Coach, I Want to Play!

The Points rules announced by the system made Lin Quan breathe a small sigh of relief.

He had only earned one Point from this match. It seemed that was related to the match being too low-level.

Since their opponent had been a 2. Bundesliga team, and Werder Bremen had not performed well last season either.

Therefore, in the system's assessment, the standard of this match was equivalent to that of leagues one tier below the Top Five Leagues, such as the 2. Bundesliga, the Championship, and Segunda División.

The rewards for such leagues were one tier lower than those of the Top Five Leagues. If the league level was even lower, the rewards would be reduced further.

For a match at the level of the domestic Chinese Super League, winning one game would probably earn only 0.5 Points, or even less.

However, these leagues were basically outside Lin Quan's consideration, so he merely glanced over them and paid no further attention.

The Bundesliga had only eighteen teams, with just thirty-four matches each season.

That was fewer than both La Liga and the Premier League.

Moreover, the Bundesliga had fewer cup competitions than other leagues as well, with only the German Cup.

And since Werder Bremen had not finished in the European qualification places last season, they were eligible for neither the Champions League nor the Europa League.

So this season, their main competitions were the Bundesliga and the German Cup.

The Bundesliga had thirty-four rounds. As long as he stayed healthy and performed consistently, regular appearances should not be a problem.

As for the German Cup, that would depend on the team's strength and luck. With a favorable draw, they might even make it all the way to the final.

With an unfavorable draw, though, they might encounter a strong opponent right from the start and be swept out immediately.

Therefore, Lin Quan had to give his all in every match and strive to win.

Otherwise, he might not even save up enough Points in two seasons!

Thinking of this, Lin Quan quietly reminded himself not to get carried away or slack off in the slightest.

He had to work even harder to improve his strength. Only then could he increase the team's chances of winning and possibly defeat stronger teams as well.

Thus, early the next morning, Lin Quan arrived at the training ground well ahead of the team's official session and began extra training by himself.

Half an hour later, De Bruyne also arrived at the Training Base.

Seeing Lin Quan training, he immediately changed into his gear and joined him.

"Come on, same old rules. I defend, you attack!"

Had this guy developed an addiction to getting crushed?

Lin Quan could not help grumbling inwardly, but with someone willing to train with him, he naturally could not have asked for more.

So the two began their familiar practice duel again.

Their training attitude inspired the rest of the team. When the players who arrived afterward saw the two training, they did not chat or fool around by the sidelines as usual. Instead, they joined in and started training as well.

This scene pleasantly surprised the coaching staff.

"Who would have thought that these two joining the team would bring about such a change?"

"Exactly. Many young players their age become arrogant and complacent after becoming famous overnight. Then they stop training seriously, gradually decline, and eventually disappear without a trace.

There is no shortage of talented players in football who have been ruined by outside praise and flattery!

But these two can keep their heads down without becoming arrogant or impatient. That mentality is truly rare!"

With the players working so seriously, the coaching staff could not afford to lag behind.

So they began carefully organizing tactical drills in preparation for the next friendly.

On July 26, Werder Bremen remained at home to face Aberdeen, a traditional powerhouse from the Scottish Premiership.

Werder Bremen made several adjustments to their lineup for this match. Due to his poor performance in the previous game, striker Nils Petersen, who had been loaned from Bayern, was left on the bench.

Starting in his place was a nineteen-year-old youngster born in 1993 and developed through the club's own academy—Niclas Füllkrug.

This future Germany international was still quite raw at the time, and his ability was not yet as strong as it would become later.

Unlike the proud and arrogant Nils, Füllkrug had previously played in the youth team, so he especially cherished these rare opportunities to play for the first team.

He knew he was young and limited in ability. The coach had sent him on because of his height and physical strength, wanting him to serve as a focal point up front rather than the team's finisher.

Therefore, he understood his role clearly: he was willing to be the supporting leaf rather than the flower, and not steal the spotlight from the team's stars.

In this match, Füllkrug performed exceptionally well up front.

After receiving the ball in the attacking third, he could withstand the interference of opposing defenders, lay the ball back, and pass it to teammates in better positions.

This was completely different from Nils. In the previous match, once the ball reached Nils's feet, he would not pass easily unless he was so tightly surrounded that he truly had no chance to shoot.

Yet when he did not pass, he could not create dangerous shots either. As a result, Werder Bremen had looked terrible in attack. They had plenty of opportunities but could not score for a long time.

But Füllkrug did not cling to the ball or force things on the pitch. He could pass, combine with his teammates, and actively track back in defense.

This made the team's attack far smoother, while the defensive intensity in the midfield and attacking areas increased dramatically!

As a result, Werder Bremen took the lead early in the first half.

De Bruyne scored twice in the 23rd and 38th minutes of the first half, virtually killing off the suspense of the match.

It was worth mentioning that De Bruyne's second goal came from Füllkrug's assist.

The latter had actually had an excellent shooting opportunity himself, but he selflessly chose to pass to De Bruyne, who was in a better position.

This earned him De Bruyne's appreciation. After scoring, De Bruyne specifically ran over to embrace him.

By the sidelines, after seeing De Bruyne score his second goal, Lin Quan felt both happy and worried.

His friend was performing brilliantly, and he was genuinely delighted for him.

But they had built such a huge lead in the first half. If the coach felt the advantage was too great and did not let him play, he would have to say goodbye to that one Point.

Dindin, Dindin, please rein it in already!

Two goals were enough. Leave the away team some dignity and stop scoring!

Let me score the rest for you!

Just as Lin Quan worried about whether he would get to play in the second half, the coaching staff was discussing the same question.

"Aberdeen is a traditional Scottish Premiership powerhouse, after all. Why do they seem so fragile?"

"Could it be that we're just too strong?"

"Aberdeen came all this way because we invited them for a friendly. If we hand them a crushing defeat at home, it would be a little hard to justify."

"Mm, tell the players to ease up a little. This isn't an official match, so there's no need to humiliate the opponent. If it really turns into a massacre, we may not be able to arrange any friendly opponents in the future!"

"Then should we still send Lin Quan on in the second half? With his attacking ability, I'm worried it really could turn into a massacre..."

Schaaf scratched his head and glanced at Lin Quan, who was sitting on the bench.

Because of his outstanding performances in training and in the previous match, Lin Quan was already an undisputed starter in Schaaf's tactical system for the new season.

Schaaf had originally planned to send Lin Quan on in this match for more experience and, while he was at it, improve his understanding with the other players.

But the match had gone so smoothly that his plan could no longer keep up with the changes.

Lin Quan sensed the coach's gaze and looked at him with utmost sincerity.

His eyes conveyed a single message:

Coach, I want to play!

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