Chapter 350: Chapter 105: A 60-Meter Sprint! Two Goals in One Minute! The Sword!

David nodded slightly, asking, "So when can they confirm?"

Jose pondered for a while, frowning, "I’m not really sure, maybe after he wins an important honor? Ma’el is currently lacking accolades. As long as he gains more layers of championship aura, he will undoubtedly become a mega-star.

"Isn’t it often said that Messi and Cristiano are the two prides of this era? I think that’s not entirely accurate. Ma’el might be able to compete with them next season."

David raised his eyebrows but did not respond to the remark... As a Portuguese, he is very fond of Ronaldo and does not think Ma’el can compete with the star who scores 50+ annually next year.

Of course, he wouldn’t underestimate his own boss either; he believes that in three years, Ma’el might have the chance to challenge for the Golden Ball Award.

"It’s about to start."

Watching the players on the field line up together, Jose excitedly rubbed his hands, "I’ll remember this day for him; it’s his first appearance representing the French National Team in an international A-level match."

....

"Beep!"

On the soccer field, there were no longer any cumbersome pre-match ceremonies. The referee saw the time pass three o’clock and blew the whistle to start the match.

"Boom!" Benzema kicked off from the center circle, and the French team’s forwards gradually crossed midfield, not attacking too aggressively.

They have explosive players on both wings, so there’s no need to launch a very intense high press; just wait for the opportunity.

Deschamps emphasized before the match that they could let the opponents control the ball, attract their line upwards as much as possible... and then seize the opportunity to counter-attack and exploit their defensive gaps.

This system is very suitable for Ma’el, providing him with plenty of room to perform.

The stage is set, now it’s up to him to break through Belgium’s defensive line!

Ma’el moved to the vicinity of Belgium’s midfield, slowing down the opponent’s attack to prevent them from frequently making fast direct passes.

Today, he faced Alderweireld, this Ajax defender who is an all-around player in the backfield and can play both as a full-back and a center-back, and later performed well at Tottenham.

However, his turning speed and recovery speed have always been criticized, jokingly nicknamed ’wheelchair’ by many fans.

Ma’el should have no problem breaking through his defense, just seeing if Belgium’s center-backs Van Buyten and Vermaelen can assist him.

"Boom boom boom.....!"

The sound of passing continued, as Belgium’s midfield and backfield players circulated the ball, seeking opportunities. Today they played with a 5-3-2 formation, showing a very low posture.

Seeing that the French team was not pressing high, they were in no hurry to attack, steadily moving forward while keeping possession.

"Pa!"

But the French team would not let them have such a comfortable environment. In the 3rd minute, Yohan Cabaye intercepted Fellaini’s ball and quickly initiated a fast counterattack with the ball.

He passed the ball to Nasri, the leader of the Four Swans, who, after a few elegant dribbles, made a through pass to pierce the area behind former teammate Vermaelen.

"Boom!"

Benzema quickly followed up, shooting towards the right side of the goal, with the football bouncing directly past the goal.

"Oh.....!" A sound of disappointment arose, as the French players all covered their faces, looking somewhat reproachful at Benzema’s back.

Benzema turned around and waved, as if the blame he bore at Real Madrid carried over to the French National Team.

"Good, good!"

Deschamps clapped in encouragement for the attack, having seen the talent many players displayed during the offense.

Ma’el didn’t say anything, raised his arms, and turned to run to the midfield; today their positioning was relatively further back.

...

The match continued, with players gradually getting into rhythm, beginning a back-and-forth offense, and though it was a friendly, it displayed a very strong competitive pace and tactical level.

This is an international A-level match!

Everyone still cared quite a bit, as the contributions made here could be included in annual statistics, enhancing their value.

In the 15th minute, Hazard received a pass from Dembele and showcased dazzling consecutive dribbles, continuously breaking through Yohan Cabaye and Matuidi and distributing the ball to the wing.

Watson advanced from that side and struck a curved cross towards the center.

"Boom!!"

The towering figure of Fellaini arriving at the center completed the header, but slightly tipped the ball too high.

"Eden!" Fellaini looked at Hazard, shaking his head with a bitter smile, "If I get another chance like this, I’ll definitely head it in."

"Haha....." Hazard laughed, gesturing with his hand to indicate calmness; there would definitely be more opportunities.

In the 21st minute, the French team launched an attack on the right, with Debuchy dribbling the ball along the right touchline, passing it to Ribery before charging towards the baseline.

Ribery pretended to pass to him, then changed direction and cut inside towards the center.

"Here!" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Ma’el suddenly ran into an open area, pointing to his feet for the ball, having observed the goal and prepared to shoot upon receiving it.

Ribery seemed to have seen him, made another passing feint, but stubbornly used his left foot to shoot a long shot, which was of low quality and was directly caught by Courtois.

Ma’el looked speechlessly and ran back to the midfield, another golden opportunity wasted.

So far, he had run quite a bit during the match but had only received the ball three times, twice with his back to the goal, once in a 50/50 ball contest with the opposing defender.

Calculating, the time the ball was at his feet definitely did not exceed 15 seconds.