Shifting to Left-Back, San Remo's New Season Goal is Actually the Italian Cup? (Bonus Chapter)

<Star of Italy Team Shines in Europe! Blue Lions Millwall's Soul Shattered in the Apennines!>

<Knuckleball Slashes the Blue Lions! A Serie D Player Leads the Way with Two Goals and One Assist to Defeat a Powerhouse from England's Second Tier!>

<FA Cup Replay! An Italian Best Emerges, Stirring Up Painful Memories for Millwall!>

<Copy and Win! The Future Italian National Team Lineup Has Already Appeared!>

<The Italian Football Federation is in Contact with Moric's Agent, Arthas. Is Planning Moric's Path on the Agenda?>

<Youth Storm! Is This Truly the Italian Golden Generation?>

<Italy vs. England, Three Days Away, Broadcast Across Europe, Stay Tuned!>

Star of Italy Team aired their program the day after the match. They had to edit the footage; it was a variety show, and variety shows must be more spectacular than reality.

Thus, many who did not attend the match in person or watch the live stream learned about the game through this variety program.

Even those who had seen it live were impatient to watch the show to learn more.

Programs that reveal the inside story of such major clashes have a massive audience.

After all, everyone wants to know what those players were thinking before they struck that goal.

Just as everyone has spent decades agonizing over what Materazzi actually said to Zidane.

On the show.

When Lu Yang and the Millwall number eight collided, Ceballos appeared on screen. With lingering fear, he stated, "I play in Ligue 1, and I have never seen such... brutal football. I admit this is one style of football, but I think very few young players are prepared to face that kind of impact."

"I was terrified. If you observe closely, you can see that for a long time afterward, I didn't dare to hold the ball and drive forward. I was even afraid of receiving passes. For a team's attacking core, that is an unacceptable mindset, because it means I was scared. I would have led the team's offense into a dead end."

"It was Lu Yang! He bravely stood up and helped me. He even dared to collide with the opponent for my sake, telling them that if they dared to continue their violent fouls against me, he would do even more to them!"

"After that, the opponent stopped attacking me excessively. I could feel that change."

"Since my teammate could be so selfless and brave for me, why wouldn't I do the same?"

"You can see that on my first assist, I had an angle to shoot, but I saw Lu Yang. I knew the probability of him scoring was higher, so I passed. I trust him, and I am willing to share the scoring opportunity with him."

When Moric scored, he also appeared on screen: "I knew he would pass it. I just knew. He simply possesses that kind of ability."

"Lu Yang is the type of person who looks ordinary, diligent, and handsome on the surface, but in critical moments, you can trust him with your whole heart. He never disappoints; the more critical the moment, the more reliable he becomes!"

"Haha, you mean that free kick? Yes, we discussed it. Lu Yang said he wanted to try. As long as it is something he wants to do, I will definitely support him, because I know he will never betray the trust I place in him!"

"And didn't the result prove exactly that?"

Soguer: "As a pivot striker, I can accept drifting wide and dropping back; that is what I am supposed to do. But I cannot accept drifting wide only to find no teammates making runs. It makes me feel like I ran for nothing."

"But Lu Yang is different. He runs incessantly, as if he never gets tired. No matter what I do, he always arrives in position. He makes me realize that I haven't done enough, and I should learn from him."

Canyes: "Moric is a natural midfield conductor; his insight into the game is at a coaching level. He guessed every adjustment the opponent made during halftime, but unfortunately, I didn't execute it well enough, which allowed them to score."

"But for some reason, our entire team was convinced we could win. That kind of confidence is indescribable; it's something I've never encountered on any other team."

It is evident that this program is intentionally building momentum for Lu Yang.

On one hand, Lu Yang is the Man of the Match in every major game; he deserves such honors and is convincing enough to his teammates.

On the other hand, Lu Yang comes from Serie D, yet he can lead a group of talented youngsters to defeat an EFL Championship team. This is highly topical—something academy players from big clubs cannot match.

Finally, Lu Yang has the added popularity of Sophia, making him the most famous person outside of football circles in this group. This is the best way to push the program to people who don't usually watch football.

In fact, the decision by Star of Italy Team proved to be correct.

The show's ratings in Italy have gone through the roof.

Never mind sports channels; even the viewership records for entertainment channels have been shattered by this program.

The show is also trending across Europe, and it has already sparked a peak in viewership over in England.

The English are unconvinced.

They believe Millwall does not represent their football.

They feel that in the next match, the lads from England U19 will be able to defeat the Italians.

"Ding, you have acquired a player-level skill: Defensive Full-back."

This match against Millwall allowed Lu Yang to acquire a new skill. Don't let the "player-level" label fool you; it is very effective for boosting Lu Yang's attributes.

Defensive Positioning 60-63

Tackling 72-74

Interception 72-74

Clearance 60-63

Blocking 60-63

This is an almost comprehensive defensive enhancement.

After this battle, both Lu Yang and Moric agreed that Lu Yang should play as a left-back in the upcoming matches.

A three-center-back formation isn't impossible, but given the current roster of the Star of Italy Team, it simply isn't viable.

Their strongest center-back, Lam, is only 1.85 meters tall.

The other two tall players lack the necessary ability.

The traditional three-center-back formation relaxes the requirements for center-backs because the two wing-backs can drop back to form a five-man defense.

However, for the Star of Italy Team, Ceballos's defense is virtually non-existent.

Canyes also cannot yet achieve a perfect balance between offense and defense; once he pushes up, he often leaves his position exposed.

Without two wing-backs who meet the requirements, the three-center-back tactic is unplayable.

Furthermore, Millwall proved that when facing the physical onslaught of the English, the Star of Italy Team cannot control the ball, making the 3-5-2 formation even more unnecessary.

Therefore, they changed their formation, deciding to play 4-2-1-3!

They will abandon ball control in favor of rapid transitions to increase their margin for error.

After discussions, the final lineup is roughly: Baizami on the left wing, Soguer as the center-forward, and Parrott as the Right Shadow Striker.

Ceballos will play as the attacking midfielder.

Versace and Moric will serve as the double pivots.

Lu Yang will be the left-back, Canyes the right-back, and Lam will partner with another tall player at center-back.

Among them, Ceballos is the core of the front-court attack, a role he is fully capable of handling.

The team's strong side is the right, focusing on attacks down that flank.

Canyes will take off, charging down the right wing alongside Parrott, and with Soguer dropping back to link up, plus Ceballos's forward runs and distribution, no one should be able to stop them.

Meanwhile, Lu Yang and the others on the left will focus more on assisting the defense.

When Canyes pushes up, Lam will shift right to cover the gap, and Lu Yang will also shift right to act as a third center-back, forming a three-man defensive system to ensure the backline isn't left empty.

If the right side is blocked, they can just launch long balls for Baizami on the left to chase and let him fend for himself; who knows, there might even be a miracle.

On the eve of the match against England U19, Lu Yang received a call from Soto.

"Kid, do you know how much your and Moric's market value has risen because of this Star of Italy Training Camp?" Soto asked exaggeratedly.

"What's wrong? Does the club want to sell us?" Lu Yang asked.

"It's not the time yet; the offers are only three or four hundred thousand, they aren't taking you seriously enough!" Soto laughed. "Anyway, let's talk business. You know about the team's reinforcements, right? Do you have any opinions?"

Lu Yang was stunned: "What opinions could I have? I'm just a foot soldier."

Soto said: "You are allowed to have opinions."

Both of them were silent for a moment.

This sentence carried significant weight.

Truth be told, players have no say in transfers or the team's recruitment.

Even some head coaches lack decision-making power, possessing only the right to suggest.

You don't worry about what players the club buys for you; you just make do with what you're given.

But now, Soto clearly holds the power over recruitment at San Remo, and... he is also trying to curry favor with Lu Yang.

"The players in the Star of Italy Team are all quite good—Canyes, Lam, Versace, Soguer..." Lu Yang didn't mention Ceballos and Parrott; these two are about to break out, so why would they come to Serie C?

Moreover, both of their market values exceed five million, especially Ceballos, who is likely worth nearly ten million—not something San Remo can afford.

Not to mention a makeshift team like the Star of Italy Team; even in a true "selling club" like Monaco, players of the same age or even the same talent level can be sold for millions, while others are only worth a few hundred thousand.

The difference lies in their performance in matches.

Not matches like those in the Star of Italy Team, but stable, long-term, high-level league play.

This is the primary factor determining market value.

Of course, the World Cup is a different story.

But even in the World Cup, the probability of a "bust" is extremely high; that is the consequence of not being tested in a high-level league.

Therefore, Lu Yang and Moric's market values cannot rise; as long as they haven't played in a secondary league, they will never exceed a million in value.

Because they lack the distinct speed characteristics of someone like Vedian.

Speed is almost the only element that allows young players to break the mold and achieve a high market value.

And Vedian's Benevento is preparing to push for promotion next season; even if it only increases their chances of promotion by one percent, they are willing to pay a premium transfer fee for him.

Otherwise, it would be very difficult for Vedian to sell for 1.5 million!

"You really have an eye for talent; it's as if this Star of Italy Training Camp was arranged just for you." Soto was amused by Lu Yang.

"So you can't buy them, right?" Lu Yang actually knew it wasn't very realistic, as all these people are from elite youth academies.

Then again, while players from lower levels don't sell for much, elite youth academy products are different.

If an elite academy product shows even a little bit of success, two or three million is no problem; this is the added value brought by a high starting point and a big platform.

As for Baizami's 250,000... honestly, that punch he threw at the youth academy director at least offset 500,000 of his value!

The Inter youth director can't wait for him to disappear immediately; he'd be willing to let him go even at a loss.

750,000 is Baizami's true market value, but no one would spend 750,000 to buy a player who is antisocial, hits his superiors, and lacks tactical coordination.

Even in the Star of Italy Training Camp, Baizami's performance was quite lackluster.

His only goal came from a speed-based counterattack, which was better than nothing.

He remained isolated from the team.

Otherwise, in the 4-2-1-3 formation planned for the Star of Italy, the left flank wouldn't be relegated to defensive duties only.

In such a formation, even if the right side is the strong side, the left side should still launch a few feints, rather than having almost no independent offensive arrangements as planned by the Star of Italy.

This is equivalent to cutting off one's own arm!

This is the price one must pay to use Baizami.

Regardless of whether you can inflict a thousand points of damage on the enemy, you first suffer eight hundred yourself!

"It's not entirely without opportunity, you know." Soto laughed, as if he had other arrangements, "We will strive to secure one or two of them to find help for your and Moric's Serie C journey."

"Also, after this Star of Italy Training Camp ends, tell Moric to prepare his physical reserves. Next season, we might be fighting on two fronts!" Soto's words ignited Lu Yang.

It wasn't about the player signings; through Soto's words and Maniero's previous behavior, Lu Yang had already guessed who might join San Remo next season.

What excited him was the phrase "fighting on two fronts"!

Beyond the Serie C league, that could only mean... the Italian Cup!

The Italian Cup here is the domestic cup competition in Italy, with rules that have been modified to be more like the FA Cup in England.

All teams within Italy can participate in the Italian Cup, including amateur teams.

This is one of the main reasons why the Italian Cup is so exciting, as it is where true grassroots miracles can be born.

Of course, for many years, no amateur team has ever reached the third round.

The twenty teams in Serie A enter directly into the third round.

All other professional teams start from the first round.

Amateur teams, however, must pass through four rounds of qualifying to enter the first round of the main tournament.

Basically, from the fourth round onwards, there are only Serie A and Serie B teams left.

And as for the fifth round, no team below Serie B has ever reached it so far.

This also proves the stability of Italian football.

Because in the FA Cup in England, which has a similar format, there have been cases of third-tier teams reaching the sixth round.

"I admire your ambition, Coach. I didn't expect you to set such a grand goal for the Italian Cup! Rest assured, Moric and I will be fully prepared!" Lu Yang was full of confidence; he craved every honor.

Meanwhile, Soto, having hung up the phone, was somewhat puzzled. Was his goal of striving to reach the fifth round of the Italian Cup to make history really that grand? Had Lu Yang misunderstood something?

The Italian Cup title is not something a Serie C team can touch.

Historically, even Serie B teams have only won the Italian Cup a mere eight times, with the most recent one being thirty years ago!

Thank you all for your tips, monthly tickets, and recommendation votes. I am adding an extra chapter today.

This week is a critical period for us to push for Sanjiang, and I hope everyone can show their support and help spread the word. Football groups, basketball groups, football forums, and social media circles—the more, the better.

Taozi guarantees that the updates after the book goes live will leave you all shocked, wailing, overjoyed, feeling the pinch in your wallets, satisfied, and delighted! (Triple rhyme)