I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

Chapter 104: Chapter 20: The Heavy Tank Makes Its Mark (Part 2)

”You little brat.” Morientes looked at Chen Zhong and said through gritted teeth, ”When did you become so good at defense?”

”No choice, the team needs it.”

”It’s all for playing football! Nothing shameful about it.”

Joaquin on the wing moved like a bullfighter, stop and go, stop and go, approaching the sideline. He spotted Morientes in the distance, and Morientes saw him too.

Some people.

Seem to be chatting with you while actually distracting you.

Joaquin made a lob pass, Morientes turned, trying to attempt a bicycle kick, but Chen Zhong stepped in early and blocked him, rendering the attempt futile.

The ball landed in front of Chen Zhong, Morientes scrambled up from the ground trying to steal it from behind, but Chen Zhong just pushed the ball forward and launched into a charge.

Guti and Diara ran on either side of Chen Zhong. In this match, to show emphasis on Valencia’s attack, Guti played more as a right midfielder, Robinho as the left, while Chen Zhong and Diara took on the roles of dual defensive midfielders.

Without hesitation, Chen Zhong passed the ball to Guti. Facing pressure from the opponent, Guti delivered the ball back to the center to Chen Zhong, completing a beautiful one-two.

Then the two continued forward, using the same tactic to pass another defender. Guti took the ball down, facing a defender in front, delivered a reverse pass to Chen Zhong inside the penalty area, and Chen Zhong jumped high to header the ball to Raul.

Raul, continuing with the header, knocked the ball to the side, where Van Nistelrooy, shedding his defender, faced the oncoming goalkeeper and cheekily chipped the ball over, then pushed it into the empty goal.

”Beep~”

The referee blew the whistle, pointing to the center circle, and the Merengue fans in the stands stood up to cheer for the goal. Van Nistelrooy, after scoring, ran shoulder to shoulder with Raul towards the corner flag, making Morientes a bit envious.

”This is what I want.” Schuster’s eyes were narrowed into slits. He had promised to restore the old pass-and-control style, and now it seemed that promise could be realized: ”Youth is the best!”

”Chen is really good,” Francisco also remarked admiringly: ”If it were Diara or Gago, they wouldn’t participate in the attack as proactively as Chen. In that case, Guti would have had to take a gamble with a through pass.”

”And with Chen’s active running, we have an additional point for receiving and passing in the midfield.”

”Inside the penalty area, there’s another aerial target.”

”With that recent goal, Valencia’s players were all focusing on Van Nistelrooy and Raul, completely unprepared for Guti’s pass to Chen.”

While Schuster and Francisco were leisurely chatting, Koman realized the gravity of the problem. He looked at his assistant coach on the sideline, pointed at Chen Zhong on the field, and said, ”Who is he?”

”I need more detailed information on him.”

”Damn, this could lead us to lose the match completely!”

Valencia lacked Villa, and Real Madrid knew each of their players like the back of their hand, while Koman, a newcomer to La Liga, did not know Real Madrid well.

As the saying goes, know yourself and your enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat. At this moment, the outcome seemed sealed.

Real Madrid continued their momentum in the ensuing minutes, and in the 26th minute, Guti outside the penalty area, stepping on the ball with a grin under his blond hair, waited for Valencia’s players to come forward, for Chen Zhong’s charge, then lobbed a precise pass to the on-rushing Chen Zhong.

Chen Zhong received the ball and passed it to Van Nistelrooy. Van Nistelrooy, holding off Albiol, passed the ball back, and Chen Zhong, eyeing the timing, did not hesitate!

”Boom!”

The ball flew like a cannonball, fiercely smashing towards the goal.

Valencia’s goalkeeper was caught off guard, making a save attempt, but was powerless to stop it.

0:3

After scoring, Chen Zhong punched the air forcefully, then pointed at Van Nistelrooy. Van Nistelrooy, looking at Chen Zhong with a smile, ran over.

”Good kid!” Van Nistelrooy patted Chen Zhong on the shoulder; their initial disagreements long gone: ”That shot was brilliant.”

Raul also came over, ruffled Chen Zhong’s hair, and said, ”Go celebrate quickly, there won’t be time later.”

”Ah!” Chen Zhong froze for a moment, listening to the booing mixed with shouts of his name, followed the sound to the Merengue-packed stand, leaped high, and pointed his thumbs at his back.

It seemed to tell the fans present and the viewers in front of the TV, I am number 22, Chen Zhong.

In the 30th minute, Real Madrid seized another opportunity. Guti, on the right, delivered a direct pass. Van Nistelrooy and Raul occupied Valencia’s defenders, as Chen Zhong burst through like a roaring tank. Ramos, seeing the collision imminent, turned his waist in fright to avoid Chen Zhong.

Chen Zhong faced the incoming ball, took a shot from a tight angle.

”Boom!”

The ball, from 12 yards on the right side of the goal, thundered toward the net.

The goalkeeper got both hands on it, deflecting it off the crossbar and into the goal.

0:4

Ramos stood on one side with his hands raised high, witnessing it all, then jumping onto Chen Zhong’s back after his goal, shouting, ”You kid, you almost crashed into me, but darn it, what a shot.”

Chen Zhong pointed at the distant Guti, running with Ramos riding on his back towards the corner flag, leaping high, which frightened Ramos to wrap his legs around Chen Zhong, creating another famous scene for Schuster, famously called: ”The Water Master Clings.”

Koman at the sideline saw this scene, lifted his head knowing this match had slipped away, having underestimated Chen Zhong’s offensive role in this game.

Not just Koman, even Schuster was surprised, pulling at his blond hair, looking at Francisco beside him, saying, ”Damn, is this all true? He scored two goals in 4 minutes?”

”It’s true.”

”But don’t be too surprised.” Francisco’s face blushed slightly: ”During youth training, he was originally an offensive-inclined player, and in this match, more participation in offense is due to Diara sharing defensive duties.”

”All this seems to have caught Valencia off guard, especially when factoring in Chen Zhong and the advancing Ramos.”

”On the attack, we had 5-6 guys near their penalty area, sometimes even 7.”

Koman attempted to make adjustments, but Real Madrid had found the ’key’ and continued to hit Valencia’s soft spot, quickly, in the 35th minute Real Madrid struck again.

This time Guti interchanged to the left, then lobbed a pass from the left, with Chen Zhong following Guti’s move to the left, leaping high, with a back header.

The ball landed near the penalty spot, with Van Nistelrooy holding off Albiol once more to score.

0:5

The Valencia fans in the stands fell silent, while the Merengue fans held their scarves high, displaying their crest, proudly lifting their heads.

Schuster, at the sideline, excited, his face flushed, shouted in celebration, even facing the traveling Real Madrid supporters, opening his arms wide, waving upwards intensely, as if to say, let’s get excited!

Koman stood at the sideline with a grim expression, his head echoing with the thought: ”This will be a massacre...”

At this moment, his assistant coach finally compiled Chen Zhong’s information, voraciously reading it, emitting an unknown sound of wailing or self-mockery: ”He’s only 16 years old!”

”Another genius.”

”No, a damn monster.”