Capítulo 343: Chapter 343: This Time the Substitution Was Perfect!
Antonio Valencia, Ecuadorian international, 22 years old.
At this age, in most other teams, he'd still be seen as a youngster, a promising talent who required careful nurturing. But in Naples, none of that applied.
In fact, within this uniquely young team, Valencia found himself considered something of a "veteran."
The average age of Napoli's starting lineup was under 21. Who would believe such a statistic?
Watching his teammates most of them younger than himself even Sánchez, just 19 years old, secure a regular spot as a key player, Valencia couldn't help but feel some anxiety about his future.
After his time with Villarreal and Wigan Athletic, Valencia worried more about his career than ever.
Yet joining Naples had been a turning point. As a crucial substitute, he received more playing time and steadily improved his performances. Gao Shen had always believed in him, frequently giving him encouragement and advising him during their one-on-one talks.
One particular piece of advice had stuck with Valencia:
"You need to find your unique skill," Gao Shen had said. "Relying on speed alone isn't enough, you need a signature move, something that makes you impossible to defend against."
"In our country," Gao Shen had added, "there's a saying: 'A single trick, done well, can take you far.' You need to develop a weapon of your own that defenders will struggle to stop, no matter what."
Inspired, Valencia began reflecting on what he was best at.
Gao Shen suggested he focus on one thing: crossing from the wing.
"You've got speed, explosive power, excellent dribbling, and solid fundamentals," Gao Shen said.
To help Valencia develop, Gao Shen instructed technical coach Borrell to design a tailored training program to refine his crossing ability. They worked on everything angles, timing, placement, and even the subtleties of disguise.
Since then, Valencia had doubled down on his training. Gao Shen rewarded his hard work by giving him more minutes in games, and Valencia often repaid that trust with solid performances.
Tonight was no different. Coming off the bench, Valencia was once again deployed as a secret weapon.
---
Cicinho, Roma's Brazilian right-back, was a natural right-footer who had been shifted to the left flank for this game.
To Gao Shen, "This was like a gift from heaven."
As Valencia stepped onto the pitch, he studied the Brazilian defender in front of him.
Cicinho's expression and posture gave him away: he looked uncomfortable. Valencia couldn't help but grin.
To Cicinho, however, this grin seemed bizarre.
What's wrong with this kid? Cicinho thought. Why does he look so happy?
Standing there, doing nothing but smiling like an idiot, is this guy nervous or something?
"Hey," Cicinho called out.
"Huh?" Valencia turned to look at him.
"Want me to give you a minute to calm down? Maybe go take some medicine and come back?"
"Medicine?" Valencia's grin vanished, replaced by annoyance. "You're the one who needs medicine! Your whole team does!"
With that, Valencia stormed off in irritation.
Cicinho stood there, stunned. What the hell was that? This guy's got a temper.
Before Cicinho could dwell on it, Vidal won the ball and launched a counterattack, sending a diagonal pass to Valencia on the right flank.
The Ecuadorian stopped the ball and turned, only to find Cicinho closing in fast.
Valencia thought back to the drills with Borrell, especially the details about how to deceive defenders.
His first move was a feint, subtle but effective, and Cicinho took the bait.
The Brazilian defender, already disadvantaged on the left flank due to his strong preference for his right foot, reacted just as Valencia had hoped overcommitting.
Without hesitation, Valencia stabbed the ball forward toward the byline and exploded into a sprint.
Cicinho scrambled to recover, but Valencia's burst of speed left him in the dust. Reaching the ball just before it went out, Valencia took a quick glance toward the penalty area and sent in a perfect cross with his right foot.
The ball curled toward the near post, landing in the most dangerous spot right in front of the six-yard box, where it was too close for the goalkeeper to confidently claim and too far for defenders to clear easily.
Napoli's striker Pellè was ready. Surging between the Roma center-backs, he outmuscled Mexès, leapt high, and met the cross with a thunderous header into the top-right corner of the net.
Roma's goalkeeper, Doni, who had been shifting toward the middle in anticipation, couldn't adjust in time. He could only watch helplessly as the ball hit the back of the net.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"
"A masterful substitution by Gao Shen!"
"Valencia has only been on the pitch for a few minutes, but he's already delivered a brilliant assist, setting up Pellè's second goal of the night."
"Napoli lead 2-0!"
As Pellè ran to the sidelines in celebration, his teammates followed, and the entire stadium erupted in cheers.
"The counterattack was textbook," the commentator said.
"Vidal started it with a timely interception and perfectly weighted pass to Valencia on the right. Valencia, with one dazzling move, completely outmaneuvered Cicinho and delivered a flawless cross."
"Pellè, perfectly positioned, finished it off with a clinical header."
"Before the match, Gao Shen hinted at having a secret weapon, and it's clear now that Valencia was the ace up his sleeve. Spalletti may have underestimated the danger of starting Cicinho on the left against Napoli's wingers. Sánchez wasn't much of a crossing threat, but Gao Shen had Valencia waiting on the bench, ready to exploit this exact matchup."
"At a critical moment, Gao Shen's substitution delivered the decisive blow to Roma!"
On the sidelines, Gao Shen remained composed. Watching Valencia's cross and Pellè's header, he calmly nodded, murmured, "Perfect," and turned to his assistants to share high-fives and hugs.
The game was now firmly in Napoli's hands.
---
Leading 2-0, Napoli shifted gears. They tightened their defensive lines, playing more cautiously and patiently.
Gao Shen brought on Parejo for Biglia, looking to strengthen control in midfield.
Thiago Motta sat deep, Parejo dictated play in the center, and Pellè worked tirelessly up front. Together, they slowed the tempo and stretched Roma's shape by moving the ball intelligently around the pitch.
Roma, desperate to claw their way back, kept pushing forward. But Napoli refused to engage in reckless battles, instead using precise passing and clever positioning to pull Roma's players out of place.
In the 78th minute, Napoli once again broke down Roma's attack near their own 30-yard line. Thiago Motta intercepted a pass and immediately fed the ball to Parejo.
Parejo advanced quickly, spotting Pellè making a run into the right channel. Without hesitation, he lofted a perfectly weighted pass over the Roma defense.
Pellè, holding off Juan with his strength, controlled the ball expertly. With his back to goal and facing the sideline, he waited for the right moment.
In one fluid motion, he flicked the ball backward into the box.
Valencia, timing his run perfectly, stormed in from the right, meeting the ball on the volley before it could touch the ground.
The crack of the shot reverberated through the stadium. The ball rocketed into the net like a missile, leaving Doni no chance to react.
3-0!
Valencia froze in shock, unable to process what had just happened.
The next moment, he was mobbed by his teammates, who swarmed him in celebration.
Napoli's fans erupted, their cheers shaking the San Paolo Stadium to its core.
Gao Shen's substitution had been nothing short of brilliant.
---
The entire stadium was electric.
Gao Shen stood on the sidelines, smiling from ear to ear.
The team's form was incredible. Everything seemed to be clicking perfectly, as if even luck and fate were on their side.
When a backheel pass from Pellè set up a volleyed rocket from Valencia, what more could you say?
Sometimes, football worked in mysterious ways.
Turning to his assistants, Gao Shen spoke confidently:
"With this kind of form, I feel good about facing Juventus away."
While the road to the Serie A title was still fraught with challenges, Napoli were inching closer with every match.
The most crucial hurdle in their campaign was this demanding stretch of games, and so far, Napoli had risen to the occasion.
Gao Shen was optimistic but cautious. The path to glory required focus, discipline, and patience.
For now, he allowed himself to celebrate this victory.
"Everyone, we've just taken another big step toward the title!"
As the final whistle blew, Gao Shen couldn't hide his joy. He smiled and hugged each of his assistants one by one, celebrating the 3-0 victory over Roma.
Afterward, he embraced his players as they left the pitch, greeting each one like a war hero returning from battle.
The Napoli players were equally aware of the importance of their situation.
As long as the team kept winning, the Serie A title was theirs to lose.
Elsewhere, Inter Milan's match ended in a predictable 2-0 victory over Reggina. For this game, Mancini and Inter were celebrating their centenary anniversary, and the timing of their opponent seemed... convenient.
Not that Gao Shen cared.
"It's not match-fixing," he said sarcastically to Buenaventura. "They just happened to schedule a team they were sure to beat. You know, to keep the celebrations festive. What's it called again? Right—'helping others look good.'"
The result didn't bother Gao Shen in the slightest. His sights were already set on the next match.
"Alp," Gao Shen murmured to himself with a confident grin as he walked back to the locker room, "I'm coming for you again!"
***
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