Chapter 296: Warm up and encouragment
After several days of adjustment training, the state of the Real Madrid players quickly recovered. Schuster's words were followed by action, and several key players who arrived late were consecutively punished. The rigorous training left them exhausted, and everyone dared not repeat the offense.
Another important reason they behaved so well was that the biggest star in the team now was Wang Feng. Whether in personal performance, honors, or transfer price, Wang Feng surpassed everyone by a large margin.
But he was also an extremely disciplined player, the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night. No one could find fault with him, naturally influencing the mindset of other players.
Originally, Schuster thought that managing the complex Real Madrid locker room would require a lot of effort and time, but he didn't expect that as long as there was a star who could hold the scene, there was no need to worry too much.
A few days later, Real Madrid welcomed their first warm-up match against Segunda Division side Real Balacano, a team located in the Spanish capital Madrid, just like Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. They had reached the Round of 16 in the UEFA Cup before but unfortunately couldn't get promoted back to the top division after relegation in 2003.
To integrate the lineup, Schuster sent out the full main lineup. From the formation, Real Madrid would likely use a 4-4-2 formation in the new season, with Casillas as the goalkeeper.
Defenders: Carlos, Ramos, Cannavaro, and Cicinho.
Midfielders: Guti, Emerson, M. Diarra, and Reyes.
Forwards: Raul and Wang Feng.
The debut of the new Galacticos lineup, especially the first appearance of "Mr. 100 Million" Wang Feng, attracted a large number of media and fans even though it was just a warm-up match.
Right from the start, Real Madrid controlled the game. Wang Feng was very excited. Just three minutes into the game, he received a through pass from Guti, broke into the penalty area, and scored with a shot.
After that, Wang Feng scored two more goals in quick succession, completing a hat-trick, and assisted Raul in scoring, leading Real Madrid 4-0 ahead before halftime.
In the second half, Schuster replaced 7 main players at once. Lopez replaced Casillas in goal, Salgado, Bravo, and Mejia replaced Carlos, Cannavaro, and Cicinho, Garcia and Redondo replaced Guti and M. Diarra, and Ronaldo replaced Wang Feng.
At this point, Real Madrid exposed their unstable defense. Even a Segunda Division team could breach the Galacticos' defense. Balacano scored two consecutive goals, and Ronaldo also scored in the final moments.
With a 5-2 victory over the opponents, Schuster, in an interview after the game, praised Wang Feng's professionalism, "He has always been very disciplined, whether in daily training or in group matches."
"I think this is probably why he can achieve such success. No coach would dislike such a player. From his performance, Real Madrid's acquisition of him is definitely worth it."
Schuster also expressed concern about Real Madrid's defense: "We must do better defensively. Just having an attacking game plan won't be enough to face the strong teams in La Liga and the Champions League."
"Wang Feng's hat-trick debut!" The next day, major Spanish media outlets competed to report this news. Although it was just a warm-up match, Wang Feng's excellent performance was evident to all.
At the same time, Barcelona also played a friendly match against a small team from the Catalonia regional league, Girona. Although it was not open to the public, resourceful reporters found a way to learn about the entire game.
The defending champions struggled, with some South American players, led by Ronaldinho, clearly out of form. In the end, 19-year-old Messi, who came on as a substitute, scored a goal.
Originally, Barcelona had been widely criticized for the fluctuating results due to the poor form of key players early in the season. Now, with the comparison, the situation seemed even worse. Even the media in Catalonia didn't hesitate to criticize.
"Rijkaard should learn from Schuster's approach, not always trying to be too lenient. Rectifying the team's atmosphere is what Barcelona must do now."
The Dutch coach was also frustrated. Schuster had Wang Feng's support, but who did he have, Ronaldinho? That was the one breaking the rules! It was always Ronaldinho who arrived latest for training. After suffering double blows in the Champions League final and the World Cup, the Brazilian seemed increasingly decadent and indulgent.
Rijkaard wanted to promote young Messi, and for now, his skills and attitude seemed suitable, but such matters needed careful consideration.
Before the official matches, Real Madrid played another warm-up match against a La Liga team, Valencia. In this game, Wang Feng did not start, and the overall performance of Real Madrid was not as impressive as the previous one.
Raul struggled on the attack, Carlos was showing signs of aging in defense, Cannavaro and Emerson had not fully integrated into the system yet. Schuster frowned, indicating that they might need to consider bringing in several strong reinforcements for the midfield and defense.
At halftime, Real Madrid was trailing 0-1. In the second half, Wang Feng was substituted on, and the offensive situation of the Galacticos improved. Continuous attacks left Valencia struggling, and in the 65th minute, Wang Feng assisted Garcia to equalize. Then, he personally took a direct free kick to pierce through the opponent's goal, helping the team turn the game around for a victory.
Wang Feng's impressive performances in two consecutive matches quickly solidified his position within the Galacticos. Everyone acknowledged his abilities.
Just when Wang Feng's journey with Real Madrid was going smoothly, another Chinese youngster seemed not so lucky. Dong Fangzhuo, who joined Alkmaar, quickly had his debut. It was in the third round of the UEFA Champions League qualification against Olympiacos.
As the "big bully" of the Greek league, Olympiacos's strength was slightly inferior to Alkmaar's. However, they still showed remarkable resilience, forcing the Dutch Eredivisie powerhouse into a 2-2 draw in the first leg.
Therefore, Alkmaar had to strive for a victory in this game. If they drew again, they would need to score two or more goals away from home to advance. Dong Fangzhuo, who scored three goals in the World Cup, naturally became one of the coach's hopes. Before the game, various major Dutch media also looked forward to the performance of the Chinese youngster.
He was substituted on in the second half but failed to create good opportunities within the only forty-five minutes of playing time. Instead, he made numerous mistakes, contributing only two shots. In the end, Alkmaar drew 1-1 with the opponent and missed out on the UEFA Champions League, only able to play in the UEFA Europa League due to the away goal disadvantage.
After the match, a deluge of criticism fell on Dong Fangzhuo. The media gave him the lowest rating in the team, and the term "flop" frequently appeared in various news headlines.
Wang Feng closely followed his debut. After the game, he called Dong Fangzhuo: "Don't worry, take your time to adjust your physical condition and improve your skills. The Eredivisie is not like the Second Division, the level of technique and competition will increase significantly. Also, you don't have a favorable reliance in the forward line, you can only rely on yourself!"
Dong Fangzhuo smiled bitterly and said, "Wang, do you think I'm not suitable for playing in Europe? Several clubs in China have been contacting me recently, hoping I can return home to play for them."
Wang Feng paused for a moment before saying, "If you want to further improve your skills, I suggest you stay abroad. But earning money and being close to home are also advantages. It's up to you to decide."
Dong Fangzhuo heard the disappointment in Wang Feng's words and quickly said, "Wang, I'm not the kind of person who seeks comfort. If there's a chance, I'll definitely choose to stay abroad!"
Without Wang Feng, he would have struggled in European leagues in the future, whether it be in the Polish league, Portuguese Primeira Liga, Armenian league, or even if the Chinese Super League thrived, Dong Fangzhuo still wouldn't have returned until the end of his career.
Wang Feng felt his love for football, so he patiently analyzed the various problems during the match over the phone and encouraged him, "Don't be disheartened, there are still many opportunities for you to seize. Didn't BalmonD secure playing time for you? Keep practicing in each game, and you'll definitely stand out."
"As for being criticized for poor performance now, that's normal. You only saw how I was glorified whether at Inter Milan or at Genk. You didn't see my efforts. Every training session, I was the most diligent!"
"I suggest you do the same. Even if you don't perform well on the field, the coach won't be too harsh on you. After all, hardworking players always get some leniency. When you really start performing, everything will be different."
"But be careful of injuries. Let's do this: I'll have my training team send someone to you to create a scientific training plan for you. Don't worry about the cost, I'll make sure they give you a discount."
Listening to Wang Feng's patient advice and care over the phone, Dong Fangzhuo's eyes were moist. "Wang, I'm so lucky to know you. It's great to have you in the national team!"
"Don't be sentimental, work hard, don't disappoint my expectations. I hope you can become a global star like me !"
New novel chapt𝒆rs are published on free(w)ebnovel(.)com