Although Raiola had hinted at it beforehand, Mark was still somewhat taken aback when he actually received Flick's call.
"Thank you very much for your call; I will arrive at the destination on time to join the team…"
After hanging up, Mark immediately called Raiola:
"Mino, you really are something!"
"What's wrong?"
"The national team assistant coach Flick just called me and said I've been called up for the preliminary World Cup squad!"
"Congratulations, Mark! Don't thank me; you earned this with your excellent performance on the field!"
Several hours later, at noon, German Team head coach Löw announced the 30-man preliminary World Cup squad at a press conference at the Football Association headquarters in Frankfurt.
German TV channel ZDF also live-streamed the press conference.
Watching Löw read his name on TV, Mark, sitting in the dining hall, confirmed a fact once again:
He really made it into German War Machine's 30-man preliminary World Cup squad!!!
Before he could fully digest the good news, De Bruyne, sitting beside him, put an arm around his shoulder and congratulated him:
"Congratulations, buddy!"
Malanda, sitting on the other side, congratulated him with an envious look:
"Mark, that's so cool!"
It's worth noting that Mark was the only German player from Wolfsburg to be selected for the squad.
Whether it was Arnold, Knoche, and Klose, who had never been selected before, or Träsch, a fringe international who had previously been selected for the senior team, they all looked at Mark with envy.
You know, that's the highest stage in the football world—the World Cup!
Of course, envy is one thing, but they all came forward very kindly to congratulate Mark.
"Buddy, congratulations on your selection!"
"You deserve this!"
"Thank you, I'm very grateful…"
It's worth noting that Mark's excellent performance and astonishing statistics this season were clear for all to see.
Without Mark, they would likely have lost a lot of points, and perhaps wouldn't have secured a Champions League spot this season.
If such a player were not selected for the World Cup squad, it would simply be outrageous!
Mark was also happy to be selected for the 30-man preliminary World Cup squad.
Being included in the 30-man preliminary World Cup squad meant that his performance in the Bundesliga had been recognized.
It was a very risky and bold decision to call up a rookie like him, who had only played less than twenty Bundesliga matches since his debut, to the World Cup squad.
One can only say…
"Löw, you really understand football!"
In German War Machine's 30-man preliminary squad for the 2014 Brazil World Cup, Bundesliga giants Bayern and Dortmund were the biggest winners, with seven and six players selected respectively.
Three goalkeepers: led by Bayern's Neuer, with Weidenfeller (Dortmund) and Zieler (Hannover) on standby as backups;
Eleven defenders: composed of Jérôme Boateng (Bayern), Drmic (Dortmund), Großkreutz (Dortmund), Höwedes (Schalke), Hummels (Dortmund), Jansen (Hamburg), Lahm (Bayern), Mertesacker (Arsenal), Mustafi (Sampdoria), Schmelzer (Dortmund), and Ginter (Freiburg);
Ten midfielders: led by "Schweini" Schweinsteiger, with Lars Bender (Leverkusen), Draxler (Schalke), Goretzka (Schalke), Götze (Bayern), Kramer (Mönchengladbach), Hahn (Augsburg), Khedira (Real Madrid), Kroos (Bayern), Özil (Arsenal), and others.
Six forwards: led by German legend "K-God" Klose (Lazio), Müller (Bayern), Podolski (Arsenal), Reus (Dortmund), Schürrle (Chelsea), and Mark (Wolfsburg)!
This 30-man preliminary squad almost encompassed Germany's excellent players from the old, middle, and young generations.
It's worth mentioning that among this 30-man squad, the oldest player was "K-God" Klose, who was almost thirty-six, and the youngest was Mark, who was eighteen!
Two players from different eras, eighteen years apart, were about to fight side by side!
However, with the announcement of the squad, it was truly a mixed bag of joy and sorrow.
The selection of Mark, this Bundesliga super rookie, did not cause much public discussion; instead, everyone believed that Löw had a keen eye for talent.
This season, Mark made fifteen appearances in the Bundesliga, with five starts and ten substitutions, contributing six goals and eight assists!
Such statistics are almost excessively brilliant for an eighteen-year-old who has only played half a Bundesliga season.
Most attacking players in the Bundesliga don't necessarily achieve such excellent statistics even if they play a full season.
Many professionals believe that with Mark's impressive performance, he has already secured the Bundesliga Young Player of the Season award.
Instead, it was the star players who were not selected that sparked heated public debate.
Among them, Mario Gomez, Germany's top striker in the previous European Cup, was the most regrettable, as he didn't even get the chance to prove himself by making the 30-man squad.
On the other hand, young players like Volland, Goretzka, and Hahn all received their first call-ups to the national team.
And while "Little Lion King" ter Stegen, who was set to transfer to Barça at the end of the season, had won the trust of Barça's management, he failed to win Löw's favor.
The media also listed a strongest XI of players who missed out on the squad:
In goal, it was "Little Lion King" ter Stegen:
In the goalkeeper position, Löw preferred veterans like Weidenfeller and Zieler;
Four defenders: Sebastian Jung of Frankfurt, Hamburg's versatile defender Westermann, Bayern's Badstuber, and Freiburg's Günter;
The defensive midfielders were the Dortmund duo of Sven Bender and Gündogan;
The former was omitted because he was a pure defensive midfielder with no attacking or playmaking abilities;
The latter, like Badstuber, was affected by injuries;
The attacking midfielders were Sam of Leverkusen and Arnold of Wolfsburg. Sam was Leverkusen's winger threat, and thanks to the team's excellent performance, he even participated in the photoshoot for the German Team's away kit when it was first unveiled, enjoying immense popularity at the time.
But as Leverkusen's performance declined at the end of the season, Sam also lost his magical form and missed out on selection;
Arnold, who made his Wolfsburg debut at eighteen, was originally a gem of Wolfsburg's youth academy.
However, this season his brilliance was completely overshadowed by the emergence of Mark, and coupled with his all-around ability but lack of outstanding skill in any one area, he was unable to compete with other established stars.
In the forward position, the omission of Gomez and Kießling was the most disheartening for German fans.
The former was once Germany's most relied-upon "Klose successor" on the frontline.
But after transferring to Fiorentina this season, he suffered from injuries and his form severely declined;
The latter, despite being the Bundesliga top scorer, had a personal feud with Löw and was almost impossible to select. When this list of omissions was released, many fans felt that even this lineup could qualify from the group stage if it were to participate in the World Cup!
Chapter 72: The only selected candidate, some are happy and some are sad [Please subscribe! ]
Chapter 72: The Sole Selectee—Some Rejoice, Some Grieve [Please Subscribe!]
I've been selected for the World Cup squad?!
Although Raiola had hinted at it beforehand, Mark was still somewhat taken aback when he actually received Flick's call.
"Thank you very much for your call; I will arrive at the destination on time to join the team…"
After hanging up, Mark immediately called Raiola:
"Mino, you really are something!"
"What's wrong?"
"The national team assistant coach Flick just called me and said I've been called up for the preliminary World Cup squad!"
"Congratulations, Mark! Don't thank me; you earned this with your excellent performance on the field!"
Several hours later, at noon, German Team head coach Löw announced the 30-man preliminary World Cup squad at a press conference at the Football Association headquarters in Frankfurt.
German TV channel ZDF also live-streamed the press conference.
Watching Löw read his name on TV, Mark, sitting in the dining hall, confirmed a fact once again:
He really made it into German War Machine's 30-man preliminary World Cup squad!!!
Before he could fully digest the good news, De Bruyne, sitting beside him, put an arm around his shoulder and congratulated him:
"Congratulations, buddy!"
Malanda, sitting on the other side, congratulated him with an envious look:
"Mark, that's so cool!"
It's worth noting that Mark was the only German player from Wolfsburg to be selected for the squad.
Whether it was Arnold, Knoche, and Klose, who had never been selected before, or Träsch, a fringe international who had previously been selected for the senior team, they all looked at Mark with envy.
You know, that's the highest stage in the football world—the World Cup!
Of course, envy is one thing, but they all came forward very kindly to congratulate Mark.
"Buddy, congratulations on your selection!"
"You deserve this!"
"Thank you, I'm very grateful…"
It's worth noting that Mark's excellent performance and astonishing statistics this season were clear for all to see.
Without Mark, they would likely have lost a lot of points, and perhaps wouldn't have secured a Champions League spot this season.
If such a player were not selected for the World Cup squad, it would simply be outrageous!
Mark was also happy to be selected for the 30-man preliminary World Cup squad.
Being included in the 30-man preliminary World Cup squad meant that his performance in the Bundesliga had been recognized.
It was a very risky and bold decision to call up a rookie like him, who had only played less than twenty Bundesliga matches since his debut, to the World Cup squad.
One can only say…
"Löw, you really understand football!"
In German War Machine's 30-man preliminary squad for the 2014 Brazil World Cup, Bundesliga giants Bayern and Dortmund were the biggest winners, with seven and six players selected respectively.
Three goalkeepers: led by Bayern's Neuer, with Weidenfeller (Dortmund) and Zieler (Hannover) on standby as backups;
Eleven defenders: composed of Jérôme Boateng (Bayern), Drmic (Dortmund), Großkreutz (Dortmund), Höwedes (Schalke), Hummels (Dortmund), Jansen (Hamburg), Lahm (Bayern), Mertesacker (Arsenal), Mustafi (Sampdoria), Schmelzer (Dortmund), and Ginter (Freiburg);
Ten midfielders: led by "Schweini" Schweinsteiger, with Lars Bender (Leverkusen), Draxler (Schalke), Goretzka (Schalke), Götze (Bayern), Kramer (Mönchengladbach), Hahn (Augsburg), Khedira (Real Madrid), Kroos (Bayern), Özil (Arsenal), and others.
Six forwards: led by German legend "K-God" Klose (Lazio), Müller (Bayern), Podolski (Arsenal), Reus (Dortmund), Schürrle (Chelsea), and Mark (Wolfsburg)!
This 30-man preliminary squad almost encompassed Germany's excellent players from the old, middle, and young generations.
It's worth mentioning that among this 30-man squad, the oldest player was "K-God" Klose, who was almost thirty-six, and the youngest was Mark, who was eighteen!
Two players from different eras, eighteen years apart, were about to fight side by side!
However, with the announcement of the squad, it was truly a mixed bag of joy and sorrow.
The selection of Mark, this Bundesliga super rookie, did not cause much public discussion; instead, everyone believed that Löw had a keen eye for talent.
This season, Mark made fifteen appearances in the Bundesliga, with five starts and ten substitutions, contributing six goals and eight assists!
Such statistics are almost excessively brilliant for an eighteen-year-old who has only played half a Bundesliga season.
Most attacking players in the Bundesliga don't necessarily achieve such excellent statistics even if they play a full season.
Many professionals believe that with Mark's impressive performance, he has already secured the Bundesliga Young Player of the Season award.
Instead, it was the star players who were not selected that sparked heated public debate.
Among them, Mario Gomez, Germany's top striker in the previous European Cup, was the most regrettable, as he didn't even get the chance to prove himself by making the 30-man squad.
On the other hand, young players like Volland, Goretzka, and Hahn all received their first call-ups to the national team.
And while "Little Lion King" ter Stegen, who was set to transfer to Barça at the end of the season, had won the trust of Barça's management, he failed to win Löw's favor.
The media also listed a strongest XI of players who missed out on the squad:
In goal, it was "Little Lion King" ter Stegen:
In the goalkeeper position, Löw preferred veterans like Weidenfeller and Zieler;
Four defenders: Sebastian Jung of Frankfurt, Hamburg's versatile defender Westermann, Bayern's Badstuber, and Freiburg's Günter;
The defensive midfielders were the Dortmund duo of Sven Bender and Gündogan;
The former was omitted because he was a pure defensive midfielder with no attacking or playmaking abilities;
The latter, like Badstuber, was affected by injuries;
The attacking midfielders were Sam of Leverkusen and Arnold of Wolfsburg. Sam was Leverkusen's winger threat, and thanks to the team's excellent performance, he even participated in the photoshoot for the German Team's away kit when it was first unveiled, enjoying immense popularity at the time.
But as Leverkusen's performance declined at the end of the season, Sam also lost his magical form and missed out on selection;
Arnold, who made his Wolfsburg debut at eighteen, was originally a gem of Wolfsburg's youth academy.
However, this season his brilliance was completely overshadowed by the emergence of Mark, and coupled with his all-around ability but lack of outstanding skill in any one area, he was unable to compete with other established stars.
In the forward position, the omission of Gomez and Kießling was the most disheartening for German fans.
The former was once Germany's most relied-upon "Klose successor" on the frontline.
But after transferring to Fiorentina this season, he suffered from injuries and his form severely declined;
The latter, despite being the Bundesliga top scorer, had a personal feud with Löw and was almost impossible to select. When this list of omissions was released, many fans felt that even this lineup could qualify from the group stage if it were to participate in the World Cup!
....
I am sorry about chapter 71 but Web novel did not allow it to be published and we are looking into it