Starting With Real Madrid

In football circles, it's common to assess a player in one sentence.

A player's skill with the ball determines their potential, while their ability without the ball forms the foundation for their presence on the field.

This isn't hard to grasp because, during a football match, a player spends most of their time without possession.

There's a story that Sir Alex Ferguson valued the Argentine magician Veron because Veron was the best midfielder in European football at that time.

Surprising, isn't it?

Everyone knows Veron by his nickname, the White Wizard, but in reality, he could really run.

Looking back from 2021, Gao Shen noticed a subtle trend in football development—running distance.

Through scientific training, balanced nutrition, player discipline, and other factors, players on the field are able to run increasingly more, leading to longer total distances covered by each team during games.

Many fans may recall media rumors that Arsène Wenger's initial actions upon coaching Arsenal included focusing on player diets and improving their on-field running ability by altering eating habits.

Next, plans were made to construct a new training base.

Clearly, Wenger prioritized player movement more than other managers.

Someone once posed a soul-searching question: why did Wenger's Arsenal often falter in the second half?

Meanwhile, Ferguson's Manchester United consistently turned things around after halftime.

Once could be coincidental, but repeated instances suggest an underlying issue.

Did Wenger's team only perform well in the first half and falter afterward?

How could such a curious phenomenon exist?

The answer is simple: it boils down to physical fitness.

Arsène Wenger was among the first managers to bring a continental European style to the Premier League, emphasizing passing.

Like Barcelona, Wenger demanded that every player, when in possession, have at least two or three options nearby, ideally within ten meters, as statistics indicate that pass success rates drop sharply beyond this distance.

How to achieve this?

Run, keep running!

Arsenal's advantage lay in passing and ball control, creating numerical superiority by running and maintaining positional spacing to ensure accuracy, resulting in Arsenal players covering more ground than their counterparts.

In the first half of the season, following summer training camps, Arsenal players were in peak physical condition, enabling the Gunners to play fluidly. However, during the winter months, when there's no Premier League winter break, physical fatigue, injuries, and other factors cause Arsenal's physical condition to deteriorate sharply.

Reduced running distances, fewer contact points, increased gaps between players, and expanded gaps between team lines lead to vulnerabilities exploited by opponents, resulting ultimately from inadequate physical fitness.

This entire chain of events, ultimately, hinges on physical conditioning.

...

Gao Shen stood on the sideline, patiently observing the game and contemplating Arsenal's current issues and challenges.

It's now March, and as in previous years, Arsenal's stamina is beginning to wane.

Nonetheless, Real Madrid still does not hold the advantage.

However, it's foreseeable that as the game progresses, Arsenal's physical fitness will also decline.

At that point, if Real Madrid can secure a lead and defend resolutely, they stand a chance of maintaining the score and achieving a miraculous comeback victory at Highbury Stadium.

This is why Gao Shen was determined to launch an aggressive opening attack.

Seize the initiative and turn a bicycle kick into a motorcycle.

Scoring a goal imbues players with the confidence to defend more staunchly.

Failing to score means they must defend and resign themselves to fate.

Since the departure of Vieira, Arsenal's overall style has lacked strength and tenacity, though Real Madrid isn't necessarily superior in this regard.

However, securing a goal changes everything, altering player mentality completely.

With this in mind, Gao Shen glanced at the scoreboard.

Ten minutes had elapsed in the second half.

Outwardly calm, inwardly he remained concerned.

...

On the home team's sideline, Wenger couldn't contain his agitation.

No one knows Arsenal's weaknesses and challenges better than him, hence he's preparing in advance.

Pires should warm up.

Reyes, closely marked by Arbeloa tonight, displayed no spark and failed to make a significant left-side breakthrough.

Instead of keeping him on the field, it would be better to substitute him.

The game has evolved into a battle of spirit and determination.

Tonight's Real Madrid appeared completely transformed, markedly different from their performance at the Bernabéu.

Wenger too felt the pressure.

Had it not been for Henry's dribble and subsequent penalty just before halftime, he wouldn't have imagined the current predicament.

Even so, his worries persisted.

"It's been fifty-five minutes; Real Madrid should be nearly exhausted."

...

Not only Wenger, but also the fans and spectators in the stands, the TV commentators broadcasting live, and numerous professionals and fans watching at home all shared Wenger's sentiment.

Real Madrid is truly exhausted!

Humans aren't machines; they can't keep running indefinitely.

No matter how high Real Madrid's morale, regardless of their players' strength of will, there comes a point when they falter.

If Real Madrid's initial wave of attacks and pressure fails and they retreat, they may never recover.

As physical fitness wanes, Real Madrid's only recourse will be to fight on.

By then, the game will be firmly in Arsenal's control.

...

As the game reached the fifty-seventh minute, Real Madrid faced another setback from Arsenal's right-wing attack.

Beckham controlled the ball, surveyed the midfield and left flank, then executed a long pass.

The ball sailed gracefully through the air, describing a perfect arc before landing precisely on the left side.

Felipe rushed in, cushioned the ball on his chest, pushed it forward to draw defensive attention, and then played a through pass to the left edge of the penalty area.

Zidane sprinted over, used his body to shield Eboué, and controlled the ball expertly.

With his back to goal, Zidane paused briefly before decisively turning right and delivering a swift pass into the penalty area.

Raul chased after it, but Kolo Touré intercepted ahead of him, clearing the ball from the penalty area.

Just as Zidane turned to pursue the loose ball, he witnessed Raul failing to reach it in time, with Kolo Touré having beaten him to it. Zidane immediately gave chase.

The tall, lanky Frenchman muscled past Cesc Fàbregas, winning possession and initiating the first phase of a counterattack.

While Zidane shielded the ball with his back, Felipe swiftly moved into position, signaling for the pass.

Receiving the ball from Zidane, the Brazilian left-back hesitated momentarily, then lofted a cross with his left foot.

The ball arced diagonally, dropping towards the right side of the penalty spot.

Negredo charged in from the right flank, beating Senderos to the ball, but the Swiss defender was right on his heels, restricting the Spanish striker's options.

As Negredo pondered his next move, a familiar figure surged forward.

It was a figure clad in white.

Negredo didn't hesitate, flicking the ball with his head to redirect Felipe's cross towards the edge of the penalty area.

At lightning speed, the white-clad figure sprinted forward, meeting Negredo's header perfectly, cushioning the ball and unleashing a powerful shot.

The impact reverberated through the stadium, the ball rocketing towards the goal like a cannonball.

All of this unfolded in a split second.

On the sideline, Gao Shen watched as Felipe crossed, Negredo headed, and then Dela Redd struck.

Initially taken aback, he then erupted in celebration, rushing out of the coach's box, sprinting towards Dela Redd.

"Incredible! Simply incredible!"

Gao Shen was momentarily stunned, raising his hands in disbelief before breaking into cheers, running towards Dela Redd to join in the jubilation.

"So beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!"

But before Gao Shen could reach the touchline, staff members intercepted him, urging him to calm down, reminding him of the rules. Yet Gao Shen's mind was blank, fixated on one thought: they had scored!

Dela Redd had scored!

This vital goal had finally materialized!

In that moment, Gao Shen felt tears welling up.

Dela Redd sprinted ecstatically across the field, only to be engulfed by his teammates, who swarmed around him in celebration.

"God, this is incredible!"

"Real Madrid's second-half attack has once again breached Arsenal's defense!"

"This goal by Ruben Delared, a product of Real Madrid's youth academy, is a thunderbolt out of the blue!"

"It's a stunning and unexpected long-range strike!"

Gao Shen was ushered back to the coach's box by the fourth official, apologizing for his outburst. However, his eyes remained moist.

In this moment, the feeling of resurrection overwhelmed him.

Lucas, Maqueda, and others joined in the celebration, embracing Gao Shen when they saw him.

On the touchline, after celebrating with his teammates, Dela Redd dashed back to Gao Shen, exchanging high-fives and sharing a heartfelt hug.

This scene was captured by live broadcasts, broadcast worldwide to fans everywhere.

"In a previous match against Atlético Madrid, Raul embraced Gao Shen after scoring, and now Dela Redd has done the same."

"This leads us to believe that the 25-year-old Chinese coach may have truly inspired the Real Madrid players to deliver such a remarkable performance at Highbury Stadium, filled with twists and turns."

"Just moments ago, Real Madrid leveled the score to 1-1, and now, with a score of 2-1, they have successfully overturned Arsenal with a crucial away goal."

"With over thirty minutes remaining in the game, we have every reason to anticipate that each minute will be highly challenging for Real Madrid, as they brace for Arsenal's relentless counter.

In front of the home team's coach, Wenger was eager to make substitutions.

He then substituted two players simultaneously.