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"Lance, come on, brother."
Romelu Lukaku, the strong black striker, was covered in sweat. He ran off the field, panting, and saw Lance. Lukaku didn't feel frustrated about being substituted, nor was he jealous of Lance.
A hint of regret and relief flashed in his eyes. His poor performance in the World Cup debut was also torture for him. Those familiar with Lance naturally understood his skill level.
Facing the current adversity, the Belgium Team might really have to rely on this 17-year-old Asian kid.
"Belgium's No. 39 Lance comes on as a substitute! Replacing No. 9 Romelu Lukaku!"
"It's a pity there are only 10 minutes left in the match, and the Belgium Team is still 1 goal behind. They don't have much time left…"
Hearing CCTV commentator He Wei say this, and seeing the team on the field wearing red jerseys, Chinese fans almost had a PTSD attack. The Belgium Team wore red jerseys, and the way they played was also like that team? Could it be that today they were really going to mess up?
"Buddy, you're late."
"No, I'm just in time."
"You're bragging."
Kevin De Bruyne smiled wryly. He knew Lance was very strong, stronger than many people imagined. But facing a parked bus in the last 10 minutes, there wasn't really a good solution.
Lance coming on would at most help the team equalize. Getting 1 point in the first World Cup match was already acceptable.
"Kevin, have some confidence, 10 minutes is enough!"
Lance's youthful sharpness was a bit dazzling. De Bruyne himself was only 23, but he felt a bit old in front of Lance.
Left-back Jan Vertonghen threw in the ball, and the game resumed. Lance didn't immediately run into position. He just stood in the opponent's penalty area, looking up at the stands, feeling the atmosphere of the World Cup.
Most were local Brazil fans, and some were Belgium fans who had traveled with the team. After Lance came on, their applause never stopped.
Algeria center-back Rafik Halliche was a bit bewildered. This former Premier League Fulham defender played in the top league for two years, and due to his inability to adapt to the Premier League, he transferred back to a weaker team in the Primeira Liga.
On the World Cup stage, he was actually very nervous. As a result, Lukaku kicked him into confidence. Lukaku, a mid-to-upper-table Premier League striker, had 0 shots on target under his defense.
Halliche even felt that he had the ability to return to the Premier League! When Lance came on, Halliche naturally recognized this Eastern kid.
In European football, who didn't know him? Over the past season, the news media was full of stories about him! The youngest Golden Boot winner who dominated the Bundesliga, the youngest key player in a Bundesliga championship team.
After coming on, he seemed a bit dazed. Halliche inevitably underestimated him a bit.
"What kind of Bundesliga Golden Boot is this, just hyped up? The Bundesliga champion is nothing special, let's see how I defend…"
Before he could react, the Belgium Team's attack transitioned from the left flank to the right. Kevin De Bruyne took the ball, and his first reaction was to look for Lance's position.
He didn't care whether Lance was marked or not, he immediately chipped a pass into the penalty area! He wouldn't have dared to play like that when passing to Lukaku. Now that Lance was in the box, De Bruyne didn't care about anything!
Seeing this unreasonable chipped pass, Halliche sneered, stepped forward to crowd the Easterner's small frame, trying to push him off balance and bring the ball under his control.
"Kevin De Bruyne!! Chipped pass into the box!! Oh, this ball…"
Zhan Jun frowned. De Bruyne passed too casually, like a dangerous ball, purely making it difficult for his teammate. Everyone on the field thought this ball would surely be lost, and the Algeria attacking unit even started to run into position, preparing for a counterattack.
Lance was still standing still, seemingly in a daze. At the critical moment, Lance moved! When De Bruyne's chipped pass came over, Lance, almost losing his balance, suddenly used a Taekwondo move, a scorpion kick, to flick the ball backward!
"What?"
"This…"
"How could this be?!"
All the Algeria defenders were bewildered. Halliche didn't even see the ball clearly; it had already flashed past his eyes! Immediately in the next second, the ball flew to the far post, and a red figure had already rushed forward, using the instep of his foot to complete a volley!
Swish— The ball rubbed against the net, making a crisp sound! The entire stadium was almost simultaneously stunned for half a second! The ball… went in?
"Eden Hazard!!! The goal is in!!!"
"A stroke of genius from Lance!! Eden Hazard was perfectly positioned at the far post!"
"Can you believe it?! Lance came on as a substitute and in just 1 minute, his first touch assisted a teammate's goal!"
"The Belgium Team, after conceding in the first half, finally equalized in the 86th minute of the match!"
1-1! Boom! At Estádio Mineirão, over 60,000 people in the packed stands erupted in a thunderous cheer!
More than 40,000 of them were not Belgium fans; they were local Brazil fans or tourists from all over the world! This did not prevent them from contributing the most insane and passionate cheers and applause, as if their home team had scored!
Splendid! This is art! De Bruyne's chipped pass was already very brilliant and daring. Lance's scorpion kick in the penalty area, a stroke of genius, turned this attack into a work of art!
"Lance!! A pass full of imagination!!"
"Everyone thought he was last season's Bundesliga Golden Boot, more skilled at scoring goals. In reality, Lance was also among the top in the Bundesliga assists chart!"
"Lance completed his first assist on the World Cup stage! Becoming the youngest assist provider in World Cup history!"
"Equalizing with his first touch as a substitute, Lance is truly a super sub!"
"Holy Fuck!! Lance!! Are you God?"
Eden Hazard was dumbfounded. He started his career in Ligue 1, dominating everywhere, and quickly became a key player for Chelsea, dribbling past opponents with ease on the field.
Although he was outwardly humble, easygoing, and very low-key and zen-like, he secretly looked down on most players and didn't have much passion for football. Winning or not winning the Premier League title wasn't important; after the initial novelty wore off, it quickly became boring.
He had thought the World Cup would bring him enough novelty, but that too quickly faded after the first match. Whatever results the Belgium Team achieved this year, Hazard felt indifferent. Anyway, Belgium couldn't win the World Cup, so what was the point?
Play professionally for a few more years, earn a salary for a few years, retire in his 30s, and enjoy life—that was roughly Hazard's mindset. So when the team was at a disadvantage, he even bothered to dribble; it was just a loss, why make a fuss over a group stage match?
He didn't expect Lance's back-heel pass to be so imaginative, directly finding him! Facing such a brilliant pass, Hazard almost instinctively rushed forward to complete the shot. He simply didn't want to waste this wonderful delivery.
After actually scoring, Hazard's calm heart was unexpectedly ignited! He seemed to have rediscovered his passion for football!
"Lance!! How did you pass that?!"
The Belgium Team players all rushed over, shaking Lance's shoulders, and embraced in a wild celebration. Surrounded, Lance was only surprised.
Is Bachira Meguru's second skill, Monster Pass, this effective? If so, there's still some time left, including injury time! Enough to turn the game around!