During halftime, Soto made significant tactical adjustments to San Remo.
The 3-5-2 formation is indeed very strong, especially with Canyes and Lu Yang as the two key wingers. Most of the main threats in the first half were initiated by Canyes and Lu Yang.
However, a defensive system with a three-defender formation cannot be established overnight.
This requires extensive training afterward.
Although the Italian Super Cup is not a particularly prestigious award, even top clubs include it in their calculations of championship glory.
In terms of the award system, this is a complete and independent award.
San Remo rarely has the opportunity to directly face the trophy, so they value it exceptionally.
" Canyes, in the second half you'll move back to right-back. Focus on defense and shift your emphasis there," Soto said.
Canyes nodded; his tactical importance had decreased, but that wasn't unacceptable.
He believes he can play in multiple positions and employ a variety of tactics.
He's happy as long as he can be on the field.
At the same time, Mathias's expression became slightly complicated.
Mathias was brought in after the end of the San Remo -Serie D season. He mainly plays right-back. Although his attacking ability is weak, his defense is relatively solid.
He's currently around 27 or 28 years old, in the prime of his career, and his ability is more than enough to make him a starter for any Serie B team.
However, he discovered that he seemed somewhat... unworthy of San Remo.
Take Canyes for example. Canyes is definitely better than Mathias in every aspect, not to mention that he has extremely high popularity and a promising future.
Mathias has no chance of beating Canyes.
Therefore, in Soto's new 3-5-2 formation, Mathias is willing to leave his comfort zone and play as a center-back.
However, the results were not very good.
Even with such sacrifices, Mathias was not without resentment.
Sacrificing oneself to become a global player during one's prime is a difficult process for any player to accept.
Countless players who could have been even greater sacrificed themselves for their teams, thus diminishing their technical abilities. This is unfair to the players.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Mathias knows he will be substituted soon.
" Mathias, you played well in the first half, but we have a new arrangement, so I will substitute you in the second half," Soto said to Mathias. "In the second half, Lam will move from the defensive midfield position to center-back, forming a central defensive partnership with Palacios, and Bernulini will move to left-back."
Bernulini, Lam, and others nodded.
Mathias showed no emotion and accepted the arrangement.
But deep down, Mathias was already thinking about his future in San Remo.
He believes that the arrangement of this match may just be a microcosm of his season.
Lu Yang noticed Mathias's emotions.
He walked over to Mathias and said, "Brother, get some rest. We're competing on three fronts this season, you have to hold us up!"
Mathias paused for a moment, then nodded.
yes.
The team will be competing on three fronts this season: the league, the Europa League, and the Italian Cup. Regardless of Mathias' role in the team this season, he will be playing a lot of matches.
Although his position on the team has been moved back, he may participate in more games than last season.
At least this season, he doesn't need to worry about his future.
As for next season... having already played a season in Serie B, I shouldn't have trouble finding a buyer.
Once Mathias understood this, he felt relieved.
He will work even harder this season.
On the other side, Soto was still giving instructions. " Versace, you replace Mathias and form a three-man midfield with Latuidi and Moric."
Versace accepted the order.
" Baizami, you replace Fernandez and move to the left winger position. In the second half, you need to relentlessly attack Juventus ' right-back; he's new and his understanding with the team's defense is clearly lacking."
Fernandez and Baizami both nodded.
But as the arrangements came to light, Lu Yang's position became a question mark.
The back line consists of four players.
Three midfielders.
Baizami, left winger.
So Lu Yang is... a right winger?
this...
Everyone was a little surprised.
Is that really so daring?
Sure enough, Soto said, " Lu Yang, you'll play as the right winger in the second half. You and Canyes, break down their left flank! And when the time is right, keep an eye on Baizami's position, understand?"
"Old Tom and I analyzed your performance in the European Under-21 Championship, and we found that your cut-in from the right wing is not exactly the same as your cut-in from the left wing. Your cut-in from the right wing is more lethal."
"So, are you confident you can handle playing as a makeshift right winger?"
Lu Yang immediately puffed out his chest and shouted, "Yes!"
Soto has good judgment.
He had figured out Lu Yang's Robben Zone.
In fact, Lu Yang cut inside from the left wing most often in the first two seasons and created many scoring opportunities.
But that was in a lower-level league.
Against strong defensive opponents, Lu Yang's cut inside from the left side is actually quite difficult to succeed; he mostly relies on his passing, shooting, and dribbling skills to create opportunities. While he can create chances, it's inconsistent.
Lu Yang's inside cuts in the Robben Zone on the right wing were much more aggressive.
Therefore, the 3-5-2 formation was adjusted to a 4-3-3.
This is a significant change; very few head coaches would make such a tactical shift during a match.
This led many commentators to provide in-depth analysis of the situation at the start of the second half.
" San Remo still lacks confidence in their defense; they've reverted to their most familiar formation."
" Lam didn't perform well in the defensive midfield position; it's uncertain whether he can handle the center-back role."
" Lam is very fast, and judging from the configuration, he and Palacios, a center-back, should be a good match. I just don't know how well they coordinate defensively."
" Bernulini's move to left center-back is a surprising decision, as Bernulini clearly more reliable than Lam in that position. This arrangement may be related to the fact that neither Bernulini nor Palacios are particularly fast."
"Two slow center-backs are indeed prone to letting the ball slip through, so having a fast Destroyer is very important."
" Lu Yang is actually in the right winger position? Am I seeing things?"
" Lu Yang is equally adept with both feet, so theoretically there's no difference between the left and right sides for him. But... Lu Yang has always been a left-wing player. I wonder if he can adapt well to suddenly switching sides."
"The tactical differences between wingers and attacking midfielders are sometimes subtle, but sometimes significant. I wonder how Lu Yang will grasp the similarities and differences between the two."
On the field.
Versace, who just came on, was very active.
He formed a midfield trio with Moric and Latuidi, and his main responsibility was to make wide runs and provide support; he would appear wherever he was needed.
Basically, that's Lu Yang's role in midfield.
Soon after, Versace forced a passing error from the opponent through a chase and pressing maneuver.
Moric cautiously tracked back and successfully intercepted the ball.
Seeing that Lu Yang had an opportunity, Moric immediately made a through pass to the right flank.
Lu Yang instantly switched to supercar mode and began a race against Juventus ' defensive midfielder.
He quickly overtook the defensive midfielder, demonstrating a clear speed advantage.
Although he's not exactly a speed demon, Lu Yang's speed has already reached the average level of an excellent winger.
What's most important for a winger?
Perhaps different tactics will yield different results.
However, later on, there was actually a basic consensus among wingers who were not part of the organization's core.
That means "getting up there"!
Sancho, recently acquired for a hefty 80 million euro contract, has been labeled a flop by many fans. Why?
Is he really that bad?
not necessarily.
But... after he got the ball, he didn't move forward!
This is a very critical problem.
A winger, aside from having a lot of one-on-one opportunities in the Bundesliga, mostly faces chances to advance down the flanks in other leagues.
In other words, the opposing defender is not far from you, and if you try to break through, he is very likely to catch up with you and hinder your breakthrough.
Basically, when a winger receives the ball, if the opposing defender is one step behind you, it's a 50/50 chance to break through.
Because the defender is usually on the inside, even if you're a step behind, they can block your cut-in direction in advance, so it's a 50/50 situation.
Faced with such an opportunity, Sancho would still choose to stop the ball and pass it back rather than dribble past it. It goes without saying whether he would choose to dribble past a defender when they are level with or even ahead of them.
Without a doubt, the answer is... absolutely not.
No matter how good their technique or how well they understand tactical intentions, such wingers will find it difficult to pose a real threat.
In contrast, Greenwood, who is always willing to race against opposing defenders and consistently wins, poses a significantly greater threat on the flanks.
Even though his passing might be lacking, he is arguably the best winger for Manchester United right now, especially against a striker like Cristiano Ronaldo in the twilight of his career, where Greenwood's dribbling skills become particularly important.
Making a bold prediction, Greenwood will create opportunities and pass to Cristiano Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo will then score. Cristiano Ronaldo might even pass back to Greenwood, who continues running, to create another goal. This could become a regular goal-scoring pattern for Manchester United in the future.
Now, Lu Yang has grasped the essence of the winger in his first time playing as a right winger.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
Ultimately, Lu Yang gained control of the ball before the opposing defensive midfielder.
After realizing they couldn't outrun Lu Yang, the opposing team began to move inwards to prevent Lu Yang from cutting inside.
However...
Bang!
Lu Yang seized the opportunity as the opponent retreated inside, and crossed the ball with his right foot.
Soguer headed the ball towards goal from inside the penalty area.
It went too high.
Soguer quickly gave Lu Yang a thumbs up, "Brother Lu is awesome!"
Plug and play!
Point and shoot!
Juventus ' defensive midfielder broke out in a cold sweat.
Is this the first time someone has played right forward?
This guy is a born star winger!
What is a potential star winger?
Sterling, Greenwood, Mbappé, Chiesa, and so on... Regardless of whether they are center forwards or wingers, as long as they are fast, dare to break through when facing opponents, are willing to run and can outrun their opponents... they all have the potential to become superstar wingers.
The most typical example of this is probably Chiesa.
Although he doesn't possess extraordinary speed, his desire to dribble past opponents is extremely strong.
Moreover, compared to Bernardeschi, who originally occupied that position, Chiesa was more inclined to rely on speed to win or lose, while Bernardeschi relied more on dribbling and changes in rhythm to get past opponents.
They are essentially different types of players, so the feeling they bring to the fans on the field and their impact on team tactics are completely different.
As it turns out, relying on rhythm and technique will have a noticeably smaller impact on the course of battle in the future.
Those who rely on speed always strike directly and fatally.
The fundamental reason is that... the basic qualities of players will generally improve in the future, and the day when eleven all-around players appear on the field is not far off.
When all players are quite fast, even if you can get past your opponent using technique and rhythm, they can still catch up with you; speed provides a margin for error.
When you use rhythm and technique to outpace your opponent, your speed will decrease. So even if you are faster than your opponent, if they are also fast, they can catch up with you when you slow down.
As for speed... being faster than you is being faster, nothing you say matters.
Therefore... in the future of football, at least on the flanks, the wing positions belong to players like Bale, not Messi.
Those who try to emulate Messi will perish, because there is only one Messi.
Those who learn from Bale will thrive, because speed-oriented stars are constantly emerging.
What?
You mean playing golf?
I'm telling you about a Jaguar!
Back on the court.
Less than three minutes after creating another threat, Lu Yang dribbled the ball near the center line once again.
There was a defender in front of him, and based on his position, his chances of successfully breaking through were 20/80.
An 80% chance of failure.
but...
Bang!
Lu Yang was completely unreasonable; he simply flicked the ball forward with his right foot using a powerful Flip Flap.
He swung his ankles with great force and a wide range of motion.
Therefore, the football flew a great distance at an extremely high speed.
The next moment, the Land Cruiser started moving.
Juventus' defensive midfielder hates Lu Yang.
He's sprinting again!
Aren't you tired?
Can your body handle it?
Do you really think Juventus is an old lady, where everyone is unable to run?
I'm moving fast!
Juventus' defensive midfielder directly blocked Lu Yang's path of attack.
Lu Yang was pushed out of bounds, but he didn't slow down at all. Instead, he continued running towards the ball from outside the sideline.
"Oh, Lu Yang has been pushed out of bounds. His breakthrough this time was a bit too aggressive; his 'Flip Flap' didn't even fool the opponent!"
" Juventus ' defensive midfielder anticipated Lu Yang's intentions. He has extensive defensive experience, he..."
" Lu Yang has caught up!"
"He's surpassed them! Lu Yang has surpassed Juventus' defensive midfielder!"
"What... what kind of speed is this? Is Lu Yang really that fast?"
Bale's Outside Overtake!
With Lu Yang positioned outside the sideline, he was even more formidable.
In just a few breaths, Lu Yang overtook his opponent again and returned to the sideline, blocking him.
Juventus' defensive midfielder was startled.
this...
He immediately reached out, trying to grab Lu Yang's jersey.
As a defensive midfielder, he is one of the players on the field who must not be beaten by others.
This is the awareness of a defensive midfielder.
But this time, Juventus' defensive midfielder failed.
Because after Lu Yang overtook him, the first time he touched the ball, he dribbled inside and cut towards the left side of the flank.
Juventus' defensive midfielder attempted to pull Lu Yang with his right hand, but Lu Yang changed direction and instantly widened the distance between them.
He missed, completely lost his balance, and fell face-first onto the court.
Lu Yang has successfully broken through!
The entire Juventus defense was under immense pressure.
Juventus' left-back, center-back, and other defensive midfielder were all closing in on Lu Yang, preparing to surround and annihilate him.
We absolutely cannot let Lu Yang complete this inside cut.
Once Lu Yang cuts inside to the vicinity of the penalty area, he becomes even harder to defend.
Bang!
In the blink of an eye, Lu Yang swept his left foot across the ground as he ran.
The football flew towards the right baseline.
Then a figure in blue and white appeared there.
Canyes!
Winger Canyes is incredibly fast. While Lu Yang was overtaking the Juventus defensive midfielder, Kanyes was actually faster, completing a long run from the backfield to the midfield and then to the frontfield.
When the Juventus midfielder fell, Canyes just happened to be walking right next to him...
This completely opened up the right flank, leaving Canyes with no defenders within a five-meter radius after receiving the ball.
Bang!
Canyes takes the shot.
Lu Yang ran forward, but in reality, he couldn't catch up.
However, it also diverted some of the Juventus defenders' attention.
Soguer seizes the point in the middle!
Moric had been lying in wait outside the penalty area for some time.
The football flew over everyone's heads with a large arc but not very high, seemingly giving everyone a chance.
But no one touched the football.
Until the football circled around the goal and was about to slide past the goal.
Back point.
Baizami raised his right foot and fired a shot mid-air!
The football went into the near corner of the net.
San Remo scores another one!
2-2, the score is tied!
"Goal! Well done, Baizami!"
" Soto's substitutions were simply brilliant! Baizami came off the bench and scored a goal, which absolutely demonstrates the coach's ability to make adjustments!"
"I doubt anyone could have predicted that San Remo and Juventus would end up in such a situation!"
"In the first half, San Remo demonstrated a strong tactical attacking ability. In the second half, they showcased their powerful individual player abilities. The goal was scored by Baizami, and the assist was provided by Canyes, but the biggest contributor was undoubtedly Lu Yang, who orchestrated the attack!"
"Yes! Lu Yang's breakthroughs on the wing are a real eye-opener! Many professional right wingers don't have his kind of attacking power!"
" Lu Yang has never been known for his speed, but now that I think about it... being able to cover the entire court on both offense and defense, and always appearing where he is needed at the first moment, besides his extremely high basketball IQ and court vision, Lu Yang's speed must actually be quite good as well."
" Lu Yang was incredibly daring, and he actually succeeded!"
"The game is going to be interesting. We see Juventus making substitutions. Their lack of coordination in defense is showing, especially their right-back, who has lost his marking multiple times today."
The San Remo players began celebrating their goal.
Canyes glanced at Juventus ' right-back... his main rival, the two of them having previously competed for the first-choice backup right-back position at Juventus.
The opposing team is clearly favored by the head coach because of their better defensive habits.
But this match perfectly illustrated the saying that all habits are worthless in the face of talent.
If Lu Yang 'Lu Yang goal in the first half was due to his unpredictable runs and his flamboyant style, then Lu Yang...
The goal conceded was because Baizami used his superior speed to outrun Juventus' right-back, allowing him to reach the far post of the penalty area and calmly finish the shot.
Speed is also necessary for defense.
Juventus overlooked this important issue, and their chances of winning their fourth consecutive league title this year are probably not very secure.
Because their lineup has lost a crucial element: speed.
After Lu Yang scored, Juventus became noticeably more wary of him.
The intimidating presence of a forward who can go all out is immediately apparent.
To defend against a dribbling winger, you must position yourself closer to the goal than him.
When defending against a normal player, your positioning can be level with him or even slightly higher.
Don't underestimate the difference of just one or two meters in positioning; there's a lot to it.
In the latter two cases, in addition to marking the winger, the defending player can also cut off the passing lanes from other players to the winger, theoretically reducing the opponent's midfield output by one player.
However, if you're a forward who focuses on driving forwards, the opponent can only defend against your breakthroughs, but they can't prevent you from connecting with the team or disrupting the normal operation of your team.
This is the different impact Sancho and Greenwood have on Manchester United's attack.
What may seem like a difference in position actually affects the whole situation and has a chain reaction.
And who is my brother Lu?
Since you guys aren't stopping Lu Ge from getting the ball, wouldn't it be a waste for Lu Ge not to make some adjustments to his game, given his excellent field vision?
Lu Yang received the ball, causing the opposing defenders to tense up, thus giving Lu Yang time to control and dribble.
Lu Yang dribbled slowly while glancing around at his teammates.
Latuidi, far away in the backfield, caught Lu Yang's eye.
"Superior!"
Latuidi seemed to hear Lu Yang's voice.
Lu Yang's gaze clearly signaled for Latuidi to take over.
Latuidi's eyes widened. "Brother Lu, I'm a defensive midfielder!"
Lu Yang: I understand! Let's go!
Latuidi: Okay, got it!
Bang!
Lu Yang flicked the ball with his right foot and once again chose to dribble past the opponent.
This attracted almost everyone's attention, so much so that Latuidi's insertion was not particularly noteworthy.
As the forwards push forward, it's normal for the team's overall formation to push up as well.
Juventus' defensive midfielder has learned his lesson.
This time, he didn't race against Lu Yang; instead, he kept retreating and allowing Lu Yang to advance.
Lu Yang's previous aggressive play resulted in this easy advance, demonstrating the fair play on the football field.
After entering the third attack zone, Lu Yang started Stepover.
At the same time, Canyes also rushed up and made an inside cut directly behind Lu Yang.
The defensive midfielder wanted to go after Canyes, but Lu Yang suddenly accelerated, ready to devour him, leaving him no way out.
Juventus' left-back wanted to cover Canyes, but Lu Yang had already beaten his own defensive midfielder, so he could only cover Lu Yang.
Juventus' left center-back had to come out to cover Canyes.
Soguer made a direct run into the gap left by the departing center-back.
Juventus' right center-back marked Soguer.
Moric noticed Canyes's run, and the player formation he had seen during his last look at the backfield came to mind.
According to his calculations, if Latuidi, who is in the left defensive midfield position, continues to advance, there will be an excellent long-range shooting opportunity on the left side of the penalty area.
"Pull him to the side!" Moric shouted to Baizami.
Baizami immediately and decisively moved to the wing without the ball. Even if Juventus' right-back didn't follow him, he didn't dare to stray too far from Baizami and was pulled out of the penalty area.
After Moric shouted the order, he immediately moved forward towards the right side of the penalty area.
Juventus' right defensive midfielder marked Moric and followed him.
These movements took shape in the very instant.
Lu Yang, who was overpowering Juventus' left defensive midfielder, delivered a right-footed curling pass while making his way down the wing.
Moric is a bit far from the ball.
However, Canyes happened to be on the path.
Canyes received the ball.
"Over here!"
Moric shouted loudly from Canyes' left.
Canyes looked over, then his pupils contracted.
He understood what Moric meant.
Bang!
Canyes makes a long pass over the top.
The Juventus right defensive midfielder following Moric looked completely bewildered... Wasn't that a pass to Moric?
This is incredibly disrespectful to your core members!
But the next moment, he heard his own goalkeeper roar, "We let someone through! We let someone through!"
The words had barely left his mouth.
Bang!
The football flew past Juventus ' right defensive midfielder's left side like a white streak.
The Juventus substitute goalkeeper saw the ball.
But long-range shots... are really hard to save.
Especially those scoundrels who use the outside of their foot to shoot from long range.
The trajectory of that football is so unpredictable that saving it depends entirely on guesswork.
A second later, the football was darting wildly through the net.
The 80,000 China fans at the scene instantly erupted in cheers.
"GOAL! Goal!"
" Latuidi! Latuidi's long-range shot breaks the deadlock against Juventus!"
"Sanremo leads 3-2!"
"A world-class goal! This is a super world-class goal!"
" Latuidi's run was a stroke of genius! San Remo's shot was incredibly clever!"
"That was a perfect goal! There was a breakthrough, there was teamwork, the whole team was running and stretching for a non-attacking player, and this defensive midfielder did not disappoint!"
" Canyes delivered a beautiful pass, he's already got two assists! Facing his former club, Canyes delivered a powerful attack, fully proving his value! Now, Juventus fans are probably feeling a bit uneasy."
"Perhaps the only consolation for Juventus is that they have a share of the profits from Canyes' next transfer and a right of first refusal."
"Of course, we absolutely cannot overlook Lu Yang, the true hero behind the last two goals! He perfectly orchestrated both goals, and he is playing the role of a commander in the attacking third!"
There are quite a few typos in these two chapters, because I updated them almost immediately after finishing them. I hope you can forgive me.
There's been so much going on lately—relationships, work, relatives and friends... I still can't believe that suicide would happen to my cousin. Thankfully, it didn't lead to anything irreversible. Although it might take him two or three years to fully recover, at least he's out of danger and physically healthy.
This is the second time that someone Taozi knows has behaved this way. Taozi urges everyone to pay attention to mental health issues.
I hope that no matter what troubles you encounter, you will believe that even the most difficult obstacles can be overcome, and that time will ultimately provide the solution.
No matter what the circumstances, never harm yourself; always maintain the desire to live.