Football: Starting with the Crescent Moon Slash

At the end of the first half, James Rodriguez was very active, creating two goals and breaking down Rayo Vallecano's defensive wall.

At this moment, many foreign media outlets were on site, vying to report on the match.

The events between James Rodriguez and Jiang Yan were reported by foreign media just as quickly as they were by domestic media.

However, their opinions on this matter differ slightly.

[Abandoning James Rodriguez for Jiang Yan? Has Real Madrid gone mad?]

In other words, abandoning the Colombian national team captain at the peak of his career in favor of a young player with an uncertain future? How could the "Old Master" possibly agree to such a deal?

[Giving up James Rodriguez for an Asian? Even if it were the real Beckham, people would hesitate, let alone an Asian.]

[Jiang Yan is just a flash in the pan, a short-lived phenomenon. He'll get what's coming to him in the Champions League knockout stages!]

[Exactly, he only managed to achieve decent statistics thanks to the BBC and the two old men, and he's already trying to replace James Rodriguez through infighting? Does he think he's Mourinho?]

Foreign netizens expressed strong opinions, holding a pessimistic view of selling James Rodriguez and promoting Jiang Yan.

After all, no Asian has ever played on a stage like Real Madrid, let alone as a starter.

In their view, Jiang Yan's current status as a substitute is already a blessing.

Inside the changing room.

Benitez briefly outlined the tactics for the second half and made several substitutions.

Marcelo, who had been performing poorly, was replaced by Vázquez.

Then there's the replacement of James Rodriguez with Jiang Yan.

When announcing the substitutions, Benitez glanced over Jiang Yan and James Rodriguez.

James Rodriguez was extremely unhappy about being substituted, never looking directly at Benitez, but instead glaring fiercely at Jiang Yan.

Not only did the media hype it up, but even James Rodriguez himself viewed this match as a duel between him and Jiang Yan.

Against Rayo Vallecano, who were down to ten men, James Rodriguez delivered two assists in 45 minutes.

He was really looking forward to seeing how Jiang Yan would perform; he absolutely refused to believe that he would be outdone by a young player from the youth training program.

The second half of the game has begun.

Rayo Vallecano kicks off.

Jiang Yan stood in the left midfield position.

[Ding~ Detected a duel between the host and James Rodriguez. Mission issued: Defeat James Rodriguez (Provide at least two assists and score one goal yourself)]

[System Rewards: Random Player Skill Pack x1, Points x10]

……

Inside the live stream room.

"The second half is about to begin, and Real Madrid has made two substitutions."

"Vazquez replaces Marcelo on the left wing, and Chinese youngster Jiang Yan replaces Colombian national team captain James Rodriguez."

"I'm sure you viewers are all eager to see how the next 45 minutes of the match will unfold..."

Will Jiang Yan be able to maintain his hot streak from the previous matches? Let's wait and see...

On the field, Modric led the attack, while Jiang Yan and Kroos partnered as defensive midfielders on the left and right.

Jiang Yan turned his head to look at Teacher Toni beside him.

"This seems to be the first time I've partnered with Tony in defensive midfield. I wonder what type of defensive midfielder he is."

Sensing Jiang Yan's gaze, Cross also turned to look at Jiang Yan.

The moment their eyes met, Jiang Yan felt a strange sense of security.

Regardless of what type of defensive midfielder Kroos is, this sense of security will never be a problem. If he really encounters an opponent he can't handle, then just hand him over to Coach Toni!

The second half of the game has officially begun.

Facing a two-goal deficit and a man down, Rayo Vallecano wisely began passing the ball around in their own half, clearing it with a long kick just before it was about to be dispossessed.

"It seems Rayo Vallecano will have to be on high alert now."

"It remains to be seen how Real Madrid will perform against Rayo Vallecano's defensive strategy."

"Moreover, this match is also Jiang Yan's chance to prove himself, and he will never be satisfied with a result of 4-2."

"Let's turn our attention back to the football field."

As we all know, there are only three key weapons that can break through the opponent's defensive strategy of using a bus.

These three key weapons are: a tall center forward, a long-range shooter, and a set-piece specialist.

Coincidentally, these three powerful weapons are now all gathered in Real Madrid's lineup.

Kroos controlled the ball and made a long pass to Benzema, whose shot was blocked by an opposing player.

"It turns out that Kroos is an organizing defensive midfielder, completely different from Casemiro."

Rayo Vallecano's player won the second ball and charged towards Jiang Yan with the ball.

This is also a tactic of Rayo Vallecano.

Both Modric and Kroos are experienced veterans. To break through, you have to target the least experienced player.

Jiang Yan was their target.

During halftime, Rayo Vallecano's coach gave the players instructions for the second half.

"You've probably all heard the rumors about Real Madrid before the match, right?"

"I imagine they'll replace James Rodriguez with that Chinese player number 18 in the second half. That's our chance. That Chinese player is physically weak, and his one-on-one defensive success rate this season is almost zero. He might set traps for you, but don't worry about it. Just play normal physical battles with him."

"Remember, this is normal physical contact; you absolutely cannot give them free kicks."

"But coach, if they don't bring that Asian player on in the second half, won't our tactics be useless?"

"If we don't replace them with Asians... then we'll be buried with Rayo Vallecano."

......

Back on the green field,

Rayo Vallecano's only attacking player dribbled the ball to an area less than three meters from Jiang Yan.

The passive skill [Extreme Positional Sense] was activated immediately. Relying on his keen sense of position, Jiang Yan realized that the opponent wanted to break through along the side lane.

They deliberately occupied the side lane space, forcing the opponent towards the middle lane.

As soon as the opponent gets into the middle, Real Madrid's other players will immediately provide defensive support.

"Just as the coach said, let's break through in one fell swoop!"

Despite Jiang Yan's trap, Rayo Vallecano's attacking players remained unmoved and were determined to force their way through Jiang Yan's defense.

The ball flew past Jiang Yan, and Rayo Vallecano's player tried to get past him in the simplest and most direct way—by speeding up and overtaking him.

"The same trick won't work the second time; no one will fall into the same trap a second time!"

After getting past Jiang Yan, there was a wide-open area in front of the ball.

However, just as he was feeling smug, a large hand suddenly pressed down on his chest.

Upon seeing the newcomers, the Rayo Vallecano players, who were dribbling the ball forward, widened their eyes in surprise.

Jiang Yan actually managed to get into position and defend in such a short time!

Moreover, she saw through his intentions and blocked him firmly with her hands!

"The secret to defense is using your hands!"

Jiang Yan's hand was firmly on the attacking player's chest, attempting to disrupt the opponent's balance.

In a moment of desperation, Rayo Vallecano's player swung his arm, and Jiang Yan took advantage of the moment when the opponent lost his balance to make a decisive tackle, easily thwarting the attack.

After being tackled, the Rayo Vallecano player sat on the ground, staring at Jiang Yan in disbelief.

After completing the tackle, the latter used the momentum to stand up instantly, quite elegantly, yet his face remained expressionless, showing no emotional fluctuation whatsoever.

Faced with such a sharp breakthrough, he was able to defuse it so easily.

"Could it be that this guy hasn't used his full strength yet?"