Lin Hai Ting Tao
Chapter 255 Be Yourself
During a break in play, Zhou Yi walked straight to Şahin and said to him, "Nuri, what's wrong? Didn't I tell you to just play like you usually do?"
Şahin frowned and said, "But Zhou Yi, if I play like I usually do, what's the point of having two cores?"
"If you play like you usually do, that's what makes it a dual core, because at least you're acting like one, instead of like you are now." Zhou Yi stared at Şahin, his expression serious.
This was a rare sight for him.
"But that way, you..." Şahin was still thinking about the dual core.
Zhou Yi told him firmly, "Don't worry about me, just do your job, Nuri. You're the core. If you don't play well, the whole team is affected, including me."
Seeing Zhou Yi's sincerity, Şahin had nothing to say.
"I'll find myself again, thank you, Zhou Yi."
Sometimes they might be competitors, but most of the time, they should be teammates first.
They both had a common goal: for the team to perform well and win.
No one wants to lose, right?
※※※
"Zhou Yi seems to be saying something to Şahin..." Duan Xin, the CCTV commentator who had been paying close attention to Zhou Yi, said. "Is he complaining about Şahin's performance? Look at his expression, very serious... Director Tao, seeing Zhou Yi like this, daring to say something so serious in front of the team's core, does this mean that Zhou Yi is very confident?"
"Well...at least it shows that Zhou Yi is not shy about communicating with his teammates, which I think is very good," Tao Wei said. "When our Chinese players go abroad to play, they become very shy in unfamiliar environments. They don't like to communicate with their teammates, which is actually very bad. But looking at Zhou Yi's performance, I think there's a reason why he was able to quickly become a starter in Dortmund. This is one of the reasons."
"Şahin's performance seems to have caused Zhou Yi's dissatisfaction. He's saying something to Şahin. And, unusually, Şahin didn't...get angry?" Marcel Reif was also quite surprised to see this scene.
"That kid Zhou Yi..." Assistant coach Željko Buvač shook his head in front of the coaching bench. "Hopefully this won't become the focus of media speculation after the game..."
He was worried that the media would see this as a sign of infighting within the Dortmund team.
"If we can win this game, then this will just be a minor episode," Klopp said.
Just as assistant coach Buvač had worried, when the reporters in the media box saw Zhou Yi find Şahin, their eyes lit up.
Because they saw what they wanted to see in this scene – infighting!
After losing to Bayern Munich, Dortmund's two midfielders actually had a direct conflict. This was a fatal blow to Klopp's "dual core" tactic!
If the two cores were infighting, how could they be expected to cooperate?
Some people had already started discussing it enthusiastically.
The Chinese reporters also seemed very excited.
Because if the two had internal strife, leading to the team's failure, then Şahin's return would be considered a failure. In that case, who would benefit the most? Of course, it would be Zhou Yi! Şahin would return to the bench, while Zhou Yi would once again become the core of the team, the only core, controlling the team's offense and defense.
Everything would return to the way it was when Şahin was injured. Dortmund would return to normal, winning game after game, Zhou Yi's starting position would become more and more stable, and Şahin?
The Chinese reporters didn't care what would happen to Şahin.
Whether he was a substitute for Zhou Yi, or whether he would leave because he couldn't get playing time...it didn't matter.
※※※
When the game restarted, Şahin was still thinking about what Zhou Yi had told him earlier.
Just be yourself.
Is it really okay to just be yourself?
Şahin was still unsure.
What good would it do Zhou Yi if he did that?
Or is there really such a selfless person in this world who helps others?
Before Şahin could figure out this question, he got an opportunity.
When he received the ball in the backcourt, he noticed Kuba sprinting forward on the wing.
If it were usual, not considering Zhou Yi, he would choose to pass the ball directly to Kuba with a long pass. This would be more sudden and would also reduce the time spent going through the midfield.
But if he considered Zhou Yi as the "core," he couldn't do that. He was worried that doing so would disrupt the "dual core."
But Zhou Yi told him to be himself.
Be yourself...
Then do it!
Thinking of this, Şahin decisively kicked a long pass, using his left foot to send the ball to the forward-插ing Kuba.
The ball was accurately sent to Kuba's front. When Kuba stretched his foot to stop the ball, Hannover 96's defenders hadn't reacted yet – they had been guarding against Zhou Yi all the time, but they didn't expect Şahin to bypass Zhou Yi and directly penetrate their carefully arranged defense with a long pass!
"Kuba!!" Marcel Reif shouted excitedly.
And in the stands of the Westfalenstadion, huge cheers erupted.
The fans could see that this was an attack that could pierce the opponent's heart!
Sure enough, after receiving the ball, Kuba decisively cut inside, catching Hannover 96 off guard, and then he passed the ball to the forward Barrios, who was 插ing in to meet him in the center.
After receiving the ball, Barrios decisively kicked a shot at the upper corner, facing Hannover 96's goalkeeper Fromlowitz.
Fromlowitz couldn't save it, and the ball flew into the net!
1:0!
Dortmund finally opened the scoring at home and took the lead!
"Lucas Barrios!!"
Huge cheers rang out from the South Stand.
After scoring the goal, Barrios ran to the South Stand to celebrate. Şahin didn't follow him up to celebrate, but turned his gaze to Zhou Yi.
Because he thought of what Zhou Yi had told him before the game, to be himself. This goal was born after he was himself. His long pass just now was his signature move!
Just being himself greatly changed the situation of the team... Is what that kid Zhou Yi said really so magical?!
Zhou Yi also noticed that Şahin was looking at him, so he turned his head to look at Şahin and smiled at him.
Şahin felt that he couldn't understand this Chinese boy Zhou Yi.
He was so enthusiastic about helping himself with ideas, and in the end came up with such an idea. For himself, it was a good idea, but for him, wasn't it a terrible idea?
If he played according to his own ideas, then what was he needed for?
He didn't know what Zhou Yi was thinking, what good would it do him to do this? Did he admit defeat in advance and concede?
Şahin really wanted to go up and ask Zhou Yi what was going on, but he held back. Because he didn't know if asking Zhou Yi like that would be offensive to him?
※※※
Zhou Yi didn't know the twists and turns in Şahin's mind. He was just relieved that Şahin seemed to have finally found himself.
As long as Şahin could perform normally, then he could also perform normally, and he wouldn't have to play so uncomfortably and awkwardly as before.
Now, he could finally play a normal game like he did in the virtual space.
After the game restarted, Şahin continued to be himself, playing like he did before he was injured, leading the team's offensive and defensive rhythm.
It's just that he always remembered what Zhou Yi told him - "cut forward a little less."
He stayed safely behind. In the past, when he needed to cut forward, he could now hand over this work to Zhou Yi.
This was the only difference from when he played before.
This simple difference allowed Şahin to quickly find his feeling in the current tactical system.
The more he played, the more confused he became about Zhou Yi.
Because he found that after he played as Zhou Yi told him, his performance improved, the team's performance improved, and even... Zhou Yi's performance improved!
What was going on?
Klopp and Buvač on the sidelines also felt this.
Şahin's performance suddenly became normal, so the team's performance also became normal.
For ordinary people, they would think that perhaps that successful long pass gave Şahin confidence and also found his form.
But in the eyes of professional coaches, things were not that simple.
Why did Şahin suddenly have a successful long pass? You must know that before this, his passes forward were mostly short passes to Zhou Yi, and then Zhou Yi would take over Şahin's task of organizing the attack.
But now, the situation had changed.
Was it a coincidence?
After Barrios scored, Şahin's long passes clearly increased.
He didn't always look for Zhou Yi for every pass forward.
Before, Şahin's performance in the dual core tactic was too deliberate. But now, he looked much more normal.
Klopp breathed a sigh of relief and said to Buvač, "We finally saw a normal Şahin."
"But I don't know what caused this change..." Buvač didn't finish his words, when he suddenly thought of a scene. He suddenly said again, "Zhou Yi?!"
He thought of the scene where Zhou Yi went to find Şahin during a break in play. Now that he thought about it, perhaps that wasn't infighting, but... communication?
"I told you, Željko. That kid always has some surprises worth looking forward to." Klopp shrugged and said in a tone of "I knew it."
"I knew all that before, but why this time?" Buvač still couldn't figure it out.
"You can wait until halftime to ask him yourself."
"Good idea!"
The team's performance improved, suppressing Hannover 96 on the field. The two coaches on the sidelines also had the leisure to chat about some gossip...