Free Web NovelChapter 522: Chapter 105: Record Harvester! The Battle for Wang Shuo! The Best Start in History! Even God Is Helping Dortmund
This required a tremendous amount of running.
The pace of the match was blistering. How long could they keep it up?
Wang Shuo had a feeling that this was the same tactic Klopp’s Mainz had used against Labbadia’s Bayer Leverkusen back in the day.
And when many teams played against Klopp’s Mainz or Dortmund, they would opt to play conservatively at the start, waiting for that initial wave of attacks to pass and looking for an opening to exploit.
Now, Dortmund was also waiting.
After the ten-minute mark, Mainz’s tempo had clearly started to slow.
In the 13th minute, the right-back, Bungert, pushed far up the pitch. As he received the ball, he was intercepted by Grosskreutz and couldn’t break through on the flank, so he passed to Caliguri.
Caliguri’s ball control was superb. Facing a double-team from the advancing Schmelzer and Shahin, he surprisingly managed to carry the ball out and shield it.
But just as Caliguri was about to pass to Holtby, Sven Bender beat him to it, sliding in to poke the ball forward.
Götze quickly chased it down, collected the ball, and dribbled forward.
Just as he reached the bottom of the center circle in his own half, Götze looked up and saw that Wang Shuo was already making a run.
Wang Shuo was in the left half-space. As Götze advanced with the ball, Polanski had no choice but to press him, trying to block him off near the halfway line.
At the same moment, Wang Shuo made a diagonal run forward and shouted, "Mario."
From Götze’s perspective, Polanski’s pressing run was perfectly positioned to block a passing lane to Wang Shuo on his right side.
Unless Götze could dribble past him, there was no way to get the ball to Wang Shuo’s feet.
But after Wang Shuo’s diagonal run, he immediately created another passing lane for Götze.
To Polanski’s left, a through ball into the space behind him.
Götze understood instantly. He used the outside of his right foot to push a pass straight forward, sending the ball past Polanski’s left side.
Wang Shuo ran diagonally to receive it.
The veteran captain, Nowitzki, also lunged over at once, trying to intercept the ball before it reached Wang Shuo.
Even if he couldn’t get the ball, he had to block Wang Shuo.
But just as the ball and Nowitzki arrived, Wang Shuo got there a step ahead. He suddenly flicked the ball with his right foot, slightly altering its path and sending it gliding past Nowitzki’s side.
Wang Shuo then burst into a sprint, darting past Nowitzki on the other side.
The entire Bruch Road Stadium erupted in a collective gasp!
"A beautiful knock-and-run!"
"That’s only Wang Shuo’s second touch of the match!"
"He knocked it right past Nowitzki!!"
"It’s a one-on-one!!"
After beating his man, Wang Shuo surged forward at top speed and caught up to his own pass.
From the bottom of the center circle in Mainz’s half, he charged all the way toward the penalty area.
The goalkeeper, Witeklo, quickly abandoned his goal and charged directly at the rapidly approaching Wang Shuo.
Meanwhile, Nowitzki and Bo Svensson were chasing Wang Shuo from behind.
The moment Wang Shuo burst into the penalty area, Witeklo was right at the penalty spot.
At that instant, Wang Shuo stepped out with his left foot, dipped his left shoulder, and leaned his whole body to the left as if to break through on that side.
How could Witeklo dare to hesitate? He threw his entire body into a dive.
But once Witeklo’s center of gravity had shifted, Wang Shuo planted his left foot, rapidly changed direction, and flicked the ball with the outside of his right foot.
The Swing Pass!
Witeklo tumbled uncontrollably to the ground inside the penalty area, a single thought popping into his head.
’Fuck you, Wang Shuo!’
’Pulling that move on other goalkeepers is one thing, but on me?’
’We were teammates!’
After dribbling past Witeklo, Wang Shuo quickly swept the ball with his right foot, sending it into the unguarded goal.
Afterward, he slowed to a stop inside the Mainz penalty area.
He turned his head and saw the resentful glares of Nowitzki and Bo Svensson, as if to ask: ’Did you really have to be so cruel to us?’
’A knock-and-run plus a Swing Pass!’
’You’re trying to get us all on the front page!’
The Dortmund fans in the stadium were cheering wildly, while the Mainz supporters were somewhat dejected.
Their early dominance had given them all hope for a victory.
But no one expected that at the critical moment, a star player would decide the outcome.
Wang Shuo had seized his chance!
It was his first shot of the match, and only Dortmund’s second.
...
"Give me one Wang Shuo, and I could fucking crush Jurgen!"
The moment he saw Wang Shuo score, Tuchel shot up, slapping his thigh in frustration.
What else could he say?
Three men went to defend, and Wang Shuo still found an opportunity.
What could they do?
"This kid’s efficiency is truly high, frighteningly consistent," Kramny said, helpless but with an undeniable note of appreciation in his voice.
After all, he was the one who had discovered Wang Shuo.
That alone was enough for him to brag about for the rest of his life!
"I’m telling you, Thomas, knowing that stubbly-faced guy, they’re about to turn up the heat. I suggest we pull back a bit."
"No retreat! We won’t back down even if it kills us!"
Tuchel shook his head forcefully.
They had conceded a goal in a home game where their opening offensive had given them a clear advantage.
If they fell back now, wouldn’t all their previous effort be for nothing?
In truth, Tuchel knew the score.
In terms of player ability, Mainz was truly no match for Dortmund.
Even setting Wang Shuo aside, Götze and Shahin were still a cut above any of Mainz’s players.
And that’s not even mentioning the two full-backs.
By this season, Piszczek and Schmelzer were basically considered top-three full-backs in the Bundesliga.
But as the two were talking, Wang Shuo didn’t celebrate his goal. Instead, after scoring, he walked back slowly, humbly accepting his teammates’ congratulations.
