The God of Football starts with passive skills

Chapter 20 He plays football like Owen!

As more and more fans gather on domestic football forums and their desire to watch live matches grows stronger, Wang Shuo, far away in Mainz, Germany, is suffering from Klopp's mistreatment.

Abuse!

This is the feedback from Mainz's first-team players on Klopp's training.

The intensity is just too high!

Many first-team players who compete with Wang Shuo were initially watching with a detached, expectant attitude, hoping to see this U19 rookie get thoroughly thrashed by Klopp's training.

The best course of action would be to run back to U19 while crying.

The result disappointed them.

Wang Shuo not only adapted to the training intensity of the first team, but also performed better and better.

Especially in the second week, after playing against Frankfurt U19.

Surprisingly, Wang Shuo discovered some new skills.

So far, Wang Shuo has unlocked three passive skills: regional-level [Breathing], professional-level [Insight], and professional-level [Swiftness].

Klopp's training intensity is indeed very high, even higher than the actual matches in the German U19 league.

Especially as a striker, Wang Shuo will be facing the strongest defensive line in the 2. Bundesliga, consisting of Marko Rose, Nowitzki, Subotic, and Tim Hoglund.

According to Klopp's own assessment, this defensive line is highly competitive, not only in the 2. Bundesliga but also in the Bundesliga.

Facing such a defensive line, even in training, the pressure Wang Shuo endures is incomparable to that of the U19 league.

It was under this immense pressure that Wang Shuo exposed even more problems.

But it also extracted more potential.

As Wang Shuo became more familiar with and mastered [Swiftness], he noticed that his teammates and opponents were moving slower, both in training and in U19 matches.

At first, he thought it was his imagination.

After he got used to it, especially during casual conversations with Subotic, he was surprised to find that it wasn't the people around him who had slowed down.

Instead, he became faster!

When the opponent slows down, he speeds up both the frequency of his technical movements and the number of shots.

It might only be a fraction of a second faster, but that can be fatal on the court.

Isn't there a saying that goes like this?

On the football field, all dribbling relies on changes in rhythm.

The change in rhythm actually relies on the frequency of movement.

The faster the frequency, the more changes occur.

After Wang Shuo mastered this move, it was indeed very effective at first, giving his teammates on the back line a lot of headaches.

However, as professional players, Nowitzki and Subotic quickly adjusted their strategies and began to target Wang Shuo's weaknesses.

He is relatively thin, lacks physical strength, and his technique is not refined enough.

Having found Wang Shuo's weakness, Subotic began to dominate him.

During a break from training, the center-back, who was also a young player, told Wang Shuo that the defensive players in the German second division were far more experienced than the U19 rookies.

"If you want to establish yourself in the 2. Bundesliga, you need to find a playing style that suits you and plays to your strengths while avoiding your weaknesses."

So Wang Shuo started thinking about it again.

Given his current condition, it is not suitable for him to directly increase the intensity and physical confrontation.

A distant source of water cannot quench a nearby fire.

Wang Shuo wanted to combine the three passive skills.

Through regional-level "Breathing," he can move over a wide area; through "Insight," he can accurately judge the situation on the field and capture the weaknesses and gaps in the opponent's defense.

Once he moves into open space, he can create some distance between himself and the defender, avoiding close-quarters combat.

At this point, [Swiftness] combined with his inherent speed and explosive power advantages can create the greatest threat.

More importantly, even if the defenders know this, there's nothing they can do about it.

Either let him run into open space to receive the ball, but once he receives the ball, he could very well pose a threat.

If you want to defend against him, you have to follow him.

Wang Shuo is 1.8 meters tall and has the regional-level "Breathing" buff. German defenders are often over 1.9 meters tall. Even if they can keep up with Wang Shuo at the beginning, what about in the long run?

This is actually the same principle as Chelsea's striker Didier Drogba.

Are the Ivorians merely physically strong?
No, his running range is also very large, and he wears down the defenders every moment of the game.

After figuring this out, Wang Shuo immediately performed even better in the first team's training.

In addition, Klopp consciously wanted to test him, always placing him in a different group from the main defensive line.

Each time they faced off in a group match, Nowitzki, Subotic, and others were thoroughly exhausted.

While some might say he plays cautiously, he immediately becomes more aggressive than anyone else when the ball is pressed forward in the attacking third.

They fight like they're risking their lives when they grab something.

Once his team gets the ball, he starts dodging the defenders...

Klopp's training intensity is inherently high.

Defending against Wang Shuo nearly drove Nowitzki and Subotic to the brink of collapse.

……

Wang Shuo's performance naturally caught the attention of the coaching staff on the sidelines, especially Klopp and Buvac.

"This kid is very smart, and he has improved very quickly since joining the first team."

Buvac has a very good impression of the young Chinese player, and his evaluation of him is getting higher and higher.

Of the players promoted from the second team and U19 this week, Wang Shuo performed the best.

Most of the other players are unable to keep up with the training pace of the first team.

It's easy to imagine that the situation will only get worse in the German second division.

André Schürrle performed well, but not as well as Wang Shuo.

"Peter, what do you think?" Klopp asked the other person.

Peter Kravitz, 36, is also a former Mainz player, but he is not a coach; he is a scout and analyst.

His task was to provide Klopp with more analysis of matches and players.

"This kid has figured it out. This style of play suits him best, and it reminds me of someone."

"Who?"

Michael Irving.

Klopp and Buvac both frowned.

He was one of the most famous and talented strikers in European football. When he first debuted, he was incredibly outstanding.

But... he's English!
"Everyone was drawn to Owen's speed, but in reality, when Owen first started out, his off-the-ball movement was his most lethal weapon, and Liverpool's tactics at the time also gave him room to perform."

Liverpool's strategy at the time was basically to retreat into a defensive formation, leaving space in the attacking third.

Irving, on the other hand, uses his off-the-ball movement to find gaps in the opponent's defense. After creating distance from the defender, he either drops back to receive the ball and rushes forward, or he breaks the offside trap.

Now that you mention it, Wang Shuo and Irving do look quite alike.

“Then we need to step back a bit and leave more space in front,” Buvac suggested.

Mainz's best style of play is still high-pressing and pressure.

But if you suppress your opponent, wouldn't that be the same as forcing Wang Shuo to engage in close-quarters combat with the defender?

“Personally, I don’t think Borja is a good partner. He’s the kind of pure South American striker who is good at scoring, but his teamwork isn’t good enough. Wang Shuo is too young,” Peter Kravitz suggested.

Now it's up to Klopp to decide.

If you want Wang Shuo's movement and coverage, then don't use Borja.

Conversely, if Borja wants to score, then Wang Shuo is not suitable to play.

Of course, judging from the current situation, Wang Shuo's scoring efficiency in the U19 league is also quite high.

“Amri’s form has been rather poor lately,” Klopp sighed, frowning.

On the left, Feulner; on the right, Amri—these were Mainz's core weapons that allowed them to dominate in the first half of the season.

Both players have good speed and dribbling skills, as well as good passing ability.

Interestingly, the problems of Mainz's first team and U19 team are almost exactly the same.

The problem lies in the lack of a midfielder skilled in passing and playmaking. If the midfield had an excellent passer, and the attacking areas were given more space to run, Wang Shuo might actually be able to replicate Owen's lightning-fast performance at Liverpool.

“Let’s use Baljak,” Buvac suggested.

“He is 29 years old now. He has played for so many teams and in so many leagues throughout his career, including the Japanese J-League. He is very adaptable and can cooperate with anyone.”

Baljak's somewhat easygoing personality resulted in him lacking a fierce edge on the field.

Just like Wang Shuo.

Be ruthless to your enemies, and even ruthless to yourself!

But it is precisely because of this personality that Baljak can get along with anyone.

Klopp was actually quite troubled by his partnership with Borja.

Neither player was particularly aggressive in pressing or tackling in the attacking third.

But now we have Wang Shuo, right?

"Let's adjust our tactics a bit. Feulner will drop back slightly, Calhanoglu will move to the right, and we'll open up the attacking third for Wang Shuo to make plays, with Baljak providing support."

Buvac's words made Klopp's eyes light up.

A proper retreat of the overall formation is beneficial for consolidating the defensive line.

The only remaining question is now about Wang Shuo.

"I hope this kid won't let us down!" Klopp muttered to himself.

It's a big gamble.

He didn't know what to do.

After all, betting on a 17-year-old boy is indeed a bit too risky.

But now that they've played in the 2. Bundesliga, Mainz has been pushed to the brink.

We cannot afford to lose a single one of the final six matches.

At such a crucial moment, almost all the loaned players proved unreliable.

Klopp has received word that striker Boyakje has decided to return to Wolfsburg.

The team's leading scorer, Borja, is also preparing to return to Olympiacos.

Wellington, who were on loan from Grêmio in Brazil, are also preparing to return home.

This is human nature.

They were only on loan to play for a year.

At times like these, you still have to rely on your own family!
Fortunately, in the 29th round of the 2. Bundesliga, Mainz will host Paderborn, who are currently at the bottom of the 2. Bundesliga.

Winning this match shouldn't be a problem.

Klopp decided to give Wang Shuo a try, and if it didn't work out, he would make a substitution in the second half.

……

The afternoon before the match, after training, Wang Shuo was called to Klopp's office.

The German coach, with a full beard, told Wang Shuo some good news.

"Your participation permit has finally been approved!"

Wang Shuo secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

I waited for two whole weeks.

Christian Heidel also tried many methods and pulled many strings to finally get it done.

"I'll put you in the starting lineup for tomorrow's match against Paderborn."

Starting lineup?

Wang Shuo was completely stunned.

Both he and Thomas Essien felt that he was more likely to come on as a substitute.

How did he end up in the starting lineup?

"You should know the current situation of the team, and we are determined to make some changes."

At this point, Klopp pointed to his two henchmen, Zelik Buvac and Peter Kravitz.

"We all feel that you are a player who can bring changes to our team, and we believe that you can help the team in the game."

Wang Shuo glanced at Klopp, then at Buvac and Kravitz, who were nodding and smiling at him, and couldn't help but feel excited.

What should I do?

"Your task is to compete just like you do in training, and bring out your strengths and advantages. We'll take care of the rest."

"Of course, most importantly, you must trust your teammates and work together. We have no way out!"

In the end, Klopp's eyes were fixed firmly on Wang Shuo.

Wang Shuo understood the head coach's meaning and was also aware of the team's current situation.

But this is precisely his opportunity.

He did not back down; he straightened his back and declared loudly, "I will do my best and will never let you down!"

After leaving the head coach's office, Wang Shuo did not reveal his whereabouts to anyone.

But at night, he stayed with the team, as was customary, at the hotel they were cooperating with.

Coincidentally, he shared a room with Subotic.

Both of them knew they would be starting tomorrow!
Subotic also shared a lot of experience from playing in the German second division with Wang Shuo.

Wang Shuo first called Thomas Essien to tell him the good news.

Then he made a phone call to Gao Huai-ren and Jiang Peng-ju in China.

Wang Shuo received praise and encouragement from Gao Huai-ren, as well as some experience playing in the German league.

Jiang Pengju told him that all the sports forums in China were currently discussing Wang Shuo.

"Some forums want to broadcast Bundesliga 2 matches online, and the number of fans who have signed up has exceeded 10,000."

"I'll tell everyone that you're confirmed to play, and it will definitely attract more fans."

Wang Shuo was surprised to find that Jiang Pengju, a provincial team coach, was also active on sports forums.

Since there was a domestic forum broadcasting the news, Wang Shuo thought of his parents and asked Jiang Pengju for help in finding a solution.

"This is simple, leave it to me."

Less than five minutes after Wang Shuo hung up on Jiang Pengju, a post appeared on a well-known domestic forum, quickly sparking discussion among forum users.

"Extra number! Extra number!"

"According to reliable firsthand intelligence from Germany, Wang Shuo's participation permit was approved this afternoon local time."

"Tomorrow, at 16:30 PM German time (22:30 PM Beijing time), he will play in the 29th round of the German Second Division!"

This post immediately sparked widespread sharing and discussion among netizens.

"Holy crap! That's awesome!"

"Go Wang Shuo!"

"Although it's only the German Second Division, it's a good start. Keep it up, Wang Shuo!"

"The hope of Chinese football!"

"Now all the pressure is on the forum. If we can't broadcast the live stream tomorrow night, the forum will definitely be torn apart by the fans' criticism!"

"Please rest assured, netizens, we have already contacted reliable broadcasting channels, and everyone will definitely be able to watch the game," the forum administrator immediately explained.

With the national football team currently in a slump, how long has it been since we've seen such a spectacle?

That's all traffic!
The forum has even finalized advertising sponsorships, which have cost a considerable amount of money.

"Forum administrator, your servers need an upgrade, please don't let them crash!"

"Yes, yes, don't let it affect our viewing of the game."

"Go for it, forum moderator! It's not easy for China to produce such a rising star. I'll even buy a membership if you guys stream."

“I can sponsor it.”

“I’m a student, but I can still buy a membership. At most, I’ll just eat less at each meal and treat it as a way to lose weight.”

"Go Wang Shuo!"

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(End of this chapter)