Chapter 1 熱身赛，首发

Although it was a warm-up match, the coaching staff still took it very seriously. So, as with a formal youth team game, head coach Eckel announced the starting lineup for tomorrow's match the day before the game.

When he mentioned Zhou Yi's name, his teammates all looked at Zhou Yi, but no one was too surprised to make any noise.

Because Zhou Yi's ability had been seen by all his teammates in usual training, such a player was indeed capable of starting in this team.

In addition, after the previous experience of playing against each other, the Borussia Dortmund U17 youth team accepted Zhou Yi very quickly.

Zhou Yi himself was surprised that he could start so soon in the game.

Although he also wanted to play, he also felt that he shouldn't start too quickly. He was very clear about his shortcomings, so he worked hard in physical training.

Of course, he was also happy if he could play in the game as soon as possible.

But... he glanced at Mark with some worry.

He's starting, but what about Mark? Zhou Yi wouldn't be happy if Mark was still out of the game.

He turned to look at Mark, but saw Mark secretly giving him a thumbs up.

Sigh.

Zhou Yi sighed in his heart.

Mark is such a good person, I hope good people are rewarded...

As he was thinking, he suddenly heard head coach Eckel say, "Mark Wagner."

Mark was obviously startled. He reflexively said, "Huh?" He didn't understand why the head coach suddenly called his name. He thought that his little interaction with Zhou Yi had been seen by the head coach and he was going to be criticized.

But the other teammates reacted differently. There was a commotion in the crowd—Mark Wagner, the youth team's eternal substitute, had actually made the starting list!

Although it was only a warm-up match, it was still shocking enough for those who knew Mark.

But Zhou Yi was very happy, good people really do get rewarded!

He also turned around and gave Mark a thumbs up, while reminding the still stunned Mark with his mouth: You're starting!

Mark finally reacted and shouted excitedly, "Yeah!"

This caused the teammates to burst into laughter.

"Okay, okay." Eckel pressed his palms down. "It's just a warm-up match, don't get so excited."

The teammates laughed even louder.

Mark calmed down and scratched his head embarrassedly, but the excitement in his heart was still expressed on his face, unable to be suppressed.

※※※

After finishing training, on the way home, Mark couldn't wait to announce to his father that he would be starting in tomorrow's match.

Old Wagner was also very happy: "Really?! That's great, we're all coming to watch your game tomorrow, Mark!"

"Hehe!" Mark scratched his head and grinned.

Back home, Old Wagner shouted as soon as he entered the door: "Wife! Wife! Our Mark is starting!"

Mrs. Wagner, who was busy in the kitchen, rushed out of the kitchen like a whirlwind when she heard the words, and then hugged Mark: "Oh! My good son! I knew it! I knew you could do it!"

The three people embraced each other ecstatically in front of Zhou Yi and celebrated.

It's just a starting position in a friendly match...

Looking at this scene, Zhou Yi couldn't help but wonder, what would they do to celebrate if their son got a starting position in the Bundesliga in the future?

Throw a grand carnival party?

Mrs. Wagner, in the midst of the celebration, noticed Zhou Yi watching from the side, remembered that Zhou Yi was also there, so she asked Mark, "Is it just you who's starting?"

Mark naturally understood what his mother was asking, and replied, "Of course Zhou Yi is also starting!"

Mrs. Wagner cheered and pounced on Zhou Yi: "This is truly a day worth celebrating!"

So Zhou Yi was also dragged into this family's celebration...

※※※

During the evening special training, Mark suddenly asked Zhou Yi nervously, "Are we going to do targeted special training?"

Zhou Yi was a little surprised: "How are you going to do targeted special training in the game? There's no Dusseldorf U17 in this game at all, right?"

"Uh... then what about the Dusseldorf first team?" Mark was not discouraged.

"Same, they're not even in the second division."

Mark sighed.

Zhou Yi found it strange: "There's nothing to care about, Mark? It's just a warm-up match, and the opponent is very weak."

"You're right, Zhou Yi. If it were before, I wouldn't have taken this game to heart at all. Anyway, it's difficult for me to play in official games, so warm-up games don't matter at all. The coach lets me play just to let the main players rest." Unexpectedly, Mark said very seriously. "I know my position, I don't have much hope for my future... To be honest. My sister said that I'm not suitable for playing football, I'm not convinced, but sometimes, I have to admit in my heart that maybe she's right."

Seeing Mark actually say this, Zhou Yi wanted to comfort him and say something like "You also have your advantages."

But before he could speak, he heard Mark continue to say: "But this time is different. I don't know why the head coach put me on the starting list. I was a substitute even in warm-up matches in the past. But I think this should be an opportunity for me. I want to seize this opportunity, I want to win a real starting position. Zhou Yi, I also..."

Speaking of this, Mark paused, as if gathering a lot of courage, and said: "I also want to go to the first team!"

Zhou Yi looked at Mark, who was so serious that his forehead was covered with sweat, and he seemed to remember the teammates he had met in the reality show. Where are they now? Are they still working hard for their dreams?

"Mark."

"Ah?"

"You will definitely be able to go to the first team!" Zhou Yi said. "What do you think about scoring a hat-trick tomorrow?"

The first half of the sentence made Mark happy, and the second half surprised him: "Hat, hat-trick? Can I?"

"Have you forgotten our 'special training'? What is 'special training' for? Is it just for show? If it's not useful, what kind of 'special training' is it?" Zhou Yi felt that everything about Mark was good, except that he lacked confidence. Of course, this was understandable. It would be strange if someone who had been a substitute in the team for so many years had enough confidence in themselves, right?

After all, there are not many people like Hanamichi Sakuragi.

Hearing Zhou Yi mention "special training", Mark really gained confidence.

Yes, special training!

I am also improving!

※※※

At night, in the world of FIFA Online 3, Zhou Yi found that he had an extra opponent to play against, which happened to be the Dusseldorf U17 youth team.

The team that couldn't be found in Pro Evolution Soccer, thanks to this system's perfect mapping of reality, Zhou Yi was finally able to play against this team in advance and feel them out.

To be honest, although Zhou Yi comforted Mark and said that Dusseldorf was a very weak team, he actually didn't know whether this team was weak or not.

So as soon as Zhou Yi entered the system, he couldn't wait to play a game with the Dusseldorf U17 youth team.

He used the starting lineup announced by head coach Eckel today to deal with this team, and finally beat the opponent 8:0.

The opponent's strength was indeed too far behind compared to Borussia Dortmund's youth team.

Zhou Yi himself completed four assists and one goal in the game. In the post-match ratings, his score was second only to Mark Wagner, who scored a hat-trick—he did what he said, even in the virtual world, partnering with the virtual Mark, he had to let the opponent complete a hat-trick.

That night, Zhou Yi played a full eight games with the Dusseldorf U17 youth team, and he studied everyone on the opponent's team.

The reason why he attached so much importance to such a weak team was because Zhou Yi didn't want any accidents, he wanted to ensure that everything was foolproof.

Just like Mark said, this game was an opportunity. Although he didn't know the real purpose of the coaching staff's arrangement for him to start in this warm-up match, he could feel that it was impossible for them to let him play for no reason. If he performed well, the coaching staff would definitely have no reason not to let him continue to play.

Zhou Yi didn't plan to stay in the U17 for too long, so he had to seize every game opportunity.

Klopp had promised to let him play in the first team's games, but whether he could or not depended on whether he lived up to expectations.

※※※

The next day, because it was a game day and a home game, the team didn't arrange any training. The players could only go to the Brackel training base two hours before the game—youth team games were generally arranged in their respective club's training bases. They did not sell tickets to the public, nor did they conduct live broadcasts.

Mark was still a little nervous, but Zhou Yi was much calmer.

Mark was very strange as to why Zhou Yi was so calm.

Zhou Yi made Mark speechless with one sentence.

"I have played against the youth teams of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Arsenal... and other wealthy teams. What's there to be nervous about playing against the Dusseldorf youth team?"

Mark was speechless.

In terms of game experience, Zhou Yi may not have played as many games as him, but in terms of the size of the world he had seen, Zhou Yi was definitely stronger than him, this Dortmund bumpkin.

At least Mark had never competed with the youth teams of Barcelona and Real Madrid.

And he heard Zhou Yi say that when they returned to Barcelona, they also defeated the La Masia youth team!

That was very remarkable.

Any young football player knows the strength of the La Masia youth team.

Thinking about it this way, Zhou Yi really had the right to not be nervous.

But Zhou Yi's lack of nervousness didn't mean that Mark could not be nervous.

He would still be nervous.

Seeing that he was so nervous that he was a little distracted, Zhou Yi had no choice but to comfort him: "Don't worry, Mark. You will definitely score a hat-trick in today's game. Because I dreamed that you scored three goals."

"Is your dream accurate, Zhou Yi?" Mark was still not at ease.

"It's simply a 'divine prediction'!" Zhou Yi gave himself a thumbs up.

"Okay, I believe you..."

In fact, Zhou Yi could have directly told Mark about Dusseldorf's weaknesses, but then he wouldn't be able to explain why he knew so much about a team he had never seen before?

Excuses like "senior fan" and "enthusiastic FM player" could be used once or twice, but not every time.

Even if he wanted to tell Mark the opponent's weaknesses, he would have to use other methods.