The halftime whistle blew, and the Munich 1860 players walked back to the locker room with a slim 1-0 lead, but everyone’s expression remained focused.
They knew the match was far from over; Würzburger Kickers would surely counterattack with everything they had in the second half.
Adrian Vandenberg stood in the center of the locker room, his gaze sweeping over all the players.
Once everyone was seated, he spoke in a deep voice: “Guys, our performance in the first half was good, but far from good enough.
We have the lead, but no security.
Especially in terms of coordination between the midfield and the wings, the rhythm needs to be faster and more layered.” He picked up the tactical board and quickly sketched a few key points: “Würzburg’s coordination between the midfield and defense isn’t tight, especially between their defensive midfielder Schmidt and the center-backs; there’s a certain gap.
This is our chance.
After the second half begins, I want you to seize these vulnerabilities and break through quickly.” At this point, he pointed to the defensive midfielder, Michael: “Michael, your pressing in the midfield needs to be a bit stronger.
Mark their midfield core, Neumann, and don’t give him any chance to distribute the ball comfortably.” Michael nodded.
“Understood, Coach.
He actually had several panicked ball handlings in the first half.
I’ll keep the pressure on him.” “Good.” Adrian Vandenberg then turned to Stefan, “Stefan, your task is to expand the threat of the right-wing attack.
Their left-back has strong defensive awareness but lacks speed.
Once you break through, there will definitely be opportunities at the far post.” Stefan clenched his fists and said with a smile: “Coach, I’ll definitely let them see my speed in the second half.” Adrian Vandenberg then looked at Florian.
“Kid, you are still our attacking core, but remember, don’t be greedy for glory.
If the opponent double-teams you, passing the ball is the best choice.
Stefan and Ivan will provide support; you need to be more flexible in manipulating the opponent’s defensive line.” Florian didn’t mind at all that Adrian Vandenberg, who was several years younger than him, called him “kid.” He nodded and responded seriously: “No problem, Coach, I’ll keep an eye on the situation.” Adrian Vandenberg finally clapped his hands, his tone firm: “In the second half, we need to play faster and more precisely.
Seize the start, create opening chaos, and let them fall into total panic.
Go out there, guys, and show them your strength!” The whistle blew, and the second half began.
The Würzburger Kickers fans were still shouting loudly, trying to use the noisy waves of sound to encourage the home team, but in just 30 seconds, their cheers were completely suppressed.
After Munich 1860 kicked off, Michael quickly delivered a precise lateral pass to Ivan on the left wing.
Ivan didn’t hesitate, driving Forward at high speed.
Two opposing defenders quickly closed in on him, trying to block his breakthrough route.
But Ivan used a beautiful feint to suddenly cut inside, sending a diagonal pass toward Florian in the middle.
Florian controlled the ball with his chest at the edge of the penalty area, then followed up with a volleyed cross, quickly shifting the ball to the right wing.
Stefan was making a fast run; he gently cushioned the ball with the outside of his foot, adjusted his step, and fired a powerful shot!
“GOAL!!!” The commentator was practically screaming, “Stefan!
Just 30 seconds into the second half, Munich 1860 scores again!” The ball flew into the top-left corner like a cannonball.
Würzburg’s goalkeeper, Bachmann, couldn’t react in time, and the net shook violently.
The away fans’ section erupted instantly, with scarves and flags waving in the air, while the home fans’ section let out a chorus of boos and sighs.
“What a beautiful goal!” a Munich 1860 fan shouted loudly, waving his beer mug so hard that the beer almost spilled out.
“Stefan is amazing!” “Bachmann had no chance of saving a shot like that; it was a certain goal,” another fan nearby said excitedly.
“Their defensive line has been torn to shreds!” Würzburg’s head coach stood on the sidelines, shouting angrily and directing his players to quickly adjust their positioning.
On the pitch, Schmidt pounded the ground and roared at his teammates.
“Stay focused!
Don’t make any more mistakes!
Wake up, everyone, this is the German Cup!” After scoring, Stefan ran excitedly toward the corner flag, arms wide, and performed a knee slide on the grass.
His teammates immediately surrounded him, embracing him tightly.
Following Florian’s first goal, Würzburger Kickers’ defensive line appeared somewhat panicked.
Although the home team tried to stabilize the situation, Munich 1860 had already firmly seized the rhythm.
The home-field advantage had already lost its effect for Würzburg.
In the 60th minute, Würzburg tried to create an opportunity through high-pressure pressing.
Neumann successfully intercepted the ball in midfield and quickly passed it to Forward Holtmann.
Holtmann broke into the penalty area with the ball, attempting to shoot.
However, Munich 1860’s defender Stojković tracked back in time, neutralizing the crisis with a clean and decisive sliding tackle.
“Brilliant!” The commentator couldn’t help but marvel, “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but since Adrian Vandenberg took over 1860, Stojković’s progress has been immense.
He has made key contributions in almost every match.” The ball was cleared to the midfield, and Michael quickly took control.
He calmly observed the situation on the field and passed the ball laterally to Florian.
After receiving the ball, Florian used a subtle feint to shake off a defender, then broke through at extreme speed.
Facing a second defender coming to intercept, he flicked the ball to the left with the inside of his right foot and then quickly took a shot.
The ball traced a perfect arc, soaring over goalkeeper Bachmann’s fingertips and tucking straight into the top-left corner of the net!
“GOAL!!!” The commentator was nearly shouting, “Florian has once again demonstrated his individual ability; that was an incredible shot!” The home fans’ section let out a collective sigh and boos, while the away fans went wild.
An old 1860 fan who had traveled all the way from Berlin stood up and shouted, “Florian is a magician!
Look at that goal!” He excitedly patted the team crest on his chest, as if the eyes of the entire stadium were focused on him at that moment.
On the other side, in the SKY broadcast room, the commentator also remarked excitedly: “That was practically a world-class goal!
From the reception to the shot, every movement was perfectly timed, absolutely flawless!” The Würzburg players began to look somewhat frustrated.
Schmidt tried to shout instructions for his teammates’ positioning, but everyone seemed to have more will than power.
Adrian Vandenberg stood on the sidelines, calmly observing the situation on the pitch.
He waved to signal his players to maintain the pressure and avoid giving the opponents any breathing room.
Just five minutes later, Munich 1860 seized another opportunity.
After receiving a pass from Stefan outside the penalty area, Florian didn’t hesitate and directly unleashed a long-range shot.
The ball was like a shell fired from a cannon, heading straight for the top-right corner of the goal.
“GOAL!!!
An exquisite goal!” The commentator’s voice almost drowned out the cheers of the crowd, “Florian!
This is a world-class goal!
Bachmann could do nothing about it!” The Würzburg players looked even more helpless; their defensive line had completely collapsed.
Schmidt stood rooted to the spot, head in his hands, clearly dissatisfied with his teammates’ defensive support.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Bachmann angrily kicked the goalpost, trying to vent his emotions.
“Are you all dead men!” Würzburg’s captain Neumann rebuked his teammates, “Don’t let them score so easily again!” In the 68th minute, another Munich 1860 attack began.
After Michael intercepted the ball in midfield, he quickly passed it to the left-winger, Ivan.
Ivan accelerated down the wing.
Facing the opposing right-back Kern, he used a step-over feint to create space and then delivered a precise cross.
This time, Saša leaped high and powered a header toward the goal.
The ball flew like a projectile into the bottom-right corner.
Although goalkeeper Bachmann dove with all his might, he was still a step too slow.
“GOAL!!!” The commentator shouted excitedly, “Saša has breached Würzburg’s defense with a powerful header!
The total score is now 5-0!” During the celebration, Saša beat his chest and ran excitedly toward the away fans’ section.
His teammates swarmed over, surrounding him in the middle.
The away fans sang loudly once more, while the home fans began to fall silent, with only scattered boos coming from the stands.
The Würzburg fans couldn’t even be bothered to boo anymore.
The Würzburg head coach appeared extremely dissatisfied, angrily kicking a water bottle on the sidelines and loudly directing his players to fall back.
However, their defensive line already showed obvious cracks.
Just 5 minutes later, Munich 1860 created another threat.
Florian had the ball in the middle, easily shaking off Schmidt who tried to challenge him, and then distributed the ball to the fast-advancing Ivan.
Ivan used his speed to pull away from the opposing defender Kern and broke directly into the penalty area.
Facing goalkeeper Bachmann, Ivan calmly used a feint to move him out of the way and then slotted the ball into the empty net.
“GOAL!!!
Ivan!
I have to say, this match is a complete goal feast!” the commentator shouted.
“Munich 1860’s offense is simply unstoppable; Würzburg’s defense has completely lost its organization!” Among the home players, Schmidt shook his head helplessly, and Captain Neumann patted his shoulder, trying to encourage his teammates to keep fighting.
But the Würzburg fans at the scene had already begun to leave their seats, and some were even waving white flags in the stands to mock their own team’s performance.
In the 80th minute, Munich 1860 earned a corner kick in front of the penalty area.
Florian took the corner, precisely lofting the ball toward the far post.
Defender Witek leaped high in the box and headed the ball toward the goal.
The ball hit the crossbar and rebounded right to Witek’s feet; he reacted instantly, firing a shot into the net.
“GOAL!!!
An unexpected goal, but a goal nonetheless!!” the commentator said with a smile.
“Defender Witek has put the icing on the cake for this match with his effort; this is his first-ever German Cup goal!” Witek ran excitedly to the sidelines, opening his arms to receive his teammates’ embraces, while the home players stood dejectedly on the spot, looking powerless.
As the score widened to 7-0, the suspense of the match had completely vanished.
The Würzburger Kickers players looked exhausted, their running significantly reduced, while the Munich 1860 players grew bolder as the battle went on.
Belgian fans following the match witnessed this exhilarating game through the television broadcast, flooding the internet with bullet comments.
“Adrian!
So capable!” “What?
This is Munich 1860?
If you didn’t say so, I’d have thought it was Bayern Munich.” “Don’t be a hater; even Bayern hasn’t put up a score like this this season.” “Okay, double salary for this month!” “Bro, tell us the strategy.” “Würzburg fans: Give us a point, we’ll accept it even if it’s a miss.” “You wouldn’t be happy if it really was a miss.” The commentator summarized: “This was a victory of total suppression.
Adrian Vandenberg and his team demonstrated superb strength and tactical execution.
Let’s hope they can maintain this form in the upcoming matches!” The final whistle blew, and the score was fixed at 7-0.
Munich 1860 had completely crushed the morale of Würzburger Kickers with a resounding victory.
On the pitch, the away players gathered to celebrate, while Adrian Vandenberg walked with unhurried steps toward the home fans’ stands.
He stopped at the edge of the field, his back straight, one hand naturally behind his back, his gaze calmly scanning the dejected home fans.
Then, he lowered his head slightly, his other hand making an elegant circle as he gave a very gentlemanly bow to the stands; the degree was just right, more elegant than a stage actor’s curtain call.
This action, however, carried a silent mockery, as if saying: “Thank you for your enthusiastic support, but the victory belongs to us.” Instantly, a wave of boos and insults erupted from the stands.
Angry Würzburg fans waved their scarves; some shouted until they were hoarse, some threw their drink cups down in rage, and many more used words to try and attack this ‘arrogant’ young coach.
“Go back to Belgium!
Germany doesn’t welcome you, and neither does this place!” “Clearly three-zero would have been enough, why did you have to make it seven-zero, you bastard coach!” “You white devil, don’t let me see you in Würzburg again.
You’d better be careful when you take the bus back!” These were the remarks of a few extreme fans.
Though the words were sharp, Adrian Vandenberg didn’t care at all.
He even straightened up composedly, the corners of his mouth curling into a meaningful smile.
Then, he opened his arms as if embracing the entire stadium.
Facing the roars of the Würzburg fans, he held his head high and chest out, eyes slightly closed, as if enjoying all the noisy sounds.
At this moment, his figure stood like a sculpture, both confident and flamboyant.
The fury of the entire stands seemed to become the background noise that highlighted his aura.
The away fans’ stands were instantly ignited; cheers, applause, and laughter intertwined.
Some imitated Adrian Vandenberg’s movements, while others shouted his name.
The entire section became a sea of blue and white, its momentum completely overwhelming the home team’s atmosphere.
“Coach!
Coach!” Saša took the lead, rushing out from the group of celebrating players to Adrian Vandenberg’s side.
He reached out and gently patted his shoulder, then imitated his movement, hands behind his back, and gave another elegant bow to the Würzburg fans.
Florian, Stefan, and the others also followed suit, surrounding Adrian Vandenberg and repeating the action, each with a faint smile on their face.
“This is simply too bold!” The commentator couldn’t help but laugh.
“Adrian Vandenberg didn’t just completely suppress the opponent tactically; now even his celebration is all the more provoking.
I have to say, his bow is more elegant than a stage actor’s curtain call.
He knows how to take the initiative in the match atmosphere; but don’t know if he would get fined for this.” Reporters frantically pressed their shutters, capturing this scene.
The neat line, the elegant movements, combined with Adrian Vandenberg’s three-piece suit and European aristocrat aura, turned this image into an indelible moment.
Whether it was the fans present or the viewers in front of their televisions, everyone was deeply struck by this moment.
After the match, this scene quickly topped the trending lists on various local social media platforms.
One fan commented: “This is the most graceful provocation and celebration I’ve ever seen, and also the most confident declaration of victory.” Others jokingly called Adrian Vandenberg the “Elegant Assassin” because every one of his movements precisely stung the hearts of the Würzburg fans.
And for the fans of Munich 1860, the combination of this action and the victory had already become a symbol.
This wasn’t just a win; it was a carnival belonging to them and their coach.
— T/N: DONATE POWER STONES.
There will be choices for female companion after chapter 25, so everyone be ready to recommend your choice.