The Activated Superstar Legacy

Over the past six matches, Lu Yang had also acquired two player skills and one pack-opening opportunity. Added to the one he had been saving, he now had two chances to open packs.

The two skills he obtained were Midfield Defensive Coordination and Sliding Tackle.

This also caused his defensive stats to grow once again.

Tackling jumped from 55 to 63.

Interception went from 50 to 55.

Tackling and interception are two different types of abilities and data.

Tackling refers to the act of disrupting the ball at an opponent's feet in a man-to-man situation.

Interception, on the other hand, refers to disrupting the ball's path during its transfer.

The former requires extremely strong physical confrontation and footwork, targeting the opponent's dribbling and ball control abilities.

The latter requires extremely strong anticipation and explosive power, targeting the opponent's passing ability.

In the previous league round, Lu Yang was substituted off in the seventy-second minute.

This was the first time he had not played a full match since securing his starting position.

But it was not because he performed poorly.

It was because the San Remo captain, the team's veteran player Rondo, had returned from injury.

Lu Yang was replaced by Rondo, who hugged Lu Yang firmly: "Well done, kid!"

Lu Yang replied: "Thank you, Captain. Enjoy the match!"

When Lu Yang returned to the bench, Soto sat down beside him: "Do you know why I substituted you?"

Lu Yang looked at the pitch and said: "It shouldn't be a problem with my performance, but it must have something to do with me."

Soto was speechless: "Is it that hard to just say you don't know? Why are you smart people unwilling to show weakness in any aspect? Even in trivial matters."

Lu Yang said: "I suddenly have a bold idea."

Soto clutched his head. Damn it, this kid couldn't have guessed it, could he?

Lu Yang said: "Is it that you finally can't stand me anymore, so... you want to adjust my position on the pitch?"

Soto, dead!

Lu Yang had actually guessed it right.

The center-back position, how should one put it?

Just like being a goalkeeper, it is a position that doesn't require you to shine in any aspect other than defense.

Alisson scoring a header is certainly impressive.

But what measures whether he is a top-tier goalkeeper will always be his defensive stats.

Neuer pioneered the sweeper-keeper style, bringing new demands to goalkeepers worldwide, but the number of shots he can save is still the primary reason he became the world's number one goalkeeper.

"Knife-wielding" defenders or "cannon-wielding" defenders are certainly impressive.

But...

A center-back only needs to do their job on defense well.

No matter how many bonus points you have, they are never more important than your primary duty.

And Lu Yang's performance in this regard was clearly... worrying.

His individual ability made the team, the fans, and even head coach Soto feel very at ease.

But his style of play made everyone's heart race with anxiety.

V-Pull inside the penalty area!

Dribbling to shake off markers near the edge of the penalty area!

Lateral dribbling at the top of the penalty arc!

Preferring to trap the ball with his feet inside the box rather than clearing it long!

Late runs to blast shots from outside the opponent's penalty area!

These were all routine operations for Lu Yang. They brought San Remo many victories and gave fans countless thrilling moments, making people increasingly addicted to San Remo's matches.

But what if one day, because of these operations by Lu Yang, the team conceded a goal?

That would be a blow to the team, and an even bigger blow to Lu Yang.

Those fans who gathered because of Lu Yang's flamboyant and flashy style of play would turn their guns on him in a heartbeat, claiming he only cared about showing off while ignoring the team's defense and interests.

For any player, that would be a devastating blow.

Soto had once been a sinner in the eyes of the team and understood that feeling all too well.

It would destroy a player's confidence.

It would make a player lose faith in the team and the fans, leading to thoughts of leaving.

And San Remo needed Lu Yang!

Within a week of Lu Yang and Arthas signing their contracts, Lu Yang and Moric re-signed youth contracts with the team. Their compensation in all aspects was significantly improved, even making them two of the five highest-paid players on the team.

This was the only way for San Remo to retain Lu Yang and Moric, by demonstrating their sincerity.

Therefore, Lu Yang and Moric had to be better protected so that they would never be exposed to the attacks of the fans.

This was one level of consideration.

On another level, the center-back position was too restrictive for Lu Yang's performance.

Because you must always keep in mind to return to the defensive line to hold the fort, you will inevitably lose many opportunities as a result.

This is a loss that a center-back must bear.

But Lu Yang... his talent and ability in defense should not be shackled by a single position.

He had his own ideas, and these ideas had already exceeded what the center-back position could accommodate.

So, when Rondo returned from injury, Soto immediately had Rondo return to the defensive line and pulled Lu Yang out.

He wanted to see if the San Remo defensive line would remain stable without Lu Yang.

If it could adequately withstand the opponent's attacks, then Soto would entrust Lu Yang with a new mission on the pitch.

And the facts proved that having a veteran defender like Rondo in the Serie D was indeed like having a treasure.

Although the style was vastly different from the defensive line led by Lu Yang, the defensive line commanded by Rondo was not bad either.

So, now it was time to unleash Lu Yang's nature!

"Really? Is this for real?" Moric was completely stunned after looking at the player groupings for the training match.

Lu Yang and he were both on the starting team, which was beyond doubt.

But the position listed for Lu Yang was no longer CB, but DMF.

Lu Yang's position had changed.

He and Moric formed a double pivot.

San Remo previously played a 433 formation.

Or rather, a 4123 formation, with Moric sitting deep to organize.

The team's right winger would often help the midfield with defensive coverage, so it looked more like an irregularly shaped 4132 setup.

Moreover, the team's center-forward was primarily focused on hold-up play, with limited offensive output.

As a result, the team's midfield was relatively bloated, yet these midfielders were all workhorses lacking creativity, which was a massive waste of the team's configuration in attack.

But now, if Lu Yang played as the left defensive midfielder, the team's formation would become a 4213, or a true 433.

Lu Yang's sweeping and interceptions protected Moric, the defensive midfielder in the center, and the midfield's intensity was immediately guaranteed.

The right midfielder had the same function as Lu Yang, but his position was slightly further forward.

The right winger no longer needed to track back, and the left-back could also move up to help Vedian develop positional attacks. San Remo thus gained the ability to play positional football, no longer forced to wait solely for counterattacks.

Especially since Lu Yang and Moric had shown tacit understanding in previous matches, this would allow Moric, the engine of the midfield, to enter high-speed operation mode directly.

If Lu Yang could adapt to this adjustment, it would not only liberate him from his positional shackles but also free Moric from defensive duties, allowing him to focus on organizing the attack, while also reducing the offensive pressure on Vedian.

It could be said that this brought earth-shaking changes to San Remo's offensive end.

But the premise for everything was that Lu Yang could adapt to it all.

"Of course it's real, buddy. From now on, you won't have to cover for me anymore; I've become your personal bodyguard." Lu Yang high-fived Moric.

The training match began shortly after.

Even though the coaching staff had already anticipated it, the 5-0 scoreline at halftime brought the training match to an early end.

There was no point in continuing.

The starting team's offensive power had truly undergone a metamorphosis.

With fewer personnel in the midfield, Moric actually had more room to operate, and with more options to receive the ball in the front court, his passing threat increased significantly.

The overlapping runs of the right winger and left-back also provided cover for Vedian, making it difficult for opponents to target him because two people were helping him draw fire. The opportunities he received might seem slightly fewer, but the threats he created were far greater than before.

Likewise, Lu Yang's sweeping in the midfield was simply effortless.

And his close-control skills were no longer nerve-wracking, but rather something that made people applaud in praise.

Among these five goals, Moric played a brilliant pass to the right winger, the right winger passed back to Moric, Moric let the ball run through to Lu Yang without touching it, and Lu Yang scored with a long-range shot.

Moric played a brilliant pass to Vedian, and Vedian used his speed to break through the defensive line and scored two goals.

Moric played a brilliant pass to the left-back, the left-back passed to Vedian, Vedian played a cut-back to the center-forward, and the center-forward scored a goal.

Moric and Lu Yang played a one-two, then Lu Yang played a brilliant pass to Vedian, and Vedian scored.

The team was scoring from multiple points, and Moric's role as the core was further highlighted.

This was no longer just a team that could only play defensive counterattacks.

This was extremely important for San Remo.

Because they were already seventh in the standings, many teams adopted a defensive counter-attacking style when facing them.

San Remo could no longer wait for others to attack.

They had to take the initiative to increase their own offensive aggression while in possession.

This is the inevitable path from a weak team to a strong one.

To complete this transformation, many teams spend heavily to purchase players with ball-carrying offensive capabilities or invite coaches who specialize in attacking football.

But Soto only did one thing to accomplish all of this.

That was moving Lu Yang from center-back to the defensive midfielder position.

This is the chemistry and charm of the football world.

On the sidelines.

"His positional sense is just too good; this is something we couldn't discover when he was playing center-back." Soto shook his head repeatedly, sighing. He had thought he valued Lu Yang's talent enough, but he hadn't expected Lu Yang to still exceed his expectations.

The term "positional sense" is used by many commentators and coaches, but it is often difficult for fans to understand.

To put it simply, it is a player's ability to understand the team's current formation at any given moment and choose whether to hold their position or fill in for someone else at the appropriate time.

4-3-3, 4-4-2, 3-5-2, 4-2-3-1—these are team formations, but when players are in a match and moving, it is hard to see what shape they are actually in.

In such situations, some players easily lose their positions, especially defensive players.

For a team, this is fatal.

Good counter-attacks and lethal passes often capitalize on exactly this kind of positional loss. When opposing mid-to-backfield players push up, it is precisely to disrupt your defensive formation and find an opening.

To reduce the occurrence of such errors, players must possess excellent positional sense.

Many say that positional sense is innate, but that is not entirely true.

If you properly analyze the origin and formative elements of positional sense, you will find that it is actually related to three things.

First is football IQ.

This is something mysterious and elusive; some seek it in vain, while others have sudden moments of enlightenment, leaving no trace to follow.

Second is defensive awareness.

When a head coach tells a player, "Don't go up, don't cross the position of so-and-so, just stay behind him and focus on defense," the player is less likely to lose their position due to aggressive running.

Their positional sense appears to have improved.

This is also a change that a coach can bring to a team.

But this is not the core.

The core factor of a player's positional sense is actually... vision!

When your vision is broad enough—broad enough that you know where every player is located—you also know exactly where you should be.

This is the strongest, most scientific positional sense.

And Lu Yang... possesses the most terrifying vision on the football pitch.

His vision attribute is as high as 99. He possesses a god-like perspective similar to Xavi. He can look at a moving camera shot and instantly identify and remember the positions of 16 out of the 22 players on the pitch, whereas an average professional player can only remember 6.

This gives Lu Yang an unparalleled sense of positioning on the field.

When to sweep, when Moric is in danger, when Moric needs a passing outlet rather than teammates blindly crowding him, and when it is appropriate to push forward—Lu Yang demonstrated too many excellent qualities in this training match.

Of course, this is not to say that Lu Yang has no shortcomings.

"His interceptions could be a bit smarter, and his passing ability also appears relatively weak. His short passing is barely sufficient, but he looks stretched when attempting long balls. He is currently just a qualified bodyguard, not yet the second core of the San Remo midfield." A visible look of regret appeared on Soto's face.

This regret was not just aimed at Lu Yang, but also at himself.

Because when Soto played, he occupied a role similar to Lu Yang's in the team.

Especially in the national team, he and Maniero were exactly like Lu Yang and Moric are now.

A fierce, defensive-minded bodyguard and the brain of the team.

But in truth, if this bodyguard possesses a certain degree of offensive capability and can act as a "cerebellum" to briefly take on the task of organizing the attack when the "brain" stalls, then that team would be incredibly terrifying.

But Soto did not achieve this. He was a superstar, yet he was helpless in attack most of the time. This was also the greatest regret of his and Maniero's national team generation.

Otherwise, they would not have only possessed one World Cup Trophy, nor would they have missed out on the Delaunay Trophy, which symbolizes the European Championship.

By the time Soto realized this, it was too late; he no longer possessed the potential.

But fortunately, Lu Yang is only sixteen.

"Lu, this is something the head coach left for you." Tom handed a small box to Lu Yang, along with a report. "This contains some viewpoints our coaching staff gathered from reviewing today's training match. I hope it's useful to you. We will provide this kind of report for your matches from now on... Moric will get the same."

Lu Yang took the box and the report, nodding solemnly. "Thank you for your hard work, Tom."

"For the legend of San Remo!" Tom clenched his fist and turned to leave.

Undoubtedly, this was the most sincere show of support and goodwill from San Remo.

They were truly cultivating Lu Yang and Moric as the core of the team. They might not be able to provide Lu Yang and Moric with the salaries of players at top-tier clubs, but they could allow them to grow to their heart's content here.

At the very least, Vedian did not have such treatment.

Subsequently, Lu Yang opened the box.

Ding! You have activated the Superstar Legacy--Midfield Butcher, Soto!