The God of Football starts with passive skills

Chapter 28 It's Wang Shuo again!

Midweek, in the 31st round of the 2. Bundesliga, Mainz will host Kaiserslautern.

As expected before the match, Wang Shuo sat on the bench.

The day before the match, Klopp called him into his office and personally discussed the matter with him.

how to say?

Borja's current situation is indeed critical.

According to the loan agreement, Mainz must make a decision soon if they want to buy him outright.

Once the season ends and Borja returns to Greece, Mainz will have to renegotiate the price if they want to buy him outright.

From Borja's perspective, the players' current thoughts are quite interesting.

He wanted to return to Greece because the team was in a bad situation.

But now that the team has a chance to return to the Bundesliga, he wants to stay with the team.

This requires him to deliver an even better performance to convince Mainz.

Klopp made it very clear to Wang Shuo that the club had not yet made a decision.

Even if they eventually buy out Borja, they will still do their best to cultivate Wang Shuo.

From a personal emotional perspective, no one would like Borja's actions.

But Mainz right now has no other choice!
Klopp hopes Wang Shuo will not be discouraged and will be ready to play at any time. He also guarantees that Wang Shuo will continue to start in the 32nd round home game against Wehen Wiesbaden.

Wang Shuo also understood Klopp and Mainz's approach, saying that he had no problem with it.

Therefore, Wang Shuo sat on the bench for the match against Kaiserslautern.

In addition to Wang Shuo, midfielder Gunkel is also injured and will miss this match.

Instead, it was Amri who took his place.

Captain Nowitzki is suspended due to accumulated yellow cards. Marco Rose will partner Subotic at center-back, while Demetraz will continue to play as a makeshift left-back.

Apart from that, Mainz basically maintained the same lineup that had won the previous two games.

The trident in front consists of Feulner, Borja, and Baljak.

Despite the confidence gained from two consecutive wins, Mainz took the initiative on the field.

However, the first half ended in a 0-0 draw.

Moreover, during halftime, Feulner's old injury flared up again, and he could no longer continue.

Colombian player Elgin Soto replaced Feulner.

This was a substitution.

However, the two players have very different characteristics.

Wang Shuo sat on the bench, spending the rest of his time observing, except for warming up to maintain his form.

His perspective on the game is different from that of the fans.

More often, I was trying to figure out the head coach's tactical ideas and compare them with the course of the game, checking them against the head coach's pre-game plans.

With the help of [Insight], he could easily see more things.

What type of center forward does Klopp want most?

Benjamin Orr!
He is 1.85 meters tall and weighs 86 kilograms.

Since arriving in Mainz in 2002, he has greatly improved the team's overall level, leading them from the 2nd Bundesliga to the Bundesliga, where they finished in the mid-table for two consecutive seasons, a truly outstanding performance.

However, in the summer of 2006, Benjamin Auer could not reach an agreement with the team on a contract extension and transferred to Bochum, a newly promoted Bundesliga team at the time.

Mainz was greatly affected and, a month later, signed Brazilian striker Edu from Bochum for 100 million euros.

Edu is 1.85 meters tall and weighs 85 kilograms. His technical characteristics look very similar to those of Benjamin Orr.

Ultimately, both transfer deals fell through, and both players underperformed after their transfers.

Six months later, Benjamin Orr was loaned to Kaiserslautern.

Edu was sold by Mainz to Suwon Samsung Bluewings in the K League for €140 million.

Based on this story, combined with Klopp's usual tactical philosophy, his personal experience over the past period, and his insights from observing from the sidelines, Wang Shuo has basically mastered Klopp's tactics.

Especially the requirements for center forwards.

Mainz's overall tactic is high pressing, and after losing possession, they immediately counter-press in the attacking third.

The offensive strategy is to fight fast and fast, taking advantage of the time difference between offense and defense to strike the opponent's weaknesses.

For a center forward, Klopp's requirements are not only that he can score goals and receive high balls, but also that he can actively participate in pressing in the midfield and attacking third.

In addition, they must be able to actively drop back to complete the connection and link-up play between the midfield and the forward line.

That's a very high requirement, isn't it?
That's right!

Therefore, when Klopp couldn't find a center forward like that, Mainz was greatly affected and relegated from the Bundesliga.

Let's look at Borja.

He is about 1.8 meters tall, has good physical strength, good scoring ability, and strong individual skills. He is a typical South American forward.

However, he lacks awareness of pressing in the attacking third, and his heading and receiving abilities are also weak.

Most importantly, he is not good at linking up and connecting the midfield and the forward line.

In the first half of the season, when the team's midfield and attack were running smoothly, he was able to score goals in waves.

But when the team's midfield and attacking play stalled, his goal-scoring efforts came to an abrupt end.

That's the reason!
Wang Shuo also noticed something interesting: Feulner is ambidextrous, with his dominant foot being his right, but he plays on the left wing.

Baljak is left-footed, but plays on the right wing.

This is a characteristic of Klopp's attacking trident.

The center forward moves extensively, linking up and connecting the attack, while the two wingers are not limited to the flanks but also frequently tuck in to attack the flanks.

Attacks on the flanks rely on the full-backs making runs forward.

Although Marco Rose and Hoglund can both play as center-backs, they are both good at making runs into the box and crossing from the flanks.

Specifically, in this match against Kaiserslautern...

Wang Shuo noticed the problem in the first half.

Kaiserslautern uses a 4-2-3-1 formation, and apart from left-back Lamprecht, all the defenders are 1.91 meters tall.

The two defensive midfielders, Kotich and Bellinghausen, are both 1.88 meters tall, while Bellinghausen is only 1.82 meters tall. However, they are good at both offense and defense and have excellent physical strength.

Faced with such a defensive combination in the midfield and backfield, Borja made the unwise choice to engage in close-quarters combat with his opponent.

The result was predictable.

During the first half, Wang Shuo sat on the sidelines watching the game. He was puzzled, thinking that Borja was too caught up in the situation to see clearly.

But during halftime, Klopp had already reminded Borja in the locker room.

At the same time, Elgin Soto was brought on to strengthen the breakthroughs and passing on the left flank.

In the second half, the situation remained the same.

Is Borja stupid?
Wang Shuo gradually understood the reason.

It's not that Borja is too stupid, nor that he's acting rashly; it's that he simply can't do it!

His greatest strength is scoring goals.

So his threat is to get close to the goal.

This reminded Wang Shuo of Argentine scorer Crespo and Dutch center Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Shouldn't scorers like them be in the paint?

Digging deeper, Wang Shuo realized that, ultimately, their technical features were not comprehensive enough.

The center forward position is definitely the most difficult to play on the football field.

The more versatile you are, the more diverse your skills become, and the harder it is for defenders to stop you! As a young man with many advantages, Wang Shuo decided that he must develop in the direction of being all-rounder and versatile.

Then we'll see who can stop me!
……

"Your Majesty, hurry up and warm up!"

As Wang Shuo sat on the sidelines thinking, assistant coach Buvac walked over, called out to Wang Shuo, and waved.

Boyakje and Jovanovic, who were also sitting on the bench, immediately looked on with envy.

With the help of staff, Wang Shuo took off his coat and quickly ran to the sidelines.

He also glanced at the scoreboard: 65 minutes.

Klopp has given Borja enough time.

Unfortunately, he ultimately failed to prove himself.

For Wang Shuo, this was an opportunity.

If he can break the deadlock when he comes on, then Borja will really have nothing to do after that.

Having realized this, Wang Shuo immediately ran faster and sprinted more swiftly.

At the 68-minute mark, Wang Shuo came to Klopp's side.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, we need you now!"

Wang Shuo didn't gloat over Klopp's misfortune; instead, he nodded solemnly.

"You've been watching from the sidelines for so long, what are your thoughts?"

“They guessed we would attack Lamprecht’s side,” Wang Shuo replied.

That is, Kaiserslautern's left flank.

Klopp's eyes lit up, a hint of admiration flashing across his face.

This kid certainly has a good eye, and he's very smart.

He's so much better than that Borja who only knows how to act recklessly!

"So what do you want to do?" Klopp posed another question.

Wang Shuo had already planned it out: "I'll drag those tall guys along, retreat, and then surge forward again. They can't stop me!"

In the end, Wang Shuo was very confident.

Klopp nodded repeatedly, "I'll have them cooperate with you, go!"

As Wang Shuo walked to the sidelines, Klopp stared at his retreating figure for a long while before finally letting out a sigh.

"It would be even better if it were a little more mature."

Buvac understood what Klopp meant.

At 17 years old, she is indeed a bit young.

“But he is very adaptable and intelligent,” Buvac said with a smile.

……

"We're finally going to see Wang Shuo!"

"I knew it! If we hadn't substituted Wang Shuo, Mainz wouldn't have been able to score."

"To be honest, the Mainz coach's level is also limited. Wang Shuo is in such good form, but he insists on playing that Bo or something. It makes me so angry."

"Who can argue with that? No wonder Bayern Munich didn't even consider him and chose Klinsmann instead."

"Go Wang Shuo! Let's keep going and try to score another goal!"

When Wang Shuo stood on the sidelines, fans on domestic sports forums were already in an uproar.

As Wang Shuo gained popularity, more and more fans watched the live stream, and the forums made a fortune.

When Wang Shuo replaced Borja, he saw dejection and frustration on the Ecuadorian's face.

Borja knew very well that after being substituted, it would be difficult for him to get a starting position again.

As he walked back to the bench and took his jacket from a staff member, he couldn't help but complain to his teammates.

"Kaiserslautern's defense is too solid, it's airtight, there's simply no chance!"

"Truly the most solid defense in the 2nd Bundesliga!"

Boyakje and Jovanovic, among others, just smiled.

If they were put in charge, they might do even worse than Borja.

But before Borja could even settle in, he saw Mainz execute a combination play on the field.

Elgin Soto on the left wing attempted a dribble but failed, and then delivered a diagonal pass.

Wang Shuo retreated from the front and received the ball with his back to the goal on the left flank.

He received the ball in an open space, without any defensive pressure.

Good stop, and he immediately kicked it back to Amri.

Just as Kaiserslautern's center-back Ovatara closed in, Wang Shuo, like an eel, quickly turned around and slipped past Ovatara.

It accelerates and starts moving immediately after gliding over it.

The three defenders around him, plus the sweeper midfielder, were all around 1.9 meters tall.

Whether it's a matter of turning around or speed, how can anyone catch up with Wang Shuo?

Amri was prepared. As soon as Wang Shuo made his move, he immediately sent a long pass over the top, lobbing the ball directly into the penalty area behind the defense.

In less than two minutes on the court, Wang Shuo and his teammates executed a brilliant play.

The entire Bruchweg Stadium erupted in gasps of surprise.

Wang Shuo made a high-speed forward run, and on the left side of the penalty area line, he turned sideways, straightened his chest, and brought the ball to a solid stop.

Kaiserslautern's goalkeeper, Sippel, rushed out of his goal, and the timing was excellent.

But to his utter surprise, after Wang Shuo controlled the ball with his chest and regained his balance, his left shoulder slumped slightly.

Sippel thought Wang Shuo was going to dribble past him, so he immediately lunged to the side.

As long as Wang Shuo dribbles forward, Sippel is confident he can catch the ball directly.

But what he didn't expect was that Wang Shuo's lowered shoulder was just a feint.

His right foot was faster; he used the outside of his foot to meet the landing ball, immediately turned around, and cut inside.

Sippel desperately lunged to his left, watching helplessly as Wang Shuo cut inside and easily sent the ball into the unmarked goal with his right foot.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"

"Wang Shuo!!"

"It's Wang Shuo again!!"

"Scoring in three consecutive matches!"

"A prodigy from China has once again saved Mainz!"

"He was only on the field for less than two minutes!"

"Amazing!"

"I simply can't believe it!"

Klopp never expected that Wang Shuo would score a goal in less than two minutes after coming on.

This made the German bearded man on the sidelines so excited that he punched the boxer.

The Mainz fans in the entire Bruchweg Stadium rushed out of their seats in excitement, cheering for Wang Shuo as he sprinted across the field.

Because Mainz has been on a winning streak recently, the number of fans in attendance at Bruchweg Stadium today exceeded 2, reaching 20300!
This is the highest attendance record of the season!

At this moment, they were all cheering for Wang Shuo, who was celebrating on the sidelines!
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(End of this chapter)