Awakening the Messi template, Florentino Pérez begs me to join Real Madrid

Qingdao, Tiantai Stadium.

Two hours before the match, when Evergrande FC's official Weibo account announced the starting lineup for the FA Cup game, local football forums and fan groups went wild.

"Who does Evergrande think they are looking down on?"

"Besides Wu Shi and Wang Zhuofeng, there are these perennial substitutes and old slackers. I've never even heard of the other names!"

"U19? Reserve team? Are they here for a vacation?"

"Lippi is far too arrogant. Does he really think we're pushovers?"

Local media reporters frowned when they received the list.

This is far from the "Hengda star-studded lineup" they had envisioned.

The focus of the reports naturally shifted from "a clash between strong and weak teams" to "Guangda seemingly abandoning the FA Cup?"

"A Youth Army Expedition: Training or Arrogance?"

The atmosphere was completely different in the Manatees' locker room.

The head coach, a dark-skinned, loud-voiced middle-aged man, slapped the tactics board, on which was posted the starting lineup for Evergrande.

"Did you see everything?"

His gaze swept over his disciples, pointing to the unfamiliar names on the list.

"Guangzhou Evergrande! A giant in the Chinese Super League! An AFC Champions League team! Look who they sent to deal with us? A bunch of kids!"

The locker room was quiet, with only the coach's voice echoing.

"Wu Shi, I know him, an Asian Youth Championship hero, a prodigy. Wang Zhuofeng, from the national youth team, is also good. But besides those two? The rest are all young players you can't even find on Evergrande's first team roster!"

The coach raised his voice.

"What does this show? It shows that in their eyes, Qingdao Hainiu, despite being the league leaders in China League Two, is simply not worth sending their top players to! They think they can just send a few kids and snatch victory from our doorstep!"

The team members' breathing became noticeably heavier, and flames of anger ignited in their eyes.

"This is disrespecting us!"

The coach clenched his fist.

"A big reputation and a famous brand don't guarantee a win!"

"Today, right here on our home turf, let these 'geniuses' from the Chinese Super League taste the toughness of China League Two! Let them know that underestimating us comes at a price!"

He paused, his gaze settling on a player in the team who was equally young, but whose eyes were exceptionally sharp:

"Chen Liang! You just came back from the national youth team, where you were teammates with Wu Shi. Tell me, what's his skill level? How are we going to deal with him today?"

All eyes turned to Chen Liang.

Chen Liang stood up, his expression complex.

Excitement, anticipation, and a barely perceptible flame of competition burned in his eyes.

He didn't expect that his showdown with Wu Shi in an official match would come so soon.

"Wu Shi is very strong."

Chen Liang spoke, his voice steady and objective.

"His vision and passing, especially his through balls and long passes that suddenly change the rhythm, are the best I've seen in our age group. His shooting curve and accuracy are also insane. Everyone saw that free kick in the AFC U-19 Championship final."

They listened quietly in the locker room.

"However," Chen Liang changed the subject,

He also has weaknesses.

First, physical confrontation is not his strong point. Although he is better than before, he will struggle when faced with truly aggressive pressing.

Second, his defensive involvement was very low.

Third, and most importantly—

He looked at his coach and teammates.

"He is now the captain. Lippi gave him the armband, which means that the responsibility of organizing the attack in the frontcourt of Guangzhou Evergrande today, and even the responsibility of being a spiritual leader, all rests on his shoulders."

"He has never played in a club match in such an 'absolute core' position before, especially when Conca and Muriqui are not around."

"This is his opportunity, his pressure, and our opportunity!"

The coach's eyes lit up: "Go on!"

"My suggestion is," Chen Liang said firmly.

"We started by using the highest intensity of physical contact against him, especially when he received the ball and turned, to increase the intensity and disrupt his rhythm."

"At the same time, cut off his contact with Wang Zhuofeng and other teammates, isolating him."

"As long as Wu Shi is contained, Evergrande's youth team's attack will fall into chaos. Many of them are playing their first first-team match, they lack experience, and they are prone to panic."

"Great!" The coach clapped his hands loudly.

"Do as Chen Liang says! Today, you'll start as a striker. Your task isn't just to score goals, but also to put pressure on Wu Shi and the defense with your running and pressing!"

"Let's make him, as captain, play awkwardly on our home turf!"

The match is about to begin.

As the players from both sides lined up and walked into the Tiantai Stadium, the cheers almost lifted the roof off.

Qingdao fans welcomed their heroes with the warmest applause and songs.

The Evergrande players were met with a huge chorus of boos, especially when the camera focused on Wu Shi, who was wearing the captain's armband.

Many of the young players from Evergrande still wore expressions of excitement and a touch of bewilderment as they stepped onto the professional stage for the first time.

There was even a hint of relief, almost imperceptible—the opponent was just a China League Two team, while we were Evergrande.

Wu Shi, as the captain, stood at the front of the team.

He could feel the excitement of his teammates behind him, and also the hostility emanating from the stands. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

[Environmental stress index: Extremely high. Fan hostility: 85%. Teammate mentality: Frivolous (has not experienced setbacks).]

[Warning: An unusually high level of fighting spirit has been detected against the opponent, greatly increasing the probability of targeted deployment.]

[Special Note: Chen Liang (former national youth teammate) is in the opponent's starting lineup; opponent status confirmed.]

The referee whistle blows.

After the start of the game, Evergrande attempted to control the situation by relying on slightly better individual skills and passing ability.

But the Manatees' response was very clear:

The entire team retreated to their own half, forming a tight defensive line. Once they intercepted the ball, they immediately launched long balls to Chen Liang in the attacking third, or launched a fierce high press on the spot, focusing on marking Wu Shi.

When Wu Shi received the ball with his back to goal in midfield for the first time, two Hainiu players immediately closed him down, showing no mercy.

He managed to pass the ball, but stumbled in the process. The referee signaled for play to continue.

The home fans cheered.

The young Evergrande players played somewhat casually or nervously, and several mis-passing combinations gave the Hainiu counter-attack opportunities.

In the 7th minute, the Hainiu team launched a long through ball from their own half, and Chen Liang, like a wild horse unleashed, dribbled across the field.

With his explosive power, he instantly outmaneuvered the young center-back from Evergrande, creating a one-on-one opportunity! Facing the onrushing goalkeeper, he calmly slotted the ball into the far corner!

Goal! 1-0!

"roar--!!!"

Tiantai Stadium exploded instantly!

After scoring, Chen Liang did not celebrate wildly. He ran towards the home team's stands, slapped the team badge on his chest heavily with his right hand, pointed to the stands, and bowed deeply.

"Chen Liang! Chen Liang! Chen Liang!" The entire audience chanted his name in unison.

This former sharpshooter on the national youth team, playing on his home turf...

It declared its existence in the most direct way, and also gave a resounding slap to the face of the "genius captain" Takeshi who was hyped up by the media before the game!

The young players from Hengda were stunned.

The excitement and relief on his face were instantly replaced by shock and panic.

Only then did they truly realize that this was not a training match, not a youth league, but a real professional cup competition where every inch of ground was crucial!

The opponent's fighting power, the home atmosphere, and the blow of conceding goals were far more intense than they had imagined.