Free Web NovelChapter 500: Chapter 102: Consecutive Victories! Another Hat-trick! The Third Man in World Football! He Can Really Do Whatever He Wants
On the afternoon of September 19th, at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen.
The fourth round of the Bundesliga featured the Ruhr Derby, with Dortmund away at Schalke 04.
In the 20th minute of the match, Götze, pressured by Schalke 04’s deep-lying midfielder Krug, made a short pass to Wang Shuo, who had dropped back to receive it.
Wang Shuo received the ball in the right channel with his back to the goal, marked tightly by the French center-back, Nicolas Plestan.
In front of him was the Croatian midfielder, Rakitic.
As Götze’s pass reached his feet, Wang Shuo’s first touch perfectly guided the ball to his right. As he turned, his left foot brought it firmly under control.
Plestan was behind Wang Shuo, but he still reached out. His left hand tugged on the back of Wang Shuo’s jersey while his right arm wrapped around his waist, trying to stop him from turning.
Rakitic also rushed over instantly, pressing close to Wang Shuo.
But in that moment, Wang Shuo was like a rampaging bull. As he charged forward with the ball, he paid no mind to Plestan’s pulling or Rakitic’s attempts to block him, simply continuing his single-minded drive forward.
The ball seemed glued to his feet, giving the predatory Rakitic absolutely no opening for a tackle.
Several times, Rakitic thought he saw an opening, but it vanished in a flash.
’This damn Chinese forward... his movements are just too fast! I can’t react in time!’
Rakitic even felt the urge to just take him down with a slide tackle.
But their coach, Magat, had warned them before the match to minimize fouls outside the penalty area.
What baffled Rakitic even more was that any normal player would have tried to dribble into open space.
But Wang Shuo?
He just threw caution to the wind, dribbling into the most dangerous area and charging straight at Hewedes, who was playing deep.
Hewedes and Krug ahead of him maintained a tight formation, one covering the other.
’Does he have a death wish?’
Rakitic kept chasing Wang Shuo closely but didn’t commit to a tackle.
The Croatian thought, ’If he breaks through while surrounded by this many players, Schalke 04’s entire back line might as well just disband!’
Especially with Magat in charge.
He was, after all, the most defense-oriented coach in the Bundesliga!
But Wang Shuo kept dribbling.
Plestan was using both hands but still couldn’t hold Wang Shuo back; he was simply powered past.
But the French center-back stayed right on Wang Shuo’s flank, harassing him.
The moment he saw the slightest chance, he would make his move.
Wang Shuo kept his head down and continued to drive forward.
Just outside the right of the Arc Top District, facing the staggered positioning of Hewedes and Krug, Wang Shuo cut the ball with his left foot. He straightened his run from a diagonal, looking as if he were about to break into the right side of the penalty area between Hewedes and Plestan.
Plestan couldn’t stop him anymore; at best, he could only harass him.
Hewedes instantly stepped sideways, moving to block Wang Shuo’s path.
The Schalke 04 center-back’s plan was to force Wang Shuo to slow down, initiate physical contact, and then team up with Plestan to stop him outside the penalty area.
And they were both very confident they could do it!
But Wang Shuo was just waiting for Hewedes to shift his weight.
The moment Hewedes moved, Wang Shuo instantly flicked the ball sideways with the outside of his left foot, immediately changing direction and cutting inside.
The ball rolled just past the tips of Hewedes’s toes. If the Schalke 04 center-back had moved his left foot just a fraction forward, he could have intercepted it.
But in that instant, he couldn’t!
After cutting inside, Wang Shuo burst into a sudden acceleration, knocking the ball past Krug and rocketing through the gap between the two defenders.
An opportunity!
The ball was just inside the Arc Top District, slightly to the right. Wang Shuo caught up to it, planted his right foot, and swung his left to take the shot.
Standing on the edge of his six-yard box, Neuer knew full well what Wang Shuo was capable of. His concentration was absolute as he tracked Wang Shuo’s every move.
From the moment Wang Shuo broke free from the encirclement of four defenders, Neuer’s eyes were glued to him.
He didn’t miss a single detail.
As soon as he broke out of the defensive block, Wang Shuo moved with extreme speed, taking a few quick adjustment steps before winding up his left foot for a powerful strike.
In that instant, Neuer made a judgment based on Wang Shuo’s body language and posture leading up to the kick.
’Near post!’
Neuer pushed off his right foot, shifting his body to his left.
But in that same instant, something about the shot changed.
’The point of contact on the ball is wrong!’
’Not the near post—it’s going for the far post!’
Neuer’s reaction was incredibly fast. Realizing he’d been fooled, he immediately pushed off his left foot, flinging his body to the right and launching himself into a desperate dive toward the other side of the goal.
But the pace on Wang Shuo’s left-footed strike was too much. It grazed the tips of Neuer’s outstretched fingers and drilled into the left side of the Schalke 04 goal.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!"
"IT’S IN!!!"
"In the 19th minute of the first half, Wang Shuo opens the scoring against Schalke 04!"
"1-0!"
"Another incredible solo effort! Relying purely on his individual skill, he weaved and dodged through a packed defense to break free!"
Wang Shuo sprinted off the pitch, making a beeline for the section of Dortmund fans by the sideline.
Behind him, Rakitic stood frozen in place, completely dumbstruck.
He couldn’t believe it. ’How could Wang Shuo have possibly broken through a defense like that?’
’How in the world did he do that?’
The entire sequence, from beginning to end, had unfolded in an incredibly short amount of time.
From receiving the ball and turning to his final breakthrough, Wang Shuo was constantly shifting his speed and direction, forever altering his path. Describing it makes it sound long, but in reality?
