Chapter 1 The Beginning

The Ruhr Derby against Schalke 04 had been over for five days, and Borussia Dortmund U19 was about to face Koblenz U19 at home in the quarter-finals of the German Youth League Cup.

Mark did not start in this game, as if his performance against Schalke 04 had been inconsequential.

However, Mark wasn't focused on the German Cup match. All he could think about was how to win that game. He didn't really care about a mere Youth German Cup.

In fact, this German Cup game wasn't worth much attention.

Mark wasn't the only one who didn't start. Zhou Yi also sat on the bench with Mark in this game.

Yeballa made some adjustments to the team's lineup, and Dortmund wasn't fielding its full strength.

But they still defeated Koblenz U19 6-1 at home and successfully entered the semi-finals of the German Cup.

Schneider scored twice in the game, which was a decent performance. This relieved him quite a bit—after the game against Schalke 04, he had worried that Mark would take his starting position.

Now it seemed that he had overthought it. He was still the team's starting striker, and Mark could only be a substitute even with a good performance, and he would still be tormented in training.

Schneider was very satisfied with the current situation, both for himself and for Mark.

※※※

Before the twenty-second round of the league, where Borussia Dortmund U19 would play away against Aachen U19, Ricken found Yeballa again.

"Hi, Peter. How is your trident plan going?"

Yeballa thought of the three people's performance in the game over the past week.

Although they still hadn't won a single game so far, it was clear from the third day that they had found the right path and hadn't changed it, continuing to follow it.

So as long as they continued to train like this, he believed that these three would eventually become a real trident.

So he said, "It's still in progress, and it's already showing some results."

"Then I'll wait for your good news, Peter," Ricken said with a smile.

※※※

For the away game against Aachen U19, Mark was included in the squad. However, according to Yeballa's habit, he didn't announce who would be in the starting lineup the day before the game.

It wasn't until the whole team arrived at the Aachen U19 training ground that he announced the starting lineup.

Starting from the goalkeeper, the starting lineup for this league game was not very different from the starting lineup for the previous German Cup game, with some adjustments to individual positions.

But this was normal.

With two games a week, capable teams would rotate their players.

Schneider glanced at Mark, waiting for his name to be called again so he could give him a look of victory.

"Mario Götze."

"Zhou Yi."

"Daniel Ginczek."

Coach Yeballa called out the names one by one.

There was only one spot left, and in Schneider's mind, this spot belonged to him.

He waited for his name to be called.

"Mark Wagner."

But the name that was actually called was this one.

The expression on Schneider's face froze. He sat there motionless, like a statue.

When he heard his name being called, Mark was stunned for a moment. It wasn't until Zhou Yi next to him poked him with his arm that he reacted.

"See, I told you. Don't look at how happy Schneider was laughing at first, now he's lost his starting spot!" Zhou Yi said to Mark in a low voice.

Mark was truly impressed with Zhou Yi. What Zhou Yi had said to him about being entrusted with a great mission had now come true! In that case, the coach's tormenting him with the game was really to give him an important task—to start in the official league!

Starting!

I finally got a chance to start in the U19s!

After announcing the starting lineup, Yeballa didn't look at Schneider's stunned face, but instead gave Mark, Zhou Yi, and Götze an extra word of advice: "The three of you should keep in touch more during the game."

He didn't say how exactly the three of them should keep in touch, but Yeballa knew in his heart that they knew what to do, otherwise the game they had been playing for a week would have been for nothing?

※※※

When they took the field, Zhou Yi, Mark, and Götze walked together.

"What did the coach mean by that?" Mark asked.

"It's just what it sounds like," Götze said.

"Good, that's what we've been training for, so let's play like that in the game too," Zhou Yi said. "Let's play the way we've been practicing during this time."

"But... we're not very familiar yet," Mark said worriedly.

"It's normal to make mistakes, Mark. But you have to dare to try, just do it. You're a striker, don't think so much. As long as you succeed once, you can score a goal." Zhou Yi comforted Mark, and finally he patted Mark on the shoulder, "Since you're starting, don't let Schneider take it back."

As soon as he thought of Schneider, Mark nodded vigorously.

※※※

Whether it was the first team or the youth team, the gap in strength between Aachen and Borussia Dortmund was very obvious.

Even without Zhou Yi, Borussia Dortmund could easily defeat Aachen U19 on the road.

However, the progress of this game was not as easy as everyone thought.

After Borussia Dortmund scored first, Aachen soon equalized the score.

Then they fell into a melee.

Why was this happening?

Well, this has to be said about the trio of Zhou Yi, Mark, and Götze.

They made frequent mistakes in the frontcourt attack, which dragged down the team's offense.

It could be seen that the three of them were trying to play a quick passing and running tactic in the frontcourt attack. But under the opponent's defense, their passing and running style was heavily blocked. Moreover, their own abilities still needed to be improved. Sometimes they thought of it, but they didn't pass it well, and sometimes they passed it well, but they didn't run to it.

Schneider watched from the sidelines and snorted constantly. If Götze was next to him, he would definitely ask him, "Schneider, do you have asthma?"

Schneider was very dismissive of the three people's performance on the field—with this kind of crap performance, why should I be a substitute?

He glanced at coach Yeballa, completely unable to understand why Yeballa would let Mark replace him in the starting lineup.

But at the same time, he also felt that after seeing the trio's terrible performance, Yeballa might regret his decision, and then put himself on in the second half.

Okay, I'm ready to go on a killing spree!

※※※

During a dead ball, Mark found Zhou Yi: "Although the coach told us to keep in touch, it's really too much to play like this..."

Zhou Yi nodded: "You're right, Mark. We can't just focus on our own fun and put the whole team in crisis. So first we have to help the team take the lead, and then we can consider our own affairs. Next, don't think too much about crossing and cutting, look for openings, Mark."

"Okay, Zhou Yi. Also, this is not fun at all."

Zhou Yi smiled: "Mark, don't you think it's a very cool thing to blaze a trail where there is no road, and to see scenery that no one has seen in a place that no one has been to? Okay, don't think so much now, go score a goal, otherwise someone will have something to say again."

Next, the three reduced their quick passing and cutting cooperation. Before the end of the first half, Zhou Yi sent a through ball to Mark, who ran into the open space. Mark decisively shot and blasted the ball into the goal of Aachen U19. Borussia Dortmund finally took the lead again!

Seeing this goal, Schneider slapped his thigh hard on the sidelines, but he didn't dare to complain loudly, because at this time everyone was cheering for the team's lead, and if he complained, he would become a public enemy...

But the unhappiness in his heart was vividly reflected in the action of slapping his thigh hard.

He was looking forward to playing in the second half and going on a killing spree, but he saw Mark score a goal, which was really a heavy blow...

※※※

During the halftime break, coach Yeballa did not make any comments on the trio's actions, neither praising nor criticizing, completely indifferent.

Naturally, he didn't replace Mark either.

Schneider's wish was in vain.

After the second half started, the three continued to play like they did in the final stage of the first half.

In the sixtieth minute, Zhou Yi launched an attack, Mark assisted Götze to score a goal, and Borussia Dortmund U19 took a 3-1 lead over Aachen U19 on the road.

Zhou Yi went up to celebrate the goal with Mark and Götze as soon as possible. During the celebration, he said to the two of them: "Okay, now we can play around!"

"What if the opponent scores another goal?" Mark asked.

"Then we switch to normal mode." Zhou Yi said.

Götze also nodded in agreement with Zhou Yi's words: "Aachen is not strong, we certainly can't do this in a game against Schalke 04, but it would be too wasteful not to do it now. I think our special training needs to be tested and improved in such intense competition."

So when the game restarted, the three returned to the state they were in at the beginning of the game, crossing back and forth, trying to pass and cut quickly. Although there were still mistakes, it was no longer a matter of too much concern.

Because now Borussia Dortmund is leading by two goals.

A two-goal lead allowed the other Borussia Dortmund U19 players to play calmly and with ease. Even if the three had any coordination errors, others could quickly make up for it.

Schneider watched from the sidelines with hatred...

How could he not guess what this change in performance meant?

Isn't it just to shut him up!

Mark had one goal and one assist, such a performance could definitely not be said to be bad.

With this performance as the base, they could play however they wanted.

Despicable!

Shameless!

Schneider cursed Mark and Zhou Yi in his heart. Of course, he cursed Zhou Yi more. He had already seen that Mark was following Zhou Yi's lead, and Zhou Yi was the one who made the decisions among the three, with a stomach full of bad ideas and a brain full of conspiracies and tricks.

The evaluation of being despicable and shameless was simply appropriate for Zhou Yi.