After coming on, Mark quickly received a pass from Kroos, getting a chance to test Portugal's defense with the ball facing forward.
As the Portuguese retreated to their half, the first line of defense he faced was Portugal's right winger, Nani!
Facing Nani, who rushed over to assist in defense, Mark pulled the ball back with his right foot, then stepped forward with his left, dipping his shoulder as if to break through to the outside.
This exaggerated feint successfully tricked Nani into moving to his left.
Immediately after, Mark used the outside of his right foot to Flick the ball, and it rolled out to his right.
"What!?"
However, Nani's reaction wasn't slow; he spun around, trying to intercept Mark's dribbling path with his foot.
But he didn't know that Mark had already anticipated his anticipation!
He followed up with the inside of his right foot and flicked the ball, which passed right through Nani's legs.
Then, with a burst of acceleration, Mark broke through on the outside!
"Another nutmeg!"
"Mark Lane showcases his elegant footwork for the first time on the World Cup stage!"
After getting past Nani, he dribbled forward two steps, and Portugal's right-back João Pereira also rushed over.
Seeing the opponent's aggressive approach, Mark took a large step with his left foot, circling the ball, and slightly dipped his shoulder to the left, tricking Pereira's Center of Gravity into moving to the same side.
In that instant, he quickly flicked the ball with the outside of his right foot, like a white flash of lightning, and glided past Pereira's side!
The entire sequence of movements was fluid and seamless!
As his speed significantly increased, the intervals between his feints and actual movements shortened, making his dribbling even smoother!
Seeing Mark effortlessly dribble past two players, the German fans in the stands couldn't help but cheer.
"Woah!"
"That was so stylish?!"
And the Portuguese fans and local Brazil fans, who were seeing Mark play for the first time, all showed expressions of disbelief:
"Is this step-over really that smooth?!"
"Is this guy German?!"
"Is he German or Brazil?!"
Amidst the gasps of surprise, Mark had already cut inside with the ball, reaching the edge of the penalty area.
At this point, his opponent became the center-back Bruno Alves.
Seeing the opponent's age, Mark already had a plan in mind.
Noticing the opponent was older, don't hesitate, just trick him directly!
He feigned a shot, but it was a fake shot and a real pull-back, again tricking the Portuguese center-back Bruno Alves into staggering.
As Alves stumbled, Mark used his left foot to push the ball forward and had already burst into the box!
"He's through again!"
"He's in the box!"
"What will Mark do?!"
"Will he dribble past the goalkeeper? Or shoot directly?"
Seeing Portugal's national goalkeeper Rui Patrício quickly rush out and spread his arms to cover more space, Mark didn't hesitate.
He adjusted slightly and then swung his leg to curl a shot towards the far corner!
Perhaps due to his foot placement or the part of the ball he struck, Mark's shot didn't curl, and Patrício managed to tip it with his fingertips.
The ball changed its trajectory, hit the far post with a 'Duang' sound, and bounced out!
At this, a collective sigh of regret rose from the stands.
Mark's earlier breakthroughs and dribbling were completely perfect.
It was just that final shot that was just a little bit off!
However, just as everyone thought the ball would be cleared by a Portuguese player, a white figure appeared perfectly at the far post!
The number 13 on his back revealed the identity of the person...
It was the "Space Interpreter" Thomas Müller!
Facing the wide-open goal, Müller gently tapped the ball into the net!
Watching Müller score the rebound, Mark's mouth curled into a smile:
It had to be you!
"Open goal... It's a goal!"
"Thomas Müller!!!"
"The Golden Boot winner from the last World Cup has scored a hat-trick in the opening match!"
"Of course, ninety percent of the credit for this goal goes to Mark."
"After coming on, this young winger started dancing a samba on the wing, dribbling past three players!"
After scoring, Müller roared passionately, then pointed at the running Mark with a smile, joking:
"Buddy, I'm sorry..."
"If I said I deliberately missed so you could rebound, would you believe me?"
Hearing this, and seeing Mark raise an eyebrow at him, Müller immediately burst into laughter:
"Hahaha, I don't believe you for a second!"
In stark contrast to the excited celebration of the German Team players were the bewildered and dejected Portuguese.
Especially Cristiano Ronaldo, who just stared intensely at the number 23 black-haired kid.
He could certainly see that Mark's footwork was absolutely the best in this German Team.
However, he never expected this black-haired kid to tear apart their defense so easily.
For a moment, a thought emerged from his stubborn and proud heart:
"Why does the German Team have so many young talents? Any kid they send out is so good?!"
"Why doesn't my country have so many talents?!"
"Why!!!"
As the score became four-nil, the Portuguese did not give up, but continued to retreat to their half, utilizing limited counter-attacking opportunities.
And Mark became the target of the opponents' focused marking.
Before he could even get the ball, Portuguese players would come up early to mark him closely, not allowing him to easily receive the ball and turn.
Or they would wait for him to get the ball and directly engage physically, using fouls to stop his breakthroughs and dribbles.
After being fouled several times, and feeling a slight pain in his lower back, Mark wisely began to constantly run into open spaces to receive the ball and occasionally swap positions with Kroos in the middle.
This way, if the opponent fouled, it would result in a central free-kick for the German Team.
And seeing Mark actively swapping positions with his teammates to avoid the opponent's focused marking, Löw on the sideline nodded, then turned to Flick beside him and said:
"Hans, have you noticed that Mark is very clever? He adjusts his ball reception and positioning according to the situation on the field."
"I've noticed."
"And his positioning is very elusive..."
"Yes. I often see him watching match replays on his tablet. He says he's studying Thomas's positioning..."
"Oh, no wonder then..."
When the game reached the eighty-fifth minute, Mark received the ball in the middle, and just as he was about to pass it, he was swept down by Moutinho from behind.
Such a rough foul earned Moutinho a yellow card and gave the German Team a free-kick in a good position.
The foul occurred about thirty-two meters from the goal, allowing for a direct shot or a tactical play.
Rubbing the slightly aching back of his calf, Mark had just stood up when he heard Löw's shouts from the sideline:
"Mark!"
"Mark!!!"
He turned his head and saw Löw pointing at him, then saying:
"You shoot!"
Hearing this, Mark was first stunned, then nodded.
Turning around, he saw Kroos handing him the ball:
"It's up to you!"
Taking the ball, placing it on the grass, and adjusting the position of the valve, Mark then stepped back a few paces.
"The German Team has a free-kick in a good position. Although it's a bit far, it can be a direct shot on goal."
"Normally, the German Team's primary free-kick taker is Toni Kroos. However, Mark seems to be taking this free-kick..."
"However, according to our intelligence, Mark scored a spectacular free-kick in the German Cup final this season..."
"Can this eighteen-year-old prodigy replicate that brilliant goal in the World Cup? Let's wait and see..."
Amidst the noisy jeers of the Portuguese fans, Mark's eyes were like torches as he suddenly accelerated and charged towards the ball!
Thump!
The inside of his instep struck the middle of the ball fiercely, and the ball instantly flew straight out!
It first cleared the wall, then, like a meteor, suddenly dropped sharply.
Watching the ball carve a bizarre trajectory in the air, Portugal's national goalkeeper Rui Patrício's eyes narrowed, and he immediately cursed in his mind:
"Holy crap!"
Before he could finish, the ball was already in front of him, and then...
Duang!!!
The ball did not go into the goal, but precisely hit the crossbar, then bounced out.
Immediately after, the center-back Alves quickly cleared it with a big kick, sending it out of the dangerous area.
Watching the ball hit the crossbar, Mark pursed his lips, and a hint of regret flashed deep in his eyes.
If this direct free-kick had gone in, he would have become the youngest World Cup goal scorer since Pelé of Brazil and Rosas of Mexico!
Unfortunately, he was only a few centimeters away from rewriting the record. Although this direct free-kick didn't go in, it still gave the Portuguese players and fans a cold sweat.
"It's a knuckleball!"
"You know, there's another knuckleball master on this field..."
Immediately after, the live broadcast camera also focused on Cristiano Ronaldo in the penalty area.
At this moment, Brother C's brows were tightly furrowed, and ripples surged within him:
"He's showing off in front of me?!"
And the club scouts watching from the stands all pulled out their notebooks and wrote down the name "Mark Lane"!
This German kid's dribbling was amazing, and he also had a free-kick?!
Who exactly was this kid?!
Even more so, some directly pulled out their phones and gave orders to their club's scouting department:
"Within five minutes, I want all the information on this German kid, number 23!"
And the German legend "Football Emperor" Beckenbauer, who was present at the match, also said to his old friend Völler beside him:
"This young man has unique characteristics. His footwork doesn't resemble a German at all..."
"Yes, watching him play reminds me of Ronaldinho from Brazil..."
"But his free-kick technique is very similar to Juninho's..."
It's worth mentioning that although Mark's knuckleball didn't go in.
It did, however, ignite the fighting spirit of that man!
Just three minutes later, Portugal used a counter-attack, and Éder won a free-kick opportunity in the attacking third.
Although it was about thirty meters from the goal, even further than Mark's opportunity.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo still stood in front of the ball without hesitation.
Despite carrying a knee injury, despite the score already being four-nil, this man, who carried the heavy responsibility of Portugal's revival on his shoulders, still stepped forward, trying to seize every opportunity to send the ball into the opponent's goal.
He measured his steps backward, characteristically spread his legs, and then took a deep breath...
Run-up, shot!
His calf tensed and exerted force, and the instep of his foot struck the middle of the ball fiercely!
The next second, the ball instantly transformed into a white flash of lightning, soaring over the wall, then dropping sharply!
"Another knuckleball!"
Then, to Neuer's astonished gaze, the ball hit the top of the crossbar with a 'Duang' sound, and then flew out of bounds!
Seeing that the ball didn't go in, Cristiano Ronaldo was somewhat disappointed and immediately lowered his head, blurting out a Spanish curse: "Hijo de puta!"
It's worth mentioning that this free-kick attempt was also Portugal's closest chance to score in the match...
Ultimately, thanks to Müller's hat-trick and Hummels' header, the German Team defeated Portugal four-nil at the Arena Fonte Nova, securing a winning start!
It's worth noting that this also continued the team's excellent record of never losing their first World Cup match since 1990!
Moreover, this match was the German Team's one hundredth World Cup game.
The German War Machine was also the first team in the world to achieve this feat.
Concluding their hundred-match milestone with a four-nil victory was truly perfect!
After the match, Mark had intended to find Brother C to exchange jerseys.
But seeing Cristiano Ronaldo walking into the players' tunnel with an ice pack strapped to his thigh, limping, he gave up on that idea.
However, when he returned to the players' tunnel, he encountered a white-haired man in a navy blue suit.
Mark recognized the man's identity—"Football Emperor" Franz Beckenbauer!
"Young man, how are you?"
"I'm very well, thank you for asking."
"I really like your playing style. Especially that knuckleball of yours, it was a great shot."
"Thank you for the compliment, it's my honor."
The two shook hands, and Beckenbauer suddenly said with a smile:
"Are you interested in playing for Bayern?"
At this, Mark was stunned.
What was happening?
Beckenbauer was inviting him to play for Bayern in person?!
At this moment, Mark's mind drifted to his club manager.
If Black Gold knew that Beckenbauer was poaching his player in person, he would definitely retort directly.
Even if the other party was a super big shot in German football, he wouldn't give any face!
Thinking of this, Mark couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile, then gave his reply:
"Thank you for your invitation, it's my honor. However, I won't be leaving Wolfsburg for now..."
This ambiguous answer made Beckenbauer raise an eyebrow:
"Alright then, we'll have a chance to meet again next time!"
Watching Beckenbauer's departing figure, Mark also turned and returned to the locker room.
However, he didn't know that his brief encounter with Beckenbauer had been captured by a stadium staff member.
Soon after, this staff member sold the photo of the two together for a high price to the German media, Bild.
Later, a news report about the two was freshly released:
"An Invitation from the Emperor? Wolfsburg Prodigy to Transfer to Bayern?!"
......
Read more at patreon.com/zeaser