Chapter 74 Inzaghi's Passive Qualitative Change! Divine Grade Golfer!

When we talk about the German Cup last season, Su Luo's impact on many teams was undeniable.

For instance, Bayern Munich, who hoped to win the Triple Crown, began to falter in their semi-final against Union Berlin. Similarly, Leverkusen, which had been performing well under coach Sami Hyypia, maintaining a top 3 position in the league, went downhill after their quarter-final defeat to Union Berlin. The unexpected loss to this little-known Bundesliga team severely damaged their morale, resulting in only 11 points in 12 games during the second half of the season, a stark contrast to their earlier performance.

Though there were many reasons for Leverkusen's decline, losing to Union Berlin was a significant trigger. This defeat directly led to the dismissal of Sami Hyypia by the club. Some fans even joked that Su Luo was a "coach killer," as coaches from Paderborn, Oderhausen, Cottbus, and Leverkusen were all dismissed after their teams were thrashed by Su Luo's team.

As the new season began, more coaches lost their jobs because of Su Luo. Schalke 04's coach Jens Keller, for example, was dismissed after his team lost 3-2 to Union Berlin in the first round, causing Schalke 04 to win only one of their first five matches and quickly fall to the relegation zone. Reports indicated that Schalke had interviewed Jens Keller through Helter to negotiate his dismissal and were preparing to invite Chelsea champion coach Di Matteo to take over.

Hamburg, another team defeated by Union Berlin with 4 goals, also faced a coaching change as Van Marwijk's position became shaky. Even Bayern Munich felt the heat; after a 4-4 draw with Union Berlin, many Bayern fans voiced their discontent and suggested Guardiola should be dismissed, criticizing his tiki-taka tactics as outdated.

In short, facing Su Luo often meant a coach's position could be at risk.

Next up against Union Berlin, Leverkusen's new coach Rogge Schmidt was anxious. His preparation training a week before the game was extremely strict, and he reprimanded players for even the slightest mistakes, causing significant distress among the Leverkusen players.

At the Leverkusen training base, striker Stefan Kießling complained to Lars Bender, "What's with the coach lately? It's insane."

"Probably the pressure. Facing a team like Union Berlin, losing is embarrassing," Bender replied.

"Do you think we'll be alright?" Kießling asked, feeling uneasy.

"Hopefully. We'll just have to play seriously, though last time it didn't go well for us," Bender responded, recalling how he nearly risked his life defending Su Luo, only to let him complete a hat-trick.

Thankfully, Son Heung-min had improved this season, and maybe he could handle Su Luo. Kießling remembered the media buzz, "Son, I heard you're competing with that kid from the other side for the title of Asia's No. 1?"

Son Heung-min, who had been silently training, felt uncomfortable being put on the spot. The South Korean media hyped him up, but he didn't want to disappoint. Losing would be a humiliation, and he could only grit his teeth and aim to score more goals than Su Luo.

"It's just another Bundesliga game. We'll win," Son Heung-min responded with a determined expression.

On match day, Leverkusen faced a familiar opponent. Su Luo remembered his first visit to the Bayer Arena, feeling like a countryman entering the city. Now, after experiencing the Allianz Arena and other Bundesliga venues, the Bayer Arena felt ordinary.

The nightclubs in Leverkusen held no interest for Su Luo. He had already planned with Grealish to head back to the hotel and rest after the game, returning to Berlin the next day for a proper night out.

For this game, Captain Matuschka was benched due to difficulties with consecutive starts. Grealish played on the left, and Forsberg was moved to the center, making him a temporary attacking midfielder. Forsberg, unsure of his new role, approached the coach, "Can I really play in the middle? I'm used to the left."

"Your previous performances in the center were good. You showcased your organizational skills and worked well with Su," the coach assured him.

Forsberg, who had a neutral relationship with Su Luo, felt uncertain about their synergy. Watching Grealish and Su Luo chat happily, he mustered the courage to approach them.

"Emil, what's up?" Su Luo asked, surprised by Forsberg's approach.

"Well, I haven't given you any assists in the previous games," Forsberg began. "In training, our cooperation has been stiff. If you need specific passes or have ideas during the game, let me know."

Previously, Forsberg's role was to create openings on the left and connect with full-back Laxalt, making low crosses or inverted triangle passes to the penalty area for Su Luo to finish. There were no other tactical designs between them, as Su Luo's central breakthroughs were sharp enough.

This approach worked against weaker teams but was less effective against stronger ones, where Su Luo would be heavily marked. If Forsberg could collaborate more with Su Luo, it might have made matches like the one against Bayern less challenging.

Su Luo understood and patted Forsberg's shoulder, "Emil, don't overthink it. Trust your instincts."

"Eh?"

"Just pass to where you see an opportunity. I'll be there."

Forsberg felt the strong confidence in Su Luo's eyes and realized he was serious, "Ok, I got it."

Watching Forsberg leave, Grealish scratched his head, "Su, should I pass casually too?"

"Yes. The coach asked you to disrupt the front line. Once you do, pass where you feel it's right. If you have a chance, take the shot yourself."

"Okay, got it."

Previously, the coach's tactics were rigid. Now, with more freedom, Grealish worried about making mistakes but trusted Su Luo's guidance. The team's attack centered around Su Luo, and his movements dictated their strategy.

Before the game, South Korean TV organized an "expeditionary army" to record the "Asia's No. 1 Brother" competition, hoping to see Son Heung-min defeat Su Luo and restore South Korean football's glory. Reporters interviewed overseas students before the game.

"Will Son beat that Chinese player today?" a reporter asked.

"Of course! Leverkusen 3-0! Son's hat-trick!" one fan exclaimed.

"The opponent is just a newly promoted team. Son Heung-min will lead Leverkusen to victory!" another added confidently.

South Korean fans were blindly optimistic, dismissing the previous season's defeat as a fluke.

As the teams lined up to shake hands, Su Luo and Son Heung-min exchanged a casual handshake, much to the excitement of the South Korean commentator.

At the start of the game, Leverkusen attacked first. Every time Son Heung-min had the ball, the commentator's voice rose an octave, "Son! Son takes the ball down the side and crosses! A breakthrough! He's unstoppable!"

But as soon as Son Heung-min passed Trippier, he was intercepted by Richards, leading to a Union Berlin counterattack.

Now, it was Duan Xuan's turn to get excited. Chinese fans closely watched the game, eager to see the outcome of the "Asia's No. 1 Brother" battle.

A typical Bundesliga match has been exaggerated into a so-called "East Asian Derby."

Chinese netizens are generally very confident.

In the 2013 World Youth Championship, Su Luo led the national youth team to defeat the South Korean youth team led by Son Heung-min.

Now, they believe the same can be done!

"Union strikes back! Naby Keita at the back!"

"Keita knocks it to the right, Quinine! Take the ball and run forward!"

"Facing the blockade, Quinine quickly passes it to the middle! Forsberg receives the ball!"

As soon as Forsberg got the ball, he noticed Su Luo busy fighting with the opponent's defender, missing the gap on the left flank. Forsberg hastily made the pass, but Su Luo didn't run, wasting an excellent opportunity.

Thinking about Su Luo's words, Forsberg gritted his teeth and passed it again!

As soon as the ball left his foot, Su Luo seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He made a fake move to the right, shaking off the opponent's central defender, and then resolutely ran diagonally to the left flank!

Just in time to catch Forsberg's chipped pass!

Because it was so sudden, the Leverkusen defender raised his hand to signal offside.

"Su Luo!! Sudden start!! After receiving the ball in the penalty area, he shoots directly for the far corner!"

"Goal!! Quite an unexpected goal!"

"Union Berlin leads Leverkusen 1-0 away in the 17th minute!"

"The ball is not offside, it's a legitimate goal!"

Duan Xuan cheered excitedly!

In this so-called China-Korea duel, the Chinese players score first!

"Nice job, Emil."

After the goal, Su Luo and Forsberg clapped hands to celebrate, and Grealish rushed over to hug them.

"You two cooperate so well, it's like you've practiced for years."

Forsberg was stunned.

"How did you..."

"I told you, as long as you pass, I can run."

As the game progressed, Su Luo felt that Inzaghi's passive skill was really useful.

At first, he didn't like it much; running without the ball felt rigid. But gradually, it became instinctual!

Inzaghi's passive aura completely changed Su Luo's football concept!

It made him consider the tactical changes of both sides more during the actual match, always interpreting the situation on the field and finding the opponent's weak links.

This is called playing with your head,

It's much stronger than Su Luo's initial brute-force approach.

Learning to play with his brain, Su Luo only needs to activate Da Luo Possession at the right moment.

This way, he can save possession time to the greatest extent, effectively extending the duration of the skill.

Su Luo becomes even more threatening!

Neuhaus on the sidelines was dumbfounded.

"Have we... rehearsed such a tactic?"

"No, the players haven't had enough time to practice together systematically. It's purely a chemical reaction between two players."

Neuhaus slapped his thigh.

If I had known this earlier, I would have moved Forsberg to the middle.

Sometimes the player's "instruction manual" is just like that,

Inadvertent changes in details can completely activate a player's performance.

With this cooperation, Union Berlin's next offensive became extremely sharp!

Su Luo's unpredictable running positions made Leverkusen's defense geometrically more difficult!

The pre-game targeted deployment actually hindered the defender's judgment!

In the second half of the first half, Leverkusen's new coach Schmidt was sitting on pins and needles!

"Su Luo!! Beautiful!! He suddenly inserted from behind and received a diagonal pass from Forsberg!"

"He dodges the defender and shoots!!"

"The goalkeeper makes a great save! Flying to block the shot!"

"...It's Union Berlin's counterattack again! 3 vs. 3 in the frontcourt!"

"Forsberg, pass to Grealish!"

"Grealish and Su Luo cross paths, he gives it to Su Luo on the left!"

"Strike!! Su Luo makes a sudden stop and cleverly returns the ball to the top of the penalty area!"

"Forsberg shoots!!"

"Very threatening! The ball flies just past the post! A bit of luck there!"

"Union Berlin's counterattack is impressive! Every time, the home fans are shocked!"

"On the other hand, Leverkusen, despite having a 70% possession advantage, spend more time pointlessly in the midfield."

"Son Heung-min's performance is also strictly restricted, as Trippier and Richards work together to freeze the South Korean star!"

"Su Luo is playing more and more smoothly. He can be seen in every position in the left, center, and right of the frontcourt!"

"He's literally everywhere!"

Duan Xuan suddenly discovered that Su Luo seemed to have turned on some kind of switch.

He looks very active today!

Even Leverkusen's top-tier defense in the Bundesliga can hardly limit him in any real sense.

Su Luo ran nimbly, sparing no physical strength, immediately revitalizing Union Berlin's frontcourt!

Everyone is connected, forming an offensive net!

Goals will follow!

"It's Su Luo again!! He suddenly pulls to the right! Passes to Quinine!"

"Quinine goes to the bottom, then cuts back in an inverted triangle!"

"Su Luo doesn't stop the ball, straight to Forsberg!"

"A quick one-two! Picks a pass into the penalty area!"

"Su Luo goes for the volley!!"

"The goal has been scored!!! Su Luo's explosive shot expands the lead!"

"Union Berlin leads Bundesliga powerhouse Leverkusen 2-0 away!"

"Except for the slightly lower possession rate, in terms of offensive threat, the newly promoted Union Berlin has completely outclassed this traditional Bundesliga team!"

The fans of the home team Leverkusen were silent, and there was no sound in the stands of more than 50,000 people.

In contrast, the 1,000 people in the visiting team stands, led by Uncle Hans, sang and shouted wildly!

They couldn't have imagined last season,

That one day, their team could dominate a top-four Bundesliga side!

The German commentator in the commentary box enthusiastically praised Su Luo's goal.

The South Korean commentator, who had been boasting earlier, was now silent.

"Ah... why did we concede that goal?"

"Leverkusen's defense is really worrying!"

"There is not enough support in the midfield, and Son is isolated in the front!"

"If we lose this game, it will highlight the gap between the two teams. The Union Berlin players are simply stronger."

"Yes, it's not Son's fault for his lack of performance; it's really the gap between the two lineups."

If Chinese netizens hear the South Korean commentator's explanation, they will definitely laugh out loud.

Who said before the game that Union Berlin, as a newly promoted team, was not worth mentioning?

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