I Just Wanted to Play Soccer, But I Became a Hollywood Heartthrob

As the final moments of the match ticked away, the Pirate Ship team launched a relentless assault from both wings.

The Bucks Ironhorns defense collapsed into their own penalty area, throwing everything they had into a desperate stand.

Rusty, their center-back, delivered an outstanding performance, heading away three dangerous crosses that threatened their goal.

During stoppage time, the Pirate Ship team secured three throw-ins and two corners.

But despite their furious efforts, the Ironhorns' rock-solid defense and the Pirate Ship's own mistakes kept the scoreline unchanged.

Tension boiled over on the field—

The Pirate Ship players, on the verge of insanity, resorted to dirty tactics—shoving, pulling, kicking, and stepping on opponents whenever they could.

It nearly escalated into a full-on brawl several times, only for the referee to intervene just in time.

The Manchester school fans rained down boos, but—

Not at the Ironhorns.

They were furious at their own team.

What the hell were they watching?!

The Bucks Ironhorns were supposed to be the weakest team in Group E!

Before the season even started, half of their key players defected to other schools!

Yet here they were—

At Pirate Ship's home ground—

Coming back from 2-0 down and forcing a draw.

Hell, if not for a missed chance, they might've won 3-2!

This was a complete disgrace for the Pirate Ship team.

Before the match, their fans were boasting about a 5-1 win.

Now?

They had been completely humiliated.

The stoppage time had already passed 5 minutes, yet the referee still hadn't blown the final whistle.

On the sideline, Coach Carter lost it—pointing at his wristwatch, yelling—

"Referee! It's been almost SEVEN minutes! What is this, Ferguson time?! Are you just gonna keep playing until Pirate Ship scores?!"

The referee rolled his eyes at him.

At that moment—

Rusty cleared another high cross, sending it toward the left flank!

The ball was about to roll out of bounds—

Gu Ran sprinted after it—

Peeep—! Peeep—! PEEEP—!!!

The referee blew the final whistle!

Game over!

Gu Ran slowed down, exhaling in frustration.

The ref definitely bailed out Pirate Ship on this one.

If he had managed to reach that ball and launch a long pass into midfield, the final score might not have been 2-2.

But—

Gu Ran knew the truth.

There was no way he could have caught up to Rusty's clearance.

After 40 minutes of intense battle, his stamina was completely drained.

Originally, Gu Ran thought that hitting 60 points in stamina would be enough to last a full match.

But now?

That idea was laughable.

The physical intensity of England's National High School Championship was insane.

From the moment he stepped onto the pitch, Gu Ran had been running non-stop—

And the constant battles for possession made things even tougher.

This was nothing like street football back in China.

Hell, not even professional Chinese league matches were this intense.

Back home, football was all about preserving energy, with rich team owners playing walking football, casually strolling around the pitch.

But in England—

Even in high school amateur matches, there was no time to stand still.

Everyone was running, pressing, clashing—

Fighting for every inch of the pitch.

This new battlefield sent a rush of excitement through Gu Ran's veins!

In just 40 minutes, he had probably run more than he ever had in two full street matches back home!

And once the match stats came out, he'd be able to confirm it for sure.

One thing was clear—

Stamina was king.

From a scoreline perspective, it was just a draw.

But for Gu Ran's debut match?

It was an absolute success!

Not only did he steal a key skill from Pirate Ship's ace player,

He also initiated multiple attacks,

And played a direct role in both of his team's goals!

His chemistry with his teammates wasn't perfect yet—they still had moments of miscommunication—

But the team's overall strategy was starting to take shape.

Gu Ran found himself respecting Coach Carter.

For a low-ranked team, Carter completely controlled the locker room.

He knew exactly what kind of team he had, and played to their strengths.

His defensive strategy in the first half set up the surprise tactical switch in the second half.

From a tactical standpoint—

The Ironhorns were far superior to the Pirate Ship team.

And this was just the first match of Group E.

There were two more to go!

Gu Ran couldn't wait to see what Carter would pull off next!

A fresh wave of determination surged through him.

He was ready for war.

At that moment, the stadium announcer reluctantly called out the final result—

Pirate Ship 2 - 2 Bucks Ironhorns.

The Pirate Ship players dragged themselves off the pitch, heads hanging in shame.

Meanwhile—

The Ironhorns celebrated—players hugging and cheering.

They had just stolen a point on the road against a stronger team.

For Pirate Ship, this was devastating.

If they couldn't secure all three points against a weak fourth-seed team,

Then their next two matches would be must-wins just to qualify.

They were in deep trouble.

As the players left the field,

The Manchester school fans hurled bottles, notebooks, and trash onto the pitch in frustration.

Some rebellious students even clapped and cheered for the Ironhorns.

What a football culture.

Here, if you played well, the fans worshipped you.

If you disgraced them, they'd form a mob and bury you alive.

Gu Ran chuckled to himself as he walked toward the locker room.

This match might not have been a professional debut, but it was still his first official football match.

A draw wasn't the worst result,

But considering the second-half score was 2-0,

Gu Ran considered his performance a win.

His only regret—

His stamina wasn't good enough.

If he had a bit more in the tank,

He could've created even more chances.

He could've truly carried the Ironhorns to victory.

This was only the beginning.

A small step toward the peak of world football.

He had to keep pushing.

He needed to improve his stamina.

He needed to train with his teammates—

Improve their chemistry.

But…

How was he supposed to ask them for extra practice?

As he pondered,

Watergate suddenly wrapped an arm around his shoulder, grinning—

"Hey, Gu! You played great today. I think our chemistry is really special. Don't you agree?"

Well…

That's probably because I stole your one-two passing skill, Gu Ran thought.

Clearing his throat, he replied—

"Huh? You think so?"

Watergate snickered—

"Don't play dumb! You felt it too! Every time we pulled off a one-two, it felt amazing! Pure euphoria!"

…

The hell, man.

Could you not phrase it like that?

Gu Ran instinctively put some distance between them.

Watergate grinned wider—

"But I think we can make it even better."

"You free tomorrow afternoon? Let's… pair up and train together for an hour."

(To be continued.)