Day two.
December 24th.
King's Cup first round first leg.
(Away) Real Betis vs. Guadalajara (Home)
Inside the Real Betis locker room.
Head Coach Pepe Meier was about to take his players in after his exhortation.
Su Yun, who had been silent, suddenly stopped at the door of the locker room.
"Coach, I've heard everything you just said about tactics. However, besides the tactics and those things, I have something else to say."
"Sue, the match is about to start, don't fool around." Captain Erinay said with a black line on his face. He always felt that there were times when he really couldn't stand this living treasure.
Pepe Mel, however, smiled slightly before signaling Su Yun to say whatever he had to say.
"Coach, I want this game... I'll be able to command the team's backline on defense."
"What? Are you crazy?"
Pepe Mel hadn't answered yet, but Erinay was on the verge of freaking out.
"I say, Sue! Letting you call the defense? This kind of thing can't possibly work even if you think about it with your toes! You're too young! Too little experience in the game! Although good at goalkeeping, you don't have much experience in commanding the defense, which will cause chaos in the back line."
Speaking of which, he came to the side of one of his teammates and patted him on the shoulder and said, "This game will have Amaya as the temporary captain, and he will be the one to command the defense, so you won't have to."
Despite what Erinay said, Suyun didn't back down, but continued to stand by his decision to block the gate.
It's like if you don't promise me, no one is getting out of here today.
"Captain, I know I don't have much experience, but I'm sure I'm definitely up to the task!"
He looked at Pepe Mel again, "Coach, please trust me! If I can't do it, I'm at your disposal!"
Pepe Mel smiled and nodded.
He still remembered, the scene that happened during yesterday's training, so he also wanted to confirm his guess. Su Yun was commanding the defense at that time, whether it was a coincidence or not.
Then again, it was a test of Su Yun anyway, just so he could find out exactly where Su Yun's limits were?
"Alright, Sue, I'll make the call, and I'll leave the backline of this game to your command. However, if you really can't do it, then it's at my disposal."
The moment Pepe Mel's words left his mouth, everyone in the room dropped their jaws!
Letting a rookie goalie, command the back line?
It's over. The head coach is crazy!
Completely insane!
The assistant coach also anxiously rushed to remind Pepe Mel.
"Coach, I'd like to remind you, shouldn't you reconsider? After all, directing the defense of the backline is a very important thing in the game! If you don't have the experience and let him run amok, not only will you not improve the defense, I'm afraid it will only get worse! It's very possible that a single lapse in judgment could lead to a goal being conceded."
Pepe Mel waved his hand.
"It's okay, if it does, we're prepared."
With that, he pointed to a player and said, "If Sue makes a mistake, have Goidia replace him."
Goidia?
The players were instantly more shocked.
There are melons! There are big melons!
Pepe Mel put the team's No. 1 goalie, Goitia, on the backburner when the team lost seven straight before, and I didn't think he'd bring him back this time?
What is this play?
Did Suyun not do well?
Or did the head coach do it on purpose?
Having these two guys compete for the #1 goalie spot on the team?
Yeah, that must be it!
For once, everyone really did guess right.
Seeing Su Yun performing better and better, Goitia had long been unable to sit still.
After practice one day, he reached out to Pepe Mel and admitted his mistake, apologizing for challenging the head coach's authority and wanting him to give him another chance.
Pepe Mel also knew that he did let people take the blame at the time, so he found a way to take a step and agreed to his request in a smooth manner.
However, there was no commitment to bring him right back into the starting lineup.
Instead, they need to compete with Suyun.
So, Goitia became Suyun's replacement in this match as well.
Suyun also saw right through head coach Pepe Mel's intentions.
He cursed the old fox.
Cursing is cursing, but he also knows that as long as he is a little careless in this game, he is afraid that he will lose the opportunity to start.
But he wasn't afraid of such a challenge, instead he was secretly excited.
He looked to Goedia, and Goedia looked to him.
The two men's eyes met and sparks flew.
Neither spoke, but the smell of gunpowder had spread through the locker room.
The players were starting to whisper at this point.
"Sue is too young, young goalies are inconsistent, and I guess it's only a matter of time before Goytia returns to the starting lineup."
"I also think Sue is still a bit short in comparison, having only played one professional game and having so little experience."
"I guess Sue will be on the bench again after the Copa del Rey."
Su Yun did not pay attention to these voices at this time.
Now that he had Pepe Mel's support, he was not scrupulous.
He directly gathered the defensemen, who were starting this game, together, then patted his chest and assured, "Brothers, just listen to my command for the rest of the game! I'll let everyone see how I, the strongest goalie in the earth, take you all flying!"
Several players naturally scoffed at Su Yun's words.
They thought to themselves.
You do keep the door well.
But commanding the defense works for you?
And fly us?
The starting positions are almost gone, so mind your own business.
In the meantime.
Inside the locker room of home team Guadalajara.
Their head coach is also doing his final pre-game pep talk.
"According to current figures, Real Betis have conceded thirty-five goals in seven games played this season, placing them at the bottom of the league defensively!"
"So the back line is their weakness."
"I've also got information that they will definitely be fielding a substitute lineup for this game."
"This weakness will only be magnified even more if only the bench lineup is on!"
"This is our chance!"
"So, we must make a hustle attack in this game! At the beginning of the game, we'll make a rush attack! Strive for a quicker breakthrough and establish an early advantage in the game!"
"This way, even if they react, it will be too late."
With that said, he glanced at the team's main striker, Arriaga, the team's top scorer who has scored three goals this season, before speaking confidently.
"Arriaga has been in good form lately, everyone will pass him more this game and create chances for him, and I'm sure that soon we will get goals."
"As long as we can get ahead of our opponents first on the scoreboard, we will be able to hold on until the end!"
Arriaga sniffs and states excitedly as well.
"I'm going to give my all in this game and then score to send Real Betis home!"
"Go! Let's get on the field and take away the win!"