Champion’s Heart

The team will have a ten-on-ten full-court match every week. The time is not long, only 20 minutes.

Speaking of it, it is to decide who can play in the weekend league. But in fact, everyone knows that relying on this informal game to decide who can play and who can't play is too child's play.

So in fact, the real purpose of this game is just to keep the players in the game.

Since participating in the U19 team competition for the first time, Mark has never been separated from Zhou Yi again.

So his initial performance was really lackluster—in fact, lackluster is very polite, it should be said that it was not very good.

Without Zhou Yi's support and help, Mark couldn't find his rhythm at all.

However, as he trained hard, his performance in the team game began to gradually improve.

He also seems to be used to how to play his own level without Zhou Yi.

Most importantly, he is positive.

A ball, whether he can get it or not, he will always grab it, even if he will be knocked down by the opposing defender in the end.

When the opposing defender has the ball, he will go up and press.

On the court, Mark can always be seen running.

The same is true for this intra-team competition.

He was still positive and scored a goal in the game.

Although he performed well in the team competition, Mark has become accustomed to not being able to get the treatment of playing no matter what.

He doesn't think about why he can't play yet.

Maybe it's because the coaches think he's not doing well enough.

So just keep trying.

Now Mark doesn't think much about how to hit Schneider in the face.

Schneider would still taunt him, but he turned a blind eye and put all his energy on training and improving himself.

Of course, his behavior made Schneider think that Mark had returned to the previous state of allowing him to bully,

He was very proud—he felt that Mark had resigned himself to his fate.

※※※

On the match day, the players gathered at the Brakel training base, and then collectively took a bus to challenge their opponents at the Schalke 04 training base, which was 20 kilometers away.

Mark was on the roster for the race, so he was in the car.

But Yebara did not announce the starting list. Of course, Mark doesn't think about whether he will start this matter now. He is used to being on the roster but not being able to play.

In the locker room of the Schalke 04 training base, Yebara announced the starting lineup.

Zhouyi and Gotze all appeared on the stage, but Mark was still absent.

For such an arrangement, not only Mark, but even Zhou Yi are used to it.

Neither of them reacted as much as Mark did when he was dropped from the starting roster for the first time. Mark calmly accepted another no-show arrangement.

※※※

When Zhou Yi appeared on the field to warm up with his teammates, he looked around again. This is his first time participating in the U19 Ruhr Derby.

From his observations, the U19 Ruhr Derby has a higher standard than the U17 Derby and is more eye-catching.

This can be seen from the audience on the sidelines.

In addition to the parents of the young players, many people dressed in sportswear as players came outside the field.

They are all players from all echelons of Schalke 04.

There will even be players from the first team - this is easy to distinguish, as long as there are many people around these people who want to sign autographs and take photos, they must be players from the first team.

U19 is already considered the highest level in the youth team. If many U19 players perform well, they will be directly transferred to the first team. This is not just the case of Dortmund, but also the entire Bundesliga.

Therefore, the Ruhr Derby at the U19 level can be regarded as the Ruhr Derby second only to the first team, and it naturally attracts attention.

Looking around, Zhou Yi also found Yang Muge in the crowd.

The night before the game, Zhou Yi and Yang Muge chatted on QQ for a while. Speaking of today's game, Yang Muge, who just started playing in the U17 game, said that he would come to watch the game, and Zhou Yi expressed his welcome.

Both of them are in Germany now, and the distance is only 20 kilometers, but in fact, they have never met each other except during the competition, and they usually use QQ, a free contact tool, to communicate.

Through QQ, Zhou Yi learned that Yang Muge started playing in the U17 competition. In the same way, through QQ, Yang Muge also learned that Zhou Yi was promoted to U19 after the U17 Ruhr Derby, and he became a main player as soon as he got up.

Yang Muge was not very surprised by this, because he thought Zhou Yi deserved such treatment.

Seeing that Zhou Yi found him, Yang Muge didn't wave, but just smiled at him.

Zhou Yi also didn't take the initiative to greet a Schalke 04 player in the hostile derby, and he smiled back.

The two finished greeting each other in this way.

After Zhou Yi said hello, he continued his warm-up.

And a person appeared beside Yang Muge: That's your friend Zhou Yi? Yang?

Yang Muge turned his head to look, only to realize that it was his teammate from the same team——Julian Draxler.

This teammate is almost two years younger than Yang Muge. He is only fifteen years old this year, but he is already the absolute main force of Schalke 04U17. A true genius like Gotze.

Yang Muge nodded to Draxler: Yes.

Draxler is obviously very interested in Zhou Yi. The last time the two sides played against each other, Dortmund U17 did not have Götze, but they still won against Schalke 04. Mark scored twice, but Draxler was indeed interested in Zhou Yi, who shouldered the offensive task of Dortmund U17 throughout the game.

After that game ended, Draxler took the initiative to go to Yang Muge's side and asked him about Zhou Yi. Not only did he learn Zhou Yi's name, but he also found out that Zhou Yi was an amateur player!

This had a huge impact on him at the time.

Because Schalke 04U17 led by him lost to Dortmund U17 led by an amateur player...

Is he really just coming to Dortmund as you said?

Well, he should have come over a month earlier than me... Yang Muge said.

Draxler cast his sights on Zhou Yi. The last time I saw him was still in Dortmund U17, goodbye now, but he has gone to Dortmund U19. This rapid rise...

How does an amateur player do it?

From Draxler's point of view, there were too many fans in Zhou Yi, which made him very curious and unconvinced - he actually lost to an amateur player!

※※※

When the game officially started, Schalke 04, who played at home, took advantage of their home court advantage and launched a fierce offensive against Dortmund U19.

The stands were also full of shouts from Schalke 04 fans.

Because of the tense relationship between the fans of both sides, few fans are willing to go to the opponent's stadium to watch the game in person. It's not that I'm worried about being beaten, it's just because of disdain.

This is true whether it is the first team or the U19 game.

In the last U17 derby in the Ruhr area, Dortmund played at home, and Schalke 04 had almost no fans.

Taking advantage of the home court, Schalke 04 performed very well.

Although their results in the entire U19 league are not good, Derby has always been taken out separately.

The gap in strength between the two sides can be made up in the derby.

So in the opening 30 minutes, Schalke 04 scored two goals in a row and took a two-goal lead, which is not surprising.

There were thunderous cheers at the scene.

But Dortmund U19 did not give up.

The importance of the derby is the same for both sides. Schalke 04's morale is booming and they scored two goals. How can Dortmund give up so easily?

So after gradually slowing down and withstood the onslaught of Schalke 04, Dortmund began to brew a counterattack.

The planner of the counterattack is naturally Zhou Yi, who is now the core midfielder of the U19.

Although due to physical reasons, he still cannot guarantee to play a full 90 minutes in each game, but it is much better than when he was in the Chinese team and had to be replaced for about 70 minutes in each game.

Whether it is physical fitness or strength, after receiving professional and formal training, Zhou Yi has improved significantly.

Scientific and correct training methods coupled with a diligent and hard-working training attitude are the key reasons for Zhou Yi's rapid progress.

Zhou Yi frequently passes and receives the ball with his teammates on the court. If there are statistics, it can be found that the player he has passed the most is Gotze.

After more than a month of competition and training, the tacit understanding between them has surpassed other teammates.

When Gotze took the ball from the wing, he suddenly turned to the center. He was naturally guarded by the Schalke 04 players. In an instant, three Schalke 04 players appeared around him, preventing him from continuing. Break through the restricted area.

Gotze didn't dribble the ball to force a breakthrough, but chose to pass the football.

He passed the football to Zhou Yi who met him in the middle.

Then he cuts off the ball.

Zhou Yi didn't stop after receiving Gotze's ball, but just passed it out with another kick!

He picked the football over the heads of the Schalke 04 defenders who rushed forward, and fell into the space behind the Schalke 04 defense!

Where did Gotze run, and he was not offside while catching the ball!

pretty!!

Just after Zhou Yi passed the ball, he was knocked down by Schalke 04 players from behind, but it didn't matter, his task had been completed.

The opponent is just a little slower, don't let him catch the opportunity to kick the ball. If Zhou Yi didn't pass the ball directly at that time, but stopped the football and passed it again, the ball would not be passed.

Gotze, who received Zhou Yi's pass, unloaded the football beautifully. He has already faced the goalkeeper alone!

After unloading the ball, he quickly changed his foot and shot directly!

The football flew into the goal next to the Schalke 04 goalkeeper who was caught off guard!

1:2!

Dortmund U19s come back with a goal!

Excited screams erupted from Dortmund's U19 bench and coach's bench.

Mark was among them. He jumped up and raised his arms and shouted: BVB!!!

Goetze, who scored the goal, turned and ran to Zhou Yi, and gave him a big hug.

The rest of the Dortmund U19s also flocked to the two of them, celebrating with them on Schalke's ground.

All around, booing loudly, but they turned a blind eye.

Just to celebrate fiercely on the territory of the sworn enemy!

※※※

Yang Muge stood on the sidelines watching the game. He didn't look at the stage. He was surrounded by Draxler, other U17 teammates, and players from other echelons, even the first team.

Seeing the team lose the ball, Yang Muge's teammates all sighed and complained about the performance of the players on the field.

One person complained especially loudly: This ball Arthur should have come out sooner! He is too hesitant to attack!

The Arthur in his mouth is the U19 goalkeeper Arthur Barrett.

Yang Muge turned his head and took a look, and saw the person who was speaking, he was tall and tall with blond hair, standing quite eye-catching in the crowd.

He is not his teammate in the U17, but even more famous - Manuel Neuer, the main goalkeeper from the first team.

This U19 derby in the Ruhr area also attracted players from the first team. As a talented goalkeeper trained by the Schalke 04 youth training, Neuer is naturally very concerned about the derby of the team he once played for. .

So he came to the training base a little earlier than before, just to see the U19 Ruhr Derby.

When Schalke 04 led Dortmund by two goals, he was quite happy, laughing and mocking Dortmund off the court.

But this conceded goal made him very dissatisfied.

Because in his opinion, the loss of the ball was the goalkeeper's mistake. If the goalkeeper can attack in time, it can create great psychological pressure on Gotze and interfere with his shooting.

Hearing Neuer's complaints, Draxler lowered his voice and said to Yang Muge: I don't think it doesn't matter if Arthur hits the ball or not. What kind of time does Arthur allow to attack... Not all goalkeepers have a wild heart like Neuer who loves to rush out of the penalty area...

He didn't dare to speak too loudly, for fear of being heard by Neuer. After all, the opponent is the main force of the first team and the big brother who has gone out of the youth academy. Talking bad things about people behind their backs like this will be over if they are overheard.

Yang Muge also lowered his head and laughed when he heard this.

Because he suddenly thought of his roommate Sun Pan, that big man with a northeast accent also has a wild heart...