Chapter 40: Chapter 25: 1 vs. 3

But he missed.

“Holy shit, what a beautiful pass from Wang Shuo!”

“Does he have eyes in the back of his head? How did he know his teammate was making a run forward?”

“Such a shame. If it had been just a little more to the left, it would’ve been a spectacular goal.”

“Honestly, Wang Shuo’s performance has been pretty good this match. No one can do much against a team that’s parking the bus.”

“At the end of the day, his teammates are just limited. If that had been Gerrard or Lampard, that shot would have gone in.”

“True. I’ve noticed Wang Shuo is playing with more and more confidence lately, and his performance is getting better and better.”

…

While fans on the forums back in China were feeling sorry for Wang Shuo, on the pitch, he jogged over to Kalhan.

The two of them high-fived.

Kalhan was also growing to trust this 17-year-old teammate more and more.

“I want to find a chance to get in behind their left-back.”

Wang Shuo covered his mouth with his hand and whispered to Kalhan as they walked back side-by-side.

Kalhan was stunned for a moment but immediately understood.

Osnabrueck’s left-back was Andreas Schäfer.

The left-back was very fast, could also play as a left-winger, and loved to push forward to join the attack.

“Okay, I’ll tell Balik not to press Schäfer and to drift more toward the center.”

Wang Shuo nodded. “Try to win the ball in midfield and play it in behind their left flank as quickly as possible. I’ll chase it down. Just make sure it doesn’t go out of bounds.”

“Got it. I’ll drop the defensive line back a bit then.”

Communication on the pitch was always brief and to the point.

The two quickly separated.

When Osnabrueck’s goalkeeper, Dino Belbig, took the goal kick, it was quickly headed back to midfield by Subotic.

Both teams began to battle fiercely near the halfway line.

Wang Shuo was constantly moving up front, patiently waiting for an opportunity.

Over the next few minutes, possession changed hands rapidly.

The Mainz players were starting to get a little anxious.

Balik had also heard Kalhan and began to consciously drift toward the center, but positioned himself behind Wang Shuo.

The right-back, Hogland, was focused on defense, while Kalhan also shifted more toward the right.

This was to ensure the stability of their right-flank defense.

After a few minutes of adjustment and preparation, an opportunity finally appeared in the 41st minute.

Schäfer was carrying the ball up the left flank and about to cross the halfway line when Kalhan intercepted him, forcing him to try and pass it to the center.

But Pekovic decisively moved up and, before the defender could react, slid in to tackle the ball away to Balik in front of him.

Balik was very experienced. Receiving the ball with his back to the goal, he laid it off for Kalhan.

Kalhan ran onto it and immediately launched a high, long ball straight toward the outside of the right corner of Osnabrueck’s penalty area.

Wang Shuo was already prepared.

To avoid being offside, he first ran laterally. The moment Kalhan made the pass, he burst forward at top speed.

Ndjeng’s recovery speed was also fast, and he sprinted toward the spot where Kalhan’s long ball was set to land.

But Wang Shuo seized the first move. Just outside the right corner of the penalty area, he got there a step ahead and secured the optimal position.

The moment the football dropped, an incredibly strong feeling washed over Wang Shuo.

He knew exactly how to bring this high, long ball down!

It was a strange, instinctual feeling, impossible to describe with words.

He knew this was the improvement brought by his Regional Level [Ball Sense].

So, he trusted the feeling. He extended his right foot, keeping the sole straight and pointing his toes up to meet the descending ball.

As the football came down, the instant it made contact with the tips of his toes, his right ankle went completely limp, and he pulled his entire right leg back with the ball’s momentum.

Just like that, the downward force of the ball was completely absorbed.

To everyone watching, it looked as if Wang Shuo had effortlessly trapped the high, long ball that came all the way from the halfway line.

The ball settled obediently on the right side of the penalty area.

Everyone in the stadium was stunned!

“Holy shit, that first touch was absolutely perfect!”

“I can’t believe it. Is that really Wang Shuo?”

Wang Shuo himself was amazed, but he had no time to spare.

He beat his man to the ball, glanced at the penalty area, shielded the ball from Ndjeng behind him with his body, and brought the ball to a dead stop with the outside of his right foot, stopping abruptly himself.

In his peripheral vision, Wang Shuo saw the number 5 holding midfielder, who had been chasing him, quickly retreat into the penalty area to cover for Ndjeng.

His chance to break into the box was gone.

But he could create a chance for a teammate.

When Wang Shuo stopped short, Ndjeng was caught by surprise and tried to stop too, but he was a beat too slow.

However, Schäfer, who had just pushed up to the halfway line, was now sprinting back on defense and was almost on him.

Wang Shuo made his decision in an instant. After stopping and turning, he took a step back with the ball, then came to another sudden halt. With the outside of his right foot, he flicked the ball sideways, just barely evading the recovering Schäfer.

The next moment, he quickly flicked the ball with his right foot again, chopping it back to his left to dodge Ndjeng, who had just regained his footing.

Finally, Wang Shuo knocked the ball forward with his left foot, about to burst through the pincer trap of the two defenders.

The entire sequence happened in the blink of an eye.

It wasn’t just Ndjeng and Schäfer, who were on the receiving end, that were completely bewildered.

Even the fans in the stands couldn’t clearly see what had just happened on the right side of the pitch.

All they saw was Wang Shuo, as if by Magic, dribbling and weaving his way through the two defenders, carving out a path.

Just as Wang Shuo was about to break free, the number 5 player from the right side of the box suddenly rushed out and tackled him, bringing both man and ball down just outside the right corner of Osnabrueck’s penalty area.

Only then did a collective gasp erupt from the stadium.

One man, all by himself, had nearly broken through a trap set by three Osnabrueck defenders!

“What a spectacular piece of dribbling!”

“From Mainz’s 17-year-old rising star from China, Wang Shuo.”

“In this afternoon’s match, he’s been the most dangerous player on the pitch for Mainz.”

“Especially that first touch to bring down the long ball—it was absolutely beautiful!”

“He’s fast, very agile, and has excellent footwork, with those consecutive changes of direction and touches.”

“Three Osnabrueck defenders couldn’t stop him; they had no choice but to foul.”

“Mainz has been awarded a free kick on the right side, just outside the penalty area!”

…

“Whoa!”

“Incredible dribbling!”

“I can’t believe Wang Shuo’s footwork is this good!”

“My God, how did we never notice this before?”

“If it weren’t for the slow-motion replay on the broadcast, we wouldn’t have been able to see his moves clearly. It was just dazzling.”

“So fast!”

…

Fast!

That was the biggest impression left on both Ndjeng and Schäfer!

Whether it was Ndjeng or Schäfer, they both felt they could have intercepted the ball, but Wang Shuo was always one step ahead.

Wang Shuo’s movements were simply too fast!

The two defenders stared with apprehension at Wang Shuo as his teammate, Kalhan, helped him up from the grass.

’Thank God Witt committed that foul in time!’

Wang Shuo cheerfully got up from the grass and jumped in place a couple of times. He felt fine.

He had already jumped away when the number 5 player made the tackle.

So, while the tackle looked vicious, it didn’t actually cause any major problems.

Plus, he earned another point of Passive Value.

Parking the bus was definitely a pain, but it was a quick way to rack up Passive Value.

He had already gotten 6 points so far in the first half.

After playing for a while, Wang Shuo discovered that he would gain Passive Value from any infringement, not just fouls called by the referee.

Kalhan took the free kick, delivering a precise, curling ball into the center.

Like a heavy tank, Subotic leaped up in front of the goal and blasted the ball into Osnabrueck’s net.

1-1!

Wang Shuo leaped up excitedly and ran straight over to hug Subotic.

But soon after, he was waving at Subotic, Kalhan, and the other teammates.

“Let’s get back quickly!”

“There’s still time in the first half! Let’s push on, ride the momentum, and take the lead!”

“Yeah!”

The Mainz players all responded, actually skipping the goal celebration and jogging back to their own half.

This left Klopp, Buvac, and the others on the sidelines looking on in astonishment.

“How does this kid have so much influence?”

’Skill talks on the pitch, sure, but isn’t he integrating a little too quickly?’

On the bench, Borja’s expression turned even uglier when he saw this.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep