Capítulo 137: Cannot Be Trusted!
When the match reached the 26th minute, Real Madrid managed to intercept the ball just outside their penalty area.
After Woodgate secured the ball, he dodged Eto'o and passed it to Ramos, who was moving forward.
The Spanish center-back controlled the ball and advanced without waiting for the Barcelona players to press him.
Ramos didn't pass the ball immediately but continued to push forward.
However, Deco quickly closed in, working with Ronaldinho to press Ramos from both sides. The pressure caused Ramos to stumble, almost losing his balance.
He lost possession!
Everyone was instantly shocked.
Deco quickly passed the ball to Ronaldinho in front, and the Brazilian star immediately launched a counterattack, heading straight for the left side of Real Madrid's penalty area.
De la Red and Arbeloa rushed back to defend, but Ronaldinho suddenly stopped, his feet performing a dazzling array of tricks, faking out both defenders. Arbeloa and De la Red were completely confused.
Then, just as Ronaldinho appeared ready to shoot, Delared slid in to block, but Ronaldinho didn't actually shoot. Instead, he passed the ball horizontally.
Eto'o was stationed at the near post, but Ronaldinho's pass wasn't aimed at the Cameroonian striker. Instead, it went to the right side of the penalty area.
At that moment, Messi cut in quickly from the top of the box, received the ball with his left foot, and fired it directly into the bottom left corner of Real Madrid's goal.
The entire sequence, from the turnover and counterattack to Ronaldinho's brilliant pass and Messi's finish, was seamless. The ball moved from player to player with such speed that Real Madrid's defenders had no time to react.
Barcelona's stars had dismantled Real Madrid's defense with perfect teamwork!
…
Gao Shen stood stunned on the sidelines.
It wasn't the skilled cooperation between Barcelona's stars that surprised him.
He was well aware of Barcelona's strength, knowing Ronaldinho and Messi often played futsal together. Such exquisite teamwork was second nature to them.
What shocked him was Ramos' mistake!
He even wanted to rush onto the pitch, grab Ramos, and shout: "Are you a spy for Barcelona? How could you gift the opponent such an opportunity at such a critical moment?"
Ramos, too, realized his error, his face full of guilt as he looked back at his stunned teammates.
Who would have thought that a moment of recklessness from him would lead to Real Madrid conceding a goal?
Barcelona's players rushed to celebrate, with Messi leading the charge.
The young star had opened the scoring for Barcelona with Ronaldinho's brilliant assist!
Rijkaard was ecstatic, shouting from the technical area, visibly thrilled and excited.
And no wonder!
This was the Champions League final!
In such a crucial match, taking a one-goal lead was a significant advantage.
The Real Madrid players lowered their heads, clearly frustrated by the goal.
The team's defense had been well-organized, so why did they suddenly concede?
All eyes turned to Ramos, full of blame and reproach.
Why didn't you just play your role as a center-back? Why did you decide to dribble forward? Did you really think you were a striker?
"He's still too impulsive." Lucas sighed.
Such impulsiveness can easily lead to poor decisions.
Ramos had a tendency to get overexcited when playing, often taking risks. Driving the ball forward was something he did frequently without consequence, but tonight, Barcelona capitalized on it.
Gao Shen was speechless as well.
He understood Ramos' decision. If Ramos had successfully broken through and delivered a key pass to his teammates, he would have been the hero. But, unfortunately, he made a mistake, lost the ball, and allowed a counterattack that led to a goal. Now, he was the scapegoat.
"I told him many times before the game to be cautious, to be careful. Why didn't he listen?" Gao Shen was bitter.
This is the Champions League final, man!
Can't you stop being so reckless?
You're making me so nervous!
Lucas and Buenaventura exchanged glances and smiled wryly.
Ramos is indeed a love-hate player, sometimes driving everyone crazy with his actions.
More importantly, he's only twenty years old and still needs another three to five years before he can truly stabilize.
That's the nature of being a defender!
Wasn't Cannavaro also a wild player in his younger days?
And now? He's as steady as an old dog!
"Alright, it's okay, keep your spirits up!" Gao Shen shouted loudly.
"Sergio, be careful! If I see you make another mistake, I'll sub you out!"
Ramos heard Gao Shen's shout, raised his hand in acknowledgment, and then ran his hand through his long Argentine hair like a rebellious teenager from a middle school drama.
"Can't he look a little bit guilty?" Gao Shen chuckled in frustration.
Lucas and Buenaventura smiled bitterly.
The guilt is there, but it likely won't last more than a minute.
If this kid knew how to feel shame or guilt, he wouldn't be so reckless and impulsive.
He was born with a big heart, always imagining himself as the cool guy with his own background music playing as he made dramatic plays on the field, making countless mistakes.
To some extent, this is also his strength.
Why?
Defenders are bound to make mistakes. If they dwell on every mistake, how could they continue to play?
...
The game resumed.
Barcelona continued to press Real Madrid, focusing their attacks on Ramos.
It was clear they wanted to exploit Ramos' mistake and push for another goal.
But Ramos quickly adjusted. Without a word, he began directing the team's defense, ordering his teammates. You wouldn't believe that just a minute or two ago, he had made a mistake that put the team behind.
Truly a natural leader!
The positive takeaway, however, is that the conceded goal was more of an accident.
Despite trailing in the score, Real Madrid's defense remained solid, not giving Barcelona any more clear opportunities.
Gao Shen signaled to the team to remain calm and not rush. With Barcelona's formation tonight, there would be plenty of opportunities for Real Madrid to counterattack.
…
...
"Damn it! Damn it!! Damn it!!!"
"If we lose this final, I'll fire him tonight!"
In the chairman's box at the Stade de France, Real Madrid chairman Martin was fuming with rage.
Everyone knows how significant it is to concede a goal in a football match, especially in such a crucial Champions League final.
If there was any chance of winning the title, Real Madrid's hopes were now greatly diminished.
But to the professionals, the situation wasn't as dire as it seemed.
Butragueño had a different perspective.
First of all, this conceded goal wasn't due to a defensive breakdown but a personal error.
There's a big difference.
If it were a defensive issue, the team could be repeatedly exploited by the opponent. But if it's a personal mistake, it can be effectively avoided, especially with a young center-back like Ramos.
Being twenty years old and a starting defender in a Champions League final is indeed quite young.
Under Gao Shen's guidance, Ramos has made significant progress, but he still has his moments of recklessness.
It's normal for young players.
Moreover, Real Madrid's counterattack strategy was very well thought out.
The first counterattack almost resulted in a goal, which is the best proof.
Gao Shen's tactics, which focused on exploiting the spaces behind Barcelona's fullbacks, using Negredo as a pivot in the front, and then having other players quickly join in to form a second wave of attack, were well-conceived.
Therefore, Real Madrid still had a chance to equalize or even turn the game around.
"I've always said that he's too young. The more crucial the moment, the less reliable he is. I will never give the coaching position of Real Madrid to such a greenhorn." Martin stated firmly.
Butragueño turned his head to look at the chairman, disagreeing in his heart but saying nothing.
Although he was the vice-chairman, in a membership-based club like Real Madrid, the chairman held absolute power.
"Gao Shen is unreliable!" Martin muttered.
...
Rijkaard was very pleased with the situation on the field, especially with Messi's goal.
It justified his gamble tonight.
The connection between Ronaldinho and Messi had opened the scoring for Barcelona.
Rijkaard was a disciple of Cruyff. He had become Barcelona's head coach thanks to Cruyff's recommendation. In the early days of his tenure, Cruyff gave him considerable support, especially during the first half of the season when he faced a crisis of confidence.
It could be said that without Cruyff, Rijkaard would have been dismissed long ago.
His football philosophy shares many similarities with Cruyff's, including a strong belief in the power of genius.
In this Champions League final, Rijkaard had placed all his bets on Ronaldinho and Messi.
This goal had undoubtedly strengthened Rijkaard's confidence.
But it wasn't enough.
Real Madrid under Gao Shen's coaching was tenacious, very tenacious. A one-goal lead wasn't enough to guarantee Barcelona's victory. Rijkaard wanted a more convincing win.
He wanted to prove that losing the league title was just a fluke, a trivial mistake!
He needed to prove that he, Rijkaard, would still be a winner, no matter what!
Therefore, on one hand, he continued to instruct the team to maintain their attacking pressure and possession against Real Madrid. On the other hand, he also signaled to the team to be cautious of Real Madrid's counterattacks on the flanks.
"Don't give your opponent a chance to counterattack quickly!"
Gao Shen began instructing his players to strengthen their counter-pressing immediately after losing the ball, aiming to regain possession as quickly as possible. Although this tactic demanded significant physical exertion, Barcelona had the advantage in terms of fitness.
Regaining the ball quickly would allow Barcelona to maintain their passing game and organize the next wave of attacks more effectively.
As a result, Real Madrid found themselves increasingly on the defensive. Barcelona, now in the lead, played with more aggression, and despite Real Madrid's well-organized defense, the pressure on them intensified, making the situation appear precarious.
Gao Shen was frustrated. Each time Real Madrid managed to steal the ball, Barcelona's intense pressing quickly nullified their counterattacks. Real Madrid struggled to escape their own half and create offensive opportunities.
Recognizing this, Gao Shen made a slight adjustment. He instructed his players to quickly move the ball into open spaces, particularly targeting the gaps on the flanks, after regaining possession. This adjustment aimed to exploit Barcelona's vulnerabilities and relieve some of the relentless pressure they were facing.
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder