The match ended with Borussia Dortmund U19 defeating their opponents 4-1 at home.

Borussia Dortmund U19 achieved another victory, allowing them to maintain their lead over Borussia Mönchengladbach U19 in the Western League standings.

The two teams are still two points apart.

Mark wasn't able to start. Although he had explained his thoughts to his family, Mrs. Wagner was still very concerned about the coach's arrangement.

On the way back, she kept scolding Yeballa...

Over and over again, it meant only one thing: this coach doesn't understand my son's strengths!

While Mrs. Wagner was complaining about the coach, Zhou Yi was secretly observing Mark's expression.

It was obvious that even though Mark had told himself on the bench that he had thought it through, he hadn't truly let go of the matter in his heart.

His emotions were still affected.

However, Zhou Yi didn't say anything. He felt that as long as Mark knew to keep working hard, that was enough. What he was really worried about was that this would damage Mark's confidence.

After spending several months with Mark, Zhou Yi felt that Mark's biggest problem was a lack of self-confidence.

This was perhaps caused by his long-term role as a substitute, or even not being able to make the bench at all.

※※※

In the following training sessions, Mark seemed to work even harder.

He hoped to impress the coach with his efforts in training and win a chance for himself.

But... there is always a gap between ideals and reality.

Although Mark worked very hard, things didn't develop in a positive direction.

He seemed a little anxious.

More haste, less speed.

His performance in training didn't improve, but got worse.

His efforts and seriousness became the reason for messing things up.

To give a simple example, in offensive training, his passes were either too long or too fast. He tried hard to run into position, but it always put him in an offside position.

Because of him, the coach had to blow his whistle to stop training again and again, disrupting everyone's rhythm.

Just as they started running, Yeballa blew his whistle and shouted at Mark, "Mark Wagner! Where are you passing the ball?!"

"S-sorry, coach..." Mark quickly raised his hand to admit his mistake.

Not long after training resumed, there was another piercing whistle and Yeballa's roar: "Wagner, you ran too early! What's the rush? Watch the timing before you run! Don't just charge forward blindly!"

"Sorry, coach..." Mark apologized, hanging his head.

Schneider spread his hands and said, "Mark, as a friend of many years, I advise you to go back to the U17s. The U19s are a bit difficult for you, you know?"

Mark didn't say anything to refute Schneider's words, but Zhou Yi noticed that he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

Mark didn't speak, but Schneider continued to say, "You're making it difficult for yourself and for all of us. You're holding up our training. I'm just being honest, as a friend..."

At this moment, Zhou Yi stood up and suddenly said, "As a friend, shouldn't you try to help your friend overcome difficulties? Not advise him to give up."

Schneider saw Zhou Yi and thought of the humiliation he had suffered that night. His face fell. "I'm talking to Mark, what's it to you?"

"Sorry, I'm also Mark's friend." Zhou Yi stood next to Mark, stating his position. "If you insult my friend, I won't let you get away with it!"

Schneider laughed. "What can you do to me, you Chinese kid?"

"I can stop passing the ball to you," Zhou Yi said, shrugging his shoulders and pursing his lips.

Schneider was stunned, not expecting Zhou Yi to answer him like that... this kid doesn't play by the rules!

At this time, everyone else also realized what was happening.

Especially the coach Yeballa. He had thought that after he finished scolding Mark, training could continue. He didn't expect Schneider and Zhou Yi to suddenly argue.

So the piercing whistle sounded again on the training ground, and Yeballa strode to the middle of the three people.

"Do you still want to train?" He glared at the three of them.

Schneider played the victim, pointing at Zhou Yi and saying, "He's the one who started the trouble, coach..."

"I didn't expect you to be so shameless, Schneider." Zhou Yi said in surprise. "Everyone saw who started the trouble."

By directly confronting Schneider like this, he was essentially breaking off all pretense of civility. Before this, he would at most ignore Schneider when he saw him.

It was really Schneider's sarcasm towards Mark that made Zhou Yi unable to bear it.

Mark's emotions had already been bad during this time, and the reason he wasn't performing well in training was because of that. As a result, Schneider jumped out and mocked him, which was completely aimed at destroying Mark's confidence and will.

Zhou Yi absolutely couldn't tolerate it.

He had to stand up for his friend.

However, what Zhou Yi didn't expect was that Götze also raised his hand and said, "Yeah, Schneider. We're all teammates. What you said to Mark just now was a bit too much."

Although he didn't directly scold Schneider, and his attitude wasn't as fierce as Zhou Yi's, he also made his position clear and testified for Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi really didn't expect this kid, who spoke without thinking, to be so righteous -- this matter actually had nothing to do with him.

He turned his head to look at Götze in surprise, but Götze didn't see his gaze, but looked at Schneider with a calm expression, seemingly completely unaware that he had done something to offend Schneider.

But... with his status, he didn't have to worry about what would happen after offending Schneider.

So this matter was completely a matter of convenience for him.

Schneider didn't expect Götze to help Mark speak either, and he was stunned.

Yeballa's face became even more unsightly. Today's training hadn't been going well, and now there was infighting in the team!

He glared fiercely at Schneider and Zhou Yi. "If you still want to argue, then I don't mind giving you a separate opportunity to argue. Do you want to go?"

No one moved.

"Then continue training!"

He didn't forcibly ask Schneider to apologize to Mark or anything. This was a dispute between players, and as the coach, he shouldn't get too involved.

As long as this matter didn't continue on the training ground, they could resolve the rest of the matter in the locker room.

※※※

Schneider glared fiercely at Zhou Yi, who unexpectedly said with an innocent expression, "Hey, Schneider, why are you glaring at me?"

Ten thousand grass mud horses galloped through Schneider's heart...

I'm glaring at you, so what! Why are you shouting it out loud!

Are you afraid the coach doesn't know!

Sure enough, after hearing Zhou Yi say this, Yeballa directly pointed at Schneider and roared, "Schneider! You're not participating in today's training session!"

"Coach, I... no, I didn't..."

"Get down! I don't want to waste time on this kind of thing!" Yeballa's face was so black that it could drip ink.

Faced with the angry coach, everyone on the youth team was silent, not even daring to breathe.

Only Zhou Yi looked at Schneider with a look of amusement -- are you going down, or are you going down?

Schneider gnashed his teeth, clenching and unclenching his fists. In the end, he turned and walked towards the locker room.

Although he really wanted to threaten Zhou Yi with his eyes before he left, he didn't do it, because he was really afraid that this kid who didn't play by the rules would say his actions out loud...

He could only curse Zhou Yi in his heart, of course he didn't forget to curse Mark along with him.

It was all caused by that bastard Mark!

I just made fun of him a few times?

I've done this kind of thing a lot in the past, how come this time... how come I'm so unlucky this time?

Behind him, Yeballa roared, "Continue training!!"

※※※

Because of the argument between Zhou Yi and Schneider, the subsequent training was spent in an awkward atmosphere.

When the coach announced the end of training, many people breathed a sigh of relief.

They quickly fled the embarrassing air on the field and quickly returned to the locker room.

But Zhou Yi didn't do that. He noticed during training that after Schneider mocked Mark, Mark's performance immediately changed again.

Before, although he always made mistakes, his attitude towards training was positive.

But after Schneider's mockery, his attitude towards training became much more negative, and he couldn't muster any energy at all.

This was what Zhou Yi was most worried about. He wasn't worried about him being impetuous, nor was he worried about him overdoing it, but he was worried about him not using any effort at all.

After training, Zhou Yi walked straight to Mark and grabbed his shoulders with both hands: "Mark."

Mark didn't respond to him, as if he was thinking about something.

So Zhou Yi shook him: "Mark!"

But Mark still kept his head down.

"Lift your head up, Mark."

Zhou Yi said in a commanding tone.

This time, Mark finally raised his head and looked at Zhou Yi, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

"What's wrong? You weren't hit by that bastard, were you?" Zhou Yi asked when he saw this.

"No, I'm not, how could I be?" Mark murmured, but he didn't even dare to look Zhou Yi in the eye.

"Don't take that bastard's words to heart, Mark. He's talking nonsense. You know, it's his instinct to mock you..." Zhou Yi said anxiously, shaking Mark.

"Uh... Zhou Yi."

At this moment, Götze suddenly appeared next to the two of them.

"What?" Zhou Yi, who was busy, didn't have time to pay attention to Götze, and his tone wasn't very good.

"This... I understand how you feel, but I think some of the things Schneider said are actually right..." Seeing Zhou Yi's fierce expression and bad tone, Götze lowered his voice and said weakly. "Mark is indeed not ready to play in the U19s..."

"Hey, what are you talking about!" Zhou Yi was dissatisfied. What kind of talk is that? I'm trying everything I can to get Mark to cheer up again, and you're stabbing me in the back?

He looked at Mark again, and Mark's expression became even more gloomy when he heard Götze say this.

"That's the truth, Zhou Yi. In fact, Mark is too dependent on you. When you and him are on the field, he can score goals. When you're not there, he can't score goals..."

"Shut up!" Zhou Yi pointed at Götze and roared. He rarely got so emotional, but at this moment he didn't control his emotions, nor did he intend to control them. "No one will think you're mute if you don't speak!"

Götze was frightened by the fierce Zhou Yi. He covered his mouth with his hand and stopped talking.

Zhou Yi ignored him, turned his head to Mark and said, "Don't listen to his nonsense..."

"I know, I know, Zhou Yi, I know..."

Mark broke free from Zhou Yi's hands, nodded repeatedly, and walked towards the locker room.

His eyes were dim and lifeless, like the setting sun that had completely sunk into the sea.

Looking at Mark's dejected back, Zhou Yi really wanted to chase after him, but he restrained himself, and instead turned back to glare at Götze.

"What exactly are you?" he asked.

"I'm Mario Götze, your teammate." Götze was confused by Zhou Yi's question, and he spread his hands and said.

"No, I mean, are you on our side, or on Schneider's side?"

"This... Schneider and I aren't friends..." Götze argued.

"But Schneider has been mocking Mark for seven or eight years, and it's not as bad as those few words you said just now!" Zhou Yi said fiercely.

"I understand how you feel, Zhou Yi. But I think you should calm down first and listen to what I have to say. What I'm saying is the truth. The truth is hard to hear, but it's correct." Götze still said innocently. "Haven't you noticed it yourself? Mark is too dependent on you. With you, Mark can complete a hat trick. Without you, he can't score a single goal. Do you think this is normal?"

Götze's words left Zhou Yi speechless. The usually eloquent Zhou Yi was now completely unable to speak.

"If I were Mark, I definitely wouldn't want to be someone who can only rely on others for the rest of my life. You can use your assists to help him score a lot of goals in team matches, surpassing Schneider, but can you always help him score goals in matches? The youth team matches, the first team matches... are you planning to always help him like this?"

Zhou Yi stared blankly at Götze, unable to believe that these words came from Götze's mouth.