Chapter 26: Coach, I Want to Play!

The point system revealed by the system slightly relieved Lin Quan's mind.

He only earned one point in this game, which seemed to be due to the low level of the match.

Because the opponent was a team from the German second division league, and Werder Bremen's performance last season wasn't good either.

So, according to the system's judgment, the level of this match was equivalent to the second-tier leagues of the top five leagues, such as the German second division, English Championship, Spanish Segunda, and others.

The rewards for these leagues were a tier lower than the top five leagues, and if the league level was lower, the rewards would continue to decrease.

For example, in China's Super League, matches of this level might only earn around 0.5 points or even less.

However, Lin Quan didn't pay much attention to these leagues because they were basically outside his consideration.

The Bundesliga has only 18 teams, with each season having only 34 matches.

This is fewer compared to La Liga and the Premier League.

Moreover, the German Cup has fewer matches than other leagues, with only one DFB-Pokal.

Since Werder Bremen didn't finish in the European qualification spots last season, they didn't qualify for the UEFA Champions League or the Europa League.

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

There are a total of 34 rounds in the Bundesliga, and as long as he doesn't get injured and performs steadily, he should have no problem with consistent appearances.

As for the German Cup, it depends on the team's strength and luck. If they're lucky, they might make it all the way to the final.

But if luck isn't on their side, they might face strong opponents right from the start and get knocked out.

Therefore, for Lin Quan, every game must be played with all his might and strive to win.

Otherwise, he might not be able to accumulate enough points over two seasons!

Thinking about this, Lin Quan silently warned himself not to get complacent and not to slack off in any way.

He needs to work even harder to improve his skills so that he can increase the team's chances of winning. Even when facing strong opponents, there's still a possibility of defeating them.

So, the next morning, Lin Quan arrived at the training ground early and started practicing on his own before the team's official training began.

Half an hour later, Marco Reus also arrived at the training base.

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

"Come on, same old routine, I'll defend, you attack!"

Is this guy addicted to being beaten?

Lin Quan couldn't help but joke inwardly, but if someone was willing to train with him, he certainly wouldn't refuse.

So, the two of them began their familiar training routine.

Their training attitude infected the other players on the team. When other players arrived and saw their training, instead of chatting or fooling around as usual, they joined in and started training too.

This scene surprised the members of the coaching staff.

"I didn't expect that the arrival of these two would bring such a change to the team!"

"Yeah, young players of this age, once they become famous, many of them become arrogant, complacent, and gradually decline, and eventually disappear without a trace.

The football world is full of such talents destroyed by praise and flattery from the outside!

But these two can remain focused, not arrogant or impetuous. This mindset is truly rare!"

If the players are taking it seriously, the coaching staff cannot fall behind.

So, they began to earnestly arrange tactical drills to prepare for the next friendly match.

On July 26th, Werder Bremen continued to host at home, facing the challenge from Aberdeen, a traditional powerhouse from the Scottish Premiership.

In this match, Werder Bremen made some adjustments to the starting lineup because of their poor performance in the previous game, and Nils Petersen, the forward loaned from Bayern Munich, was benched.

Replacing him in the starting lineup was the 19-year-old academy product, Nicholas Fielkruge.

This future German national team player was still inexperienced at this time, and his skills were not as strong as his future self.

Unlike the proud Nils, Fielkruge had been playing in the youth teams before, so he cherished the rare opportunity to play in the first team.

He knew he was young and his abilities were limited, so when the coach sent him on the field, it was to utilize his height and strength as a focal point, not as a goal-scoring threat.

Thus, his self-awareness was clear: he was willing to be a supporting player, not to overshadow the team's key players.

In this match, Fielkruge performed remarkably well in the forward position.

After receiving the ball in the front, he could withstand the opponent's defenders' pressure, pass the ball back, and deliver it to better-positioned teammates.

This was completely different from Nils' style. In the previous game, once the ball reached Nils' feet, unless there was no chance to shoot due to being surrounded by opponents, he wouldn't easily pass the ball.

And without passing, he couldn't create threatening shots, resulting in poor offensive performance for Werder Bremen, with many opportunities but no goals.

However, Fielkruge didn't hog the ball or act recklessly; he passed the ball, cooperated with teammates, and actively tracked back in defense.

This made the team's attack smoother, and the midfield and forward defense improved significantly!

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

Marco Reus scored two goals in the 23rd and 38th minutes of the first half, almost killing the suspense of the match.

It's worth mentioning that Reus' second goal came from Fielkruge's assist.

In fact, Fielkruge had a good chance to shoot, but he chose to make a selfless pass to Reus, who was in a better position.

This earned him Reus' appreciation, who hugged him after the goal.

On the sidelines, seeing Reus score his second goal, Lin Quan felt both happy and worried.

He was genuinely happy for his friend's excellent performance.

However, with such a big lead in the first half, if the coach felt it was too much of an advantage and didn't let him play in the second half, he might have to say goodbye to those precious points.

Ding ding ah, Ding ding, can you please stop showing off your magical skills now?

Two goals are enough; give the visiting team some face, don't score any more!

Let me help you with the remaining goals!

Just when Lin Quan was worried about whether he would play in the second half, the coaching staff was also discussing this issue.

"Aberdeen is at least a traditional powerhouse in the Scottish Premiership. Why does it feel like they're not even putting up a fight?"

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

"Aberdeen was invited from afar as a friendly opponent. If we give them a disastrous defeat at home, it might be embarrassing."

"Yeah, let's have the players hold back a bit. This isn't a formal match, there's no need to embarrass the opponents. If we really have a disaster, we might not be able to find friendly opponents in the future!"

"Should we still arrange for Lin Quan to play in the second half? With his attacking ability, I'm worried there might be a disaster..."

Shaofu scratched his head and glanced at Lin Quan sitting on the bench.

Because of his outstanding performance in training and the previous game, Lin Quan was already an absolute mainstay in his tactical system for the new season.

Originally, he planned to have Lin Quan play in this match to continue his development and improve his understanding with other players.

However, the unexpectedly smooth situation in the game made his plan a bit outdated.

Feeling the coach's gaze, Lin Quan looked at the coach sincerely.

The meaning conveyed in his eyes was:

Coach, I want to play!