Chapter 95 First Round Opponent
According to the schedule of the national competition, the morning of March 10th will be a closed-door meeting for the head coaches of all participating teams. After the closed-door meeting, a lottery ceremony will be held.
The matchups of all participating teams will be drawn live.
There are a total of thirty-two teams participating in this national competition. These thirty-two teams adopt a single elimination system. The first round matchup is determined by drawing lots. The subsequent matchups are determined based on the results of the first round matchup. .
The matches are divided into upper and lower halves. When drawing lots, it will also be decided whether a team will go to the upper half or the lower half.
Teams assigned to different halves have to wait until the finals for a chance to meet.
At the same time, the lottery results will also be broadcast live.
Previously it was through the online platform, but this time because the copyright was purchased by Capital TV, the lottery ceremony will also be broadcast live on Capital TV's "Hot-Blooded Youth·The Sixth National High School Students Football Championship Special Report" program.
So that morning, the players from Dongchuan Middle School crowded into several rooms and watched the live broadcast of the draw on the TVs in the rooms.
It can be said that this is what they are most concerned about right now - who will their opponent be in the first round of the national competition?
"It would be best to draw a team that is not that strong, so that we can at least ensure a place in the top 16..."
"Hey, Mao Xiao, who is the weakest in the national competition?" someone asked loudly.
"In terms of historical record in national competitions, we are the weakest." Mao Xiao replied.
Hearing what Mao Xiao said, many teammates shouted: "Is this impossible?"
None of them could accept that they finally made it to the national competition, only to find out that they were the weakest.
"High school student competitions are not like national team competitions, which have regular FIFA rankings. There are so many high schools in our country, and there are also many high schools with football teams. Whether it is information collection or statistics, it is almost impossible to accurately analyze these high school football teams. Rank the points," Mao Xiao explained to everyone.
"So we can only rate those teams that have participated in the national competition. The scoring system is also very simple. If you win a game in the national competition, you will get three points, if you draw one point, you will get zero points, if you lose a game, you will get zero points. The league standings are the same..."
Someone asked: "Aren't the teams that were eliminated in the first round all accumulated zero points? Then why are we the weakest?"
"Yes, they have zero points. But we don't even have zero points." Mao Xiao spread his hands. "We are not on the list at all. At least we have to wait until this national competition is over before we can be on the list and compare our rankings with other teams."
Facing his surprised teammates, Mao Xiao explained to them: "In this national competition, among the thirty-two participating teams, we are the only team that has never played in a national competition before. So even if there are zero points The team has not won a game, but they have entered the national competition before, so zero points can be regarded as points. We don’t even have a points record, so we naturally rank last in this ranking.”
A group of people looked at each other, which really made them uncomfortable.
Hu Lai whistled: "Oh, I was originally looking for fish belly, but it turns out that we are the fish belly that all teams want to meet? It's quite interesting to think about it, and suddenly it turned into a hotpot. Hey...hey, do we want to auction our right to play against each other?”
"Can this be auctioned?" Meng Xi yelled at him.
"Auction for the right to play? You can't think of it, Hu Lai!"
"Why do I suddenly feel like 'I am weak and I am proud'? Haha!"
Everyone was amused by his statement.
Chu Yifan noticed that the previously uneasy and awkward atmosphere in the team had also been swept away.
"The lottery has begun!" Someone pointed at the TV, and the room suddenly became quiet. Everyone was staring at the TV screen, for fear that they would miss any details.
The drawing ceremony for high school football matches is very simple, and there will not be any theatrical performances like the World Cup or European Champions Cup...
After the host announced the start of the draw, the leading guest in charge of the draw started the draw.
The drawing itself is also very simple, it is all done by computer, and the drawing guests only need to shout "start" and "stop".
The voice-activated device will automatically start and stop drawing lots based on the voice they shout, and then come up with a result.
In order to demonstrate fairness and impartiality, the lottery guests all had their backs to the big screen. There was nothing in front of them, and they could not see the names of the schools flashing quickly on the big screen behind them.
The draw is conducted in order, and the first team drawn will naturally be ranked first in the lineup, and will automatically be in the top half. Drawing backwards in this way can determine the team's matchup with each other, as well as the issues of the upper and lower halves.
Soon the first team to be drawn was born, from Baima Middle School in Yujiang City, Xiaojiang Province.
"They were tenth in the last national competition, and they are very capable." Mao Xiao seemed to be more professional than the hosts on TV. After the names were announced, he introduced them to his teammates.
The second team drawn out played against Baima Middle School and was Fushui High School from Yuanyang City, Xishan Province.
"This school has participated in the national competition three times in a row, and its best result was the twelfth place last year."
"Tenth vs. twelfth, I feel like this way of drawing lots can easily lead to a strong showdown in the first round..." someone said.
"Yes, in the last national competition, Chen Xingyi's Shuguang High School ran into the defending champion Chongwen Middle School of Shanhai City in the first round, and Shuguang High School was fourth in the last national competition, so it can be considered a top It’s time for a strong dialogue. In the end, with Chen Xingyi’s two goals, Shuguang High School defeated Chongwen Middle School 2:1, and the defending champion made it out of the first round of the national competition and went home..." Mao Xiao said.
"Wow, so cruel..."
"Yes, as soon as the game ended, all the players from Chongwen Middle School collapsed on the field, unable to pull up, and all of them were crying..." Mao Xiao said with a sigh in his tone, "And Shuguang High School was After eliminating the defending champion, he was full of momentum and went all the way. The momentum was overwhelming and they finally won their first national championship. The only thing that could frustrate them was Jiaxiang High School led by Wang Guangwei. Maybe that's why Chen Xingyi cares so much about who scores the goal under Wang Guangwei's guard... …”
At this point, everyone looked at Hu Lai, and Hu Lai did not disappoint them. He put his hands on his hips, raised his head, and raised his tail to the sky.
As the defending champion, Dawn High School is the third team to be drawn out, which also means that any team in the top half will likely encounter them.
At the same time, people are very concerned about who will be their first-round opponent.
Many people in Dongchuan Middle School secretly prayed that it would not be them. They finally came to the national competition, and they still want to stay for a few more days...
Under the spotlight, the unlucky guy who competed with Shuguang High School was drawn out. He was from the High School Affiliated to the Normal University in Wu Li City, Ninh Thien Province.
Seeing this name, many Dongchuan Middle School players in front of the TV let out a sigh of relief.
The draw continued, and the participating teams were drawn out one after another and appeared on the big screen.
Soon all the sixteen teams in the top half were announced, and Dongchuan Middle School was not among them.
"Ah, it's such a pity. It seems that if you want to meet Shuguang High School, you can only go to the finals..." The relieved Dongchuan Middle School players began to show off.
As soon as I finished speaking, the name of Dongchuan Middle School appeared on the big screen...
"I'll go! The first team in the lower half!"
"It scared me to death. Fortunately, it's not in the upper half..."
"I wonder who our opponent will be... Take a look at the teams that have come out of the top half. Are there any teams that were eliminated in the first round of the previous tournament?"
The draw ceremony did not wait for the Dongchuan Middle School players to calculate their opponents, and the answer was quickly given.
Xizi Middle School from Anqiu City, Western Yuan Province.
"Mao Xiao, how is this school?" Meng Xi immediately looked at his friend.
Others also cast their gazes.
"Fifteenth place last year, top 16 team."
"Holy shit, top 16!" teammates exclaimed.
"Hey, it's actually just that the last national competition was in the top 16. They were eliminated in the first round before." Seeing that everyone seemed to be a little afraid of difficulties, Mao Xiao quickly explained. "However, they can enter the national competition every year, and they are considered the local football dominance..."
"That only shows that their overall football level is not high, right?" Meng Xi asked rhetorically. "Otherwise, if the national competition gives Antarctica a quota and allows them to go to Antarctica to compete in the qualifiers, they can also participate in the national competition every year."
Hu Lai sneered: "Meng Xi, what are you thinking? Who said they can easily qualify? Shouldn't they lose the game because the weather is too cold?"
Meng Xi was stunned, never expecting that Hu Lai would see the problem from this perspective...
The teammates laughed and the room was filled with joy.
The nervousness of facing the top 16 in the first round was gone.
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After the lottery ceremony ended, it was noon.
The players of Dongchuan Middle School went to the cafeteria to have a meal under the leadership of the two captains.
The lottery ceremony ended a little late. When they thought they went to the canteen, there were already many people in the canteen.
Unexpectedly, on the way, they discovered that there were many people like them who had just come out of the dormitory building. They had obviously just come out to eat after watching the lottery ceremony.
After entering the cafeteria, everyone has a clear division of labor. Some people go to line up to get meals first, while others go to occupy seats to occupy the entire team's seats. The meals for those responsible for occupying seats will be served by teammates who queue up to get meals. Bringing it back - this was also learned yesterday at dinner from watching what those other teams were doing.
For Dongchuan Middle School, which participated in the national competition for the first time, it can be regarded as accumulating some experience in the national competition...
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"Captain, look, we are from Dongchuan Middle School."
When the Dongchuan Middle School players took their meals and returned to the table, people at the table next to them who were eating winked at their backs.
"Are they just them?" A tall man with a buzz cut that couldn't be shorter said.
"Yes, the rookie who participated in the national competition for the first time was drawn by us. This time we look like we will enter the top 16 again!"
"What are you talking about? Did we rely on luck to reach the top 16? How many times have I said it, it's strength! Strength!" the leader said dissatisfied.
"Yes, yes, the captain is right, it depends on strength!" Everyone agreed.
"Captain, you are right. But it is also good for us that we can meet such a rookie team in the first round. At least we don't have to put too much energy into the first round. I think we can play this time Not only are we in the top 16, we might even advance to the top eight!”
Hearing his teammates say this, the captain rolled his eyes.
Then he stood up: "Come here a few people, let's go and say hello to our opponents in the first round."
He also prolonged the pronunciation of the word "good".
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The players from Dongchuan Middle School were sitting around several tables and were about to have a meal, when suddenly several people walked over from the side.
They were wearing uniforms of white sports uniforms. The man walking at the front looked tall, with a bit of a ruffian look on his face. He had a very, very short crew cut, and his scalp was glowing with blue light.
After walking straight to the tables where Dongchuan Middle School players gathered for dinner, the leader slowly looked around and then said: "Dongchuan Middle School, right? We are your opponents, Anqiu Xizi Middle School .”
Chu Yifan and Yan Yan stood up one after another and greeted them. Chu Yifan even extended his hand: "Hello, I am Chu, the captain of Dongchuan Middle School..."
"It's not important." The leader glanced at Chu Yifan's outstretched hand and had no intention of shaking hands with him. His hands were still in his trouser pockets. "No need to introduce myself, I'm not interested in your name. I'm just here to comfort you. It must be difficult to enter the national competition for the first time, right? But I'm sorry, your first national competition ends here. ”
As soon as he said these words, the expressions of the players from Dongchuan Middle School across the street changed.
He took the initiative to reach out his hand but was ignored. No matter how good-tempered Chu Yifan was, his expression was not very good. Yan Yan took a step forward: "What did you say?!"
"What are you doing, do you want to fight?" The other party smiled contemptuously, "I remind you that if you fight during the national competition, your team will be disqualified."
Then he ignored Yan Yan, but looked at the aggrieved Dongchuan Middle School players in front of him and said: "Don't get me wrong, I'm really just here to comfort you. As someone who has been there, I kindly remind you that the game the day after tomorrow will be You can pack your luggage in advance and take it to the bus so that you can go directly to the airport or high-speed rail station after the game.”
After he said this, several people who came with him behind him burst out laughing.
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"Mission: Counter the opponent's provocation and boost the morale of your own team. Reward: Points × 3000, [Experience Potion] × 1."
Such a voice suddenly sounded in Hu Lai's mind, making him dazed for a moment.
After the Anton Cup finals, the system seemed to have entered hibernation, and there was no movement for almost three months. If he hadn't entered the system space and bought two training scrolls during the team training, he might have thought that the system had left him...
He had also imagined that after entering the national competition, whether the system would issue tasks and what it would be related to.
As a result, he never expected that the system would have such a naughty operation...
The first task of the national competition turned out to be a verbal fight off the court! System, you are so nosy!
He set his sights on the [Experience Potion] that appeared in the reward for the first time, and immediately knew what this thing was used for:
After taking it, the user's understanding of the game will be deepened and the effect of gaining game experience during the game will be improved.
To put it simply, every time a player plays a game, as long as his brain is not broken, he can gain something from the game.
For example, how should he move during the game; when he has the ball and is pressed by the opponent, should he shoot directly or pass the ball; when should he sprint as hard as he can during the game, and when should he slow down to recover his energy...
These things are collectively called "game experience".
Experience is something that sounds mysterious and seems impossible to quantify, but it actually affects a player's performance. Experienced players simply perform better than inexperienced rookies.
For example, in this national competition, the experienced Xizi Middle School looked domineering and full of superiority when facing Dongchuan Middle School, which had never competed in a national competition. It's because they have more experience than Dongchuan Middle School.
As for Hu Lai, as a rookie who has never been exposed to football systematically in the past sixteen years and has never played in a game, his lack of game experience is his inherent disadvantage.
If you want to catch up with others quickly, hard training is of course important, but the accumulation of competition experience is also indispensable.
So at this moment, the system brought something that could help him make progress right in front of him.
And all he needs to do is... talk.
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Amidst the laughter, people from Xizi Middle School waved their hands: "Let's go, goodbye. I sincerely hope to see you again next year, haha!"
After saying that, he turned around and walked back with his teammates.
Behind him, the players from Dongchuan Middle School clenched their fists and their faces turned red.
But no one dared to catch up, because as that person said, if a player participates in a fight, the entire team will be disqualified.
No one wants the team’s hard-fought trip to the national competition to end hastily for such a reason...
So even though they were very unhappy and felt about to explode, they could only endure it.
Even Luo Kai just stared at the backs of the Xizi Middle School players with gloomy eyes.
Mao Xiao pursed her lips and frowned. At the same time, she held her friend Meng Xi's arm to prevent him from getting carried away on impulse...
At this moment, whether it was an illusion or not, he suddenly heard Hu Lai next to him sigh.
※※※
Since the people from Xizi Middle School went to Dongchuan Middle School, everyone else in the cafeteria was attracted by the movement.
After seeing the situation clearly, chatter erupted at the tables of the respective teams.
"Oh, isn't that Dongchuan Middle School that eliminated Jiaxiang High School?"
"By the way, their opponent in the first round is Xizi Middle School..."
"Xizi Middle School is really lucky to have been drawn by Dongchuan Middle School, which participated in the national competition for the first time. Maybe they will reach the top 16 again this time..."
"Damn, he has been in the top 16 for two consecutive years. With Wang Le's virtue, he can't look at others with his nose? No, it's too complacent to bring people here to ridicule before the game has even started!" < br>
"I think Wang Le is not necessarily getting carried away. He is here to play psychological warfare with the novices. He deliberately provokes the opponent and makes the opponent unable to do anything about him. When the time comes, he will be so angry that he will lose his mind in the competition field... ”
"Damn, my heart is so dirty!"
At Shuguang High School, someone touched Chen Xingyi: "Hey, Chen Xingyi, Dongchuan Middle School is not really going to be eliminated in the first round, right?"
"If you are eliminated, you will be eliminated." Chen Xingyi replied lazily.
"No, didn't you say you wanted to avenge Wang Guangwei?"
"What's wrong? Do you think they can reach the finals?" Chen Xingyi sighed. "We are not in the same area, what can we do?"
"Uh... yes..."
Everyone really wants to vent their anger on Dongchuan Middle School, but the premise is that they can meet, and with the current draw results, it is obvious that it is impossible for the two teams to meet - no one with a clear mind will think that Dongchuan The middle school can reach the finals.
Chen Xingyi returned to eating and seemed not to care about the disturbances from the outside world. As soon as the lottery results came out, he seemed to become Buddhist.
But at this moment, he first heard the noise of a chair being dragged on the ground, then heard two muffled noises, and finally he heard a voice: "Hey, who is that, big man, wait a moment."
He looked up and saw a young man standing on the dining table, pointing at the players from Xizi Middle School.
Who is it if it’s not Hu Lai? (End of chapter)