Chapter 37 The Crux

When the day's training was over, Mark really stayed on the training ground alone for additional shooting practice, and Zhou Yi did not leave the gym after the strength training, but was doing his physical training.

Both teenagers are working hard for their dreams.

But when Zhou Yi was doing endurance training on the treadmill, his mind was thinking about Mark's question.

Improving one's ability is the foundation of the team, but it takes too long to do so. After all, it is not something that can be achieved overnight if you want to improve your skills.

So is there any way to improve his performance in a short period of time so that Mark can play in the U19 game?

Zhou Yi thought hard.

But until the end of the training, he didn't think of any way to do it.

On the way home, Mark's mood was obviously much higher than yesterday. After half an hour of shooting training, he felt that he had found the right direction of his efforts, so he just continued to work hard.

He suddenly had confidence in his future.

But Zhou Yi was not as optimistic as Mark.

When sleeping at night, Zhou Yi entered the virtual world. When he and his virtual U19 teammates started training, his eyes were fixed on Mark. He was observing Mark, hoping to see something from the observation. something is coming.

After only watching for a while, his eyes suddenly brightened, and he realized the problem!

In fact, he has seen this problem before, but he has always ignored it, because his playing style is somewhat similar to Mark to a certain extent, so he didn't take this problem seriously.

Until now, when he was thinking hard about how to make Mark perform well, he realized that this might be the root cause of Mark's poor performance in training.

But he still needs to verify it. So he started giving Mark all kinds of passes in training.

Some of the balls were going into those clear spaces, and Mark would be in the space very well, receive the ball, be almost unmarked, shoot and score.

But sometimes, when the space is not so big, Zhou Yi will also pass the football. This kind of ball requires Mark to fight hand-to-hand with the opponent's defender, and Mark's success rate of getting the ball plummets.

Some balls he didn't even catch because he didn't think he could catch them.

※※※

The next day, in the locker room, while changing clothes and preparing to go out for training, Zhou Yi pretended to ask Mark casually: "Mark, I found that you like to play football while hiding from defenders?"

Mark nodded: "Well, after all, I'm not a strong striker like Schneider. If I wrestle with a defender, I won't have the upper hand. You have to use your strengths to avoid weaknesses, right?"

"Then Mark, I think I know why you can't play as well as I did without me," Zhou Yi said.

Hearing this, Mark looked up at Zhou Yi, a little surprised, but also a little urgent: "Why?"

"Well, the reason is that you like to hide from the defenders when you play football. In fact, I also like to hide from defenders when I play football. I always choose to catch the ball at the intersection of several defensive areas, so that when I have time , and rarely face the opponent’s direct defense. The reason is the same as yours. My body is not strong enough. The board. But I’m doing fine now because I’m a midfielder and there’s a lot of space on the football field for me to move around and I can always find space to catch the ball. But you can’t.”

Zhou Yi began to analyze Mark.

"You are a striker, of course you can retreat to catch the ball, but when deciding whether you can score, your active area is basically concentrated in the opponent's 30-meter area, or even in the penalty area. There is a small space and personnel Dense, not too much space for you to catch the ball comfortably. If you consciously distance yourself from the defenders and avoid them, then you will have fewer chances to get the ball..."

"Zhou Yi is right."

Suddenly, a voice suddenly sounded from the side, startling both Zhou Yi and Mark.

When they looked back, they realized that it was Gotze!

Seeing both of them turned their heads to look at him, Gotze quickly apologized: "Did I bother you?"

"Not really." Zhou Yi shook his head, "You can see it too?"

Gotze nodded, sat down and said to Mark: "Mark, your problem is that you seem to be a little afraid of making physical contact with the defender. In fact, although your body is not particularly strong, you are not as weak as Zhou Yi..."

Zhou Yi rolled his eyes: "Hey, who is so weak!"

Gotze ignored Zhou Yi, continued to look at Mark and said, "Are you almost 1.8 meters now?"

"1.78 meters," Mark said.

"Well, in terms of height, you are also taller than Zhou Yi..."

"Hey! Do you have the nerve to say I'm short?" After talking about weight, he also talked about height, Zhou Yi completely became the opposite. Zhou Yi couldn't bear it anymore, he stood in front of Getce with his head held high, almost half a head taller than Getce.

"I'm talking about Mark being taller than you, Zhou Yi, not me. Of course I'm not as tall as you," Gotze said. "Don't compare with me, why don't you stand next to Mark?"

"You think I'm stupid?" Zhou Yi snorted, and continued to stand next to Getze with his head held high, unmoved.

Gotze ignored him, and continued to say to Mark: "So your own conditions are not as bad as you think. Of course, you can't become a striker who can directly back up and play defenders like Schneider. But you can't be like this now. Hide when you see a defender. You have to know that not everyone who passes the ball to you will take good care of you like Zhou Yi, and the pass will make you feel comfortable when you catch it. More often, you have to be in a bad situation Going to fight for the ball with the opposing defenders in the environment, if you hide from them, how can you play?"

After Gotze finished speaking, Mark fell into deep thought.

It is indeed his habit to avoid defenders to play football. It has been developed since childhood. In the final analysis, it is a kind of psychological fear. He is afraid of physical contact with defenders, because he will not be able to catch the ball...

But how many people can accurately find the space like Zhou Yi, and then pass the football to himself?

And Zhou Yi is not just looking for vacancies, he will create some vacancies through his running and passing during the game.

How many other people have this kind of patience?

Mark's position is not very good, and the vacancy is not obvious, so simply don't pass the football to Mark.

Over time, Mark couldn't even get the ball on the court, so he naturally became a substitute, and a substitute for the substitute.

"So if you want to be able to get the chance to play and have a good performance after playing, you have to change this habit and dare to physically confront the defender." Gotze said.

Zhou Yi nodded beside him: "Yes, it doesn't matter if you fall. If you can fall in the penalty area, maybe there will be a penalty kick?"

"That's a flop!" Gotze quickly objected.

"Why is it a flop? Mark really fell! With Mark's small body, is there any problem with falling against others?" Zhou Yi said seriously.

When Mark heard Zhou Yi say this, a fantasy expression appeared on his face.

Gotze waved his hand quickly, dispelling Mark's fantasy about falling in the penalty area and getting a penalty kick: "Don't listen to Zhou Yi's nonsense. If the opponent doesn't raise his arm, it is a reasonable collision. No matter how many times you fall in the penalty area and roll Nevermind! Maybe I'll get myself a yellow card."

Zhou Yi made a face, and Mark realized that Zhou Yi was talking nonsense just now.

※※※

In the offensive combination training, Zhou Yi could see that what he said with Gotze still had an effect. Mark is obviously conscious of going to the defensive player for a physical confrontation, instead of deliberately staying far away from the defensive player like before, wishing he could just hide outside the field.

Of course, this didn't work out well at first, as Mark kept falling to the ground while fighting for the ball with opposing defenders.

Even the head coach Yebara couldn't stand it anymore, and scolded Mark: "Didn't you eat breakfast? Why do you always wrestle?"

"Mark, you fell again, did you wear the wrong shoes? Is our turf very slippery!"

...

Facing the scolding from the head coach, Mark accepted silently with his head down every time, but when the training continued, he started to go his own way again, constantly confronting the defenders, and then fell to the ground without any suspense...

Seeing Mark like this, Schneider's face was full of contempt, and he might even snort coldly.

But he finally didn't sneer at Mark directly, because he didn't want to be kicked off the training ground by the head coach again... That would be too shameful!

After a training session, Mark's jersey and training vest all changed color, covered with grass clippings and dirt, looking like a mud monkey.

But Mark himself was quite happy. After he came down, he said to Zhou Yi: "How is it? Am I particularly brave!"

Zhou Yi looked at the bruises and bruises on Mark's body and nodded: "It's very brave, but it's also very brainless."

"Ah?" Mark didn't expect Zhou Yi to say that about him. Shouldn't he praise himself at this time?

Zhou Yi spread his hands: "That's why your sister always looks down on athletes and thinks that athletes are brainless idiots. I think it's mostly related to you... Courage is commendable, but training and improvement must have the correct means and methods. You bump around like this Yes, it’s useless except for hurting yourself. If you want to fight against defenders, you have to have the right way to fight, right? At least you need to strengthen your strength training, right? I happened to be practicing strength with Coach Wangler during this time, I have some experience. I think you should stop practicing shooting after training. Come to the gym and I will teach you to practice strength, especially upper body strength, which can strengthen your confrontation ability. Don’t you think my physical confrontation during this period Is everything better than before?"

Mark thought about it carefully and nodded: "It seems to be better..."

"So you see, a body like mine can improve, let alone you. Playing football is actually a sport that requires brains. Mastering the correct method is much better than using brute force." Zhou Yi said.

Mark is sincerely convinced of Zhou Yi. He feels that Zhou Yi knows a lot and has a high level.

He nodded again and again: "I listen to you, Zhou Yi!"

"Then let's work hard together!" Zhou Yi patted Mark on the shoulder.

"Okay, let's work together!"