I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

Chapter 66: Chapter 37: Outstanding

”This is the first round of Group C in the UEFA Champions League.”

”The match is between Real Madrid VS Werder Bremen.”

”I’m bringing you live commentary from Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.”

”We can see that Real Madrid has gradually taken control of the game’s pace after Chen Zhong replaced Metzelder.”

”Of course, more than the current 1:0 score, I think everyone is curious about the widely talked-about Chen Zhong.”

”Recently, there have been some inaccurate reports domestically. Chen Zhong joined Real Madrid’s youth training in 2004, and within just three years, he became part of Real Madrid, which is proof enough of his talent and capability.”

”Of course, talking about it doesn’t compare to watching a match seriously.”

”Oh, this is a very beautiful tackle.”

”This is his third successful tackle.”

”It’s hard to imagine, given his height, that he has such aggressive tackling skills.”

”If others’ tackles are like small rockets, then his are like big trucks.”

”The ball lands at Marcelo’s feet, and Marcelo is dribbling along the wing.”

After Chen Zhong joined the game, Real Madrid clearly increased their investment on the attacking end, and Marcelo made consecutive breakthroughs on the left flank, prompting some fans to exclaim, ”Watching Marcelo attack, he seems like a genius; when I watch his defense, I just wondered if he’s also a genius?”

Werder Bremen’s defensive players, when facing Marcelo, often feel confused. Is the person in front of them really a full-back and not a winger?

As Marcelo roams freely down the wing, more and more fans focus their attention on the Brazilian genius, while Werder Bremen players try to trap Marcelo from all directions.

His sharp speed and reckless courage to charge forward without concern for the defenders behind him don’t suit the full-back position at all.

After escaping from yet another defender, Marcelo ends his adventurous run with a lob pass.

The ball curves towards Werder Bremen’s penalty area, and Van Nistelrooy makes a neat chest trap, holding off the defender, he turns and hits a volley!

”Boom!”

The ball explodes towards the goal like a missile.

Bremen’s goalkeeper reacts quickly, pushing the ball upward with both hands, sending it out of bounds, granting Real Madrid a corner kick opportunity.

Chen Zhong moves towards the penalty area, and Werder Bremen even sends Sanogo to specifically mark Chen Zhong.

”Kid,” Sanogo growls at Chen Zhong, ”Don’t even think about scoring in front of me.”

Chen Zhong ignores Sanogo, focusing instead on the corner flag. The ball is kicked out, aimed perfectly at Chen Zhong, both Chen Zhong and Sanogo bend their knees simultaneously, then leap high.

Sanogo realizes he can’t win the physical duel, so he shifts his strategy to interference, as a player adept at heading, he knows this can greatly affect Chen Zhong’s scoring accuracy.

Chen Zhong leaps high, choosing not to head the ball into the goal but to lightly flick it towards the far post.

There, Van Nistelrooy showcases reactions unbecoming of his size, his leg snaps up like a spring, and that unmatched kicking speed sends the ball scraping the post and into the net.

Having just made a stellar save, Werder Bremen’s goalkeeper has no answer for this shot.

After scoring, Van Nistelrooy immediately looks towards the referee, who whistles appropriately, and everyone’s attention is on the referee.

The referee points to the center circle, signaling the goal is valid, no offside, and then Van Nistelrooy smiles and points at Chen Zhong before running towards the corner flag, arms wide, performing his signature celebration.

Santiago Bernabeu Stadium erupts at this moment, filled with cheers from Real Madrid fans.

2:0

Before the first half ended, Real Madrid scored two goals, alleviating the concerns of fans worried about Real Madrid’s Champions League performance.

”Van Nistelrooy!”

”His kicking speed is incredible.”

”His instincts in the penalty area are top-notch.”

”This is his 54th goal in the Champions League.”

”Of course, Chen Zhong’s headed assist was crucial in this goal.”

”He displayed his footballing intelligence and vision, making the right decision in the blink of an eye.”

”Few players would choose to pass instead of shooting in this situation.”

”Since Chen Zhong came onto the field, Werder Bremen’s attacks have repeatedly faltered.”

”Every successful tackle leads to a sharp counterattack.”

”Marcelo’s performance in this match has also been quite outstanding.”

”Though he has minor flaws defensively, his daring breakthroughs on offense have drawn cheers from the fans.”

On the sidelines, Shaf is becoming impatient; since Chen Zhong entered the field, his tactical setup has been completely disrupted. Real Madrid’s defense is solid, they invest heavily in the attack, and they no longer engage in central skirmishes, all of which put Werder Bremen at a disadvantage.

If, if Klose were still on the team, perhaps things would be different!

”Where on earth did this monster come from?”

”He’s much more difficult to deal with than Metzelder.”

”Information, I need his information.”

”Now, immediately, at once.”

At this moment, Shaf realizes his understanding of Real Madrid was flawed, directly leading to issues in his tactics.

Compared to the somewhat impatient Shaf, Schuster is in a much better mood; this is his first Champions League match in his managerial career, and the voices criticizing him mostly mock his lack of Champions League experience, arguing he’s not a world-renowned coach.

If he were to win this match, his pressure would lessen significantly.

”Good kid.” Schuster swings his big hand in the air, looking at Francisco dodging his affectionate smack, and says, ”I don’t even want to change his position anymore; he’s just fine as a central defender.”

During the preseason, Schuster assessed the team; initially, his plan was to choose the main center-back from Cannavaro, Metzelder, and Pepe, while Torres, Chen Zhong, and occasionally Ramos would serve as backups.

At that time, Chen Zhong was likely the fifth center-back with little chance to play in Schuster’s mind, even considering loaning him out, but as Chen Zhong’s excellent performance emerged, he slowly became the third, even the starting center-back.

Yes, Francisco can clearly feel that now Chen Zhong’s status in Schuster’s mind even surpasses Pepe, who surpassed Metzelder in competition.

”He indeed performs outstandingly as a center-back.”

”But I think he could be even more exceptional in other positions.”