I Am Scouted by Real Madrid-Chapter 460 - 80: Irreplaceable (Part 2)

Cristiano Ronaldo’s "diving" move was so convincing, it seemed as though an invisible leg had tripped him, while people clearly saw that Pique had already withdrawn his leg.

Real Madrid missed an attacking opportunity, Pique smiled as he walked towards C. Ronaldo, still babbling, and from his body language and facial expression, it seemed he was saying, buddy, as soon as you stick out your butt, I know what you’re up to; I’ve seen through you long ago.

C. Ronaldo also tilted his head, tugging at the corner of his mouth, trying not to laugh during this serious national derby.

"Pique and C. Ronaldo were teammates at Manchester United."

"Back then, they were close and often trained together."

"Pique knows all of C. Ronaldo’s little tricks."

"He looks at C. Ronaldo as if to say, I knew you’d fake a fall."

"I’ve seen through your moves long ago."

This scene amused many netizens, giving Pique the nickname "Pique the Seer."

Barcelona gained possession and, with skillful short-passing, quickly advanced the ball to the front; Messi retreated to take the ball, shadowed closely by Chen Zhong. In their continued fight for possession, Messi, looking at the descending ball, unexpectedly used his hand to push it up in a moment of desperation.

And this move happened to dodge Chen Zhong’s kicking leg.

Chen Zhong looked utterly shocked, while the referee blew the whistle, giving Messi a yellow card. Messi touched his nose without saying a word, seemingly realizing he had acted rashly.

This incident also invisibly showcased Messi’s robust control and insight into the situation.

He clearly knew that, in such a circumstance just now, Chen Zhong would absolutely get possession of the ball.

He was like a nimble hero, and when he stopped in front of a powerhouse like Chen Zhong, only disaster awaited.

Xavi had already provided a good demonstration.

"Messi, oh Messi."

"He looks quite anxious about the current trailing situation."

"I can’t say whether his hand lift was intentional or unconscious."

"I can only say, he was indeed a bit anxious."

"At that moment, he felt that as long as Chen Zhong moved in close while the ball hadn’t landed, it would be intercepted."

"And Chen Zhong’s shocked expression clearly indicates that he was encountering such a situation for the first time."

"Though C. Ronaldo might mimic a handball gesture when the ball is descending, pretending to handle it."

"But after all, it’s just pretending."

"Obviously, this shows Messi’s strong competitive spirit."

Netizens, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but be amused, asking, is he not strong? Even his hands were used!

During this period, both teams played a bit disjointedly, partly due to the referees and partly due to the players, resulting in a delicate balance.

Both teams had areas where they excelled and areas where they faltered.

In the 25th minute of the match, Real Madrid got another excellent chance, with Chen Zhong in the middle taking possession, dodging Keita’s interception. This scene caused Guardiola on the sidelines to glance at Yaya Toure.

With Yaya Toure on the pitch, Barcelona’s pace would slow, but their midfield toughness remained solid.

Guardiola initially wanted a more fluid midfield to avoid a head-on confrontation with Real Madrid’s midfield, but Chen Zhong’s awareness and positioning made this difficult.

Chen Zhong, after advancing a bit while holding the ball, seeing both C. Ronaldo and Kaka tightly defended, passed the ball to the left, towards the advancing Marcelo.

In this match, Marcelo showcased his attacking talents without reservation.

After completing a beautiful breakthrough, he passed the ball back to the middle.

And there, Chen Zhong suddenly dashed in, raised his leg, and shot fiercely!

A dull thud echoed, like a heavy hammer striking the hearts of Barcelona supporters.

The ball turned into a white streak, weaving through the crowd, speeding towards the goal!

Then...

Bang!

The crossbar at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium rescued Barcelona.

Watching the still vibrating crossbar, Valverde standing in front couldn’t help but swallow hard.

Feeling the breeze as the ball whizzed past, Ziglinsky broke out in a cold sweat.

"The crossbar is still shaking!"

"A decisively heavy cannon shot."

"Both the power and angle were excellent."

"Just slightly unlucky."

"This season, Chen Zhong has scored many goals from this position."

"Real Madrid’s tactic of pushing up the midfield as a ’false center forward’ has drawn much study from other teams."

"Yet it’s difficult to replicate."

"After all, this position demands quite comprehensive skills."

"You need to be able to advance, intercept, tackle, quickly fall back, have a general view, offensive positioning, and defensive awareness."

"You also need certain advancing speed, ball protection and distribution skills, both long and short passing, and footwork. Importantly, you must possess heavy cannon skills and grasp opportunities for forward runs."

"And, above all, excellent physical fitness is a must."

"Many have tried to intercept Chen Zhong, but his superb physical fitness allows him to always push past defenders and reach where he’s needed to finish!"

This is why Guardiola has such a strong desire for Chen Zhong.

Though Yaya Toure can barely meet most of these requirements, his tactical understanding has ’issues.’

This may be a common problem among black players, which explains why Guardiola dislikes black players.

As a coach fond of lecturing, facing a ’dead wood’ is infuriating.

Yet, Chen Zhong’s naturally high ’soccer IQ,’ even to some degree inspires Guardiola’s current tactics based on Chen Zhong’s past performance on the pitch.

With Chen Zhong now at Real Madrid, it’s like you have a dear female friend you secretly admired for long.

Only to one day discover her partner is someone you utterly dislike...

Yet, this can’t overshadow your love for her; it only deepens it.

The relationship between Guardiola and Chen Zhong is akin to this.

Messi?

Messi is excellent.

But for Guardiola, perfection is pursued with obsessive standards.

And what’s unattainable often becomes most memorable.

"Messi retreats to take the ball."

"Barcelona has learned their lesson."

"Chen Zhong’s defensive positioning is their barrier."

"Shortened the passing distance altogether."

"Relying on players’ individual skills, move the ball into the danger zone."

After Messi’s retreat to take the ball, he took advantage over Chen Zhong in their ’confrontation.’

How do you face someone who moves faster than you and within 0.5 seconds of the ball not touching the ground manages to kick it to change direction again?

Chen Zhong faced such a predicament.

When Messi got the ball and kept a certain distance while also noting Chen Zhong, Chen Zhong looking at the ’little flea’ thought of pressing it down with a finger.

But the reality was that tackling from the frontal position was clearly not a wise choice.

While trying to use his body to overpower Messi up-close, Chen Zhong appreciated the charm of the ’world’s fastest pace.’

With an abrupt stop and direction shift, Messi captivated Chen Zhong’s attention; the ball rebounded, making Chen Zhong’s eyes light up, seizing a chance, but not before the ball fell, Messi’s legs moved so rapidly as if leaving afterimages, catching up with the ball mid-air and delivering a pass.

Chen Zhong already realized what Messi wanted to do, but his body couldn’t keep up with the pace. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

If asked what talent is.

Then, at this moment, talent became tangible.