The fans in the East who had stayed up to watch the match all let out a cry of shock.
Fans watching in the stadium might not have had the best angle, but those watching the broadcast saw it clearly through the slow-motion replay: the collision Leon took was absolutely not a light one.
Mexes and Lami both rushed over immediately to check on Leon's condition.
Leon's face had already taken one knock earlier in the match, and now it felt like the exact same spot had been hit again; just thinking about it was painful.
'That was close.'
Leon's heart stirred.
The sharp pain just now had been real.
It was only the [Iron Mask] that had blocked the injury.
After a good while, Leon was helped to his feet by Mexes and Lami together.
Seeing that Leon seemed to be all right, the two of them did not call for the medical team on the sideline.
"You okay?"
Mexes asked with concern.
"I'm fine."
Leon shook his head hard and found he was not dizzy at all.
This time there was not even a mild concussion.
A system product is always a quality product.
The [Iron Mask] offered Leon enormous protection.
For a goalkeeper, the face is actually one of the more vulnerable areas.
Because saving always involves diving to the ground.
If an attacking player is slow to pull their foot back, they can easily catch the goalkeeper in the face.
"That was close! Leon looks like he's fine!"
"If you ask me, Leon should just keep playing with the mask on; it looks cool and protects his face at the same time!"
"Agreed! When the [Black Knight] takes the field it's just brilliant!"
"Ha! Does anyone have a way to contact Leon? We should set up a supporters' club! The East has finally produced a real talent; we need to get behind him!"
"Great idea! Let's do it!"
The fans from the East were chatting away while watching the match, and the moment that came up, spirits instantly lifted.
"But who can actually get in touch with Leon?"
"If Leon himself said a few words, we wouldn't need anything else from him; it would give us so much more energy."
"Exactly! A sense of belonging matters! Imagine putting in all this effort only to find out Leon doesn't even acknowledge us."
"That's a fair point; it really could be tricky! A friend of mine in football circles said Leon didn't come through the East's football system, so there's barely any connection; I reckon only journalists from the major outlets could reach him."
"[Feng Fans], think of something!"
"Oh! [Feng Fans], I like that!"
"I can reach Leon!"
Su Jing, who had been scrolling through the forum at her computer, could not hold back and typed those words, then hit send.
A private message arrived almost immediately.
"Do you actually know Leon? This isn't a wind-up, is?"
The user with the handle [Buy Opposite to East Football, Seaside Villa] sent her a direct message.
"It's true!"
Su Jing thought for a moment, then sent over a photo: a picture of herself and Leon taken outside the Leoia ground.
"I know who you are now."
"You're Su Jing!"
"The media even stirred up something about you and Leon before!"
"Are you really Leon's girlfriend?"
[Buy Opposite to East Football, Seaside Villa] could not resist prying.
"No!"
"I'm a [Feng Fan]! His number one [Feng Fan]!"
Su Jing's cheeks went slightly red as she typed her reply quickly.
"Ha! Then we're starting the [Feng Fan Gathering Place] right now!"
Out on the pitch, the referee came over, checked on Leon, and signalled for play to resume.
Leon had no idea that the [Feng Fan Gathering Place] dedicated entirely to him had, at that very moment, taken its first shape.
Playing football in a foreign land, he was not alone.
Behind him, fans from the East who truly loved the game were supporting him.
'The East has crushed me a thousand times, yet I return to it like a first love.'
That was probably the truest picture of so many fans from the East.
Why do they criticise so harshly?
Because the love runs so deep.
Totti moved to the corner flag and prepared to take the corner.
His powerful shot had just been kept out by Leon, and Totti could not help but take a longer look at him.
This goalkeeper from the East was not just hype; he genuinely had ability.
Inside the penalty area, Leon was organising the marking.
Roma's starting lineup for this match had no real aerial threat.
There were very few players standing above 1.85 metres.
So the aerial pressure on AC Milan was not especially heavy.
Leon swept a quick glance over Roma's players in the box and immediately identified Totti's delivery target: De Rossi, the best header of the ball in the side.
"Mexes! Lami! Leave De Rossi! I've got him!"
Leon called out quickly.
He was setting a trap.
Even if Totti had not planned to find De Rossi at the start, seeing De Rossi completely unmarked, he would deliver the ball there.
Totti did not think too much about it and, sure enough, picked out De Rossi precisely with an excellent delivery.
'I can't believe AC Milan's marking is this poor; nobody's come to deal with me!'
De Rossi thought, and decided not to hold back.
De Rossi leapt high and, completely unchallenged, threw his head at goal.
Hm?
De Rossi suddenly felt he had swung at nothing.
A tall figure had flashed past him.
Leon came off his line decisively, jumped, and claimed Totti's corner cleanly.
Sorry about that.
I read your read.
I set up your read.
After claiming the ball, Leon did not pause for a single instant and sprinted straight towards the edge of the penalty area.
"Danger! Get back! Get back!"
On the touchline, Rudi García immediately realised what AC Milan were about to do.
"Go!"
Leon bellowed at the edge of the box and launched a precise long-distance throw, rolling the ball perfectly to Torres' feet at the tip of the attack.
Before this match Leon had upgraded his [Throw Distribution] again.
Spending 100 system points, [Throw Distribution] went from 13 to 14.
47 system points remained.
With [Throw Distribution] at 14, he could now produce very accurate throws in situations without heavy pressure.
Because it had been a corner kick, the majority of Roma's players were still in AC Milan's half.
Only the two full-backs, Cole and Torosidis, had stayed deepest in Roma's half.
Torres drove forward 20 metres with the ball, and Menez and Suso, sprinting at full pace, came charging up in support.
AC Milan had created a local 3v2 situation.
A chance.
Torres did not try to do it all himself and immediately played it wide to Suso on the right.
Suso's decision-making on the ball was very composed.
He drew Torosidis towards him, then chipped a delicate through ball that put the ball right in front of Menez.
"Menez brings it down brilliantly, a gorgeous first touch!"
"He shoots!"
"Is it in?"
"Oh!"
"Strootman tracked back and slid in to clear it!"
"Strootman really is something; no wonder Roma's legendary defender, 'The King of Rome,' Aldair, agreed to lift the ban on his retired number six shirt!"
In the commentary booth back in the East, Jackson's voice surged with excitement.
In just the last few minutes, the attacking and defending from both sides had been played out at an extraordinarily high level and at a furious tempo.
This match, even measured across all five major leagues, was a contest of outstanding quality.
And in a contest of this quality, a player from the East was starting as captain.
I'm proud.
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