, managed many aspects of the national team, and he had a say in connections, resources, and spots for overseas competitions.
Offending Gu Fei here really meant trouble.
Coach Li and Coach Chen didn’t call a stop either, both acting as if they hadn’t heard anything.
Tobías glanced at the sidelines, then at Gu Fei, and then turned to walk back.
Gu Fei was stunned: “What do you mean?”
Tobías said indifferently: “Keep playing.”
Gu Fei’s face turned livid.
Ignored.
Tobías actually ignored him in front of so many people; it was worse than cursing at him.
Gu Fei’s chest heaved, and his fists clenched tight.
The match restarted.
Team A players all felt something was wrong, and no one was joking around anymore.
Gu Fei chased after Tobías like a madman, but Tobías never engaged him head-on.
One-touch passing, turning to support, then passing to the wing.
The more Gu Fei couldn’t get the ball, the more agitated he became.
In the 70th minute, Team B executed another play.
Tobías received the ball near the center circle, and Gu Fei rushed up from behind.
This time, Gu Fei didn’t go for the ball.
He accelerated from behind and to the side of Tobías, raised his right foot, studs exposed, and tackled hard toward Tobías’s supporting leg.
This move was too dirty, too ruthless.
If it connected, both the knee and ankle could be ruined.
“Stop!”
“Gu Fei!”
“Holy crap, what is he doing!”
On the sidelines, Coach Li stood up abruptly, and Team B players’ expressions also changed.
Tobías heard the rapid footsteps behind him and caught a glimpse of that foot with the exposed studs out of the corner of his eye.
He twisted his body violently, tucked his supporting leg, and avoided the most lethal spot.
But Gu Fei’s studs still grazed his lower leg, causing a burning pain.
Tobías didn’t fall after landing; he turned around, his eyes suddenly turning cold.
Gu Fei fell onto the turf and, before he could even get up, started cursing: “Why the hell did you dodge?
If you have the guts, don’t dodge!”
Tobías walked over in one step.
As soon as Gu Fei looked up, Tobías grabbed his collar and pulled him straight up: “You want to ruin me?”
Gu Fei was stubborn: “So what if I ruin you?
Who do you think you—”
Before he could finish, Tobías punched him in the face.
Bang!
Gu Fei was knocked backward, and nosebleed instantly gushed out.
The whole field was deathly silent.
Tobías didn’t give him a chance to react, punching him in the stomach again.
Gu Fei doubled over, unable to speak from the pain.
Tobías kneed him, and Gu Fei fell straight onto the turf.
“Tobías!”
“Stop!”
“Don’t hit him!”
Two Team A players wanted to come up to pull him away.
Tobías looked up and swept his gaze over them; that look made them freeze in their tracks.
The starters who were just clamoring a moment ago didn’t dare to get close now.
Tobías leaned down and slapped Gu Fei again.
Slap!
Gu Fei’s face twisted to the side, and he was completely dazed.
Since he was a child, he had walked around the team like he owned the place; no one had ever dared to treat him like this.
But Tobías raised his foot directly, stepping on the side of Gu Fei’s face, pressing half his face into the turf.
The sole of his shoe ground into the grass blades, and Gu Fei’s nosebleed mixed with dirt, looking as pathetic as a dead dog.
“Listen clearly.”
Tobías looked down at him, saying word by word: “Whatever you do on the field to compete, I’ll take it.
But if you dare to break my leg, I will break you.”
A muffled sound came from Gu Fei’s throat; he wanted to curse, but didn’t dare to.
All the surrounding players were dumbfounded.
Team B’s forward had his mouth open, unable to close it for a long time.
“He actually dared to hit Gu Fei…”
“Is he crazy?
That’s Team Leader Gu’s son.”
“But that tackle just now was really meant to ruin someone.”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to stand it either.”
On the sidelines, Coach Li’s and Coach Chen’s faces turned pale.
What they were afraid of wasn’t Tobías hitting someone; they were afraid of something happening to Gu Fei.
Coach Li rushed onto the field, his voice changed: “Tobías!
What are you doing?
Take your foot off!”
Coach Chen followed behind, sweat on his forehead: “Do you know who you’re hitting?
If anything happens to Gu Fei, can you take responsibility?”