The God of Football Starts With Passive Skills-Chapter 87 - 43: Topping the Charts! Not for Sale! He is Klopp’s Treasure! When You Were Slaughtered by Bayern
August 24th, 3:05 PM.
Bruch Road Stadium, Mainz, Germany.
Bundesliga, Matchday 2. Mainz hosted Frankfurt.
From the opening whistle, Mainz had been pressing forward with a frenzied attack. In the 5th minute, as Frankfurt tried to launch a counter-attack from their own half, Mainz once again swarmed them near the centerline.
Wang Shuo was the one who initiated the press.
Having just made an unsuccessful sprint forward to receive a pass, Wang Shuo immediately turned back and charged at full speed toward the midfielder, Chris.
Chris hadn't expected someone to suddenly appear from behind him. In his panic, he passed the ball to Michael Fink.
At almost the exact same moment as Wang Shuo's rapid press, the surrounding Mainz players all began to apply pressure as well.
Hainauer was right near Michael Fink.
The short Hungarian international quickly closed in and, before Michael Fink could receive the ball, poked it forward with his foot.
"Mainz with a steal near the centerline in the attacking half."
The Mainz fans in Bruch Road Stadium grew excited.
But it was Frankfurt's trailing center-back, Belade, who got to the ball first.
Wang Shuo immediately abandoned Chris and sprinted straight toward Belade.
Belade had just brought the ball under control—he hadn't even secured it properly—when Wang Shuo was already lunging at him.
And he was unbelievably fast.
In that instant, a thought flashed through Belade's mind: 'How the hell is he doing that?'
'Three full-speed sprints in such a short time?'
'Is he even human?'
'Doesn't he get tired?'
Wang Shuo didn't give him any time to think or react, closing the distance in a flash.
Belade had no choice. Fearing he'd be tied up by Wang Shuo, he could only get rid of the ball quickly.
He wanted to pass it back to Michael Fink.
But the moment the ball left his foot, he knew he'd made a mistake.
Hainauer, who had just made the interception, had coordinated with Wang Shuo's press and cut off the passing lane from Belade to Michael Fink.
It was less a pass to Michael Fink and more a direct delivery to Hainauer.
The Hungarian midfielder didn't receive the ball. Instead, he met Belade's pass and, with a push from the inside of his right foot, sent a through ball over the top.
The ball sailed over the heads of Chris and Belade, dropping into the wide-open space behind them.
Wang Shuo, who had just started to slow down, saw Hainauer's pass and immediately pushed off hard with both legs.
He shot past Belade like a runaway stallion, breaking through the defensive line. He caught up to the ball after it bounced, timed it perfectly, and knocked it forward with a single touch.
"A passing error from Belade."
"Wang Shuo beats the offside trap and is one-on-one with the keeper!"
"He's so fast, no one can catch him."
"Can he finish this chance?"
"The Frankfurt goalkeeper is coming out..."
"GOOOOOOOAL!!!!"
"Just five minutes into the match, Mainz has broken through Frankfurt's defense!"
"And it's the young star, Wang Shuo!"
"He's scored in two consecutive matches, and both were opening goals!"
"This is Klopp's football!"
"Before the season, he promised the Mainz fans he would bring them exciting, passionate football."
"And now, the fans at Bruch Road Stadium are seeing it!"
After scoring, Wang Shuo excitedly ran to the sideline, leaped into the air, and pumped his right fist.
The entire stadium rose to its feet, cheering for him.
Another opening goal!
Another first on the scoreboard!
Wang Shuo again!
...
Even after Wang Shuo's goal, Mainz continued to press their advantage.
Never let up when you have the upper hand—that was Klopp's style!
Then, in the 18th minute, Foyelner received the ball on the left wing and tried to cut diagonally into the channel, but he was blocked by Frankfurt's right-back, Oaks.
Still, Foyelner, a product of the Bayern youth academy, relied on his individual skill. Spotting Wang Shuo making a diagonal run from the center to the left side behind the defensive line, he sent a through pass with his right foot.
The ball rolled toward the left side, just outside the penalty area.
Wang Shuo also surged forward at high speed to meet it, intercepting the ball near the left edge of the box.
Frankfurt's center-back, Marco Ruth, got back into position in time, positioning himself just inside the left line of the penalty area to block him.
One-on-one!
After his experiences in the 2nd Bundesliga and the first match of the Bundesliga season, Wang Shuo was playing with more and more confidence.
On the left side, he first trapped the ball, then skillfully dribbled it as he closed in on Marco Ruth.
His eyes remained fixed on his opponent, observing his every move.
Marco Ruth was 1.9 meters tall, a typical German center-back—powerfully built, but not particularly agile.
Behind him, Chris had tracked back in time to provide defensive support inside the box.
'Break through?'
'No, I'd never get past both of them.'
Wang Shuo kept watching the movements of Foyelner, Hainauer, and Helle in the distance. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
The moment he saw Hainauer moving up, he made his move.
He first stepped out with his left foot, feinting toward the byline, which startled Marco Ruth into hastily adjusting his footing.
The body moved, but the ball didn't.
Seeing Marco Ruth commit, Wang Shuo planted his left foot for leverage and knocked the ball sideways with the outside of his right foot.
In a single move, Wang Shuo reversed his direction from a drive down the byline to cutting back inside, shaking his defender and opening up an angle toward the penalty area.
But in the next instant, Chris, the defensive midfielder who had been lurking behind Marco Ruth, ready to provide cover, rushed out to plug the gap that Wang Shuo had created.
If Wang Shuo tried to pass now, Chris would block it nine times out of ten.
But Wang Shuo suddenly pulled back his right foot from the passing motion, not even touching the ball.
After a series of quick, small steps to stabilize his balance, he once again nudged the ball sideways with the outside of his right foot.
