The God of Football starts with passive skills

Chapter 58 The secret weapon worked! A one-sided German Cup semi-final! No dark horses in the second half of the Bundesliga season!
After a two-week national team training camp, when the Mainz players returned to Bruchweg Stadium, they found that their head coach's full beard looked like a cactus just picked from the bushes.

Thick and hard!

difficult to handle!

His expression was like that of a single guy who bumps into his ex-girlfriend taking wedding photos.

Therefore, from the moment they entered the locker room, everyone was extremely careful, moving very gently, afraid of making the slightest noise, and even their breathing became unusually cautious.

Wang Shuo sensed this atmosphere and wanted to laugh, but couldn't manage to.

No wonder Klopp had such a sour face!

After a five-game winless streak, Mainz managed to salvage some morale with great difficulty, achieving a three-game winning streak.

Well, the two-week national team training camp was abruptly put on hold.

This is not counting.

Currently, the national teams that Mainz's international players play for, such as Hungary, Macedonia, and Montenegro, are not considered strong teams.

Isn't playing for the national team a form of torture?

Macedonia had to go to that damned British territory to get humiliated, and ended up getting beaten 0-4 by England.

Just one question: as a starting center-back, how does Nowitzki feel about this?
The little bit of confidence I had managed to regain was completely squandered.

Not to mention, the national team players are already exhausted from traveling back and forth and playing consecutive matches, and now it's even worse.

But there's nothing we can do; the schedule waits for no one.

In the 26th round of the Bundesliga, Mainz will host Bayer Leverkusen.

At Bruchweg Stadium, Mainz were completely dominated by their opponents throughout the entire match.

Labbadia's team applied pressure from the first minute of the match.

It can be said that they completely rendered Mainz unable to move.

Wang Shuo was at the forefront all by himself, but he didn't get any opportunities at all.

However, Mainz does do one thing well.

That's defense.

Although they were on the back foot and retreated to their own half, their defense was well organized and the players fought hard.

The first half dragged on until the score was 0-0.

But in the second half, their situation became even worse.

Labbadia made two substitutions in the 63rd minute.

Tony Cross and Renato Augusto came on as substitutes at the same time.

Just three minutes later, it was Toni Kroos who delivered a right-footed cross into the penalty area from the left wing, and Nowitzki fouled Kiessling while challenging for the header, resulting in a penalty kick.

Helmes calmly converted the penalty, giving Leverkusen the lead!

Just nine minutes later, Rolfes delivered a brilliant pass, and Kiessling, holding off Bungert in the penalty area, scored again for Leverkusen.

Ultimately, Mainz lost 0-2 to Bayer Leverkusen at home.

This was a complete and utter defeat!

From the scene and the process to the result, Mainz suffered a complete defeat!
Wang Shuo scored one goal and provided one assist in the first leg of the match, demonstrating an outstanding performance.

But this time, without the support of his teammates and under heavy scrutiny from the opponents, it will be difficult for him to reverse the team's overall decline.

……

The moment the final whistle blew, Bruno Labbadia, sitting in front of the away team's coaching bench, let out a heavy sigh of relief.

We finally won another game!

After the winter break, Leverkusen's situation became very difficult starting from the second half of the season.

The pharmaceutical company, which shone brightly in the first half of the season, only managed one victory in the first eight rounds of the second half.

1 win, 3 draws, 4 losses.

Interestingly, the game they won was a 4-1 away victory against Hoffenheim.

Both are newly promoted teams, and both are playing away.

Labbadia feels that he has now avenged his defeat at Fiat in the 2. Bundesliga last season!

Especially when he saw Klopp, with a full beard and a sullen expression, walk over to shake his hand, he couldn't help but laugh, which immediately made Klopp even angrier.

The two renowned young German coaches shook hands only briefly before Klopp turned and left.

He didn't say a word in the middle.

"How rude!"

Labbadia looked at his right palm, as if Klopp's embarrassment still lingered there.

But the next moment, when Labbadia walked to the sidelines to greet his players as they left the field, it was clear that the Leverkusen players' morale hadn't improved much.

This is a victory!
But in reality, Leverkusen only posed a real threat for about 10 minutes.

The combination of center forwards Kiessling and Helmes seems to have completely lost the passion they had in the first half of the season, and has become less sharp.

Labbadia also spoke with the two forwards to find out which parts of the process went wrong.

He was not satisfied with the reply he received.

Both centers felt they were taking on too much running and defensive duties.

Labbadia explained a lot to them, especially analyzing the advanced nature of his sophisticated tactical system.

As for the increased running by forwards, isn't that normal?
Looking at the top-ranked teams right now, which team's forwards don't run around a lot?
Wolfsburg's Grafite and Dzeko didn't run much.
Hoffenheim's Ibisevic, Demba Ba, and Obasi didn't run much?
Not to mention Wang Shuo of Mainz, who is ranked second in the league, with an average of 12 kilometers per game, which is simply shocking!
As the team's head coach, Labbadia believes that the players should adapt to his tactics.

If tactics cater too much to the players, the tactics will become distorted and lose their original order.

This is also why he doesn't like to make substitutions so easily during matches.

When the team was performing poorly, all of this became evidence for the media and fans to criticize him.

“This can’t go on!” Labbadia said, frowning.

Despite winning the game, there seems to be no improvement.

Before leaving Bruchweg Stadium, entering the players' tunnel, and heading into the locker room, Labbadia summoned his media advisor.

Christian Flörmott, former press secretary for the T-Mobile cycling team.

This is yet another place that has caused controversy in Labbadia.

Generally speaking, clubs have their own media officers, while head coaches and players rarely have such a role of their own.

But German football is currently undergoing a major transformation, and everything is changing.

Who says coaches and players can't have their own media advisors?

Klinsmann has one.

From the national team to Bayern Munich, he has always been by my side.

Labbadia also has one.

"Next, we have to play Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg in a row, and we must find a way to get the players, especially our strikers, back to their passion."

Fromt thought for a moment, "How about we light a fire?"

Labbadia didn't quite understand.

"We'll play Mainz again in two weeks. Helmes competed with Wang Shuo for the top scorer spot in the first half of the season, and he might not be willing to give up so easily. Besides, as you can see, Mainz is in a mess right now."

At the end, Christian Fromott couldn't help but laugh.

Mainz is indeed in a very bad state.

Klopp syndrome, coupled with national team matches, and most importantly, they are still currently second in the Bundesliga standings.

Second only to Wolfsburg.

In Labbadia's view, this was a case of being unworthy of one's position!
Labbadia understood what Fromomet meant.

To shift the focus of the conflict and provoke Helmes' competitive spirit.

feasible!

……

Surprisingly, Klopp did not fly into a rage in the locker room after the match.

He simply told everyone, "Two weeks later, we will face Bayer Leverkusen again in the German Cup semi-final!"

"I hope everyone will think carefully about how to learn from this game."

In the post-match press conference, Klopp directed his criticism at the national team training camp.

They believe the team's loss was influenced by the national team training camp.

Klopp wasn't the first to say that.

Before him, Bayern Munich's Klinsmann said the same thing.

Klinsmann's situation was even worse.

His team suffered a humiliating 1-5 defeat away to Wolfsburg.

Yes, you read that right, the score is 1 to 5!

Dzeko and Grafite both scored twice.

Magath has finally gotten his revenge!
Hoffenheim lost 0-1 to Hamburg away from home.

Since it was a home game for Mainz, the players felt embarrassed to face the fans after losing, so they took a shower, changed their clothes, and went back to the first team training building.

But just as everyone was waiting for head coach Klopp, they saw press officer Tobias Spawasser walking angrily over from the Bruchweg Stadium.

He walked along muttering curses under his breath.

"Did you get yelled at by the fans?" Captain Nowitzki asked with concern.

"No, the fans didn't say anything, it was Labbadia."

Labbadia?

Everyone was completely confused.

"What did he say?" Nowitzki asked again.

"Just now in the press conference room, he was dissatisfied with the team only scoring 2 goals, feeling that they had the upper hand and could have won more, and he also took the opportunity to belittle us."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions immediately turned sour.

Mainz is indeed in a very bad situation right now.

But since you've won the game, don't do things like kicking someone when they're down; it's very undignified and lacks class.

"He also said..."

"What else is there to say?" Nowitzki's tone changed as well.

Tobias Spavasser's gaze fell on Wang Shuo, and he hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Everyone immediately turned to look at Wang Shuo.

"Is it related to me?"

Tobias Spawasser nodded.

"It's okay, just say it."

Even if we don't say it now, we'll see it in the newspaper tomorrow morning.

"A reporter asked him for his opinion on your performance."

Tobias Spawasser paused for a moment, then explained, "They said it was a question from a media reporter, but I dare say that reporter must have been in contact with him beforehand. Who can be fooled by such a small trick?"

"What exactly did he say?" Foyle urged.

"He said that if Wang Shuo is the flag of Mainz, then today this flag has been torn to shreds by them."

He also said that Wang Shuo's disheveled state in the Leverkusen penalty area was like that of a little baby who couldn't stand up straight.

"He even gave you advice: before the German Cup semi-final in two weeks, you should at least learn how to stand firm in the opponent's penalty area."

Upon hearing this, everyone's anger flared up immediately.

"Waltfäck!" Schürrle was the first to jump up.

He is now not only Wang Shuo's roommate, but also a die-hard fan and Wang Shuo's most loyal supporter.

"I think Labbadia has gone completely insane!" Feulner exclaimed, equally furious.

Is he provoking us on our doorstep?

"That's so ungentlemanly!"

Many of his teammates were indignant and felt sorry for Wang Shuo.

Although Wang Shuo has only been with the team for a little over a year, his contributions, whether in the promotion to the Jia League or this season, are undeniable.

Most importantly, Wang Shuo has always been a good person and quite popular.

Poor physical strength?
This is true, but Wang Shuo is only 18 years old.

Wang Shuo himself, on the other hand, remained relatively calm.

"This is psychological warfare!"

Wang Shuo said loudly, then sneered, "It just looks a bit clumsy and deliberate."

Since the parties involved didn't get angry, the crowd's anger subsided somewhat.

"Indeed, he later specifically praised Helmes and Kiessling. I think he deliberately belittled you in order to elevate Leverkusen's two center forwards."

Wang Shuo smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "But even if they step on my foot, we can't let them score more goals."

Sometimes, when a head coach engages in verbal battles outside, it's not necessarily for the public to hear.

It could be for the opponents, for one's own players, or even for the management to hear.

"Labadia is right, I still need to think of a way to gain a foothold in Leverkusen's penalty area."

Schürrle became somewhat anxious upon hearing this, "Your Majesty, you haven't really fallen for his treacherous scheme, have you?"

"What cunning scheme or not? No matter who said it, as long as it makes sense, we might as well listen to it."

After a pause, Wang Shuo sighed, "Take this game for example, I really couldn't get the ball in their penalty area."

After exchanging glances, Feulner and his teammates around him became embarrassed.

"We bear some responsibility for this, but those freaks from Leverkusen are just too good at running!"

In this match, Leverkusen seemed to be using Mainz's most effective tactics against Mainz.

It might even be more radical.

Especially Vidal!

It can run fast, it's fierce, and most importantly, it has good footwork and is fast.

He's practically an all-around warrior.

Every time Mainz organizes an attack, they are often blocked in midfield.

It can't be sent!

Everyone knows that Wang Shuo's greatest strength is his footwork.

If you pass him a high ball, wouldn't that be deliberately trying to annoy him?
"Then let's try receiving a long pass inside the penalty area!"

Wang Shuo came up with an idea.

He now possesses national-level ball control and speed, regional-level initiative and brilliance, and professional-level coordination and eagle-eye.

He refused to believe that they couldn't find an effective way to address his weakness!
Before unlocking the passive skill that enhances physical strength, Wang Shuo, as a forward, inevitably has to receive the ball in the penalty area, especially against teams that actively tighten their defense.

He needs to have a solution.

Furthermore, a long pass doesn't necessarily have to be a head pass, nor does it necessarily have to involve physical confrontation.

Wang Shuo became more and more excited as he thought about it.

"Brothers, I need your help right now!"

Everyone was stunned.

Didn't Labbadia scold him?
Why does Wang Shuo seem happier?

what's the situation?
"What kind of help do you need?" Captain Nowitzki asked with concern.

"Help me learn a unique skill!"

Unique skill?

Everyone looked at each other.

What do you mean?
"Don't rush, I'll treat you to dinner, we can talk while we eat!"

After speaking, Wang Shuo called everyone back to the rest area.

Tobias Spawasser was left standing there, completely bewildered.

"Is what I brought back good news or bad news?"

……

Labbadia's comments at the post-match press conference quickly sparked considerable controversy in German media circles.

The majority of them are critics.

Most media outlets believe that his statement was indeed very undignified.

"Doesn't he think he's being too harsh on an 18-year-old?" The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung countered, "helping" Wang Shuo.

Kicker magazine believes that Wang Shuo does have weaknesses in physical confrontation, but as he gets older, he will gradually improve, and then it will no longer be a problem.

Bild, however, believes that Labbadia is intentionally diverting attention from the conflict.

According to previous reports, Leverkusen is currently plagued by internal conflicts, including a falling out between Labbadia and Michael Reschke, a senior executive at the pharmaceutical company.

It is said that the two have not communicated at all since he started coaching Bayer Leverkusen last year.

The 51-year-old Reschke has been working at Bayer Leverkusen as a youth coach since 79.

He took over Bayer Leverkusen's youth academy and scouting department starting in 98.

In 2004, he was promoted by Völler and other senior executives to serve as the first team manager of Bayer Leverkusen.

There are currently two different opinions within the German media.

One possibility is that Labbadia's reforms at Leverkusen were very radical. He not only wanted to change the team's tactics but also wanted to make changes to the administration, which affected Reschke's interests and even the power of Völler and others.

They only want Labbadia to improve the team's performance and competitiveness, not to overturn the club's current status quo.

Therefore, Labbadia previously stated that from the first day he took office, Reschke secretly instructed the players to oppose him.

Another theory is that Labbadia, like Klinsmann, is ambitious and uncompromising, with many fresh ideas but lacks practical trading experience and is unwilling to listen to advice.

Waller had previously criticized Labbadia, arguing that he was too close to his media advisors.

"Professional football is not the entertainment industry. What we need is honesty. Everyone should be true to themselves, but in front of the media, we are easily distorted, which is not a good thing!"

Bild believes that Labbadia's public criticism in Mainz was also a tactic to deflect blame.

It's the same as when he criticized Reschke before.

"In fact, Labbadia should know very well that Leverkusen would choose Reschke without hesitation between Reschke and Labbadia!"

"He should listen to Waller's advice and change his job and the way he handles problems."

“This criticism of Mainz and mockery of Wang Shuo is a very undignified thing.”

Of course, some media outlets will also publicly support Labbadia.

For many people, it is truly incredible that an 18-year-old Chinese player has appeared at the top of the Bundesliga's top scorers list.

However, the most interesting thing about the whole thing is that no one in Mainz has commented on it.

When media reporters, eager to stir up trouble, came to interview Mainz, General Manager Heidel relayed Klopp's decision.

The entire team refused to be interviewed by reporters!

Clearly, Mainz does not want to get involved in this media storm.

On the training field.

After each training session, in addition to the routine extra practice of free kicks, shooting, and other drills, Wang Shuo added a secret weapon training program to his routine.

Moreover, he received full support from teammates including Neustädter, Bungert, Heller, Löw, and van der Heiden.

Not to mention Schürrle, Feulner, and others who had trained together before.

After learning that Wang Shuo wanted to practice his unique skills, Kramny stayed behind to help him come up with ideas.

In the end, even Klopp and Buvac offered suggestions and ideas.

Even the U19 head coach, Tuchel, came over to join in the fun.

As a German national team center-back, he also took a defensive stance, offering many professional suggestions to help improve the game.

After considering all opinions and suggestions, Wang Shuo also communicated repeatedly with his teammates and finally drafted several plans.

The next step is repeated practice.

As the saying goes, "One minute on stage requires ten years of practice off stage."

Every passing combination on the field has actually been practiced countless times off the field.

No one can say for sure how effective it will be.

The final conclusion can only be drawn by the performance on the day of the competition.

This time, however, Wang Shuo received the full support of everyone in the Mainz team.

In the words of captain Nowitzki: "We're not going to play games with Leverkusen."

"We Mainz people aren't good at arguing."

"But we're good at slapping our opponents on the court!"

……

As we enter April, Mainz's schedule is becoming increasingly difficult.

The worst part is that the team's situation has not improved.

In the 27th round of the Bundesliga on April 11, Mainz, playing away, scored the first goal in the 10th minute, but then conceded three goals to Borussia Dortmund.

In the 29th minute of the first half, Subotic headed in a corner kick to equalize for Dortmund, leaving Wang Shuo and the Mainz players feeling quite disappointed.

After the break in the second half, Dortmund scored two goals in quick succession.

The last goal was an own goal by Neustädter.

Ultimately, Mainz lost 1-3 to Dortmund away from home.

When the match ended, Subotic came over and hugged Wang Shuo.

Once on the field, you're opponents, but after the game, you're friends.

"You didn't even hold back when you went into your old team's goal!" Feulner cursed angrily.

Subotic pointed to the stadium, "There are over 8 people watching."

Wang Shuo also took the opportunity to look around Westfalenstadion. The stands were high and steep, and the atmosphere was really enthusiastic.

No wonder it's hailed as the most terrifying devil's home ground in the Bundesliga, and even in the entire European football world!

"Bro, I saw Labbadia's interview. That guy is really undignified. You should help him save face later!"

Subotic was referring to the German Cup semi-final.

Upon hearing that Wang Shuo was secretly practicing a unique skill, Subotic looked regretful and said, "What a pity! If I were still here, I would definitely help you!"

When this is mentioned, Subotic, Wang Shuo, Schürrle, and others all look regretful.

They are both in their early twenties, share similar interests, and spend all their time together. They fought their way up from the German second division, so their relationship is really good!
"I'm not saying anything more. Just give me the tickets, and I'll bring my girlfriend to the game to cheer you guys on!"

With that, Subotic quickly ran away.

Dortmund's head coach, Daum, is calling for reinforcements.

In this round, Wolfsburg defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1 away from home thanks to a goal from Dzeko.

Wolfsburg has won nine straight games and gone ten rounds unbeaten since the second half of the season.

Hoffenheim lost 0-3 to Bochum at home in this round.

The two dark horses that were the biggest surprises in the first half of the season both ran into problems in the second half.

Mainz, after a five-game winless streak, achieved a three-game winning streak, but is now on a two-game losing streak.

After losing to Borussia Dortmund, Mainz fell to third place after being overtaken by Bayern Munich due to goal difference.

Everyone knows that it's basically unrealistic to continue challenging for the league title.

The team began to concentrate its forces to prepare for the German Cup semi-final.

...A week later, in the 28th round of the Bundesliga, Mainz hosted Stuttgart.

Klopp made a significant rotation.

Wang Shuo, Hainaur, Schürrle, and others were all placed on the bench.

Klopp's strategy remains the same as always.

If the team can hold on, then let Wang Shuo come on as a substitute in the second half to make a run.

If we can't hold on, then we should focus on the German Cup.

Unexpectedly, Mainz ran into Mario Gomez in this match.

They conceded a goal within 16 minutes of the first half.

Then, in the 55th and 71st minutes of the second half, they conceded two goals in quick succession.

Klopp did not field Wang Shuo until the end of the match.

This match also showed everyone that Mainz's squad was too thin and simply did not have the ability to compete on two fronts.

Because Hamburg and Hertha Berlin both won their matches, Mainz dropped to 5th place in the league standings.

After three consecutive losses, Mainz has the same number of points as Hertha Berlin, at 52.

Hamburger scored 54 points.

Then Stuttgart scored 51 points.

Hoffenheim, who scored 38 points in the first half of the season, have only managed to get 45 points so far in the second half.

Besides the fact that star striker Ibisevic is out for the season due to a serious injury, Rangnick's team is also in very poor form and lacks depth, making it impossible for them to continue in the second half of the season.

This is exactly the same situation as in Mainz.

The difference is that Mainz previously relied on Wang Shuo's performance to achieve a three-game winning streak; otherwise, they would have been in a similar situation to Hoffenheim.

……

On the evening of April 21, Mainz faced Bayer Leverkusen away in the German Cup semi-final.

"Viewers, welcome to the live broadcast of the first semi-final match of the 2008/09 German Cup, brought to you by Arena TV."

"Bayer Leverkusen will host Mainz, this season's Bundesliga dark horse."

"This is a match that has attracted the attention of countless fans."

"We are now at the Estista Arena in Düsseldorf, broadcasting this match live."

"Bayer Leverkusen's Bayer Stadium underwent renovations and upgrades this season, with the second tier of stands being raised. Apart from some Bundesliga matches, they choose to hold all major events in Düsseldorf."

"We saw that the match attracted more than 5 fans in total."

"As can be seen from the live broadcast, the stands were almost entirely filled with Bayer Leverkusen fans."

"The pharmaceutical company is clearly determined to win this game!"

"Before the match, Leverkusen's head coach Labbadia said that his team would beat Mainz in this game, just like in the league game two weeks ago."

"Mainz kept a very low profile before the match."

"We all know that this team is not in good form recently, and has suffered three consecutive defeats in the Bundesliga."

"This is indeed a very bad thing."

"We now have the starting lineups for both teams."

"Since both sides were resting their key players in last weekend's league match, they fielded their strongest lineups for this game."

"Let's take a look at the starting lineup of the home team, Bayer Leverkusen, which is still the signature 4-4-2 formation."

Goalkeeper: Adler;

Defense: Kadlec, Friedrich, Sinkewitz and Castro;

Midfield: Toni Kroos and Renato Augusto on the wings, Rolfes dropping back and Vidal up front;
Forwards: Kiessling and Helmes.

"Let's take a look at Mainz's starting lineup."

"Klopp still fielded his most preferred 4-4-1-1 formation."

Goalkeeper: Timo Wach;
Defense: Löw, Nowitzki, Bungert and Heller;
Midfielders: Feulner, Pekovic, Calhanoglu and Schürrle, with Hajnal up front;

Forward: Wang Shuo.

"This is the strongest lineup Mainz can field at the moment."

"It should be said that, in terms of squad strength, Mainz is indeed far inferior to Leverkusen."

"This can be seen from the value of the two teams' squads."

"With the rise of young players such as Wang Shuo and Schürrle this season, the current total value of Mainz's team is around 3 million euros."

"But Leverkusen's total squad value is as high as 1.2 million euros."

"In addition, it is worth mentioning that Leverkusen's defensive pillar, Friedrich, came from Mainz and was also Mainz's former captain."

"The difference in market value certainly does not represent competitiveness on the field."

"But it's enough to show us the gap."

"Of course, we also look forward to seeing Klopp's team once again create a dark horse legend."

"Especially Wang Shuo, a young player from China."

……

"To deal with Wang Shuo, we will still use the same tactics as we did two weeks ago."

"Simon, you need to keep a close eye on him when he retreats."

After hearing Labbadia's words, Captain Rolfes nodded in agreement.

At this moment, only Labbadia's voice could be heard in the Leverkusen locker room.

"We'll use the same tactics we had two weeks ago for this match. From the moment the whistle blows, all of you must press forward and hold Mainz firmly!"

"Our opponents have been in big trouble lately, and we're still fielding veterans Pekovic and Calhanoglu in midfield for this match because they're short-handed!"

"This is our chance!"

"We can be more daring on our flanks, and at the same time, we should make full use of the role of our two center forwards."

"Tony."

Labbadia turned and pointed at Tony Cross.

"You did a great job in the game two weeks ago, your passes were very threatening. In this game, you need to pass more and bring out the dominance of our center forward in the penalty area!"

Tony Cross nodded in agreement.

He started as a number 10 midfielder.

After arriving at Bayer Leverkusen, the number 10 position was taken by Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal.

Therefore, Tony Cross plays more on the left wing.

He is proficient with both feet, but his right foot is his dominant foot.

On the left wing, he can unleash his most threatening side pass.

This is something that is very difficult to defend against for many full-backs.

Moreover, Tony Kroos's diagonal passes and wide-ranging transitions on the flanks were exceptionally accurate.

Toni Kroos on the left wing is good at passing, while Renato Augusto, the Brazilian player on the right wing, is good at dribbling.

Leverkusen's two flanks are actually very threatening.

Judging from the lineup configuration, this lineup is definitely capable of achieving results.

Therefore, in the first half of the season, Leverkusen performed exceptionally well, launching wave after wave of attacks.

However, the conflict between Labbadia and the management intensified, leading to many problems within the team's locker room.

Now, winning the championship is definitely out of the question.

Bayer Leverkusen's only goal is the German Cup!

"To be honest, I don't really think much of Mainz."

Labbadia has had a very illustrious career, so his vision is naturally very high.

"But I still want to say that we can look down on this team, but we must take our opponents seriously."

"They have their own unique strengths that have enabled them to get to where they are today."

"I firmly believe that we are far stronger than them, and the match two weeks ago is the best proof of that!"

"I hope that tonight, in front of more than 50,000 fans, you can give your best performance."

"Finally, I want to remind you again, our defenders and midfielders, when defending against Wang Shuo, try to use your physicality as much as possible. This is his weakness, so don't give him any chance to catch his breath!"

"Kill him, and Mainz will be no threat at all!"

"We'll get our train tickets to Berlin for the end of May tonight!"

The Berlin Olympic Stadium at the end of May, the venue for the German Cup final.

……

This was an extremely fierce competition!
Almost immediately after the match began, the two sides engaged in close-quarters combat.

Less than a minute into the game, Vidal brought down Hajnal with a sliding tackle, injecting a tough element into the match.

Leverkusen continued to maintain their high-pressing and aggressive style.

With their numerical and strength advantage in midfield, they put pressure on Mainz from the very beginning.

Just 1 minute and 32 seconds into the game, Toni Kroos received a pass from his teammate Kadlec near the left sideline in Mainz's half and delivered a through ball behind the defense.

Kiessling quickly made a diagonal run into the left side of the penalty area, received the ball, and then passed it across the face of the goal.

Helmes unleashed a powerful left-footed shot, which was blocked by goalkeeper Wach and center-back Noveski.

The ball hit goalkeeper Wach's hand and went out of bounds.

Corner kick.

Wang Shuo stood at the bottom of the center circle in his own half of the field.

We saw Toni Kroos take the corner kick, but it was headed away by a Mainz player.

He immediately started running.

But the ball remained at Leverkusen's feet.

In the 4411 formation, Wang Shuo stood alone at the very front.

He kept chasing the ball.

But Leverkusen's players have solid technique and can make consecutive passes.

Before Wang Shuo could get close, Friedrich delivered a long-range pass to another center-back, Sinkivec.

Wang Shuo immediately turned and rushed towards Sinkiewicz.

In fact, in many cases, this kind of running is not very effective.

But Wang Shuo still had to run.

As long as he has the energy, he must keep running.

Nobody knows when the opportunity will appear.

Several scoring opportunities were won by Wang Shuo through tireless running.

Teams like Mainz fight and grab every single opportunity!
That's how we got to where we are today!

Bayer Leverkusen's advantage in the midfield and attack is very obvious.

Mainz were very passive on the field.

To what extent?

For the first 10 minutes of the match, the game was played in Mainz's half.

Once Mainz wins the ball, it becomes very difficult for them to even get out of their own 30-meter zone.

Because Leverkusen immediately launched a counter-attack.

Mainz's players couldn't hold onto the ball or pass it around.

This situation occurred in the game two weeks ago.

Mainz didn't get a chance to enter Leverkusen's half until the 11th minute.

Feulner dribbled the ball across the halfway line on the left flank, but before he could pass the ball, he was blocked by Castro and immediately chose to pass it back.

The ball has returned to Mainz's half.

Leverkusen began to press forward.

Wang Shuo was trying to run into an open space, but he found that the ball had been passed back, so he could only run back as well.

Mainz's first real attack into Leverkusen's half occurred in the 15th minute.

Wang Shuo finally received the ball near the center circle.

Just as he stopped the ball, turned, and was about to charge forward, Friedrich fouled him in time.

Mainz quickly took the free kick and seized the opportunity, with Heller sending a through ball behind the defense.

Schürrle made a high-speed run down the right flank, but when he dribbled the ball, he failed to cross it in time and dribbled it directly out of bounds.

Wang Shuo looked up at the time; it was exactly 16 minutes.

Although he didn't have the chance, he still gave Schürrle a thumbs up and clapped.

The overwhelming advantage on the field made Labbadia appear exceptionally calm on the sidelines.

With his hands in his pockets, he occasionally gesticulates and offers his opinions.

On the contrary, it was Klopp.

Uncle Beard was getting agitated on the sidelines, constantly yelling at the players to push forward, push forward...

The problem is, it's really impossible!

Based on the games played throughout the entire season, Wang Shuo has figured it out.

Klopp's tactics often leave him at a disadvantage when facing teams with similar running ability but superior player skill, especially technical ability.

For example, Hoffenheim.

And Bayer Leverkusen.

On the contrary, Mainz performed well against teams that like to hold the ball and have a slower pace, such as Bayern Munich.

Of course, what is considered "good" is limited, and it is all based on burning physical energy and outputting full power.

If your technique is inferior to your opponent's and you don't run more, then the game is over.

After 20 minutes, as Leverkusen's pressing in the attacking third eased slightly, Mainz was able to gradually push forward more.

They also entered Leverkusen's half more often.

At this time, Mainz also began to gradually show some promise.

For example, the number of balls being launched from the two flanks has also begun to increase.

Moreover, they were all low or half-high long passes aimed at the center of the attacking third.

The results were not very good.

They were mostly intercepted by the opponent's midfielders or full-backs who dropped back in time.

At first glance, this pass seemed somewhat hasty.

Only Wang Shuo knew that all these balls were coming for him.

However, due to various reasons, such as the timing of the pass and the player's movement not being timely, or the pass being inaccurate, or the landing point being poor, etc.

Ultimately, none of the messages reached Wang Shuo.

Mainz will not linger in the fight.

After a passing error, they immediately retreated to continue defending.

Klopp has been coaching this team for many years, and Mainz has always been known for its defensive capabilities, from last season in the 2. Bundesliga to now.

Even now that they've moved to the Bundesliga, Mainz's defense remains quite solid.

In the second half of the season, after selling Subotic, the defense became somewhat loose.

However, breaking through Mainz's goal will not be an easy task.

The two sides remained deadlocked and at an impasse.

Bayer Leverkusen is willing to commit players to the attacking third, whether it's attacking or pressing.

This caused Mainz a lot of trouble.

But this also gave Mainz a chance to counterattack.

The counterattack was simply not strong enough.

The ball never even reached Wang Shuo's feet.

The most outrageous thing was that, as the game progressed, everyone was surprised to find that Klopp's team hadn't even managed a single shot on goal.

The most dangerous attack occurred in the 32nd minute.

This time, the ball finally came to Wang Shuo's feet.

Moreover, it was a frontal attack.

When Wang Shuo dribbled forward, he faced Sinkiewicz and used his speed to force his way through from the side. However, when he received the ball and was about to enter the penalty area, there were no teammates around to support him. Friedrich quickly covered and blocked the ball out of bounds.

Corner kick!

Hainaur's corner kick was cleared out of the penalty area again.

Still unable to create a shot on goal.

In retaliation, Leverkusen immediately retaliated.

After receiving the ball on the left, Tony Kroos delivered a diagonal pass with his right foot to the far post.

Center forward Kiessling outjumped Nowitzki and headed the ball towards goal from close range.

But they slid out through the door slightly.

More than 5 Bayer Leverkusen fans cheered throughout the stadium.

It's obvious to anyone that Leverkusen has a clear advantage.

Mainz, in the face of the powerful pharmaceutical company, can only passively take the beating.

Starting in the 35th minute, Leverkusen launched another wave of attacks, continuing to pressure Mainz in the attacking third.

But this time the scale was significantly smaller than the opening phase.

Mainz can barely hold on.

Although several dangerous situations were created, the goal was safe.

It's clear that Kiessling and Helmes are still not quite excited enough.

Mainz, who had been unable to get a shot on goal for a long time, struggled until the 39th minute before finally getting a throw-in on the left side of their own half.

Löw ran over and threw the toss back with both hands, passing it to Pekovic.

At this moment, both teams' players are concentrated in the left half of the field.

Wang Shuo originally wanted to receive the ball from the throw-in, but after seeing it thrown back to Pekovic, he glanced around and found the right half of the field was empty, and immediately guessed his teammate's intention.

He immediately turned around and rushed forward.

Leverkusen quickly grasped Mainz's intentions and began to shift their entire defensive formation.

Friedrich and Sinkowitz followed Wang Shuo back, one on each side.

By the time Wang Shuo reached the edge of Leverkusen's 30-meter zone, the ball had already been transferred from Pekovic to Calhanoglu, and then passed to the unmarked Heller on the right wing.

At that moment, Heller made a quick forward run down the right flank, crossed the center line, and received a pass from Calhanoglu. He then took another step forward to adjust his position.

Wang Shuo immediately recognized the opportunity, decisively accelerated, and sprinted forward at top speed.

"Follow him!"

Friedrich and Sinkiewitz also accelerated their retreat.

Kadlec, on the left flank, remained outside the penalty area on the left side, ready to intercept Heller.

But at that moment, after adjusting, Heller delivered a low, diagonal long pass with his right foot.

The ball had a low arc and extremely high speed, quickly passing through Leverkusen's midfield and landing in the penalty area.

During Wang Shuo's high-speed sprint, he was always sandwiched between Friedrich and Sinkowitz.

Logically, Heller would pass the ball towards the goal as far as possible at this point, allowing Wang Shuo to rush over and contest for the header or make a run for it.

The two center-backs of Leverkusen also had this expectation.

But to their utter surprise, Heller's pass didn't go towards the goal or the six-yard box, but instead landed at the penalty spot.

During his sprint, Wang Shuo kept looking back to observe the trajectory of the ball.

As he rushed into the penalty area, he saw the ball had been passed to him and immediately stopped abruptly near the penalty spot.

They have cooperated many times in the past few days.

Just as the ball arrived, Wang Shuo turned around.

Friedrich was no pushover; he immediately sought to ally himself with Wang Shuo and confront him.

Based on the experience from two weeks ago, Wang Shuo was at a significant disadvantage in physical confrontations.

But this time, Wang Shuo stretched out his left hand and blocked Friedrich.

This is experience shared by Tuchel.

Generally speaking, the more experienced a defender is, the less likely they are to act recklessly in the penalty area.

Wang Shuo reached out and blocked, preventing Friedrich from immediately applying close-quarters pressure on him.

This naturally resulted in limited space to turn around.

The rest depends on Wang Shuo's own abilities.

When the ball came, he used his left foot as support, swung his right foot up, and used the inside of his foot to meet the ball coming from the right side.

The ankle is very loose; as soon as it touches the ball, it immediately pulls back, and the whole body turns around accordingly.

As his right foot landed, the ball was controlled by him and landed to his right.

This kind of ball control requires a lot of skill.

Especially with Friedrich and Sinkowitz watching them from behind.

Wang Shuo not only maximized all of his passive skills, but also achieved certain results after two weeks of arduous practice.

After stabilizing his right foot, he turned his body again, facing the goal, and quickly swung his left foot, ready to shoot directly at the goal.

From sprinting to sudden stop to turning to control the ball, and then turning again to unleash a "volley," Wang Shuo was like a spinning top, spinning around in a narrow space.

Incredibly, he stopped the football.

The change happened in an instant.

Before the Leverkusen fans could even gasp, Friedrich reacted quickly and slid in, throwing himself out to block Wang Shuo's shot.

On the other side, center-back Sinkivec also made a sliding tackle to block the ball.

However, Wang Shuo's left foot was just a feint; he didn't actually pull it out. Instead, he changed his footwork, turning a shot from the instep into a flick with the inside of his left foot along the edge of the ball.

The ball immediately rolled towards Wang Shuo's right foot, rendering Friedrich and Sinkiewicz's blocking completely ineffective.

The two center-backs of Leverkusen almost collided.

The secret weapon worked!

A passage leading to the goal appeared in front of Wang Shuo.

He quickly stepped forward, steadied himself on his left foot, and then kicked out with all his might using his right foot.

He even jumped up involuntarily because he exerted too much force.

Everything happened in a very short time.

When the muffled "bang" of Wang Shuo's shot rang out, all 5-plus Bayer Leverkusen fans in the stadium gasped in unison.

But Wang Shuo's shot was like lightning; no matter how fast Adler reacted, he was still a step too slow.

The football went straight into the bottom of the Leverkusen goal net.

Mainz's first shot of the game – Goal!
At that moment, everyone—from Klopp and Labbadia on the sidelines to the fourth official and staff, and the more than 5 Leverkusen fans in the stands—was stunned into silence.

How...how did he do that?
(End of this chapter)