The following week transformed from promising to electric.
Monday morning, Marco arrived at training to find Coach Werner waiting for him at the equipment shed, arms crossed, expression unreadable. For a heart-stopping moment, Marco thought he'd done something wrong—violated some unknown academy rule, or forgot something important.
Then Werner smiled. "Reus. Good match on Saturday. Hoffmann and I reviewed the footage. You made some intelligent decisions out there."
"Thank you, Coach."
"We're moving you up to the main training group for tactical sessions. You'll still practice with your age cohort for technical work, but starting this week, you will train tactics with the top prospects." Werner paused, letting that sink in. "That's Leon, Dennis, Phillipe, and four others. Don't waste the opportunity."
Marco's heart skipped a beat. The top prospects. The 70+ overall players. The ones being groomed for first-team promotion.
"I won't, Coach. Thank you."
As Werner walked away, the system materialized:
----------------------
STATUS CHANGE DETECTED
Academy Position:
Borderline → Developing Prospect (Provisional)
Training Group: Standard → Advanced TacticalVisibility: Low → Medium
Opportunity significantly Increased
Pressure significantly Increased
#Analysis:
This is accelerated development track. Success rate: 40%.
Either you prove you belong, or you prove you don't. No middle ground.
#WARNING: This does NOT mean you're safe from release.
March 2005 evaluation remains critical.
Time remaining: 6 months
Next Monthly Review: 4 weeks (Progress checkpoint only)
Required Progress: 60/100 → 65/100 minimum to stay on positive trajectory
Final Evaluation: March 2005 (Must reach 68-70/100 to secure position)
------------------
Tim found him after training, eyes wide. "Did Werner really move you up? That's... nobody moves up mid-season. They decide that stuff at the beginning of the year."
"I guess they're making an exception.""Dennis said you're training with them starting tomorrow. Marco, that's insane. They only do that for guys they think might make the first team. Or..." Tim's expression turned serious. "Or guys they're testing. To see if they're worth keeping at all."
'Exactly,' Marco thought grimly. 'This is my audition. Six months long.'
That afternoon, instead of his usual individual training, Marco found himself on Pitch 3 with seven other players—the academy's elite. Leon noticed him first, jogging over with a friendly nod.
"Heard you're joining us. Welcome to the thunder dome." He gestured at the others. "You know most of these guys. Dennis, Phillipe. That's Tobias—defensive mid. Henrik—center back. The twins, Lars and Lukas—fullbacks."
All of them were bigger than Marco. Older. More developed physically. The system displayed their ratings as they warmed up:
[Leon: 73/100
Dennis: 71/100
Phillipe: 69/100
Tobias: 68/100
Henrik: 67/100
Lars: 66/100Lukas: 66/100
Marco: 60/100
Average group rating: 68.6/100
Your deficit: -8.6 points]
'I'm the weakest one here by far.'
Coach Hoffmann arrived, carrying a tactics board and a bag of coloured pinnies. "Gentlemen. Today we work on positional play—rondos with progression triggers. Marco, since you're new, you'll observe the first round. Watch how space gets created and exploited."
The drill was complex. Eight players in a circle, two in the middle trying to intercept. But the outside players had specific rules: only two touches, must scan before receiving, if you complete five passes in a row, the group shifts fifteen meters forward on the pitch, simulating advancing through defensive lines.
Marco watched, and what he saw was beautiful.Leon orchestrated everything, his vision allowing him to play first-time passes that split the two defenders. Dennis's movement pulled defenders out of position. The twins communicated constantly, adjusting angles. When they hit five passes, the entire group shifted forward seamlessly, maintaining perfect spacing.
It looked effortless. It was anything but.
[Tactical Analysis Active
#Observations:
- Average scan frequency: 3.2 scans per second (elite level)
- Pass accuracy: 94% (professional standard)
- Positional awareness: 8.7/10 average
- Communication frequency: Constant
#Your current levels:
- Scan frequency: 1.8/second (developing)
- Pass accuracy: 87% (good youth level)
- Positional awareness: 7.1/10 (adequate)
- Communication: Minimal (weakness identified)
#Recommandation: Intensive work required.]
"Reus, you're in. Switch with Dennis."
Marco's heart hammered as he entered the circle. Immediately, the pressure was different. Leon pinged a pass to him—weight perfect, arriving at his back foot. Marco controlled it, looked up, played it to Henrik. Safe pass. Good.
The drill flowed. Marco touched the ball nine times in three minutes. He didn't lose it, didn't make mistakes. But he wasn't making plays either. Wasn't seeing the angles Leon saw, wasn't creating the problems Dennis created with his movement.
He was just... there. Functional. Forgettable.
Until the sixty-second mark, when something clicked.
Leon received the ball under pressure, back to goal. Marco saw it before it happened—saw how Leon would turn, saw the space that would open on the right, saw Lars making a subtle underlapping run.
'Through ball. Now.'
Leon turned and played exactly the pass Marco had predicted. But instead of just receiving it back, Marco had already adjusted his position, creating a new passing lane. When the ball came to him, he had three options instead of one.
'There.'
Marco played a disguised through ball with the outside of his left foot—a technique he'd practiced yesterday—finding Phillipe's run between the two defenders in the middle. Phillipe controlled it, played it back to Leon. Five passes. The group shifted forward.
"Nice, Marco!" Hoffmann called. "That's anticipation. Seeing it before it happens."
Leon jogged past, patting Marco's shoulder. "Nice weight on that pass. Looked away perfectly—defender had no idea."
The system chimed:
[Through Ball: 8.4/10 (Excellent)
Vision: 8.1/10 (Above current rating)
Disguise: 7.9/10 (Good)
Moment of Excellence
Continue performing at this level.]
Something shifted in Marco after that. The doubt, the imposter syndrome of training with players better than him—it receded. He could do this. Maybe not as consistently as Leon, not with Dennis's explosiveness or Phillipe's finishing. But he had something valuable: vision, intelligence, the ability to see the game unfolding.
The drill continued for forty-five minutes. Marco didn't dominate, but he didn't disappear either. He completed eighty-nine percent of his passes, created three chances with through balls, and—most importantly—started communicating.
"Dennis, space behind!"
"Leon, checking to you!"
"Tobias, switch!"
The game within the game. The constant dialogue that elite players maintained without thinking.
By the end, Marco was drenched in sweat, gasping for air. But Coach Hoffmann looked satisfied.
"Good session. Marco, you kept up. That's not easy your first day with this group. Thursday, same time. We'll work on attacking patterns."
As the group dispersed, Dennis fell into step beside Marco. "You've got good vision, man. That through ball in the second round—I didn't even see that pass. How'd you know I was running?"
'Because I've watched ten thousand professional matches and I understand movement patterns,'Marco thought. "Just... felt like you would."
Dennis laughed. "Instinct. That's good. Can't teach that."
Back in his dorm that evening, after a quick dinner and the mandatory injury-prevention yoga routine the system insisted on, Marco reviewed the session through the system's analysis:
[Advanced Tactical Session #1: COMPLETE
Performance Summary:
- Overall: 7.4/10 (Satisfactory for first session)
- Passing: 89% accuracy
- Through Balls: 3 created, 8.2/10 average quality
- Vision moments: 11 (high quality reads)
- Physical: Adequate (no conditioning deficits observed)
#Skill Improvements Detected:
- Through Balls: 6.8/10 → 7.2/10 (+0.4)
- Game Reading: 6.2/10 → 6.5/10 (+0.3)
- Communication: 5.4/10 → 6.1/10 (+0.7)
Overall Rating: 60/100 → 60.8/100
Progress: On Track for Monthly Checkpoint
Monthly Target: 65/100 (4 weeks)
Final Target (March 2005): 68-70/100 (6 months)
Current trajectory: Will reach 63.5/100 by monthly review if maintained
#Recommendation: Increase individual training volume to exceed minimum ]
'60.8. Not even a full point yet. I need four more points in four weeks just for the monthly checkpoint. Then another 3-5 points over the next five months for the real evaluation.'
But now the path felt clear. The training was working. The system was working. His body was responding, learning, improving.
Marco opened his training journal—a notebook he'd started keeping to track his work—and wrote:
*Day 8 Post-Arrival*
*- Moved up to advanced tactical group (HUGE)*
*- Through balls improving (7.2 now)*
*- Need to focus: Cut inside consistency, dipping free kicks, stamina*
*- Four weeks to monthly review (need 65/100)*
*- Six months to final evaluation (need 68-70/100)*
*- Can't waste a single day.*
He closed the journal and lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow would bring another team training session. Then school. Then individual work on the practice pitch. One hundred repetitions of something—maybe first touch, maybe finishing. Whatever the system recommended.
Every day, a little better. Every week, a little closer.
'This is a marathon, not a sprint,' he reminded himself. 'Six months. Stay focused.'
---
The next three weeks became a blur of relentless work.
**Week 1:**
Monday to Friday: Advanced tactical sessions with the top group. Marco's role crystallized—he was the creative passer, the one who could unlock defences with vision. Leon was better at controlling games, Dennis more dangerous in transition, but Marco's through balls became a weapon. Coach Hoffmann started designing plays specifically to exploit it.
Individual training focused on consistency. One hundred repetitions of the cut inside move every other day, building the rating from 8.1 to 8.6. On alternate days, finishing work—placed shots, curled shots, first-time finishes—bringing his overall shooting from 62/100 to 65/100.
Weekend match: Started the game. Played seventy-eight minutes. One assist (through ball to Dennis). One shot on target. Performance rating: 7.9/10. Overall rating: 60.8 → 61.5.
**Week 2:**
The intensity increased. Advanced training introduced pressing triggers and counter-pressing—concepts Marco understood from watching Klopp's future Dortmund teams. He excelled, anticipating passing lanes, winning the ball in advanced positions. The system logged twenty-three successful interceptions across five training sessions.
Individual work shifted to weaker areas: Stamina (running drills, interval training) and weak-foot finishing (left foot work, endless repetitions). His left foot improved from 5.0/10 to 5.8/10—still weak, but functional.
Physical changes became noticeable. Muscle definition appeared in his legs. His cardiovascular capacity increased—he could complete the full ninety minutes without cramping. The body optimization the system had performed was the foundation, but this was built on top of that foundation.
Weekend match: Started again. Eighty-six minutes. Two assists (both through balls). Performance rating: 8.2/10. Overall rating: 61.5 → 62.7.
**Week 3:**
Coach Werner pulled Marco aside after training on Wednesday. "We're entering you in the regional youth tournament next month. Scouts from Bayern, Schalke, Stuttgart—they'll all be there. This is exposure for you. Make the most of it."
The pressure ratcheted up another notch. But so did Marco's confidence. In training, he was no longer the weakest. Tobias, the defensive mid at 68/100, told him: "You're getting better fast, Reus. Keep it up."
The through balls had become Marco's signature. Weighted perfectly, disguised beautifully, finding runs nobody else saw. The system tracked seventy-two through balls attempted in training over three weeks. Sixty-four completed successfully. 88.9% success rate. Professional level.
Individual training added a new element: free kicks. Every evening, one hundred dead-ball strikes from various distances. The dipping shot technique slowly, agonizingly improved from 5.2/10 to 6.4/10. Still not reliable in matches, but progress.
Weekend match: Captain's armband for the final twenty minutes when the regular captain was subbed. One goal (cut inside, finish far post, 8.8/10 execution). One assist. Performance rating: 8.5/10. Overall rating: 62.7 → 64.1.
**Week 4:**
The week before the monthly review. Marco woke up every morning with knots in his stomach. He was at 64.1/100. The target was 65 minimum for the monthly checkpoint. He was close. So close.The advanced training group had their final session before the review on Thursday. A full-field scrimmage, first-choice eleven versus the reserves. Marco started with the first team, on the left wing of a 4-2-3-1 formation.
And something magical happened.
He didn't just play well. He played brilliantly.
In the seventeenth minute, he received the ball on the left touchline, two defenders pressing. Instead of panicking, he calmly rolled it back to Lars, the overlapping fullback. Lars crossed. Phillipe scored. Secondary assist.
In the thirty-fourth minute, he picked up the ball in midfield, saw Dennis making a diagonal run from the right, and played a forty-yard diagonal through ball—curving, dipping, arriving perfectly in stride. Dennis shot just wide, but the pass was perfection. 9.1/10.
In the sixty-second minute, he cut inside from the left, beat his man with the signature move (8.9/10), drew another defender, slipped a pass to Phillipe, who was fouled in the box. Penalty. Converted. Secondary assist.
In the seventy-ninth minute, the moment that made everyone stop and stare.Marco received a pass from Leon in the center circle. Under pressure, he shifted left, creating space. Looked up. Saw the entire field like a chessboard. The reserve team's defense had pushed high. Henrik, the center back, was making a run forward into space.Marco hit a sixty-yard diagonal through ball over the defense, dropping perfectly onto Henrik's run. Henrik controlled it, drove forward, squared it. Phillipe tapped in his second goal.The entire training ground went silent for a moment. Then erupted in applause.
"Was für ein Pass!" Lars shouted. What a pass!
Leon jogged over, grinning. "Bro. That was beautiful. Where did you even see that?"Coach Hoffmann was on the sideline, shaking his head in disbelief. "Reus! That ball is Bundesliga quality! Unbelievable!"
The system glowed:
[EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE
Through Ball Executed: 9.4/10 (Career Best)
Vision: 9.0/10 (Momentary Peak)
Decision Making: 8.9/10 (Optimal Choice)
This is the level required for long-term success.Maintain and build on this standard.
Performance Rating: 9.1/10 (Exceptional)
Overall Rating: 64.1 → 65.3/100
MONTHLY CHECKPOINT: TARGET EXCEEDED
Monthly Goal: 65/100 ✓ (Achieved: 65.3)
Progress: Excellent
#WARNING: This is only checkpoint 1 of 6.
Final Evaluation: March 2005 (5 months remaining)
Required Rating: 68-70/100 minimum
Current Trajectory: On pace for 69.8/100 if maintained ]
65.3. I hit the monthly target. But March is still five months away.
The scrimmage ended 4-1. Marco had been directly involved in three goals—one primary assist, two secondary assists—and had completed thirty-two of thirty-six passes. 89% accuracy. Five through balls attempted, five completed. 100%.
In the locker room after, the atmosphere was different. Players who'd barely acknowledged Marco four weeks ago now sought him out.
"That diagonal pass, man," Tobias said, sitting down beside him. "That was insane. You're really improving."
"My agent's asking if you've signed with anyone yet," Dennis mentioned casually. "Might be something to think about. You're getting noticed."
Agents? Marco's eyes widened. He hadn't even thought about that. The historical Marco Reus had signed with Dirk Hebel in April 2009. Should he—could he—reach out early?
That's a problem for later, he decided. First, get through tomorrow's review. Then keep working toward March.
That night, Marco could barely sleep. His mind replayed every moment of the scrimmage, every pass, every decision. The system had recorded it all, allowing him to review from multiple angles, see what he'd done right, what he could improve.
But mostly, he just tried to manage his expectations.Tomorrow isn't the final evaluation. It's just a checkpoint.
Friday, October 15th, 2004. Monthly Review.
The academy gathered in the main hall at 9:00 AM—all forty-seven U17 players, plus coaches and administrative staff. Werner stood at the front with a clipboard, his expression giving nothing away.
"Gentlemen. Monthly progress review. This is not an evaluation—that comes in March. This is a checkpoint to see who's trending up, who's maintaining, and who needs to improve urgently."
He paused, scanning the room.
"Most of you are where we expect. A few have exceeded expectations. Some have disappointed. Let's begin."
One by one, he called players forward. Most got neutral assessments—"continue," "maintain focus," "good work."
A few got praise. Dennis: "Exceptional pace development continues." Leon: "Leadership qualities emerging strongly."
Several players got warnings. "Need to see more effort." "Conditioning inadequate." "On watch—improvement required by December."Then:
"Marco Reus."
Marco stood,and slowly walked to the front. Every eye in the room followed him. He'd made noise these past four weeks. People had noticed.
Werner studied him for a long moment. His expression was unreadable.
"Four weeks ago, you were on the watch list. Serious concerns about your development trajectory. We moved you up to the advanced tactical group as a test—to see if you could handle it, or if you'd drown."
Marco's heart pounded lightly. Here it comes.Werner's expression softened slightly. "You didn't drown. You've shown significant improvement. Your through balls have become a legitimate weapon. Your tactical intelligence is impressive for your age. Coach Hoffmann tells me you're putting in two to three hours of extra work daily."He made a note on his clipboard. "That's good progress."
A breath of relief escaped Marco, but Werner held up a hand."However." His tone turned serious again. "This is only one month. One good month doesn't erase six months of being average. The real evaluation is in March. You still need to reach a higher level to secure your position here permanently."
He looked Marco directly in the eye. "You've bought yourself breathing room. You're no longer in immediate danger. But you're not safe either. Five more months of this level of work—maybe more. Understand?"
"Yes, Coach."
"Good." Werner's expression remained stern. "You've moved from 'likely to be released' to 'let's see if this continues.' That's progress. But it's not security. Keep working."
"I will, Coach. Thank you."
As Marco returned to his seat, the message was clear. He'd won a battle, not the war.Around him, teammates offered quiet congratulations.
Tim leaned over: "Dude, that's huge. You were almost gone. Now you're 'let's see.' That's... that's a chance."
"It's something," Marco agreed quietly.The system displayed its assessment:
[MONTHLY CHECKPOINT 1: COMPLETE
Status: Watch List → Provisional Development Track
Progress: Excellent (Target exceeded)
Overall Rating: 65.3/100
#Trajectory Analysis:
- Month 1 Progress: +5.3 points (60.0 → 65.3)
- Required Progress (5 months): +2.7 to +4.7 points (to reach 68-70)
- Current Pace: Ahead of minimum requirement
#WARNING REMAINS ACTIVE:
- March 2005 evaluation is final determination
- Current status is NOT secure
- Regression will result in release
- Must maintain or exceed current improvement rate
Next Checkpoint: December 2004 (2 months)
Target: 67.0/100 minimum
Time Remaining to Final Evaluation: 5 monthsDays: 152
#Recommendation: Do not become complacent.]
The hardest work is still ahead.
Five more months. 152 days. I need roughly three more overall points.
As the review meeting ended and players filtered out toward lunch, Marco lingered for a moment. Through the windows, he could see the training pitches where he'd spent countless hours, the goals he'd aimed at thousands of times, the grass worn down by endless repetitions.
He pulled out his training journal and wrote something down then walked toward the cafeteria.The work continued. The marathon wasn't even half over.But he'd proven himself something crucial: he could improve. The training is working.
He joined his teammates for lunch.
The system flickered a final message:
[Checkpoint 1: SUCCESS
Checkpoints Remaining: 5
- November: Mini-review (maintain trajectory)
- December: Checkpoint 2 (Target: 67.0)
- January: Mini-review
- February: Checkpoint 3 (Target: 68.5)
- March: FINAL EVALUATION (Target: 68-70)
Continue current training regimen.
Intensity will increase in Month 2. ]
Marco allowed himself a small smile."Harder. Got it."The first battle was won. Five more remained.And he intended to win them all.