Title: Soccer: From the Start, One Kick Sends Gao Tawei Flying
Main plot and highlights:
Gu Xingzhi, a lecturer in football theory at a modern sports university, unexpectedly transmigrates to an alternate dynasty reminiscent of the Song era, where he becomes a down-and-out scholar. In this world, a sport called cuju is wildly popular across the country, but its rules are a mess. It is rife with violence and has become a toy for the powerful.
Forced onto the field to make a living, Gu Xingzhi is stunned to discover that his knowledge of modern football tactics, sports science, and team management is practically a divine skill in this era.
Highlights: The protagonist combines The Art of War with modern football tactics such as tiki-taka and high pressing, creating a new style called “Art of War cuju.” He forms a grassroots team of commoners, including a butcher, a thief, and a bookkeeper. Using outlandish tactics and formations, they rise from street games to the royal league, repeatedly pulling off face-slapping upsets against stronger opponents. At its heart, the story is about using modern sports thinking to overwhelm ancient competition. The ride is outrageous and packed with satisfying moments. In the end, cuju earns the protagonist wealth and fame, and quietly changes the fate of the entire dynasty.
Tags:
Characters: A calculating strategist vs. a bold, spirited landlady
Plot: Transmigrate, comeback, play the pig to eat the tiger, wish-fulfillment, comedy
Era: Ancient
Genre: Sports
