Chapter 13: The Terrifying Mutation Buff—A Masterful Goal at the Pulse Arena’s Pinnacle (Please Follow)
Standing on the sidelines, Lin Hao felt somewhat bewildered.
He was well aware of the “No Crown” debuff, and he had also anticipated that today’s Super Cup final would likely unfold in the current manner.
But Lin Hao genuinely had no idea that this debuff could be exploited in such a way.
What did it mean that the Golden Boot wasn’t his?
What did it mean that the luck value was normal?
However, it seemed that at the U20 World Cup... the third division, when he lost the crown, he actually was the Golden Boot winner?
And... a 50% increase in goal-scoring rate? A 50% boost in dribbling success rate as well?
This...
This wasn’t just a simple attribute increase; this was a probabilistic enhancement!
Just like luck, probabilistic growth was the hardest thing to describe!
.........................
“Zhuang, set up the stage!”
“Zhuang, set up the stage!!!”
“This is the live broadcast of the 2010 German Super Cup final!”
“64th minute of the match!”
“At the German Pulse Stadium!”
“An absolutely unforgettable moment for us Chinese fans has just occurred!”
“The 18-year-old young player from our country has replaced the out-of-form Huntelaar while Schalke 04 is trailing by three goals!”
The moment Lin Hao stood on the sidelines!
He Wei, sitting in the commentary box, suddenly became excited.
Compared to the debut of Hao Junmin, He Wei, who had commentated on the Asian Youth Championship and watched many of Lin Hao’s third-division games, knew very well that this 18-year-old was a once-in-a-century talent in Chinese football.
Although he had jumped directly from the third division to the Bundesliga, even facing teams like Bayern Munich...
For some reason, He Wei was filled with confidence in Lin Hao at this moment!
It was as if he was already halfway shouting for Lin Hao’s goal!
-[“Wow! He’s really on! I thought Lin Hao wouldn’t get a chance!”]
-[“Lin Hao is awesome; just being sent on by Magath at such a crucial moment is impressive enough!”]
-[“I don’t care about Hao Junmin’s performance anymore; as long as Lin Hao can get a goal or even just make a decent shot or dribble, that would be great!”]
-[“Don’t get your hopes too high. At this level, I just want Lin Hao not to freeze up and to complete the tasks given by Magath!”]
-[“Exactly! This isn’t the Asian Youth Championship; it’s the Super Cup final against Bayern Munich. If he can stay composed and execute his tactics properly, he’s already one of the best players of his age!”]
.......................
Lin Hao came onto the pitch, and Old Ma looked at the young player he had just signed with a hopeful gaze.
At the same time, not far away in front of the Bayern substitute bench...
Seeing Schalke 04 make a substitution at this moment, Van Gaal immediately asked his assistant coach to check the young No. 23 player he didn’t even know.
“Boss, this guy is a youngster just promoted from Schalke 04’s U20 team. He’s 18 years old, but he performed well in the third division as the top scorer and was also the top scorer at the recently concluded U20 World Cup!”
The assistant coach provided the information promptly.
However, upon hearing that this was a young player promoted from the third division, Van Gaal, who was still considering whether to give instructions to his own players, immediately abandoned the idea.
Third division Golden Boot?
U20 World Cup top scorer?
What on earth was this?
A player of this level brought on at a time like this?
What did he think of his Bayern Munich?
Upon thinking this, Van Gaal immediately turned his head and looked at Magath, who had argued with him before the match, as if he were looking at a madman!
However...
Just as Van Gaal turned his head, preparing to mock Magath’s madness...
Magath, who had just looked utterly desperate, suddenly jumped up with both hands raised!
What was going on?
Van Gaal was stunned!
“Boom!!!”
Soon, the wild roar coming from the half of the Pulse Stadium clad in blue made Van Gaal realize!
Schalke 04 had scored?
.........................
Ten seconds earlier!
Since the previous goal was scored by Klose, Lin Hao stood directly at the center circle after coming on.
After explaining Magath’s tactics to his big brother Raul, Lin Hao quietly awaited the referee’s whistle.
At first, everything proceeded just as in all of Lin Hao’s previous matches.
The referee blew the whistle, Lin Hao passed the ball to Raul, and immediately surged toward Bayern Munich’s defensive half.
Similarly, Raul, receiving the ball, did not recklessly try any individual heroics despite trailing in the score.
He simply played a diagonal pass to Baumjohann on the right side.
During those five seconds, everything looked exactly like Schalke 04’s attacks in the first half.
But!
Just as Baumjohann, following their usual training routine, was about to pass the ball to the wing...
Lin Hao, who had already sprinted to Bayern’s defensive third, suddenly turned and demanded the ball from Baumjohann.
Uh...
Baumjohann was an honest man; since the new forward wanted the ball, Baumjohann obediently pushed it straight to Lin Hao!
.........................
At this moment, the strongest German midfielder, Schweinsteiger, had already closely marked Lin Hao from behind.
Because Raul on the left had started to make a forward run, Schweinsteiger understood that Lin Hao, playing as a high striker dropping back to receive the ball, would try to control it before passing to Raul.
The time had reached the seventh second!
Lin Hao, standing his ground, clearly felt Schweinsteiger, solid as a rock, pressing hard from behind.
In such a situation, Lin Hao should have just passed the ball back.
But...
Due to the 50% boost in dribbling success rate, although Schweinsteiger was the best German midfielder, Lin Hao felt as if he had many ways to get past him.
That feeling...
That feeling was very mysterious...
...................
On the other side!
Schweinsteiger, holding his position, didn’t even know who the No. 23 was before!
He casually stuck close and blocked all passing lanes to his half of the field.
Everything seemed so ordinary!
However, the instant he pressed close to Lin Hao’s side...
That young man, standing 1.88 meters tall, suddenly flicked the ball backwards with the outside of his right foot!
At the same moment, as the ball was lifted over Schweinsteiger, the youngster used his body to shield him and completed a turn on his left side!
Bergkamp’s turn?
This move...
Anyone who has followed football knows!
It is an extraordinarily skillful dribble!
Schweinsteiger froze!
He never thought that even someone as strong as himself would be shown up like this someday.
Of course, although his pride was hurt, Schweinsteiger was not overly worried.
Behind him were Bayern’s two rock-solid defenders!
Van Buyten and Demichelis!
Even Raul had been restricted by them to dozens of futile attempts!
What chance did this unknown youngster have?
However!
What shocked Schweinsteiger—and all Bayern stars—soon happened!
The Schalke No. 23, who had skillfully dribbled past Schweinsteiger, did not continue to advance with the ball.
At a full 35 meters from goal!
Right after flicking the ball behind him, before it had even touched the ground!
Right after completing the turn on Schweinsteiger’s left side!
The No. 23 suddenly lifted his left foot high and fiercely struck the ball!
“Bang!!!”
Schweinsteiger, standing close, clearly heard the loud crack as Lin Hao unleashed the shot.
With that explosive sound, the ball instantly became a white streak flying straight toward Bayern Munich’s goal!
At this moment, Bayern’s center backs Van Buyten and Demichelis were still watching Raul’s movement!
They never expected someone to shoot from 35 meters!
Likewise, Bayern’s goalkeeper Kraft, who hadn’t made a save in a long time, was caught off guard.
Of course, although he didn’t expect the shot from that distance, Kraft still relied on his experience to dive toward the ball.
But after throwing his whole body out, Kraft hopelessly realized...
That damned youngster had struck a shot that completely defied physics.
At first, the ball headed towards the left side of the goal.
But in midair, the ball drew an extremely strange S-shaped curve!
Finally, it changed course from left to right!
Kraft was stunned!
Not just Kraft!
Everyone on the pitch was stunned!
At this moment!
Exactly ten seconds after Lin Hao came on!
“Beep!!!”
Finally, as the ball curled into the far corner of the net and spun several times on the netting, the referee’s whistle confirmed the goal!
“Beautiful!!!”
“Beautiful!!!!”
“Beautiful!!!!”
“Goal!!!”
“Goal!!!”
“64 minutes and 10 seconds!”
“Less than ten seconds after coming on as a substitute, Lin Hao received a pass and used a breathtaking Bergkamp turn to dribble past Bayern’s top midfielder Schweinsteiger!”
“Before the ball even touched the ground!”
“Lin Hao immediately unleashed a sensational S-shaped super strike!”
“At 35 meters!”
.........................
“Lin Hao dribbled with his right foot and blasted a super strike with his left foot that could easily contend for the Puskás Award!”
“Oh my god!”
“Oh my god!!!”
“Ten seconds!”
“If, ten seconds ago, Schalke 04 fans were wondering who the substitute No. 23 replacing Huntelaar was...”
“Then in just ten seconds!”
“Lin Hao told all Schalke 04 fans exactly who he was!!”
“Similarly, in just ten seconds!”
“Lin Hao silenced those Bayern fans in the stands...”
-[“Holy crap! Damn! That goal was fucking amazing! That... that’s terrifying!”]
-[“Indeed! This is definitely a Puskás-level goal! That dribble was insane, who would have thought Lin Hao could shoot like that right after turning!”]
-[“I’ve watched football for so many years, but I’ve never seen such a fantastic goal! Bergkamp turn plus a super curling shot—this is insanely difficult!”]
-[“Awesome! I was just hoping Lin Hao wouldn’t make mistakes, but less than ten seconds in, he already scores like this!”]
-[“Damn, that shot was so satisfying! Look at those Bayern fans who were smirking before—they’re speechless now!”]
.......................
He Wei on the bench erupted into hysterical shouting.
Although known as the poet of football, always describing goals with the most artistic words, at this moment!
Because he was in a foreign land!
Because of insults from radical fans!
Because the brilliant goal was scored by his compatriot!
He only wanted to vent his frustration with the wildest, most furious roar!
And just as He Wei said!
The moment the referee’s whistle blew, tens of thousands of Schalke 04 fans at the Pulse Stadium, who had been silent for sixty minutes, all jumped up and roared wildly.
Though they were still trailing in score!
Lin Hao’s goal was simply explosive!
There was nothing on the football field more thrilling than such a spectacularly violent and beautiful super strike!
“God! Who is that kid? Who is that kid?”
“Fuck! That’s the U20 runner-up kid! There was a feature on him in the sports paper before!”
“.................”
Schalke 04 fans embraced each other and celebrated wildly.
On the sidelines, Old Ma, just as Van Gaal had observed, raised both arms and shouted wildly the moment Lin Hao scored.
More than the goal itself!
Old Ma was most excited because he knew he had bet right!
At 18 years old, to score such a super strike against a top star like Schweinsteiger while the team was far behind...
Old Ma knew that even if they lost the match and the championship!
This goal alone was worth it!
.........................
After that super strike, the entire Pulse Stadium turned into a rolling sea of blue.
But while everyone was still celebrating, Lin Hao, the protagonist, showed no sign of celebration.
He quickly dashed toward Bayern’s goal, hugged the ball, and signaled for the team to return to the halfway line quickly.
At this moment, Magath, who had already fallen in love with Lin Hao, felt even more delighted.
Apart from anything else, for a player of this age to score such a goal in such an important match and still restrain himself from celebrating, instead urging the team to continue focusing on the game...
This mentality...
This...
Of course, since Old Ma thought so, Raul, who was equally stunned by Lin Hao’s brilliance, also showed his appreciation with both hands, signaling the whole team to retreat.
Moreover, as he walked back with Lin Hao, Raul spoke:
“Lin, take shots yourself when you can! I’ll create space for you!”
In Raul’s view, just that shot proved Lin Hao’s form was explosive!
Forget luck; Lin Hao’s current state was extraordinary!
Since Raul was tightly marked by Bayern, it was better to make Lin Hao the main attacking point for Schalke 04!
“Mm! Okay!”
With Raul’s encouragement, Lin Hao nodded obediently.
Indeed!
To score such an S-shaped shot was proof enough of how absurd the system’s +50% goal rate buff was!
According to the buff that the Golden Boot must be his,
It seemed...
His form could last another 59 minutes and 50 seconds?
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P.S.: Today’s double update is here. Please, dear readers, kindly support with monthly tickets and follows!
The results are dismal; even the noodles don’t inspire confidence!