0031 The Genoa Turn (Please Bookmark and Keep Reading)

After a brief warm-up, the mental state of the Sampdoria players plummeted significantly.

The deafening shouts.
The roaring of the fans.
All of it weighed heavily on the young Sailors. Even Lombardo, who had been in fine form recently, showed rare signs of stage fright; the reputation of the Westfalenstadion as a "hellish home ground" was well-deserved. It wasn't just him; even the players who had fought their way to the Cup Winners' Cup final the previous year seemed visibly tense.

"Should we adjust the starting lineup?" Pezzotti asked with concern. Even after submitting the list, unexpected circumstances could arise, and there was still time to communicate changes to the officiating crew.

"Forget it," Boskov said, shaking his head. He was more eager to see the team grow. If he kept these children sheltered, how could they ever become top-tier players?

"Relax. Just get the ball to me," Lu Deyang said, turning back to Lanna. Lanna managed a smile that looked worse than a grimace.

In the broadcast booth, Enrico Varriale remarked worriedly, "It seems the young lads from Sampdoria have been terrified by the West Germans. Perhaps someone should explain to them that it’s actually the East Germans who are the bad guys."

Rossi coughed and replied, "They’ll adapt eventually. I was much the same when I first started." Clearly, he did not want to get entangled in the East-West German political discourse. Some things had been demonized by the West, but fear followed in the wake of such narratives.

"Very well, let's look at the starting lineups for both sides."

Borussia Dortmund (3-5-2, double pivots, single attacking midfielder):
Goalkeeper: Wolfgang de Beer
Defenders: Günter Kutowski, Thomas Helmer, Michael Schulz
Midfielders: Michael Lusch, Murdo MacLeod, Andreas Möller, Michael Zorc, Thomas Kroth
Forwards: Frank Mill, Jürgen Wegmann

Sampdoria (4-4-2, double wingers, double strikers):
Goalkeeper: Pagliuca
Defenders: Marco Lanna, Vierchowod, Pellegrini, Mannini
Midfielders: Lu Deyang, Pari, Dossena, Lombardo
Forwards: Vialli, Mancini

"We aren't surprised by De Yang’s inclusion in the starting lineup, but the name Marco Lanna is quite unexpected."
"Boskov has always been bold when it comes to using young players, so let’s see how he performs in the match."

Lu Deyang and his teammates were finishing their warm-ups. He was more familiar with the "Little World Cup" era of Serie A. As for Dortmund, he only recognized a few players, most notably Andreas Möller. In German football, anyone with the surname "Müller" was usually a force to be reckoned with. This one was particularly heavy-hitting, dubbed the successor to Beckenbauer, and his talent was undeniable. However, he had one major flaw: his temperament was inconsistent, constantly oscillating between hero and coward—he could deliver a game-winning goal one match and vanish the next.

As for Thomas Kroth, Lu Deyang remembered him as a future super-agent. In his past life, he recalled that most Japanese players in the Bundesliga were represented by him—Kagawa Shinji, Okazaki Shinji, and Nagatomo Yuto were all in his stable, with Manuel Neuer being his future crown jewel. Even Zhang Xizhe, who had signed with him, was moved to the Bundesliga through his agency. This guy had an incredibly sharp eye for the Asian market.

The last one was Jürgen Wegmann, whom Lu Deyang remembered from reports about Dortmund players returning home; he was a classic example of an unsuccessful stint. Still, any team capable of winning the DFB-Pokal and the German Super Cup had to be formidable.

***

At 7:00 PM, Soviet referee Alexey Spirin blew the whistle to signal the start of the match.

Mancini tapped the ball sideways, and Vialli immediately passed it to Lu Deyang. Thomas Kroth rushed forward; the future agent was quite physically imposing, but Lu Deyang had no intention of engaging him in a physical duel. He simply pushed the ball with his left foot and nudged it forward.

He was playing on the left flank today. With a deft move, he bypassed his marker and accelerated. By the time Kroth turned around, he was already left in the dust.

"Damn it!" Zorc cursed and hurried to the flank to cover. His technique wasn't world-class, but he played with his head. He rushed toward Lu Deyang but slowed down, refusing to commit his feet, maintaining constant pressure.

Lu Deyang glanced peripherally; his teammates weren't pushing forward enough, so he didn't initiate a sprint. In that split second, Kroth had recovered and was attempting to double-team him with Zorc. Seeing Zorc pounce, Lu Deyang knew he couldn't wait any longer.

Using his right foot as a pivot, he spun counter-clockwise, pulling the ball with his left foot to bypass Kroth, successfully evading Zorc's challenge as well.

"Beautiful!!!" Boskov shouted, punching the air from the dugout. This move was known as the "Maradona turn." It was unclear who invented it, but in Serie A, it was Maradona who used it most effectively. Lu Deyang’s center of gravity wasn't as low as Maradona’s, but his execution was far more fluid and effortless.

The two Dortmund players clearly hadn't expected this. By the time they recovered, it was too late; Lu Deyang was already driving toward the center. MacLeod abandoned his defensive zone without hesitation to close him down. Lu Deyang laid the ball off to the rushing Dossena mid-stride.

Dossena received the ball and saw Lu Deyang had already charged to the edge of the penalty area, surrounded by three defenders. Just as he hesitated, a roar came from the sidelines, and he reflexively passed the ball.

"GIVE IT TO DE YANG!!!"

Receiving the ball with his back to the goal, Lu Deyang flicked it with the outside of his right foot and spun. Before he was even fully facing the box, he snapped his ankle and chipped the ball with the outside of his boot.

*Snap.*

The crisp sound echoed as the ball soared over the heads of Helmer and Schulz, landing on the left side of the box. Vialli cushioned it with his chest, let it bounce once, and struck it with his left foot, easily finding the back of the net.

Vialli sprinted toward Lu Deyang in a frenzy. The noisy Westfalenstadion fell into sudden silence. Some fans who had gone to buy snacks hadn't even sat down yet—had their team already conceded? The West German media had hyped this match for weeks, portraying both teams as championship contenders in peak form. But this? The Dortmund fans could hardly believe their eyes.

"Damn it, why didn't you give it to me?" Mancini ran over, complaining. "Are you taking revenge because I didn't buy you that Ferrari?"

"Mancho, the bonus for scoring an extra goal isn't even 400,000 dollars," Lu Deyang reminded him.

"Asshole, don't call me that!!!" Mancini waved his fist. He always felt the nickname "Man-gentleman" sounded most sarcastic coming from Lu Deyang.

Dossena stared at Lu Deyang’s right foot for a long moment before asking, "You used your left foot more before, but you’ve used your right quite a bit today. Which is actually your dominant foot?"

"Guess?" Lu Deyang replied.

Dossena shook his head; he truly couldn't tell. Lu Deyang smiled and said, "Secrets make a man more manly." Mancini sourly raised his middle finger. However, both the pass and the turn were too stylish. Lu Deyang’s movements were graceful and artistic, far more aesthetically pleasing than any other player on the pitch. He even felt that move shouldn't be called the "Maradona turn"—"De Yang turn" sounded much better!

***

Dortmund was clearly rattled. After the restart, they tried to launch a quick attack. Michael Lusch took the ball and challenged Lombardo one-on-one. Lombardo’s defensive ability was average, but he was a clever player. He deliberately pressed high, giving Lusch no time to think, forcing him toward the center.

Dossena saw his opportunity, stuck out his foot, and successfully hooked the ball away. The transition was immediate. Dossena took a touch with his right foot, looked up, and saw Lombardo charging forward, so he played it to the right.

Lombardo’s pace on the wing was blistering. With a sudden change of rhythm, he accelerated again, shedding MacLeod—the Scottish player, who smiled like Jim Carrey, wasn't known for his defensive prowess.

"Boo!"
"Boo!"
"Boo!"

The Westfalenstadion erupted in whistles. Some fans were so nervous they stood up from their seats. They had just conceded one; were they about to concede another? Even Beckenbauer couldn't help but become fully immersed in the match. Even if he wasn't a Dortmund legend, as a fellow countryman, he didn't want to see them lose too badly.

"How will they handle this? Both teams are near the right flank. De Yang isn't on the left, but Lanna has pushed up. Giving it to Lanna would be better!"

"He passed it! It’s De Yang!!!"

Caught between two defenders, Lombardo didn't even think; he squared the ball to Lu Deyang at the edge of the arc.

*Click.*

Lu Deyang took a step and controlled the ball with the outside of his right foot. Helmer was on high alert, his center of gravity pressed low, trying to anticipate Lu Deyang’s movement. But the next second, he wanted to curse.

After the touch with the outside of his foot, the kid switched to the inside of his left. The movement was subtle. As an experienced defender, he knew immediately that this was trouble. Sure enough, the next two steps were equally subtle, but when he reached the left foot, Lu Deyang increased the intensity of his movement. Helmer dared not be careless and scrambled to move to his right.

But Lu Deyang didn't drive the ball into the box; he tapped it sideways to the right.

???

The fans behind the goal didn't even dare to breathe, terrified that a momentary lapse would lead to another goal. The other two defenders rushed toward Lu Deyang. But Lu Deyang gave them no chance; with a flick of his right foot, he sent the ball back to the left. Helmer, having finally adjusted his balance, had to slam on the brakes to avoid falling over.

Schulz lunged from behind him, sliding in without hesitation to block the shooting lane.

*Bang!*

At the same time, Lu Deyang swung his left foot. It was powerful and precise! De Beer, crouching in front of the goal, hadn't expected a high shot; his posture was set for a low dive. At such close range, he couldn't recover. He could only watch helplessly as the ball flew past his fingertips and into the net.

Two goals in less than two minutes. The most terrifying "hellish" home ground in Europe had been conquered!