Chapter 12 Recognition

Zhou Yi had confidence in himself, not only because he felt his physical fitness could handle a match, but also because he had already played this warm-up match several nights in the system.

Originally, a warm-up match like this wouldn't require simulating it several times in the virtual system, but this warm-up match was too important for Zhou Yi, and he had to treat it with caution.

After simulating so many warm-up matches, Zhou Yi felt that he had adapted to Wolfsburg's tactics, and he knew how to play in the match.

After Zhou Yi ran to an open space, he asked his teammates for the ball, and he happened to be in a position temporarily unguarded.

After receiving the ball, Zhou Yi continued to pass the ball out and then run into position again.

Repeating this cycle, under Zhou Yi's guidance, Dortmund pushed the attack to the edge of Wolfsburg's penalty area.

Then Zhou Yi sent a through ball, but unfortunately, Barrios couldn't receive it; it was just a hair's breadth away, and the ball rolled directly out of the baseline.

Barrios also knew that Zhou Yi had sent a good ball, and it was his responsibility for not receiving it, not Zhou Yi's, so he turned and gave Zhou Yi a thumbs up, praising his pass just now.

Although Barrios didn't score, preventing Zhou Yi from completing his first assist, the Chinese reporters on the sidelines were already very excited, cheering repeatedly.

It had only just started, but Zhou Yi's performance had already given them hope. Zhou Yi's performance was very calm, not at all like a newcomer participating in the first team match for the first time.

In the past, most of the Chinese players who went abroad played as forwards and defenders. Forwards were responsible for scoring goals, and defenders were responsible for defense. Their jobs were relatively simple, and none of these players could become the core of their respective teams.

The Chinese media didn't even dare to think about such a thing.

But now, they saw the hope that a Chinese player would become the core.

Zhou Yi frequently received the ball in Dortmund's midfield, and he was already a midfield core.

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"This kid is really not stage-frightened." Assistant coach Buvac praised after seeing Zhou Yi's performance in this attack from the sidelines.

Klopp sat on the coaching bench with his arms crossed and didn't respond.

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Zhou Yi didn't feel regretful that Barrios didn't score. He was confident in himself, and this performance would definitely not be an accident. He would have many more opportunities next.

He continued to run, confront, receive, and pass the ball on the field.

His contact with Götze was the most frequent, not because he was most familiar with Götze, but because Götze was most familiar with him.

With the help of the system, Zhou Yi knew his first-team teammates like the back of his hand, and there was no unfamiliarity. However, his teammates didn't have the help of the system, and their understanding of him varied. Götze was the one who understood Zhou Yi the most.

Zhou Yi and Götze often cooperated better than with others.

With his help, Götze got a good shooting opportunity, but unfortunately, the shot was saved by Wolfsburg's goalkeeper Diego Benaglio.

Although he didn't score, Götze still turned back and gave Zhou Yi a thumbs up. The pass just now was beautiful and comfortable.

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In this way, Zhou Yi continued to receive thumbs up from his teammates. His strength was recognized by his teammates not only in training but also in the match.

But it was hard to say whether it was Zhou Yi's bad luck or the bad luck of other Dortmund players.

Zhou Yi sent many passes, but his teammates were unable to convert them into goals.

However, this didn't prevent both sides from scoring.

Half an hour into the first half, the two sides had already scored three goals.

Dortmund had two goals, and Wolfsburg had one.

Dortmund's two goals had no direct relationship with Zhou Yi. He only participated in the attack, using passes and runs to create opportunities for other teammates, but he didn't directly assist.

This made the Chinese reporters outside the field sigh repeatedly—Zhou Yi's performance, in their view, was already very good, but there was no key data, no goals, and no assists. If there could be even one assist, their report would be much easier to write.

The scene that the Chinese reporters were looking forward to finally arrived in the thirty-eighth minute.

At that time, Zhou Yi took the ball about thirty-five meters away from Wolfsburg's penalty area, and then passed the ball to Großkreutz. After passing the ball, he quickly ran into position, inserting forward.

His run attracted the attention of Wolfsburg players, and they also retreated back.

But just as they were retreating, Zhou Yi suddenly changed direction, not going forward, but pulling away horizontally. Because of his sudden change of direction, a vacuum zone with no one guarding him suddenly appeared around him.

And this was exactly what Zhou Yi needed.

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"Smart!" Buvac's praise blurted out, with no concealment of his appreciation for Zhou Yi's move in his tone.

Using a feint to deceive the defending players and win space to get the ball. Sometimes, the openings aren't found; they're created!

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After Zhou Yi pulled away to create an opening, he immediately shouted to Großkreutz, "Kevin!"

Großkreutz was also paying attention to Zhou Yi's movements, and seeing that there was an opening beside Zhou Yi, he passed the ball over.

And the Wolfsburg players, realizing they had been fooled, quickly rushed towards Zhou Yi, preparing to intercept him.

However, this change of one retreating and one rushing instead made their own defense somewhat uncoordinated, and an opening appeared behind them as they rushed forward!

Before receiving the ball, Zhou Yi had already discovered this opening. And his change from inserting forward to pulling horizontally wasn't just to create space for himself to get the ball, but more importantly, to create a more deadly opening!

Now that this deadly space appeared, Zhou Yi didn't hesitate. Without stopping the ball, he directly pushed the ball horizontally that Großkreutz had passed over, and the ball rolled past the Wolfsburg players who were rushing forward, straight into the opening!

The Paraguayan striker Barrios also cut diagonally into that opening when Zhou Yi passed the ball, and successfully received the ball in the opening.

The Dortmund fans outside the field let out a burst of cheers.

After receiving the ball, Barrios took another step forward, and then shot!

The ball flew past Wolfsburg's goalkeeper Benaglio, who had come out to block the angle, and into the goal!

Dortmund led Wolfsburg 3:1!

"Beautiful!!"

The Chinese reporters on the sidelines also shouted excitedly.

They weren't saying that Barrios' shot was beautiful, but that Zhou Yi's pass and everything he had done before the pass was beautiful.

"Good ball!"

Buvac stood up and high-fived Klopp to celebrate.

And on the field, Barrios, who had scored the goal, didn't forget Zhou Yi, who had assisted him. He turned and ran towards Zhou Yi, embracing him to celebrate.

This was his first goal in Dortmund. He had missed the wonderful pass that Zhou Yi had given him before, but this time, he seized the opportunity.

Barrios was very excited, and Zhou Yi was just as happy.

He stole a glance at the sidelines and saw Klopp celebrating the goal with assistant coach Buvac.

He had completed his first goal—to have an outstanding performance after coming on the field.

Now, there was only one last goal left—to persist and finish this match!

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After Barrios scored, the two sides fell into a stalemate, and the first half of the match reached its conclusion in this stalemate.

In the end, Dortmund led Wolfsburg 3:1 in the first half.

The players from both sides entered the locker room.

In the locker room, everyone was excitedly chatting about the first half of the match. Some players were pacing back and forth in the locker room, wandering from one teammate to another. But Zhou Yi didn't do this. He just sat in his seat, not saying a word, with a smile on his face, just watching his teammates, but he didn't mean to participate.

He felt a little alert in his heart because he felt very tired now, panting heavily.

It wasn't that he hadn't played a full match when he was in the youth team. Although it wasn't often, he had played them. Whether he played the entire match or was substituted early, he had never experienced feeling this tired during halftime.

This gave Zhou Yi a bad feeling in his heart—why is it more tiring than I imagined?

After coach Klopp came in, the players who had been wandering around in the locker room also returned to their seats.

Everyone knew that it was time for personnel adjustments.

In a warm-up match, the starting lineup from the first half would definitely be completely replaced at halftime.

Sure enough, after Klopp briefly praised everyone's performance in the first half, he began to announce the substitutions.

From the goalkeeper to the striker, almost everyone was replaced.

There was only one exception.

Şahin thought he would replace Zhou Yi, but he replaced Sven Bender instead, and Zhou Yi remained on the field.

Götze, who was being replaced, also looked at Zhou Yi in surprise. He was being replaced, but Zhou Yi was still staying on the field?!

What... what's going on?

But Klopp didn't mean to explain it to everyone. He didn't even mention it and started giving everyone instructions for the second half.

In the second half, because there were two organizing midfielders in the middle, Klopp asked the team to pay more attention to controlling the ball and the pace.

At the same time, because the defensive intensity in the midfield was greatly reduced after Sven Bender left the field, the whole team was required to actively participate in the defense once they lost the ball.

He also called out Zhou Yi's name and asked him to be more active in defense.

Zhou Yi readily agreed.

His heart was full of expectations for the second half. Klopp kept his promise and didn't replace him, so he definitely couldn't let go of this opportunity!