I Am Scouted by Real Madrid-Chapter 76 - 1: Messi

Chapter 76: Chapter 1: Messi
"Why is it that when Chen is on the field, our team’s defense seems to be reborn?" Schuster looked at Francisco and said, "During this period, make sure Chen practices his passing more. His awareness and vision are good, but his passing still needs some improvement."
Francisco looked at Schuster with some surprise. He could sense from Schuster’s words the intention of moving Chen Zhong forward in position, but could Chen Zhong really handle the defensive midfielder role?
The physical demands of a defensive midfielder are much greater than those of a center-back.
The first half of the match ended, and Real Madrid entered halftime with a 2:0 lead.
In the second half, Cooper seemed to have accepted reality. He started using ugly defensive tactics to try to save face. He was no longer thinking about scoring, but rather considering if he could prevent Real Madrid from scoring one or two more goals.
"Tsk." Schuster watched Betis’ performance with some disappointment and said, "I thought he was more capable! At the beginning of the match, he had the attitude of ’I’m going to defeat you at the Bernabeu today,’ and now?"
Later in the match, Schuster substituted Robben for Saviola and Baptista for Diara.
Robben repeatedly created chances upon entering the game, and Baptista’s performance in defense was also noteworthy. Even in limited time, he managed to push forward from the defense.
"Match over!"
"Real Madrid defeated Betis 2:0."
"Real Madrid returned to the top of the standings with an undefeated record of four wins and one draw, totaling 13 points, while Villarreal followed closely in second place with a record of four wins and one loss for 12 points, with Valencia and Barcelona rounding out the third and fourth positions."
"With five rounds completed in La Liga, each team has had standout players: Barcelona’s Messi, Real Madrid’s Sneijder, Raul, Chen Zhong, Atletico Madrid’s Aguero."
"The most surprising performances undoubtedly came from two Argentine youngsters, Aguero and Messi, and Real Madrid’s 16-year-old genius player Chen Zhong."
"Messi and Aguero not only led Argentina to win the youth championship, but also showed astonishing levels of play in this season’s La Liga."
"Messi scored 6 goals in 3 matches, while Aguero netted 4 goals in 5 matches."
"In particular, Aguero set a record by scoring just 55 seconds into the match against Real Madrid."
"This has led many to exclaim that there are two Messis now in La Liga."
"Chen Zhong has also performed very well, already helping the team win two championships this season, and showing impressive performances in the league and Champions League arenas."
"In the derby against Atletico Madrid, it was Chen Zhong’s presence that stifled the advances of Aguero and Fernando."
"Many people are curious about what kind of performance he will display when facing Messi."
After Real Madrid defeated Real Betis and returned to Madrid, Schuster took some time for a review with the players before giving everyone a short break.
Just as Francisco was excited about going home for a drink, a good sleep, and some deep discussions about life’s mysteries with his beloved wife...
Schuster grabbed Francisco and pulled him into the office.
"Give me the footage of Barcelona’s last two matches," Schuster said, leaning back in his chair. He had just received news that Barcelona had defeated Zaragoza 4:1, and if Barcelona hadn’t missed some chances, the score could well have been 10:1 or even more.
Francisco originally had a face full of resentment, but upon seeing Schuster’s serious expression and hearing it was about Barcelona, he quickly got serious.
He soon found the relevant footage, and the two watched videos together and discussed, both feeling quite vexed.
"Messi scored twice in two matches," Francisco said, word by word. "In the latest match, Yaya Toure and Iniesta each scored a goal, while Deco assisted twice."
"The only thing that could be considered good news is probably Henry’s less-than-perfect integration into Barcelona."
Schuster had a deep impression of Messi. At the time, Schuster was coaching Getafe and had fought hard to reach the semifinal of the Spanish King’s Cup, only to meet Barcelona.
In the first leg, Barcelona beat Getafe 5:2. Right in front of Schuster, Messi completed a Maradona-style solo run, dribbling past five opponents from near the midfield line, charging forward, and casually putting the ball into the net after outplaying the goalkeeper.
Schuster, sitting at the Camp Nou hearing the cheers of the Barcelona fans, was filled with despair. After the match, when he heard Real Madrid fans say he did not deserve to be their coach, he felt the future was bleak.
However, Rijkaard’s arrogance led to Schuster’s second-leg comeback. Rijkaard left Messi "at home," believing he had control over the situation, only to lose as Getafe beat Barcelona 4:0 at home and advanced to the final of the Spanish King’s Cup with an aggregate score of 6:5.
"Damn little flea," Schuster muttered before turning to Francisco and asking, "Do you think Chen could handle that little flea?"
Messi’s nickname, the little flea, is partly due to his small stature and nimble movements on the run. It’s also derived from his mother’s nickname for him, "Pulga" (little flea in Spanish).
This nickname was popularized by Messi’s youth team teammate at Atletico Madrid, Aguero, who learned about Messi’s nickname during the youth championship and helped spread it within the national team.
"Well..." Francisco glanced at Schuster, thinking for a moment before saying, "Relying on individual strength alone would make it difficult to mark him; he’s incredibly agile with rapid foot movement."
"In fact, I’ve never seen a player like Messi, he..."
"I can’t put it into words."
"But that’s not necessarily the case."
Schuster looked at Francisco with a hostile gaze; if not for wanting to hear Francisco’s thoughts, his palm would have made close contact with Francisco’s face.
Francisco felt Schuster’s unfriendly gaze, swallowed hard, and offered a pleasing smile before speaking, "After all, defense isn’t a one-person task."
"Also, have you seen what Messi said in his latest interview?"