Dominating Football with Perfect Ball Control

Chapter 15: 15. Scored twice!

Bayer Leverkusen, BayArena.

The team was trailing a 3. Liga team 0-2, and the fans in the stands felt humiliated.

With over 30,000 spectators, only the 100 or so away fans were cheering wildly, while the rest of the stadium was eerily silent.

Eventually, some Bayer Leverkusen fans began to shake their heads, sigh, and prepare to leave.

If the first-team regulars had been playing with high morale, a 0-2 deficit would not have been a desperate situation.

If they wanted to, they could have scored 3 goals and turned the game around in the last 10 minutes.

Unfortunately, the young substitutes on the field clearly lacked game experience.

After falling behind, their movements became distorted, and they also lacked the determination to win.

Some had trembling legs, showing fear and submission; others had bloodshot eyes, ignoring teammates as they dribbled with their heads down and lost the ball.

Julian Brandt was a typical example of the latter.

He was one of the few players on the field with high morale, trying to attack even when they were behind.

It was just a pity that his other teammates looked dazed, and no one cooperated with him.

Until Lance came on.

In the very first minute after coming on, Lance and Julian Brandt launched a counterattack.

Julian Brandt passed the ball, and even he thought he had overhit it, feeling very apologetic.

But Lance was truly brave!

He actually scored it!

Equally shocked were the fans in the stands who were about to leave; they turned around in astonishment at the commotion behind them and witnessed a jaw-dropping scene!

The BayArena, suppressed for 75 minutes, saw all its pent-up frustration transform into a wave of cheers!

Hope was rekindled!

The 16-year-old Belgian-Chinese teenager Lance was clearly the savior that 30,000 people had been hoping for!

The spectators who hadn’t left rushed back to their seats, once again filled with anticipation as they continued to watch the match!

...

”Alter! Das war krass! (Holy cow! This is too awesome!)”

”OMG!”

”Krass! (Awesome! Awesome!)”

After the goal, Lance was surrounded by his teammates, who were roaring in his ears in celebration.

Originally, Lance had designed a celebration move, even envisioning several different options.

There was a passionate knee slide, an elegant and cool backflip, and even an imitation of Cristiano Ronaldo’s common celebration...

Anyone who has scored in a professional match understands that when you score your first professional goal, your brain is completely blank; you just run and shout excitedly, celebrating in the most primal way.

Those meticulously designed celebration moves are usually performed by experienced players who are already familiar with them.

Mid-celebration, Lance suddenly realized a problem.

”Brothers, we’re still behind, what are we celebrating for?!”

”Oh right, hurry up and kick off, time is running out!”

”We don’t have much time left either!”

With that delay, it was almost the 77th minute, and Bayer Leverkusen was running out of time.

Julian Brandt quickly rushed into the goal, retrieved the ball, and walked briskly to the center circle.

After the opponents had all returned to their positions, the game finally restarted.

...

The 1-2 score was a bit ambiguous.

SV Lippstadt had two choices: attack to extend their lead, or defend the score and try to steal another goal.

A weaker team would definitely choose the second option; they easily gave up possession and retreated into the penalty area to park the bus.

For a while, Bayer Leverkusen had no way to break them down.

It was as if the entire match was replaying, with Bayer Leverkusen players passing the ball around the outside, unable to penetrate the defense.

Julian Brandt was very frustrated!

Whenever he got the ball, at least 2 players would surround him.

”I’m not Lionel Messi, for crying out loud! You’re going to die trying to stop me!”

Despite his fierce words, Julian didn’t dare to act recklessly.

Attacking opportunities were already scarce, and if he wasted a few, it would be over.

He had no choice but to calmly pass back and reorganize the attack.

During this time, Lance constantly roamed the edge of the penalty area line, cooperating with Eren Derdiyok’s pulling of defenders, looking for opportunities to run.

But his teammates were not familiar with him, and few passed the ball to him immediately.

”Over here!”

Running to a good position, Lance anxiously glanced at the time; it was already the 84th minute!

He had to do something!

[Rage Value: 79%]

This was the first time Lance raised his hand to call for the ball in the entire match.

The player in possession was the substitute defensive midfielder, former Bayern Munich youth player, Emre Can.

To be fair, Emre Can had been teammates with Lance before.

For a short few months, Lance was only 15 at the time, part of the U16 squad.

Emre Can was 18, in the U21 squad.

They had met a few times, just nodding acquaintances.

Emre Can was quite surprised when Lance joined Bayer Leverkusen’s first team.

Later, the young player’s excellent performance finally made people understand the reason for him being in the first team.

When Lance raised his hand for the ball, Emre Can subconsciously didn’t give it to him.

But!

Who else could he pass to?

At least Lance had skill and flair... what if?

”Damn it, it’s up to you! Asian kid!”

Emre Can chipped the ball to the top of the arc on second thought, but the best timing had already been missed.

Two opposing players had already closed in, completely surrounding Lance.

”Sorry, I made a mistake.”

Emre Can stuck out his tongue; he had given Lance a difficult problem, and it was his own fault.

He should have trusted his teammate more.

As the ball was passed, Lance was surrounded by 2 muscular strongmen, with more coming to converge on him.

This ball...

The Bayer Leverkusen teammates also shook their heads, silently cursing Emre Can for not passing sooner.

”What a pity! Lance ran to a good position just now, but Emre Can didn’t pass immediately...”

Sport1 commentator Mehmet Scholl lamented regretfully, and then his eyes widened again!

”Hey! This ball!”

The ball bounced towards Lance, whose back was being held by a strong center-back, temporarily preventing him from turning.

Another player intended to cut in front to intercept, waiting for Lance to stop the ball facing him and then tackle.

Lance had no intention of stopping the ball facing him!

The Perfect Ball Control provided by the Nagi Seishiro template allowed for flashes of genius!

As the ball quickly passed, Lance, in a flash of lightning, slightly let the ball go, causing the defender to momentarily hesitate!

Now!

Just as the ball was about to pass him, Lance extended his right foot to its limit, slightly flicking the ball with his heel to change direction!

The defender behind him had already shifted his weight over, and was perfectly caught out of position!

Lance actually managed to turn from the other side!

A nutmeg!

”Holy cow!”

”So cool!”

”Huh? He can do that?!”

The effortlessly skillful dribble made the fans in the stadium gasp in amazement!

Amidst the cheers, Lance had already crossed the penalty area line, feigned a shot, then pulled the ball back, beating another defender!

He was now face-to-face with the goalkeeper!

”Lance! He’s in! It’s him again! Can he be the hero?”

The entire Bayer Leverkusen team cooperated simultaneously, Eren Derdiyok made a diagonal run, dragging away the last center-back, leaving Lance with a perfect shooting space!

In front of the anticipation of over 30,000 people in the stadium, under the gaze of his teammates, Lance raised his right foot this time!

”3. Liga is just 3. Liga, the goalkeeper’s positioning is too amateurish.”

Bang—

He aimed for the top corner from the penalty spot!

A powerful shot blasted into the net!

2-2!

Bayer Leverkusen equalized the score!

”This goal! Powerful!”

”Substitute marvel Lance, a brace on his debut, saving the team from dire straits!”

As for how they got into those dire straits, don’t ask for now.

The BayArena was practically shaking, and the camera lenses were trembling.

Trailing by 2 goals, then scoring 2 goals in quick succession at the very end, all the momentum had returned!

The roar from the fans in the stands soared into the sky.

Fans watching on TV were equally excited.

A cup match, against a 3. Liga team, yet it could be so thrilling... truly difficult to achieve.

The director’s slow-motion replay was still showing Lance’s brilliant goal just now, how he, at the top of the penalty arc, skillfully performed a scorpion kick nutmeg, beating two defenders, and then blasted the ball into the net inside the box.

His elegant and graceful movements, combined with Lance’s handsome Eastern features, simply captivated the female fans watching on TV.

Just as the camera was switching angles for the replay, it suddenly cut back to the field in an emergency.

The Bayer Leverkusen players were celebrating together for the third time!

”Huh?”

”What’s happening?”

”Wait a minute?”

The fans watching on TV were all confused, having not seen what happened live.

On the scoreboard, it clearly read 3-2!

Bayer Leverkusen had turned the game around?

Two goals scored within 1 minute!