Dominating Football with Perfect Ball Control

Chapter 47: 47. A real man never looks back at the goal

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In a game, especially when a weaker team plays a stronger team, the biggest blow to the weaker team’s morale is not conceding an early goal.

Conceding one goal, at worst, they can equalize.

The biggest blow is when they finally find an opportunity after immense effort, executing a perfect sequence of plays... Only for the opponent to hit them with two quick punches, knocking them down, and then look down with a smile and say, ’Just kidding.’

From a tactical perspective, Pep Guardiola’s tiki-taka football currently shows no problems.

Even if Bayern Munich doesn’t score, constantly passing the ball outside the penalty area is enough to exhaust Bayer Leverkusen’s attention.

Once the defense is tormented to the point of unbearable pain, they suddenly accelerate and deliver a dangerous pass, Bayer Leverkusen is indeed very difficult to deal with.

”So, how do we break the deadlock?”

”How should I know?”

”You’re Sascha, and you don’t know?”

”Sascha isn’t omnipotent... No, you’re Sami Hyypi? too!”

”No, I’m just a joint coach, joint.”

”Joint my foot!”

Lance was still in the locker room, his Bayer Leverkusen teammates looking dejected, with no one speaking up for the moment.

He, however, heard the two coaches bickering like elementary school students, Lance’s face was full of black lines.

Can you two stop being so childish? Your combined mental age isn’t even as old as me!

To prevent them from affecting the team’s morale, Lance quickly opened the door and went out.

”Coach.”

”Lance, what’s wrong?”

”In the second half, you can give me more opportunities to hold the ball; I’ll try to break the deadlock.”

”This...”

Lance’s proactive suggestion indeed made Sascha and Hyypi? look at him with new eyes.

To have such responsibility at 16 years old, even if he ultimately doesn’t make an impact, he’s still far better than a player who dares not take responsibility.

What is a big heart?

This is a big heart.

”But the problem is, we can’t break through midfield. If the ball can’t reach near the penalty area, it’s difficult for the team to create space for you to handle the ball.”

In Sascha’s understanding, the closer Lance is to the penalty area, the more he can leverage the threat of his close-range ball control.

If Lance handles the ball in the midfield or defense, even if he dribbles past one player, he’s surrounded by people and will quickly be overwhelmed.

Their current opponent isn’t RB Leipzig anymore; it’s Bayern Munich!

In terms of physical play and zonal defense, Lance won’t gain much advantage in the midfield or defense.

”Just like in the first half, as long as someone dares to push forward, I can create space.”

”Oh?”

Sascha and Hyypi? immediately understood Lance’s meaning.

He could play as a withdrawn attacking midfielder in the number 10 role, or even a deep-lying playmaker, supplying firepower to his teammates!

Normally, a typical 16-year-old forward would only know to rush forward aggressively, but Lance was already considering the entire team from a tactical perspective?

Hiss...

This boy is destined for greatness!

”Actually, we think so too.”

Hyypi? wore a ’teachable’ smile, his eyes filled with admiration.

”The goal in the first half was one of our few chances; we can play like that in the second half too.”

”If you only play as a forward, the media will at most criticize you for being invisible, not too harshly.”

”If you really play like this, you’ll face the encirclement of Bayern Munich’s entire midfield and defense alone. If you’re dispossessed and it leads to a goal, you’ll bear the responsibility for the failure. Do you have the courage to face the criticism from the media and fans?”

Sascha deliberately made the situation sound very serious, trying to scare the young player.

In reality, coaches usually take more blame for losses.

”I can.”

Lance didn’t say many passionate words; just a single word and the certainty in his eyes were enough to prove his courage.

As long as his rage value reaches 100%, he can at least find an opportunity to fight for a goal back.

With a 3-2 scoreline, Bayern Munich should be the one feeling anxious.

If they patiently wait for opportunities in the second half, they might really have hope of equalizing!

Or even taking the lead?

”Very good! I truly didn’t misjudge you. Let’s go in together; we don’t have much time left.”

Hyypi? patted Lance’s shoulder, and the three of them walked into the locker room together.

The oppressive atmosphere inside had even lowered the air temperature by a few degrees.

”All looking dejected? Alright then, let’s just surrender directly. I’ll go find Pep Guardiola right now and surrender to his face, how about it?”

Looking at the timid expressions of these guys, Sascha couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation.

A bunch of men in their twenties, yet none of them had the awareness of a 16-year-old boy.

Is that even acceptable?

”Coach, we...”

Captain Simon Rolfes stood up first, ready to explain, but Sascha stopped him with a hand.

”Ladies, what do you say? Should I go surrender?”

”No!! We still have a chance!”

”That’s right!! Bayern Munich isn’t invincible; we just need to exert ourselves in the second half!”

”Actually, the pressure on our goal isn’t that great; we can still score if we capitalize on counterattack opportunities.”

Immediately, Lars Bender, Stefan Kie?ling, and goalkeeper Bernd Leno all stood up to boost morale.

Judging by their expressions, they were clearly unwilling to give up just like that.

What’s 3-1?

Some teams can even overturn a 3-0 deficit!

Bayer Leverkusen is now the challenger, playing against the great demon king Bayern Munich. Losing is no loss, a draw is a small gain, and winning is a huge gain!

”That’s more like it! Hell yeah!!”

Sascha finally saw everyone’s fighting spirit, indicating that the game was still playable.

Otherwise, if the players had given up before he even had a chance to set up a new tactic, then it would truly be unplayable.

”Everyone come over. In the second half, let’s not rush; continue to defend steadily, and then look for opportunities...”

Sascha pulled over the tactics whiteboard and began drawing and writing on it, constantly using messy notes and arcs to illustrate each person’s runs, ball-carrying attacking ideas, and several offensive combination routines.

As they watched, they realized that Lance was playing a crucial role in midfield.

In a 4-4-2 formation, with two defensive midfielders responsible for defense and two wingers breaking through on the flanks, there was temporarily no one in the center to orchestrate and organize...

Lance naturally shifted from a number 10 player, moving slightly back to become a number 8 or even a number 6 player.

This was clearly the most central position in a team!

Steven Gerrard of Liverpool, Toni Kroos of Bayern Munich, Mesut ?zil of Real Madrid, David Silva of Manchester City!

Is it really okay to let a 16-year-old forward take on such a crucial role as a guest?

”What are those expressions? Don’t you believe in Lance?”

”No, no, no, we believe!”

The Bayer Leverkusen players, intimidated by Sascha’s authority, dared not voice any opinions.

However, upon closer thought, wasn’t Lance’s goal in the first half exactly like this?

A beautiful series of evasions in the center, followed by a sublime through ball that assisted Son Heung-min’s goal.

They certainly had no doubts about his ball-carrying and ball-shielding skills.

If that’s the case, then what’s there to worry about?

”Alright, in the second half, let Bayern Munich witness Bayer Leverkusen’s resilience!”

”Awooo awooo—”

The Bayer Leverkusen players, having regained some confidence, roared as they rushed out of the locker room.

...

”At halftime, the score is temporarily 3-1, with home team Bayern Munich currently leading. Bayer Leverkusen has made no personnel changes... Director Xu, what do you think about Bayer Leverkusen’s plan to break the deadlock next?”

”Well... Bayern Munich’s tiki-taka and high press are preventing Bayer Leverkusen from getting past midfield, making it difficult for Lance to exert his power. It might still require substitutions to bring in an organizing player who can smoothly get the ball through midfield.”

In Xu Yang’s eyes, Lance seemed too young, and as a forward, he couldn’t take on the role of a central midfield orchestrator.

They needed to bring on creative midfielders like Emre Can or Gonzalo Castro to have a chance of breaking through Bayern Munich’s compact defense.

”Yes, it seems Bayer Leverkusen doesn’t plan to change formation for now. Let’s first... Hey!! That ball!!!”

Immediately after the kickoff in the second half, Bayer Leverkusen’s positional play didn’t work.

Bayern Munich possessed the ball and pushed forward to attack. Toni Kroos’s pass was too obvious, intercepted by Simon Rolfes in midfield.

Normally, nothing would come of it. Bayern Munich would press high, and Bayer Leverkusen would keep passing back, eventually returning possession to Bayern Munich.

But Simon Rolfes, in an unconventional move, immediately chipped the ball directly into the open space ahead.

Bastian Schweinsteiger, Xabi Alonso, and Toni Kroos were all preparing to rush over to contest the ball, when suddenly, a white figure, like a white knight, descended from the sky!

”Lance!!! Dropping back to receive the ball, beautiful!!”

Facing the chipped pass, Lance actually used a rabona to control the ball in the center circle, deceiving Toni Kroos, then immediately used a V-drag to evade Xabi Alonso’s tackle, accelerated with one touch, then a Marseille turn to get past Bastian Schweinsteiger!!

He passed three players at once!! Facing Bayern Munich’s defenders directly!!

”Holy cow!!”

The expletive instinctively slipped out of Duan Xuan’s mouth; the 16-year-old teenager was toying with three world-class midfielders!

Perhaps Lance’s breakthrough was unexpected even by his Bayer Leverkusen teammates.

Son Heung-min and Robbie Kruse on the right didn’t expect this kid to actually break through a three-man encirclement!

For a moment, they didn’t push forward in time, leaving Lance to face Bayern Munich’s defense alone!

At any other time, Lance might have found it difficult to deal with, but now...

[Rage Value: 100%]

[Nagi Seishiro - S-Rank Template] Fully activated!

For 10 seconds, I am a superhuman not of this dimension!

To the astonishment of over 70,000 people at Allianz Arena, Lance accelerated and burst towards Bayern Munich’s penalty area!

Jér?me Boateng stepped up to intercept, but was easily tricked by Lance’s rainbow flick!

”Lance, rainbow flick!!”

”Dante—”

”He’s been beaten again!!”

After the rainbow flick, before the ball landed, Lance performed a divine touch, completing a roulette move in mid-air!

Dante was nonchalantly bypassed by him!!

Only the ’goalkeeper’ Manuel Neuer remained in front of the goal, rushing out of the box in a desperate attempt to intercept!

”The farce is over...”

Lance merely glanced at the goal, his eyes filled with an unyielding coldness!

His ankle twitched slightly, chipping the ball over Manuel Neuer’s head.

Without looking back, he pointed to the sky with one hand.

”Lance!! A lob from outside the box!!”

The ball traced an elegant arc above the penalty area!

And fell into the net!

Hiss—

Real men never look back at their goals!

The scene before them almost froze time at Allianz Arena!