Dream Space

When discussing the most versatile and perfect midfield archetypes in football history, two of the Dutch trio are indispensable.

However, Rijkaard and Gullit actually have some differences in their focuses.

Rijkaard was more balanced, stable, defensively strong, reliable in passing, and had top-notch positioning, leaning towards the role of "midfield pivot".

Gullit is more aggressive, impactful, and possesses stronger dribbling and attacking midfielder or striker attributes, making him more of an "all-around attacking threat".

Therefore, Rijkaard's guidance is undoubtedly more suitable for Wu Bin now.

Leaving aside his role in offense and organization, let's just talk about defense.

Rijkaard had an exceptional ability to read the game, always positioning himself in the passing lanes ahead of time, and defending with intelligence rather than blindly pressing forward.

His interceptions and tackles are precise, ruthless, and clean, with an extremely high success rate in steals and very few fouls.

It can press forward, cover positions, and assist in defending the flanks, covering the entire midfield and flanks.

It is a top-notch barrier in areas including header defense, aerial defense in the penalty area, clearance, and set piece defense.

To be able to do all this, just as he said in the group chat, one needs a strong body to support it.

It's fair to say that Rijkaard's physical attributes were among the best in history!

He is tall and strong, extremely competitive, and possesses exceptional flexibility, coordination, and agility—hence his nickname "Black Swan."

Then, his speed, explosiveness, endurance, and jumping ability are all top-notch.

With a stable lower body and strong core strength, he can withstand physical contact, protect the ball, and turn quickly...

It's perfect!

If you could develop physical attributes like Rijkaard, it feels like even without much technical skill, you could dominate in lower-level leagues!

In fact, during the time Wu Bin spent training and playing with professional players, what he felt most was the huge physical gap.

If someone carries you over, you'll fly away. What's the point of kicking then?

Let's open the file and take a look.

only.

He initially thought it would be a blurry old video, but the moment he clicked to open it—

The phone screen suddenly emitted a soft yet irresistible white light.

It wasn't a blinding light, but more like the morning light piercing through the clouds, instantly enveloping his vision.

The noise of people, the whistles on the field, and the rustling of the grass being trampled all vanished instantly.

The next second, the surrounding scenery was completely rewritten.

What lies before us is no longer the dormitory of Fujian Tianxin, but a standard green field that is almost completely empty.

The turf was neatly and evenly trimmed, soft yet elastic to the touch. There were no stands or boundaries around it, only a soft, indistinct white light enveloping the sky and earth.

"Holy crap, that's amazing! A holographic projection?" Wu Bin exclaimed.

But he soon discovered that it wasn't a projection at all.

Because he felt as if he were right there on the field, and the sensation of his feet touching the grass was so real.

It looks more like the real thing.

Just as real as in Inception!

"That makes sense. Otherwise, if you could learn just by watching videos, wouldn't every player be able to become Rijkaard simply by watching instructional videos on platforms like Bilibili?"

Wu Bin couldn't help but chuckle.

Since it's a cheat code for time travel, it definitely has to be awesome!

At that moment, Rijkaard's voice rang out.

However, it didn't seem to be coming from any specific direction; it sounded more like a voice-over.

"This lesson is: Cardiopulmonary Limit Training."

"In professional football, the last 30 minutes are what determine the outcome of a match."

"Most players' physical condition collapses not because they can't run, but because their anaerobic endurance is too poor."

"When you lack oxygen, your movements become chaotic, and when you're chaotic, your defense becomes weak."

"This lesson focuses on only one exercise: interval running! Sprint, stop suddenly, slow down to adjust, and sprint again."

"It's not jogging, it's the kind of running that pushes you to your physical limits."

"The goal isn't to run fast, but to maintain a defensive posture even when your lungs are burning and your legs are trembling. That's the perpetual motion of a defensive player!"

Let me demonstrate it for you first.

Then, Wu Bin saw a player wearing simple training clothes appear on the track ahead.

His physique is slender and well-proportioned, with smooth and unexaggerated muscle lines, full of explosiveness and coordination. It is clearly the physique of a player who has sculpted his body over many years.

Although his face was still somewhat blurry, as if shrouded in a thin mist, Wu Bin recognized him at a glance with his unique temperament and steady, mountain-like posture.

He is indeed Frank Rijkaard during his playing days, the "Black Swan" himself!

Without saying a word, Rijkaard began the demonstration.

Compared to the training Wu Bin received in the team, this training was actually very simple.

Just run!

As Wu Bin watched Rijkaard sprint, stop abruptly, and start again, his chest heaving violently yet maintaining his balance, he understood.

This is not easy training; it's pushing yourself to the limit.

Let's practice!

Not everyone gets to receive personal guidance from a master like Rijkaard.

The first sprint.

The wind whistled past my ears, my legs moved smoothly, and my breathing was relatively steady.

The second trip.

His breathing began to become labored.

The third trip.

My chest feels hot.

The fourth trip.

It felt like my lungs were filled with fire, and every breath I took was accompanied by a stinging pain.

The fifth trip.

My vision started to go black, and my legs felt like they were bound with iron blocks; every step I took was trembling.

My throat was filled with the taste of rust, and my breathing went from "huffing and puffing" to a muffled sound that was almost suffocating.

Wu Bin's legs went weak, and he knelt down on the grass, supporting himself on his knees with his hands, panting heavily, his whole body trembling.

"I can't... I really can't run anymore..."

He lay on the grass, sweat dripping from his chin into the turf, barely able to lift his arm.

Rijkaard's voice rang out again.

Giving up is easy.

"But you have to remember, all the defenders who can stay on the court until the end are the ones who can take one more step when others can't run anymore."

"Your current fatigue is not due to physical breakdown, but rather because the door to your limits is being pushed open."

"Try a few more sets, and you'll feel a different sensation in your body."

Wu Bin clenched his fists.

He remembered that before he transmigrated, he could only watch football on a screen, he remembered being called a "useless defensive midfielder" when he first arrived, and he remembered Zhang Lei's disdainful look.

Don't be fooled by how impressive he was during the training match; without the trial card, he'll be brought back to reality.

No, I want to have my own real abilities!

If others can do it, why can't he?

"...Again."

He gritted his teeth, pushed himself up from the ground, his legs still trembling, and walked back to the starting point.

sprint.

Emergency stop.

Take a slow walk to adjust.

Sprint on again.

again and again.

Each time, I was on the verge of fainting.

Every time, I felt like I was about to collapse.

The burning sensation in his lungs intensified, his muscles groaned, yet his consciousness unexpectedly grew clearer—

He could clearly feel his heart and lungs being forcibly stretched open, and his endurance threshold being raised little by little.

After rushing around for what felt like an eternity, he suddenly realized:

Although I'm still very tired, my breathing is no longer erratic and my movements are no longer distorted.

Even though his legs were weak, he was still able to maintain his balance and his defensive posture did not collapse.

Is this what Rijkaard meant by a real improvement in anaerobic endurance?

When Wu Bin finally finished the number of sets required by Rijkaard, he lay flat on the grass, panting heavily, his whole body soaked, as if he had just been pulled out of the water.

It's strange, though, how could he last so long with his normal physical condition?

Not to mention that he trained today and even played a practice match!

Even if he still had Beckenbauer's experience card, he still couldn't do it, right?

It's probably this training video, or rather, the training system, that's responsible.

This isn't the real world, so it probably has special abilities in terms of physical recovery.

It can help you recover your physical strength to continue training, and it can also let you feel the exhaustion you experience during real training!

Rijkaard's voice rang out again: "How are you feeling?"

Wu Bin replied, "I was so tired I almost fainted, but... it seems like my body really opened up a bit. During the second half of the sprint, I was actually able to maintain my posture."

Rijkaard: "This is just the first lesson. The foundation of defense is built little by little through this kind of rigorous training. You have to remember that while training here is important, you still need to practice hard in real life to truly improve."

Wu Bin nodded.

reasonable.

This is a simulated body, although it is very close to the real thing, it is still a simulation after all.

Only through real-world training and experience can one truly master the skills.

This course has ended. Do you wish to exit now?

A line of words suddenly appeared in Wu Bin's mind.

"quit."

As soon as he finished speaking, the stadium in front of him suddenly moved backward at an extremely fast speed and then disappeared!

Upon closer inspection, he was already lying in bed again, holding his phone in his hand.

I'm not extremely tired, just about the same as when I hadn't turned on the video.

However, he immediately sensed that things were different from before.

My body felt sticky, and when I looked down, I found that I was soaked through again.

It's all covered in sweat!

Never mind, I'll go take another shower.

What are you doing?

As Wu Bin walked toward the bathroom, his roommate Ye Xiaolu asked in confusion.

Ye Xiaolu is from Xiamen and has no professional background. He is also a player who has a relatively good relationship with Wu Bin.

Wu Bin is the only player from Fuzhou on the team, and together with Ye Xiaolu, they are the only two players from Fujian.

Unfortunately, Fujian is an absolute football desert in China. The last time it truly had a professional team was during the Xiamen Yuanhua era.

The Fujian Junhao that followed was merely a passing phase.

"Take a shower," Wu Bin said without turning his head.

"Take a shower? Didn't you just take a shower?"

"...Can't I be clean?"

"Alright... then." Looking at Wu Bin's retreating figure, Ye Xiaolu's face was full of suspicion.

"Damn, does this kid have that much energy? He just finished training and already had sex in bed?"