When the referee, Cesar Muñiz Fernandez, pulled the scarlet card from the pocket over his chest, Real Madrid center-back Vermaelen covered his face in despair. Looking utterly dejected, he turned and walked off the pitch.
At that moment, his heart was filled with despair.
For Vermaelen, his first season after joining Real Madrid had been a success.
Although he had competed with Pepe early on, he had never been outmatched. Later, Pepe's serious injury gave Vermaelen a chance to prove himself, and the Belgian seized it, becoming a starting center-back for Real Madrid in one fell swoop and performing exceptionally well.
It could be said that, aside from their disadvantage in defending high balls, the Ramos-Vermaelen partnership had been one of the main reasons Real Madrid had won the Double Crown the previous season.
Yet no one had expected Pepe to return from injury in sensational form this season. His outstanding performances had overwhelmed Vermaelen, allowing him to become the backbone of the team's defense.
The Brazilian-born Portuguese center-back was a pillar-type defender whose partnership with Ramos was even more complementary. He was also fast, physically dominant, and strong at defending high balls. All of this had gradually given him the edge over Vermaelen in their competition.
This season, the competition among Real Madrid's three center-backs had improved all three of them considerably. Many people had even joked that after returning from injury, Pepe had transformed into a world-class center-back, with his overall ability advancing by leaps and bounds.
But for Vermaelen, this was not good news. The pressure on him was tremendous.
After finally getting his chance in El Clásico, Vermaelen had shown the best side of himself. He had worked tirelessly on the pitch, and throughout the first half, he had not made a single mistake. He had