Chapter 697: Give the Team Some More Time! (Second Perspective)
Yellow Tiger redeems himself, Werder Bremen draws with Frankfurt!
The 2-2 score remained until the end of the game. Although they couldn't secure all three points, they managed to hold onto one point at home under sudden injuries, which couldn't be considered a complete failure.
"The league still has a long way to go. Starting off poorly can expose the team's problems and develop solutions for them, which, to some extent, is not too bad," said coach Schaaf after the match.
The good news is that Selassie, who was forced off due to injury, won't be absent for too long and should be back in action in no more than half a month.
"Yellow's adaptability is very strong, which stems from his treating every game as a fresh start and not dwelling on regrets from the past, something I hope all players can do."
Regarding the Chinese youngster being heavily marked during the game, Schaaf felt it was a normal occurrence. He is no longer the substitute ace or the rookie starter but is now the genuine attacking core of Werder Bremen.
"The change in status means he needs to exert more ability and technique to overcome difficulties, but I have confidence in him."
Although De Bruyne and Yellow Tiger didn't connect much in this game, the coach still eagerly anticipates their close cooperation. "Since their debut, the two have been called the twin stars, and their understanding is accumulated through countless match experiences."
The two-week September international break arrived as scheduled. There aren't many national team players in Werder Bremen, which means a break for most players.
But Yellow Tiger happened to be among those with duties. He needed to fly to Italy to join the national team for two warm-up matches, aiming for the Asian Cup in Australia early next year.
Wang Feng won't be participating in such events anymore, so the heavy responsibility falls on the young players.
"Do you think it's not a good idea for us to sneak out like this?" Wu Lei asked softly as he pushed his sunglasses.
"It's okay. It's rare for us to come to Italy but only stay in the hotel all day. It's too boring. Besides, as long as we don't go to sensitive places or stay out all night, it's okay to sneak out quietly for a stroll," Yellow Tiger said, taking pictures of the beautiful scenery with his phone.
Milan under the night lights was dazzling, especially with its various medieval church buildings, which seemed to be draped in a layer of golden veil, exceptionally charming.
After the first friendly match against Italy ended, a group of restless young people planned to seize the opportunity to go out for a stroll. Especially when club mates, led by Hajrovic, deliberately sent holiday photos to Yellow Tiger to show off, it stirred his heart even more.
After some discussion among the main players, they unanimously agreed. Taking advantage of the team manager's inattention, they sneaked out to have some fun. Wu Lei, being a bit timid, wore sunglasses to avoid being recognized.
But his worries were clearly unnecessary. No one on the street paid any attention to them. They strolled around until late before slowly returning to the hotel.
Thinking they had gone unnoticed, they didn't expect their exhausted looks the next day would betray them. The experienced Lippi managed to coax out all the facts with a little bit of probing.
The Italian coach looked very angry. "Since you guys have so much energy, then I'll give you some extra training!" One can imagine what kind of devilish training awaits Yellow Tiger and the others next.
Of course, their "sneak-out" was not without contribution. At least on the last day, the coaching staff gave the whole team half a day off, allowing everyone to relax.
On September 13th, the Bundesliga resumed, and in the third round, Werder Bremen faced Hoffenheim away.
This is a "young" Bundesliga team that was competing in the seventh-tier league in Germany twenty-something years ago. It wasn't until around the millennium that they achieved four consecutive promotions to the third-tier regional league.
After three years, Hoffenheim ascended from the regional league all the way to the Bundesliga and made an impressive start in their first season, clinching the title of the first half of the season.
If it weren't for injuries, they might have created another Kaiserslautern miracle.
However, after losing their underdog status, this village team gradually became mediocre and struggled around the relegation line.
As the Europa League group stage was approaching midweek, Schaaf went against popular opinion and chose to rotate the squad for the league match.
"At this stage, talking about rankings is premature. Honestly, we don't have the ability to challenge Bayern's position. The goal is to qualify for the Champions League."
"So the main force will be deployed in the later stages, and now securing passage from the group stage, obtaining the knockout stage spot required by the club, is crucial."
Including Yellow Tiger, many key players sat on the bench, but the game was exceptionally intense.
The home team took the lead first, but Bagfreder helped Werder Bremen equalize, and the 1-1 score remained until the final whistle.
With 2 draws and 1 loss in 3 league matches, only 2 points were accumulated, ranking 13th in the standings. Schaaf felt immense pressure, with many media and fans criticizing his stubbornness, even suggesting a change of coach.
Even the club's top management was a bit wavering. Perhaps this meritorious coach was really getting old. Would Werder Bremen have to undergo a reshuffle?
Criticism and doubts reached their peak after the team drew 0-0 away with Red Star Belgrade, and his rotations failed to bring a Europa League opening win to the team.
"Please give me, give the team, some more time!" He firmly stated when facing the media.
"Look at Werder Bremen's attack now. Fritz's lofted ball into the penalty area was cleared by the defender, but it's still in a dangerous area."
"Yellow Tiger jostles outside the penalty area, Hajrovic receives the ball, crosses it to De Bruyne on the arc, a beautiful through pass, the ball penetrates the defense and finds Yellow Tiger!"
"One-on-one with the goalkeeper! Goal! Goooooooooooal!"
"The game has just begun for less than two minutes, and Werder Bremen opens the scoring!"
In the fourth round of the Bundesliga, the team faced Leverkusen at home. Forced into a corner, Werder Bremen displayed an unimaginably strong power.
After the first goal, they chased for more, and 10 minutes later, they further extended their lead. Kross dribbled horizontally to attract attention before releasing the ball with his left foot, sending a penetrating pass straight into the defensive line.
Selke, who was quick to react, accelerated but was a bit slow. He was caught up by the defensive player in the penalty area.
However, the German also fully utilized his football IQ. Seeing that a breakthrough was not possible, he slowed down, looked up to observe his teammate's position, and waited for Yellow Tiger's follow-up before sending a horizontal pass.
At this moment, the Chinese youngster could choose to dribble into the penalty area and shoot, but there was a possibility of interference from the defender and goalkeeper, as they were a bit close to him.
In an instant, Yellow Tiger's fortune arrived. Years of subconscious cooperation with De Bruyne led him to make a surgical diagonal pass back to Selke.
This caught Leverkusen's defense off guard. They had shifted their attention when the German striker distributed the ball, completely unprepared for Yellow Tiger's passing precision. When did Yellow Tiger become so adept at passing?
Even Selke himself didn't expect it, but he quickly reacted, accelerated to catch up with the ball, and easily shot it into the near corner, making it 2-0!
After scoring, the Germans immediately found Yellow Tiger and celebrated with him. "You little rascal, I thought it was Kevin's pass!" De Bruyne also nodded in agreement, admitting that he would have made the same play just now.
Yellow Tiger felt a bit embarrassed and scratched the back of his head. "I may not have eaten pork, but I have seen pigs run."
The others didn't quite understand this phrase, but at this moment, their morale was soaring, vowing to secure their first victory of the new season!
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢