Schalke 04 U18 boasted a huge squad. Including players on youth trainee contracts, there were at least thirty-five members—far more than the first team.
During every intra-squad training session, only the dozen or so players in Team A represented the starting lineup. Everyone else had to fight for a spot in Team B.
Team A players were all on professional contracts, with weekly wages enough to get by.
Life was far harder for the trainees.
Most of them had to take part-time jobs just to make ends meet.
Schalke 04 was not a wealthy club, after all, and it had little money to spare for a disposable U18 side.
When Raúl arrived and Su Bai immediately jumped straight from the reserves into Team A, the substitute players waiting on the sidelines burned with jealousy.
They'd seen Su Bai's basic skills—he was little more than an amateur!
He'd only lucked into a couple of good passes, yet he was soaring up the ranks.
Jennings, Team B's defensive midfielder, scowled as Su Bai took up a position ahead of him. He stared daggers at Su Bai, his eyes filled with envy.
Once Su Bai was in position, the training match kicked off.
Having played alongside him already, Ben Kersey knew Su Bai's strengths.
He didn't roll the ball to Su Bai to hold possession; instead, he drove forward with the ball himself.
Su Bai stayed close to Ben Kersey, ready to offer support at any moment.
Oddly enough, even though Ben Kersey was the one with the ball, Jennings, the big Team B defensive midfielder, charged toward Su Bai to mark him tightly.
...
Daniel had set up Team A in a system built for attack, fielding double attacking midfielders—the 4-3-3 formation the U18 side regularly used in the 3. Liga.
Team B, meanwhile, was arranged in a 4-5-1, with two wide midfielders and two defensive midfielders, a clear defensive setup.
Halim O'Shea, the attacking midfielder Su Bai had replaced, was constantly berated for his poor passing.
Back then, Team B had thrown all their defensive pressure at Ben Kersey, who boasted far better technical ability.
Watching Su Bai being man-marked even without the ball, Daniel immediately understood—Team B's players simply refused to accept the new kid.
But he didn't bother intervening. He wanted to see if Su Bai could still pick out passes while being tightly marked.
"Your young friend seems to have made some enemies," Raúl whispered to Hao Junmin, watching Su Bai being closed down.
The seasoned veteran saw through the situation in an instant.
"I hope he can handle this."
Hao Junmin frowned, worried as he watched the 1.9-meter giant stick to Su Bai from the first second. Su Bai's thin frame didn't stand a chance if he was bullied physically.
Hao couldn't help but think of his own tough situation in the Bundesliga, and let out a helpless sigh.
On the pitch, Su Bai was annoyed at the defensive midfielder glued to him.
The guy was blocking every passing lane between him and Ben Kersey.
He had no choice but to drift toward Ben Kersey to ask for the ball.
Seeing Su Bai make himself available, Ben Kersey quickly squared the ball to him.
He was already under serious pressure.
While his technique was solid, Team B had begun to close him down with a double press—both their other defensive midfielder and right midfielder were rushing in.
Holding onto the ball amid heavy, physical challenges was no easy task in Germany.
Su Bai's arrival was a huge relief.
But the second Ben Kersey passed the ball to Su Bai,
Team B's right midfielder and both defensive midfielders
charged straight at him—three players converging at once.
Su Bai stretched out his right foot to control the pass, but he rushed the touch.
The ball almost slipped away from him entirely.
On the sideline, Hao Junmin shook his head as Su Bai faced an immediate three-man press with his very first touch.
The clumsy control stung him—this was a common flaw among Chinese players: weak basic technique.
Even Raúl, who'd been watching with interest, frowned at Su Bai's heavy touch.
Amateur hour.
That was his first impression of Su Bai.
Having grown up with the silky technique of Spanish football, Raúl was unimpressed.
He glanced at the embarrassed Hao Junmin and patted him comfortingly on the shoulder.
A three-man press!
Su Bai started to panic.
His base stats were still terrible—his dribbling and attacking awareness lagged far behind professional players.
He had no idea how to handle the onrushing trio.
Ben Kersey, who'd just played the pass, panicked as Su Bai was swarmed.
He tried to make a run to offer support, but Team B's three players had closed off every passing angle.
With Su Bai about to lose possession,
Ben Kersey turned to sprint back and defend.
Today was different—Raúl was watching. This was his big chance to impress.
Just as everyone was certain Su Bai would surrender the ball,
the boy trapped in the middle made his move.
He quickly dragged the ball left with his right foot,
evading the outstretched leg of Team B's onrushing right midfielder with perfect timing.
In the same motion, he flicked the ball back right with his left foot.
He wasn't done yet.
After dodging the defensive midfielder's tackle, he shifted the ball left once more.
In the blink of an eye,
Su Bai danced between three players as if performing ballet.
Then he poked the ball forward with his left foot
and slipped clean through the gap between Team B's two defensive midfielders.
La Croqueta!!!
This was no simple ball manipulation.
Everyone recognized the move.
It was the signature skill of Andrés Iniesta—the Barcelona midfield genius who used it to tear apart Europe's biggest clubs time and time again.
In an instant, Su Bai wriggled free of the three-man press with the ball at his feet.
Hao Junmin on the sideline froze.
Even Raúl, who'd been about to comfort Hao, stared in shock.
How was this possible?
A Schalke 04 U18 player with a masterful command of the La Croqueta?
In the rough, physical world of German football?
And Su Bai wasn't finished.
After beating the three players, he wasted no time spotting Whit Benedict, Team A's striker, making a run in behind the defense.
He struck the underside of the ball hard with the outside of his right boot.
On the sideline, Daniel leaned forward in excitement, already waiting to see that familiar rainbow arc in the air.