Chapter 28: A Combo Move? Super...
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Matchday in the Bundesliga was drawing near, and media outlets everywhere were warming up for the occasion.
“North Rhine Evening News: Leverkusen Set Their Sights on an Unbeaten Run.”
“Korean Media: Son Heung-min Is a Young Prodigy on the Same Level as Li Luo.”
“Japanese Media: A Clash Between the Bundesliga’s Brilliant New Generation! Li Luo vs. Calhanoglu, Li Luo vs. Kiessling, Li Luo vs. Son Heung-min—the Fated Battle of Midfield Commanders! The Bloody Dawn of the Heading Demon! The Korean Striker’s Fatal Interception! How Will the Exhausted Chinese Kirin Fight His Way Out?”
“The Sun: Li Luo Leads a Healthy Private Life. He Has No Interest in Young Models and Is Devoted to Football.”
“Xinhua News Agency: Interest in the Bundesliga Continues to Rise, and Youngster Li Luo Is Deeply Loved by Fans.”
The numbers of comments, likes, and reposts soared without end.
—[Wolfsburg have three matches in a week. They’ll probably get hammered by Leverkusen this time.]
—[Why do I feel like the Korean media are trying to mock us? But somehow they can’t actually hurt us at all... ]
—[Leverkusen are strong in attack but weak in defense. Wolfsburg haven’t kept a clean sheet all season. This is definitely going to be a goal fest. I’m going all in!]
—[What is The Sun doing? Does it think positive stories about Li Luo are what get attention?]
—[Come on, Li Luo!]
....
One day later.
Li Luo and the club arrived in Leverkusen.
At the end of the nineteenth century, the Bayer Company built a factory in the city, gradually turning it into one of Germany’s most important centers for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
The employees needed recreational activities, so in 1904 Bayer founded a football club in Leverkusen.
The first crest featured a yellow lion.
For more than a century afterward, that lion roamed across European football, leaving behind countless stories.
The most famous of them all was surely the “Three Runners-Up” achievement of 2002.
In that Champions League final, Zidane unleashed a volley from heaven, and Leverkusen became the backdrop to history.
“Why do I feel like this is a match between two factories?”
“Haha.”
“Bayer Factory FC versus Volkswagen Factory FC.”
“This world can’t do without Bayer. The insect repellent they invented is incredibly effective!”
The green team bus slowly entered the stadium.
The Wolfsburg players tried their best to relax, chatting idly along the way.
Hecking sat beside the young Chinese player and patiently explained things in a rapid-fire stream. The gist was: “You’re too tired,” “A youngster who has only just turned eighteen can’t be overused,” “During your growth and development, excessive fatigue can build up injuries that are difficult to heal,” “All right, you’ll come on in the second half,” and “That’s settled.”
Li Luo had no objections.
He felt tired as well.
For a young midfielder who covered the greatest distance in nearly every match, playing three full ninety-minute games in a single week was sheer torture.
One difference between a mid-table side and a powerhouse was depth on the bench.
In a long season, injuries and fatigue were a club’s most terrifying enemies.
Once those two factors accumulated to a certain degree, a team’s fighting strength was drastically weakened.
....
Leverkusen’s training ground.
Assistant coach Dino wore an expression of complete confidence. “Boss, my plan is flawless. We’ll definitely be able to neutralize Li Luo. The match will become very simple.”
Head coach Schmidt handed him the freshly printed Wolfsburg starting lineup.
During this period in football history, starting lineups were generally announced an hour before kickoff.
“Li is on the bench today.”
“What?”
Dino was somewhat dumbfounded. He checked the lineup again and again.
Schmidt consoled him. “It’s all right. Just as we planned at the beginning, the club has seen your efforts. Keep working hard.”
With that, he picked up a newspaper about the Qatari league and began reading it with great interest.
As he read, a smile slowly appeared on his face.
If I went to coach in the Middle East... the annual salary could be as high as six million euros, and there wouldn’t be nearly as much pressure as in Europe.
.....
Bayer Arena.
Red flares erupted in every corner of the stands.
Thick smoke rolled through the air.
Huge red flags were waved incessantly.
On the main stand, a gigantic tifo slowly unfurled.
“Good evening, viewers! Welcome to tonight’s broadcast.”
“We are bringing you the fourth round of the 2014–15 Bundesliga season.”
“Leverkusen host Wolfsburg.”
“The Werkself take on the Wolves.”
“This is a clash between two strong teams. Their past encounters have never lacked goals!”
“Will another feast of goals be born tonight?”
“Let us wait and see.”
....
The pre-match press conference.
Hecking patiently explained the issue surrounding the starting lineup to the outside world.
He was not explaining it to the media.
He was explaining it to Wolfsburg’s local supporters.
“We absolutely will not give up on this match. Playing three games in a week makes squad rotation perfectly normal.”
“Li needs to rest. He covers the most ground in every match, and the club has taken the advice of our medical staff and fitness coaches into consideration.”
“Wolfsburg will take this match seriously.”
On the other side, Leverkusen manager Schmidt looked relaxed.
Most of the journalists’ questions had little to do with the match itself.
There was a story from Schmidt’s time coaching Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg. He had once beaten Guardiola’s Bayern Munich three-nil. After the match, Guardiola had shown no frustration whatsoever. Instead, he had excitedly grabbed Schmidt and chatted with him at length.
Later, during an interview, Guardiola had said, “Schmidt’s pressing is absolutely ferocious. In all my years as a coach, I’ve never seen such ruthless pressing.”
“In Leverkusen’s tactical system, the key players in important positions all have excellent rotation options.”
“There’s no need to worry.”
“Why is Calhanoglu’s passing accuracy so low at Leverkusen, yet so high for the Turkish national team? That’s a complicated question to explain.”
....
The players’ tunnel.
The atmosphere was heavy.
The exhausted Wolfsburg lineup watched the energetic and eager Leverkusen players.
They immediately felt a trace of pressure.
De Bruyne looked anxious. He feared nothing; he was merely worried about his teammates’ condition and performance.
Gustavo seriously reminded the young Arnold, “Don’t dwell on the ball. Move it quickly, or we’ll be in trouble.”
...
Bayer Arena.
A hot-air balloon bearing the Bundesliga logo slowly rose into the sky.
The refereeing team led both lineups out of the tunnel, and cheers erupted from all four stands.
“Now, let us introduce the starting lineups.”
“Leverkusen are lined up in a 4-2-3-1!”
“In goal: Leno.”
“Defense: Donati, Toprak, Spahic, and Wendell.”
“The double pivot: Lars Bender and Castro.”
“Attacking midfield: Bellarabi, Calhanoglu, and Son Heung-min.”
“Striker: Kiessling.”
...
“Wolfsburg are lined up in a 4-5-1!”
“In goal: ...”
“...”
“Li Luo is not in the starting lineup. Wolfsburg must be taking the young player’s fatigue into consideration.”
....
The live chat.
—[Bentner hasn’t been brought on. Wolfsburg’s rotation changes are huge.]
—[It makes sense for Li Luo to rest. The young player on the other side, Brandt, is resting too.]
—[Whenever these two teams meet, there’ll definitely be at least four goals.]
....
The coin toss ended quickly.
Whistle!
With a blast from the referee, the match officially began.
Li Luo sat on the bench, watching Leverkusen press furiously. The spatial-perception module in his mind rapidly constructed a geometric model in motion.
Maranda sat beside him, looking like an old woman watching a melodramatic television series. He watched his teammates on the pitch, his expression shifting between worry and delight.
“They’re so fast.”
“They’re making our passing accuracy look terrible.”
“Though their passing accuracy is terrible too.”
....
The CCTV-5 commentary box.
Commentator Zhang spoke slowly.
“Leverkusen’s tactical system is designed to make the match move at a faster pace.”
“They don’t care about possession or passing accuracy.”
“They disrupt the opponent’s structure, then scatter the opponent’s defensive line.”
...
Leverkusen’s players were excellent, but Wolfsburg’s players were no fools.
The fourteenth minute.
Near the center circle, Calhanoglu kept turning his head, studying the situation on the pitch.
Then he received a pass from a teammate.
He spun sharply, elegantly escaping Wolfsburg’s crown prince, Arnold.
His face was calm and confident.
North Rhine, cheer for your commander...
Smack!
The Turk completed his turn and was just about to pass when he saw a little blond missile charging toward him.
De Bruyne.
“Oh!”
“Beautiful! A clean tackle!”
“What happened there? Calhanoglu is far too weak in physical challenges. He understands everything in his head, but his movements can’t keep up!”
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“Rainbow!”
...
De Bruyne did not dwell on the ball. Having checked his teammates’ positions in advance, he decisively sent a lofted pass over the top.
Leverkusen’s high defensive line was torn apart.
Wolfsburg striker Dost sprinted desperately forward.
His finishing was much more reliable than Bentner’s, who had been sent away.
He stood 196 centimeters tall and weighed eighty-five kilograms.
He had begun his career with his shooting attribute maxed out and won the Eredivisie Golden Boot.
But why could he not secure a starting place for the Netherlands?
Because his weaknesses were obvious.
He was slow.
His relative strength in physical duels was lacking.
His style of play was one-dimensional.
Fortunately, after arriving at Wolfsburg, he found De Bruyne.
....
“De Bruyne’s pass was excellent.”
“Dost controls it and carries it forward—he’s onside!”
“One-on-one!”
“Oh, he’s too slow! Come on, get moving!”
“Leverkusen’s thirty-four-year-old veteran center-back Spahic—we saw his explosiveness at the World Cup a few months ago. He still has plenty left in the tank.”
Bang!
With a defender about to catch him, Dost decisively took a wild shot.
The ball screamed into the back of the Leverkusen net.
0–1!!!
“It’s in already?”
“No way!”
“Leverkusen goalkeeper Leno—what was he doing?”
“Beautiful!”
“De Bruyne combines with Dost to break the deadlock and give Wolfsburg the lead.”
Leno spread his hands.
He had closed down the near post.
He had simply not expected Dost’s fierce long-range shot to find its mark through sheer luck.
.....
Li Luo and Maranda happened to be warming up near the corner flag and arrived in time to join the team’s celebration.
The players bounced around, hugging one another in excitement.
“That’s fantastic.”
“We’re actually in the lead!”
“I know how the boss is going to adjust things next.”
“He’s definitely going to park the bus.”
...
On the touchline, Hecking stood proudly inside the technical area.
He looked every inch the great manager, basking in the respectful glances around him.
Inside, however, he was thinking:
I’m unbelievably lucky. Dost actually managed to get that shot in.
On the other side, Schmidt sat on the bench, seriously writing and drawing on his tactical notes.
Assistant coach Dino continued making exaggerated gestures toward the players on the pitch.
....
A moment later.
The match restarted from the center circle.
“In recent matches, whenever Hecking’s team takes the lead, they simply cannot be turned around.”
“Wolfsburg have dropped into a deep defensive shape.”
“But Leverkusen’s positional attack is very versatile.”
A fat wolf in armor quietly guarded the goal.
The impatient lion bared its fangs.
...
The twentieth minute.
Calhanoglu kept turning his head, observing the situation on the pitch.
Then he moved quickly.
He received the ball near the edge of the deeper position in Zone Fourteen.
With no one pressuring him, he was able to display his passing ability to the fullest.
Smack!
The ball skimmed across the grass like a razor-sharp blade, piercing Wolfsburg’s defensive line.
Wolfsburg’s defenders were no fools. They reacted quickly.
But Leverkusen’s towering striker Kiessling possessed not only extraordinary heading ability but also delicate footwork. People had even given him the nickname “Little Ibrahimovic.”
“Wow!”
“Light-footed as a swallow!”
“Kiessling receives the through ball, takes two touches inside the Wolfsburg penalty area, and creates a shooting angle!”
“He’s six foot three, yet he’s incredibly agile.”
“It’s in!”
Benaglio dived and missed.
The white net rippled.
1–1!!!
Bayer Arena erupted in thunderous applause.
Kiessling jogged toward the corner flag, then suddenly yanked down his shorts and displayed his underwear to the crowd.
“Lucky underwear.”
“In 2010, his form had been fluctuating badly. His wife told him to wear this pair of underwear to a match, and sure enough, it ended his goal drought!”
“Underwear needs to be washed and changed regularly. Children watching at home, do not imitate Kiessling.”
“Calhanoglu’s through ball was crucial. You could say that when he has room and faces no physical pressure, his passing reaches perfection.”
....
The Wolfsburg bench.
Maranda looked anxious. “We might not be able to hold out.”
There were many reasons they might fail to hold out.
Li Luo did not agree with him. He was unwilling to say anything discouraging about his own team. The spatial-perception model in his mind continued to run, dissecting the match.
In the distance, Hecking struggled to suppress his panic and maintained a calm expression.
“Damn it, Leverkusen forces us into an attacking battle every time.”
“Should we keep defending?”
“We can’t defend like this. The back line is too tired. During deep defense, Wolfsburg’s players are using even more energy.”
“Shut down Calhanoglu! Attack them head-on!”
On the other side, Leverkusen’s coaching staff celebrated briefly.
Dino continued gesturing to the players, making further attacking adjustments.
.....
The thirtieth minute.
The situation changed abruptly.
The Korean youngster Son received a pass from deep near the center circle.
Without the slightest hesitation, he exploded down the flank.
“Huh?”
“He’s so fast!”
“He’s flying!”
“Wolfsburg’s defense is collapsing inward. Guilavogui steps out and moves up, cutting off Son Heung-min’s path.”
“What?”
“Son Heung-min changes direction at full speed! He cuts inside!”
Bang!
Son Heung-min reached the left side of the penalty area, raised his arm, and swung his leg.
The ball curled through the air, spinning violently, and flew into the top-right corner of Wolfsburg’s goal.
2–1!!!
Bayer Arena erupted in thunderous applause.
The Korean youngster ran to the corner flag and made a “taking a picture” gesture toward the stands.
The Leverkusen supporters answered with their loudest applause.
...
The live chat.
—[Whenever these two teams meet, their defenses turn into giant sieves.]
—[The first half isn’t even over, and there have already been three goals. This is incredible. Order some takeout! Order some takeout!]
—[What do we do? Wolfsburg look like they’re going to lose.]
—[So what if they lose? Li Luo hasn’t even played. Wolfsburg may lose, but my Luo hasn’t.]
—[Ah, it’s fine. Bayern are losing to Gladbach too.]
....
Hecking looked melancholy.
How had he become the backdrop?
The Leverkusen coaching staff beside him had become a reflection of himself from the previous few matches.
In the away stand, the Wolfsburg supporters who had traveled with the team refused to give up. They continued cheering loudly for their players.
...
Leverkusen had turned the match around, but they did not slow the tempo.
Instead—
they kept attacking!
Time slipped by unnoticed.
The forty-fifth minute.
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The situation changed once again.
“Beautiful!”
“De Bruyne cuts off Calhanoglu’s pass.”
“Wolfsburg on the counter!”
De Bruyne did not pass immediately. He had already observed the space between Leverkusen’s two lines.
He carried the ball forward several strides.
This forced Leverkusen’s midfield screen to push higher, widening the distance between the two lines.
Smack.
Still running, the Belgian decisively struck the ball and initiated another attack.
De Bruyne surpassed Calhanoglu in several aspects: the accuracy of his passing while running, the accuracy of his passing under physical pressure, and the speed of his thinking.
“Dost!”
“Here he comes!”
“Can he equalize? Oh, he’s too slow!”
The Dutch striker stumbled twice and fell to the ground.
Leverkusen’s thirty-four-year-old center-back Spahic calmly reclaimed possession.
To still be playing center-back in the Bundesliga at that age meant he clearly had something special. Spahic had adapted with the times and developed a degree of ability to play the ball out from the back, which was why the era had not left him behind.
“Countering the counter!”
“Kiessling, head it on!”
“Bellarabi controls it, then presents it to his big brother Calhanoglu.”
“A long-range shot!”
“It’s in again!”
Calhanoglu had never stopped observing the game, which allowed him to find an excellent attacking position. His only flaw was that his adjustment movements were overly elaborate.
Wolfsburg had surged forward and could not reorganize their defensive shape in time.
They could only watch helplessly as the ball blasted into the net.
3–1!!!
Bayer Arena boiled over completely.
Falling behind, turning the match around, then extending the lead.
Calhanoglu spread his arms toward the stands.
North Rhine, cheer for the heart of your Leverkusen! One assist and one goal—he had dazzled the entire stadium!
“At this moment, the referee blows the whistle to end the first half.”
“Wolfsburg are two goals behind away from home.”
“The situation is extremely serious.”
“Heh heh, but I think there will still be more goals. Think about it—when Schmidt played Bayern, he refused to defend even after taking a three-goal lead. Why would he do so now?”
“Leverkusen simply keep disrupting your rhythm until you begin to play like them—less possession, less organization, and an open, end-to-end attacking battle.”
The hearts of the Wolfsburg supporters sank to the bottom.
They were two goals behind at halftime.
If they continued playing this way in the second half, the consequences would be unimaginable.
....
Halftime.
Wolfsburg’s dressing room.
Hecking pulled out the tactics board and shifted the small magnetic markers around.
Words poured from him in rapid succession.
He made a series of tactical adjustments.
“Don’t panic.”
“We’re two goals down, but we have time to equalize. Leverkusen have plenty of holes in their defense.”
“First, we need to control the match. Control the middle. Don’t let them disrupt our rhythm.”
The Wolfsburg players were exhausted in both body and mind.
“Finally, one more thing.”
“Li will come on at the start of the second half!”
The Wolfsburg players immediately rekindled their fighting spirit.
....
The Chinese media felt somewhat unaccustomed to the situation.
Normally, at this point in a match, Li Luo’s highlight reel would be dominating the trending searches across the entire internet.
Instead, there was absolute silence.
Some fans went onto foreign websites and discovered that the Korean media were frantically praising Son Heung-min while taking the opportunity to viciously mock Wolfsburg.
...
The fifteen-minute break soon ended.
The players returned to the pitch.
“Hecking has made his first substitution.”
“Li Luo comes on from the bench.”
“Dost is coming off?”
“A midfielder replaces a center-forward.”
“Is Wolfsburg going to play without a striker?”
The away stand erupted in waves of cheers.
The Leverkusen supporters were not impressed.
They were two goals ahead. Wolfsburg had played such a chaotic first half. Could one brilliant young midfielder really solve their problems?
....
“Bayer, Bayer 04, we stand by you!”
“Bayer, Bayer 04, we stand by you!”
The Werkself anthem echoed around Bayer Arena.
The breeze beside the Rhine fluttered Li Luo’s white shirt and stirred his black hair.
Li Luo felt no negative emotions whatsoever.
He had watched forty-five minutes from the bench and had already completely dissected Leverkusen’s arrangements for the match.
Two goals down?
No problem.
Whistle!
With another blast from the referee, the second half began.
Leverkusen had possession.
Kiessling tapped the kickoff backward to the defense.
Li Luo immediately sprinted across the center line, drifting between the opponent’s two lines.
“Beautiful!”
“Gustavo wins the ball from under Calhanoglu’s feet.”
“He passes to De Bruyne.”
“De Bruyne doesn’t hesitate. A superb driven long pass.”
“Li Luo!”
...
On the touchline, assistant coach Dino stood inside Leverkusen’s technical area, brimming with confidence.
He had studied how to contain the Chinese prodigy.
During halftime, he had specifically reminded the defenders and midfielders:
“Don’t simply rely on physical challenges.”
“Cut off his passing lanes.”
“Maintain the correct spacing and have a second man cover him. Eliminate Li Luo through coordinated defending!”
Head coach Schmidt sat quietly on the bench, smiling broadly, certain that victory was within his grasp.
On the other side, Hecking and his assistant coaches wore solemn expressions.
They were two goals behind.
....
Li Luo moved toward the rolling ball.
His spatial perception told him that the nearby Leverkusen players were closing in rapidly.
Instinctively, he wanted to link the reception with a turn and escape.
In a daze, a golden, bald silhouette condensed within his vision.
Smack.
The instant he received the ball, it separated from his instep.
Spahic stepped forward aggressively, only to stare in confusion.
Where was the ball? Where was the man?
Tens of thousands of spectators at Bayer Arena were left dumbfounded.
“Water-strider touch.”
“Man and ball split.”
“Elegant!”
“Absolutely elegant!”
“The instant Li Luo touched the ball—smack!—he changed its trajectory and sent it around the Leverkusen defender.”
“At the same time, he turned and went around the defender from the opposite side.”
The commentator became almost incoherent.
Commentator Zhang was deeply worried.
By pushing the midfielder farther forward, Li Luo would face enormous pressure. Escaping one opponent alone would not solve the problem.
....
The instant Li Luo touched the ball again, a Leverkusen holding midfielder charged toward him.
The bald silhouette in his vision condensed once more.
A gentle touch forward.
The spatial-perception model spun frantically.
It predicted the distance between the players.
Li Luo planted his right foot on the ball.
His body rotated.
At the instant the gap closed—
his left foot dragged the ball back again.
The entire stadium was stunned.
Hecking was overjoyed.
Dino stared in disbelief.
“Marseille turn!”
“That was a super Marseille turn!”