Cao Baming was practicing with his teammates on the field when he saw a group of high-ranking officials leading Henry from afar.
It was clear they were heading onto the pitch. Although the football king had skipped the trial, he couldn't resist coming onto the field to experience it!
Everyone's hearts immediately tensed up. It would be a lie to say they weren't nervous; who wouldn't be nervous playing with Henry for the first time?
They had all grown up listening to stories about him, viewing him as a legendary figure akin to a god. And now, they were going to play on the same team!
They were so excited they could have shed tears!
Cao Baming, however, instantly became the most composed person on the field.
Henry strode onto the pitch with his robust gait, while Arteta called out from behind, directing Henry to join the training and a brand-new training mode.
It seemed the man before them looked vastly different from when he was seen half a month ago, especially when he started moving; he appeared to have instantly become twenty years younger!
Under Arteta's direction, a small-sided practice match quickly commenced.
Henry played as a free agent, while Cao Baming was randomly assigned to the defense.
Seeing this assignment, Cao Baming smiled with satisfaction.
An opportunity to defend against Henry one-on-one? Wasn't this a gift from heaven?
Soon, a ball flew in from the sidelines, and Cao Baming quickly surged forward to contest the aerial ball!
Although his heading ability wasn't great, with the help of the system's enhanced positioning awareness, he easily gained possession.
Then, a player in an orange jersey appeared before him. This player was none other than Henry!
An opportunity! Cao Baming retreated a step, intending to execute a technical move before Henry could make a move, block the football king's path, and then pass the ball to a teammate running to provide support.
However, he had ultimately thought too much!
With a nimble flick of his left foot, Henry executed an outward spin that even caused Cao Baming to misjudge the direction. Then, he directly snatched the ball away!
"Holy crap?"
Cao Baming was utterly bewildered. What just happened?
The ball had been stolen!
The root cause was his insufficient ball control. If he had passed it to a teammate earlier, it would have been fine!
Cao Baming was filled with regret.
His limited skills, when compared to other players, might have allowed him to show off a bit by relying on his physical strength, but against a tough opponent like Henry, his shortcomings were immediately exposed!
From now on, no matter what points he got, he had to prioritize upgrading his ball control!
Cao Baming gritted his teeth in regret.
As Henry took the ball and faced three attackers, he consecutively executed two advanced "oil-fried dumplings" (a dribbling move) to get past two of them. For the last one, he didn't even bother to dribble past; he simply rounded the player and took a shot!
It was a curved shot of incredibly high quality, arcing towards the goal with astonishing trajectory!
The goalkeeper had no chance of saving it. It would be a miracle if it didn't go in!
With the football king in possession, stealing the ball, dribbling past opponents, and shooting seemed effortlessly simple, as if he wasn't exerting any effort at all!
It felt like he was playing against a group of children!
Cao Baming watched this, recalling his own turnover just moments ago. Wasn't he also like a child!
Especially those two consecutive oil-fried dumplings in opposite directions, effortlessly beating two players. It was so graceful and beautiful, like a work of art, making one envious!
If only he could have such ball control someday!
A hint of jealousy ignited in Cao Baming's heart, but he quickly suppressed it, because he believed the system would provide it!
As long as he completed his missions well, absorbed emotions, and accumulated points, nothing was unobtainable!
There would be a day!
After a few more exchanges, Henry's brilliance officially overshadowed Cao Baming.
Before Henry arrived, Cao Baming had been the brightest star on the field. Now, Cao Baming had been relegated to a secondary position.
No! I'm not convinced!
Since he couldn't compete in ball control and technical skills, he would compete in physical strength!
Finally, Cao Baming had an epiphany. As part of the defense, he couldn't take shots. To defend against Henry, he had to actively engage in physical confrontation!
With his +50 physical attribute, he should at least be able to withstand it, right?
Not necessarily to crush Henry, but at least to gain a slight edge!
Therefore, he would play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses!
Soon, an opportunity presented itself. Henry had already scored four goals single-handedly. Now, he was breaking through again, his face filled with ease and composure.
Facing Cao Baming, he actually intended to use a chip to go over him!
Cao Baming now possessed a certain level of judgment. He intended to go over him in such a way?
Impossible!
I, Cao Baming, am not someone to be trifled with either!
This time, he had learned his lesson. He didn't try any fancy moves or rush to tackle the ball. Instead, he used his body to shield Henry from advancing with the ball before reaching out to deal with it!
The entire maneuver was entirely devoid of any foul, just pure physical confrontation.
Henry was not afraid. One had to remember that Henry's physical strength in his prime was comparable to very few players in the football world.
But the moment they collided, he was astonished!
He never expected Cao Baming's physique to be so unyielding, and his footwork to be so stable!
However, with that chip, the ball had gone past, but he couldn't get past. This was an awkward situation!
Cao Baming didn't have much time to block. He extended one foot, controlled the ball with it, and then immediately passed it to his teammate, before clearing his position!
Henry's eyes held a mixture of disbelief and awe!
The two exchanged a look.
Cao Baming's heart was also filled with tension. At the moment of physical contact, he truly thought he wouldn't be able to hold his ground!
Never before had he nearly lost his balance in a physical confrontation, yet this time it had almost happened!
It seemed the football king's physical strength was indeed on a different level than ordinary people!
It's just a shame that it still didn't match the enhancements from his talent!
After playing for about twenty minutes, Arteta called a halt to the match.
On one hand, he had seen enough and couldn't let the football king overexert himself on his first day.
On the other hand, he was also considering Cao Baming's condition.
Even though Henry had returned and signed, they would still be relying on Cao Baming for the match against Liverpool.
No matter how you put it, Henry would need some time to integrate and adapt with the team. And developing new tactics with him as the core point wouldn't happen overnight, so he couldn't be put on the field that quickly.
As for the other players, they might as well take this opportunity to rest. They had stumbled upon a great bargain.
From this practice match, everyone had felt the pressure brought by the football king, a sense of overwhelming dominance.
And the gap between themselves and Henry was obvious. If anyone denied it, they would be a complete fool.
Even Cao Baming admitted inferiority. At least for now, looking at the overall picture, there was still a considerable distance to cover.
However, more importantly, this was the first time he had experienced the joy of playing with a football king!
Henry, after all, was his teammate!