That afternoon, Maël stayed at the training base for a long time, constantly practicing with his weaker foot, hoping to see it level up that day.
The recent schedule had been too tight, with 5 league games in 24 days. His body was very tired, and he had indeed been neglecting training lately.
"Swish, swish..."
He practiced until six in the evening when the sky suddenly darkened, and a light rain began to fall, affecting his training to some extent.
Fortunately, around seven o'clock, his left foot finally leveled up.
[Skill: Power Side Foot lv3]
[Proficiency: 1/2000]
[Effect: You have slowly mastered the technique of applying force with your left foot, and can sometimes kick powerful long passes and Long Shots that are not inferior to your dominant foot, but still lack some accuracy.]
Increased power!
"Bang! Bang!!"
Maël's feelings were obvious. He excitedly grabbed a few soccer balls and fired a few Cannon Shots towards the goal.
The speed of the soccer ball was very fast, possessing the quality to break through the goal of a professional team!
He then tried the feeling of Curved Shots and Crosses, which were still good. His left foot no longer felt awkward. At least in terms of applying force, he could be considered handy.
"lv4 must be about improving accuracy."
He had a guess and a smile appeared on his face. Now, his left foot could really be used.
In many scenarios, he no longer had to turn to his right foot to handle the ball, but could try to create some threats with his left foot! Even if it was not as good as his right foot, it was better than missing an attacking opportunity and slowing down the team's rhythm.
[Skill: Explosion lv3]
[Proficiency: (1598/2000)]
[Skill: Stamina lv2]
[Proficiency: (641/800)]
[Skill: Judgment of Situation lv3]
[Proficiency: (792/2000)]
Looking at the progress of the other three skills, the improvement in Speed had not met his expectations, which was related to the recent dense schedule.
But even so, it was still slightly faster than his weak side foot, probably because he used it more often.
"After this season, I need to do some high-intensity training for a while."
Maël was looking forward to the end of the season, not only anticipating the improvement of his abilities at that time, but also looking forward to their final results.
Walking towards home, he glanced at his phone. Safina had called many times again.
She was indeed very dedicated and not impatient, completing her work seriously every day, and her emotions were also very stable.
"If the final results are good, I can give her and Harry a gift to thank them for their contributions in the second half of the season."
Maël remembered seeing news that Ronaldo gave each member of his physiotherapy team a luxury car after winning the Ballon d'Or.
He didn't have that much money yet, and he hadn't won such a big honor, but he could give some small gifts like watches.
He also remembered his driver's license. He hadn't completed a driving lesson this month. Otherwise, it should have been out sooner.
He was indeed a bit busy. It might be May before he completed the required class hours and got his license.
"No rush."
Maël put the matter aside. Now he should concentrate on the final sprint, stabilize the promotion zone, and launch an attack on the championship.
Look forward, move forward! April 25th, EFL Championship Round 44.
"in this only one city l love,Back in 1889!!"
This was the third-to-last game. Sheffield United engaged in a fierce battle with Preston as guests away from home. More than four thousand traveling fans who came with them cheered them on with songs that resounded throughout the stadium.
Preston currently only had 40 points and were a relegation zone team. Although their strength was weak, they were definitely not easy to beat.
The fierce promotion contenders at the end of the season could only be described as the second most feared madmen by the mid-table teams. The most feared were the relegation teams fighting to keep their spots.
They were no longer just crazy; they were fighting for their lives.
"Ward passes the ball in! All of Preston's players are gathered in their penalty area, united in their determination to hold onto their 2-1 lead until the end!
"Winning against the second-ranked team on the league table would greatly boost their confidence in staying up. It all depends on whether they can hold on! Sheffield United hasn't given up! Maguire is also up there! Header! Hits Terrysi's foot! Bounces out of the penalty area!
"To the edge of the box! The ghostly Maël appears again, as if he had a premonition that the ball would come here, or did he observe this gap?"
On the field, the ball rolled out of the penalty area along the ground. Due to the recent rain, the slippery surface accelerated the ball's spin, making it difficult to control.
Maël glanced at the crowded penalty area. Several Preston players were already rushing towards him, leaping to block his shot.
"Bang!!"
He didn't choose a powerful shot or a Curved Shot. After observing a line on the ground, he tentatively used his instep to curve the ball around the defenders, aiming for the far corner of the goal.
The ball hugged the ground, moving quickly, creating a small arc, and scraping against the far post before rolling into the goal with a 'clang'.
"Aaah!!" The Sheffield United fans in the South Stand rose to their feet, instantly turning the South Stand into a sea of jubilation.
"Goal! In the 76th minute of the match! Maël's goal helps Sheffield United equalize!
"Two-two!! A ground-hugging curved shot! From this angle, we can clearly see the arc he created with his instep! It's unimaginable how he developed such a skill and uses it when shooting!"
After scoring, Maël simply pumped his fist in celebration, then quickly urged the nearest teammate to retrieve the ball from the net and run towards the center circle.
They sprinted together, side by side, returning to their own half as quickly as possible.
"Click, click!" Photographers on the sidelines captured this moment. Even if they didn't ultimately reverse the score, this photo became the cover image for many media outlets after the match.
In the photo, Maël's eyes were full of desire to win, his arms swinging high, his strides large, and his energy abundant.
If someone photoshopped the words 'Pursuit of Excellence' onto it, it could be used as a sports brand poster.
"38 goals and 27 assists! After successively breaking the goal-scoring record and the assist record, Maël leads Sheffield United in launching an assault on the final championship!" - London Evening Standard editor
At the same time, at Queen's Park Rangers' home stadium, Loftus Road Stadium, a great battle came to an end.
The scoreboard on the sidelines recorded the stark score: 1-2!
The home team first, the away team second.
Queen's Park Rangers lost a match at such a crucial moment! "Boo, boo, boo!" Boos enveloped Loftus Road Stadium, like angry waves threatening to engulf all of Queen's Park Rangers' players.
"Two games left, we'll stabilize!"
The team's head coach, Warnock, under pressure, walked around the field, personally explaining to the fans and asking for their support: "Believe in us, everyone must persevere together at this crucial moment, we need your cheers! I will bring the championship trophy to this stadium, definitely, definitely! I guarantee it to you!!"
In the commentary box, the Sky Sports commentator revealed a few smiles after checking the scores of the other two matches.
He adjusted his headset and said, "I don't know whether to say Warnock is lucky or unlucky, their rivals Sheffield United and Norwich both drew in this round of the league.
"The two teams didn't surpass them. Sheffield United came to a shared first place, but in terms of goal difference, they are slightly ahead! There's still a chance! Let's focus on the matches ahead, a great season is coming to an end!"
After speaking, he took a deep breath and looked through the reports of the other two matches, seeing many photos filled with a tense atmosphere.
Combined with the atmosphere inside the stadium today, he could deeply feel that the pressure on each team was increasing, and a moment of explosion was coming.
"1st: Sheffield United, 97 points (Goal Difference 104/57). 2nd: Queen's Park Rangers, 97 points (Goal Difference 82/46). 3rd: Norwich, 96 points (77/37)." - EFL Championship standings
Because the two teams had the same 97 points, the news of Sheffield United's first ascent to the top of the league table didn't receive much attention, nor did it dare Sheffield United fans to celebrate in advance.
Everyone was just extremely nervously anticipating their last two matches, suppressing their emotions, and waiting for the final result.
April 30th, EFL Championship Round 45.
The penultimate round of the season has finally arrived, and it is also the last match of the month.
After this round, the final showdown will take place in early May, when the season will end.
"Oh!!"
In Bramall Lane Stadium, the shouts were deafening, and the fans stood on their seats, arm in arm, jumping wildly.
The stadium shook violently, as if an earthquake was coming, as if a tsunami was sweeping through!
"Goooaaalll!! Absolute! Astonishing!! Maël scores his 39th goal of the season!!
"Sheffield United lead 3-0! They will win this match, no surprises!!"
Fine rain sprinkled the pitch, the raindrops clearly visible under the harsh floodlights. Looking down, a figure sprinted towards the edge of the field in the illuminated area.
He burst past the advertising boards and into the throng of fans, instantly causing a commotion.
"Maël!!"
"Great goal! Great goal!"
"We won!"
"Charge for the championship!!"
All the nearby fans surged towards him, countless hands reaching out to touch him, everyone was incredibly excited.
Once the celebrations ended and play restarted, the referee quickly blew three long whistles to signal the end: "Beep! Beep! Beep—!!"
They've won! Three-nil! "Oh! Oh! Oh!" The Sheffield United players lined up at the edge of the pitch, rhythmically raising and lowering their hands as they jumped and shouted, prompting the fans in the stands to dance along with their rhythm.
They celebrated their victory to the fullest, celebrating the team's points total exceeding 100! Before them, no team in the EFL Championship had ever broken 100 points; this was a new historical record!
"Maël!"
Gilbert stood next to Maël, forced to shout over the noise, smiling, "You told me before to ask if the team could win the championship, and now it seems like we really have a chance!"
Everything happened like a dream. If they won the last game, it seemed like they really had a chance to win the championship!
Gilbert hadn't imagined this before he came, nor in the middle of the season.
He thought Maël was the same, only recently having this idea, and after this round, the desire for the championship reached its peak! "There's always been hope."
Maël hooked his arm around Gilbert's shoulder, celebrating with him, "Next round, we're aiming for Queens Park Rangers!"
"Queens Park Rangers."
Gilbert knew they were their last-round opponents, and he had a strong impression of the team. "Do you remember when you first came, and we were at my place on Cherry Street, listening to the cheers from Bramall Lane to figure out who scored? That round, the team's opponent seemed to be Queens Park Rangers, but we've never played against them before."
Maël nodded to show he remembered, smiling slightly, "It's time to set up the artillery at their home ground and let them get to know you and me!"
The last few rounds of the season all kicked off simultaneously. Two minutes later, at The Den, Millwall's stadium, Norwich finished their battle with Millwall.
The score: one-all!
Another draw!
Norwich's coach, Neil, stood at the edge of the pitch, constantly clapping his hands to encourage the players, but beads of sweat had already appeared on his forehead, even though the weather wasn't that hot yet.
After two consecutive draws, the team only had 97 points, which obviously gave Sheffield United a good opportunity to widen the gap with Queens Park Rangers.
He called over an assistant coach, "Check, what's the situation with those two teams?"
"Sheffield United finished three-nil."
The assistant coach held his phone, his face heavy as he looked at the real-time scores, "Queens Park Rangers are leading Derby County two-nil, third minute of stoppage time, one minute left."
It's over, both of these teams are going to win, both are going to break 100 points. Neil felt a darkness in front of his eyes, suddenly feeling faint, almost falling forward.
He steadied himself, closing his eyes to buffer his body's overreaction, swaying, which was a little scary.
The assistant coach supported him, looking sad, "Direct promotion to the Premier League is basically only theoretically possible, but we still have to try our best in the last game, boss!
"If Sheffield United can beat Queens Park Rangers away in the last round of the league, and we can beat Cardiff City at home, we will take second place with a goal difference advantage! Follow this game, and leave everything else to God!"
Neil nodded helplessly, but didn't have much hope. Usually at this time, the first and second teams in the standings would play a tacit game, ending the match in a draw.
Without putting in much effort, they would get a win-win result, so why not?
Back in the locker room, Neil picked up his phone, went to Sheffield United's page, found Maël's stats, and smiled wryly after looking at them, "Leave the result to God, and the process to Maël, see if he wants to aim for 40 goals in the league."
"Beep! Beep! Beep—!"
Cardiff City Stadium, three long whistles sounded, announcing the end of the match.
Queens Park Rangers defeated the home team Cardiff City by a score of two-nil, preserving the team's hope of competing for the championship!
"Oh!!" Their traveling fans cheered. Even though the last round would be a final showdown-like closing battle with Sheffield United, winning was always good.
At least, they didn't directly hand the championship to Sheffield United in this round. Their goal difference was a disadvantage.
Warnock was excited, and he came to the fans' area again. This time, his words were full of confidence, "I said, I will definitely bring the championship trophy back to Loftus Road Stadium!! I will do it! In the last round, I hope everyone will cheer for the team with the most enthusiastic shouts! Don't be afraid of Sheffield United, we will take them down. This legendary season belongs to us, not them! Let the world sing the praises of Queen's Park Rangers! Let our name remain in EFL Championship history!"
A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted, and Warnock, imitating the players' celebration, gathered momentum, took a few steps, and punched the air, bringing everyone's emotions to a fever pitch.
After clapping for a while, he returned to the players' tunnel and headed towards the locker room.
To be honest, he was incredibly nervous at this moment. Deciding the EFL Championship champion in a single round of matches was too cruel. Moreover, the team's goal difference was behind Norwich in third place. If they lost to Sheffield United at home, there was a risk of falling out of the promotion zone.
But, having reached this point where it's either heaven or hell, what more could he complain about? Use everything he's learned, use the most fervent passion of his life, to face the next match!
If he wins, he'll be a hero!
ps: The last match, should be finished writing today, won't be too long.
These two chapters total 94k words, everyone must read them all, they are all the final foreshadowing.
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