Chapter 20: Chapter 11: Hat-Trick

“More than that. Look at the players’ positioning on the pitch, especially Schürrle and Medinitz. It’s clear their movements are centered around that Asian player.”

“You’re saying…”

“The kid’s positioning is very smart, and he covers a lot of ground. He’s more like the attacking core for the U19 front line.”

Klopp was somewhat taken aback.

He was familiar with Andre Schürrle.

The young man was one of Mainz’s most prized academy prospects.

For even him to be willing to play a supporting role to that Asian player… this kid had to be something special.

“Interesting.” Klopp’s interest in Wang Shuo deepened.

But even so, under immense pressure from Bayern, Mainz U19 still couldn’t find any opportunities.

However, the way the match developed next was somewhat beyond their expectations.

…

As the match entered the 75th minute, Bayern had yet to score against Mainz again.

Kramny’s team was defending for dear life.

These were all kids around eighteen years old.

After seventy-five minutes of intense play, even the dominant Bayern players were feeling the physical toll.

The pace of the match had clearly slowed.

The defensive pressure on Mainz had eased.

But Kramny still hadn’t made any substitutions.

At a disadvantage, the Mainz players had exerted even more energy.

Many of the players were beginning to show signs of fatigue.

Things weren’t much better for Bayern, either.

Under these circumstances, only Wang Shuo up front was still tirelessly sprinting all over the pitch.

The contrast with everyone around him only made Wang Shuo stand out more.

In truth, it was hard for him to even get a touch on the ball by running like this on his own.

Bayern’s entire midfield was composed of exceptionally skilled prodigies; their talent was plain to see.

At best, Wang Shuo’s running could only slightly disrupt Bayern’s passing; it didn’t do much to change the overall situation.

But even so, Wang Shuo kept running.

Running nonstop!

On the eve of his departure for the trial in Germany, Principal Gao had a long talk with him.

One thing he said left a particularly deep impression on Wang Shuo.

“In an eleven-on-eleven match, the strength of a single person is minuscule, even insignificant.”

“But that should never be a reason to give up.”

“Through tireless effort and a determination to never give up, one person can inspire many others, creating a resonance on a spiritual level!”

“This resonance is incredibly powerful—powerful enough to overcome anything!”

“So, Wang Shuo, you must remember this: in the world of football, strength and weakness are never set in stone!”

“Whether it’s an individual, a club, or even a country—everyone needs people who are persistent and never give up!”

Gao Huairen was Wang Shuo’s guide into the world of football.

He was also the elder Wang Shuo respected most in his life.

He believed in what Gao Huairen had told him.

So, whether back home or here in Europe for his trial, he always gave it his all.

When the substitute, Smaili, successfully broke past Kirschhoff and tried to charge toward the penalty area, Wang Shuo sprinted all the way back from the front, chasing him down desperately.

He finally caught up to Smaili just outside the penalty area and executed a perfect sliding tackle, knocking the ball away from Smaili’s feet.

It wasn’t even a foul.

The entire stadium erupted in an uproar.

“So relentless.”

“Tracking back from the attack all the way to the penalty area… he can really run.”

After scrambling back to his feet, Wang Shuo waved at Kirschhoff and immediately sprinted back toward the attack.

He hadn’t said a single word from start to finish.

Everyone around him was already too tired to run anymore.

Wasn’t he tired?

He was.

But he was still running.

The next moment, possession was lost up front.

Wang Shuo immediately charged over again to help Schürrle with the high press, forcing Konstantin to make a back pass.

Watching Wang Shuo charge forward again, Schürrle felt a complicated mix of emotions.

’He believed that right now, every single Mainz player felt the same way he did.’

’Frustrated!’

’So damn frustrated!’

’Even against Bayern, being so completely dominated and pinned down… it was just too damn frustrating!’

’Were the Bayern players born with an extra leg or something?’

He looked ahead. Wang Shuo was chasing down Badstuber, trying to win the ball.

When Badstuber passed to Elbu, he immediately went after Elbu.

’The Bayern players don’t look so invincible!’

’Aren’t they being hounded by Wang Shuo until they have no options?’

’If Wang Shuo can do it, why can’t I?’

’Why can’t *we*?’

As this thought crossed Schürrle’s mind, he clenched his jaw and let out a fierce roar.

“Let’s do this!”

With that, he charged in Konstantin’s direction.

At almost the exact same moment, Medinitz charged forward from the other side.

In the midfield, Kirschhoff and the others also surged forward.

They had caught their breath, and now they were ready to go to war with Bayern again!

The Bayern players truly hadn’t expected this.

The match was already at the 80-minute mark, yet the Mainz players could still surge forward to press them.

It might not have been surprising coming from a senior team, but this was a U19 squad!

The Bayern players were clearly caught off guard when the Mainz players charged at them.

The ball was intercepted near the edge of the center circle in Bayern’s own half.

After intercepting the ball, Kirschhoff passed it to Benjamin Bishoff, who immediately sent it forward.

Wang Shuo received the ball in open space and sent a diagonal pass to the right flank, looking for Schürrle.

Just as Schürrle was about to break through, Konstantin chose to commit a foul.

The Bayern left-back received a yellow card.

Mainz, in turn, was awarded a free kick on the right side of the pitch, just outside the penalty area.

Right-back Constantin Flynn jogged up, placed the ball, and then slowly backed away.

At this point, all of Mainz’s tallest players were positioned inside the penalty area.

As the team’s best crosser from the right flank, Flynn delivered a precise, curving ball that dropped right in front of the center of Bayern’s six-yard box.

The next moment, Kirschhoff broke free from the Bayern defenders, leaped high into the air, and powerfully headed the ball into the back of Bayern’s net.

3–3!

Like a heavy tank, Kirschhoff let out a mighty roar as he landed.

The surrounding Mainz players all rushed toward him.

“Great job, Jan!”

“What a header!”

Like the others, Wang Shuo ran over to hug Kirschhoff, but then immediately broke away, sprinted to the Bayern goal, scooped the ball out of the net, and raced back to the center circle.

“Let’s go, let’s go! Get back! Get ready for the next attack!”

The Mainz players roared in approval.

Even Kirschhoff stopped celebrating and sprinted back to his own half.

All the fans in the stadium were stunned!

Was this still the Mainz team they knew?

On the sidelines, Klopp’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

’This soaring fighting spirit—this perseverance and refusal to give up even in the most desperate situations—isn’t this the “five percent” my mentor, Wolfgang Frank, always talked about?’

Kramny was on the sidelines, clapping and cheering relentlessly for his players.

“Well done! Keep playing like this!”

“We still have a chance!”

And when the match restarted, everyone realized the tables had turned.

Having tied the score, Mainz continued to press forward.

The exhausted Bayern players were clearly struggling to fend off their aggressive opponents.

Just six minutes later, Bayern made a passing error in their own half.

A pass from Ekić was intercepted by Kirschhoff, who then passed it to Flynn on his overlapping run up the right wing.

Flynn saw Wang Shuo up ahead, hand raised and calling for the ball, and immediately sent a low, diagonal pass his way.

The ball traveled diagonally from the right wing toward the right side of the Arc Top District.

Harried by Badstuber, Wang Shuo burst forward at top speed, shaking off the Bayern center-back and sprinting for his life.

Time seemed to freeze in that instant.

No one could have imagined that after eighty-seven minutes of being on the back foot, Wang Shuo—who had already run countless kilometers—could still muster a sprint.

He actually reached Flynn’s diagonal pass a step ahead of Elbu.

Controlling the ball as it entered Bayern’s penalty area, Wang Shuo continued his charge.

The goalkeeper, Oswald, charged out once again.

But to the right of the penalty spot, Wang Shuo reached the ball first and decisively fired a powerful shot.

The ball blazed past Oswald and shot into the unguarded net behind him.

The next moment, the referee’s whistle blew, signaling a goal!

“A hat-trick!”

“My God, Wang, you actually did it!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep