Capítulo 6: Breaking Through
Then several teammates piled onto him one after another. Even Pato, who had been distant, joined in the celebration.
Regardless, the deadlock of the game was broken.
Louis's goal wasn't spectacular, nor was his scoring posture particularly cool. He didn't even have time to show off the goal celebrations he had imagined. In the past ten minutes, Louis had been tirelessly running, covering the entire field from left to right, seeking opportunities to advance. He sprinted at every slight possibility.
In these circumstances, Louis's physical energy was heavily depleted. However, his relentless effort paid off.
Being an unknown player has its advantages. No one paid much attention to Louis. Even Arsenal's defenders overlooked him—his limited touches on the ball had not been impressive.
So when Louis scored, Arsenal's players were in disbelief.
How did this unassuming kid manage to score?
The word that came to their minds was: luck.
This kid... just got lucky.
"He doesn't just kick randomly!" Wenger's face showed a hint of interest.
The youthful look on Louis's face intrigued Wenger even more. That little shot was quite something.
Unlike the Arsenal players, Wenger saw the whole picture from the sidelines.
Louis wasn't running aimlessly. His movements were purposeful. Though he didn't receive many passes, his timing for forward runs was impeccable. If there were a playmaker like Cazorla in Milan's lineup, this kid might score several one-on-ones!
Despite not getting many passes, Louis still scored. When an AC Milan player crossed the ball, everyone surged forward, anticipating the front post to be the target. Only Louis decisively moved to the back post, knowing it was empty. Although the chances of the ball reaching there were slim, the payoff would be massive if it did.
Louis made the right gamble this time and scored.
To others, it seemed like he just got lucky, picking up a missed ball. But considering his constant movement beforehand, it was clear this was his style of play.
"I see Pippo in his game," Wenger said to his assistant, Bald.
"His fitness isn't great," Bald noted, watching Louis pant heavily after the celebration. "And his basic skills need work."
Wenger nodded, but his interest remained. Young players are supposed to have flaws. What matters is their evident talent.
"You don't plan on making an offer to AC Milan, do you?" Bald asked.
Wenger remained noncommittal. "Let's keep an eye on him."
Allegri was a little surprised. He was impressed by Louis's performance.
"This guy really is the new Inzaghi!" Allegri thought. "If only his basics is solid."
Allegri regretted that Louis lost his speed and breakthrough ability from the youth academy. If he had retained those skills along with his running intelligence, his future would be incredibly bright—possibly even more promising than Inzaghi's.
But with the talents shown now, in today's football world, the demands on a center forward are very comprehensive. Louis might only be a bench player.
But that's enough. If Louis continues to perform consistently in these few minutes, he's qualified to become a substitute forward for the AC Milan first team.
Thinking this, Allegri called over midfielder Valdi.
"Tell the team to focus on more forward through balls!"
Allegri didn't specify that they should target Louis. He believed that if Louis had good game sense, he'd find his opportunities.
"Wow! Incredible!!"
"Thanks, Louis, for saving the day!"
"You're lucky, catching that mistake!"
"Hahaha! It's awesome!"
The comment section of the Xinglang Sports Live Room was buzzing. Fans were thrilled.
Zhang Jun was momentarily stunned, then quickly reacted. "The ball is in! Beautiful! Louis sends the ball into the net from the back post! One to zero, AC Milan leads!!"
"He scored on his first appearance with the first team. Louis's debut is perfect!"
"It's worth mentioning that Louis's father is of Chinese descent!"
Zhang Jun's excitement was palpable.
If Louis can play for AC Milan, he can be considered an overseas player of Chinese descent to some extent—at least half.
The pace of the game changed. AC Milan took the initiative to speed up, making more forward passes, giving Louis more chances. Almost every time the camera showed Louis, he was seen running straight into Arsenal's defense, moving along the offside line and pushing forward decisively whenever he had the opportunity.
Mertesacker frowned. Though Arsenal's defense trapped Louis offside a few times, his relentless play style put them under pressure. The opponent was dancing on the edge of the offside line, ready to break through at any moment. Louis's movement was flexible, finding blind spots in the defenders' vision and always pushing forward.
A few times, the linesman flagged him offside. But who knows... Will the linesman catch him next time?
Mertesacker's feeling was correct.
Eighty minutes into the game, a through ball from the backfield was passed to the front of Arsenal's penalty area, threading between defenders. Louis, moving behind Djourou, made a diagonal run, passed Djourou's back, and the other Arsenal defenders reacted too late.
Louis caught up with the ball.
"Louis. One-on-one!!" the commentator Zhang Jun exclaimed.
Facing Arsenal's goalkeeper Mannone, Louis didn't dribble around him. Instead, he suddenly swung his calf, poking the ball with his toes. The ball changed direction, slipping past Mannone's left side, quickly crossing the goal line.
"2-0!" Amidst the excitement, the camera, the fans' eyes, the bench players, and even the two head coaches all focused on Louis.
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