Chapter 408: Chapter 88: King of Iduna! Seizing the Opening Against Atletico! Wang Shuo’s First Long Shot

The Dutch have a particular preference for playing left-footed center-backs on the left and right-footed center-backs on the right, claiming it facilitates passing.

However, this also creates a weakness.

A gap can easily open up between the two center-backs.

And that was the exact route Wang Shuo intended to attack!

Wang Shuo pushed the ball forward, charging toward the right center-back, Pereira.

Both Pereira and Domingos chose to hold their ground.

With no cover ahead and the penalty area right behind them, they couldn’t afford to back down.

Pereira kept his eyes glued on Wang Shuo, watching his every move.

Wang Shuo, in turn, was watching Pereira, constantly calculating the distance.

This required precise timing, especially considering the speed of Pereira’s press.

As he reached the edge of the penalty area, Wang Shuo took a slightly heavier touch, pushing the ball ahead of him.

This gave Pereira a glimmer of hope.

’I can get to that ball!’

The Colombia center-back decisively went for the tackle, charging straight for the ball.

Even though it was an impulsive decision, Pereira was no slouch.

He knew he couldn’t let Wang Shuo break past him on his right. So as he committed to the challenge, he angled his body slightly to the right. This was to prevent Wang Shuo from slipping past on that side in case he missed the ball.

As for his left side, his teammate Domingos was there to provide cover.

But just as Pereira made his move, Wang Shuo suddenly accelerated. With a lightning-fast motion of his left foot, he cut the ball to his right, deftly avoiding Pereira’s challenge.

Wang Shuo adjusted with a series of quick, short steps, changed direction to his right, and caught up with the ball.

As he ran onto the ball, Wang Shuo glanced over at Domingos.

The Atletico Madrid center-back was left-footed, and his first instinct was to move across to cut him off.

But at 1.89 meters tall, he was a little slow off the mark. Plus, he was left-footed.

Then there was the goalkeeper, De Gea.

He had been constantly adjusting his position in response to Wang Shuo’s advance.

He was now positioned toward the right post.

Through [Insight] and [Eagle Eye], all the information flooded into Wang Shuo’s mind in a single instant.

[First Move] immediately calculated the optimal next move.

If Wang Shuo chose to carry the ball into the penalty area himself, he likely wouldn’t succeed. He would be intercepted by Domingos at the Arc Top District.

The defender would use his body to shield the ball, stopping Wang Shuo in his tracks.

The two Atletico Madrid center-backs were clearly in perfect sync.

But Wang Shuo made a quicker decision.

A long shot!

The moment he evaded Pereira and created a sliver of space, he had a clear view of De Gea and the goal.

He was positioned about 23 meters from the goal.

How did Wang Shuo know?

Because he practiced free kicks all day long.

He had taken countless free kicks from this spot and was plenty confident.

But a long shot from open play is different from a free kick.

With a free kick, you have to account for the wall and curl the ball.

But a long shot doesn’t.

It demands power, speed, and precision.

Wang Shuo planted his left foot, digging it firmly into the turf.

This step allowed him to lean his body into a perfectly comfortable angle, ideal for striking with his right foot.

This was the work of [Coordination]!

[Foundation] let him channel all his body’s strength into his right foot in a split second.

Empowered by both [Swift] and [Ball Sense], Wang Shuo suddenly unleashed a shot in an instant. He struck the ball precisely, transferring all his power into it.

He could even feel the ball deform at the moment of impact.

A loud BANG followed as the ball rocketed forward, a blur to the naked eye.

De Gea’s reaction was incredibly fast.

The instant Wang Shuo struck the ball, De Gea launched himself sideways toward the left side of the goal, hoping to palm it away.

Just like how he had saved Wang Shuo’s previous shot!

But this time, the ball was simply too fast.

The ball Wang Shuo fired shot forward like a bolt of lightning, piercing through the Atletico Madrid goal in an instant.

De Gea’s diving leap didn’t even come close to the ball, and he landed heavily on the turf.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"

"Just five minutes into the match, Dortmund is the first to score, breaking through Atletico Madrid’s goal!"

"It’s a long shot from Wang Shuo from outside the penalty area!"

"An incredibly powerful and perfectly placed shot!"

"From just to the right of the center of the Arc Top District, he blasted the ball directly into the left side of the Atletico Madrid goal."

"1-0!"

After scoring, Wang Shuo excitedly turned and sprinted toward the sidelines.

Before the match, his plan was to exploit two weaknesses. First, neither Assunção nor Raul Garcia were good at tracking back into position. Second, the left-right pairing of the center-backs created exploitable space. His goal was to make a play in the gap between Atletico Madrid’s lines of defense.

He hadn’t decided beforehand whether to take a long shot or attempt a breakthrough by dribbling. He was simply playing it by ear.

And now, it was clear his plan had paid off!

As he sprinted to the sideline to celebrate, his Dortmund teammates all rushed over and piled on top of him.

"My idea is working! Let’s keep exploiting it!" Wang Shuo said, brimming with confidence.

The others all nodded in agreement.