The God of Football Starts With Passive Skills-Chapter 174 - 55: Devil’s Footwork, Tricking Neuer, and Saving Mainz Once Again
At that moment, [Eagle Eye] broadened his field of vision, letting him take in more information. A single glance was all it took to clearly grasp the positions of everyone on the field.
The details were what mattered most.
The ball landed inside the center circle, just inside Schalke 04’s half.
It bounced, its path altering slightly as it veered to the right.
And it picked up some speed.
These were all minute changes, nearly impossible to detect.
But Wang Shuo saw them.
He and Schalke 04’s two center-backs had all judged the ball’s landing spot at the same time. They all moved to challenge for it on the bounce.
It was worth noting that both of Schalke 04’s center-backs were left-footed, but Krstajic was adept with both feet. Although his right foot was his weaker one, it wasn’t much worse than his dominant left.
Therefore, Krstajic played as the right center-back, and Bodden played as the left center-back.
The ball had been played diagonally from the left toward the center.
So, the moment Krstajic judged the ball’s landing spot and its path off the bounce, he instantly turned to make a direct clearance with his left foot.
For him, it was a natural, instinctive move.
And it was practically guaranteed to succeed!
Wang Shuo could have challenged for it too. But with the aid of [Eagle Eye], he saw the slight deviation in the ball’s path. That, combined with his Regional Level [First Move] ability, allowed him to instantly determine that Krstajic’s clearance attempt would miss the ball entirely.
He would miss by just a hair.
The entire calculation was completed in an instant!
Wang Shuo himself couldn’t have described exactly how he had calculated or deduced the outcome.
And just as he’d predicted, Krstajic’s left-footed clearance attempt actually missed.
Having kicked nothing but air, the Serbian center-back lost his balance and slipped to the ground.
Wang Shuo, however, met the descending ball with his back to the goal. He planted his left foot firmly and met the ball with the instep of his right.
The moment his foot made contact, he relaxed his ankle. Pushing off his planted left foot, he spun his entire body around, using his right foot to guide the ball behind him in a fluid motion.
In an instant, the over 20,000 Mainz fans at Bruch Road Stadium were stunned!
On the sidelines, Schalke 04’s head coach Luten was also stunned.
In front of the home team’s coaching bench, Klopp’s eyes widened in disbelief.
The television commentator cried out, "My God, he brought that ball under control instantly!"
All the fans watching the live broadcast must have been gaping in astonishment.
He received a long pass, one that had even changed direction after bouncing, and controlled it with an immediate turn.
What was most absurd was that the football behaved like a gentle kitten in his arms. He guided it with his right foot, and it settled perfectly in front of him after he completed his turn.
It was simply unbelievable!
What kind of Devil’s Footwork was this?
At this very moment, Wang Shuo was completely immersed in the match.
He had no idea just how shocking that first touch had been.
But he knew how much of an improvement the National Level [Ball Sense] had given him.
After controlling the ball and turning, he dug his feet in and exploded forward like a cheetah.
Bodden didn’t even have time to commit a foul!
Schalke 04’s goalkeeper, Neuer, had been known for his wide range of activity ever since his debut.
The thing he did most often was rush out of the penalty area.
For a goalkeeper, especially for a traditionally conservative German one, this was absolutely unconventional behavior.
As a result, Neuer had always been a polarizing figure.
But he always stuck to his own style.
This time was no different.
He didn’t care how Wang Shuo had managed to control the ball and turn. That was irrelevant.
He only cared about the threat Wang Shuo posed after his control and turn.
So, in that instant, he decisively abandoned his goal and charged out.
Neuer was very tall and strongly built, but he was very fast.
By the time Wang Shuo caught up to the ball again, Neuer, who had been on the edge of the six-yard box a moment before, had already charged out of the penalty area.
This startled Wang Shuo!
So fast!
He was practically the Ferrari of goalkeepers!
But the two sides had played a match before, and Wang Shuo had suffered quite a bit at Neuer’s hands.
This time, however, he was prepared.
After catching up to the ball, there were no defenders around Wang Shuo anymore.
It was just him and Neuer.
One-on-one!
Wang Shuo slowed down slightly, taking a series of quick, small steps to adjust as his upper body constantly feinted left and right.
But Neuer was unmoved. He stared intently at Wang Shuo and the ball at his feet.
The two were locked in a standoff, both trying to predict the other’s next move.
But empowered by his National Level [Swift] ability, Wang Shuo’s movements were far too quick.
The moment he entered Neuer’s range, Wang Shuo led with his left foot.
The ball remained between his legs.
His entire body leaned to the left.
’He’s going left!’
Neuer had almost no time to react. His body instinctively shifted its center of gravity to Wang Shuo’s left, ready to stick a foot out to intercept at any moment.
As long as he got the ball first, it wouldn’t be a foul even if he tripped Wang Shuo.
Besides, this was outside the penalty area.
But to Neuer’s utter surprise, Wang Shuo abruptly changed direction. He pushed the ball sideways with the outside of his right foot and veered to the right.
The whole sequence happened in the blink of an eye.
Neuer saw only a blur of motion, and Wang Shuo was already past him.
As the German goalkeeper turned to give chase, he lost his balance and couldn’t stop himself from slipping to the ground.
He scrambled to get up from the turf, reaching out desperately. He had to stop Wang Shuo outside the penalty area, even if it meant getting a red card.
