After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

When the whistle blew for the second half, the Genoa players' expressions clearly changed.

Like an enraged swarm of bees, they pounced on the enemy at the start of the game, and just as Nagelsmann had predicted, Genoa began to bombard the flanks relentlessly.

In the 48th minute, Veloso delivered a curved cross from the right wing, and Pandev ghostfully headed the ball past Vogt.

"Bang!"

Hoffenheim goalkeeper Kober dived sideways and tipped the ball over the crossbar with one hand, sending a collective gasp through the entire Rhein-Neckar Arena.

"Pay attention to two points! Everyone, get your attention!" Nagelsmann roared from the sidelines, gesturing with his hands in a signature contraction gesture.

The two defensive midfielders, Grillitsch and Amiri, immediately dropped back, blocking the edge of the penalty area like two gates.

In the 51st minute, Genoa launched another attack. Lazovic unleashed a long-range shot, but Kerber once again made a miraculous save, punching the ball out of the danger zone.

"Well done!" Yan Yuan gave Kerber a thumbs up, then turned around and saw Veroso on the opposite side organizing a new round of attack.

This time Genoa learned their lesson. Veroso faked a cross and then suddenly delivered a low, angled pass.

Forward Pandev arrived just in time!

1-2! Genoa has scored again.

Genoa players celebrated wildly, while Hoffenheim's defense looked at each other in dismay.

Nagelsmann was a little irritable; he had clearly emphasized this to his players, but he quickly regained his composure and shouted at the players on the field:

"Stick to plan! Don't panic! We still have the advantage!"

Yan Yuan wiped his sweat and found that his breathing was becoming heavy. The pace of the official competition was more than twice as fast as that of training.

Genoa's counterattack came wave after wave, and it was then that he truly began to understand what it felt like to be a professional player.

In the 58th minute, it was Kerber again who made a world-class save to deny Rossi's long-range shot.

"Substitute!"

In the 61st minute, Nagelsmann played his first card, replacing Gnabry with Haak. Gnabry already had a wealth of professional experience, so the rest of the time was left to the newcomer Haak.

This fresh left winger created threats as soon as he came on. His speed kept Genoa's right-back Barreca running around, and Nagelsmann's substitution was perfectly justified.

Yan Yuan's positioning also began to change. He no longer clung to the wing, but frequently dropped back to the midfield to receive the ball.

In the 67th minute, he dropped back to the center circle to receive a pass from Grillitsch, executed a beautiful Marseille turn to get past Veloso, and then delivered a precise long pass to Haak, but unfortunately the latter's shot went high.

"Beautiful! That's how you should perform!!" Nagelsmann rarely cheered, pumping his fist in approval.

The Hoffenheim fans in the stands gradually regained their voices.

They began to sing their team song, and every time Yan Yuan touched the ball, there would be sporadic shouts of "Yan! Yan!"

In the 83rd minute, the magic moment arrived.

Yan Yuan received a pass from Amiri near the center line on the right wing.

Genoa's Lazovic immediately closed in, but Yan Yuan twisted his right foot and gently pushed with the outside of his left foot, instantly getting past the first defender!

The stands started to stir.

The second to rush forward was Genoa midfielder Bertolacci.

Yan Yuan gently flicked the ball with his right foot, and the ball, less than 20 centimeters off the ground, passed through Bertolacci's legs in the blink of an eye!

The entire movement was fluid and graceful, as if the ball was glued to his feet.

"My God! What am I seeing? He's not Brazilian, nor Argentinian, he's an Englishman of Chinese descent! It's really rare to see an Asian player control the ball like that, it's so gorgeous!" The commentator's voice suddenly rose.

Genoa's last line of defense is Spoli.

The experienced center-back lowered his center of gravity, preparing to block.

Yan Yuan made a pushing motion with his right foot, but at the moment of contact, he gently flicked the ball with the instep of his foot, sending it arcing over Spolli's head.

At the same time, Yan Yuan swiftly bypassed from the other side!

The ball and the player have passed each other!

"A crime!! Absolutely a crime!!! That dribble was full of provocation!! Let's wait and see what happens to this kid, his performance isn't over yet!" The commentator almost cracked.

The stadium erupted in cheers, with some Hoffenheim fans even standing up in excitement. Not only the fans, but also the guys sitting on the bench stood up.

Gnabry was bewildered by Yan Yuan's performance: "Is this still the good buddy I know?"

Yan Yuan strode quickly to catch up with the falling ball. Before it hit the ground, he leaned his body sharply and, before completely losing his balance, unleashed a powerful volley.

"Whoosh!"

The ball flew like a cannonball into the far corner! 3-1!

The Rhein-Neckar Arena exploded instantly.

"Yan, 17 years old!!!! A young player from the Paris Saint-Germain youth academy!!! Two goals in his debut, what a perfect performance! Let's cheer for this kid!!!!" The German commentator shouted wildly.

Hoffenheim fans jumped wildly, some even smashing beer bottles.

This time, Yan Yuan finally stopped being reserved. He rushed towards the corner flag area and performed a passionate sliding knee!

Thankfully the grass was watered beforehand, otherwise he would have definitely gotten his knee stuck and fallen.

"Great job, kid!" Teammate Schultz was the first to pounce on him and pin him down.

"Yan, you're a genius!" Amiri shouted, rubbing his hair.

Nagelsmann, standing on the sidelines, smiled like a child and turned to give his assistant coach a big hug.

He must be the happiest person in the room right now. A promising young star has emerged, which is much more gratifying for a coach like him who likes to develop young talent than signing an already established superstar.

All the players on the bench rushed to the sidelines, some even shaking water bottles like they were champagne.

The Genoa players' eyes were gradually losing focus.

They tried to launch a late comeback, but in the 87th minute, Hübner made a textbook sliding tackle to clear Genoa striker Andre's one-on-one chance out of bounds.

When the final whistle blew, the score was 3-1.

Yan Yuan was surrounded by his teammates, and Vogt even carried him on his shoulder.

The cheers from the stands were thunderous and continuous, with many fans chanting "MVP! MVP!"

Although it was just a friendly match, everyone still enjoyed the victory, and Yan Yuan and the Hoffenheim players developed a deeper understanding of each other.

While everyone was having a good time chatting, Nagelsmann walked over and flashed a rare, bright smile:

"Kid, two baskets in your debut, several accurate passes, and that damn magic show just now..."

He patted Yan Yuan on the shoulder. "I've decided. You'll be allowed to be an hour late for training tomorrow. You can sleep in a little longer."

"You know, Coach, I always arrive early."

"No, being an hour late is an order. Your training sessions these past two days have been too intense, and you'll start with tactics when you arrive. You can reduce your physical training sessions a bit these next two days."

"Okay, I'll try my best."

As everyone headed toward the players' tunnel, Yan Yuan looked up and glanced at the scoreboard once more.

It clearly shows there:

Hoffenheim 3-1 Genoa

Goals: Yan Yuan 23' 83', Gnabry 41'

There were still many fans waiting on both sides of the tunnel.

A little boy wearing a Hoffenheim jersey without a number was riding on his father's shoulders, shouting:

"Yan! Can I get your autograph?"

"Of course, little one." Yan Yuan stopped and took the pen to sign his name carefully.

Looking at Yan Yuan's autograph, the little boy said with a hint of self-reproach, "I'm sorry, Yan, your jersey hasn't gone on sale yet. Next time I ask you for an autograph, I'll definitely wear your jersey."

These words touched Yan Yuan's heart, and he felt a warm feeling inexplicably in his heart.

"It's okay, little one. If you'd like, we can take a photo together."

"Okay! My dad brought the camera, wait a minute!"

Finally, Yan Yuan held the child and took his first photo with a fan in his professional career.

Although Hoffenheim's stadium is not as luxurious as the Parc des Princes, it is, in the truest sense, home to Yan Yuan.

……

After the game, the locker room was still filled with the cheers of victory. Yan Yuan sat in his seat, looking down as he unwrapped the bandage on his ankle.

The teammates finished showering in twos and threes, some humming songs, others loudly recounting the highlights of the game.

Gnabry, shirtless, walked over, sat down on the chair next to him, and grinned, "How was it? Scoring twice in your debut felt great, didn't it?"

Yan Yuan smiled, but before he could answer, the locker room door was pushed open.

Nagelsmann stood in the doorway, his suit jacket off, the cuffs of his white shirt rolled up to his elbows, and his tie loosened.

He looked around and his gaze fell on Yan Yuan.

"Yan, come here for a second."

Yan Yuan got up and walked over. Nagelsmann led him into the corridor and closed the locker room door behind him.

"You don't need to go to the press conference later," Nagelsmann said bluntly.

Yan Yuan was taken aback: "Coach, was my performance not good enough?"

Nagelsmann chuckled: "On the contrary, you performed too well, but what you need most right now is rest, not facing that pack of hungry wolves of reporters."

He patted Yan Yuan on the shoulder, "An interview is harder than a competition. I don't want you to get overwhelmed by those tricky questions. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Yan Yuan nodded, feeling relieved. He really wasn't ready to deal with the media's barrage of questions.

Then, in the press conference room of the Rhein-Neckar Arena, the flashbulbs of cameras kept going off.

Nagelsmann straightened his suit collar, sat down at the long table, and placed several bottles of mineral water and a microphone with the club logo in front of him.

He glanced at the empty seat next to him, where Yan Yuan, the MVP of the game, should have been sitting, but he deliberately let the 17-year-old go back first.

The reporters in the audience were already eager to ask. The first question came from Mike, a senior reporter for Kicker: "Coach, how would you rate the players' performance today? Especially the resilience the team showed against Genoa's counterattack?"

Nagelsmann placed his hands on the table, crossed.

"Overall I am very satisfied. The players executed the tactics very well."

We analyzed the weaknesses of Genoa's three-center-back system before the match, and the players perfectly executed the wing-based penetration tactic.

He paused for a moment, then continued, "As for resilience? This team is developing a quality: they don't get arrogant when they're in the lead, and they don't panic when they're being chased. This is a more valuable lesson than victory itself."

His answer was watertight, affirming the player without revealing any specific tactical details.

A reporter from Bild then raised his hand: "Regarding Gnabry, Bayern Munich loaned him to Hoffenheim hoping to give him more playing time. What do you think his role is in the team?"

This question contains a trap; any discussion about "Bayern" could be misinterpreted as an evaluation of a powerhouse club.

Nagelsmann is an exceptionally cautious man, and he certainly saw through the reporter's intentions. He said, "Sergi (Gnabry) scored a brilliant goal from a corner kick today, which demonstrated his skill and courage."

He skillfully steered the conversation toward specific performances: "As for his role, he is one of the team's important offensive options, just like the other players."

A few chuckles rang out in the room, and the reporters realized that Nagelsmann was indeed a tough opponent; his words did not disparage any team, and his answers were quite fair.

Finally, someone asked the question that everyone was concerned about.

A female reporter from the Süddeutsche Zeitung held up her recorder: "Yan Yuan started and played the full 90 minutes today, scoring two goals. How would you rate this 17-year-old's breakout performance?"

Nagelsmann's expression suddenly brightened. He leaned forward slightly, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table.

"To be honest, I still can't understand Paris Saint-Germain's decision. They would rather spend nearly 4 million euros to bring in Neymar and Mbappe, but let go of a player with unlimited potential like Yan Yuan for free."

If you only watched today's game, you might think that this kid just had a flash of brilliance.

But those who have witnessed his daily training know that Yan Yuan possesses all the qualities to become a top star: technique, football intelligence, and, more importantly, the self-discipline unique to Asian players, as well as the tactical understanding of European players.

He paused for a moment, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "Paris Saint-Germain currently boasts the most expensive attacking duo in the world, but I dare say that five years from now, when people look back on this transfer, letting Yan Yuan go for free might be one of the most memorable decisions."

By the way, on a side note, besides his talent, he also possesses market value that drives sponsors crazy. His superb skills combined with that universally appealing face make our marketing department quite happy this season.

"So what shortcomings do you think he currently has?" a reporter asked.

"If I had to find a flaw..." Nagelsmann shrugged, "His celebration is just awful. That punch after his first goal was like swatting a mosquito. I'm thinking of giving this kid a celebration training session."

He imitated Yan Yuan's stiff movements, which triggered another round of laughter.

The atmosphere lightened.

A reporter from the Hoffenheim Daily seized the opportunity to ask, "Does this victory give you more confidence for the new season?"

Nagelsmann's smile faded, and he said seriously, "Confidence is built brick by brick by the players through their performance on the field. Today, Yan Yuan, Gnabry, and Amiri all showed their strength, but we need more performances like that."

He glanced down at his watch.

"The road ahead is long, but at least we've had a good start to the season. Alright, ladies and gentlemen, the press conference is over."