"Goal!"
"Perišić scored the equalizer!"
"The score is now one to one!"
"Black Gold's substitution was an instant success!"
"After Mark came on, he immediately changed the attack on the field!"
"Although this goal was not directly scored or assisted by him, fifty percent of the credit must go to him!"
Accompanied by the excited narration of the commentator, the Berlin Olympic Stadium had already turned into a sea of cheers.
Witnessing the ball entering the net, Mark also raised his arms and shouted:
"Nice!"
"Sure enough, I wasn't wrong!"
The effect of King of Free Kicks is not only reflected in the accuracy bonus of direct shots but also in the accuracy of direct passes!
He admitted that there was an element of luck in this ball.
However, he originally intended to pass the ball to Naldo's head!
Although it was not as precise as Beckham's, it was pretty close!
As his thoughts turned, he did not forget to turn around and high-five and hug R. Rho next to him.
"That pass was amazing!"
"Hahaha, thank you for letting me take it..."
"No problem!"
Afterward, the two also ran to the corner flag to celebrate this crucial goal with their other teammates.
Compared to the excited Wolfsburg players, the disappointment and helplessness of the Bayern players were evident.
Neuer waved his hand, attributing the responsibility for the conceded goal to right-back Rafinha:
"Rafael (Rafinha), you need to mark your man on this ball! Don't just watch the ball!"
"That number nine was right next to you, how did he get to the second point?!"
Rafinha, knowing he was in the wrong, lowered his head and made no response.
With Lahm injured and off the field, and Schweinsteiger not present, this Bayern team lacked a true leader on the field.
Although Robben and Müller could barely be called leaders.
But when Neuer reprimanded Rafinha, neither of them spoke out.
After all, Rafinha was indeed most responsible for this conceded goal... Meanwhile, in the stands.
Witnessing Mark deliver a high-quality set-piece cross to help the team equalize, Löw rubbed his nose, suppressed the strong impulse in his heart, and then turned to Flick beside him:
"Mark's set-piece technique is also good, why wasn't it written in the scout report?"
"It's simple, this is the first time he has taken a set-piece in his career so far!"
"Could it be that his set-piece technique was good all along, but he just didn't have the chance to take it?"
"Perhaps, after all, this is only his first season in the first team..."
As Perišić equalized the score, the morale of the Wolfsburg players soared!
What if they are the Bundesliga overlords? What if they are all big-name stars?
Didn't we still score against them?!
As the match progressed, they seemed to see hope of defeating the Bundesliga overlords and winning the championship!
Especially when they saw Mark dribbling on the wing and creating threats, their confidence in victory grew stronger!
Football matches are like wars in peacetime.
In addition to the players' strength, tactics, morale, and fighting spirit are all key factors in determining victory or defeat.
As the saying goes, one's gain is another's loss.
Originally, the Bayern stars, who had won the German Cup several times, were not very interested in this small German Cup.
Their desire for the championship was not as strong as that of the Wolfsburg players.
Coupled with the fact that the situation was not as overwhelming as expected, it also caught them somewhat by surprise.
On the other hand, Wolfsburg pressed on, using tireless high-pressing to pressure Bayern's defense and launch highly threatening attacks on the spot. In the 70th minute, De Bruyne received a horizontal pass from Mark and unleashed a long-range shot from the top of the penalty area.
Unfortunately, the angle was too central, and Neuer pushed it over the crossbar with both palms.
In the 72nd minute, Wolfsburg launched another attack, with Perišić's cross from the left wing directly finding Olić.
The latter's diving header narrowly missed the goal.
It wasn't until the 75th minute that Guardiola finally couldn't hold back and replaced Götze with veteran striker Pizarro.
This substitution meant that he had to overturn his pre-match tactical deployment, admitting that his initial lineup was wrong!
This was definitely a humiliating moment for a world-renowned coach who was very stubborn about his coaching philosophy.
In addition, he also called right-back Rafinha to the sideline for a face-to-face instruction:
"Later you will switch positions with Diego (Contento), and you will mark that number 45!"
"Remember, defend in front, and make sure he doesn't get the ball easily!"
Such a special arrangement was enough to show the importance this world-renowned coach, who once led the dream team Barça to sweep Europe, attached to Mark!
With Bayern making substitutions and targeted tactical adjustments, the Bundesliga overlords' passive situation on the field changed.
As Rafinha switched to the left wing to specifically mark Mark, Mark also became slightly less active.
Although getting past Rafinha was not a problem.
But Rafinha was much harder to deal with than Contento.
He was fast enough, and his center of gravity was low, making his defense very tight and difficult to completely shake off.
Moreover, he would often defend in front, preventing Mark from receiving the ball before attempting a frontal breakthrough.
It is worth mentioning that for Rafinha, who had personally seen Ronaldinho play, the handsome black-haired young man's dribbling and movements were surprisingly similar to Ronaldinho's!
"What's going on?!"
"Is he Brazilian or German?!"
However, Mark would not know the shock in Rafinha's heart.
Facing this familiar move, Mark did not foolishly stay in place waiting for the ball, but instead started to run into space and receive passes.
What made him smarter than many ball-holding wingers was his willingness to make empty runs to create space for his teammates.
Instead of foolishly pulling wide to the touchline and waiting for teammates to pass him the ball...
As Bayern's defensive focus shifted to the left, Mark alone drew the attention of the full-back and a defensive midfielder, giving De Bruyne more space to operate in the middle.
He also used his passing ability to deliver several surgical through balls to Olić and Perišić!
Unfortunately, Olić's powerful shot went slightly over the crossbar, and Perišić's curling shot was saved by Neuer with one hand, failing to take the lead.
Bayern, however, was not to be outdone.
With Pizarro's arrival, Bayern's front line had a pivot for back-to-goal play, and Kroos's exquisite short through passes were also able to be utilized. In the 82nd minute, Kroos's direct pass found Pizarro in the box. The latter, with his sturdy, age-defying physique, leaned back against Naldo and laid the ball off.
Kroos followed up with a powerful push shot!
Fortunately, Benaglio was focused and dived down in time, blocking the extremely fast low shot out for a corner.
"A brilliant save!"
"Both sides had chances to kill the game, but neither capitalized."
"With less than ten minutes left in regular time, will there be a last-minute winner?"
"Or will it go into extra time?"
In the 85th minute of the match, an unexpected turn of events occurred!
Mark and De Bruyne crossed positions, and as Mark came to the middle to receive the ball and prepare to turn, he was directly bumped from behind by Javi Martínez, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Compared to Højbjerg, the tall and strong Javi Martínez was even more robust, and Mark's current "small frame" of 1.77 meters and about 130 pounds was simply not enough!
However, this direct foul on the man still gave Wolfsburg a free-kick opportunity.
After a quick estimate, the free-kick spot was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight meters from the goal, just right for a direct shot!
Mark, sitting on the ground, also had a sharp look in his eyes:
"Opportunity has arrived!"
Normally, when there's a free-kick opportunity with a direct shot on goal, it's the center-back Naldo who unleashes his powerful shot.
However, this time, Mark quickly got up from the ground, completely ignoring the grass clippings on him, and directly approached Naldo, who was preparing to take the kick.
"Apa (Naldo's nickname), I want to try!"
Looking at Mark's determined face, and recalling the free-kick technique Mark had shown in training, Naldo didn't say anything unnecessary, just patted him on the shoulder:
"Then it's up to you!"
Nodding heavily, Mark immediately turned around, picked up the ball, and began to carefully place it. This scene also left the fans of both teams in the stands confused:
"This kid stole his teammate's free kick again?!"
"At this distance, he can shoot directly. Does he want to try a shot?"
"You're kidding, it's so far, and the opposing goalkeeper is Neuer..."
"That's right, how is that possible..."
Even the Wolfsburg fans, who had great faith in him, were somewhat caught off guard by Mark's actions.
"Mark wants to take this ball himself?"
"Naldo's powerful shot is more reliable. If we pay attention to the second point for a rebound in front of the goal, we might also have a chance to score."
"Let's watch, maybe he'll get lucky..."
Seeing that Mark was preparing to take the kick, Neuer did not let his guard down but instead instructed his teammates to form a four-man wall.
At this moment, Mark, having placed the ball, took a few steps back, spread his legs, and looked up to observe the wall and Neuer's positioning.
For a moment, he had an inexplicable feeling that he had entered a mysterious state.
His body was extremely relaxed, but his mind was highly concentrated, and he had even simulated in his mind the image of the ball drawing a strange arc in the air, rapidly dipping after clearing the wall, and finally hitting the underside of the crossbar and bouncing into the net!
His eyes like torches, he stared intently at the goal. The next second, he pushed off with his foot, and his entire body accelerated towards the ball!
His run-up was like a straight line, then he sharply swung his lower leg, his ankle taut, and the inside of his instep connected with the middle of the ball with a "thwack"!
And at the moment of contact, Mark had an inexplicable feeling:
This ball is in!
The next second, the ball flew out like a cannonball, precisely clearing Javi Martínez's head, the highest point of the wall, and heading straight for the goal.
If a high-definition camera had captured it in slow motion, it would have shown that the ball had no spin at all!
"That ball is too high!"
Just as everyone thought the ball would fly over the goal, an unexpected turn of events occurred!
The ball, having cleared the wall, suddenly dipped noticeably, then inexplicably curved, flying towards the top right corner of the goal!
Neuer, on the goal line, was also startled by the ball's strange arc, first to the left then to the right, and immediately jumped up, attempting a two-handed save to the heavens!
However, the ball's trajectory was too bizarre, and his outstretched palms failed to touch it.
The next second, a crisp "Duang" sound was heard, and the ball actually hit the underside of the crossbar, then bounced into the net!
At the same time, Neuer, who had leaped up, also fell back down, looking back at the ball resting quietly in the net, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Damn it, that ball actually curved?!"
For a moment, nearly twenty thousand Wolfsburg fans erupted in an astonishing roar, instantly engulfing the entire Berlin Olympic Stadium!
"GOAL~~~~"
"An incredible goal!!!"
"A super free kick from twenty-eight meters out!"
"Eighteen-year-old super prodigy Mark pierced Bayern's goal with a stunning free kick!"
"Wolfsburg has taken the lead!"
Mark, having scored the goal, simply spread his arms and displayed a brilliant smile, accepting the adoration of the entire stadium.
At this moment, all the Wolfsburg fans in the stadium began to chant his name:
"Mark!"
"Mark!!"
"Mark!!!"
At this moment, he was the god of this stadium!
The next second, his teammates swarmed in and surrounded him.
Patting Mark's head, Naldo excitedly said:
"Well done! F***ing well done!"
At this moment, he felt incredibly right about his decision to cede the free-kick to Mark!
De Bruyne, his face flushed, also excitedly put his arm around Mark's shoulder and roared in his ear:
"That goal was absolutely unbelievable!"
Compared to the excited Wolfsburg players and staff, the Bayern players looked at each other, bewildered.
They dared not, nor did they have any reason to, blame Neuer for not saving that goal.
Because that shot was simply too bizarre, too tricky!
Guardiola on the sideline also shook his head, looking helpless.
He could see that this goal was not a problem with the wall, nor a problem with Neuer.
It was simply the incredibly high quality of Mark's free kick!
This feeling of powerlessness, knowing that his team hadn't made a mistake yet still conceding a goal to the opponent, was something he had only truly felt after leaving Barça.
The last time he was defeated by Real Madrid, this time, it was Mark scoring what might become the best goal of this season's German Cup.
After a round of celebrations, Mark casually smoothed his messy black hair and walked towards his own half.
At this moment, his inner conjecture had also been answered.
The reason this free kick could go in was not only due to the effect of the King of Free Kicks card but also the superimposed effect of Super Substitute!
Under Super Substitute, his shooting skills were greatly enhanced, which allowed him to execute this high-quality free kick, which he might not be able to replicate even once in ten attempts during training or a match!
And in the stands, watching the black-haired youth with a radiant smile, Löw couldn't help but exclaim:
"This kid, you've given me a big surprise..."
...
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