The God of Football Starts With Passive Skills-Chapter 83 - 42: Way to Go, Wang Shuo! The New Season’s First Upset! Clickbait and Portrait Rights
The benefits of a high-press were obvious, but the drawbacks were just as stark.
If you couldn’t apply enough pressure high up the pitch and allowed the opponent to play the ball out comfortably, you would leave a vast amount of open space behind you.
This required the entire team to be of one mind, working in perfect concert.
The players didn’t necessarily have to be the most skilled, but their execution had to be flawless and their stamina exceptional.
But at a club like Bayern, or any of the other giants packed with superstars and world-class talent, would they ever accept such a footballing philosophy?
Especially a coach like Klopp, who currently had no major accomplishments to his name. Who would be willing to trust him?
Even if the Bayern executives hired Klopp, would the players cooperate unconditionally? Would they execute his plans to the letter?
Take the 21st minute, for example.
When Mainz was pressing to win the ball back in the attacking third, Hainauer failed to close down Josue in time. The opponent seized the opportunity to switch the play, and Gentner delivered a brilliant pass.
Griffith and Dzeko quickly created a two-on-two situation against the Mainz defense.
Dzeko seized the chance, breaking through and scoring past Wach.
1-1!
This was the biggest flaw!
As all 30,000 fans in the Volkswagen Arena roared in unison, Wang Shuo panted heavily and slowly walked back toward his own half.
’Dzeko really is incredible!’
Just as Klopp had said, purely defending would never be enough to stop Griffith and Dzeko.
But under the pressure exerted by Magat, one of Germany’s top-tier managers, Wang Shuo used [Insight] to gain a deeper feel for the game, especially a greater understanding of Mainz’s tactics.
This would be a huge help to his future career development.
Moreover, he fully agreed with Klopp’s assessment.
Unlike many of his teammates who seemed bewildered, Wang Shuo was experiencing firsthand how, despite being far weaker than their opponents on paper, Mainz was not being outplayed at all under Klopp’s system. In fact, they were even slightly better than Wolfsburg.
’If a squad like Mainz can achieve this, what would happen with a stronger team?’
More importantly, Wang Shuo now understood more clearly how to survive within this tactical system.
And how to perform even better.
...
After the score was tied 1-1, Klopp silently walked back to the coach’s box and plopped down into his seat.
From start to finish, his face was grim, and he didn’t say a single word.
Both Buvac and Kramny knew that Klopp was extremely dissatisfied with the team’s performance.
The main reason was the goal they had conceded.
Scoring against a team like Wolfsburg was incredibly difficult for Mainz.
And what happened?
They had managed to snatch an early goal, only to turn around and throw it all away.
Others might not have realized it, but the Mainz coaching staff knew the truth all too well.
Klopp’s tactical style was extremely draining on stamina.
If they couldn’t establish an advantage in the first half, what was the point of even playing the second?
Once the team’s energy was nearly spent, a team with VfL Wolfsburg’s strength could score in a matter of minutes.
’The odds are stacked against us!’
While Klopp’s expression was dark, over at the home team’s bench, Magat was in high spirits.
He, of course, could also see the bigger picture.
’Going all out from the start... Do they really think they’re bank robbers?’
Magat glanced over at the visiting team’s bench, stopping just short of voicing the thought in his mind.
’Mindless, scruffy-bearded oaf!’
Although Mainz still held the initiative on the field at this very moment, Magat wasn’t worried at all.
’There’s still the second half!’
’Hold the draw, wait until Mainz’s stamina is nearly gone, and I’ll play Klopp into the ground!’
But not long after this thought flashed through Magat’s mind, Mainz once again won the ball back in Wolfsburg’s half.
Hainauer, who had made the defensive error earlier, now atoned for his mistake by successfully tackling and winning the ball.
After winning possession, he immediately tried to dribble and launch a counter-attack but came under pressure from the Wolfsburg midfield, led by Misimovic.
In his haste, Hainauer saw Wang Shuo appear in the perfect spot to his front-left.
"Here, to me!" Wang Shuo called for the ball with both hands.
’There really is a passing lane!’
’How did he find that space?’
Hainauer refused to believe it was a coincidence.
But he passed the ball anyway.
Before the ball even arrived, Wang Shuo was already looking toward his own left flank and shouted, seemingly casually, "Marcus."
Foyelner, who was near the left sideline, glanced at Wang Shuo.
At that moment, Wang Shuo turned his body, directing his first touch forward and spinning to chase after it.
The ball was now perfectly positioned to his right.
Foyelner understood instantly and started running forward at once.
After controlling the ball and turning, Wang Shuo continued to dribble forward, steadily closing in on Ricardo Costa, who was the first line of defense.
Behind him, the Japanese midfielder Nagatome Makoto was desperately tracking back.
But Wang Shuo kept cutting diagonally toward the center.
The retreating Ricardo Costa had no choice but to keep following Wang Shuo’s movement.
This brought Costa and Barzagli closer and closer together.
The space in the left channel grew wider and wider.
As Wang Shuo dribbled into Wolfsburg’s 30-meter zone, he suddenly turned his head to look right, and his touch on the ball was a little too heavy. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞
The backpedaling Ricardo Costa’s eyes suddenly lit up.
’A mistake!’
’An opportunity!’
The Portuguese center-back immediately slammed on the brakes and decisively stuck out a foot.
But the moment his foot went out, he realized he’d been had!
Because he saw that Wang Shuo was faster, beating him to it by a split second and using the inside of his right foot to push the ball forward and to the left.
The ball went right through Ricardo Costa’s legs.
Although the Portuguese center-back’s lunge didn’t hit the ball, it tripped Wang Shuo, causing him to lose his balance and stumble forward to the ground.
