Chapter 702: Necessary Growth (Second Perspective)
"Wow!" The Weser Stadium erupted once again.
"Another brace! Huang Hu! Huang Hu! He helps Werder Bren maintain their lead! A brilliant breakthrough followed by a long-range shot!"
"This is his 9th league goal of the season, equaling the top scorer Alexander ier, and they're all from open play, no penalties!"
On the sidelines, Coach Schaaf also didn't expect the Chinese youngster to score in such a way, which was rarely seen before.
"It seems that the pressure has forced this kid to unleash more of his potential. Who said he only knows how to eat pies?"
After scoring this goal, the ho team adopted a more conservative approach, withdrawing to secure their lead, gradually deadlocking the situation.
But just when the ga was about to end, there was a turning point. In the 89th minute, yer broke through the wing and crossed, Hunterlaar's header hit Westergard's shoulder.
The main referee hesitated for a mont before blowing the whistle and pointing to the penalty spot! The whole stadium was in an uproar, the ho fans booed thunderously, and Schaaf angrily rushed to the sideline: "How could that be a penalty? Clearly, it hit the shoulder, the shoulder!" As he said this, he hamred his own shoulder.
"Let's take a look at what happened with the slow-motion replay. Well, it seems like the hand didn't have much to do with it. Despite Werder Bren players surrounding the referee and constantly arguing, he seems to stick to his decision."
"Unfortunately, VAR technology has not been used in league matches yet. According to previous reports, the maturity review of this technology will have to wait another two to three years."
Hunterlaar personally took the penalty and equalized the score once again for Schalke.
The blow to Werder Bren was far from over. In injury ti, in the 92nd minute, Banetta received a through ball from Hervédes, took a long shot from the edge of the arc, piercing through Wolf's hands.
Two goals in three minutes! In the final monts of the ga, the entire ho team pressed forward, with even the goalkeeper joining the attack, but as Selke's header missed the post, the final whistle blew.
2:3! Werder Bren tasted bitter defeat!
"Damn it! Damn it!" Huang Hu knelt on one knee and hamred the turf with force. Clearly, they were so close to victory. If only he were stronger, perhaps it wouldn't slip away from his fingertips like this.
At this mont, he was more eager for strength than ever before, eager to grow, sothing every young player would experience.
Fritz understood Huang Hu's emotions very well. He had been that kneeling youth himself. So the German walked over to the Chinese youngster and helped him up: "Failure is not terrible, what's terrible is not having the courage to stand up after failure."
"You've done brilliantly enough. Look up, everyone is calling your na."
At these words, Huang Hu looked around the stadium, only to realize that most of the ho fans hadn't left yet. They were still cheering and inspiring him.
So even waved banners, obviously contributed by a female fan with newly applied lipstick: "Huang, you're the best! Forever support!"
"Let's go, we should thank the fans for their support, shouldn't we?" Fritz patted Huang Hu on the back and said.
After acknowledging the fans, Haylovi? suggested to go out and relieve the frustration, but Huang Hu shook his head and declined the invitation. Only when they win does he feel like playing.
At the press conference, Coach Schaaf rcilessly criticized the situation to the various dia outlets: "This was supposed to be a celebration for Werder Bren, but it was ruined by mistakes."
Many dia outlets and fans also echoed his views. After all, the last-minute penalty misjudgnt was too fatal, and the ho team conceding two goals in a row largely stemd from this.
After repeatedly confirming the match footage, the referee admitted his mistake and apologized solemnly to the entire Werder Bren team, which was the biggest compensation they could offer.
Although Werder Bren still ranked second on the points table, this defeat widened the gap between them and Bayern. It remained very difficult to threaten the status of the Southern Kings.
The schedule still had to go on. Four days later, Werder Bren hosted the 5th round of the Europa League group stage at ho, with Red Star Belgrade as the opponent.
After double-killing Tottenham, Werder Bren's advancent situation was already very clear. Therefore, Coach Schaaf made significant rotations to the starting lineup, and Huang Hu was on the bench.
Seeing the team struggling to make a breakthrough, the Chinese youngster was more excited than the coach, rushing to the sidelines, gesturing for his teammates to push forward.
Schaaf, sowhat frustrated, raised his hand to his forehead: "Okay, you rascal, don't dance in front of . You just want to play, right? Go warm up."
Huang Hu's "trick" was seen through, and he sheepishly stuck out his tongue. The reason he was so active was because he had a fire burning in his heart.
So in the 55th minute, the Chinese youngster took to the field! He did not disappoint himself or the coach. Ten minutes later, Eldrim sent a through ball from the front, and Huang Hu burst through two defenders to receive it.
With the goalkeeper blocking in front and defenders interfering on both sides, the Chinese youngster calmly fell to the ground and shot, the ball passing between the legs of the opposing goalkeeper and into the far corner of the net, 1:0!
With this goal, Werder Bren eventually narrowly defeated their opponents, and they topped the group with 3 wins and 2 draws, followed by Besiktas with 2 wins, 3 draws, and 9 points.
Tottenham Hotspur ranked third with 1 win, 2 draws, 2 losses and 5 points, while Red Star Belgrade, at the bottom, had 1 draw, 4 losses and only 1 point.
With one round of matches remaining, Werder Bren and Besiktas had already secured their spots in the knockout stage. The subsequent clash between the two would determine the group winner.
Huang Hu had never been the type of player with outstanding physical qualities. He could endure running for the entire ga, had decent dribbling skills, and could even show off so flair at tis, all of which ca from his systematic European youth training since childhood.
However, high-intensity physical confrontations had always been his weakness. It was difficult for him to maintain balance and ball control under defensive pressure, leading to frequent mistakes and conceding goals.
In addition to the rhythm changes and dribbling skills he displayed against Schalke, the Chinese youngster also planned to continue honing his ability to seize scoring opportunities in crowded areas.
It was with this set of skills that he established himself in the top five leagues and gradually beca a regular starter. As his experience accumulated, Huang Hu felt that there was still much deeper potential to be tapped into in terms of running.
So during regular training sessions, the Chinese youngster would often ponder his positioning and how to shake off defensive markers to create space for himself, sotis getting lost in thought.
"What's wrong, Huang?" Coach Schaaf asked with concern after a training match. Just now, he saw Huang Hu suddenly stop in the middle of an attack, and it seed like he got injured.
"It's nothing, sir. I was just thinking whether I should have pulled back earlier to draw the attention of the defenders and create space for another attack."
Schaaf nodded at his words. Thinking and progress were closely related. Football was by no ans just physical labor. This stage was a period of rapid growth for young players. Both Huang Hu and De Bruyne had more room for growth.
He decided to nurture them well. Even if they eventually left Werder Bren after growing, the benefits they could bring to the team before leaving were imasurable.
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