Chapter Summaries

Su Dong transformed Barcelona’s attack after coming on against Zaragoza, scoring twice as they recovered from a two-goal deficit to draw 3–3. In the next league match, Barcelona beat Alavés 5–0, with Su Dong scoring twice and helping Messi shine.

• Su Dong came on at halftime against Zaragoza and scored with his first touch from Van Bronckhorst’s cross, pulling Barcelona back into the match.
• Messi won a penalty in the sixty-first minute, and Ronaldinho converted it to make the score 3–2.
• Su Dong controlled Messi’s late through ball and scored in the eighty-ninth minute to earn Barcelona a 3–3 draw.
• After the Zaragoza match, Muñoz, Rijkaard, and Van Bommel praised Su Dong’s impact, while Diario AS called Barcelona’s dependence on him “Su Dong Syndrome.”
• Against Alavés, Su Dong scored twice and set up chances as Barcelona won 5–0, with Messi also scoring twice and celebrating on Su Dong’s back.

Barcelona defeated Zaragoza 3–1 in the Copa del Rey quarterfinal second leg despite Ronaldinho’s controversial red card, advancing 6–4 on aggregate. Su Dong scored twice, and Pele praised his performance after the match.

• Su Dong scored in the tenth minute to put Barcelona ahead, but Ronaldinho was controversially sent off after fouling Cani, and Oscar González equalized for Zaragoza before halftime.
• Puyol explained that he accepted the red card to avoid further dismissals, while Iniesta told Su Dong that Cantabria was in northern Spain and had strained relations with Madrid and Barcelona.
• Barcelona held possession after the break despite being a player down, and Su Dong scored from Messi’s cross to restore their lead.
• Su Dong beat Álvaro and crossed for Messi to head in Barcelona’s third goal.
• Barcelona won 3–1 and advanced to the Copa del Rey semifinals with a 6–4 aggregate victory, and Pele praised Su Dong as Barcelona’s best player.

Barcelona lost to Atlético Madrid while Su Dong rested, then hosted Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg. Su Dong scored twice in the opening twenty minutes to put Barcelona ahead 2–0, leaving Real Madrid in danger of collapse.

• Su Dong scored twice as Barcelona beat Real Mallorca 3–0, reaching thirty-one La Liga goals in twenty-one rounds.
• Cúper praised Su Dong, and the Copa del Rey semifinal draw paired Barcelona with Real Madrid.
• Rijkaard rested Su Dong against Atlético Madrid, and Barcelona lost 2–1 at home.
• Real Madrid beat Espanyol 4–0, extending their winning streak under Caro to eight matches.
• Barcelona hosted Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg, and Su Dong scored twice to give Barcelona a 2–0 lead just over twenty minutes into the match.

Su Dong scored five goals as Barcelona crushed Real Madrid 6–1 at Camp Nou, equaling Puskas’s La Liga single-season record and setting Barcelona’s single-season scoring record. After he left the pitch to a standing ovation, he reflected on his goals, his teammates’ support, and his determination to pursue every honor he could in a World Cup year.

• Su Dong completed his hat trick with a header from Iniesta’s chipped pass, putting Barcelona 3–0 ahead before Baptista scored for Real Madrid.
• Su Dong scored his fourth goal from Iniesta’s corner, extending Barcelona’s lead to 4–1.
• Iniesta stole Salgado’s weak pass and started a counterattack that ended with Messi scoring Barcelona’s fifth goal.
• Su Dong beat the offside trap, rounded Casillas, and scored his fifth goal to make it 6–1.
• Rijkaard substituted Su Dong in the seventieth minute, and Camp Nou’s fans gave him a standing ovation as he left the pitch.
• Su Dong watched Barcelona’s attack weaken from the bench and reflected on his record-setting season, his teammates, and his resolve to keep scoring and winning trophies.

Adidas executives discussed exploiting Su Dong’s disagreement with Nike to sign him and strengthen the company’s star roster in Asia. They agreed to approach his agent, while Hainer raised Bayern Munich as a possible club to pursue him.

• Du Bairui and Bai Wenkang were summoned to Adidas headquarters, where Herbert Hainer revealed that Nike was negotiating a major renewal with Su Dong.
• Markus Baumann argued that Adidas should intervene, and Du Bairui and Bai Wenkang stressed Su Dong’s unmatched influence across the Asia-Pacific region.
• Hainer decided Adidas would contact Mendes with an offer to help resolve Su Dong’s Nike contract and would maintain other cooperation if Su Dong stayed with Nike.
• Adidas executives struggled to identify a suitable partner club to pursue Su Dong, and Hainer asked whether Bayern Munich could attract him.

Barcelona recovered from two defeats by thrashing Real Betis, where Su Dong broke Puskas's single-season all-competitions scoring record with a hat trick. He then scored three first-half goals in Barcelona's Champions League Round of 16 first leg away to Lyon, leaving the hosts trailing 3–0 at halftime.

• Barcelona lost 0–1 away to Valencia without Su Dong, then lost 1–3 to Real Madrid but advanced to the Copa del Rey final on aggregate.
• Su Dong scored a hat trick as Barcelona defeated Real Betis 7–1, passing Puskas's record for most goals in all competitions in a single La Liga season.
• Su Dong joined the wall for Juninho's early Free Kick, which sailed just over Barcelona's goal.
• Su Dong scored from Iniesta's through ball in the seventh minute and from Van Bronckhorst's cross in the thirteenth minute to put Barcelona 2–0 ahead against Lyon.
• Su Dong capitalized on Chris's mistake in the forty-fourth minute to complete his hat trick and give Barcelona a 3–0 halftime lead.

After Barcelona defeated Lyon, Ronaldinho warned Su Dong to stay neutral in the club’s political struggle, while Barcelona continued winning in La Liga. The chapter ended with news that Zhutou Qi had started a new book.

• Barcelona beat Lyon three to nil away, and Su Dong celebrated his hat trick before exchanging shirts and free-kick advice with Juninho.
• Ronaldinho told Su Dong that someone on Barcelona’s Board of Directors was preparing impeachment proceedings against Laporta and advised him to remain neutral.
• Barcelona advanced toward the Champions League quarterfinals, while Arsenal beat Real Madrid one to nil at the Bernabéu.
• Barcelona brought on Ronaldinho and Su Dong against Zaragoza, then won two to nil through Ronaldinho’s penalty and Su Dong’s close-range finish.
• News spread that Zhutou Qi had started a new book, My Spy War Years.

Florentino resigned as Real Madrid president, and Su Dong, Messi, and Iniesta discussed the club’s crisis and Barcelona’s election dispute. Fernando Martin then publicly floated signing Su Dong, prompting Barcelona and Su Dong to deny the rumors while Laporta raised the prospect of renewing Su Dong’s contract.

• Su Dong watched Florentino announce his resignation after Real Madrid’s defeat to Real Mallorca and the growing conflict within the team.
• Su Dong, Messi, and Iniesta discussed Florentino’s possible behind-the-scenes influence, Real Madrid’s internal disputes, and a possible election challenge from Ramon Calderon’s faction.
• Su Dong asked Iniesta why Barcelona’s opposition wanted an election, and Iniesta explained that Laporta’s early start in 2003 had shortened his term under the club statutes.
• Su Dong realized Laporta needed strong results to persuade the board to delay the election, while Su Dong needed success to advance his own ambitions.
• Fernando Martin asked a reporter whether Real Madrid fans would accept signing Su Dong, sparking speculation that Barcelona and Su Dong denied as Laporta said the club might renew Su Dong’s contract.

Su Dong participated in a UNICEF World Cup charity project in Germany, where he met the unemployed Heynckes and discussed Barcelona’s football and its key figures. After Su Dong left, Beckenbauer considered whether the Bundesliga could attract him as part of a wider revival.

• Su Dong and a group of football stars filmed a UNICEF World Cup promotional video and donated memorabilia for a global charity auction.
• At a press conference, Su Dong became interested in Heynckes and discussed Barcelona, footballing geniuses, and the growing emphasis on stability with him.
• Heynckes argued that Ten Cate was more indispensable to Barcelona than Rijkaard because he kept the team’s Brazilian players in line.
• After Su Dong departed, Heynckes praised his ability, discipline, and influence to Beckenbauer.
• Beckenbauer said Herbert had asked about bringing Su Dong to the Bundesliga, and he hoped the star could help raise the league’s profile.

Su Dong visited Wang Chuqing at the University of Munich, where students recognized him and she hurried him off campus. After they shared a meal, he returned to the hotel and found Ronaldinho entertaining a woman, prompting him to warn his teammate that his wild lifestyle could damage his career.

• Su Dong disguised himself and wandered around the University of Munich, but students recognized him and gathered around him.
• Wang Chuqing pushed through the crowd, took Su Dong to her dormitory, and later brought him to a quiet Chinese restaurant for a meal.
• Su Dong told Wang Chuqing that four Japanese sponsorship deals were nearly settled and discussed his negotiations with Adidas through Mendes.
• After taking Wang Chuqing back to her dormitory, Su Dong returned to the hotel and saw Ronaldinho escorting a woman from his room.
• Su Dong questioned whether Ronaldinho's nightlife could harm his fitness and career, but Ronaldinho defended his lifestyle and dismissed the idea of marriage.

Barcelona advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals and drew AC Milan, then Su Dong rescued a ten-man Barcelona against Osasuna by scoring his thirty-eighth league goal and tying La Liga’s single-season scoring record. With eleven rounds remaining, he was poised to set a new record.

• Su Dong scored twice as Barcelona beat Deportivo La Coruña 5–2 in La Liga.
• Barcelona defeated Lyon 3–1 to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals, while Real Madrid were eliminated by Arsenal.
• UEFA’s quarterfinal draw paired Barcelona with AC Milan, whose players and coach Ancelotti looked forward to taking revenge for the previous season’s final.
• Osasuna took the lead from a penalty after Marcos Senna was sent off, but Su Dong equalized with his thirty-eighth league goal, tying the La Liga single-season record.
• Diario AS praised Su Dong’s attacking partnership with Ronaldinho and Messi as the season’s most devastating trio.

Su Dong struggled through a scoring drought as Barcelona drew with Málaga and AC Milan, despite his many chances against Milan. With the Champions League quarterfinal still at stake, he resolved to respond by training even harder.

• Su Dong missed all eight of his shots against Real Sociedad, though Barcelona won 2–0, and media figures urged him not to let the pressure of scoring and the record weigh on him.
• Su Dong’s deflected shot caused an own goal against Getafe, and he assisted Messi before Barcelona completed a 3–1 comeback win.
• Rijkaard and Ten Cate left Su Dong out of Barcelona’s trip to Málaga, where the team drew 0–0.
• Su Dong created several chances against AC Milan, but Dida repeatedly saved his efforts as Barcelona drew 0–0 at home.
• Su Dong rejected media interviews, recognized that his problems went beyond bad luck, and committed himself to even more intense training before the second leg against AC Milan.

Su Dong trained through a goal drought while Messi and Iniesta worried over harsh media criticism, and Nuno Cruz explained that the expectations placed on him kept rising because of his stature. As Barcelona prepared to face AC Milan, Ancelotti planned his defense but feared Su Dong might erupt at any moment.

• Messi and Iniesta consoled Su Dong over tabloids criticizing his recent scoreless and missed matches, while he continued training.
• Nuno Cruz told Messi and Iniesta that the media held Su Dong to higher standards because he was a two-time Footballer of the Year winner.
• Su Dong finished training, called his friends noisy, and left as Messi and Iniesta chased after him demanding dinner.
• Ancelotti warned Tassotti that Su Dong’s goal drought could end in a sudden eruption and discussed AC Milan’s defensive lineup for the second leg.
• Ancelotti chose Kaladze alongside Nesta and assigned Maldini to Messi, while recognizing Su Dong as the match’s greatest uncertainty.

Barcelona and AC Milan battled through a tense, goalless first half before Barcelona took control of possession after the break. As AC Milan pushed higher in search of a goal, Su Dong insisted that his teammates trust him as the target of their counterattacks.

• AC Milan began aggressively, disrupting Barcelona’s possession plan, but neither side scored in the first half.
• At halftime, Rijkaard urged Barcelona to keep the ball and exploit the space behind AC Milan when they advanced.
• Su Dong asked his teammates to pass to him on the counter, and Messi, Iniesta, and Marcos Senna voiced their support.
• Barcelona controlled possession in the second half, defended deep against AC Milan’s counters, and tried long passes toward Su Dong.
• As AC Milan pushed its pressing line higher, Ancelotti told Stam and Nesta to mark Su Dong while gambling that his team would score first.

Barcelona broke the deadlock against AC Milan when Su Dong scored in the seventy-sixth minute after Messi's counterattacking pass. Barcelona celebrated, but the match remained tense as AC Milan needed two goals to overturn the deficit.

• Dida's goal kick led to Gattuso winning a header, and AC Milan advanced through Shevchenko and Kaka before Valdes caught Stam's cross.
• Valdes launched Barcelona's counterattack, and Messi combined with Iniesta before sending a long pass toward Su Dong.
• Su Dong evaded Nesta and Stam with sudden changes of direction and a heel flick, then beat Dida with a left-footed shot.
• Su Dong celebrated with his teammates as Barcelona took a one-to-nil lead in the seventy-sixth minute.
• Barcelona returned to the pitch knowing AC Milan would attack desperately and needed two goals to win.

Su Dong ended his scoring drought with two goals as Barcelona defeated AC Milan 2–0 at San Siro and advanced to the Champions League semifinals. After the match, Ten Cate confirmed he would leave to coach Ajax, while Barcelona’s players and fans turned their attention to the treble.

• Ancelotti sent Cafu and Serginho on as AC Milan pushed forward, but Barcelona defended cautiously and contained their attacks.
• In the eighty-seventh minute, Ronaldinho chipped the ball into the penalty area, and Su Dong volleyed it past Dida to score his second goal.
• Rijkaard celebrated Barcelona’s victory as Ten Cate confirmed he had accepted Ajax’s offer and would leave after the season.
• Barcelona defeated AC Milan 2–0 and advanced to the Champions League semifinals, with Su Dong celebrating his brace alongside his teammates.
• Su Dong, Ronaldinho, and Kaka exchanged congratulations, and Puyol led Barcelona’s players to thank the traveling fans, who chanted for the treble.

After Su Dong scored twice to lead Barcelona past AC Milan and into the Champions League semifinals, media around the world praised his performance and influence. Back in Spain, Su Dong put the victory behind him and prepared to break La Liga's historical record in El Clásico.

• Milan Sports Daily reversed its earlier doubts about Su Dong after his brace secured Barcelona a 2–0 away win and a 2–0 aggregate victory over AC Milan.
• Berlusconi jokingly asked Laporta to sell Su Dong to AC Milan, but Laporta refused and said Su Dong was not for sale.
• Diario AS credited Su Dong's hard work, his teammates' trust, and Barcelona's second-half long-ball tactics for the victory.
• Lifonna argued that Su Dong's stamina and relentless movement wore down AC Milan's defenders and made the difference between the teams.
• The New York Times called Su Dong a true superstar and praised his global influence, especially in the United States.
• Su Dong returned to Spain with Barcelona and began preparing to break La Liga's historical record in El Clásico.

Barcelona hosted Real Madrid in a La Liga match, and Su Dong scored three times in the first thirty-two minutes. His goals set a new single-season La Liga scoring record and left Barcelona leading 3–0.

• Real Madrid misplaced an early pass, and Barcelona settled into the match as both sides contested possession near midfield.
• Valdes launched a long ball forward, and Su Dong held off Ramos, combined with Ronaldinho, rounded Casillas, and scored in the second minute for his thirty-ninth league goal.
• Barcelona controlled possession and attacked repeatedly, while Marcos Senna and Belletti took the ball from Robinho to start a counterattack.
• Ronaldinho crossed to Su Dong, who scored with a Scorpion Kick in the eighteenth minute to make it 2–0 and reach forty league goals.
• Deco broke down the left and cut the ball back, and Su Dong flicked it into the net with his heel in the thirty-second minute to complete his hat trick and make it 3–0.

Barcelona won the Copa del Rey final 4–0 over Espanyol as Su Dong scored a hat trick, then beat Villarreal 2–0 with another brace to clinch the La Liga title early. With two trophies secured, Barcelona turned their attention to the Champions League semifinal against Arsenal and their pursuit of a treble.

• Ronaldinho scored first in the Copa del Rey final after Su Dong let Iniesta’s pass run through, and Su Dong added two goals before halftime.
• Su Dong completed his hat trick in the second half as Barcelona defeated Espanyol 4–0 and won the Copa del Rey.
• UEFA drew Barcelona against Arsenal and Villarreal against Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals.
• Su Dong scored twice against Villarreal at Camp Nou, extending his La Liga tally to 43 goals before being substituted.
• Barcelona beat Villarreal 2–0, and Real Madrid’s draw with Getafe secured Barcelona the La Liga title ahead of schedule.

Barcelona and Arsenal met in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, where Wenger trusted young defender Senderos to contain Su Dong. Su Dong began testing Senderos physically and psychologically, and the chapter left the defender realizing that his confidence might be misplaced.

• Wenger set Arsenal up in a 4-1-4-1 and urged Senderos to handle Su Dong as he had handled Drogba and Van Nistelrooy.
• Henry threatened Barcelona twice in the opening minutes, prompting the Camp Nou crowd to call for Su Dong to take control.
• Su Dong sent a low cross across the box, then teased Senderos about his past struggles against Drogba.
• Su Dong held off Senderos during a Barcelona attack and laid the ball back to Deco, whose shot Gilberto Silva blocked.
• Su Dong taunted Senderos about not using his full strength, and Kolo Touré warned that Su Dong was playing psychological games.
• Senderos and Kolo Touré dismissed Su Dong's claims, but soon realized they had badly underestimated him.