Cao Baming sprinted forward at full speed, raising his hands to signal his teammates.
Faced with such an obvious captain, Fang Hao didn't hesitate. Seeing the right moment and angle, he directly played a fast rolling pass, leaving enough lead time for Cao Baming to receive it comfortably.
The instant he saw this pass, Cao Baming even felt a sense of security. As long as his teammate made such a pass from the wing, the quality was guaranteed.
The moment he released the ball, Cao Baming had already predicted where it would end up. Before the opposing defender could press, he took a stride to another position to receive the ball, completely shaking off his opponent. The ball hadn't even been touched, and Casemiro was left far behind.
Today, the coach had assigned him to specifically mark Cao Baming, but the difficulty was immense. Cao Baming was a true free agent on the field, and he couldn't follow him all the time. Firstly, his stamina wouldn't keep up, and secondly, he couldn't manage to track so many positions and also look after the other players.
Therefore, the real tactic was that whoever was closest to Cao Baming among the entire team was responsible for him. This inevitably created some loopholes, but there was nothing that could be done. Even the resourceful head coach couldn't think of a better solution.
After receiving the ball, Cao Baming didn't need to dribble anymore because he now possessed 100% shooting accuracy. He immediately unleashed a long-range shot.
In his eyes, he had just casually swung his leg, yet the entire Samba legion was instantly stunned. The football flew straight through the air, like a cruise missile, heading for the dead corner of the goal. They couldn't even reach it, and even the goalkeeper, leaping high, couldn't touch the ball.
The ball began to descend rapidly just before reaching the goal line. This descent sent it straight into the top corner of the net!
The entire stadium erupted in thunderous cheers. The goal was incredible. A long-range shot from near the halfway line, a goal that had shocked the football world for a full month. And the player who scored it was Cao Baming.
Anyone who had seen Cao Baming play would likely not be too surprised by such a long-range shot, as he had scored at least ten or even more from similar distances. He had even scored from further away before.
However, at this moment, standing on the field was someone with the same incredible long-range shooting ability: the cannon-shot maestro, Carlos. The look in his eyes suggested a score to settle.
He was biding his time, waiting for his opportunity. If you can score such a powerful long-range shot, then let me show you how your predecessor performs. However, his chance had not yet arrived.
The fans continued to wait with anticipation.
The score on the field was now one-nil, an outcome nobody had expected. The Tangguo team had scored first!
They had taken the lead against the supposedly unstoppable, full-star Samba legion!
Was this score something a normal human could have predicted? Absolutely not.
Before the match, almost everyone believed that while the Tangguo team was a formidable dark horse, capable of steamrolling their way to this match, and even not far behind the Samba legion in terms of goals scored, in terms of pure strength and technical skill, they were still significantly lacking.
Even Cao Baming himself didn't deny this.
But no matter how much they lacked, it couldn't compare to this sure-fire goal. As long as they took the lead, the players would have more confidence in both offense and defense.
After the celebration, as the match progressed, the players' mindset improved, and the game situation gradually became less dire.
For the Tangguo team, this was a period of relief. During this time, the Samba legion's attacks seemed less sharp than before, but it was also possible that the Tangguo team's overall defensive capabilities had improved, which was also plausible.
The commentator shouted passionately, as if every second, every frame, was a historic moment. He couldn't possibly let any moment slip by, shouting at the top of his lungs for almost the entire duration. This was the most tiring match he had ever commentated.
The attention of the spectators never ceased with their screams and shouts.
Ronaldo's every movement, even without the ball, was met with cheers from the fans. And Cao Baming's every glance, even without touching the ball, as long as he was eyeing the ball, would also be met with enthusiastic cheers from the Tangguo fans.
Gradually, the Tangguo team found its rhythm. The head coach had made the tactics clear before the match: they weren't pursuing possession. Achieving thirty percent possession was more than enough. What they aimed for was the backline's oversight when the opponent pushed forward aggressively.
Football, like many other strategic activities, is fundamentally about defense being easier than offense. The attacking side naturally has a disadvantage because defensive loopholes are exposed during attacks, giving the opponent opportunities for counter-attacks.
If the difficulty of a proactive attack is five stars, then a counter-attack might only be one star. This is the fundamental reason why weaker teams can defeat stronger teams.
Moreover, having Cao Baming in such peak form was like Mourinho's Chelsea in their prime, with a Drogba or Hazard. Everyone just needed to focus on defense, and goals would be handled by Cao Baming.
As time ticked by, another ten minutes passed, and the score remained unchanged. The pressure from the Samba legion was indeed immense, but at this moment, the Tangguo players no longer felt that pressure. They had gotten used to it and adapted.
The score remained unchanged!
The Tangguo team had held the lead for over ten minutes!
The fans of the Samba legion had been waiting, expecting a equalizer, and then an immediate comeback, because they believed it was inevitable. However, they had not yet seen that moment.
Naturally, doubts began to arise in their minds.