Chapter 237: Lin Quan Officially Joins the Battle of Merlo, The Birth of the Third Football Power!
Since this was a friendly match, both teams played quite relaxed.
The players mainly defended with their eyes, giving each other opportunities to show off their skills in front of the live audience.
In the 3rd minute, from Maradona's team, Batistuta, the "God of War," showcased a long shot.
Despite having retired for many years, his long shot technique seemed undiminished. The shot was of high quality, heading straight for the underside of the crossbar.
Buffon was well-prepared and managed to tip the ball over the crossbar with one hand, defusing this crisis.
Although the shot didn't go in, the fans still applauded him.
After all, maintaining such form so many years after retiring is indeed impressive.
Next, it was Ronaldo's team's turn to counterattack. Lin Quan dribbled past Zanetti on the wing and sent a cross to Ronaldo.
Ronaldo, whose physique had changed significantly and form had declined, nearly tripped over the ball while receiving it.
Fortunately, Nesta and Cannavaro supported him in time. Otherwise, with his current weight, he might have gotten injured if he fell.
Ronaldo thanked the two and gestured apologetically to Lin Quan.
He was eager, wanting to control and dribble in one move, but his state was far from what it used to be, almost making a blunder.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who had just found an open space, felt a bit frustrated seeing Lin Quan pass the ball to Ronaldo.
It was like a turn-based game, with each team taking turns attacking.
In the 13th minute of the first half, Maradona's team scored first.
Messi broke through on the left and passed to Ronaldinho, who sent a through ball that penetrated Ronaldo's team's defense, assisting Messi to score.
After scoring, Ronaldinho carried Messi on his back to celebrate, reminiscent of when Messi first joined Barcelona's first team.
Seeing this, many Barcelona fans couldn't hold back their tears.
Messi's goal thoroughly ignited Ronaldo's competitive spirit. He couldn't tolerate falling behind, especially not to his old rival Messi.
Sensing Ronaldo's eagerness to score, Lin Quan passed the ball to him more often during attacks.
Ronaldo's ability to seize scoring opportunities was excellent. The third through ball from Lin Quan assisted him in scoring.
After scoring, Ronaldo excitedly ran to the corner flag, performing his trademark "SIU" celebration.
Unfortunately, this was Camp Nou, and most of the spectators were Barcelona fans. Instead of applause, they booed him.
This made Ronaldo feel a bit depressed.
Fortunately, Lin Quan came over to high-five him, easing his embarrassment.
After both teams scored, the pace of the match quickened, and goals started coming more frequently.
In the 22nd minute, Zidane scored a free kick, helping Ronaldo's team take the lead.
Maradona's team quickly responded. Xavi evaded Gattuso's interception and sent a precise through ball. Messi broke through Stam and Carlos's interception and backheeled the ball to the oncoming Ronaldinho.
Ronaldinho easily scored, making it 2-2.
Lin Quan also made a breakthrough on the wing, dribbling past Matthäus and Zanetti. Just as he passed the ball to Ronaldo, Nesta elegantly intercepted it.
Nesta's tackle was clean, leaving Ronaldo with no complaints.
However, despite Nesta's efforts, Maradona's team couldn't contain Lin Quan.
In the 35th minute, Pirlo saw an opportunity from the backfield and sent a long pass to Lin Quan on the wing.
Lin Quan cut inside, using high foot speed and rhythm changes to maneuver past the aging Cannavaro and evade Nesta's tackle.
After bypassing the two defenders, Lin Quan entered the penalty area, facing Neuer one-on-one.
Neuer charged out aggressively, but Lin Quan unromantically passed the ball back to Ronaldo.
Ronaldo easily scored into the empty net, marking his first goal of the match.
Celebrating with his iconic finger-wagging gesture, Ronaldo seemed unfazed by age.
Cannavaro helped Nesta up, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.
Lin Quan's dribbling was simply unreasonable. Despite their proper defensive positioning, they couldn't stop him.
"If only I were ten years younger, maybe I could stop this guy now," remarked the 40-year-old Cannavaro, glancing regretfully at his slightly bulging belly.
Nesta nodded. For defenders, facing top strikers is the best way to improve their defensive skills.
But Lin Quan was like a rising sun, while they were like setting suns, past their prime.
Not being able to face such a formidable opponent in their prime left them feeling a bit regretful.
If only they were ten years younger...
As the first half ended, Maradona's team trailed Ronaldo's team 2-3.
In the second half, both teams made numerous substitutions.
Although the first half's intensity wasn't very high, many retired players were on both sides, including veterans like Matthäus, over 50 years old.
Playing a full match would be too physically taxing and potentially injurious for them.
With the veterans substituted, most players on the field were now active professionals.
This sped up the match's pace and made the content more exciting.
In the 48th minute, Messi, Neymar, and Iniesta completed a series of wall passes, assisting Neymar in scoring.
Maradona's team stubbornly equalized the score.
In the 53rd minute, Neymar broke through on the wing and assisted Messi in scoring again.
Maradona's team reversed the score, leading Ronaldo's team 4-3.
Seeing Messi score again, Ronaldo couldn't sit still.
He frequently asked for the ball, but the defense on him was tight, and Lin Quan couldn't find good passing opportunities.
Suddenly, Lin Quan's peripheral vision caught a figure in a number 22 jersey sprinting forward.
Lin Quan, feeling inspired, sent an over-the-top ball to Kaka.
The pass was perfect, allowing Kaka to receive it without slowing down.
In this moment, Kaka seemed to return to his peak state at San Siro, running faster and faster, leaving the defenders behind.
Facing the advancing Neuer, Kaka didn't continue dribbling but shot directly.
The ball flew past Neuer's extended leg, skimming the grass into the net.
After scoring, Kaka pointed to the sky, amidst thunderous applause, as if reliving the night in Istanbul, thinking how things might have been different if he had run a bit faster.
Kaka didn't forget Lin Quan, who assisted him. He ran to Lin Quan and embraced him warmly.
"Thank you, Lin, your pass was perfect!"
"It's because you ran well, Kaka!"
"Haha, if you don't mind, you can call me Ricardo."
After the goal, Kaka was soon substituted, with De Bruyne coming on.
"Good job, lad!" Ferguson hugged Kaka as he came off the field.
Although Ferguson never coached Kaka, he always admired the diligent, disciplined, and graceful player.
"Thank you, Sir!" Kaka smiled shyly. In 2009, Kaka was rumored to join Manchester United.
With Ronaldo determined to leave, United tried to bring Kaka to Old Trafford.
But the transfer fell through, and Kaka joined Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
Today, Ferguson fulfilled a dream of coaching Kaka, even though Kaka was no longer at his peak.
Besides fulfilling the dream of coaching Kaka, Ferguson's biggest gain today was coaching Lin Quan.
Watching Lin Quan play as an opponent or a spectator and coaching him from the sidelines felt completely different.
When Ferguson viewed Lin Quan as an opponent for Manchester United, he found him incredibly frustrating.
But with Lin Quan on his team, Ferguson could only say one thing: fantastic!
Having a player like Lin Quan was exhilarating. He could play almost any forward position, dribble, shoot, and pass—truly versatile.
With him on the field, attacking became simple: just pass him the ball!
While Ferguson enjoyed himself, Maradona was not having a good time.
Damn! Is having a player like Messi on the opponent's team always this difficult to deal with?
Why does it feel like our Messi isn't as strong as their Messi?
It must be my usage strategy that's wrong!
After the disastrous World Cup defeat, Maradona was aware of his coaching limitations.
Although he was great at playing, his coaching skills weren't strong; otherwise, Germany wouldn't have crushed his team.
Maradona started to observe closely, wanting to learn some experience from the senior Ferguson, to see how he used Lin Quan.
But after watching for a while, he found himself a bit confused.
It seemed that Ferguson didn't arrange any special tactics for Lin Quan?
Ferguson saw that Lin Quan played very smartly on the field, choosing the style of play that was most comfortable for him and most beneficial to the team. This high evaluation meant Ferguson didn't intend to interfere.
Since Ferguson didn't make any moves, Maradona naturally couldn't learn anything.
It wasn't just the coaches of both teams who noticed Lin Quan's increasing activity on the field; Messi also noticed this.
This was Messi's first direct match against Lin Quan, although he often watched Lin Quan's games, trying to learn and improve by finding his own shortcomings.
However, watching match videos and playing against someone on the field are completely different experiences.
Once on the field, he realized how tough Lin Quan was.
Wherever Lin Quan initiated an attack, that side of the field was basically wasted.
Messi was not someone who would give up easily, and Lin Quan's outstanding performance ignited his fighting spirit.
His teammates quickly noticed that Messi's determination seemed to have exploded.
"He's just recently recovered from an injury, it's just a friendly match, does he need to be so serious?" Seeing Messi's all-out attitude, club teammate Busquets couldn't help but complain to Xavi.
If he got injured because of this game, Barça would be crying.
"For Messi, maybe this is the opportunity to rekindle his fighting spirit and help him return to his peak form of 2012!"
Xavi had watched Messi grow little by little and felt that after Messi won almost all the honors, his motivation had lessened.
Although affected by injuries, Messi's performance last season was a sharp decline compared to 2012.
It's hard to say there wasn't some mental slack, after all, even his contemporaries known as "the greatest" had difficulty posing a threat to him.
However, Lin Quan's emergence made Messi feel a sense of crisis.
This was the first active player to reach his level of skill!
Lin Quan's football IQ was on par with Messi's, his mentality was even better, and his physical condition was clearly superior.
Messi often suffered from minor and major injuries, but Lin Quan seemed indestructible, enduring the brutal defense in the Premier League without getting hurt.
This robust quality meant Lin Quan's performance was very stable, with no decline, and he was even visibly improving.
On the other hand, Messi seemed stuck, his peak staying at 2012, with little improvement last year and this year, and his stats had significantly dropped due to injuries.
If this continued, Messi felt he would soon be overtaken by Lin Quan.
Given Lin Quan's stable condition, once surpassed, it would be difficult to catch up again.
Therefore, Messi had to start now to regain his peak form, to defend his current status.
Once Messi got serious, an interesting scene unfolded on the field: Lin Quan was ruthlessly dominating Maradona's team, or Barça's left side.
Meanwhile, Messi was on the other side, relentlessly tearing through Ronaldo's team.
Barça fans who came to watch the game cheered for Messi but were also amazed by Lin Quan's performance on the opposing team.
They knew Lin Quan was very strong, but they didn't expect him to be this strong.
Lin Quan's performance seemed no less impressive than Messi's, and even better in physical confrontations, performing a little bit better.
This left Barça fans feeling conflicted:
This was originally our Barça player!
Damn Enrique, damn Rosell! If these two hadn't driven away Lin Quan and Guardiola, Barça would probably still be sitting firmly as the top team!
If we had Lin last season, how could Bayern have crushed us 7-0?
Seeing Messi and Lin Quan battling it out, Ronaldo couldn't stay quiet.
In the 76th minute, he demanded the ball from De Bruyne, who was preparing to pass to Lin Quan.
Not being familiar with Ronaldo, De Bruyne ignored his request and turned to pass to Lin Quan instead.
When Lin Quan received the ball, he saw the defenders marking Ronaldo being drawn to him, so he feinted a forward move and then back-passed to Ronaldo.
This pass was very sudden, Lin Quan completed it while moving forward without looking at Ronaldo.
Only Lin Quan and Messi in the world could make such a pass.
Ronaldo didn't expect such a pass, thinking, how did the ball get to me while he was dribbling forward? Did he stop or turn at all? Completing such a pass without pausing, is he even human? Ronaldo was shocked, but his feet moved quickly.
He dodged Pique's tackle, adjusted his angle, and shot powerfully.
He didn't look at the goalkeeper's position while shooting, but he felt it was right after the shot.
Sure enough, Neuer's defensive focus was entirely on Lin Quan and didn't expect Ronaldo to shoot.
Ronaldo's clean shot didn't give Neuer enough time to prepare, and his hasty save couldn't stop the goal.
Ronaldo's team scored again, with Ronaldo completing a brace.
Despite being booed once, Ronaldo insisted on performing his SIU celebration.
Seeing him celebrate like this on the sidelines, De Bruyne couldn't help but pout.
That goal was all thanks to Lin's pass, in that position, anyone could have scored!
Ignoring the boos, Ronaldo ran to Lin Quan, hugged him, and asked: "Lin, how did you make that pass?"
"I don't know either, I just felt like passing that way from that position!"
Lin Quan himself had a flash of inspiration, and it might be hard to replicate it.
"Okay!"
Ronaldo said so but made up his mind to study the match tape and have Modric learn from it!
If Modric learned this move, scoring would be much easier at Real Madrid.
Ronaldo, having scored two goals, was substituted by Ferguson, although he wanted to continue playing with Lin Quan.
But there were others on the bench eager to play, so he had to rest.
Morata was brought on by Ferguson, and now everyone on Ronaldo's team had played.
In the 88th minute, Lin Quan's breakthrough caused a foul, giving Ronaldo's team a free kick in the frontcourt.
Lin Quan didn't choose to take the free kick himself but gave the opportunity to a teammate.
Everyone on Ronaldo's team looked at Juninho.
He was the recognized free-kick master in football, the best there was, bar none.
Given the chance, it naturally fell to him.
Juninho didn't decline, he stood over the ball, calculated the distance, and chose to use his signature S-shaped free kick to go for goal!
Juninho, the free-kick master, delivered a high-quality shot, with a fast initial speed and an unpredictable trajectory, initially curving left but then suddenly moving right near the goal.
This left-right curve severely disrupted the goalkeeper's judgment.
Neuer couldn't handle it; he tried his best but couldn't stop the bizarre ball, which finally flew into the net.
Thunderous applause erupted, and the fans collectively stood up to applaud and cheer Juninho.
To kick a free kick to such a miraculous level, there was only one in the whole football world!
With him, free kicks seemed almost like penalties!
In the end, the match concluded with Ronaldo's team defeating Maradona's team 6-4.
Neuer was a bit depressed, conceding six goals in one match, nearly breaking his career record for most goals conceded.
But there was good news: his most concerning opponent, Lin Quan, didn't score in this match.
Neuer wasn't sure if this was a success or failure.
Although Lin Quan didn't score, he provided four assists, almost directly contributing to every goal.
After the match, Messi approached Lin Quan to exchange jerseys.
Lin Quan didn't refuse, readily agreeing to Messi's request.
The journalists captured this historic moment with their cameras, marking their first on-field encounter.
But after this match, their encounters would gradually increase.
At this moment, Lin Quan seemed to have truly joined the rivalry, becoming one of them!
After exchanging jerseys, all the players and coaches from both teams took a group photo at the center of the field, then everyone went their separate ways!
(The end of this chapter)
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