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Chapter 013 – Training Match and Signing
Date: 2006 (Simulation Timeline)
Place: Germany – Oe Youth Training Base
An hour later, the rondo session ended.
Su Long's performance had won the admiration of the entire squad.
Nobody dared to underestimate this young man from China anymore.
When they realized Su Long was not even 17 yet—still one month shy—everyone looked at him with surprise.
Head Coach Gerd patted Su Long on the shoulder.
"Sue, how does it feel?"
Su Long grinned. "Yes, Mr. Gerd."
Gerd raised his brows.
"Your English is excellent."
"Oh, Mr. Gerd, I don't know why, but suddenly I was enlightened. Still, I've been practicing English for a long time."
Su Long thought inwardly: I studied English for nearly ten years during my football career. I'm not lying.
Gerd listened carefully—though Su Long spoke with a Chinese accent, his communication was smooth.
Earlier, he had been worried: Su Long didn't seem to understand or speak a word of English when they first met. But in less than an hour, he was confidently speaking with teammates, even asking them to cooperate.
This change shocked Gerd.
"This is a smart, spirited child," he thought.
Perhaps… he could really help the team.
"Then let's play a training match," Gerd decided. "I see in your report you're a point-grabbing striker. In a 433 formation, that makes you the arrow. Any problem with that?"
"No problem," Su Long replied firmly.
The point-grabbing striker stands tight against the opposition's last defender, waiting for chances to break through and score. This was exactly the role Su Long played at the U17 World Cup.
Back then, coach Liu Ming had wanted him as a second striker, drawing defenders to create space. But Su Long fought for the position of poacher—and he liked it that way. He loved to score.
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After a ten-minute break and warm-up, Su Long joined the U19 youth team for an 11v11 training match.
Normally, the team had 22 players—perfect for two sides. With Su Long, there was one extra.
"Sue, you go to Team B. Andreas, take a rest," Gerd instructed.
Andreas, Team B's striker, sat on the bench without complaint. In the youth team, rotations were frequent; nobody found it strange.
But Gerd's intentions were clear: Team A was stronger than Team B. He wanted to see if Su Long could shine when surrounded by weaker teammates. Could he carry a team?
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The match began.
As usual, Team A dominated possession. Wave after wave of attacks pinned Team B back. Su Long barely touched the ball.
Yet he remained calm, sticking close to Team A's last defender, waiting patiently.
Finally, a clearance from Team B's defender fell directly to Su Long's feet.
"Here's the chance!"
All eyes turned toward him.
On the sidelines, Su Mu gripped her husband's hand so tightly he cried out, "Ow, what are you doing?!"
"The dragon has the ball!" she blurted.
"Ball or no ball—" Father Su began, then froze. His eyes widened.
Su Long didn't pass back. Instead, he split the defender with a sudden burst—ball one way, body the other.
First defender, beaten.
Charging into the box, he feinted cleanly past the second.
One-on-one with the keeper, Su Long aimed for the top corner—but the ball smashed against the bar. Team A's players broke into a cold sweat.
Su Long shook his head. That's football.
On the sideline, Su Mu sighed. "Just a little bit more…"
Father Su smiled faintly. "This is football."
Su Mu glared. "Your son missed a goal and you're smiling?"
"You don't understand."
She fumed silently, worried the head coach would be disappointed.
But far from disappointment, Gerd was thrilled. Strong physique, superior speed, outstanding technique, big heart. This kid has it all.
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Back on defense, Su Long thought: Too easy. The next chance, I'll bury it.
Moments later, he received the ball near the halfway line. Three defenders closed in.
From his earlier run, Team A knew: Su Long was Team B's only threat. Stop him, and the game was over.
But in a flash, he dribbled past the first. Then with sheer pace, he blew by the second. A sharp cut deceived the third—Su Long was through.
Into the box.
The defenders rushed to block, but he unleashed a powerful strike.
The ball flew into the top corner. Goal.
Stunned silence.
One man… dismantled Team A's defense.
Even before five minutes had passed, Gerd was convinced. The training match didn't need to continue.
He glanced at assistant coach Eller.
"Well?"
Eller's eyes shone. "Very good! This is exactly the type of player we need. At such a young age, his qualities are already first-class. His potential is enormous."
Gerd nodded.
"Potential aside—even his current strength is far beyond the youth team. And there's no issue with the language. I'll move him directly to the second team."
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In the office, Su Long signed his agreement with the Oe Club.
Signing fee: £150,000
Weekly wage: £1,000 (automatically raised to £1,500 once promoted to the first team)
Appearance fee: £100
Goal bonus: £50
Assist bonus: £30
Contract length: 4 years
Release clause: £10 million
Since Su Long was under 17, his parents co-signed.
Su Mu's eyes reddened as she held the pen.
"Xiaolong… are you sure you want to stay here? These houses are so old and broken. Not as good as home."
Su Long chuckled. "The village might look shabby, but their football is world-class. Sign it."
With the final stroke, Su Long officially became a player of Oe Club—placed in the second team, competing in the German fourth division.
At that moment, the system prompt appeared before his eyes:
〖Ding! The host has become a player of the German Second Division club Oe. Reward: 10 Achievement Points.〗
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