Seven-time Champion

Chapter 119: Free kick opportunity

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After using the free kick (primary) skill once, Lu Wenbin's skill entered a 90-minute cooldown period and could not be used.

Then, Lu Wenbin began to try to use his shooting skills to take free kicks.

However, although he occasionally scored a goal from free kicks, his success rate was much lower. Lu Wenbin took a total of 20 free kicks outside the penalty area and only scored three goals.

This is assuming there is no goalkeeper. If there was a goalkeeper, Lu Wenbin might not be able to score a single goal.

If you want to take free kicks yourself during a game without using the system's free kick skills, it is still a long way from practical application!

You can't practice free kicks all the time, otherwise your body won't be able to take it.

In the following time, Lu Wenbin began to practice other items, and then every 90 minutes after the skill cooling time, he would take a free kick with a special skill, and learn by observing the use of skills in the system.

By the afternoon, Lu Wenbin's free kick technique had improved. Two or three of his 10 shots had hit the goal frame, which was quite a good improvement.

On February 12, after the team resumed training, Lu Wenbin also began to practice free kicks in training, which attracted the attention of coaches and teammates.

According to everyone's observation, although Lu Wenbin's shooting technique in the penalty area is good, his free kick shooting level after leaving the penalty area and with the help of the human wall is not very good, and can only be described as average.

However, in these relatively ordinary free kick trainings, Lu Wenbin can occasionally make a high-quality free kick: either a goal in the blind corner or a shot that narrowly hits the goal post and flies out of bounds.

Overall, from what everyone has seen, Lu Wenbin's free kick level seems to be pretty good.

In fact, no one knows that the few good shots that Lu Wenbin occasionally makes are actually the result of Lu Wenbin using system skills after the cooldown time exceeds 90 minutes.

However, as long as he can make a good kick occasionally, Ralf Rangnick will be quite excited.

The success rate of free kicks is not high. Even a world-famous free kick master like Beckham has a free kick success rate of less than 10%, let alone others.

Some players have a free kick success rate of over 10% or even 20%, but they simply have fewer free throws, so the probability is not reflected in the big data.

For a player at the level of the German Second Division, it is already considered good if he can occasionally kick a free kick that goes straight to the blind corner and makes it impossible for the goalkeeper to save it.

Therefore, on February 16, the day before the 20th round of the German Second Division, Ralf Rangnick added Lu Wenbin to the team's list of candidates for free kicks in the team's routine tactical meeting. He ranked fourth after No. 23 Sejad Salihovic, No. 33 Carlos Eduardo and No. 22 Francisco Copado.

If the first three players are not on the field, or they are on the field but do not want to take the free kick, Lu Wenbin can take the penalty.

Not only free kicks, based on the accuracy of Lu Wenbin's shots in the penalty area, Ralph also listed Lu Wenbin as the team's second penalty taker in future games, after captain Sejad Salihovic.

This is not because Salihovic's penalty kick scoring rate is higher than Lu Wenbin, but a question of seniority.

After all, Salihovic is the captain, and Lu Wenbin has been in the first team for too short a time. Being the second penalty taker shows that Ralph thinks highly of Lu Wenbin.

After confirming Lu Wenbin's free kick and penalty kick status in the team, Hoffenheim faced Munich 1860 away in the 20th round of the 2007/2008 German Second Division.

At 2:00 p.m. on February 17, the match between Munich 1860 and Hoffenheim officially started.

Ralph made some rotations in this game, replacing one defender and one attacking midfielder.

Carlos Eduardo was rested for one game, and the double attacking midfielders were captain Salihovic and No. 22 Francisco Copado.

Although they made rotations, Hoffenheim's determination to stick to offensive football did not change. Even in away games, their formation was still 433, and they still started to press forward from the start.

However, the difficulties faced in away games are indeed greater than those faced at home. The unfamiliarity of the venue, the boos and noise from the home fans, etc., will definitely have a certain impact on the away team players, and their performance will not be as good as at home.

In addition, Munich 1860 is also strong. Although Hoffenheim tried their best to attack vigorously in this game, they failed to score a goal.

Although there were several free kick opportunities in the game, they were all taken by Salihovic or Copado, and Lu Wenbin did not get the chance to take the free kick.

In ordinary attacks, Lu Wenbin was regarded as a major threat by opponents because of his outstanding performance in the first two league games and was closely guarded.

In the German second division level game, Lu Wenbin's physical condition was not good and his off-ball running was relatively weak, which resulted in him not getting any good shooting opportunities in this game.

Even if he got the ball, he was not in an open space without anyone guarding him, and he was unable to score due to interference from the opponent's defender.

Of course, Munich 1860 was firmly suppressed by Hoffenheim's attack and was unable to score a goal.

There were a few counterattack opportunities, but they were either saved by Hoffenheim goalkeeper Daniel Haas or missed the goal due to interference from the defenders.

Until the 88th minute of the second half, the score between the two sides was still 0-0.

Just when everyone thought the game would end in a draw, in the 89th minute of the game, Hoffenheim's right winger Chinedu Obasi dribbled the ball in from the wing and was knocked to the ground by a Munich defender when he was about to shoot from the right side outside the penalty area.

The referee immediately blew the whistle and awarded Hoffenheim a free kick on the right side of the top of the penalty area, about 26 meters away from the goal.

This is a free kick in a very good position, with a very moderate angle and distance, which is most suitable for a direct shot.

In this game, Lu Wenbin's special free kick skills have not been used yet!

If the game ends in a draw, Lu Wenbin will neither get any goal or assist experience, nor any winning experience, and will gain nothing from the game.

So, just as Salihovic put the ball on the penalty spot and was about to step back for the free throw, Lu Wenbin walked over and whispered to Salihovic: "Captain, how about letting me try this ball?"

Salihovic thought about it and felt that the free kick technique that Lu Wenbin demonstrated in training was quite good. Lu Wenbin had not taken a single penalty in this game, so it might not be a bad idea to give him a try.

So, Salihovic nodded and said, "Okay, you take the penalty. Do you want me to cover for you?"

Lu Wenbin shook his head and said, "Thank you, Captain. No need to cover me."

Salihovic nodded, then walked away and went to the penalty area to prepare for a goal.

In case Lu Wenbin's ball did not go in or out of bounds, his teammates could still look for opportunities to make a follow-up shot in the penalty area.