NOVEL WEB Chapter 67: 67
"Ding~"
"Host has obtained skill: Rainbow Chip Pass +1. Daily pickup progress: 10/10."
Oh-ho!
Rainbow Chip Pass +1!
Gu Ran's eyes immediately lit up.
This wasn't a superstar-level skill, just an ordinary one, but it was extremely practical.
A chip pass was one of many passing techniques in football.
On the pitch, there were various ways to pass the ball—head passes, chest passes, leg passes, foot passes, and even nutmeg passes.
From a technical perspective, passing techniques were even more diverse.
For standard foot passes alone, there were inside-foot passes, outside-foot passes, toe chip passes, inside-foot curving passes, outside-foot curving passes, instep driven passes, instep lob passes, and backheel passes—eight primary techniques.
If further categorized, passes could be broken down into standard straight-line passes, diagonal passes, short passes, direct long passes, diagonal long passes, back passes, aerial passes, ground passes, and more unconventional techniques like rabona passes, Marseille turn passes, behind-the-back passes, and rainbow chip passes.
(Rainbow chip passes are different from rainbow flicks—one is a passing technique, while the other is a dribbling skill.)
A chip pass was both a basic move and an advanced passing technique.
Take Albert, for example—his signature move was dribbling through the middle and then suddenly using a toe-chip pass to play the ball behind the opposition's fullback.
In the first half, he executed it flawlessly multiple times.
Football isn't won solely by top-tier skills.
What matters is knowing when to use simple techniques to create magic.
The mechanics of a chip pass were simple enough for beginners—just flick the ball off your toes into the target area.
The advantage of a chip pass was that it wasn't too fast, making it easier to drop the ball behind a defender while ensuring a precise landing. With little to no spin, teammates could control it more easily.
However, executing it well required:
Strong thigh muscles Explosive power Ball control and feel
The "passing" attribute in his system stats would also enhance the effect of the Rainbow Chip Pass.
But above all, game intelligence was key.
Knowing when to use a chip pass was what truly mattered.
With this skill in hand, Gu Ran didn't hesitate—he immediately turned and sprinted toward his teammates.
The entire Bucks Ironhorns squad followed his lead, cupping their ears in unison, taunting the entire stadium!
The Manchester school students lost their minds.
The stadium was on the verge of chaos.
The Pirate Ship coach furiously complained to the referee about time-wasting.
The referee blew his whistle, warning the Bucks Ironhorn players to resume play immediately.
Taking advantage of the stoppage, the Pirate Ship team made three substitutions in one go—switching out an underperforming center-back, a right winger who couldn't keep up with Gu Ran's speed, and a midfielder.
In their place, a new center-back, a faster right winger, and another midfielder stepped onto the pitch.
Their formation shifted from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3.
It was clear—in the final minutes, the Pirate Ship was going all-in on attack.
They absolutely refused to let three points slip from their grasp.
Albert, their captain and midfield core, was pushed forward into the striker role.
Their strategy changed from playing through the middle to "wing overload"—bombing crosses into the box with three forwards competing for headers.
It might look crude and unrefined, relying solely on long balls and aerial duels, but it was often the most effective.
On the sidelines, the fourth official held up the stoppage time board—
5 minutes added.
Including the remaining 3 minutes of regulation time, only 8 minutes remained in this increasingly intense group-stage match.
The Pirate Ship team launched an all-out assault.
Right from the restart, they sent a long ball to the flank.
This time, they targeted Flower's right side.
"Get back! Get back!" Coach Carter shouted anxiously. "Watergate, drop back! Cover the right flank!"
Watergate immediately sprinted back from the front line to help defend the right.
The Pirate Ship's fullbacks pushed high, while their three midfielders and three forwards all crashed the box.
The Bucks Ironhorns retreated en masse, with Blind and Flower combining to force the ball out for a throw-in.
After the restart, the Pirate Ship team persisted, hammering the right flank.
Defenders Rusty and Painter shifted toward the right side of the penalty area to help.
Gu Ran repositioned himself in the center of the box, keeping parallel with Rusty.
Albert forced his way toward the penalty spot, and Gu Ran closely tracked him.
Albert tried to shove Gu Ran away, but Gu Ran's superior stamina and strength made him immovable.
After several shoves, Albert couldn't budge him.
Gu Ran didn't need to physically wrestle with him—just staying close was enough.
At that moment, the Pirate Ship's right winger finally broke through and sent a cross into the box!
It was clearly aimed at Albert, their aerial target.
Albert moved to attack the ball, but—BAM!
Gu Ran suddenly planted his body and locked Albert in place, stopping him dead in his tracks!
Another Pirate Ship forward charged in from the far post, looking to pounce!
But Watergate rushed back, blocking his run!
Their goalkeeper, T-Rex, let out a deafening roar, charging forward and grabbing the ball out of the air before anyone could get to it!
The Pirate Ship's attack was ferocious, but the Bucks Ironhorns had neutralized the danger.
As soon as T-Rex secured the ball, Gu Ran took off, sprinting toward the empty midfield!
"YEAHHHH!!!"
T-Rex clenched the ball to his chest, roaring in excitement.
This was one of his few clean catches all game.
But he was too caught up celebrating to realize—
Gu Ran had already initiated a counterattack!
Not just T-Rex—none of the Bucks Ironhorn players had noticed Gu Ran's movement.
They were too busy celebrating the save.
This was both a lack of team chemistry and a flaw in their overall awareness.
On the sideline, Coach Carter exploded.
"T-REX! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! DIG UP MY GRANDMOTHER WHILE YOU'RE AT IT!"
T-Rex snapped out of it and hurriedly threw the ball toward Gu Ran's direction—
But… it was too late.
Before Gu Ran could even turn to receive, Albert had already cut off the passing lane, lunging in with a full-stretch interception, poking the ball to his right-back.
The Bucks Ironhorns had just defended their goal, but now they were under siege again.
This time, the danger was even worse than before.
Gu Ran had sprinted too far forward for the counterattack—
And now, their entire left flank was wide open!
The Pirate Ship's right-back sprinted past the halfway line, charging into an empty left-wing.
The newly-subbed right winger ran alongside him for support.
And the most dangerous threat—Albert—was cutting straight into the penalty area.
This was Pirate Ship's golden opportunity.
The Manchester school crowd erupted.
The fans screamed their lungs out in support.
Bread scrambled to cover the left flank.
The Pirate Ship right-back continued his unstoppable charge, nearing the final third.
At this distance, he could either link up with the winger for a one-two—
Or send a diagonal cross into the box.
As he weighed his options, a red-and-white blur came surging from the inside lane—
Gu Ran.