The God of Football starts with passive skills

Chapter 52 A New Idol! A Complete Transformation! I Want to Become the Strongest Player in the World!

Wang Shuo originally thought that signing a contract with a Fortune 500 company would be a very complicated process.

Actually not.

Both parties went through the contract, mainly Wang Shuo's side, while Thomas Essien took the contract to a professional lawyer for review.

No problem, let's sign the preliminary agreement.

The whole process was very quick.

By the time Mainz was scheduled to travel to Berlin for their away game against Hertha Berlin, all the contracts had expired.

Therefore, the signing ceremony was held in Frankfurt.

There's nothing we can do; Mainz is just a small place.

Once the press release was issued, Frankfurt's reputation grew, and it gained an impressive image.

This time, Thomas Essien chose KFC and Coca-Cola.

He actually managed to negotiate the deal.

At first, Wang Shuo wondered when Thomas Essien had become so awesome.
Thomas Tuchel, a former German international, told Wang Shuo that this was standard procedure.

Just like how Nike sponsors Barcelona's jerseys, Adidas is desperate to sign Messi's boots.

One reason.

But for Mainz, this is truly unprecedented!
Such a small team usually struggles to even find sponsors for the front of their jerseys, so how could their players possibly get endorsements from big brands?

I'm lucky if I get invited to participate in some business activities occasionally.

But this time, Wang Shuo not only signed a contract, but also signed two contracts and renewed one.

Adidas has signed a global deal this time!

“It’s very simple. This proves that they are very optimistic about your future development, and they probably think that you have a good chance of winning the European Golden Boy award this time,” Thomas Tuchel analyzed.

"How so?" Wang Shuo asked, quite curious.

Thomas Tuchel looked at the young man in front of him. He didn't know much about European professional football, but his potential was truly enormous.

At least he had a very high opinion of Wang Shuo.

The key point is that he is very humble and eager to learn.

“Wang, you may have grown up in China and have different ideas from us, so I can’t imagine how you view this matter. But I want to tell you that giant brands like Adidas and Nike have a huge influence in the sports field around the world.”

“Adidas, in particular, has a very, very large influence in Europe, especially in football, from FIFA and UEFA down to the major leagues and lower leagues.

"Naturally, they will also be able to obtain more information that others do not know."

Wang Shuo nodded repeatedly.

If Tuchel's statement is true, then Adidas is currently informed that it has a very good chance of winning the European Golden Boy award.

This made Wang Shuo burst out laughing.

"Don't let your guard down, Wang. In matters like selection, everything is still subject to change until the results are announced."

Tuchel hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to go into more depth.

"We live in a world where capital is king, and everything has value."

"It's like when Bayern wanted to sign you, but Mainz didn't want to sell, not because they didn't want to sell, but because Bayern's offer wasn't high enough."

"Conversely, no player in Bayern Munich is untouchable. Ribery can be sold, Thomas Müller can be sold. For a top team, no one is indispensable; everyone has a price tag."

Tuchel lowered his voice as he said this, "The same goes for the Golden Boy award selection by Tuttosport, and for the votes held by various media outlets; they all have a price."

“When each media outlet votes, they are definitely considering their own perspective and interests.”

"For example, will the British media vote for you?"

The answer is yes.

"Why? Because they consider whether their readers and advertisers will feel they lack authority if they don't vote for you, which could negatively impact their sales and commercial value."

Wang Shuo suddenly realized that this was the reason Thomas Essien had told him to perform so hard.

Tuchel probably felt that it was inappropriate to explain such profound and cruel social truths to an 18-year-old, inexperienced young man.

He immediately changed the subject, forcing a smile, "In short, you don't need to worry about these things now. Relax, do your best to perform, and the better you perform, the more convincing you will be."

"In the future, you will find that the European Golden Boy award is not bad. At least if you perform well, you will have a chance to be nominated."

"Some awards are so prestigious that no matter how well you perform, you have no chance of being nominated. They are the exclusive property of elite teams!"

Wang Shuo had seen the news when he was in China and knew that Tuchel was referring to the European Golden Ball and the FIFA World Player of the Year awards.

The Ballon d'Or is actually quite prestigious, but it's also highly controversial.

Some even suspect that the transactions were conducted privately.

The FIFA World Player of the Year award is even more obvious.

Is there any way?
They have FIFA's endorsement.

This is also a set of rules!
……

That's why they say paparazzi are everywhere.

German media outlets immediately revealed that Wang Shuo had signed sponsorship contracts with KFC and Coca-Cola and renewed his global ambassadorship contract with Adidas.

Wang Shuo's sponsorship contract with KFC is worth a staggering 100 million euros.

Coca-Cola's sponsorship fee was also 100 million euros.

This immediately sparked heated discussions in the German media and spread rapidly.

Many media outlets have brought up Barcelona's Messi.

Before Messi won the European Golden Boy award in 2005, he had signed a global sponsorship contract with McDonald's, which was worth £56, or about €85 at the time.

But this time, Wang Shuo's sponsorship contract is worth a staggering 100 million euros.

And Messi hadn't signed with Pepsi back then.

Wang Shuo has now signed both contracts together.

What's even more surprising is that the media soon revealed that after Adidas signed Wang Shuo as its global ambassador, the annual sponsorship fee was 150 million euros.

With three contracts signed, Wang Shuo earns 350 million euros annually.

Is it too much?

Compared to top European stars and A-list celebrities, there aren't many.

The problem is that Wang Shuo is just a fledgling 18-year-old.

Bild analysis suggests that Wang Shuo, as the only Chinese player to have played in Europe and performed so well, with a chance to win the European Golden Boy award, is becoming a high-quality new idol for China!

This is inevitable.

It's just like when Hidetoshi Nakata was in Japan, or when Park Ji-sung was in South Korea.

But these are all small countries.

Now, almost everyone is certain that in 2008, China's GDP will surpass Germany's, ranking third in the world.

A country with 14 billion people has an astonishing amount of value.

In China, KFC has approximately 2500 stores, accounting for only about one-tenth of its global total.

But China's development speed is the fastest, and it will continue to expand rapidly in the next few years.

"Whether it's KFC, McDonald's, Pepsi, or Coca-Cola, using sports marketing to enter target countries has always been their standard practice."

"Signing Wang Shuo for such a hefty sum is undoubtedly a major bet on the Chinese market!"

Bild believes that as long as Wang Shuo can maintain his current performance, more and more multinational brands will come knocking on his door.

Wang Shuo also took the time to read this report and strongly agreed with this analysis.

For him, this was a reward from his motherland!

At the same time, he became even more convinced of his determination.

He needs to work even harder, and he must not let everyone down.

……

The news of Wang Shuo signing a sponsorship contract quickly spread within the Mainz team.

Everyone was very envious.

But what can be done?

They have the backing of a powerful China, something others can only envy.

For example, Subotic, who is the second most valuable player on the team, would not have been valued in Germany even if he had chosen Germany, let alone Serbia.

Even a rookie like Schürrle doesn't get much attention, let alone him.

Hainaul is in an even worse situation; he's from Hungary, so how much commercial value does he have?
And as it turns out, this practice of taking advantage of wealthy individuals is quite common in Germany as well.

Led by Subotic, Feulner, and others, they all egged Wang Shuo on to treat them to a meal.

Wang Shuo readily agreed on the spot.

After returning from Berlin, he treated everyone to a nice meal.

Only Amri.

"Can we not come back? Let's just stay in Berlin. I know some good places."

Looking at Amri's ambiguous winking and eyebrow-raising expression, we're all men, who doesn't know his character?
Berlin is a world-renowned nightlife paradise.

I heard there are also many from Eastern Europe and Ukraine, and their skills are particularly good.

Captain Nowitzki walked over and slapped him on the head, much like Akagi punched Sakuragi on the head.

"Wang Shuo and Andrei are only 18 years old. Don't let them catch your bad habits!"

Amri didn't dare say anything more and quickly apologized and begged for forgiveness.

Everyone burst into laughter.

But this time, Mainz's visit to Berlin was really unsuccessful!
The daytime temperature in Berlin is currently around zero degrees Celsius, but the match is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

The temperature dropped directly below zero.

The Berlin Olympic Stadium has underfloor heating, so the grass doesn't freeze, but the problem is that the air inside the stadium is very humid and stuffy.

How outrageous is it?
The match hadn't even started yet; it was just a pre-match warm-up. When Wang Shuo and the others came down, they were all drenched in sweat.

After taking off the clothes, I wrung them out and they were soaked with water.

By November, injuries within the Mainz team had increased.

Although none of them are serious problems, they are still quite troublesome.

For example, Gunkel had just resumed training and hadn't even had time to adjust his condition when Calhanoglu got injured again.

Klopp opted to start young player Kirchhoff in this match.

But in the 24th minute, Kirchhoff failed to protect the edge of the penalty area in time. Hertha Berlin striker Voronin passed the ball back to midfielder Kachar, who made a run into the box and unleashed a powerful shot that broke through Mainz's goal.

Mainz continued to maintain their high-pressure tactics.

However, his condition is not comparable to that at the beginning of the season, so the effect is naturally reduced.

Before the end of the first half, Wang Shuo received a brilliant pass from Feulner in stoppage time. He first dropped back and then suddenly moved forward, receiving the ball and using his individual skills to break through Hertha Berlin's center-back Arne Friedrich before scoring against Hertha Berlin.

Equalizing the score before the end of the first half was undoubtedly a great thing for Mainz.

In the second half, the situation became even more dire.

Especially after 70 minutes.

Klopp made three substitutions in the 70th, 74th and 78th minutes.

But it was still to no avail.

In the 86th minute, Mainz made another mistake in their own half.

Hertha Berlin substitute striker Pantrich scored the winning goal for Hertha Berlin.

Ultimately, Mainz lost 1-2 to Hertha Berlin away from home.

Wang Shuo did his best in the competition.

However, Hertha Berlin tightly marked him, and his teammates were also not in good form.

More importantly, Wang Shuo also felt that his physical fitness had declined significantly.

By the end of the match, he felt the same leg cramps he had after the previous match against Hoffenheim.

And this time it was even stronger.

Despite losing to Hertha Berlin away from home, Mainz still sits at the top of the table.

Bayern Munich defeated Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 away from home in this round.

Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose each scored a goal.

Hoffenheim defeated Bielefeld 3-0 at home.

Ibisevic scored twice.

The most outrageous thing is that this guy also scored a penalty in the 89th minute.

So now Wang Shuo has scored 16 goals and Ibisevic has scored 17 goals.

They were still outmatched.

……

The long journey back to Mainz from Berlin is undoubtedly tough for a team that has just lost a match.

Klopp and his coaching staff sat in the front row.

Each player has a fixed position.

Wang Shuo likes to sit by the window, with Subotic next to him and Feulner in front of him.

Everyone was in a bad mood, so no one spoke.

Klopp did not lash out at the loss.

He probably understands in his heart that the players have really done their best.

Under his tactical system, the players are essentially consumables, constantly being consumed.

That's his tactic.

Hajnal privately says that the past six months in Mainz have been the most tiring period of his professional career.

Fortunately, Germany has a winter break; otherwise, I don't know how we would have survived the second half of the season.

No one spoke, and Wang Shuo had no idea what his teammates were doing.

Anyway, he tilted his head and looked out the car window at the scenery along the highway for a while before closing his eyes to rest and entering the God of Ball System.

By the end of this match, he had accumulated a total of 152 passive points.

After a period of familiarization and exploration, he has come to understand more and more about the functions and operation of the Ball God System.

For example, the passive skill [Breathing].

At first glance, the most important thing seems to be improving endurance.

But the professional-level [Breathing] skill was enough to keep Wang Shuo running non-stop in a single match in the German Second Division.

The intensity of the game increases, the pace speeds up, the pressure rises, and the players expend more energy.

Even so, Wang Shuo's regional-level "breathing" is enough to handle the Bundesliga.

The key to elevating it to the national level lies more in its endurance.

The season is very long.

Although Wang Shuo is young and recovers quickly, he can't withstand one or even two high-intensity matches a week.

No matter how much Wang Shuo improves his stamina, his body will eventually have its limits.

But in Klopp's tactical system, running is the most important thing.

Having thought this through, Wang Shuo already knew exactly what choice he should make.

I directly invested 100 passive points to exchange for a skill card, upgrading [Breathing] from the national level to the intercontinental level.

After Wang Shuo selected "Confirm," he immediately felt a warm current spread throughout his body.

Every inch of muscle it passed through felt like it was being gently kneaded by an invisible hand, so comfortable that I almost couldn't help but cry out.

The fatigue from the game was completely gone.

His mind was exceptionally clear, his thinking was very open, and with his sharp hearing and eyesight, his perception of everything around him became clearer than usual.

Wang Shuo was somewhat stunned.

Could it be that the upgrade of [Breathing] from the national level to the intercontinental level is not just an improvement in endurance and stamina, but also an improvement in other aspects?
Upon further reflection, Wang Shuo understood.

For example, when a person runs until they are exhausted, their mind is often foggy.

When people are tired, they can't think of anything at all.

The improvement in [breathing], especially the leap from the national level to the intercontinental level, is a comprehensive upgrade.

"My goodness, those extra 50 passive points are such a great deal!"

Wang Shuo truly felt as if he had been freed from heavy shackles, and his whole being became exceptionally light and relaxed.

After undergoing a transformative upgrade, Wang Shuo carefully examined his body and confirmed that there were no problems.

As for the actual effect of the upgrade, he still needs to test it through training and competition.

But he had a premonition that, by elevating him from the national level to the intercontinental level, [Breathing] would make him even stronger!

After upgrading [Breathing], Wang Shuo still has 52 passive points.

He doesn't plan to keep it either.

Moreover, he doesn't plan to continue smoking.

time is money.

For Wang Shuo right now, the most important thing is to immediately improve his combat effectiveness.

And it is very clear.

Even with the new passive skill being drawn, Wang Shuo couldn't guarantee what he would get.

It's like a fog.

Upgrading existing passive skills provides greater certainty.

Wang Shuo needs to consider which aspect to upgrade.

Because they are all too important.

His ball control and speed go without saying; these are the foundation of Wang Shuo's current success in the Bundesliga.

Both of these passive skills are regional level, which is barely enough for playing in the Bundesliga right now.

Another upgrade is certain, but whether to upgrade now is debatable, Wang Shuo believes.

Insight, initiative, inspiration, and coordination all play very important roles.

However, there are some differences.

For example, 【灵光】.

Is this passive skill any good?
It's so useful!

Wang Shuo's occasional flashes of brilliance on the court are thanks to this.

But it's like the Six Meridians Divine Sword; sometimes it works well, and sometimes it doesn't.

But now, what Wang Shuo wants is a definite promotion.

[Coordination] was quickly ruled out by Wang Shuo because he hadn't fully mastered this passive skill yet.

Upgrading hastily will have limited effect.

The problem Wang Shuo is facing now is that Bundesliga teams are basically marking him tightly, trying to suffocate him, and have no intention of giving him any space.

In this situation, upgrading [Swiftness] will not have a significant effect, even if the action frequency is faster.

The same applies to ball feel.

That leaves us with 【Insight】 and 【Opportunity】.

Both of these passive skills can help Wang Shuo break out of his current predicament.

[Opportunity] In the face of multiple defenders and double-teams, one can anticipate the enemy's moves and take the initiative at every step.

But ultimately, they were still under defensive double-teaming.

【Insight】is the ability to deduce and predict the opponent's next move by reading the game.

If you're a midfielder, your biggest role is definitely passing the ball.

But for Wang Shuo, the biggest improvement lies in his choice of running routes without the ball.

Insight is an active choice, while seizing the initiative is a passive response.

Both were excellent, but Wang Shuo ultimately chose [Insight].

"Should I upgrade the passive skill [Insight] from the professional level to the regional level?"

Wang Shuo chose "yes" without hesitation.

Consuming 50 passive points, [Insight] has been upgraded to the regional level.

Looking at his personal attribute panel again, Wang Shuo saw that his passive value was only a pitiful 2 points left. He looked at the huge soccer ball with some helplessness.

He stared longingly at [Opportunity] and [Inspiration].

There are also regional-level "ball feel" and "speed".

We're seriously short of passive points!
If he could, he really wanted to upgrade all of those passive skills for him.

When the time comes, he will be so strong that everyone will be stunned.

"Can I spend money on in-game purchases?"

“I currently have 350 million euros. After taxes, the investment is quite substantial, and I can definitely afford it!”

But the Ball God system was completely silent.

There are neither kind old grandfathers nor humorous baby voices here.

But just thinking about how this is only his debut season in the Bundesliga is enough.

Just 10 months ago, he stepped out of the country and onto the European football stage.

Back then, who would have imagined things would turn out this way?

Thinking of this, Wang Shuo was filled with fighting spirit once again.

Even without spending real money, he can still level up these passive skills.

He thought of the legendary footprints on the Adidas Walk of Fame, and an unprecedented longing arose in his heart.

He wants to become the strongest player in the world!

……

Bruchweg Stadium, afternoon of December 7.

In the 16th round of the Bundesliga, Mainz will host Hamburg.

Wang Shuo stood on the left side of the center circle, scanning Hamburg's starting lineup.

As Klopp and Buvac expected.

Hamburg continued with their most frequently used 4-4-2 formation this season. In recent years, Hamburg has experienced frequent managerial changes and instability.

When Martin Jol arrived, he wanted to bring the Dutch total football philosophy to Hamburg.

However, he did not use the typical Dutch 4-3-3 formation, but rather a 4-4-2.

Goalkeeper: Rost;

Defense: Jansen, Mathijsen, Guy Demel and Jerome Boateng;
Midfielders: Trofski, Alex Silva, Jarolim and Pitroipa.

Also, right now, standing in the center circle, ready to kick off, are the two strikers, Petric and Olic.

Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong had a very impressive start to the season, but suffered a torn ligament in the Netherlands national team's match against Iceland in October, sidelining him for at least three months.

Hamburg is competing on three fronts this season: the Bundesliga, the German Cup, and the UEFA Cup.

Midweek, they just beat Slavia Prague of the Czech Republic 2-0 away from home.

The goal was scored right at that moment, by Petric and Olic, who were in the center circle preparing to kick off.

Petric contributed one goal and one assist.

Unlike other Bundesliga teams, Martin Jol adopts Dutch football tactics, which emphasize passing and possession, so they do not use a tall striker in the front line.

Whether it's Petric, Olic, or Guerrero, they are all forwards under 1.85 meters tall, very fast, agile, and quick.

Hamburg's midfielders, Trofski, Jarolim, and Pitroipa, are all short players under 1.8 meters tall.

Trofsky is less than 1.7 meters tall.

The original starting midfielder was De Jong, who is about 1.8 meters tall, but after his injury, he has now been replaced by the physically imposing Alex Silva.

This Brazilian player plays as a center-back.

Judging from their performance this season, Hamburg's greatest strengths are their fast-paced transitions between attack and defense, and the passing and possession style of Dutch football.

It is worth noting that, unlike technical players such as Trofski and Jarolim, Pitroipa is very fast, but his footwork is relatively rough.

Before the match, Klopp specifically instructed Wang Shuo to pay attention to Hamburg's defense.

This is a very strange defensive line.

Both full-backs, Jansen and Jerome Boateng, are over 1.9 meters tall.

Guy Demel is 1.88 meters tall, and Dutch center-back Mathijsen is 1.83 meters tall.

Klopp made it very clear to Wang Shuo that this was a central defensive pairing that Martin Jol had "tailor-made" specifically for Wang Shuo.

Their original starting center-backs were Mathijsen and Reinhardt, both standing at 1.94 meters tall.

However, this center-back played in the UEFA Cup midweek, so in this match, Guy Demel partnered with Mathijsen as a replacement.

Why change it like this?
Reinhardt is excellent at one-on-one defense and high balls, but at 33 years old, he can't afford to wear himself down.

Most importantly, it's too clumsy.

Therefore, for Wang Shuo, how to play behind the defense has become the key in this game!

However, Wang Shuo was eager to try.

With the support of the intercontinental-level [Breathing] technique, his mind was exceptionally clear, and he was observing everything happening around him.

As he circled past Petrić and Olić in the center circle, across the entire center circle, he made eye contact with Hainaur on the opposite side, and Wang Shuo slightly raised his chin.

Hainaur nodded silently.

Just two days ago, Wang Shuo treated the entire team to dinner.

The selection process for the European Golden Boy award is currently at a crucial stage, and the results could be announced at any time in the coming days.

Therefore, Wang Shuo is giving it his all to win this individual award.

Naturally, the support of the entire team is also needed.

Cannibals are soft and short.

Hainaur naturally wanted to do his best to cooperate with Wang Shuo.

Mainz is still using a 4-4-1-1 formation.

The most noticeable change is in the defensive midfield.

Gunkel is still not in the form to start, so Pekovic will still be paired with Kirchhoff in the double pivot midfield for this match.

Schürrle is on the right wing.

Therefore, Mainz fielded three young players in the starting lineup for this match.

If we also include Subotic in the defense, that makes four young players under the age of 20.

Klopp can be pretty crazy sometimes!

But this is the bearded uncle that Wang Shuo admires!

……

As soon as the referee, Grafi, blew his whistle, Wang Shuo rushed towards the last center-back.

After Hamburg made a series of passes, Mathijsen got ahead of Wang Shuo and switched the ball to the right, passing it to Jerome Boateng.

As a Dutch center-back, Mathijsen is a key player in Hamburg's backline for receiving and distributing the ball.

Wang Shuo quickly changed direction and lunged at Jerome Boateng.

With the support of the intercontinental-level [Breathing] technique, Wang Shuo now feels much lighter.

It's as if he has inexhaustible energy.

Especially when he sees Mainz win the ball, he immediately starts making a run.

His target was behind him, but he didn't always rush behind him.

The ball carrier was too far away, and Mainz didn't have any long-pass specialists, so running behind the defense was pointless.

Therefore, he always runs into the gaps between the center-backs and midfielders.

Hamburg kept a close watch on him.

As soon as Wang Shuo gets the ball, there will definitely be defenders around him.

Wang Shuo is like a hot ball on his foot; he always passes the ball as soon as he receives it, never letting it linger at his feet.

He passes the ball and runs away, never letting the defenders entangle him.

This is a style of play that Wang Shuo has gradually figured out since he started playing in the Bundesliga this season.

This style of play, which he can never seem to tire of, is best suited to.

The defenders could only keep running after him, slowly being worn down by him.

All of Germany knows that Mainz is best at attacking first.

They were very strong at the start.

Previously, some media outlets had calculated that Mainz conceded the most goals between the 10th and 20th minute.

After a strong start, the team needed to slow down and catch their breath.

Hamburg is playing away from home, so their strategy is probably the same as other teams.

We're just waiting for Mainz to slow down.

But in the 11th minute, Hajnal received a pass from Schürrle in the middle of Hamburg's 30-meter zone.

Moreover, the Hungarian midfielder was directly facing the direction of the attack.

Almost simultaneously, Wang Shuo, who had been waiting for an opportunity, immediately turned around and glanced at Guy Demel nearby. After determining the other party's position, he immediately rushed forward at top speed.

Previously, Wang Shuo had been running laterally several times.

This sudden, vertical, straight-line movement, and its immediate, top-speed start, caught Guy Demei somewhat off guard.

As the two players passed each other, Hainaur quickly kicked out a pass.

A long ball over the top!
It landed over Mathijsen's head and landed on the left side of the penalty area behind him.

Wang Shuo quickly chased after him, turned sideways, and chested the ball down, while glancing at Guy Demel who was chasing back and then at goalkeeper Rost who was rushing out.

Jerome Boateng behind him should also be tracking back, but Wang Shuo couldn't see behind him and could only guess.

Rost's attack was very timely.

Wang Shuo remained remarkably calm. He merely glanced at Rost's position, and just as the ball was about to hit the ground, he gently flicked it with the inside of his right foot.

He and the ball entered Hamburg's penalty area, creating a one-on-one opportunity!

Facing Rost's onslaught, Wang Shuo skillfully controlled the ball between his feet, his legs seemingly rooted to the ground, while his upper body swayed from side to side.

Just as Rost reached a distance where he could make a save, Wang Shuo suddenly stepped out with his right foot and leaned to the right, as if he was about to cut inside.

But just as Rost was caught off guard and shifted his weight, he quickly changed direction again.

Just when he was about to shake off Rost, the Hamburg goalkeeper made a diving save.

He didn't manage to catch the ball, but his outstretched hand hooked Wang Shuo's foot, causing him to fall to his left.

It wasn't until this moment that the Mainz fans at Bruchweg Stadium erupted in a gasp.

The next moment, more than 2 people chanted in unison: "Penalty!!"

"That's definitely a penalty!"

"Referee, this is a penalty!"

The TV commentator was equally surprised.

"Wang Shuo got a great one-on-one opportunity, which is his specialty."

"But he suddenly collapsed inside the penalty area."

"From the slow-motion replay, we can see that it was indeed a penalty kick."

"Rost is going to get a card!"

Referee Graffie quickly ran over, pointed to the penalty spot, and showed Rost a yellow card.

A thunderous cheer erupted throughout the Bruchweg Stadium.

With Calhanoglu absent and Wang Shuo unwilling to take the penalty, it was Hajnal who stepped up and converted the penalty, giving Mainz the lead!

……

After the first goal was scored, the game became completely open.

Mainz wants to defend their top spot, while Hamburg wants to maintain their current ranking.

Most importantly, both teams employ a fast-paced offensive and defensive strategy.

This has led to increasingly open play.

In the 16th minute, just five minutes after Mainz scored, Jansen suddenly made a run down the left flank, received a pass from Trofski, and delivered a cross into the penalty area.

Although Petric is not very tall, he has excellent heading ability and a strong sense of positioning. He managed to get to the ball between Subotic and Noveski and headed it directly into the Mainz goal.

1 is better than 1!

draw!

Mainz fans are frustrated.

The goal celebration lasted less than 5 minutes before the score was tied?

However, Hamburg's joy won't last long.

Before the away team could even recover from their joy at equalizing, Wang Shuo had already created another opportunity.

In the 27th minute, Wang Shuo dropped back on the left flank of the attacking third and raised his hand to ask for the ball.

Hainaul was marked by Hamburg's defensive midfielder Jarolim and immediately passed the ball to Wang Shuo.

Wang Shuo received the ball with his back to the direction of the attack.

Guy Demeier had already quickly closed in behind him.

"Watch out behind you!" Hainaur regretted passing the ball as soon as he finished.

As soon as Wang Shuo receives the ball, he is immediately marked closely and subjected to intense physical contact by the opponent.

Physical strength has always been Wang Shuo's weakness.

Hainaur immediately turned and ran, wanting to receive Wang Shuo's return pass.

What he never expected was that Wang Shuo had already noticed Guy Demeier's intention to get close.

In that critical moment, instead of stopping the ball, he had a flash of inspiration and used a very imaginative inside-of-the-foot control technique.

The ball came from the direction of Hainaul, hit the inside of Wang Shuo's right foot, and rolled backward in a zigzag pattern, passing right between Guy Demel's legs as he took a step forward.

This made Demel, who had just realized what was happening, almost instinctively want to tighten his legs.

But where can I get it?

"My God, a groin pass!"

"Wang Shuo made a very imaginative nutmeg and dribbled past his opponent, completing the breakthrough."

Almost simultaneously, Wang Shuo quickly turned around and started running, chasing after the football.

Jerome Boateng on the left is also desperately chasing back.

The two were racing.

The Mainz fans at the scene couldn't contain their excitement and cheered loudly for Wang Shuo.

In the end, Wang Shuo caught up with the ball first.

But Jerome Boateng has already taken over the path forward.

If you continue forward, you'll definitely be caught off guard.

So, the moment Wang Shuo received the ball, he immediately came to a sudden stop.

Jerome Boateng also came to an abrupt stop.

Before Boateng could adjust his center of gravity, Wang Shuo quickly stepped out with his left foot, as if he was about to overtake him from the outside.

Boateng had a positional advantage and immediately tried to block him.

But Wang Shuo suddenly changed direction, flicking the ball laterally with the outside of his right foot, and quickly changed direction to cut inside.

Poor Boateng, a towering 1.92 meters tall, how could he withstand Wang Shuo's series of sudden stops, changes of direction, and swaying?

He lost his balance on the spot and slipped near the left corner of his own penalty area, watching in despair as Wang Shuo dribbled away into the distance.

Wang Shuo quickly dribbled the ball into the penalty area.

This time, he didn't wait for goalkeeper Rost to come out; instead, he made a feint and then pushed the ball into the far corner with the inside of his right foot.

The ball bypassed Rost's defense and landed on the right side of the goal behind him.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"

"Mainz scores again in the 27th minute of the first half!"

"My God, the amazing Wang Shuo has done it again!"

"Wang Shuo, who just assisted Hajnal's goal with a penalty kick, calmly seized a one-on-one opportunity with a brilliant series of dribbles, scoring another goal for Mainz."

"2 to 1!"

Mainz have taken the lead again!

After scoring, Wang Shuo excitedly rushed off the field, clenched his fists, and shouted at the fans in the stands.

More than 2 fans cheered for Wang Shuo.

……

Once the game becomes completely open, unless both sides are exhausted, it will inevitably come down to a fight to the death.

In the 31st minute, Mainz's high pressing in the attacking third exposed a weakness.

When Wang Shuo rushed to the right flank to press Jansen, Hainaur did not immediately step forward.

This resulted in Matthijsen being unmarked for at least two seconds when he received Jansen's pass.

After adjusting, the Dutch center-back launched a long pass, sending the ball behind Mainz's defense.

Petric and Olic created a double-team situation, and in the end, Petric received the ball and put it into Mainz's goal.

2 is better than 2!

The match is back to a draw!

The Mainz fans at the stadium were almost in tears.

Why do we always score and then concede again?

What exactly happened to the defense today?

Can't you be a little more reliable?
Even if Wang Shuo in the frontcourt can score more goals, he can't withstand the defense's prowess!

However, the consecutive goals scored and conceded clearly calmed both teams down.

The first half ended in a 2-2 draw.

During halftime, Klopp didn't fly into a rage, but instead focused on encouragement.

Since November, Uncle Beard's temperament seems to have changed a lot. He is no longer as irritable as before and doesn't get angry easily. His reprimands for players' mistakes have also become much gentler.

It's the same this time.

But he repeatedly reminded everyone, "Hamburg is not a weak team!"

"Beidawang is a traditional powerhouse in the Bundesliga, and they even held the top spot at the beginning of the season!"

The situation in Hamburg was clearly tense as well.

At halftime, Martin Jol substituted Pitroipa with deep-lying midfielder Colin Benjamin.

In this match, Pieroypa had almost no impact in the first half.

This player is incredibly fast, but his technique is rather rough.

This is a common problem for many speed-type players.

Why rely on technology when speed can solve the problem?
After the substitution, Alex Silva and Benjamin partnered in the double pivot, while Jarolim was moved to the right wing.

Clearly, Martin Jol wants to further constrain Wang Shuo's position.

So, in the second half, it was common to see Wang Shuo dropping back to receive the ball surrounded by Hamburg players.

In this situation, even if it were Maradona, the King of Football, what could he do, let alone Wang Shuo?
Fortunately, Wang Shuo was not in a hurry.

Run, receive, pass; run, receive, pass...

He just kept running like that.

From the left lane to the middle lane to the right lane, then back to the middle lane and the left lane.

Wang Shuo was like a busy little bee, flitting among the forest of burly, muscular men in Hamburg.

With such a large stadium, it's impossible for Hamburg's defenders to control all the space.

Everyone at Mainz was coordinating with Wang Shuo's runs when passing the ball.

Almost every time Wang Shuo got the ball, it was in a weak spot in Hamburg's defense.

Every time, it made the Hamburg defenders nervous, and they ran over to surround him with all their might.

The Hamburg players' stamina was gradually depleted.

On the other side, Wang Shuo seemed completely unaffected and continued running.

This even made Martin Jol on the sidelines unable to stand it anymore.

"His physical abilities are just too abnormal!"

"It's been 86 minutes already, can they still keep running like this?"

Martin Joel felt that this was completely illogical.

It's December, bro!
After playing high-intensity matches for several months, can you still keep running like that in December?
86 minutes!
The Netherlands has no shortage of players who are exceptionally fast, such as Edgar Davies, nicknamed "The Boar."

As the name suggests, he can really run, and he charges around recklessly.

There is also a particularly fast player in the Hamburg team, namely Croatian striker Olic.

But even Oliqi wasn't as exaggerated as Wang Shuo.

They run an average of over 11 kilometers per game.

This is absolutely outrageous!
"Others are exhausted after playing a Bundesliga match, but after he finishes one, he can probably go back and train for a while, and he's even hesitating about whether to run a half marathon?"

Martin Joel thinks that people like Wang Shuo are simply inhuman!

"It's a shame they're not working as dockworkers at our Dutch ports!"

Just as Martin Jol was complaining, Wang Shuo on the field ran to an open space on the right flank and raised his hand to ask for the ball.

Hainaur quickly passed the ball over.

When the ball came to Wang Shuo's feet, if time had stopped, you would have seen that there were four Hamburg defenders around him.

Matthijsen, Alex Silva, Trofsky and Jansen.

The four people surrounded Wang Shuo from different directions.

The moment Wang Shuo received the ball, Matthijsen, Alex Silva, and Troyski all simultaneously double-teamed him.

Why didn't Jansen have it?
Because there is a Schürrle nearby.

Just as the three-man encirclement was about to be completed, at this critical moment, Wang Shuo, as before, kept the ball hot on his feet and passed it directly to Schürrle.

The next second, Wang Shuo turned around and sprinted forward.

"Andre!"

Wang Shuo's pass was very comfortable.

Schürrle immediately understood, especially after hearing the shout, he became even clearer about Wang Shuo's intention and delivered an over-the-top pass to meet the incoming ball.

Having worked together for a long time, Schürrle was well aware of Wang Shuo's abilities, so his over-the-top pass was perfectly executed in terms of both power and angle.

Wang Shuo moved forward behind Mathijsen, turned sideways, chested the ball down, and then stomped it down firmly.

At that moment, he stepped into Hamburg's restricted area.

Goalkeeper Rost then rushed out from under the penalty area.

Next up is Wang Shuo's forte: one-on-one combat.

After controlling the ball, he immediately swung his right foot as if to shoot.

Startled, Rost immediately stretched out his body and made a diving motion.

Unexpectedly, Wang Shuo did not shoot directly, but instead used his right foot to cut the ball past goalkeeper Rost.

The rest is quite simple.

After Wang Shuo sped up to catch up, he easily tapped the ball into the empty net!
“GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!”

"It's Wang Shuo again!"

"At the crucial moment, he scored twice!"

"3 to 2!"

"This is Wang Shuo's 18th Bundesliga goal this season!"

"My goodness!"

"This is simply unbelievable!"

All the Mainz fans at the Bruchweg Stadium jumped up from their seats the instant the goal was scored, cheering and shouting for Wang Shuo.

This also included several guests who had come from afar specifically for Wang Shuo!
(End of this chapter)