CHAPTER 649: CHAPTER 649 UKRAINE?

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[12/11/2020 | DFB Camp, Leipzig | Three Days Before Germany vs Ukraine]

The air at the DFB camp had changed overnight as the veterans arrived at the camp. What had been a quiet, development-focused gathering for Germany’s experimental squad now buzzed with a sharper energy. These players were mainstays in the national squad, with quite a few a part of that famed team that won the World Cup in Brazil.

Early that morning, Rakim and the rest of the players stood outside the training dome, chatting as they waited for that morning’s training to begin. The arrival of a convoy of black Mercedes vans quickly caught everyone’s attention. One by one, the country’s stars stepped out — Manuel Neuer, Goretzka, Sané, Gnabry, and Süle. They were laughing as they greeted the staff who had rushed out to welcome them.

"You guys look like you’ve just seen the Avengers," Tah teased, snapping them out of their trance.

"Feels like it," Brandt admitted, chuckling. "Only, they’re real."

"Yeah, they look different in the national team gear than in their club kits," Rakim added with a light smile. "More intimidating for sure, kinda like how a uniform transforms a regular man into a soldier."

"Didn’t you dribble through half of them last season?" Tah asked, visibly baffled at his younger teammate. "They’re still the same players."

"Yeah, but now I kinda want to do it again," He muttered in response, flicking up a nearby ball and starting to juggle it casually.

"Hate to break it to you, kid, but you’re on the same team now."

"Even better, we get to compete for positions, and really see who’s got that dog in them." He replied with a smile, balancing the ball on his forehead. He suddenly looked straight, making eye contact with Sane, who just happened to be looking their way.

"Stop playing around and focus, the coaches are calling us," Tah commented, flicking his head, breaking the impromptu staring contest.

~~~

That afternoon’s session for Rakim was electric to say the least. Goretzka and Gündogan orchestrated midfield passing drills with frightening precision, finding him with perfectly placed passes. He hardly had to think about adjusting to a pass and simply focused on beating his man or creating opportunities.

Adjusting to the other wingers’ habits was slightly harder, but everyone here was the best of the best the country had to offer. Building a semblance of chemistry became easy when playing with smart players. Surprisingly, he and Sane found it easier to connect in transition play than when he was in a team with Gnabry.

It also made sense since he was a more direct player like Diaby, just with a more comprehensive skill set. Gnabry, on the other hand, was more unpredictable as he could do it all and liked to cut inwards. His speed also wasn’t that impressive, but his acceleration was definitely deadly.

Löw watched closely, throughout the day’s sessions, occasionally exchanging notes with Marcus Sorg. Every time one of the wingers got on the ball, the tempo shifted. Especially Rakim: his blend of speed, control, and unpredictability drew the game toward him, creating opportunities for his teammates.

By the second day, the Rakim had lost the initial reverence he had for them and saw them as teammates and opponents. He was cracking jokes with Süle, who was surprisingly funny, something one couldn’t tell at first glance (so he took a second). The Bayern contingent was the most respected by both staff and players as they contributed to most of the players in the squad. That made it all the more impressive for players who came from other German teams and made the cut.

~~~

[14/11/2020 | 20:45 | Red Bull Arena, Leipzig | International Friendly – Germany vs Ukraine | Attendance: 1,000 (COVID restricted)]

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Line-ups

German: 4-3-3

GK: 1 Manuel Neuer

LB: 13 Philipp Max

CB: 16 Antonio Rüdiger

CB: 15 Niklas Süle

RB: 4 Matthias Ginter

CM: 21 Ilkay Gündogan

CAM: 2 Robin Koch

CM: 18 Leon Goretzka

LW: 22 Rakim Rex

ST: 20 Serge Gnabry

RW: 19 Leroy Sané

vs

Ukraine: 4-3-3

GK: 12 Andriy Pyatov

LB: 2 Eduard Sobol

CB: 22 Mykola Matviyenko

CB: 3 Illia Zabarnyi

RB: 15 Yukhym Konoplia,

CM 6 Taras Stepanenko

CM: 8 Ruslan Malinovskyi

CM: 17 Oleksandr Zinchenko

LW: 19 Oleksandr Zubkov

ST: 9 Roman Yaremchuk

RW: 11 Marlos

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Floodlights bathed the stadium in clean white light as the players stood for the anthem. The return of Germany’s full-strength side brought more expectations. Rakim stood on the far left of the lineup, gloved hands clasped behind his back, his breath visible in the cold air.

In the commentary booth, Derek Rae set the tone. "Good evening from Leipzig, where Joachim Löw fields a formidable Germany side for tonight’s friendly against Ukraine. Manuel Neuer returns to captain the team, and all eyes will be on seventeen-year-old Rakim Rex, who keeps his place after scoring on debut against the Czechs. Tonight, he starts from the first whistle."

[1’]

(FWEEEEET)

Germany kicked off, slotting the ball back to Gündogan and Goretzka, who immediately began pinning passes in their own half, dictating the tempo from midfield. While the front three, consisting of Rakim, Gnabry, and Sane, pressed high. Within minutes, Ukraine’s back line began to stretch, creating opportunities for the Germans.

[5’]

In the 5th minute, Sané picked up possession deep and fed Rakim with a diagonal switch. The winger took it on the chest, cutting inside of Sobol with a deft body feint before curling a low cross toward Gnabry. The Bayern Forward turned it goalward with a daring volley, but Pyatov parried it!

"That’s a warning shot," Rae noted. "And Rakim already looks lively down that left flank."

[9’]

Germany drew first blood in the 9th minute when a one-two between Gündogan and Goretzka sliced open the centre. The ball reached Rakim on the edge of the box, and with a quick Cruyff turn, he ghosted past Matviyenko and unleashed a thunderous strike from fifteen yards. It slammed off the underside of the bar and rattled the inside of the goal.

"GOAL! Rakim Rex again!" Derek Rae’s voice soared. "The young man cannot stop scoring for Germany!"

[Germany 1–0 Ukraine — Rakim Rex 9’]

"Electric start," Robson added. "He makes it look easy as he escapes his man, and then hits it with the laces—perfect contact."

[18’]

Germany’s pressure didn’t relent. Goretzka nicked possession from Zinchenko, releasing Gnabry down the middle. The forward held up play, drawing in Zabarnyi before flicking wide to Rakim again. The teenager drove forward, twisted his body, and lashed a low shot across the goal, but it got deflected! The rebound flicked up straight back to him, and this time he side-footed calmly, bending it past the sprawling Pyatov.

"Another one! Two for Rakim inside twenty minutes!" Rae cried. "He’s on fire!"

[Germany 2–0 Ukraine — Rakim Rex 18’]

[30’]

Ukraine tried to respond. Zinchenko combined neatly with Malinovskyi down the left, exchanging quick passes that carved a brief lane through midfield. A clipped ball from Malinovskyi found Yaremchuk between Süle and Rüdiger; the striker rose well and steered a header toward the far corner. Neuer had to make his first real save of teh game and he didn’t dissapoint.

The Germany captain sprang to his right, palming the ball away with a strong one-handed save before Ginter arrived to hook it clear. "A timely reminder that Ukraine still carry a threat," Derek Rae remarked. "But Neuer, as ever, equal to it."

[37]

Koch stepped forward to intercept a loose pass from Stepanenko and immediately fed Goretzka. The Bayern midfielder turned on the half-volley, driving into space with that piston-legged stride before sliding the ball out wide to Sané on the right. Sané squared up Sobol, performing a couple step overs, and then stabbed a pass diagonally through the box.

The ball took out two defenders and Pyatov’s who ha dbeen guarding teh near post was forced to shuffel across. It seemd to be going out for a coner but teh figures of Rakim and Matviyenko came charging in. The winger pushed to teh side by his marker but he streched his leg ount sliding in.

"The hat-trick!" Rae exploded. "RAKIM REX SCORES AGAIN! Inside FORTY-five minutes, and the seventeen-year-old has a treble for Germany!"

[Germany 3–0 Ukraine — Rakim Rex 34’]

He didnt even hesitate as he sprinted to the corner flag arms spread out as if he were a bird before sliding towrad the corner flag. He did not forget to slap the corner flag as he passed it giving a finger salut to the camera. Sané crashed into him first, followed by Gnabry and Goretzka, laughter and shouts echoing in the empty stands as they celebrated.

[40’]

Ukraine were rattled after he scored a hattrick guarding Rakim much more closely. They managed to contain him but their passes grew looser, their shape ragged under the german press. The hosts, sensing it, calmed things down with Gündogan dictating rhythm, launching fast attacks whenever they regaind some semblance of bravary.

Rakim nearly turned provider next forced to play two touch passes least he get fouled. In the 42nd minute he dropped off the flank, as he took a pass from Koch on the half-turn and flicked it between Konoplia and Zabarnyi. Gnabry darted in, firing low toward the far corner, only for Pyatov to tip it wide with a sprawling save.

"So close to a fourth," Rae called.

That proved to be the last notable attack of teh first half as the whistle went for halftime moments later. The players made for the tunnel amid polite applause from the scattered fans and a wall of camera shutters.

[HT — Germany 3–0 Ukraine](Rakim Rex 9’, 18’, 34’)

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To Be Continued...