The God of Football starts with passive skills

Chapter 9: Breaking Through Bayern's Goal

No one might believe it if I told you.

Before the Mainz U19 vs. Bayern U19 match, the usually deserted Engelborn Stadium was packed with fans.

Yes.

There were no stands or seats; the fans all stood around the stadium on their own initiative.

The huge stadium was packed with fans, three layers deep.

I estimate there are at least two thousand people.

When Wang Shuo saw this scene, he really couldn't believe it.

There are only 14 teams in the Southwest Division, and the combined attendance of Mainz's other 12 home games doesn't even equal that of the game against Bayern Munich.

Even the parking lot outside the stadium was full.

It is said that there is still traffic congestion on the streets outside, and fans are still arriving.

That's the appeal of Bayern Munich.

Even though it's just a U19 team, it can attract so many fans to the stadium.

“Many of them came because of Thomas Müller,” André Schürrle said with a smile.

Thomas Müller?

"Yes, everyone says he will become the best scorer in German football in the future, and he has a great surname."

Wang Shuo was well aware of the significance of the surname Müller for German football.

But he didn't have much feeling for Bayern either.

That's too far away!
Right now, his most important task is to improve himself as quickly as possible.

He has already earned 16 passive points in 3 games.

With a little more effort, maybe I can accumulate 50 passive points before the end of the season and exchange them for another skill card.

……

Bayern U19 departed from Munich.

The match will still start at 10:00 AM.

These gifted young talents from Germany's top family are like unparalleled masters in martial arts novels, always making their grand entrance as the final act.

The first one to appear was a luxury bus, a top-of-the-line model sponsored by MAN, a world-leading brand.

One of them costs several hundred thousand euros.

Mainz's first team can't afford such an expensive bus.

The U19 team uses older models that were phased out by the first team; they are not only old but also frequently break down.

Putting everything else aside, just arriving in such a large bus gives them a significant advantage over Mainz U19 in terms of sheer presence.

This naturally drew high praise from the surrounding fans.

"style!"

"So classy!"

"This is what a top-tier powerhouse is like!"

With a soft thud, the electric car door opened, and the Bayern U19 players who got out were all dressed in the same uniform, wearing Adidas training suits, carrying Adidas training bags, and wearing Adidas shoes...

Believe it or not, even the Bayern players have exceptionally neat hairstyles.

One word: handsome!

From the moment they made their debut, Bayern U19 exuded a noble aura that was completely different from that of a lowly team like Mainz.

Schürrle, standing nearby, explained to Wang Shuo: "Bayern has dedicated stylists who are responsible for serving the first team and youth team players."

"What about us?"

I had to find a hairdresser like Tony outside myself.

The uniform attire made Bayern players stand out from the crowd.

But what really caught Wang Shuo's attention was the spirit of the Bayern players.

Every player who can play for Bayern Munich is one of the best in German and even European football.

Don't be fooled by Bayern U19's third-place ranking in the Southwest Division; it's because they don't take it seriously.

For example, German midfield prodigy Toni Kroos was promoted to the first team at the age of 18.

It is said that Thomas Müller will also be joining the first team after this season.

For other teams, there is no such thing as a youth team aimed at developing young players, because they also have to worry about relegation, just like Mainz, who were relegated before.

But what about Bayern Munich?

They really don't have any pressure to achieve results.

Even if they play terribly, they're still in the top three!
This is just like what Wang Shuo saw in China: the top students from those prestigious schools, wearing their school uniforms, all walking with their heads held high, their eyes shining, and their steps leaving a trail of sparks and lightning.

It has to be said, look at the image and equipment of Bayern Munich's players, and then look at Mainz themselves...

That's really shabby!
The most awkward moment came when the Bayern players got off the bus and walked onto the pitch to warm up before the match, and the fans in the stadium burst into enthusiastic applause.

Nearly two thousand people applauded at the same time, which was quite enthusiastic, even in an open space.

The Bayern players seemed used to it, smiling and waving to the fans in the stadium.

Wang Shuo felt that they weren't there to play football, but rather to promote Bayern Munich's prestigious brand!

Let's take a look at the other people in Mainz.

Almost everyone, including Schürrle, looked on with envy, wanting to wear the Bayern jersey and play under the spotlight like them.

This puzzled Wang Shuo.

Don't they think that by making such a big show of things on their own home turf, these Bayern players are slapping themselves in the face?

Although it was a spontaneous act by the fans, Wang Shuo still felt very uncomfortable.

……

After warming up and changing their jerseys, the players from both sides followed the rules and shook hands before the match.

Wang Shuo, on the other hand, got to know Bayern Munich's star players up close.

Thomas Müller, Badstuber, Contento, Björn Koplin, Victor Bopp, Mario Elb and Mohamed Ekic are among the most watched young talents in German football.

Roberto Soriano is an Italian youth national team player who grew up in Germany.

After shaking hands with everyone, Wang Shuo realized that Bayern Munich was almost entirely composed of national team players.

It's either Germany, Italy, or Türkiye.

In the German youth league, this team is definitely a Galacticos.

After the match started, Mainz continued to use their usual 4-3-3 formation, with Robin Metinitz, Wang Shuo, and Schürrle forming the attacking trident to pressure Bayern's midfield and defense.

But Wang Shuo quickly realized that Bayern Munich was different from other teams.

Faced with Mainz's pressing, especially Wang Shuo's tireless running and pressure from the start, other teams often find it difficult to cope and their defenses are easily breached.

But what about Bayern Munich?

The defensive line consisting of Contento, Badstuber, Mario Elb and Björn Koplin remained remarkably composed in the face of this relentless pressing.

Especially Badstuber.

The 19-year-old center-back remained very calm on the defensive line.

On one occasion, when facing Wang Shuo's sprint and pressing, he calmly protected the ball before passing it.

Such players not only need to have a big heart, but also need to have extremely strong confidence in their own abilities.

At the same time, they also need to have enough trust in their teammates. Bayern's head coach is former Bayern player Kurt Niedermeier, who has been coaching Bayern U19 since 01 and knows the team inside and out.

Despite facing a relentless attack from Mainz, he remained composed and kept the team in place.

Bayern Munich is like a reef on the shore; no matter how much Mainz crashes against them, they remain unmoved, possessing the qualities of a strong team.

After Mainz launched a counter-attack but failed to achieve its goal, Bayern gradually turned the tide of the game.

Under Kramny's tutelage, Mainz's defense is also outstanding.

Several of Bayern's top scorers were also limited.

But in the 27th minute, when his teammates were all marked, the relatively unknown midfielder Dominique Rolac stepped up, dribbled down the right flank, beat two players, and fired a shot from the right side of the penalty area, breaking through Mainz's goal.

1 is better than 0!

Outrageous!

terrible!
This is Bayern Munich!
It's astonishing that a young player who hasn't even made it into the German national team could put on such a brilliant performance.

Meanwhile, fans around the stadium applauded and cheered for Bayern's goal.

"Bayern Munich is so cool!"

"Wow, Bayern Munich is amazing!"

"Mainz is no match at all; today's game is expected to be another resounding, high-scoring affair!"

The Mainz players on the field felt very uncomfortable hearing the discussions on the sidelines.

This is Mainz's home ground!

After taking the lead, Bayern players remained calm and composed, maintaining control of possession and the pace of the game.

In terms of strength, they have an overwhelming advantage.

On a tactical level, Niedermeier adopted a steady and methodical approach.

Even Kramny couldn't come up with a good solution.

The strength gap is too big!
Left with no other option, Kramny signaled to his team to retreat and adopt a defensive counter-attacking strategy.

Although I was somewhat unwilling, there was nothing I could do.

The situation is better than people.

……

As the head coach of Bayern Munich's youth teams, Kurt Niedermeier has another habit besides leading the team in matches.

That is, he likes to observe the opposing players.

The standard for evaluation is whether the other party has the ability or potential to play for Bayern.

If so, he would recommend it to General Manager Hoeneß after the match.

This man, one of the three leaders who has been in charge of Bayern Munich for many years, has long held a high position of power, but he still personally takes charge of player selection.

Niedermeier is also paying attention to Mainz U19, who have won three consecutive games recently.

However, since there was no live broadcast of the match, he didn't know much about it.

In the first half hour or so of today's match, he had already figured out quite a few things.

There were indeed no players who caught his eye.

Whether it's footwork or passing ability, Mainz lacks truly outstanding talent.

But among this group of unremarkable players, Niedermeier still noticed three.

Kirchhoff, a midfielder, is tall, over 1.9 meters, but is also quite agile.

It's particularly good at controlling the high ball.

However, Kirchhoff also exhibits the drawbacks of traditional German players: poor technique and subpar passing ability.

This is not in line with the current development trend of German football, or even European football.

And then there are the two players in the frontcourt.

These two players are the most interesting.

They are all very fast, have a strong sense of teamwork, and actively engage in pressing in the attacking third as well as dropping back to participate in defense.

Niedermeier knows André Schürrle, a local striker who has made a name for himself in Mainz this season, but has yet to be selected for any national team at any level.

The other Asian player, on the other hand, has similar characteristics to Schürrle. Their footwork is not particularly impressive, but they are both very hardworking.

What impressed Niedermeier was that the Asian player could run more than Schürrle.

"Could it be a player from South Korea?" Niedermeier thought of the South Korean team coached by Hiddink in the 02 World Cup.

Regardless of whether they cheated or not, that South Korean team was indeed very fast.

As for the effectiveness of their running, it wasn't particularly noticeable against Bayern's tight defensive formation.

That's how small teams are.

Whether it's Kirchhoff, Schürrle, or that Asian player, none of them can stand firm in Bayern's U19 team.

But in Mainz, they are the main force.

It may even receive special cultivation.

Just as Niedermeier had this thought, Wang Shuo suddenly ran back from the center circle on the court, raising his hand to ask for the ball.

Kirschhof delivered a short pass.

Wang Shuo didn't stop the ball; instead, he passed it to Schürrle and then ran diagonally to the right front.

Badstuber immediately moved closer to Wang Shuo.

Schürrle, under Contento's relentless pressure, failed to deliver a through pass immediately.

Wang Shuo glanced at the midfield and saw that Badstuber was positioned far forward, so he knew that the opponent was trying to set up an offside trap.

Without hesitation, he chose to run sideways to the right sideline.

Badstuber was indeed trying to set an offside trap, but Schürrle still didn't have a chance to pass the ball.

The Bayern center-back glanced at Wang Shuo, only to find that the opponent was running sideways, out of his defensive zone.

As a center-back, Badstuber had witnessed Wang Shuo's speed and immediately moved to the right, ready to cut off any passes from midfield to Wang Shuo.

Schürrle was harassed by Contento and never got a chance to pass the ball, so he was forced to pass it to Robin Medinitz.

When Medinitz received the ball at the bottom left of the center circle, he turned to try and get rid of Koplin.

Although he failed to get rid of her this time, his advantage of being proficient with both feet gave Medinitz a chance to pass the ball.

Wang Shuo immediately pointed ahead and called out to Medinitz.

Almost the instant Medinitz passed the ball, Wang Shuo started moving at top speed, like an arrow released from a bow.

Badstuber was quite focused; he realized the danger as soon as Wang Shuo asked for the ball and pointed in the direction.

The two started almost simultaneously.

But Wang Shuo was too fast.

Almost the instant Medinitz passed the ball, Wang Shuo started his run, using his speed to shake off Badstuber and create an offside trap.

Wang Shuo made a rapid diagonal run from the right flank into the middle, catching up with Medinitz's pass before anyone else could react.

After taking a step forward, he accelerated to catch up. After rushing into the penalty area, near the penalty spot, facing the onrushing goalkeeper Oswald, Wang Shuo calmly pushed the ball into the unguarded goal behind him.

Wang Shuo turned and ran towards the sidelines, waving to Schürrle and Medinitz.

"Come on, man, let's celebrate the goal!"

"We've breached Bayern's goal!"

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(End of this chapter)