Chapter 339: A unique move against Manchester United
After Dong Fangzhuo staged a hat-trick and led Alkmaar to a crucial victory, Wang Feng sent him a congratulatory text message. Now, the young Chinese player's journey abroad is becoming smoother.
Dong Fangzhuo expressed his gratitude to Wang Feng. Without his tireless guidance, he might have taken more time to reach his current level.
"Keep up the good work. If you can win the Eredivisie title or the Eredivisie Golden Boot, the top five league teams will definitely be eager to sign you," Wang Feng encouraged. "Oh, don't forget to treat your teammates to dinner. Your hat-trick wouldn't have been possible without their support."
"Yes, I'm about to invite my teammates to celebrate at the bar," Dong Fangzhuo replied, and Wang Feng stopped bothering him, continuing with his own work.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid was actively preparing for the 31st round of La Liga, hosting Valencia at home. Since a heavyweight Champions League semi-final match was scheduled midweek at Old Trafford against Manchester United, head coach Schuster rotated some of the squad.
Valencia was also strong, currently ranked fourth in La Liga, so Real Madrid, with a reserve lineup, quickly found themselves in trouble. In the 19th minute, forward Villa opened the scoring for the visiting team.
As halftime approached, Albelda pierced through Diego Lopez's defenses again with a direct free kick, putting Real Madrid two goals behind!
While fans understood Schuster's approach, the situation at the Bernabeu still stirred them up, with many calling out the savior of Real Madrid—Wang Feng.
In the 65th minute, the long-awaited Chinese superstar finally took to the field, boosting the morale of the entire team. With him on the pitch, everyone seemed to have found their backbone, becoming more confident in their plays.
This was all due to his miraculous performances, repeatedly saving the Galacticos. Everyone had developed a mindset that as long as Wang Feng was there, the team wouldn't fear any opponent!
Just seven minutes after coming on, Wang Feng intercepted Vicente in midfield, passed to Garcia, and quickly surged forward. After a few consecutive passes, he reached the edge of the penalty area on the right.
Facing Barragan's defense, Wang Feng feinted left, creating space, and then curled a beautiful shot with the outside of his foot, breaking through Canizares's defenses and pulling one back for Real Madrid.
Then, in the 84th minute, Real Madrid launched a swift counterattack. Gago immediately sent a long pass to penetrate Valencia's defense line, and Wang Feng successfully received the ball after timing his run perfectly to avoid offside.
Breaking into the penalty area, he skillfully bypassed Canizares with a classic feint and calmly slotted the ball into the empty net, making it 2-2! In less than 20 minutes, Wang Feng equalized the score!
After that, the Chinese superstar made several more attacking attempts, but unfortunately, his long-range shot was saved, and his shot inside the penalty area hit defender Miguel's leg.
In the end, the draw was maintained until the end of the game, and the fans were relatively satisfied with the result.
On the other hand, Barcelona suffered a shocking 0-2 defeat away to Villarreal. The Yellow Submarine continued their role as giant killers, widening the gap between Real Madrid and Barcelona to eight points. The Galacticos were getting closer to their 30th La Liga trophy in club history.
The plane carrying the Real Madrid team arrived at Manchester Airport. Many Real Madrid veterans and Wang Feng remembered this place vividly because it was at Old Trafford in 2003 where Wang Feng led Inter Milan to defeat Real Madrid, lifting his first Champions League trophy of his career and starting his own legend.
In contrast, Real Madrid gradually declined, suffering consecutive defeats in the league and failing to reach the Champions League final. In the past two years, they were even knocked out in the round of 16, which was lamentable.
This season, they brought in former rival Wang Feng and once again reached the Champions League semi-finals, launching an assault on the final at Old Trafford. In a way, it could be considered a cycle.
On the bus to the hotel, the players rested with closed eyes, while head coach Schuster scribbled on paper, trying to find a way to contain Manchester United's frontline.
The reason Manchester United could firmly hold the top spot in the fiercely competitive Premier League and reach the Champions League semi-finals was largely due to the offensive firepower of Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Especially Ronaldo, despite saying he wanted to challenge Wang Feng and score more goals, in reality, his role in the game was more about connecting the midfield and the attack, posing a greater threat in terms of attacking organization.
How to disrupt Manchester United's attacking system? Schuster believed the key lay in limiting Ronaldo's performance. He also had some knowledge of the transfer rumors surrounding the Portuguese star. As early as 2006, there were some voices within Real Madrid suggesting that, apart from Wang Feng, they should also consider bringing in Ronaldo.
However, at that time, Florentino denied the proposal. The failure of the first Galacticos era made him realize that the club couldn't rely solely on stacking stars. Ronaldo and Wang Feng clearly overlapped in position and role, and naturally, the superior Wang Feng was chosen.
Given this background, Ronaldo's challenge to Wang Feng had deeper implications, and Schuster thought it could be used to their advantage. Therefore, after arriving at the hotel, he immediately convened the coaching staff to discuss tactics.
"Aggressive start?" Assistant coach Deldi asked in confusion. "Wouldn't that be too aggressive? Remember, this is the Red Devils' home ground."
"I think it's completely feasible. Don't forget that we've achieved it before, creating the fastest goal in La Liga history, and it can also deal a heavy blow to the opponents," Schuster explained.
"More importantly, I think if Wang Feng can score with an aggressive start, it will greatly disturb their attacking core, Cristiano Ronaldo."
"Of course, this is just my speculation, but we have few cards to play, and there are no better options, right?"
The issues mentioned by Ferguson in the interview did exist. They were able to defeat Bayern Munich and AC Milan, and the opponents' key players' injuries were a major factor.
"Well, anyway, our fragile defense will find it difficult to withstand the full-strength Manchester United's attacks, so trying some unusual tactics might have unexpected results."
So, the next day, the head coach proposed the idea of an aggressive start at the tactical briefing and focused on practicing it afterwards. The players felt it was feasible as a whole, but whether it would succeed depended on luck.
After the practice, Wang Feng decided to stay and practice more. This kind of aggressive attacking method tested his reflexes and ability to seize opportunities, so he needed to consolidate his feeling.
Seeing this, the German coach walked up to him. "Wang, this tactic is not only about taking the lead but also has deeper intentions."
Wang Feng looked puzzled. "Mr. Schuster, are you referring to undermining the opponent's confidence? But Manchester United seems different from Barcelona; they've been consistently stable, so it might be difficult to have an effect."
"That's also a consideration, but more importantly, it's about disturbing Ronaldo!" the German explained. "He cares a lot about this showdown with you, so if we take the initiative against him, it will be a big blow. After succeeding, you can also provoke him as much as possible."
Wang Feng didn't quite understand this logic, and he had never actively provoked opposing players on the field. But if it was for victory, he was willing to do so.
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