S04 (0 - 0) VfB – 15th Minute
Che hit a first-time trivela after receiving a pass from Leon, but it smacked off a Schalke defender's head and deflected toward midfield. Stuttgart stayed on the attack… until the ref blew the whistle.
Turns out the defender who blocked the shot had a nosebleed. The medics rushed on. He was trying to wave them off.
"I can play… I'm fine!" he kept saying, fidgeting while they checked him over.
While the game paused, Che jogged over to Leon.
"Yo… why didn't you pass to the back post?"
"What? I thought you wanted it. You were waving your arms like crazy."
"Yeah, as a disguise. Kian (Speidel) was wide open at the back post."
"Then learn to signal properly, idiot."
"You're the idiot."
After about two minutes, the player came back on, nose stuffed with tissues and ready to go again.
The game restarted, and Stuttgart picked up right where they left off—attacking.
This time, Speidel took control down the left wing, sizing up the right-back. He wasn't even looking at the defender though—his eyes were scanning the field. Che had pulled left and was calling for a through ball.
Speidel gave him exactly what he wanted.
Che took off after it. The same center-back with the nosebleed came flying in from behind with a slide tackle—but Che saw it coming and backheeled the ball behind him just in time.
Speidel ran into the space, now in behind Schalke's right-back. One-on-one, Speidel shrugged off the challenge and drove into the box. The other center-back closed in, trying to block the space.
Before the pressure could hit, Speidel slipped it to Leon, who had made a run centrally. As the pass came in, Leon shaped to shoot first-time—but let the ball roll to his right instead. The left-back slid in, completely missing him.
Now on his stronger foot, Leon had space and time.
He curved a finesse shot from outside the box, sending it toward the top left corner. It looked like a highlight-reel screamer. The keeper wasn't reaching it.
But just before it hit the net—boom.
That same center-back, again—threw his head in the way and blocked it out for a corner.
Everyone reset for the corner. It was an outswinger, whipped into the box—cleared again by the exact same center-back.
And just like that, his nose started bleeding worse than before. He had to come off so the medics could look at him properly this time.
With Schalke down to 10 for a bit, they still managed to string together some good possession. Calm. Crisp passing. They were growing into the game.
Then the ball reached their attacking midfielder—and the moment he touched it, Che remembered what the coach said five days ago.
...
(Five Days Earlier — Team Meeting)
"Watch his link-up play and dribbling. Midfielders, stay tight on him when he's on the ball."
...
(Back to the Game)
The midfielder collected the ball with his back to goal, rolled it under his foot, and spun toward Stuttgart's half to start the attack.
He drove past one midfielder, even with his shirt being yanked from behind. He laid it off to his partner, sprinted into space, then got the return pass just as he hit stride.
Stuttgart's defense backed off cautiously.
One center-back stayed focused on the striker. The other tried to cut off the ball, but the attacking mid switched it up—sliding a pass to the right winger.
That winger didn't hesitate. He cut inside and let rip from distance, just outside the box.
The shot arced toward goal. The Stuttgart keeper flung himself at it—but he wasn't getting there.
Clang! Off the crossbar.
Goal kick.
Everyone in Stuttgart colors stood frozen for a second.
Che watched wide-eyed.
"Wow," he whispered.