Chapter 149: Chapter 51: High-Quality New Idol! Metamorphic Upgrade! I Want to Become the World’s Strongest Player

As a result, when Mathijsen received the pass from Jansen, he was somehow left completely unmarked for at least two seconds.

After composing himself, the Dutch center-back launched a long ball straight behind the Mainz defense.

Petrich and Olic created a two-on-one opportunity, with Petrich ultimately receiving the ball and slotting it into Mainz’s goal.

2-2!

The match was tied once again!

The Mainz fans at the stadium were on the verge of tears.

’Why do we always concede right after we score? And then again after we score again?’

’What in the world is wrong with our defense today?’

’Can’t they be a little more reliable?’

’No matter how many goals Wang Shuo scores up front, it’s not enough to cover for a defense this wasteful!’

But the flurry of goals scored and conceded clearly caused both teams to settle down.

The first half ultimately ended in a 2-2 draw.

During the halftime break, Klopp didn’t fly into a rage. Instead, he focused on encouragement.

Since the start of November, Uncle Mustache’s temperament seemed to have changed a lot. At least he wasn’t as irascible as before, flying off the handle at the slightest provocation. His rebukes for player mistakes had also become much milder.

This time was no different.

But he repeatedly reminded everyone, “Hamburg is no pushover!”

“The Northern King is a traditional Bundesliga powerhouse, a team that was even at the top of the table at the start of the season!”

Things were clearly just as tense on the Hamburg side.

During the halftime break, Martin Jol substituted defensive midfielder Colin Benjamin for Pitroipa.

Pitroipa had made almost no impact during the first half of the match.

The player was incredibly fast, but his technique was admittedly rather unrefined.

This was a common ailment for many speed-oriented players.

’If you can solve the problem with speed, why bother with technique?’

After the substitution, Alex Silva and Benjamin partnered as a double-pivot in defensive midfield, while Jarolim was shifted to the right flank.

Clearly, Martin Jol wanted to further contain Wang Shuo.

And so, in the second half, whenever Wang Shuo dropped back to get the ball, he would find himself surrounded by Hamburg players.

In such a situation, never mind Wang Shuo—what could even the great Maradona do?

Fortunately, Wang Shuo wasn’t in a rush.

Run, receive, pass. Run, receive, pass…

He just kept running, nonstop.

From the left flank to the center, to the right, and back again to the center and left.

Wang Shuo was like a busy little bee, weaving through the forest of burly Hamburg players.

The pitch was huge; it was impossible for Hamburg’s defenders to control all of the space.

All the Mainz players were coordinating their passes with Wang Shuo’s movements.

Almost every time Wang Shuo received the ball, it was in a weak point of Hamburg’s defense.

Each time, the Hamburg defenders’ hearts leaped into their throats as they sprinted over with everything they had to contain him.

The Hamburg players’ stamina was being drained, bit by bit.

And on the other side, Wang Shuo seemed completely unfazed, still running relentlessly.

This was getting to be too much for Martin Jol on the sidelines.

’His stamina is just insane, isn’t it?’

’It’s the 86th minute, and he can still run like that?’

Martin Jol felt this completely defied logic.

’It’s December, man!’

’After months of high-intensity matches, he can still run like this in December?’

’The 86th minute!’

The Netherlands has its share of players with incredible engines, like Edgar Davids, nicknamed the “Wild Boar.”

As the nickname suggests, he could really run, charging all over the pitch.

Hamburg had an incredibly energetic player of their own: the Croatian forward, Olic.

But not even Olic was as ridiculous as Wang Shuo.

’An average of over 11 kilometers run per match.’

’That’s just absurd!’

’Other players are completely wiped out after a Bundesliga match. After he finishes, he could probably go back for extra practice. He might even be thinking, Should I run a half-marathon now?’

Martin Jol felt a guy like Wang Shuo was practically superhuman.

’It’s a shame he’s not a dockworker in the Netherlands! What a waste!’

Just as Martin Jol was grumbling to himself, Wang Shuo once again ran into an open space in the right channel, raising his hand to call for the ball.

Hainauer quickly passed him the ball.

As the ball arrived at Wang Shuo’s feet, if you could freeze time, you would see that he was surrounded by no fewer than four Hamburg defenders.

Mathijsen, Alex Silva, Trovsky, and Jansen.

The four of them had him completely surrounded from different directions.

The instant Wang Shuo received the ball, Mathijsen, Alex Silva, and Trovsky simultaneously closed in to trap him.

Why didn’t Jansen join them?

Because Schürrle was nearby.

Just as the three-man trap was about to snap shut, in that split second, Wang Shuo did the same thing as before—he played a one-touch pass straight to Schürrle as if the ball were a hot potato.

The next second, Wang Shuo turned and burst forward in a powerful sprint.

“Andrei!”

Wang Shuo’s pass was perfectly weighted.

Schürrle instantly knew what to do. Hearing the shout only confirmed Wang Shuo’s intent, and he met the ball with a first-time lofted pass over the top.

The two had played together for a long time, and Schürrle was well aware of Wang Shuo’s capabilities. He weighted the lofted pass perfectly, getting both the power and the angle just right.

Wang Shuo surged forward, getting in behind Mathijsen. He chested the ball down sideways, bringing it under perfect control at his feet.

At that moment, he stepped into the Hamburg penalty area.

Only then did the goalkeeper, Rost, charge out from his six-yard box.

What followed was what Wang Shuo did best: a one-on-one.

After bringing the ball under control, he immediately wound up his right foot as if to blast it at the goal.

The feint scared Rost, who immediately dove, stretching his body out for the save.

But unexpectedly, Wang Shuo didn’t shoot. Instead, he cut the ball back with his right foot, effortlessly bypassing the diving Rost.

The rest was simple.

Wang Shuo sped up to reach the ball and calmly slotted it into the empty net.

“GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!”

“It’s Wang Shuo again!”

“He scores a brace at the crucial moment!”

“3-2!”

“That’s Wang Shuo’s 18th Bundesliga goal of the season!”

“My heavens!”

“This is simply unbelievable!”

The moment the ball hit the net, every single Mainz fan in Bruch Road Stadium leaped from their seats, roaring in celebration for Wang Shuo.

Among them were a few special guests who had traveled a long way just to see him play.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep