The God of Football starts with passive skills

Chapter 32 The Most Crucial Person
Christopher Daum was a legendary coach in German football during the 90s that could not be ignored.

Under his leadership, Stuttgart won the Bundesliga title with astonishing momentum.

This made Daum famous overnight.

He took over Bayer Leverkusen in 96 and transformed the team into one of the strongest teams in the Bundesliga at the time.

After Euro 2000, Daum even almost took over the German national team.

Before taking charge of the German national team, Bayern Munich's general manager, Uli Hoeneß, suddenly made a public accusation that Daum had been using drugs for a long time. Although Daum repeatedly denied it, a hair test two weeks later came back positive.

Daum resigned from Bayer Leverkusen and went to Türkiye to coach Besiktas.

He didn't return to Germany until the end of November 2006 to coach Cologne for the second time.

With the strong support of Michael Meier, the general manager of Cologne, Daum launched a vigorous reform in Cologne.

The biggest move was leveraging the Cologne Sports Academy to recruit various talents and establish a data analysis department in Cologne.

Two things are enough to prove Daum’s emphasis on data analysis.

Florian Cornedes, head of the data analytics department, has been given a significant responsibility, simultaneously overseeing the analytics, scouting, sports science, and coordination departments.

In addition, Daum arranged for his 21-year-old son, Marcel Daum, to study and work under Cornedes.

It was under Daum's coaching that Cologne demonstrated impressive competitiveness in the 2. Bundesliga this season.

They have now overtaken Hoffenheim and are ranked second in the 2. Bundesliga.

The only remaining obstacle between Cologne and the Bundesliga is their opponent in the 33rd round, Mainz.

Interestingly, Daum of Cologne and Klopp of Mainz are both the strongest contenders for the managerial position of Borussia Dortmund, a Bundesliga powerhouse, and it's a two-way race.

Therefore, the 33rd round of the 2. Bundesliga is not just a simple match, whether it's against Daum or Cologne.

The morning after the 32nd round of the 2. Bundesliga, Daum held a debriefing meeting in his office.

Those attending this meeting were mostly Daum's most trusted core advisors.

Roland Koch, his assistant coach who has followed him for many years.

Cornedes and his son Marcel Daum from the data analytics department.

"In the 31st round of matches, Fiat drew 0-0 with Osnabrück away from home, which basically means they are out of the competition."

"Freiburg, playing at home, conceded a goal to Offenbach in the 83rd minute and lost, so their chances of promotion are now only theoretical."

"Borussia Mönchengladbach won 3-0 at home, and it seems they have basically secured the title and Bundesliga qualification."

Konidez analyzed the current situation based on the results of yesterday's 32nd round of the 2. Bundesliga.

"The only remaining question is the two spots."

Mainz beat Wehen Wiesbaden 3-0.

Hoffenheim defeated Koblenz 3-1 at home.

"And then there's us, we beat Augsburg 3-1 away."

“现在三队的积分排名是，我们以57分排在第2，霍芬海姆是56分排在第3，美因茨是55分排在第4。”

Three teams are vying for two spots, with only a two-point difference in the standings.

Looking at the schedule, Hoffenheim has the best option.

Their next opponent is Offenbach, currently ranked 13th, and they have basically secured their place in the league.

The final round is a home game against Fiat.

Although Cologne is ranked second, they will play Mainz in the 33rd round.

When two tigers fight, one will surely be injured.

If the match ends in a draw, it would be like Hoffenheim getting a huge advantage for free.

Their final opponent is Kaiserslautern, playing away from home.

This team is currently ranked 15th.

It's clear that Kaiserslautern must defeat Cologne if they want to avoid relegation.

"The situation for promotion from the 2. Bundesliga is very complicated right now, and we can't afford to be complacent. Only by winning at home against Mainz can we be on the safe side," Konidez cautioned.

Everyone nodded in agreement after hearing this.

"Mainz has been in very good form recently, showing signs of a rebound, winning one game after another. In particular, that 17-year-old Chinese player, although he did not score yesterday, provided an assist, created a free kick in the attacking third that led to the goal, and also drew a red card and a yellow card from the opposing center-backs."

"This kid is improving very quickly, we have to pay attention," assistant coach Roland Koch warned.

Dom remained silent.

He listened to his assistants' analysis and opinions while also thinking on his own.

After the others had finished speaking, he turned to his son.

"Marcel, what do you think?"

It was obvious to everyone that Daum had always intended to groom his son.

Especially in data analysis capabilities.

Those present were all Daum's confidants, and Marcel Daum was used to his father's questioning.

"Klopp's coaching style has always been very aggressive, that's their characteristic, and this game will definitely be no exception."

"The young player should still start up front, but our defense is not bad either."

"Matip, Ozat, McKenna, Mohammed, I believe our defense can hold."

Dom glanced at his son and knew what was going on.

Actually, they're all rather vague.

The general direction is correct, but the details are lacking.

"In the next few days of training, Matip will play on the left wing and Ozart on the right wing. This will better limit Mainz's two flanks."

In Konides' analysis, Mainz's two wingers' preference for their weaker foot was highlighted.

Marvin Matip, who is of Cameroonian descent, is a right-footed player who can play as a center-back but also as a full-back.

The right-footed full-back on the left flank can effectively block Baljak, who has his weaker foot.

Dom's arrangement also had a backup plan, namely Ozart.

This Turkish player is someone Daum knew from his time coaching in Türkiye. He is 1.85 meters tall, a versatile player, and can play on the left, center, and right wing.

why?
Because he is proficient with both feet.

Although he plays more on the left wing, his dominant foot is actually his right foot.

Only those who know him very well know that his right foot is actually more powerful than his left.

Moreover, he is Cologne's assist leader this season.

Cologne's biggest asset this season is their two strikers.

Patrick Helmes and Slovenian international striker Milvoje Novakovic.

Both players are among the top three scorers in the 2. Bundesliga, and have performed exceptionally well.

In Daum's view, as long as they can withstand Mainz's relentless pressing, it's only a matter of time before the two forwards break through Mainz's goal. "In the next training session, Helmes will play the role of that 17-year-old kid to help McKenna, Mohammed, and others get used to it in advance."

"We must win this game no matter what!" Daum said with unwavering determination.

This is not just about getting promoted to the Bundesliga, but also about securing the managerial position at Borussia Dortmund!
Reports indicate that Borussia Dortmund has contacted Jürgen Klopp, but Klopp has responded that he will only consider Dortmund if Mainz fails to gain promotion.

For the proud Daum, he just wanted to use a victory to tell Dortmund: I am better than Klopp!

When the team led Stuttgart to the championship, Klopp was still playing somewhere.

As for the position of manager of Borussia Dortmund, Daum is determined to get it!

In his entire life, he hated three people the most.

Hoeneß, Heynckes, and Rehhagel.

In Germany, he only has a chance for revenge if he coaches a big team like Borussia Dortmund or Bayer Leverkusen!
……

While Christopher Daum and his assistants were analyzing Mainz, Klopp was having a meeting with all the players, including Zeliko Buvac and Peter Kravitz.

At the start of the meeting, video analyst Benjamin Weber first analyzed Cologne's performance this season using edited video footage to help players better understand the team.

Daum is a very passionate head coach.

Beckenbauer once praised him, saying he "possessed a passion that burned like a raging fire."

His coaching style is characterized by aggressive attacking play, maintaining the traditional German style of physical confrontation while emphasizing teamwork and cohesion. He also favors technically gifted players, especially Brazilian players.

Cologne is said to be playing a 4-4-2 formation, but in reality, it's more like a 4-3-1-2.

Four defenders, three defensive midfielders, a number 10 player, and two strikers.

In this tactic, the three defensive midfielders are highly mobile on both sides, able to move up and down the field and also drift to the flanks.

The number 10 attacking midfielder is Loda Antar, who is from Lebanon.

He is the first Asian player in history to score a hat-trick in a top European league.

Standing at 1.87 meters tall, his strengths lie in his versatility, and he excels at scoring from deep runs into the box.

The two forwards in the front line complement each other very well.

Novakovic is a 1.92-meter-tall, heavyweight striker with strong aerial ability, but also good footwork and a keen sense of goal. He is a formidable Eastern European center forward.

Helmes is 1.82 meters tall and has an excellent goal-scoring instinct and scoring ability, but he is better at positioning.

It is precisely because of the presence of these two center forwards, coupled with Antar's late runs from behind, that Cologne has performed exceptionally well in the 2. Bundesliga this season.

Mainz's two center-backs, Subotic and Noveski, are both tall center-backs over 1.9 meters.

Facing Novakovic might not pose too much of a problem, but what about facing the highly mobile Helmes?
Klopp emphasized this point.

"Daom is a highly flexible and targeted general."

"His 4-4-2 formation for Cologne is very strong on the flanks, thanks to their full-backs, especially Ozart, who is like Cologne's Gary Neville."

Wang Shuo sat below and listened very attentively.

Hearing Klopp say that, I was also thinking about it.

Novakovic and Helmes are indeed very complementary; one is like a tank, charging ahead, while the other fights guerrilla warfare around the perimeter.

It's really difficult to defend against them with two center-backs.

Because they are all extremely strong in one-on-one situations.

Especially for a team like Mainz with two tall center-backs, it is extremely difficult.

Then, what about three center-backs?
When defending, should we retreat to a five-man backline?
What about the midfield?
Don't forget, there's also Antal.

More importantly, once a five-man defense is deployed, Cologne's two full-backs, especially Ozart who is particularly good at attacking, are freed up.

When the ball is crossed from the wing, Cologne has three options in the middle: Novakovic, Helmes, and Antar.

Wang Shuo felt a headache and exhaustion just thinking about it.

The next issue is a trade-off.

Many teams choose to retreat and consolidate their defense when facing Cologne.

Klopp's Mainz couldn't do that, so he opted for an attacking style.

But while attacking, he gave Marco Rose, Hoglund, and Pekovic a lot of instructions.

When defending, the full-backs should pay attention to supporting the center-backs, who in turn should be wary of Antar's runs from behind.

The fun of football lies in its balance.

Cologne's attack is very strong.

But there are only 11 people on a football field.

A strong offense makes it easy for the defense to falter.

Wang Shuo's task was to identify and exploit the opponent's problems and weaknesses.

Whether it's the space created by the full-back's forward run or the space on the two flanks outside the penalty area.

"This game is the most important game of our season!"

"To return to the Bundesliga, we must defeat Cologne."

"Against a team like Cologne, defense is our top priority."

"Novakovic and Helmes are both in the top three of the scoring charts, not to mention Antar."

"If we can't hold on, we're doomed on the road!"

Everyone could feel the murderous intent in Klopp's tone.

More importantly, it's about determination!
"But simply holding on is far from enough; it's not enough to send us into the Bundesliga."

"We need to win, we need to get 3 points away from home!"

"Therefore, Wang, the outcome of this match, and the success or failure of our promotion campaign this season, depends on you the most crucial person for us!"

With Klopp's words, everyone's attention turned to Wang Shuo.

Everyone's gaze carries a different emotional tone.

Affirmation, support, sympathy, doubt, jealousy... and even hostility.

With the atmosphere already so heated, Wang Shuo stood up without hesitation.

"I will definitely break through Cologne's goal!"

Klopp was very satisfied with Wang Shuo's statement.

Whether it can be done or not, nobody knows.

But momentum is very important!

"So now all the pressure is on our midfielders and defenders."

Klopp made a rare move with his humor, and everyone laughed along.

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(End of this chapter)