Chapter 74: Spain's Messi
Del Bosque had previously coached at Real Madrid, and he was quite familiar with the club's president.
Once the match started, Del Bosque didn't sit on the coaching bench; instead, he chatted with Florentino in the stands.
"Morata is very fast, a sharp weapon when used correctly, but in terms of skills, he's not outstanding, and lacks the energy needed to lead the team!"
Both of them weren't too concerned about the game's outcome but were focused on the players' performances on the field.
Morata was a substitute at Real Madrid, barely competing against Benzema, and unless Benzema was injured and no one else was available upfront, he barely got a chance to play.
Del Bosque recruiting him into the national team puzzled Florentino. As the club president, he knew well the abilities of their players.
It seemed the rumors were true; indeed, the national team was resorting to desperate measures.
How dire was Spain's national team forward shortage?
Among the 7 forwards Del Bosque recruited were not only young talents like Lin and Morata but even the 35-year-old former Ring King, Raul.
This marked Raul's return to the national team after six years.
After the 2010 World Cup, Raul had given up hope of returning to the national team.
Now, at 35 years old this season, he had left the Bundesliga and headed to the Middle East league to seek new challenges.
Little did he expect that right after diving into the Qatari league, he would receive a call-up to the national team.
Was the Qatari league more prestigious than the Bundesliga?
Considering Spain's status as world and European champions, having a retiring 35-year-old play forward would surely raise some eyebrows.
Upon hearing Florentino's words, Del Bosque nodded with a smile.
Recruiting Morata and Raul wasn't about their abilities. It was merely a cover to recruit Lin!
Morata and Lin were both young players, one from Real Madrid and the other from Barcelona, balancing the selection to avoid controversy.
Although Raul's prowess had significantly decreased, his experience remained valuable. Del Bosque trusted in the excellent character of this disciple.
Recruiting Raul into the team was aimed at mentoring the young players, passing on his experience, and aiding their growth.
Despite the strength of the Real Madrid second team, the difference between them and the Spanish national team was evident.
Even though the national team fielded substitutes, including newcomers like Lin and Morata upfront, aided by the midfield stalwarts, they dominated the game.
Before the first half ended, the national team was leading 4-0.
In the second half, with massive substitutions by the national team, except for Lin upfront, almost all players in midfield and defense were replaced by regular starters.
Players like Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Ramos, Pedro, and Silva joined the game.
The national team's midfield strength increased further, and their lineup and style were increasingly resembling Barcelona's.
Observing the coach replicating Barcelona's tactics, the Real Madrid players in the national team felt a bit uneasy.
They had previously attempted this tactic, with unsatisfactory results.
The strengths of the Spanish national team's midfield and defense were no less than Barcelona's, maybe even stronger.
However, lacking a sharpshooter like Messi in the frontline caused this strategy to be less effective on the national team.
Seeing the coach fielding a newcomer under 17, the players were even more puzzled.
Was Del Bosque expecting him to replace Messi and lead the national team's attack system?
Even Barcelona's players were perplexed.
As Messi's teammates, they know how great Messi is.
People say Messi is a team player, but many don't realize that Messi is the system.
Only teams with Messi can play the tactical style of Barcelona, without him, the effect is not the same, just like the Spanish national team.
Isn't it too radical to have a newcomer replace Messi?
"Can this kid do it?"
Busquets approached Xavi and Iniesta to ask.
"Not sure, but his playing style is quite similar to Messi's!"
Iniesta didn't pay much attention to Lin Quan, but vaguely remembered watching his football videos and thinking his style was similar to Messi's.
"Well, I can vouch for that. I've seen his match highlights in the Bundesliga. Don't be fooled by his youth; he's really talented!"
Harvey's evident interest in Lin Quan was because he used to be his designated successor.
He didn't watch every match like Messi does, but occasionally watched some Werder Bremen match highlights, many of which featured Lin Quan's brilliant moments.
"Alright, let's play according to the club's style then?"
Busquets shrugged after hearing the two of them, reluctantly accepting their suggestion. Regardless, it was just a warm-up match, they were leading by a large margin, so there was no psychological burden. If the head coach wanted to experiment, he could go ahead.
"Okay, later give him more passes and support him!"
Iniesta was eager to play with Lin Quan. He had collaborated with Messi a lot but had never with another "Messi," so he was very excited.
The second-half match quickly started.
After the national team's main midfielders entered the field, the players from the Real Madrid second team could hardly get the ball in midfield.
Barcelona's possession system was already terrifying, and with the luxurious midfield lineup of the Spanish national team, not only were they unable to get the ball, even if it were Real Madrid's first team, it would be difficult for them to compete.
So the match turned into a national team attacking practice around the Real Madrid second team's goal!
Lin Quan didn't expect Del Bosque to assign him this role, and certainly not that the most luxurious midfielders in the world would be supplying him with ammunition.
This allowed him to enjoy even better treatment in the national team than Messi in Barcelona!
He savored only half of the top-tier treatment Messi had, but he did not disappoint the group of master midfielders supporting him.
In the second half of the match, he managed 11 shots on goal, with 9 hitting inside the frame and scoring five goals.
This result surprised Del Bosque on the sidelines. He had indeed chosen the right person. This lad indeed possessed the potential of a top-level forward.
On the side, Real Madrid President Florentino was wide-eyed at this sight.
What incredible luck for Barcelona, to unearth such a player!
Imagining Barcelona simultaneously having both Lin Quan and Messi, Florentino was in shock.
Dealing with one Messi was difficult enough, let alone another. How could Real Madrid compete? No, he absolutely couldn't let him stay at Barcelona. He had to figure out a way to bring him over, like they did when they got Figo!
After the match, the national team players' attitudes towards Lin Quan completely changed.
"Good kid, very strong!"
Puyol warmly embraced Lin Quan. He thought Lin Quan was there to feel the match atmosphere, but he didn't expect the lad to possess such strength.
This level of strength would guarantee him a place even as a substitute or rotational player.
"Ha, it's all thanks to the great passes of our elder brothers! With our midfield lineup, we are probably unique in the entire football world. Even without me in the front, we can still dominate all sides!"
Several midfield players were pleased with his words.
"However, the shooting skills of midfield players are not as accurate as those of forwards. You don't know, in our last match against Georgia, we had dozens of shots but only scored one goal."
A nearby Busquets added, "And that one goal was scored by a defender!"
David Silva, who played the match as a forward, felt a bit embarrassed.
"The opponents parked the bus, our shooting skills aren't that great, and our timing for shots wasn't precise enough, so we ended up playing like that..."
Xavi waved his hand, "We often encountered tight defenses during our time at Barcelona, but Messi always found a way to score. Lin Quan's style is similar to Messi's. If anyone dares to use that approach against us in the future, they'll be in for a tough time!"
Iniesta, who had watched Lin Quan's match highlights, felt that Lin Quan seemed to be holding back during this match and curiously asked:
"Lin, did you use all your strength in the match just now?"
This statement made everyone look at Lin Quan: This guy didn't even give it his all just now? How strong is his real ability?
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