I Am Jose

Drogba pushed forward with the ball. Although his ball control had never been his strong suit, and it had become his weakest link after improving his finishing ability, he had still been playing football since he was five years old. His fundamentals were solid—at the very least, he wouldn't trip over his own feet after a few steps.

Mathias stepped up to challenge him. Drogba didn't attempt any flashy dribbling moves; instead, he simply nudged the ball to the left and prepared to power his way through with sheer physicality!

As long as the defender didn't poke the ball away on the first attempt, Drogba knew from first-team training that once he got shoulder-to-shoulder with a defender, it was almost impossible for them to dispossess him.

The reason was simple—no defender could physically move him. Once he used his body to pin them to the side, they couldn't get around his massive frame to make a tackle.

Mathias didn't seem like a particularly quick-reacting defender, and Drogba was confident that if he got past the first challenge, it would only be a matter of time before he left him in the dust.

Then he'd show this kid the massive gap between the first team and the reserves.

Drogba's assessment wasn't wrong—Mathias wasn't known for his quick reactions. He didn't even respond to Drogba's initial move. However, his second reaction was surprisingly fast—he turned and stuck to Drogba like glue.

Drogba sneered inwardly. So what if you're sticking to me? If you can't make me lose my balance, it's useless!

In tight marking situations, both attackers and defenders are highly sensitive to shifts in body weight and movement. Drogba soon felt Mathias slightly shift outward—a clear sign that he was about to exert force.

Drogba adjusted his own stance slightly—he wasn't about to let Mathias get a free hit on him. He prepared to counter the impact and send the defender flying!

Time to teach you a lesson—whoever challenges me never ends well!