This type of shot generally gives people the impression that the ball will fly just over the crossbar, with no chance of entering the goal.
However, this is an illusion. The ball's speed and power are sufficient, and combined with its spin, the friction with the air causes a rapid change in direction near the goal, leaving the goalkeeper helpless. This is their most dreaded situation.
But such a demanding shot requires extremely high skill from the player. Among the top five leagues, there are very few players capable of executing such a spectacular "Tomahawk" free-kick. It's not something everyone can do.
Can this young player really achieve it?
Despite such anticipation, Cao Baming fixed his gaze on the player's foot. With a muffled thud, the ball flew high, arcing over the defensive wall and through the air of the penalty area towards the goal.
As the wall jumped, the ball grazed Williams' shoulder and flew past, cleanly clearing the wall without any fancy maneuvering or bending. It went directly over the highest point of the wall.
Cao Baming's eyes lit up. This alone was enough to demonstrate the young player's skill; at least he had some talent.
At this moment, Henderson reacted in advance. Watching the ball's trajectory, he could already determine where it would go into the goal from the gap in the wall.
As expected, just as Cao Baming predicted, although the ball was high, it began to drop rapidly as it approached the goal.
Fortunately, Henderson was prepared and jumped, tipping the ball over the bar with both hands!
"Beautiful, a perfect save!" applause erupted from the sidelines, courtesy of Kubo, and the surrounding teammates joined in the cheers.
This was Henderson's moment of brilliance. Such a "Tomahawk" shot was of very high quality, and to save it was a truly difficult feat.
Henderson grinned triumphantly at the sideline, waving his hand. He was a bit thirsty and wanted some water.
Without a word, a teammate from the sideline handed him a bottle of water. Such a great contribution deserved to be rewarded.
At this moment, although Cao Baming witnessed Henderson's spectacular save, his attention couldn't be drawn away from William, who had just taken the shot.
Perhaps Henderson's brilliant save overshadowed William's performance, but that "Tomahawk" free-kick was indeed stunningly executed, possessing all the characteristics of a standard "Tomahawk" shot.
Moreover, this was from a youth player. While his exact age was unknown, he couldn't be older than 18. Such a talented prospect would surely shine in the future.
Cao Baming felt very satisfied. The day's gains far exceeded expectations. In this friendly match, he had seen two promising talents from the Nottingham Forest youth team: one with exceptional explosiveness and power, and the other with top-tier shooting ability.
Individually, they might not be complete players, but at their age, finding their specific strengths was crucial. This would be their foundation for a successful career, allowing them to conquer the world and showcase their skills.
The other players on the Nottingham Forest youth team sidelines were also amazed by their teammate's beautiful "Tomahawk" shot. They were excited, and even though it didn't result in a goal, the shot itself had delivered a powerful statement.
"What a shame, William almost cost us a month's worth of meals!"
"Good thing he didn't actually score, that was too close, I was so scared my heart almost jumped out of my chest!"
However, the reality was that the game had reached the 25-minute mark, and the score remained 0-3. Despite displaying many impressive plays, the Nottingham Forest youth team had yet to score.
"I can't take it anymore, guys, let's show them our real strength!"
"Yeah, yeah, let Brother Big B on!"
As time went on, the possession statistics settled into a three-seven split.
Clearly, the youth team's mentality was significantly better than that of the previous team from the top league. Perhaps they weren't afraid of losing or of losing face, which allowed them to display such resilience.
In terms of the score, the fourth goal didn't arrive until the 40th minute of the first half.
To spare the youth players some face and allow them to perform to their full potential, Cao Baming had not exerted much pressure in attack, focusing more on midfield organization and acting as a mere utility player.
This goal came from the team's sole striker, Johnson, with an assist from another dribbling genius in midfield, the original number 10, Buswait.
This attack, while not particularly spectacular, involved three quick passes from midfield to the front, breaking down the defense of the relatively inexperienced Nottingham Forest youth players.
Finally, Johnson's shot went through the goalkeeper's legs, a goal that was both damaging and humiliating.
The first half ended with a score of 4-0. While not as high-scoring as the previous match, the score was still substantial.
They celebrated amongst themselves, but not with excessive excitement, as it was essentially a training match among teammates.
These young players were actually quite satisfied with the score. Only 4-0 down? And the first half was a full 45 minutes!
They felt they had already won, at least in their own minds. The previous team that played against Cao Baming had lost 30-0, with the halftime score being 11-0.
"Good job, everyone!" the coach said to the young players as they walked off the field, looking content.
Meanwhile, Cao Baming was quietly contemplating something else.
Nelson had such immense potential. He would observe him more closely in the second half; he might truly be a promising talent.
If that were the case, how could he let him stay at Nottingham Forest? Naturally, he would poach him and bring him to Manchester United!