Klose II

When Lin Quan took the ball and broke through, many spectators in the stands held their breath and stood up involuntarily, as if trying to get a clearer view.

And when Lin Quan got past the winger, then the full-back, cut inside, and curled a shot with the outside of his foot into the far corner to make it 3:2, the fans in the stadium erupted.

A thunderous cheer broke out from the stands. Some fans close to the pitch even shouted at the top of their lungs toward Lin Quan on the field:

"Lin, well done!"

"Beautiful!"

"Give it to them!"

"One more!"

A few fans even tried to climb over the barriers, attempting to rush onto the field to hug Lin Quan in celebration.

This made the security guards on the sidelines extremely nervous, and they quickly moved to stop the more aggressive fans.

Lin Quan was startled by the fans' enthusiasm. After a brief pause, he waved to the fans to thank them for their support, then quickly ran off.

He had long heard about the passion of Bundesliga fans, especially the hardcore supporters.

But he never expected it to reach this level. The stadiums of Bundesliga teams usually have high fences around the pitch, designed precisely to prevent fans from rushing onto the field.

Yet now it seemed that even with the fences, it wasn't entirely safe.

Lin Quan hadn't realized he was so popular among the fans, especially since he hadn't yet played an official match for the team—only one friendly.

What he didn't know was that out of the more than 30,000 spectators in attendance today, nearly 10,000 had come specifically to watch this friendly after seeing his brilliant goal from the previous match online.

In the age of rapid social media growth, becoming famous from a single goal is much easier than it used to be.

After Lin Quan scored, the coaching staff of the home team finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"It seems Lin Quan isn't the kind of player who shines only briefly. His dribbling and ability to beat defenders are still sharp. We can stop worrying."

Assistant coach Rolf had been concerned that Lin Quan's impressive performance in the last match was just a flash in the pan, afraid he would regress in the next game.

If that happened, it would severely disrupt the tactical plans they had already set for the new season.

A modest club like Werder Bremen usually relies on ordinary players to get through matches.

It's hard for them to hold onto top-tier stars; as soon as a promising talent emerges, they're immediately poached by Giant Clubs.

Just like Klose and Özil, who left their ranks—they hadn't even warmed the bench before being snatched up at high prices by giants like Bayern and Real Madrid.

They knew they couldn't keep rising stars like Lin Quan and De Bruyne, so they didn't delude themselves into thinking they could buy out both players.

Instead, they pragmatically aimed to use these promising talents to improve the team's results and complete the club's relegation survival mission.

But if these two's actual performance levels plummeted in real matches, it would be a thunderbolt for Werder Bremen, who had built their tactical core around them.

The match continued. After Lin Quan came on, Werder Bremen's defensive issues weren't resolved.

But the offensive firepower was fully ignited.

Lin Quan's dribbling ability, Füllkrug's hold-up play, De Bruyne's passing, and the excellent movement of veteran left winger Aaron Hunt.

The four of them linked up to form Werder Bremen's attacking system in the final third, putting Aberdeen's goal under constant siege.

The immense defensive pressure at the back forced Aberdeen to reduce their attacking numbers up front.

And Schaaf, realizing the threat of the opponent's tall striker, later substituted in veteran Prödl.

Prödl stood 194 cm tall, giving him a clear advantage in aerial duels.

With his strong physique and weight of 94 kg, he had excellent physical presence.

This allowed him to hold his position, push opponents away, and disrupt their attacks.

After coming on, he won several consecutive battles against the opponent's tall striker, significantly reducing their attacking threat.

Thus, Aberdeen went completely silent on both ends of the pitch.

During stoppage time, Lin Quan broke through and laid the ball off. Füllkrug was in an excellent position.

He could have taken a shot directly after receiving the ball, but he hesitated.

The opposing defender closed in quickly and nearly stole the ball.

Fortunately, he managed to stumble and pass it out. Lin Quan had two defenders around him, so after receiving the ball, he had no chance to turn and shoot.

So he feigned receiving the ball, moved early, drew the defenders away, and deliberately let the ball slip through to Aaron Hunt, who was charging up from behind.

Hunt didn't waste the opportunity Lin Quan created. After receiving the ball, he blasted it into the net.

After scoring, Hunt was delighted. He pointed at Lin Quan, signaling him to celebrate together.

Even though Lin Quan didn't assist the goal, his dummy run created more danger than a pass would have.

Because he drew the defenders away and disrupted their judgment.

Lin Quan naturally wouldn't pass up a chance to build camaraderie with the team's veterans, so he called De Bruyne over to join the celebration.

After the celebration, he walked over to Füllkrug, patted him on the shoulder, and said:

"Take the shot when you have a chance. If you really don't, pass it. Whether you shoot or pass, don't hesitate!"

Füllkrug's face flushed red, and he said sheepishly:

"Thank you, Lin. I know what to do now."

He also realized that his hesitation earlier had cost him the best opportunity.

Even though he kept thinking about playing the supporting role and not stealing the spotlight, he was still the team's only striker. If he didn't shoot when faced with such a clear chance, he posed no threat to the opposition.

Once the enemy saw through that, they would likely ignore him in defense and focus on marking his teammates instead.

If that happened, his teammates would be locked down, he wouldn't shoot, and the team's attack would grind to a halt.

So, even if he didn't want to steal the spotlight, he still had to take the shot when it mattered.

Füllkrug was called Klose II by Werder Bremen fans, who hoped he could achieve the same heights as his predecessor.

But judging by his later accomplishments, he still had a long way to go to reach that goal.

Klose might not have seemed flashy on the pitch, and there was a gap between him and those superstar players with dazzling skills.

However, his technique was incredibly well-rounded—he was proficient in every skill, from headers to volleys.

His positional awareness and off-the-ball movement were top-tier. Give him the ball, and he would always find a way to put it in the net with remarkable efficiency, as if it came naturally.

And that, in itself, was a kind of strength.

But players with such a low-key style and personality would always be far less famous than the flashy superstars, leading many to underestimate their abilities.

If Füllkrug truly wanted to make Klose his role model, he would have to put in at least twice the effort.

Maybe Lin Quan's advice had worked, because after the match resumed, Füllkrug finally stopped hesitating.

In the last minute of stoppage time, Lin Quan was brought down by a defender while dribbling just outside the penalty area.

De Bruyne stepped up to take the free kick. The ball was within his shooting range, so he chose to go for goal directly.

The strike was high quality—fast, with a sharp angle. The goalkeeper leaped high but couldn't reach the ball.

De Bruyne saw the ball sail past the keeper's outstretched fingers and had already spread his arms to celebrate his first hat trick.

But because he had chased the angle too aggressively, the ball hit the crossbar and bounced back.

De Bruyne clutched his head in frustration. If he hadn't gone for such a perfect angle, it would have been a goal.

After the ball rebounded, chaos erupted in Aberdeen's penalty area.

Several players scrambled for the first touch, and the ball was headed out of the box by someone, landing at Füllkrug's feet.

Füllkrug froze for a moment, as if caught off guard.

He saw defenders charging toward him and instinctively thought about passing, but then he suddenly remembered what Lin Quan had said earlier.

His teammates weren't in good positions right now. The box was packed, and a pass would likely be blocked.

On the other hand, his position was the best.

So, without adjusting, he swung his leg and shot.

It was a low, driven ball. The goalkeeper's view was blocked by the bodies of both teams' players, so he didn't spot it in time.

By the time he saw the shot and reacted, it was too late. The ball skimmed across the ground and into the net.

Just a heads-up: this book hasn't gotten any recommendations yet. The website currently ranks recommendations based on follow-through reads. I'm not sure if my lack of recommendations is related to that.

So I'm begging you all not to let the book sit. Please take a look after each update and give me a follow-through read. Thank you!