บท 116: Play Well, the Future Is Yours!
I forgot to upload the chapter for this. I already had it in stock
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In the first half of the season, Borussia Dortmund struggled significantly.
Midway through the season, they had only managed to secure 28 points, a full 12 points behind league leaders Bayern Munich.
If they still hoped to clinch the title this season, they could not afford to lose any matches from this point on.
With the conclusion of the Champions League group stage, having finished first in their group and drawn the weaker Shakhtar Donetsk in the round of 16, Dortmund's pressure to advance to the quarter-finals was significantly reduced.
Therefore, Klopp decided to focus on the Bundesliga.
With a month left until the Champions League knockout stages began, they had enough time to gain points in the league.
Werder Bremen, who had held them to a draw at the start of the season and caused fluctuating team performance, became their first target.
After arriving at the Weserstadion, Dortmund played with great freedom.
In this match, Werder Bremen truly felt the power of Klopp's "mad dog" tactics.
Determined to redeem themselves, the Dortmund players collectively ran 125 kilometers during the match. Excluding the goalkeeper, this meant an average of 12 kilometers per player!
High-pressure defense!
Fast attacks!
Teamwork!
All of these were demonstrated by Dortmund's strong running ability.
Werder Bremen held on in the first half but were completely overrun in the second.
The match ended with a score of 5-2, with the home team leading the visitors.
Dortmund had goals from Reus, Götze, and Lewandowski in the first half to establish their lead.
In the second half, Werder Bremen, spearheaded by Lin and De Bruyne, managed a comeback with two goals within 15 minutes, momentarily giving hope.
However, a solo goal from Reus extinguished their hopes.
In stoppage time, Santana scored a follow-up shot, sealing the score at 5-2.
Werder Bremen faced a heavy home defeat to Dortmund in their first match of the second half of the season!
Disappointed by the loss, Lin was somewhat downcast.
This match was purely a difference in hard strength; Dortmund could run, and if you couldn't keep up, you'd be worn down by them.
If this had been a mid-season match, Werder Bremen would not have been defeated so badly.
However, after a whole winter break, Dortmund was at their peak.
They had the physical endurance to support such frenzied running, and Werder Bremen had no answer to that.
After all, a frenzied Dortmund could beat Real Madrid by four goals.
When they brought the attitude they had against Real Madrid to face Werder Bremen, it would be strange if Bremen didn't lose.
"Lin, we're even now!" Reus approached Lin after the match, wanting to exchange jerseys.
Reus had scored twice in this victory, feeling extremely elated.
"Even? I don't remember us taking a victory at the Westfalenstadion!"
"What about the Telekom Cup match?"
Lin's lips twitched; Reus still remembered the Telekom Cup match.
Could that kind of match even compare to a league match?
"Hmph, we'll remember this grudge. We'll settle it next time we visit Westfalen!"
Reus, placing his hand on Lin's shoulder, curiously asked, "Our league encounters are over for this season, aren't you going back to Barcelona next season? If you do, we'll probably only meet in the Champions League schedule, and those chances are rare."
"Who said I'm going back to Barcelona? Can't I stay at Werder Bremen?"
"Please, as if I'd believe that. With your price tag, Werder Bremen can hardly afford your salary!"
Reus had an expression of disbelief.
Thinking about it, Werder Bremen's top salary was just over two million euros, while Lin was already a well-known figure in Europe.
His salary must be around six or seven million euros, right?
That's a figure Werder Bremen truly couldn't afford.
"How about this, if you're not going back to Barcelona, why not join us at Dortmund? We can take on Bayern together. How about it, isn't that attractive?"
"Nice try, but your front line is already full. Whose place could I possibly take? Yours, Götze's, or Lewandowski's?"
"That's true!"
Reus scratched his head, finally abandoning the idea.
"Besides, if I went to Dortmund, how would I get my revenge on you?"
Reus was stunned; this kid really held grudges!
...
After losing to Dortmund, everyone at Werder Bremen was holding back their anger.
Luckily, the next match was the Northern Germany derby against Hamburg.
Now, there was no need for the coach to motivate the players before the
game. The players themselves brought out their utmost determination, ready to give Hamburg a thorough beating.
Hamburg was a mediocre team, not particularly good or bad. They were not in danger of relegation nor hopeful of winning the championship. Essentially, they were a team without much ambition.
However, because of the presence of a Korean player on Hamburg's team, this match garnered additional attention.
Before the match, a Korean reporter asked Werder Bremen's coach Schaaf about Hamburg's number 40 player.
Schaaf had heard that Hamburg had a promising young winger from their youth academy, who had performed well this season, scoring six goals in the first half.
This was an impressive performance for a 20-year-old, but compared to his own team's Lin and De Bruyne, it seemed much less significant.
Sighing, he thought about how his standards had been skewed by the extraordinary talents in his team, who, regrettably, were not Werder Bremen players.
With this in mind, he praised the player:
"Son is a very promising player, I see a great future for him."
The Korean reporters, buoyed by Schaaf's compliment, stood a little prouder.
Then, pushing their luck, they asked:
"So, coach, who do you think has greater potential, Son or Lin?"
Schaaf paused, giving the reporter a look of disbelief. Was this a serious question?
Seeing that the reporter seemed genuine, Schaaf replied seriously:
"I don't think there's any need to discuss that. Lin's talent, at his age, is unmatched by anyone I've seen."
The journalists nodded in agreement. A young player who scored 25 goals in half a season could only be described as phenomenal.
The Korean reporter, however, was not convinced:
"That's biased. Our Son is not inferior to Lin at all. Given enough playing time and a tactical position, I believe he can achieve better results than Lin!"
Schaaf's mouth twitched slightly, thinking to himself what an absurd statement that was.
Wasn't Lin's position in the team earned through his performance in matches?
If your Son Heung-min really had that ability, why wouldn't Hamburg give him such a tactical role?
Was it because the Hamburg coach lacked insight?
Schaaf turned to look at Hamburg's coach Fink, who seemed a bit displeased.
He felt the Korean reporter's comment was an attack on his tactical arrangements and player usage, challenging his authority.
As Hamburg's coach, he unexpectedly also lavished praise on Lin, praising him to the skies in terms that were almost embarrassingly effusive.
Schaaf wondered if the old man had his eye on his player, otherwise, why would he say such sycophantic things?
What once in a century talent, what a rare genius, what a reborn football king.
Fink really dared to say anything!
The Korean reporters were outrageous, but Son Heung-min himself was quite sensible.
When the teams met in the tunnel before the match, he took the initiative to approach Lin and apologize.
Lin, unaware of the incident at the press conference, was puzzled by the apology.
So he simply encouraged him:
"Play well! I think highly of you!"
Son Heung-min, aged 20, was encouraged by 17-year-old Lin.
The situation felt somewhat incongruous, but Son was incredibly moved:
Lin Ge knows me!
And he thinks highly of me!
He was thrilled, almost ready to dash onto the field and show all his skills to Lin!
...
After the match began, Son Heung-min was very active on the left wing, successfully creating threats with his dribbles several times.
This excited the Korean fan group in the stands:
"Ah! Our Son Heung-min is so impressive, Werder Bremen's players can't stop him!"
"No wonder he's Asia's number one, good job, Son!"
"The Bundesliga is too small for him, he should move to the Premier League or La Liga. Only such top leagues are worthy of him!"
The Korean fans, used to inflating their expectations, completely ignored Shinji Kagawa, Asia's number one player, and placed that label on Son Heung-min.
Son Heung-min had potential, but in 2013, he certainly wasn't as impressive as Kagawa.
However, with Park Ji-sung's departure from Manchester United, Asia's top spot had been taken by a Japanese player.
This was very unsettling for Koreans, and now that a promising young player had emerged, they were eager to heap all sorts of praise on him.
Hamburg played well, especially Son on the left wing.
Lin, noticing this, reduced his central movements and started focusing on attacking from the wings.
His significant threat made the entire Hamburg team wary.
Seeing him with the ball on the wing, Son chose to drop back rather than continue his attack.
Lin, as a
right winger, and Son, as a left winger, were directly opposed.
In the 9th minute, the anticipated moment arrived—Lin and Son Heung-min faced off.
Son had good offensive skills but was average at defense.
Facing Lin's dribble, he was very cautious.
Lin, seeing his lack of defensive experience, deliberately showed a flaw, shifting his weight to his right foot.
Son fell for it, seeing the weight shift and deciding to tackle without hesitation.
But as he made his move, the ball disappeared from before his eyes.
Lin swiftly changed direction, bypassing him and charging towards Hamburg's half.
Ah, I've been bypassed!
Seeing Son lose in a direct confrontation with Lin, the Korean fans at the sidelines were very disappointed, and their momentum waned.
"Don't be discouraged, our Son Heung-min specializes in offense, not defense. It's normal to be unable to stop such a strong opponent!"
"Right, who cares about defense? Just wait, Son Heung-min's offense will prove unstoppable too!"
Thus, the Korean fan group was revitalized, continuing to cheer loudly for their player.
Son was suppressed, causing Hamburg's attack on the left to falter.
In just ten minutes, Lin made three successful breaks on his side and assisted his teammate in scoring a goal.
This frustrated Son greatly, as cautious as he was, he still felt outmatched.
The difference between me and senior Lin is really big!
Seeing Lin celebrating the goal with his teammates, Son felt bitter.
But hearing the cheers of his hometown fans, his fighting spirit reignited:
I can't disappoint the fans who have come so far. Defense isn't my strength; my offense is!
After the restart, Son got the ball again.
He charged down the wing, determined to assist his teammates in scoring to equalize.
However, as soon as he crossed midfield, Lin appeared in front of him, blocking his path.
"He's coming! Lin is about to be outplayed!"
The Korean fans, seeing Lin come to defend against Son, were excited.
"Haha, I've seen that guy play, his defensive skills are terrible, he definitely can't stop our Son Heung-min!"
The Korean fans were confident that with Son's skills, passing a virtually defenseless player would be a piece of cake.
Son thought the same:
Senior Lin is strong offensively, but his defense has always been weak.
He's probably here to stall for time for his teammates.
I can't let him hold me up, I need to get past him quickly.
With that thought, Son used his left foot to push the ball, planning to speed past along the sideline.
Lin, seeing his move, didn't rush but instead chose to block the position, ensuring the ball went through but not the player.
Son, about to break through, didn't expect such a quick reaction from his opponent.
Unable to adjust, he collided head-on with Lin.
Despite a 10 cm height difference, with Son initiating contact, one would expect him to knock Lin over, but surprisingly, Son was the one who fell.
Lin only stepped back but didn't fall.
The home fans were stunned, unable to understand why their winger was overpowered in a physical duel.
They didn't realize that although Lin was shorter than Son, their weights were similar.
Lower height means a lower center of gravity, and combined with the defensive skills Lin had learned from Guardiola, he used his body effectively to gain the upper hand in the physical duel.
Lin's weight was nearly as much as Messi's, whose physical abilities in duels are strong, allowing him to score so many goals and complete numerous impressive dribbles.
However, Lin knew he couldn't gain more weight.
Further weight gain would put immense pressure on his ankles and knees and reduce his agility and speed.
Seeing Son Heung-min fall, the audience members who had come from Korea protested loudly.
They believed Lin must have used a foul to stop their Son Heung-min.
"That kid, he's too despicable!"
"Exactly, his style of play is too dirty!"
"Our Son Heung-min is too naive. If I were on the field, I'd definitely give that guy an elbow to show him what's what!"
Despite the replay on the big screen showing Lin's clean defense without any fouls, the Koreans chose to ignore it, stubbornly maintaining their belief.
Ten minutes later, Son tried another break along the wing, and Lin once again stepped up to meet him.
"Here it comes, our Son Heung-min will surely breeze past him this time!"
The Korean fans got excited again, but their excitement quickly faded.
Learning from the previous encounter, Son didn't slow down this time but instead accelerated suddenly, not giving Lin a chance to position himself.
His speed had always been his trump card;
he didn't believe Lin could stop him if he used it well.
But Lin did just that!
Anticipating Son's move to control the ball, Lin quickly turned around, reaching the ball before his opponent and sending a precise through pass to De Bruyne up front.
De Bruyne then delivered a beautiful lofted pass to Arnautovic, who had just returned from injury, allowing him to score with a header.
The score changed to 2-0, and Werder Bremen nearly secured the win.
After two failed confrontations, Son's confidence took a significant hit.
The Korean fans at the sidelines also quieted down.
This time, Lin's defense didn't even touch Son's jersey, and even they couldn't argue that Lin had fouled.
These exchanges proved that Lin and Son Heung-min were not on the same level.
Son couldn't defend against or break through Lin, losing on both offensive and defensive fronts, completely dominated by Lin.
Only the Koreans in the audience could possibly think Son was better than Lin.
In the end, Werder Bremen won the away game against Hamburg with a score of 3-0, concluding this season's Northern Germany derby with a complete victory for Bremen.
After the match, Son was visibly dejected, seemingly deeply affected by the game.
As he lowered his head to leave the field, a green figure appeared before him.
"Shall we swap jerseys? Is that okay?"
Lin smiled at Son Heung-min. He wasn't fond of the Korean fans.
But he wouldn't hold that against the players. Son Heung-min's character and abilities were excellent, not typical of Korean players.
Lin didn't dislike him.
"Senior Lin, I…"
Hearing Lin wanted to exchange jerseys, Son quickly removed his own, though he felt a bit ashamed, believing his performance hadn't been worthy of swapping jerseys with senior Lin.
"Keep it up, play well, I think highly of you!"
Lin repeated what he had said in the tunnel.
Recalling a famous quote from Duncan, he patted Son's shoulder and added:
"The future is yours!"
Son was greatly encouraged, nodding vigorously as he watched Lin walk away.
Senior Lin thinks so highly of me, saying the future is mine!
Heh, just thinking about it excites me!
Wait, how old is senior Lin this year?
Suddenly remembering Lin's age, Son felt utterly bewildered...
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