The perfect center forward: Becoming a soccer king from the corner of Chuanu Chapter 037

“To be able to leave such a lasting impression on Guardiola after just one match, Lucia truly has something special.

The continuous absence of the main striker directly helped the Hammers unearth this young talent who can consistently deliver.

Two stunning brace performances raised fans’ expectations on the internet, leading to Lucia receiving a barrage of criticism online after the loss to Watford in the previous match.

However, judging by the West Brom manager’s lineup, his emphasis on Lucia is still evident.”

After the match began, West Brom, playing at home, quickly took control of the offensive rhythm. The midfield control provided by their 4- 2- 3- 1 formation and multiple passing options helped the home team create dangerous situations first.

Belgian forward Nacer Chadli and West Brom’s No. 9, Rondón, continuously threatened Adrián’s goal with long-range shots.

Venezuelan forward Rondón’s height and weight were quite similar to Lucia’s, and having trained in the Russian Premier League, he was capable of powerfully using his body to impact the Hammers’ defensive line.

In the opening phase, the home team West Brom was basically besieging West Ham United’s defensive third. Chadli, who was in excellent form today, easily shook off Nordtveit and burst into the penalty area.

“A beautiful feint and dribble, Ogbonna was fooled and lost his balance.”

“The Italian defender’s tackle was a bit unnecessary; he brought down Chadli in the box.”

“Penalty!”

“Bottom left corner, Chadli scored the penalty he created, helping West Brom open the scoring!”

The match had only just entered the eighth minute, and the home team had already taken the lead with a penalty, instantly making the atmosphere at the stadium even more fervent.

Falling behind so early, the match’s trajectory did not look optimistic for West Ham United.

Bilić, who had intended to use the two wings for counterattacks, didn’t expect his team to concede so early. He quickly reminded his players on the sideline to stay calm and maintain their formation.

The undefeated opponent from the first four rounds was indeed not to be underestimated. West Ham United, short on players, could only focus on defense first.

Lucia’s role, positioned at the very front, was to press the defense, making the opponent feel the pressure of a counterattack when they attacked.

In the eleventh minute of the match, the Hammers finally held possession, crossed midfield, and created an effective fast-break opportunity.

Kouyaté passed to Lucia, who, without being greedy, immediately spread the ball wide before making a run towards the goal.

Payet used his individual skill to deliver an assist, a high-quality low cross swept towards the goalmouth in the penalty area!

Unfortunately, the pass and run didn’t form enough understanding; according to the ball’s trajectory, it should have appeared behind Lucia.

Noticing Kouyaté near the edge of the penalty area behind him, Lucia didn’t choose to force a shot.

“Number 66’s layoff, Kouyaté followed up with a low shot!”

“Goalkeeper Foster’s vision was obstructed, and he wasn’t quick enough to get down; the ball grazed the post and went into the net!”

“West Ham United quickly equalized, an assist from Lucia, a goal from Kouyaté!”

It seemed his football IQ was quite good. Making choices based on his understanding on the field was undoubtedly more threatening than forcing a pass. Lucia’s layoff and Kouyaté’s powerful long-range shot formed a perfect attack!!

West Brom 1:1 West Ham United

The away fans roared, chanting the names of Kouyaté and Lucia, who had quickly equalized.

However, the Hammers fans and Lucia fanatics in the live stream were completely at a disadvantage.

– [Oh, what else is there to criticize? He already has three assists. Is this efficiency at this age not enough?]

– [The supercar’s performance is merely this? Do you know Messi and Ronaldo’s league stats?]

– [He deserves that picture only if he puts up those two’s stats, 50 goals in 37 games and 46 goals in 38 games!]

Such arrogant remarks attracted the attention of many busybodies, especially during a time when La Liga matches hadn’t started yet. Lucia became the common target of criticism from fans of both superstars.

Although during this period, many still argued that the reason the two were in a league of their own was the scarcity of superstars in that era, it was only when these two grew old that people began to truly understand that the two superstars were indeed worthy of their title.

Taking annual goals in all competitions as an example, in 2024, the combined goals of Vinicius, Bellingham, Foden, Yamal, Mbappé, and Haaland did not surpass the combined total of the two football legends in 2012.

And currently, the Hong Kong dribbling king Messi and Saudi football king Ronaldo were still in their prime. Lucia, who dared to directly challenge their status, naturally received a lot of ridicule from their fans.

However, it wasn’t without benefits. With Arsenal and Manchester City playing at the same time, only the combined forces of Real Madrid and Barcelona fans added significant viewership to the clash between two mid-table teams.

By a strange coincidence, this led Adidas to assess Lucia’s influence on new media even higher, which helped in the negotiation of his endorsement contract.

Just like the noisy live stream, after a simple probing, the two teams began to engage in a full-blown exchange of blows.

The home team, West Brom, fully utilized their midfield advantage, through solid defense and effective offensive organization, limiting the opponent’s attacks through the middle, while also using the attacking midfielder’s link-up play to create threats in attack.

The Hammers, on the other hand, fully utilized their numerical advantage in the forward line, launching quick counterattacks through rapid passing and movement when the opponent’s defense was not yet settled.

Ogbonna made up for his mistake with a perfect interception, and Kouyaté, who was in excellent form today, delivered a through ball.

West Ham United once again broke through West Brom’s left flank via Payet.

Lucia, whose off-ball ability was quite outstanding at the moment, feinted, moved one step horizontally, and then surged forward!

“Beautiful off-ball movement!! A great chance for West Ham United!”

“Too bad, Lucia’s diving volley couldn’t hit the target!”

“Despite not having an advantage in heading, Lucia found a good opportunity using his excellent positioning, but unfortunately, his shot after arriving at the far post didn’t connect cleanly!”

Shot missed in the penalty area ( 1). He glanced at the entry. Besides the refresh count, Lucia suddenly made a new discovery.

Previously, his heading threat from a standing jump was insufficient due to his flexibility and balance, but that was because the opponent was defending densely in the penalty area.

Now, West Brom’s formation was relatively loose, and he could completely emulate Ronaldo, using his positioning and explosiveness to complete a surging header.

His ability to hard-solve problems from a static position was insufficient, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t outperform two tall strikers with less explosiveness than him in such an open attacking game.

Lucia, who had a thorough understanding of his current off-ball ability, felt like a blind student who had found the crucial point.

Excellent positioning, a goal conversion rate of a bronze or iron boot level, strong physique and explosiveness, and a barely usable heading ability.

Although his current on-ball ability and dribbling were at League One level, his off-ball ability at this stage could at least be considered T 1.5!

Next was to try it out in the match. Lucia suddenly realized that being in a weaker team wasn’t without its benefits. Although the total number of shooting opportunities was fewer, opponents generally wouldn’t set up a parked bus, which suited his current abilities better.

The match continued. West Ham United again completed a midfield interception. The three forwards charged forward like tigers, quickly forming a numerical advantage.

Noble passed the ball to Lanzini. The Hammers’ No. 10 laid it off to Lucia, who was relatively slow in absolute speed, while he himself surged forward at high speed.

With no one pressing him, Lucia could calmly deal with the situation. The passing route to the left was difficult, so he directly chose to play to his strengths and pass to Payet on the right.

He started to accelerate towards the open space in the middle. McAuley was still tightly marking Lucia, Evans went to cover, and Galloway was chasing back with all his might.

The Frenchman wasn’t greedy and directly launched a high ball into the middle. Lucia, with initial velocity, jumped the moment his teammate kicked the ball!

“Hammers’ counterattack opportunity, Lucia’s jump timing seems a bit early, perhaps to avoid the 193cm tall McAuley interfering with him!”

Based on years of defensive experience, McAuley instantly made his judgment on the landing spot. The Irish defender, who had jumped, suddenly noticed a problem after taking off.

Was there something wrong with Earth’s gravity? Why was Lucia, facing him, still ascending??

Powerful explosiveness combined with a running jump led to an exaggerated jumping height, and strong core strength in his waist and abdomen ensured excellent hang time!

“The flying man on the football field! The 193cm tall McAuley’s head only reached Lucia’s shoulder!”

Elegant and decisive, Lucia, who got to the ball first, completed an axe-like header!

Unfortunately, he couldn’t adjust his position well in the air, and the ball flew straight towards the goalkeeper.

Foster instinctively blocked it, but the ball didn’t fly far. Lanzini, who was arriving at the far post, followed up with a push shot and scored!

“Goalllllll!!!”

“West Ham United has taken the lead, Lanzini scored with a tap-in in front of goal!”

“Half the credit for this goal should go to Lucia. A height of 187cm combined with such jumping height makes me feel like I’m commentating on a basketball game.”

The TV replay was the same. Lucia, soaring high, appeared on screen at the same time as Lanzini’s goal.

Indeed, his current heading needed to learn from the Portuguese. Heading with a late run and powerful jump was more suitable for him. Standing jumps for headers could only bully the little ones.

Although he couldn’t create the famous scene of knees level with his head this time, it still helped the team score.

Just as the specialized coach said, finding the right heading technique for oneself is crucial.

Currently, learning Cristiano’s sprinting jump header technique, based on his leg strength, core abdominal strength, and excellent explosiveness, was the most cost-effective.

Within a mere twenty minutes, West Brom fans experienced a journey from heaven to hell. From leading to trailing, the anxious emotions spread to every player on the field.

Even though the Welsh coach shouted and screamed on the sidelines, it was futile. The blow of being overturned after a perfect start was far more damaging than falling behind early on.

With morale shifting, West Ham United began to dominate the pitch.

In the thirty-ninth minute of the match, captain Noble’s diagonal pass found Lanzini on the left, who chose not to shoot directly.

Instead, he played a weighted pass ahead to Lucia, who had shaken off his marker!

“Too fast! Lucia’s starting speed against a tall striker is practically a foul!”

“The 193cm tall McAuley hasn’t even completed his turn, and he’s already pulled away by a body and a half!”

“Shot!!”

“Eh, it feels a bit like watching a diving competition at the Rio Olympics.”

“The technical movements are all beautifully executed, and then the splash into the water was a cannonball. How could this ball not go in!”

Shaking his head, if this shot had caused Foster to spill it, it would have been truly beautiful. But then again, it’s really satisfying for a tall forward to be the “fast” one in a “tall and fast” pairing!

Those stronger than me aren’t as fast, and those faster than me get brushed aside. I didn’t expect this to be an effective mismatch attack.

The home fans felt their heart rate drop slightly, thankful for Lucia’s soft shot that didn’t further change the score on the field.

– [Laughed out loud, I thought the diving was about Lucia trying to fake a fall in the box, turns out it was about his final shot!]

– [Trash, he can’t even score that kind of goal. Why didn’t he just push it to the far corner earlier?]

– [Stop complaining, he’s created two goals in this match and you’re still not satisfied?]

– [Here it comes, here it comes, West Ham United has another counterattack opportunity!]

West Brom fans, who had just swallowed a quick-acting heart pill, instantly felt their hearts clench again. Just two minutes later, an identical quick counterattack, this time a long pass from Kouyaté.

The ball, after landing, was directly chested down by Lucia as it bounced. There was no fancy dribbling, just a direct face-off with the goalkeeper.

“Lucia’s first touch was a bit heavy, Evans is covering, it just depends on who can control the ball first!”

One step, two steps, powerful explosiveness at his feet, Lucia got closer to the ball.

Drawing back his leg like a bow, at the moment the ball was about to enter the penalty area, Lucia was already ready to shoot.

Bang!!!

Lucia’s choice instantly stunned the fans in the stadium and the commentators on the radio!

A one-on-one, and he chose to shoot a worldie???

Besides Balotelli, would anyone else in this world handle it this way??

Mighty as a mountain, with the power to conquer the world!

The simpler and cruder the approach, the more unsolvable it can be at certain moments!

A powerful shot with a slight outside-of-the-foot curl, the high-speed ball carried a bit of outward spin and nestled into the top corner!

Goalllll!!!

– [I thought Balotelli was already invincible, but I didn’t expect someone to be even more courageous than him. Whose subordinate is this?]

– [Damn it, is Lucia also world-class from the neck down? I’m an Italian fan!]

– [I think so, both of them like to make big headlines!]

– [This goal wasn’t offside???]

“Let’s look at the replay, it shouldn’t be offside. At the moment of the pass, there was still a defender behind Lucia!”

“A beautiful worldie that reminds me of Italy’s semi-final against Germany at the 2012