The God of Football starts with passive skills

Chapter 51: A Dramatic Comeback! A Hat Trick! Another Record Broken! Stay Calm, Wang Shuo's Commercial Value is Just That High!

"Holy crap, that damn brute!"

In front of the away team's coaching bench, Rangnick jumped up from his seat.

He gripped the back of his head tightly with both hands, his face showing a shocked and speechless expression.

"I specifically reminded him during halftime to watch out for yellow cards, to watch out for yellow cards!"

Rangnick felt an urge to punch someone.

Or, like Klopp, rush out and unleash a barrage of punches.

Fortunately, his glasses, which almost fell off his nose, reminded him.

Refined person, don't act impulsively!
“Wang Shuo’s movements were indeed too fast, putting a lot of pressure on Gustavo,” assistant coach Tomislav Marić defended.

He was a professional player who played in Japan before retiring at Hoffenheim and then joined Rangnick's coaching staff.

"That's no excuse; this isn't the first time he's done this!"

Although he was still making harsh remarks, Rangnick's tone had softened considerably.

Looking across the entire Bundesliga, who can say they feel no pressure when facing Wang Shuo?

But Gustavo's card-winning rate was indeed too high.

In the first 13 rounds of the Bundesliga, Gustavo received 6 yellow cards.

Please note that this does not include this match.

Strictly speaking, he got 6 yellow cards in 12 games, because he was suspended in the 11th round due to accumulating 5 yellow cards.

A 50% success rate is simply outrageous; it's like his grandfather opening the door for his outrageous grandmother.

“But you can’t deny that he’s really effective.” Another assistant coach, Peter Zeidler, stroked his bald head and smiled helplessly.

Rangnick shrugged, speechless.

This is where his biggest dilemma lies right now.

The Gustavo is really useful.

As a deep-lying midfielder, he is 1.87 meters tall, can run and tackle, covers a wide area, and is also particularly hardworking.

Every time he takes the field, he gives it his all.

As a Brazilian player, he has decent footwork and a very reliable passing ability.

This gives him the basic qualifications to become a top midfielder.

The only problem is that, like all Brazilian defenders, he has a serious problem with tactical awareness.

Moreover, their movements are rather rough, and they frequently commit fouls.

Therefore, his card-winning rate is very high.

Rangnick both loved and hated him.

I like and value his role in the midfield, but I'm also worried about him getting cards.

After getting cards early in the first half, he repeatedly reminded himself.

As a result, he committed another foul not long into the second half.

And it's a scissor kick!
Rangnick had a very bad feeling, but he still rushed to the sidelines immediately and shouted at the referee, Deniz Eitekin, "This is not a foul!"

"How could that be a foul?"

Such shouts, of course, could not escape Klopp's notice.

Uncle Beard was completely dumbfounded.

Holy crap, that was a scissor kick, and it's still a foul?

Are you blind?

Ralph, in terms of coaching ability, you are not as good as me, but when it comes to the ability to lie through your teeth, I am ashamed to admit that I am no match for you!
But who is Klopp?
He immediately raised his deep baritone voice and shouted towards the field, "That's a damn red card!!"

"Red card!"

"Ugly foul!"

"shameless!"

Klopp clearly directed that last sentence at the away team's coaching bench.

Upon hearing this, Rangnick immediately turned around and stared blankly at Klopp for a moment.

Damn, that's a personal attack, buddy.

But he quickly realized what was happening, seized the opportunity, and pointed at Klopp, "Who are you insulting?"

Klopp didn't expect Rangnick to react so strongly on the spot, but who is he?

He may look rugged, but he's actually very meticulous and not stupid at all.

He immediately realized that Rangnick was trying to distract the referee.

As long as you don't reveal your hand, there's always a way out.

"Are you being insulted, so what?"

Klopp immediately retorted, saying he would comfort him properly when they had dinner together after the match.

Immediately afterward, when Klopp saw Rangnick charging towards him, he immediately stepped back and pointed to the line in the coaching area, saying, "I'm warning you, don't cross the line!"

"Don't cross the line! Crossing the line is a serious problem!"

Rangnick hadn't expected Klopp to react so quickly, and could only stand at the edge of the command area, pointing at Klopp, speechless.

He simply couldn't bring himself to curse his best friend's mother on the spot.

Finally, referee Aytekin pulled out a yellow card!
He pulled out a red card after taking out a yellow card!
The entire Bruchweg Stadium erupted in cheers.

At this moment, Wang Shuo got up from the grass, clenched his fists tightly, and pounded the turf hard.

He quickly gathered all his teammates around him.

"We're down by two goals, but we still have a chance!"

"Fuck them!"

"Kill!!" everyone shouted in unison.

……

Rangnick may appear refined and gentle, but he is a very tough head coach at heart.

After a midfielder as formidable as Gustavo was sent off with a red card, he didn't even make a substitution, signaling everyone to continue the game.

Uh, no, he made some adjustments.

The original attacking trident consisted of Carlos Eduardo, Ibisevic, and Demba Ba.

After Gustavo was substituted, Carlos Eduardo returned to the center of the midfield.

Hoffenheim then switched to a 4-3-2 formation.

But in a top-of-the-table clash like the Bundesliga, how easy is it to maintain balance when you're down to one player?

Mainz quickly launched a major offensive.

In particular, Heller and Löw on the two flanks took turns pressing and attacking.

As a Hoffenheim player, Löw made significant contributions to the team's promotion to the Bundesliga.

But he has now lost his position and has been forced to move to Mainz.

Therefore, he was eager to prove his strength in front of his former team, especially Rangnick.

In the 67th minute, Löw, giving it his all, suddenly surged forward and successfully intercepted the ball from Janker near the halfway line.

After intercepting the ball, Löw promptly passed it to Feulner in the attacking half.

Mainz quickly organized a counterattack.

Feulner dribbled the ball forward from the left flank.

Wang Shuo was sandwiched between two Hoffenheim center-backs and couldn't get a pass from his teammates, so he could only keep charging forward.

But he kept looking back to observe his teammates' movements, constantly analyzing and deduce in his mind.

Especially when he saw that Feulner was interfered with by Weiss during the counterattack and passed the ball to Hainauer, Wang Shuo estimated the distance and immediately accelerated towards the penalty area.

Outside the arc zone, Hajnal received the ball and found himself in an unmarked open space.

He paused, adjusted, and unleashed a powerful shot.

Hajnal not only has excellent free kicks, but his long-range shots are also very impressive.

Especially this long-range shot, which was unaffected by any interference, was executed with a very high level of power and angle.

But Hoffenheim's goalkeeper, Daniel Haas, was very focused and made a decisive diving save, punching the ball away with one hand.

After the ball was hit, it didn't fly far; it remained in the edge of the penalty area.

Hoffenheim's German international center-back Marvin Compper was nearby and raised his foot to clear the ball.

But to his utter surprise, at that very moment, a slippery figure suddenly darted out from beside him, quickly circled around to his side, and raised its right foot.

The regional-level "speed" was fully demonstrated at this moment.

Marvin Compper, who is 1.85 meters tall, is not slow. He is known for his speed, agility and physical strength.

And it was the left foot.

Facing the goal, he wanted to kick the ball directly to his own left flank.

Even kicking it out of bounds is better than leaving it inside the penalty area.

So he went with the flow.

However, Wang Shuo's right foot was the first to arrive after the initial attack. He first met the falling football with his toe and gently flicked it high.

But Compper's clearance kick landed squarely on the sole of Wang Shuo's right boot.

Although he wasn't injured, it still affected his balance.

Fortunately, with the help of [Coordination], Wang Shuo only staggered for a moment, quickly regained his balance, and immediately launched his second kick.

The series of actions all happened in the blink of an eye.

When Wang Shuo unloaded the ball to his right front, Marvin Compper's left foot had just landed and he was still adjusting his center of gravity. How could he possibly have time to chase after Wang Shuo?

The whole process sounds long, but in reality, to everyone else, it was just Wang Shuo flicking the ball over Compper and the landing goalkeeper Haas in a very short time with two consecutive flicks.

The next moment, Wang Shuo quickly rushed to the right corner of the penalty area, caught up with the ball, swung his right foot, leaned to the side, and unleashed a powerful shot with an incredibly smooth motion.

The football, with lightning speed, crossed Hoffenheim's goal line and struck the net in an instant.

In that instant, more than 2 Mainz fans at Bruchweg Stadium rushed out of their seats and standing areas in a frenzy.

Before they could even make a sound, Wang Shuo braced himself with his hands on the ground and charged forward, quickly rushing into Hoffenheim's goal, grabbing the ball, and running towards the center line.

"Go back, all of you!" Wang Shuo shouted at his teammates.

"Get the game started!"

"Let's keep attacking!"

Amidst the cheers, the Mainz players, whether they heard him or not, all ran back after Wang Shuo.

By the time Hoffenheim's players recovered from the shock of conceding the goal, Mainz was already on high alert and ready to launch an attack!
……

Anyone who has played football will understand that team sports like this are all about momentum.

Go with the flow, and whatever you do will be right.

Just like the match between Mainz and Hoffenheim.

From the first half, and even into the start of the second half, Hoffenheim, relying on their own strength and Mainz's sluggish performance, firmly controlled the game.

Having gained the upper hand, they scored again and again.

Mainz had a very difficult time playing.

Gustavo's red card became the turning point of the match.

With one less player, morale was hit, and the balance of the game gradually shifted.

Mainz seized the opportunity.

Wang Shuo's goal allowed Mainz to take control of the game.

At this point, Mainz could threaten no matter how they played.

Just like in the 78th minute, it was the full-back pressing forward again.

Previously it was Löw, this time it's Heller on the right wing.

After intercepting the ball in midfield, he immediately tried to launch a counter-attack.

But Hoffenheim snatched it back.

The two sides went back and forth entangled.

Finally, Hainaul made a through pass from the right side of the center circle, finding the space behind Hoffenheim's unmarked left-back.

At that moment, André Schürrle, like a sharp arrow, broke through Hoffenheim's defense at lightning speed, caught up with Hajnal's pass, and entered Hoffenheim's penalty area from the right.

Center-back Marvin Compper immediately rushed out to block Schürrle.

Wang Shuo was running behind Marvin Compper, and deliberately lagged behind.

This way he can see Schürrle, and Schürrle can see him at any time.

The latter dribbled the ball relentlessly towards the penalty area.

Seeing that goalkeeper Haas and Marvin Compper had both retreated to the right side of the penalty area to defend, Wang Shuo raised his hand to ask for the ball.

Since Wang Shuo joined Mainz, the two have played together, trained together, and undergone special training together, developing a strong rapport.

Schürrle made a cross pass from behind Compper to Wang Shuo on the edge of the six-yard box.

After Wang Shuo caught up, he sent a right-footed shot into Hoffenheim's nearly empty goal.

2 is better than 2!

draw!

Goal!

"This is incredible!"

"Mainz scored two goals in quick succession, with Wang Shuo netting a brace!"

"This is the third time this season that he has scored two goals in the Bundesliga!"

But Mainz's attack continued.

After scoring, Wang Shuo still didn't run out to celebrate.

He quickly ran into Hoffenheim's goal, retrieved the ball, and ran back to his own half.

Mainz still seems unsatisfied.

"Wang Shuo kept urging his teammates to come back quickly and prepare to continue the attack."

"They are an incredibly tenacious team!"

"As we could hardly have imagined, with the Bundesliga now at the end of November, the top two teams are both newly promoted."

"And it's also very hard for us to imagine that the top three scorers in the Bundesliga top scorers list, who are far ahead of the rest of the Bundesliga, were all in the 2. Bundesliga last season!"

"Some say that this season's Bundesliga is like a chaotic world of war."

But heroes emerge in times of chaos!

"Players like Wang Shuo, Ibisevic, and Helmes emerged from the chaos of war!"

"Of course, this also includes renowned coaches like Klopp and Rangnick."

……

After Mainz equalized, Rangnick finally set aside his pride and began making substitutions.

He substituted Carlos Eduardo with 20-year-old Ghanaian international Isaac Worsa.

This is a signal to strengthen the defense.

Isaac Vosa is 1.92 meters tall and has the strong physique typical of African players, making him extremely strong in physical confrontations.

He is a center-back, but can also play as a defensive midfielder. However, his footwork is rather rough and his body is not agile enough, which puts him at a disadvantage when playing in midfield.

In the 83rd minute, Mainz made a tackle near the center circle kickoff point.

Veteran Calhanoglu gave it his all and tackled the ball away from Salihovic's feet.

After Pekovic received the ball, he was surrounded by Hoffenheim players.

He can't transmit it!

But just when Pekovic had nowhere to pass the ball, Wang Shuo suddenly ran back from the front.

He, who was originally at the very front, actually ran to the bottom of the center circle to receive the ball.

Pekovic didn't hesitate any longer and kicked out.

Wang Shuo was facing away from the direction of the attack, with Isaac Vosa to his left and Marvin Compper behind him. He was also surrounded by defenders to his right and in front of him.

He had absolutely no space to stop the ball and turn around.

But out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Hainaur, just beyond Isaac Vosa, outside the center circle.

With the combined benefits of "insight" and "foresight," Wang Shuo could visualize the current state of the game in his mind, and also deduce the possible actions of two or three players around him in the next moment.

There's a crack there!
"Taomash!"

As Wang Shuo shouted the message, he pushed the ball with the inside of his right foot towards the right side of the center circle.

The moment the pass was made, he clearly saw that everyone's attention, including Isaac Vosa's, was drawn to it.

Everyone felt that the ball was very close to them, and that they had a chance to reach it, which is why they paid attention to it.

But in reality, they had no chance to stop them at all.

After passing the ball, Wang Shuo immediately turned around, pushed forward with all his might, raised his right hand, and shouted again.

"Taomash!"

The two shouts were less than two seconds apart.

Many of Hoffenheim's defenders hadn't even realized what was happening before Wang Shuo had already turned and sprinted.

Hainaur had been working with Wang Shuo for about half a year and had long guessed Wang Shuo's intentions.

The Hungarian international didn't stop the ball; instead, he met Wang Shuo's pass by passing it back to Wang Shuo's front.

Marvin Compper's attention was also drawn to Wang Shuo's pass; he wanted to figure out where the ball was going.

This caused him to be a beat slow when he turned around.

When he turned around to catch up, he found that he was a step behind at the start, and then he remained slow.

He was even pulled further and further away by Wang Shuo, who was sprinting ahead.

Wang Shuo accelerated, getting faster and faster.

Hoffenheim's last defender is 20-year-old center-back Matthias Jaissle.

He was a key player in Hoffenheim's promotion to the top division last season and is also the young player that Rangnick admires and trusts the most.

But at this moment, facing Wang Shuo who was rushing in quickly, Yaisler was also somewhat panicked.

One on one!

When faced with the choice between marking the man and marking the ball, Jaissle chose to mark the man.

Although he was the last defender, he was mentally prepared to receive a red card.

Because he knew that once Wang Shuo charged through, it would be a one-on-one situation!

Once Hoffenheim concedes a goal, it will be virtually impossible for them to catch up with Mainz in the first half of the season.

But just as Wang Shuo rushed in front of Yaisler, he shifted slightly to the left and quickly stepped out with his left foot.

The young Hoffenheim center-back finally understood why so many established center-backs had been fooled by Wang Shuo.

Because he was just too fast!

Not only is it fast, but its movements are also exceptionally quick.

It's so fast that it doesn't give you any time to react rationally.

Defenders can only rely on instinctive reflexes to respond.

When I see him step to the left, I reflexively go to block him on the left.

But the next moment, Wang Shuo suddenly flicked the ball with the outside of his right foot, changing his entire direction to the right.

Another pendulum dribble!
By the time Jaissler realized his mistake and tried to adjust his position to block, he had already lost his balance, his feet slipped, and he lost his center of gravity, falling onto the field.

Another iconic fall!

Wang Shuo quickly caught up with the ball, rushed into Hoffenheim's penalty area, and facing the onrushing goalkeeper Haas, he poured all his strength into his right foot and unleashed a powerful shot.

The football sped past Haas and into Hoffenheim's goal.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"

Goal!

"They've won three straight!"

Mainz scored three goals in quick succession, completing a stunning comeback!

Wang Shuo clenched his fists, let out a roar, and turned to rush off the court.

He rushed to the sidelines, then to the front of the television camera, and roared at the camera.

At this moment, Wang Shuo's expression was somewhat ferocious, yet it made everyone feel an unprecedented wildness and passion.

Everyone who witnesses this scene will be moved by the emotions of this player, who is venting his frustration through gritted teeth.

That's the charm of football!

It's the magic of scoring goals!
……

"hat trick!!"

"The great Chinese player Wang Shuo has scored a magnificent hat-trick in the Bundesliga!!"

"My God, I can't believe my eyes!"

"In such a crucial match, our players stepped up and once again saved Mainz with a brilliant hat-trick!"

"We can't imagine how much effort Wang Shuo had to put in to achieve such success, or how much pressure he had to bear."

"But I was truly moved!"

"These are our Chinese players!"

"If all Chinese players could have the same courage, determination, and fighting spirit as Wang Shuo, then I would say that Chinese football will definitely be able to go global and qualify for the World Cup!"

While the broadcast was being broadcast live on Beijing TV, countless netizens left messages on various online sports forums.

The most frequent keyword was "touching".

Especially those fans who followed Wang Shuo all the way from the German second division to the Bundesliga. "This is his hat-trick in his first professional match in European football!"

"I never imagined it would be born in such a setting."

"He's really working incredibly hard!"

"I think Duan Xuan is absolutely right. If all our players were like Wang Shuo, then there would definitely still be hope for our football!"

"I really hope Wang Shuo can help Mainz win the championship; that would surely move countless people!"

"Hey upstairs, stop talking about such unrealistic things."

"Yes, for a team like Mainz to have lasted this long, they've really pushed themselves to the limit."

"Bild reports that Mainz will run out of money if they don't sell players during the winter break."

"It's too awful!"

"Based on Wang Shuo's performance this season, shouldn't he be leaving Mainz?"

"Many teams have their eyes on him, including some big clubs."

Will you go to Bayern Munich?

"I don't know. I heard that Bayern Munich isn't very sincere. They won't give me a starting position, promise me playing time, or raise my salary..."

"That's how it is with top teams. Haven't you heard the saying? Top teams are like ironclad fortresses, but star players come and go. They don't care at all."

……

This top-of-the-table clash in the Bundesliga ended with Mainz coming from behind to defeat Hoffenheim 3-2.

The moment the referee, Etaikin, blew his whistle, Wang Shuo clearly felt his legs trembling uncontrollably.

He really gave it his all!

But at this moment, he felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

Because the result was good!
The fans in the stands of Bruchweg Stadium were cheering, his teammates around him were cheering, and many people were shouting Wang Shuo's name.

But he really couldn't move.

I feel like I'm about to get a cramp.

"Great job, lad!"

As the referee, Aytaijin, picked up the match ball, he passed by Wang Shuo before leaving the field and greeted him with a smile.

"Thank you." Wang Shuo extended his hand to shake his.

"What happened? Are you injured?" Ai Taijin also noticed Wang Shuo's unusual condition.

All the referees are themselves athletes.

"I'm going to get a cramp." Wang Shuo laughed awkwardly.

Aitaijin immediately burst out laughing, but he quickly realized what was happening.

“You still need to be more careful. I’ve looked at your file before. So far this season, you’ve played every single league game for Mainz, only missing one German Cup match, and you’ve played the full 90 minutes in most of them.”

"To be honest, it's quite remarkable that we can maintain this level of attendance during the winter."

Wang Shuo nodded, "Thank you, I will be careful."

Aitejin was just a referee, and he only touched on things briefly.

As a football referee, he genuinely admires young players like Wang Shuo.

But when it comes to physical condition and how they play, they have to listen to the club and the head coach.

For a team like Mainz, after years of praying to the gods, they finally got a strong player like Wang Shuo, so why wouldn't they hurry up and cling to him?
The media often says that teams coached by Klopp are prone to injury crises.

But I didn't scold them much.

Industry professionals are even less likely to criticize.

Because there is no other way.

That's how small teams are.

Let alone Mainz, even Hoffenheim, under the 50+1 rule, no matter how rich their owners are, cannot invest as they please, and their squad is not strong.

So, despite the first half of the season, these two newly promoted teams have been doing very well.

But all professionals are well aware that this refers to the first half of the process.

In the second half, they found it difficult to replicate their first-half form.

In a protracted battle, the depth of a team's roster will ultimately come into play.

Teams like Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, VfL Wolfsburg, Schalke 04, and Bayer Leverkusen have truly deep pockets.

Players like Mainz and Hoffenheim rely on a single, consistent lineup to win every game.

After seeing Ai Taijin off, Wang Shuo reflected on it for a moment and realized that his attendance rate this season was indeed frighteningly high.

Even more outrageous is that he runs an average of more than 11 kilometers per game.

This truly shocked everyone.

But in winter, especially in Germany, when cold waves hit and temperatures drop, the players' physical exertion becomes even greater.

Wang Shuo is also starting to feel overwhelmed.

Especially today, after playing against Hoffenheim, he even felt like he was going to get cramps.

He had never felt this way since he acquired the God of Ball System and received the [Breathing] buff.

It seems that he's nearing his limit after this prolonged exertion.

They should be able to hold out until the winter break.

Wang Shuo thought to himself.

……

"Post-match summary: Gained 11 passive points."

"Currently has 45 passive points."

Upon receiving this message, Wang Shuo felt completely relieved.

Finally, I'm about to collect enough passive skill cards again.

But then, the Ball God System pushed out a second message.

"Congratulations on scoring a hat-trick against Hoffenheim, becoming the youngest player in Bundesliga history to achieve this feat. Reward: One regional-level passive skill card or 100 passive skill points. Please select..."

When Wang Shuo saw this message, his first reaction was to be stunned for a moment.

Are the rewards selectable?

But he reacted immediately.

The so-called regional passive skill card and 100 passive points seem to be the same.

However, regional-level passive skill cards can only be used to draw or upgrade passive skills, and the highest level they can reach is regional.

Passive values ​​can be used in a very flexible way.

If you exchange them for two passive skill cards, you can use them to upgrade, right?
Wang Shuo barely hesitated before choosing 100 passive points.

Upon entering the God of Football system and glancing at the personal attribute interface, I saw that my passive value had reached 145 points.

Wang Shuo immediately felt at ease.

Using war to sustain war, it really works!
While Wang Shuo was dealing with matters within the Ball God System, his teammates had already finished celebrating and returned to the sidelines.

Head coach Klopp led the players around to thank the Mainz fans who came to the stadium.

Another thing happened during that time.

The stadium announcer immediately broadcasted a major news story.

"In this match, 18-year-old Wang Shuo scored a hat-trick, helping Mainz come from behind to defeat Hoffenheim 3-2, and also setting a new record for the youngest hat-trick scorer in Bundesliga history!"

The entire Bruchweg Stadium erupted in deafening cheers!
All the fans present were in the stands, chanting Wang Shuo's name loudly.

Klopp, complying with the fans' request, brought Wang Shuo out again and had him walk around the field once more to interact with the fans.

The player whose record was broken by Wang Shuo was Walter Besitod.

He played for Eintracht Frankfurt in the 60s.

65/66赛季的德甲第13轮，法兰克福客场挑战诺伊基兴的比赛里，贝西托德上演了帽子戏法，当时他的年龄是18岁又3个月零26天。

But today, Wang Shuo achieved a hat trick. He was born on September 13th, and his record is 18 years, 2 months, and 9 days old.

They shortened the record by more than a month in one go.

This is actually quite remarkable.

According to the current regulations of the German Football Association, players under the age of 18 are not allowed to represent a team in professional matches.

The age limit for students from their own youth academies can be extended to 18 years old by the end of the season.

This means that to break this record, a player would almost need to score a hat-trick in their debut season.

How strong must this young man be?
Of course, because it was so difficult, the news spread rapidly throughout the German football world after the match.

They even quickly broke out of Germany and spread throughout European football and even the world.

This is a historic record for the four major leagues!

Its value is absolutely top-notch!
Mainz head coach Jürgen Klopp publicly supported Wang Shuo at the post-match press conference.

"He doesn't give me the impression of an 18-year-old at all; he seems more like a very mature player."

A German journalist immediately asked a question about the upcoming European Golden Boy award.

Klopp said with a smile, "I don't know who will ultimately win this award."

But stopping short of a point is not Uncle Beard's style.

Uncle Hu immediately changed the subject, "But I think that Wang Shuo has made 14 appearances in the Bundesliga this season and scored 15 goals. With such a record, regardless of whether he wins the Golden Boy award or not, in my mind he is the best!"

Klopp's words quickly spread through the media.

After the team disbanded, various news outlets emerged, mostly reporting on the incident.

German media also hope that a Bundesliga player can win this award.

Why?

The European Golden Boy award has been awarded five times so far. Apart from one time when Rafael van der Vaart of Ajax in the Dutch Eredivisie won it, the Premier League and La Liga each won two of the remaining four awards.

On the contrary, Italy, where the selection body Tuttosport is located, has yet to make an appearance.

Of course, this is also related to the fact that Italy has not produced any outstanding new talents in recent years.

Both Pato and Balotelli are very keen on this award.

However, both young players have encountered some problems in the new season.

Currently, it seems that Walcott of Arsenal, Anderson of Manchester United, and Bojan of Barcelona are the most likely candidates.

Atletico Madrid's Aguero?

He already received it last year.

I am still eligible this year and will participate in the selection, but I am unlikely to win an award.

This is a tacit, unspoken rule.

The same was true for Fabregas back then.

Looking at the Bundesliga today, its influence is declining, and it simply doesn't have any superstars with world-class influence.

Ribery?
He is indeed very strong, but at best he's only at the European level.

Therefore, the German media also very much hope that Wang Shuo can win this award.

At this crucial moment in the Golden Boy award selection, Wang Shuo's hat-trick not only helped Mainz reverse Hoffenheim and continue to lead the Bundesliga standings, but also gave the media a foothold to praise him.

There are fundamental principles to follow when it comes to creating stars!
As a result, after the 14th round of matches, major German media outlets all reported and publicized Wang Shuo's breaking of the historical record.

This also made Wang Shuo appear on the front page of media outlets such as Bild, Kicker, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung for the first time in history.

His name also spread rapidly around the world thanks to the influence of the German media.

……

After the 14th round of Bundesliga matches, Mainz came from behind to defeat Hoffenheim 3-2.

Wang Shuo has caught up with Ibisevic with 15 goals.

Embarrassingly, Wang Shuo still only ranks second on the top scorers list.

Because Ibisevic had 7 assists, while Wang Shuo only had 5.

Several other matches in this round also caught Wang Shuo's attention.

First and foremost is Bayern Munich.

The Bundesliga champions' performance this season has been somewhat unpredictable, sometimes malfunctioning and sometimes not.

This round is no exception.

They were ineffective for the first half hour and conceded the first goal to Cottbus at the Allianz Arena.

But they then scored four goals in quick succession, turning the tide against their opponents.

Wolfsburg defeated Stuttgart 4-1 at home, coming from behind to win after conceding an early goal.

Wolfsburg's four goals all came in the second half, with Grafite and Dzeko each scoring twice.

Wang Shuo still remembers how terrifying this two-center combination was, and now it seems they are gradually finding their form.

Werder Bremen, who defeated Mainz in the previous round, lost 1-2 to Hamburg away in this round.

As the selection for the European Golden Boy award draws ever closer, Wang Shuo is also feeling a sense of pressure.

After 14 rounds of matches, Mainz has 10 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses, earning 32 points and topping the standings.

Next up is Hoffenheim with 28 points.

Bayern also has 28 points, but they are ranked 3rd.

The reason is that Bayern Munich's goal difference was worse than Hoffenheim's.

Hoffenheim has scored the most goals so far this season, with 37 goals.

Mainz has scored 26 goals so far, which is less than Wolfsburg and Werder Bremen, two traditional powerhouses ranked 9th and 10th, respectively, both of whom have scored 32 goals.

Of those 26 goals, 15 were scored by Wang Shuo.

He also had 5 assists.

In other words, Wang Shuo alone orchestrated 20 of Mainz's goals.

Its importance is evident.

Bayern scored 33 goals, ranking 3rd in the Bundesliga, but conceded a whopping 21.

Hoffenheim conceded 20 goals.

Mainz conceded only 16 goals.

However, Schalke 04 has conceded the fewest goals in the Bundesliga so far this season, with only 13 goals conceded.

Rutten's team only scored 22 goals.

However, it's far from time for Mainz to be happy.

The 15th round is an away game against Hertha Berlin, currently ranked 4th in the Bundesliga.
In the 16th round, they will host Hamburg, who are currently 6th in the Bundesliga.

The last round of the first half of the season is against Bochum.

The first two rounds of matches were undoubtedly a major test for Mainz.

Especially as the season progressed, all the teams gradually began to find ways to counter Mainz.

Moreover, as winter approaches, temperatures in Germany are dropping lower and lower.

Mainz's form is getting colder and colder.

……

"Mainz and I have used all available resources."

“Bild, Kicker and Süddeutsche Zeitung have all said they will do their best to promote it, and the German Football Association and the German Football League have also clearly stated that they will provide support.”

When Wang Shuo returned to his rented apartment, his agent, Thomas Essien, was already waiting for him.

He needed to report the latest progress to Wang Shuo at any time.

"According to three media reports, your biggest competitor now comes from the Premier League."

"Walcott and Anderson?" Wang Shuo guessed.

Bojan really didn't have many opportunities under Guardiola.

"That's right. The British media is pushing it hard right now. You should know that South American players have an advantage in various award selections. Walcott is English, so he's also in demand."

Britain, that's the ancestor of paparazzi!
"However, don't worry, with your performance getting better and better recently, especially this record-breaking hat trick, I believe you will definitely receive widespread praise."

Thomas Essien didn't want to dampen Wang Shuo's enthusiasm either.

When it comes to selection, it's not just about performance on stage; the efforts made outside the stage are also very important.

If we only look at on-court performance, what do Walcott and Anderson have to compare with Wang Shuo?
But they're from a wealthy family!

How popular and influential is the Premier League right now?
These are all bonuses.

According to the rules, each ballot can select 5 people, and in order, the first to fifth people will receive 5 to 1 points respectively.

A total of 50 media outlets participated in the selection.

Add up all the scores and see who gets the highest total score.

Previously, Thomas Essien had predicted that if Wang Shuo were elected, it would be by a significant margin.

"There's another thing. Adidas contacted me and said they wanted to talk about renewing my contract."

"Renew the contract?"

Before Wang Shuo could react, Subotic and Schürrle, who were standing nearby, were already surprised.

"Didn't it just get signed?" Wang Shuo was also puzzled.

“They’re afraid we’ll terminate the contract,” Thomas Essien laughed.

Responsibilities and obligations are equal.

When Adidas signed the contract with Wang Shuo, it only paid him 10 euros in endorsement fees. So how much was Wang Shuo's contract worth?
With the 14 billion Chinese market at its core, why would any other sponsors be interested in Wang Shuo now?

What is this little bit of money to Nike, Puma, or even other sports brands?
At worst, we can just buy out the contract and be done with it!

Therefore, Adidas's offer to renew the contract was to increase Wang Shuo's sponsorship fee.

As sponsorship fees increase, so does the cost of terminating the contract.

"Their condition this time is that it's a global event."

Thomas Essien chuckled as he said this, "If you're willing to continue signing with Adidas, then I'll go talk to them."

This agent practically had "I want more money" written all over his face.

Not only will they pay more, but they'll probably also get a signing bonus.

"What do you think?" Wang Shuo asked with concern.

"Sign it. Your Chinese national team is also sponsored by Adidas now, and in the football field, Adidas does have better resources than Nike."

Wang Shuo nodded. "Then you can go and talk to them."

Subotic and Schürrle, standing to the side, looked on with obvious envy.

Comparing people like this is just ridiculous!
Why is Wang Shuo favored by Adidas?
Mainz has so many players, and their kit sponsor is Nike, but Adidas hasn't signed any of them.

Nike, the jersey sponsor, isn't involved either!

They're at the top of the Bundesliga standings, so how come they have absolutely no commercial value?

Before the two could even process the Adidas issue, Thomas Essien spoke up again.

"McDonald's and KFC have recently contacted me, as have Pepsi and Coca-Cola; they all want to partner with us."

"What?" Subotic and Schürrle were even more surprised.

Adidas is one thing, but why are McDonald's, KFC, Pepsi and Coca-Cola also coming to our door?

Isn't that a bit outrageous?
The two of them turned to look at Wang Shuo at the same time.

Is being handsome really that commercially valuable?
Thomas Essien remained calm in the face of the two rookies' overreaction.

Actually, he was quite surprised when he received the call.

He previously thought that with the backing of the Chinese market, Wang Shuo's commercial value would be quite high.

But to my utter surprise, it was this high.

"All four sponsors have said that they want to sign you regardless of whether you win the Golden Boy award or not."

Subotic and Schürrle were completely dumbfounded.

Second Austrian!

Are people really this eager to give away money?
"Of course, they hope to shoot a collaborative advertisement before Christmas and roll it out across China before the Spring Festival. They should also launch some customized fried chicken combos and the like then."

Professional athletes eating fried chicken, drinking cola, and eating French fries?

Upon hearing this, Wang Shuo frowned slightly. "Isn't this a bit unhealthy?"

He was referring to his own image.

"What's unhealthy about that? Messi and Ronaldo both do McDonald's and KFC ads, don't they? Which big-name superstar hasn't done Pepsi and Coca-Cola ads?"

Wang Shuo was relieved and nodded, "You make the arrangements, that's all the time I have."

"My personal suggestion is to maximize profits. McDonald's and Coca-Cola are strategic partners, and KFC is with Pepsi. If we cooperate with McDonald's, then we should choose Pepsi for the beverages, and vice versa."

Wang Shuo, Subotic, and Schürrle were all dumbfounded.

Can you still do this?
Then look at Thomas Essien's ecstatic expression; the words "I can't believe it" are written all over his forehead.

Profiteer!

But Wang Shuo felt that this was fine too.

He and Thomas Essien had known each other since they were both struggling, and he believed that Thomas Essien would not betray him.

Besides, he was the only player under Thomas Essien's command.

He only hurt himself, and it didn't do him any good either.

Wang Shuo didn't worry about business matters; he left them all to Thomas Essien.

He focused solely on playing football.

With the European Golden Boy award selection fast approaching, he must maintain his current form.

At the same time, he also hopes to help Mainz retain their position as league leaders.

Even if it's just the mid-season championship, it's already a miracle for a team like Mainz!
　Two updates today, please vote with your monthly tickets!!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)