The God of Football starts with passive skills

Chapter 43 Well done, Wang Shuo! The first upset of the new season! (Clickbait title and image rights) [Seeking first subscription]

On the evening of August 16, Beijing time.

"Capital TV Station, Capital TV Station!"

"To all viewers in front of your televisions, welcome to the live broadcast of the first round of the 08/09 Bundesliga season, brought to you by the Capital Television Sports Channel."

"This race is being held at the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg, Germany."

"The two teams facing off are Wolfsburg and newly promoted Mainz."

"Duan Xuan and Tao Wei will be providing commentary for this match."

"Coach Tao, this match has received a lot of attention across the country because of the appearance of our Chinese player Wang Shuo."

"We've seen that today, from authoritative media to sports media, almost everyone is reporting on this. What's your opinion on this young player, Wang Shuo?"

The live TV broadcast switched to Tao Wei, who was standing next to Duan Xuan.

"First of all, I think Wang Shuo's experience is really inspiring. He tried out for 18 teams in Germany and finally made a name for himself in Mainz. I personally admire him very much."

"In addition, I also learned more information through many different channels, including some friends in the German football circle. Wang Shuo's performance in the German second division was indeed outstanding."

"As far as I know, big clubs like Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Hamburg, and Eintracht Frankfurt all wanted to sign Wang Shuo in the summer, but he chose to sign with Mainz."

"Not only me, but also my friends and some professional football people all agree that Wang Shuo's choice is very wise, because for him now, the most important thing is to play in the game."

"Let's look at it from the team's perspective."

"Many of our fans are not familiar with the Mainz team."

"They are indeed a very small team. Look at this summer, they are all newly promoted teams, and Hoffenheim invested more than ten million euros."

"Even the long-established team Borussia Mönchengladbach has invested more than ten million euros."

“What about Mainz? They only had a little over two million euros, and a large portion of that went to buying Hainaul.”

"That's the gap."

"I think we need to have a clear understanding of Mainz before watching this game. They are a small team, and their only goal is to avoid relegation."

"Wang Shuo is currently highly trusted by Mainz head coach Klopp because the team's promotion to the Bundesliga last season was due to Wang Shuo's outstanding performance in the last few rounds of the game. Klopp likes him very much."

"But in this match, they are facing Wolfsburg, who are aiming for the championship."

"Wolfsburg has spent the most money among the 18 Bundesliga teams this summer, reaching an astonishing 30 million euros."

"Such investment would be among the highest in European football."

"Moreover, the players they've brought in are all top-tier stars, like Barzagli."

"Let me add one more point. Wolfsburg's total player value in the Bundesliga is currently around 1.5 million euros."

"And Mainz? 3 million euros."

"Of course, this doesn't mean that Mainz will lose. I hope everyone has a clearer understanding before watching the game and doesn't just follow the crowd and cheer because the media says Mainz can win or Wang Shuo can score."

"I also hope Wang Shuo can score, but I think it will be very, very difficult."

He's only 17 years old.

"We know that the Bundesliga is currently fourth in European football, some even say 4.5, and Ligue 1 is very close."

"Whether it's tactics or physical strength, Bundesliga teams are a step behind those in the Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga."

"But those are the top four leagues!"

"I think that for Wang Shuo this season, being able to score goals, establish himself in the team, and help Mainz avoid relegation would already be a great success."

"As for this match, judging from the pre-match European media and various analyses, it will be difficult for Mainz to leave the Volkswagen Arena unscathed; a narrow defeat would be a victory."

Duan Xuan immediately hummed in agreement and took over the conversation.

"It's clear that Coach Tao has high hopes for Wang Shuo, but he's still quite cautious."

"Yes, after all, they are young players, so we need to be more tolerant," Tao Wei explained.

"We certainly hope that our Chinese players can shine in Europe, but as things stand, it's not easy at the moment."

"Yes, especially this match against Wolfsburg."

"Wolfsburg is a favorite to win the Bundesliga title this season."

"Okay, the live stream signal has arrived."

"We can now see the players from both teams entering the field."

"The team wearing red jerseys is Mainz."

"These are the starting lineups for both teams. Wolfsburg has fielded their strongest lineup."

Magath still opted for a 4-3-1-2 formation.

Goalkeeper: Benaglio;
Defense: Schäfer, Barzagli, Ricardo Costa and Zaccardo;
Midfielders: Gentner, Chosué, and Hasebe; up front: Misimovic;

Forwards: Grafite and Dzeko.

“Japanese international midfielder Makoto Hasebe joined Wolfsburg on a free transfer in January 2008 and quickly became a key player in Wolfsburg's midfield, earning the trust of Magath.”

"In addition, Iranian international Dejagah is also on Wolfsburg's bench."

"Yes, there are actually many Asian players playing in Germany, but relatively few from China," Tao Wei said.

Duan Xuan changed the subject.

"Let's take a look at Mainz's starting lineup."

Goalkeeper: Timo Wach;
Defense: Van der Heiden, Nowitzki, Subotic and Hoogland;
Midfielders: Feulner, Pekovic, Calhanoglu and Heller, with Hajnal up front;
Forward: Wang Shuo.

"Last season, Mainz's goalkeeper suffered a series of injuries, but now Wach has returned and regained his starting position."

"As expected, 17-year-old Chinese player Wang Shuo started the game."

"Let's wait and see, and hope that Wang Shuo can deliver his best performance."

"The game starts now!"

……

When referee Felix Brych blew his whistle, everyone in Wolfsburg realized they had run into a tough opponent.

Before the match, everyone thought that Mainz, as a newly promoted team, would probably adopt a more conservative tactic.

Unexpectedly, at the start of the match, Klopp's team pressed forward aggressively, applying pressure relentlessly.

Wang Shuo was the first to be affected.

This 17-year-old Chinese player not only pressed Wolfsburg's defense at top speed, but also kept running and chasing the ball to press.

Not only him, but all the other Mainz players are like this.

This surprised the Wolfsburg players.

According to their expected script, the plot shouldn't have gone this way.

However, as a long-established powerhouse in Germany, Wolfsburg's players are all seasoned veterans, so they naturally wouldn't be intimidated by such a lineup at the start of the game.

Especially Magath, who was sitting on the sidelines.

"As expected, this guy's gambling addiction is still as strong as ever!"

Magath, with his risk-averse personality, naturally couldn't stand Klopp's adventurism.

But he underestimated Mainz's determination.

And Klopp's tactics.

Just 3 minutes and 41 seconds into the game, Mainz intercepted the ball near the center line.

It was a Wolfsburg counter-attack, and Calhanoglu successfully intercepted the ball inside the center circle.

After intercepting the ball, Calhanoglu was immediately challenged by Misimovic.

Karlhan immediately passed the message to Hainaur.

After seeing Calhan pass the ball to Hainauer, Wang Shuo immediately turned and ran forward.

Hainaur took a step forward and immediately sent a through pass.

But Barzagli and Ricardo Costa were both sticking to Wang Shuo, giving him no chance to receive the ball and charge forward.

Wang Shuo had been observing his surroundings the whole time, but there were no other rendezvous points, so he chose to stop halfway.

With his back to goal, he controlled the ball, passed it to the right, and then back to the advancing Hajnal.

The two completed a one-two pass.

Hajnal dribbled the ball straight toward the right side of the penalty area, but Schäfer blocked his path.

Magath's teams have always had a very good defense.

But Hajnal is very good at dribbling.

Seeing that he couldn't get past them, he immediately turned around and protected the ball.

At this point, Schäfer, Gentner, and Barzagli were all on this side.

Wang Shuo, meanwhile, was lying in wait at the top of the arc, watching how Hainaur would handle the situation.

It's obvious that we can't go any further.

But Wang Shuo noticed that Hainaur was looking towards the right flank, where Hele was making a forward run.

Looking around, Ricardo Costa, Makoto Hasebe, and José were all around him.

Wang Shuo immediately had an idea.

He first ran out of the top of the arc and retreated back, as if to meet Hainaul.

Moreover, it was biased towards Ricardo Costa.

This immediately put pressure on Wolfsburg's defense.

But instead of calling out "Hainauer," he called out "Heller" and raised his hand.

Hainaul was blocked by three defenders and could not break through at all, so he could only pass back to Heller.

Before Heller could even receive the ball, he heard Wang Shuo's shout and saw Wang Shuo raise his hand. He immediately understood and, facing the incoming ball, delivered a diagonal pass over the top with his right foot.

The ball was passed diagonally from the right side of the penalty area to the center of the six-yard box.

Wang Shuo suddenly stopped, turned around, and sprinted forward at top speed.

Ricardo Costa was taken aback and reached out to pull him, but Wang Shuo, who was prepared, blocked him.

Makoto Hasebe and Ricardo Costa, who had turned around, chased after him desperately.

The Japanese midfielder even tried to pull Wang Shuo down from behind.

Once Wang Shuo got going, he didn't care about anything else and charged towards the small penalty area in one go.

Heller's cross landed just outside the six-yard box, but as it bounced, Wang Shuo leaped out and unleashed a right-footed shot that was both a poke and a tackle, hitting the ball squarely.

The ball immediately changed direction, turning from its original leftward trajectory to the right side of Wolfsburg's goal in an instant.

Goalkeeper Benaglio misjudged the situation and tried his best to make the save, but it was too late.
"GOALLLLLLLL!!!!!!"

"Less than four minutes into the game, Mainz broke through Wolfsburg's defense!"

"17-year-old Chinese prodigy Wang Shuo opened the scoring for Mainz with a sliding shot from close range!"

"This is their first Bundesliga goal of the season!!"

Wolfsburg's defense was breached in less than four minutes!

"This is incredible!"

……

When the signal for Wang Shuo's goal was transmitted back to China and appeared in the live broadcast studio of Beijing TV, both commentators jumped up from their seats in excitement.

Goal!

"Wang Shuo scored!!"

There were even reports of the commentator excitedly slamming his fist on the table.

"This is incredible."

"We were just saying that this match is very difficult for Mainz, and it will be hard for Wang Shuo to score."

"But unexpectedly, Wang Shuo broke through Wolfsburg's goal less than 4 minutes into the game."

"Let's look at the slow-motion replay. Japanese international Makoto Hasebe was desperately pulling on Wang Shuo's jersey from behind, but he still couldn't stop Wang Shuo from scoring."

"These are our Chinese players!"

"Our Wang Shuo has finally scored a goal in the Bundesliga!"

"At this moment, he showed all the fans around the world watching this live broadcast that Chinese players can also perform very well in the world's top leagues!"

"Well done, Wang Shuo!"

"I'm so touched!" Tao Wei's voice trembled slightly.

"I have to take back what I just said. I think that Wang Shuo, this young player, is creating a new history for Chinese players."

"As long as he maintains his current momentum and continues to work hard, I believe he will make the world recognize Chinese football anew!"

Finally, the live television broadcast gave a close-up shot of the sidelines.

After scoring, Wang Shuo excitedly rushed to the sidelines to celebrate.

His Mainz teammates caught up with him one after another, surrounding him completely.

Wang Shuo didn't take credit for it. Instead, he put his arm around Heile's shoulder, pointed at Heile in front of the live broadcast camera, and gave him a thumbs up, indicating that Heile's assist was excellent.

This is so emotionally valuable, Hele couldn't stop smiling!
On the sidelines of the match, in front of the home team's bench, Magath, who had been sitting calmly just moments before, suddenly rushed out of the stadium and started shouting loudly.

They were clearly very unhappy with the goal they conceded.

Klopp didn't box this time, but his wide grin probably annoyed Magath even more.

After Wang Shuo finished celebrating, the Mainz coach waved his arms, signaling everyone to quickly return to their own half to organize the defense.

Wolfsburg is no pushover!

……

Wang Shuo's goal was like throwing a lit match into a pile of gasoline.

The fighting spirit of all the Mainz players was completely ignited in that instant.

After taking the lead, the away team did not rest on their laurels, but instead went even further, continuing to press and pressure Wolfsburg.

This momentum quickly put Wolfsburg in a very difficult position.

Wolfsburg made significant signings this summer, which indicates an improvement in the team's strength.

Conversely, this also proves that there are too many new signings and the players are not yet familiar with each other.

Mainz's sudden surge has thrown Wolfsburg into disarray.

Being in the midst of the competition, Wang Shuo felt it the most deeply.

The addition of the "Insight" feature greatly enhanced his ability to read the game and gave him a deeper understanding of the overall situation.

At the start of the match, Wang Shuo was quite wary of Wolfsburg.

It has a great reputation.

But as the game progressed and Mainz dominated Wolfsburg, he realized that Wolfsburg wasn't as strong as he had imagined.

Or rather, Mainz isn't that weak.

However, the difference in strength between the two sides is obvious.

why?
Wang Shuo was thinking while competing.

This was the first time he had faced an opponent of Wolfsburg's caliber, and a renowned coach like Magath.

His feelings deepened.

He was surprised to find that Wolfsburg and Mainz played two completely different styles of football.

Since arriving in Mainz in March, Wang Shuo first worked with Kramny, and then with Klopp in the first team. He felt that Mainz's high pressing was a rather risky tactic.

However, they always maintained control of the game.

what differences are there?

When they have the ball and are attacking, both teams have the same strategy: to take the initiative and attack.

But what if we lose the ball?
The two teams have completely different philosophies.

Klopp's strategy is to actively press you, restrict your passing lanes, and prevent you from launching effective attacks and organization.

What about Magath's side?

Their idea was to quickly organize their defense, wait for you to attack, then steal the ball and launch their own attack.

This is very obvious.

Mainz is very proactive and aggressive in both attack and defense.

Wolfsburg's offense is proactive, while their defense is reactive.

It's like playing a turn-based game.

I launch an attack, but it fails and you steal the ball. I then retreat to defend, allowing you to attack again. I then steal the ball back and launch another attack...

In this turn-based system, offense and defense are disconnected.

Whether it's shifting from offense to defense or vice versa, a transition process is required.

But in Mainz, offense and defense are almost integrated, and the transition between offense and defense is the shortest.

It was only at this moment that Wang Shuo suddenly understood why Bayern Munich had their eye on Klopp.

He couldn't imagine how terrifying it would be if Bayern's players, with their level of skill, implemented Klopp's tactics.
But why didn't Bayern choose Klopp?
Because there is no perfect tactic in the world.

During Wang Shuo's solo training session in the summer, Klopp mentioned that this high-pressing system was inherited from Wolfgang Frank.

Hoffenheim's head coach, Rangnick, also uses this tactical approach, so they have a very good relationship.

Frank's tactical philosophy is inherited from Italy, especially Sacchi's football theory.

But in 92, the rules of football underwent a radical change.

Goalkeepers cannot use their hands when receiving a back pass from a player on their own team.

Before this, if all else fails when facing high pressing and pressure, I can always pass the ball back to the goalkeeper, right?

With the new rules, sorry, that won't work, because goalkeepers can't use their hands to catch things.

This creates a favorable stage for high-level pressing and pressure.

The advantages of high-pressing and pressure are obvious, but the disadvantages are also very clear.

If you can't apply enough pressure to the opponent from the high position, allowing them to pass the ball freely, then there will be a large gap behind you.

This requires the entire team to work together and cooperate in unison.

Players don't necessarily have to be the strongest, but they must have excellent execution and physical fitness.

But at Bayern Munich, or those top clubs brimming with talent and star players, would they accept such a football philosophy?

Especially someone like Klopp, who has absolutely no track record to back him up, who would want to believe him?

Even if Bayern's management uses Klopp, will the players cooperate unconditionally? Will they execute the moves perfectly?

Just like in the 21st minute.

When Mainz pressed high up the pitch, Hajnal failed to keep pressure on Chosué in time, allowing the opponent to switch the ball and Gentner delivered a brilliant pass.

Grafite and Dzeko quickly created a 2-on-2 situation for Mainz.

Dzeko seized the opportunity and broke through Wach's defense.

1 is better than 1!

This is the biggest drawback!

As the 3 fans at the Volkswagen Arena cheered in unison, Wang Shuo, panting heavily, slowly walked back.

Dzeko is indeed very strong!

As Klopp said, simply defending is not enough to stop Grafite and Dzeko.

However, under the pressure of Magath, a top German coach, Wang Shuo gained a deeper understanding of the game, especially of Mainz's tactics, thanks to his "insight" ability.

This will be of great help to his future career development.

Moreover, he highly approves of Klopp's judgment.

Unlike many of his teammates who were clueless, Wang Shuo truly felt that Mainz, despite being far weaker than their opponents, performed just as well as, and even slightly better than, Wolfsburg under Klopp's tactical support.

If Mainz can achieve this level of performance with their current squad, what would happen if they were playing against a stronger team?
More importantly, Wang Shuo now has a clearer understanding of how to survive within this tactical system.

And, deliver an even better performance.

……

After equalizing the score at 1-1, Klopp quietly walked back to the bench and plopped down.

From beginning to end, he had a gloomy face and didn't say a word.

Both Buvac and Kramny knew that Klopp was very dissatisfied with the team's performance.

The most important thing is that goal we conceded.

Against a team like Wolfsburg, it is extremely difficult for Mainz to score a goal.

The results of it?
I finally managed to snag one at the start, only to lose it all the next day.

Others may not know, but the Mainz coaching staff knows it all too well.

Klopp's tactical approach is very physically demanding.

If you can't establish an advantage in the first half, what's the point of playing in the second half?
Once the team's energy is nearly depleted, Wolfsburg, with their strength, can score a goal in no time.

The chances of survival are slim!
Klopp's face was gloomy, while Magath on the home team's bench was in a good mood.

He certainly understood the bigger picture.

"Going all out from the start, do they really think they're bank robbers?"

Magath turned his head and glanced at the away team's bench, almost uttering his own assessment.

What a brainless, stubble-faced man!
Although Mainz still holds the initiative on the field at this moment, Magath is not in a hurry at all.

There's still a second half!
If he can hold on to the draw and wait until Mainz are exhausted, he can then completely outmaneuver Klopp!

But shortly after Magath's thought crossed his mind, Mainz once again intercepted the ball in Wolfsburg's half.

Hajnal redeemed himself for his earlier defensive lapse by successfully intercepting the ball. After winning the ball, he immediately attempted a counter-attack, but was pressured by the Wolfsburg midfield, led by Misimovic.

In the rush, Hainaur saw Wang Shuo appear just in time to his left front.

"Here, give it to me!" Wang Shuo asked for the ball with both hands.

There really is one passing lane!

How did he escape?

Hainaur absolutely refused to believe it was a coincidence.

But he still passed the ball over.

Before the ball even arrived, Wang Shuo had already looked to his left and casually called out, "Marcus."

Feulner glanced at Wang Shuo from the left flank.

At this moment, Wang Shuo had already turned sideways, stopped the ball directly in front of him, and turned to chase after it.

The ball was right to his right.

Feulner understood immediately and ran forward right away.

After stopping the ball and turning, Wang Shuo continued to dribble forward, constantly closing in on Ricardo Costa, who was at the forefront of the attack.

Behind him, Japanese midfielder Makoto Hasebe was desperately chasing back.

But Wang Shuo kept dribbling diagonally towards the middle.

Ricardo Costa, who was tracking back, could only keep moving around with Wang Shuo.

This brought Costa and Barzagli closer and closer together.

The gap on the left side is getting bigger and bigger.

When Wang Shuo dribbled into Wolfsburg's 30-meter zone, he suddenly turned his head to the right and touched the ball a little too far.

Ricardo Costa, who was tracking back on defense, suddenly had a bright idea.

Mistake!
Have the opportunity!
The Portuguese center-back immediately stopped and decisively kicked out.

But as soon as he kicked the ball, he realized something was wrong!

He noticed that Wang Shuo was faster, and Wang Shuo used the inside of his right foot to send the ball to the left front.

The ball went right through Ricardo Costa's legs.

Although the Portuguese center-back's kick missed, it tripped Wang Shuo, causing him to lose his balance and fall forward.

foul?

Do not!
The referee didn't blow the whistle!

Because on the left side, a red figure was rapidly advancing.

But this did not stop Wang Shuo from secretly enjoying himself.

One passive value, plus one assist.

The feeling of scoring a goal and then having to take a free throw in the NBA is so satisfying!

"Foyle!"

"good chance!"

"Mainz's quick counter-attack!"

"Foylner receives the ball, one-on-one!"

Goal!

"2 to 1!"

"My God, Mainz has scored again against Wolfsburg in the 39th minute of the first half."

"Still a steal in the attacking third."

"Klopp's team played very bravely!"

"At a crucial moment, Wang Shuo used his dribbling skills to create another goal for Mainz."

When Feulner sprinted at full speed, Zaccardo couldn't keep up.

After scoring, the German player turned and ran.

He saw that Klopp, who was originally sitting in the away team's bench, was so excited when he saw him score that he rushed out of the bench and ran to the sidelines, punching his fist repeatedly.

This made Feulner very excited, and he rushed over to give his head coach a warm hug, creating a touching scene of mentor-student affection.

But when he got closer, he heard Klopp shouting over there.

"Well done, Wang Shuo!"

"Well done!"

Feulner's heart sank instantly.

Boss, it was my goal!
Did you praise the wrong person?

Although Wang Shuo deserves half the credit for that goal, it was me who scored...it was me who scored...

At that moment, Feulner had an urge to turn around and run away in tears, but it was too late.

He rushed into Klopp's warm embrace like a swallow returning to its nest.

Fortunately, Klopp immediately started praising him in his next sentence.

“Very good, Marcus, your forward run was very timely, you've improved a lot.”

Feulner was quickly overwhelmed with the joy of scoring.

Especially when Wang Shuo rushed over, hugged him tightly, and rocked him like a roly-poly toy.

It was Wang Shuo who reminded him to make a forward run, and it was also Wang Shuo who delivered the brilliant pass to him.

He remembers it all!
……

During halftime, Klopp gave everyone a good scolding.

Except for Wang Shuo.

Why not criticize Wang Shuo?
"If you had Wang Shuo's tactical understanding and execution, we wouldn't have conceded a goal in the first half!"

Klopp, feeling justified, shouted even louder.

This made Wang Shuo a little embarrassed.

The whole team got criticized, but I didn't, making me seem like I was a loner.

But Klopp's criticism still had a significant effect.

Taking advantage of a 2-1 lead in the first half, Mainz pressed forward again in the second half.

In Klopp's words, they should at least play for 60 minutes.

But in fact, Mainz scored again in just 4 minutes.

Wang Shuo dribbled the ball in the attacking third and then passed it to Heller on the right wing. When Heller made a forward run to cross the ball, he was fouled by Schäfer.

Hajnal redeemed himself this time, assisting Subotic's header into the net with a brilliant free kick.

3 is better than 1!

However, Mainz's offensive came to an end there.

Especially after the 60th minute, as the team's physical condition rapidly declined, even though Klopp made several substitutions, he still couldn't reverse the downward trend.

Especially in the 83rd minute, Grafite also broke through Mainz's goal.

2 is better than 3!

Seeing a glimmer of hope for a comeback, Wolfsburg launched an even more frantic counterattack.

Both sides were exhausted, and neither was able to score again.

Mainz pulled off the first major upset of the Bundesliga season with a 3-2 away win against Wolfsburg!

……

The team bus slowly drove past the gate of Volkswagen's global car factory, beginning a three-hour highway journey.

A series of away games has a significant impact on the players.

Wolfsburg is east of Hanover, which is closer, but it was still very tiring.

On the bus, Wang Shuo liked to sit by the window.

This way you can see the scenery along the way.

"Look at the news, it's all over the internet."

Subotic handed his newly purchased Nokia 3G phone to Wang Shuo.

He subscribes to the accounts of German media outlets such as Bild and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and receives news updates as soon as they are released.

"The newly promoted team has won two games in a week, achieving a great start!"

Wang Shuo clicked on it and found that the content was a review of Mainz.

Two wins in a week include last weekend's German Cup match.

"The prodigy conquers Wolfsburg in his Bundesliga debut, scoring a goal and providing an assist to shatter Magath's championship dreams!"

When Wang Shuo saw the news headline, he was stunned for a moment.

Is this talking about me?

writer of sensational headlines!
This is definitely clickbait!

"Haha, click in and take a look, it's a report from Kicker magazine."

What?

Wang Shuo was stunned for a moment.

In his mind, Kicker magazine had always been synonymous with authority, even more so than Bild.

How did it "descend" into clickbait headlines?

When Wang Shuo clicked in, it really was a post-match news article from Kicker magazine.

The content was nothing more than an introduction to the competition, with a focus on praising Wang Shuo's performance.

Also mentioned was the performance of the two teams.

For Wolfsburg, contrary to the headline, Kicker magazine gave them positive feedback, but believed that with too many new signings, Magath's integration process must be accelerated, otherwise it will be difficult to compete for the championship in the new season.

"This doesn't mean anything like the title!" Wang Shuo almost cursed.

“You have to get used to it; people use headlines to entice you to click,” Subotic said with a laugh.

Kicker magazine gave Mainz a positive review.

The team's new signings have all performed well.

However, Wang Shuo could tell that what was considered "good" was actually nothing special.

Hainaul was highly anticipated, but he did not perform well in the first round.

Players like Heller and Van der Heiden only performed as expected.

Considering their net worth, there's really no way to ask more of them.

Free transfers, at most a few hundred thousand euros in new signings, what more could you ask for?
On the contrary, Wang Shuo was hailed as Mainz's biggest surprise in the first round.

"Is our head coach good at starting?" Wang Shuo noticed Klopp's old question mentioned in Kicker magazine.

Subotic nodded.

"Let's not even talk about last season. In the 04/05 season, Mainz was promoted from the 8. Bundesliga, and it was their first Bundesliga season in history. After eight rounds, guess where we were ranked?"

"Which number?" Wang Shuo disliked this kind of suspenseful behavior the most.

Despise it!
"No. 3."

What the hell!

This is truly amazing.

According to the schedule, the 8th round will not be until mid-October.

"However, their ranking kept dropping after that, eventually reaching 11th place. But in the early stages, they surprised everyone and made everyone remember Mainz and Klopp."

Wang Shuo thought of the German second division last season.

Who would have thought that Mainz, who dominated the first half of the season and were unstoppable, would perform so poorly in the second half?

Wang Shuo had a feeling that it was related to the team's tactical style.

It was like playing against Wolfsburg; they played much better for the first 60 minutes than for the last 30.

The same applies to leagues in general.

The team's tactical style, coupled with the lack of financial resources to maintain a large squad and allow Klopp to make effective rotations, has resulted in the current situation.

Therefore, Kicker magazine also reported that Klopp's team still needs to be considered from the perspective of the entire season.

Besides Kicker magazine, Wang Shuo also saw a lot of news about himself.

I was secretly pleased.

If you perform well and make it into the newspapers, then it won't be considered a case of hiding your wealth in the dark.

Once the bus left Wolfsburg and was driving steadily on the highway, Subotic and the people around him closed their eyes to rest.

Wang Shuo took the opportunity to enter the Ball God System.

……

"Match Summary: Passive Value Gained: 11".

What?

How did you manage to get 11 passive points in this match?
This marks a new career high for Wang Shuo!
The environment of Wolfsburg, along with Magath's tactics, truly nurtured him.

Ugh, ptooey, it's dirty!

Magath's tactics were really brutal!
After entering his personal attribute panel, Wang Shuo saw that he now had 35 passive points.

At this rate, after playing a couple more matches, I reckon I should be able to save up enough for a passive skill card.

Wang Shuo discovered that, although it was in the Bundesliga, Klopp's tactics were indeed very beneficial to his performance.

Why are there so many passive values?

Because I was abused a lot.

Wang Shuo swore that he really had no masochistic tendencies whatsoever, but earning passive points was still quite enjoyable.

Because he desperately wanted to improve!

Earning a lot of passive points proves he is a threat on the field.

In short, one word: awesome!

……

After the first round of the league, Schalke 04 and Hoffenheim were tied for first place.

Schalke 04 defeated Hannover 96 3-0 thanks to a brace from Kuranyi.

Hoffenheim secured a comfortable 3-0 away victory against Cottbus, thanks to a brace from Ibisevic.

Mainz pulled off a stunning 3-2 away win against Wolfsburg, and they also did not lose.

Although their score was not as high as Hoffenheim's, Wolfsburg is a team with the potential to win the championship.

But the other newly promoted horse fared much worse.

Borussia Mönchengladbach suffered a humiliating 1-3 defeat at home to VfB Stuttgart.

They conceded three goals in the first half and only managed to pull one back in the second half.

The team that suffered the most in this round has to be Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

Klinsmann's team scored two goals in the first round at the Allianz Arena, but Hamburg rallied to score two goals in quick succession.

Not only were their defensive problems glaringly exposed, but they also faced criticism after the game.

Rummenigge expressed his disappointment with the 2-2 draw against Hamburg.

"If you can't achieve results, then all the changes you make here are meaningless."

Even Beckenbauer said after the match, "Klinsmann always talks a lot about philosophy and ideas, but I think he should be thinking more about how to translate those into results."

Former head coach Hitzfeld also stated, "If you're leading 2-0 in a game, you have to win it."

The implication is that if you don't win, it's the head coach's problem.

This was also the first time Wang Shuo had personally experienced such a scene.

Putting yourself in Klinsmann's shoes, you'd definitely be frustrated too.

The first game of the new season, and we didn't lose, just drew at home, and people are already criticizing us like this?

The key point is that if it were fans or media coming out to criticize, that would be one thing.

Now it's Rummenigge, Beckenbauer, Hitzfeld, and other high-ranking officials and their own people who are criticizing us. Can you stand that?

"It turns out I was right not to go to Bayern!" Wang Shuo laughed during a phone call with his agent, Thomas Essien.

In this kind of atmosphere, if I went there myself, I'd probably be spitting blood every round.

In China, Wang Shuo made a Bundesliga debut with a goal and an assist, a very eye-catching performance that naturally won him widespread praise.

And it's different from the past.

Previously, the broadcasts were only streamed online; now, the sports channel of Beijing TV is directly involved.

The match was at 13:30 PM, which is 19:30 PM in China, a perfect time, so there were many fans watching the live stream.

This immediately made Wang Shuo famous.

The whole country is buzzing with discussion: a 17-year-old Chinese prodigy has landed in the Bundesliga and made a stunning debut.

Among the many news stories, one about his hometown caught Wang Shuo's attention.

In his hometown of Quanjiang City, former national training team player Jiang Pengju took the lead in organizing the first city-level campus football competition, which will be held in the new semester and will be divided into primary school and junior high school groups.

Jiang Pengju revealed that the campus football tournament has been held in Lingshan County for many years, cultivating many young players, including Wang Shuo, who played in the Bundesliga, and Zhang Xiaopeng, who plays at Huai Ren Football School.

The two were in the same grade, classmates, and from the same village.

This time, all primary and secondary schools in the city participated.

Wang Shuo was quite happy when he saw this news.

He immediately called Jiang Pengju.

"Old Jiang, I'm transferring some money to you. Please donate some to the event organizing committee, some to our school, and give the rest to my parents."

Jiang Pengju on the other end of the phone was quite surprised.

He knew about Wang Shuo's family situation; they were very poor.

I didn't expect them to be so willing to spend it.

"Looks like you've made quite a bit of money," Jiang Pengju said jokingly, not refusing Wang Shuo's offer.

"Besides my annual salary, I also get appearance fees, goal bonuses, and championship bonuses." Wang Shuo himself is frugal, but he's quite generous in these areas.

He came from the school football competitions in Lingshan County.

During his years at Huai Ren Football School, he was well aware that Coach Gao wanted to reform youth training and had been promoting campus football.

The most interesting thing is that Mainz offered a very high bonus for winning the championship in Wang Shuo's contract.

It amounted to a full one million euros.

Because nobody believed that Mainz could win the Bundesliga or the German Cup.

Since it's impossible anyway, offering a higher reward will make us seem more generous.

Wang Shuo also told Jiang Pengju that he could lend Jiang his portrait rights for free when promoting school football in Quanjiang City.

He doesn't lend money to just anyone.

The key point is that he trusted Jiang Pengju.

"These kinds of things can't be promised lightly. Wang Shuo, Coach Gao even called me specifically about this matter, repeatedly reminding me. So you see, I only dare to mention it briefly, and I won't mention it again in the future, much less use your image rights for publicity."

"Why?" Wang Shuo asked, puzzled.

"Tell me, if I use it this time, what about next time? What about others? Local officials, the football association, or your school? If they also use it casually, won't things get chaotic? What if it causes you any disputes?"

Wang Shuo had never experienced these things before, but now that he thinks about it, it really makes sense.

Putting aside everything else, if I get into a business dispute and get sued, I'll have to go back to China. Just thinking about it is incredibly troublesome.

“This is what Coach Gao and I have been thinking. We plan to set up a company in your parents’ names to specifically manage your image rights. Coach Gao is already helping us register your personal trademark.”

Having your trademark registered by someone else is a very troublesome matter.

The first thing that came to Wang Shuo's mind was the news about Ronaldo and Kaka endorsing a certain throat lozenge.

"I understand, thank you, Lao Jiang. Please also thank Coach Gao for me."

"You're welcome. Just focus on your work in Europe and play well. Don't worry about anything else."

"We are here in China, so we can't give you much support, but we won't hold you back either."

After hanging up the phone, Wang Shuo called Thomas Essien again and told him about the donation.

He has a personal account, but transferring money back to China is quite troublesome, especially regarding tax rates. It would be best to have Thomas Essien handle it for him.

Wang Shuo paid taxes in Germany, but it's estimated that the matter will need to be processed again in China.

He won't evade taxes; the specific amount to be paid will be handled by professionals.

After explaining everything, Wang Shuo had nothing more to worry about.

He began to devote himself entirely to adjusting and preparing for the competition.

A week later, on August 24, Mainz played their second Bundesliga match at home against Eintracht Frankfurt.

This is a team that Wang Shuo cares about very much.

　Waaaaah, this is a total disaster! I'm begging for your monthly votes to soothe my wounded heart!! I'd be eternally grateful! Thank you!!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)