I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

Chapter 199: Chapter 73: Now I Have No Choice but to Go All Out

”Great, Chen is finally on the field!”

”Even though we’re down a player, Chen alone can fill the gap for two.”

”Schuster finally made a good decision.”

”Soldado should be subbed out too.”

”Honestly, I’m disappointed in him; he only takes wild shots.”

”With Chen on the field, I hope Soldado can smarten up.”

...

In the stands, Real Madrid fans were exhilarated, while on the field Soldado and Robben warmly greeted Chen Zhong.

”Soldado!” After greeting Robben, Chen Zhong hugged Soldado and said, ”You need to focus more on teamwork, pay more attention to your teammates’ positions.”

”Chen!”

”I’ll be mindful.”

After whispering a few words to each other with their mouths covered, the two quickly returned to their positions, waiting for the kickoff.

”He’s just a 16-year-old kid!”

”We’re up a player.”

”Two people marking one should be able to handle him!”

”We might actually beat Real Madrid in this match!”

Villarreal fans were buzzing, sharing their opinions from the stands, while showering Chen Zhong with deafening boos the first time he touched the ball.

”The match has reached the 39th minute.”

”Though Real Madrid is down a player, they still firmly control ball possession.”

”Chen Zhong keeps receiving the ball and passing, consistently pulling the opponent’s formation and seeking spaces.”

”During this period, Villarreal tried to trap Chen Zhong, but with the help of his teammates, Chen always managed to pass the ball out.”

Real Madrid’s midfield passing formula was for any player to pass the ball to Chen Zhong, and then Chen would pass it to someone else.

With coordinated movement, Chen Zhong weaved a giant web on the field, with Villarreal as the prey struggling in vain to break free.

”Real Madrid’s attack.”

”Diara passed the ball to Chen Zhong, Chen gave it to Robben, Robben returned it to Chen Zhong.”

”Push forward, take again, shield, pass once.”

”Pass again!”

”Raul passes back, Chen Zhong touches it again.”

”Robben!”

In tight spaces, their one-touch passing was even more Barcelona-like than Barcelona, as Villarreal players were played around in circles in the penalty area. After receiving Chen Zhong’s return pass on the edge of the box, Robben chose not to dash into the crowded area.

Instead, he created an angle and swerved the ball...

The ball drew an arc, aiming for the far corner.

The arc of this shot was nice, but it lacked power and was a bit slow, allowing the goalkeeper to easily pluck it from the air.

This shot was also Real Madrid’s most threatening attempt in the first half.

Though they did not score, Real Madrid showed a completely different spirit after Chen Zhong came on, playing more freely and confidently, whether in attack or defense, appearing more stable.

The first half of the match ended.

During halftime, Schuster criticized Soldado, citing Van Nistelrooy as an example. A reason Van Nistelrooy could maintain his starting position at Real Madrid was his willingness to drop back to help the team keep the ball.

Soldado, however, was somewhat like Real Madrid’s version of ”Bojan,” often seeking scoring opportunities for himself while neglecting teamwork and defense.

After criticizing Soldado, Schuster adjusted the team’s tactics, replacing the ineffective Drenthe from the first half with Pepe.

This meant Heinze would shift to the wing, returning to his old role as a center back.

”After a brief rest, both teams returned to the field.”

”Real Madrid kicked off.”

”What they need to solve is the issue of the decisive pass.”

”Chen Zhong takes the ball, gives it to Heinze, Heinze returns it to Chen Zhong.”

”This passing style caused a lot of trouble for Villarreal.”

”Heinze crosses it.”

”Chen Zhong heads it away.”

”Soldado!”

Soldado took the ball, and Villarreal players quickly surrounded him; Soldado is a ”wild shot king.” Within his shooting range, the ball either turned into a goal or a reckless attempt.

This is one reason Schuster dislikes him.

The sound of the fans swept over Soldado like a wave, his peripheral vision caught Chen Zhong raising his arm.

Is he telling me to pass?

I am Real Madrid’s number 9, I am Soldado, I...

Maybe I should listen to him...

At this moment, time seemed to be frozen. Soldado was engrossed in his inner drama, yet his body honestly obeyed Chen Zhong’s command; he would not forget who granted him the opportunity to play.

”He passed it!”

”Raul!”

”Shot!!!”

”Goal!!!”

Soldado’s pass was undoubtedly surprising; his ”lone wolf” reputation was so deeply ingrained that from this position, the likelihood of him passing was practically zero.

But this time, he passed!

Raul would not miss this chance; he sent the ball accurately into the net, leveling the score for Real Madrid.

”1:1”

”Soldado’s assist.”

”He assisted Raul in scoring his 12th league goal this season!”

”Unbelievable.”