I AM the Football Star

Chapter 344 - 103: The Fall of a Legend, the Curtain Closes on a Miracle?

Savio cursed and then left with a gloomy face.

Seventy percent of the Wolf King is not the real Wolf King after all.

Savio is seeking a transfer out, as in Rome, he has no future, at least not in the next two to three years.

And who knows if any big figures will arrive in Rome in two or three years?

At his age and with his skills, it’s a pity to be a substitute.

However, missing this penalty will most likely become a point for attackers to criticize Savio, and is detrimental to his transfer.

Damn it!

Then, San Remo started their third penalty kick.

They still sent out the young player, Versachi.

As a midfielder, his footwork isn’t bad.

As a substitute player, he has ample stamina.

Versachi had no reason to miss the penalty.

But perhaps due to the earlier shots by Lu Yang and Sogel, especially Sogel’s shot, Versachi developed a certain resistance to aiming for the corner.

With a mentality of playing it safe, he took a shot without overly pursuing the angle.

However, Ameluci immediately showed Versachi what a top goalkeeper is!

Versachi’s shot was directly caught by Ameluci.

"Caught! Ameluci caught it!"

"Still one to zero! Rome still has a chance! They are fighting against fate!"

"Versachi was too conservative! For such a penalty with insufficient angle, unless you deceive the goalkeeper, it’s very difficult not to be saved!"

"The pressure on Lu Yang has increased! If he can’t save the next shot, Rome will temporarily equalize the score!"

"And we know, Rome has already missed three penalties, the probability of missing the fourth penalty is absolutely less than ten percent, even less than five percent!"

"Balera is up! As the core midfielder of Rome, he is among the top two or three penalty takers for Rome. The other two are Perrotta and Drake."

"Balera’s penalty-taking is extremely steady, with a current conversion rate in the league of up to ninety-one percent!"

"He is also a player with nerves of steel, delivering crucial assists many times in the last moments of matches. Today he has performed exceptionally, almost pressing Morici, the core midfielder of San Remo."

"Alright, Balera has placed the ball and retreated to outside the penalty area."

"The main referee blows the whistle!"

Balera’s running speed was not slow, very determined.

Unlike his other teammates, he had ample time to study Lu Yang’s saving moves.

He found it very difficult for a normal person to shut off Lu Yang’s endless guiding moves.

So he opted for a quick run-up and quick penalty kick.

Rather than the traditional penalty, where one runs slowly with precision, then swings one’s leg for a high shot.

Although this would control the ball better, Balera’s confidence in his footwork was evident.

He wouldn’t give Lu Yang time to make deceptive moves.

If Lu Yang tried to take a step in a certain direction first or wave his hand, Lu Yang would miss the optimal saving time.

Balera clearly signaled his determined stance.

And he was sure Lu Yang received this message.

Bang!

Balera shoots!

Lu Yang lunged to his left, but he didn’t leap up.

He held back.

Perhaps it was also because he wanted to make a fake move, so he was a step slower.

But no matter the case, it all led to Lu Yang seeing the ball flying towards the middle, surprisingly able to have the strength to brake and turn around.

Panenka penalty!

That’s right!

At such a tense moment, Balera executed a Panenka penalty that no one expected!

The Panenka penalty is a bit like a close-range chip or a lob shot.

This technique requires high footwork, needing a curvature, but the ball speed can’t be too slow, and it tests both the kicker’s and the goalkeeper’s mindset greatly.

Generally, if a goalkeeper waits to see the ball before saving, it’s often too late to stop it.

Thus, goalkeepers must pre-judge in advance, move their center of gravity ahead of time, etc.

This often leads to when a Panenka penalty comes, many goalkeepers have already gambled everything to one side, flying in mid-air.

Their increasingly distant figure from the middle, their incredible expression, and the ball steadily landing in the center of the net, are some of the highlights of a Panenka penalty.

However...

Who would have thought that at such a critical time, Lu Yang didn’t go all out in saving, nor did he pre-judge in advance?

This led to a slower Lu Yang being able to timely stretch out his left leg, plant it on the ground, forcibly stopping his leftward flight.

At the same time, Lu Yang raised his right hand high, reaching out with all effort.

Bang!

Lu Yang’s palm hit the ball, halting its advance.

After that, Lu Yang fell to the ground, but the next moment, he bounced up from the ground, hugging the football.

This left Balera, who wanted to follow up with a shot, clenching his fists in frustration.

Of course, there’s no follow-up shot in a penalty shoot-out, it was purely an instinctive reaction of Balera.

But anyway, this shot was only a bit away from being a goal!

Just that little bit!

Balera looked at Lu Yang, who was within arm’s reach, somewhat speechless.

You say Lu Yang is unprofessional?

Yet he has saved so many penalties, and his technical movements are impeccable.

You say he’s professional?

Yet at a critical moment he didn’t pre-judge, worse than an amateur.

It’s truly baffling!

On the other side, Lu Yang rubbed his right knee, enduring the pain as he looked at Balera and said, "It was a great shot, almost tricked me!"