Dominating Football with Perfect Ball Control

Chapter 36: 36. Kimmich is Convinced

When they were down 0-1, RB Leipzig still had the will to equalize.

Down 0-2, Bayer Leverkusen defended steadily and counter-attacked.

RB Leipzig grew increasingly desperate; as a 3. Liga team, they were originally looking to land a quick punch, a heavy liver shot to KO their opponent.

Their continuous attacks were all defended, and the opponent even landed a brilliant, quick jab to the face, instantly making them dizzy.

The opponent pressed relentlessly, delivering another charged right hook to directly end the fight.

RB Leipzig fell onto the ring, and even if they were conscious, their bodies couldn’t support them to stand up.

They could only helplessly wait for the referee to count to 10 and declare Bayer Leverkusen victorious.

After 60 minutes, RB Leipzig was already starting to get dizzy, with their forwards attacking frantically, defenders shrinking back, and their three lines disconnected.

Lance had originally planned to find an opportunity to score another goal and achieve the first hat-trick of his professional career.

Unfortunately, his physical exertion was too great; having started the match, he was already struggling to run after 70 minutes.

He could only utilize the advantage of the Nagi Seishiro Template, learning Berbatov’s playing style of energy-saving, strolling football.

Upon seeing this, head coach Sascha Lewandowski noted that Lance’s role in the defensive system was zero, unable to help the team cover defensive areas.

Considering the youngster was truly tired, he simply substituted him with veteran Eren Derdiyok, also using the opportunity to give Derdiyok some match practice and help him regain form.

Seeing the substitution board, Lance felt a bit regretful.

But he could only turn and run towards the sideline.

To stall for some time, Lance even deliberately slowed his pace, applauding to thank the away fans.

This is a basic operation in professional football, a reasonable use of the rules.

To win is not shameful.

As long as it’s not malicious ’lying on the grass tactics,’ deliberately wasting time is quite normal.

Watching the spirited Lance, commentator Mehmet Scholl grew more and more appreciative.

”This young man is truly Bayer Leverkusen’s most surprising discovery; his starting performance today was perfect! Originally, Bayer Leverkusen was at a disadvantage in the away game, but it was entirely Lance’s two world-class first touches and his brace that secured the victory.”

”Otherwise, today’s outcome would have been hard to say.”

”Well done, I look forward to him having more opportunities to play and develop in the Bundesliga; watching this spiritual young player is truly enjoyable.”

Lance came to the sideline, and after exchanging with his teammates, he was also encouraged with a pat on the shoulder by head coach Sascha Lewandowski.

”Well done, Lance. Don’t misunderstand, I just saw that your physical exertion was too great, to avoid injuries to the frontline.”

”Thank you, coach, I understand.”

Sitting on the bench, Lance watched as his teammate Gonzalo Castro scored with a long-range shot from outside the box.

0-3!

Bayer Leverkusen completely ended the battle.

...

After the match, Lance went onto the field to high-five and celebrate with his teammates, but he was stopped by a young player.

”You? What do you want?”

Lance looked at Joshua Kimmich, puzzled.

Kimmich hesitated repeatedly but still made his request.

”Can we swap jerseys? Your performance today was outstanding; I’m genuinely impressed.”

”You also played very well; you’ll have a chance to go to a top club in the future.”

”Really? Thank you.”

The two exchanged jerseys, and Kimmich didn’t take it too seriously.

He thought Lance was purely engaging in commercial flattery, unaware that Lance wasn’t lying; this guy indeed joined Bayern Munich later.

He wasn’t sure how he joined, but Lance knew he would be a main midfielder for Bayern Munich in the future.

After they parted, Lance routinely accepted interviews and received the official DFB-Pokal Man of the Match trophy.

It’s time to buy an ”honor display cabinet,” otherwise, the trophies will accumulate, along with collectible limited-edition jerseys, and potentially future championship medals... there will truly be nowhere to put these things.

...

While good news arrived from one side, bad news came from another.

The DFB-Pokal match, played by the rotated squad, saw Lance single-handedly lead them to a comfortable 3-0 victory, advancing to the next round of the DFB-Pokal.

However, the Bundesliga, for which the coaching staff deliberately preserved the main players and went all out, surprisingly stumbled.

The opponent for Bundesliga Round 6 was 1. FSV Mainz 05.

After 5 rounds, they had 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, accumulating 10 points and trailing Bayer Leverkusen by only 2 points, temporarily sitting in 5th place.

Bayer Leverkusen had 4 wins and 1 loss, with 12 points, temporarily tied for 2nd place.

FSV Mainz 05 had strong momentum this season and could potentially become Bayer Leverkusen’s ”top four” rival; this match was still a ”six-point game.”

However, the entire starting lineup was sluggish; Son Heung-min was invisible in the front third.

Main left winger Andrés Guardado repeatedly made ball-handling errors and was dispossessed, leading to Mainz counter-attacking.

Mainz was temporarily leading Bayer Leverkusen 1-0.

The Werkself had 7 shots but 0 on target.

In contrast, Mainz had only 2 attacks in the first half, with 1 finding the net, demonstrating astonishing efficiency!

In the second half, Andrés Guardado made another mistake for Bayer Leverkusen, leading to a turnover in their own half.

Mainz’s quick counter-attack was highly efficient, with a cross leading to a shot.

2-0!

In the second half, head coach Sascha Lewandowski was helpless, substituting the underperforming Andrés Guardado.

He didn’t make a like-for-like substitution but instead moved Son Heung-min to the left wing.

Son Heung-min thrived on the left wing, finally breaking through with the ball before the end of the match and helping Bayer Leverkusen pull one back with a long-range shot.

Unfortunately, they still lost in the end.

Bundesliga Round 6:

FSV Mainz 05 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen.

...

The day after the match, during the time players were lifting weights in the gym, the coaching staff was holding an emergency meeting in the conference room to discuss their upcoming tactical strategies.

The previous match had clearly exposed the current problems of Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayer Leverkusen’s midfielders Simon Rolfes, Lars Bender, and Jens Hegeler, all defensive midfielders, were very stable, making it easy to create a midfield advantage.

The key lay in the frontline; Bayer Leverkusen lacked a pivot who could hold the ball and attract opponents.

Stefan Kie?ling, a few years ago, was considered one of the strongest strikers in the Bundesliga, but unfortunately, his form has severely declined in the past two seasons, and he is no longer in the Bundesliga’s top tier of forwards.

Another is Eren Derdiyok.

This 190cm tall aerial threat excels at headers and is also very agile with his feet.

However, he is not good at holding the ball and escaping in confined spaces, often being tightly marked by opponents and only able to head the ball back to teammates.

Especially his ability in tough matches, Derdiyok’s performance is very poor.

Additionally, there is forward Son Heung-min.

Yesterday’s match proved that Son Heung-min is more suited to playing as a left winger, preferring to attack opponents on the counter-attack.

Standing near the penalty area to receive the ball and look for opportunities is not Son Heung-min’s strong point.

Overall, someone is needed near the penalty area who can hold the ball, find opportunities to shoot, and undertake the goal-scoring task.

”I do have a candidate...”

”Lance, I know.”

Sami Hyypi?’s suggestion was instantly guessed by Sascha Lewandowski.

It was obvious to everyone what Lance’s role was, but his age always made it difficult to truly acknowledge Lance’s intensity.

He has scored in consecutive appearances recently and has proven himself in tough matches.

16-year-old Lance needs to become one of the regular starters in the Bundesliga!

That means Lance’s positioning already needs to change.

Not a ”prospect,” but a ”key player”!

The entire coaching staff’s eyes lit up.

Lance’s performance was indeed the optimal solution for Bayer Leverkusen in tough matches.

Next, in Bundesliga Round 7, Bayer Leverkusen vs. Hannover 96.

In Bundesliga Round 8, Bayer Leverkusen will face their strongest opponent, the Bundesliga’s ultimate boss—Bayern Munich!

That might be the real test!

”Next round, let Lance start and see how it goes.”