Chapter 580: The Template for All Players
Real Madrid defeated Atletico Madrid 1-0, lifting the 2012 UEFA Super Cup!
While the outcome may not seem significant, the message conveyed by the match left many unable to forget. Hence, after the game, numerous media outlets rushed to intercept Wang Feng in the mixed interview area.
Their questions revolved around why he played as a defensive midfielder, whether it was just for this game or a strategy for all future matches, and how he managed to perform so exceptionally.
"This was the result of discussions with the coaching staff," the Chinese superstar replied with a smile. "As everyone knows, the team has been plagued by injuries, with many key players absent, making the situation challenging. Therefore, we had to seek change."
"As for future tactics, I will fully comply with the arrangements of the coaching staff."
"Thank you for praising my performance. Perhaps it's because I've seen many outstanding defensive players, and I've learned a lot from them."
During the press conference, Diego Simeone seemed somewhat impatient. He still had to deal with "punishing" those players who had underperformed during the game.
"Yes, Real Madrid's lineup arrangement exceeded my expectations. Only a genius or a madman would deploy a striker like Wang Feng in the defensive midfield."
"Performed well? Perhaps. It's more likely that everyone is not accustomed to Wang Feng's defensive role yet. We need to see more games before making a judgment."
On the other hand, Carlo Ancelotti couldn't hide his joy. "It's regrettable that those who wanted to see a joke were disappointed. The Galacticos will never give up the pursuit of victory."
Regarding Wang Feng's drastically changed position and role on the field, he exclaimed, "Honestly, doesn't he have the talent for this? Look at the match statistics: a passing success rate of 96% throughout the game, 7 interceptions, 5 tackles. He nearly shut down Atletico Madrid's penetrating attacks entirely."
"Not to mention 8 key passes and 1 goal. He can even score as a defensive midfielder. Ha ha."
Ancelotti admitted to several wasted opportunities in the forward line, but he had a new calculation. Stabilizing the team's defense was the top priority. As for the attack, they would continue to rely on Wang Feng to feed them. He couldn't believe they would still spit out the cake after it had been served to them!
For Real Madrid, Wang Feng's performance was a super surprise, worthy of the title "football god" and not just empty praise.
It was a pleasant surprise for Real Madrid's club and fans, but for other teams, it was more of a shock. According to reports, after watching the UEFA Super Cup game videos all night, Barcelona's head coach Rula walked out of his office covering his mouth, whether it was because he was scared to vomit or actually vomited, no one knew.
Other opponents weren't faring any better. Coaches from various La Liga teams and the coaching staff of Champions League group opponents Manchester City, Ajax, and Borussia Dortmund were all scrambling to revise their strategies. It was already troublesome enough to study Wang Feng, but now they had to expand both the scope and difficulty.
The more they watched, the more alarmed they became. An enhanced version of Makelele, an epic Vieira? There was no longer any template in the world that could describe Wang Feng; instead, he became the template for all other football stars.
People used to say someone's dribbling, someone's shooting, someone's passing resembled Wang Feng's. Now, they added someone's interceptions and tackles.
"Give me 11 Wang Fengs, and I could conquer the whole planet," joked Dortmund coach Klopp.
Regarding Wang Feng's performance, there was also lively discussion on the internet. Chinese netizens joked, "A forward who doesn't want to be a defensive midfielder isn't a good goalkeeper!"
This was because many years ago, Wang Feng had once played as a goalkeeper in a crucial UEFA Champions League penalty shootout. At that time, he made 5 correct saves out of 5, blocking two shots and helping Inter Milan ultimately defeat Barcelona!
"Perhaps his talent as a defensive midfielder or goalkeeper is even higher than as a forward. It's just that he initially chose the role of an attacking player," commented a netizen.
"I still prefer him as a forward. Otherwise, how many wonderful goals and miraculous records will we miss? After all, football is more enjoyable to watch in attack."
"For Real Madrid, putting Wang Feng in the defensive midfield position is just a stopgap measure. Their midfield is almost depleted. Once the main players return, the Chinese superstar will naturally return to the front line, leaving Iguain and Morata speechless."
"Maybe this attempt at transformation will be valuable for Wang Feng as he ages. He really could strive to play until he's forty."
Real Madrid's consecutive acquisition of two trophies gave them a breather, which was extremely disadvantageous for Barcelona.
They seemed to be sitting at the top of the standings with two consecutive victories, but there were actually many unstable factors within the team, especially the performance of Fabregas.
In the second round, away game against Osasuna, they nearly stumbled. Less than 20 minutes into the first half, the home team seized the opportunity to open the scoring, and then they got caught in the opponent's rhythm while rushing to equalize.
If it weren't for Pique's crucial block at a critical moment and Loren's interception after stealing from Busquets, resulting in a missed shot, the Catalan team would have been 0-3 behind.
At this point, Barcelona needed to change the pace, using fluent passing and attacking to break down the opponent's defense. Head coach Rula boldly replaced Fabregas with Pedro. At the same time, Iniesta was substituted for Xavi, and Villa replaced Neymar.
This change quickly paid off. With Pedro positioned higher up, Messi was able to retreat appropriately and prepare to strike. With Xavi in midfield, the ball could be passed more steadily, and the attack became more organized and smooth.
In the end, Pedro and Villa respectively assisted Messi in scoring two goals to overturn the score and secure this crucial victory.
After the match, Catalan media turned their criticism towards Fabregas. The Daily Sport believed that Fabregas was ineffective, stating, "The team encountered serious problems in attack organization, and the root cause is Fabregas!"
With Iniesta active in the attacking midfield position and lurking behind the forward line, Fabregas was supposed to be the best alternative under rotation conditions. However, his performance fell far short of expectations and even dragged down the team. In this game, the team's average passing rate was close to 90%, but his passing success rate was only 80.3%.
Seeing Wang Feng's passing success rate reach 96% in the defensive midfield position, more intense mockery and abuse were directed at Fabregas.
Mundo Deportivo was more straightforward, saying, "Pedro replaced the ineffective Fabregas."
The article stated that Pedro's return to form and his efforts were commendable, especially in the first goal for Barcelona. Faced with two defending players pressing him, the Spanish forward calmly controlled the ball at his feet and forcibly turned around to pass it to Messi for a goal.
Not only did he take away two defenders in the penalty area, but he also delivered a precise pass, assisting Messi in scoring.
"The offensive lineup of Barcelona needs to be rearranged. Apart from Messi, everyone else can be rotated. Pedro, Fabregas, Villa, Neymar, Sanchez, and Tello—they all need to compete for playing time!"
Their frontline was indeed crowded, and the competition was fierce.
However, after the match, head coach Rula publicly defended Fabregas: "His performance is much better than when he first joined. Everyone understands that playing at the Camp Nou is not easy. I believe he can continue to improve and keep up with the team's pace."
This defense also reflected the club's top management's intention. After all, they couldn't cold-shoulder a player who they had spent money to acquire. Whether he can become a regular starter still depends on his actual performance.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel