On January 21, the 21st round of the Italian D League began.
What Lu Yang had previously told Morici was not just empty words.
When Morici went home and checked the Italian D League standings for this season online, he made a shocking discovery.
That is, the total point gap from the fifteenth to the sixth place was only twelve points!
What does this mean?
Twelve points, theoretically as long as you win four games, you can earn twelve points.
Of course, the teams ahead won't all lose four games waiting for San Remo to surpass them, but at least this shows that the gap is not insurmountable.
Four games not enough, how about ten games?
Or fourteen games?
Eighteen games?
There are still eighteen games left, San Remo's situation is not as bad as everyone imagined.
Vedian was still impressive, with 12 goals becoming the league's silver boot in the first half of the season, second only to the leading striker Arnold of the Serie A champions Bisceglie Football Club by two goals.
This is really not easy in the low-level Italian D League.
The lower the league level, the harder it is to score steadily because everyone is taking their chances, so why would you score more?
But similarly, once you have a certain standard, scoring goals in a lower-level league with tactical cooperation can also have unexpected effects. Many black stores use this kind of tactical advantage to help players build up stats, thus selling them for a good price.
That being said, what Morici and Lu Yang could perceive, Sotu naturally also noticed.
This game, which appears to be hellish at the start but becomes easy after the first charge, is something Sotu can actually handle.
Especially when he discovered that there were three players in this team: Lu Yang, Morici, and Vedian.
In a lower-level league, it can rely entirely on the talent of geniuses to forcefully pass.
Vedian is a genius, at least a genius in the Italian D.
His impact can even be utilized in Serie B.
Moreover, he is also a Side Road Fast Horse with some passing and shooting ability.
As long as there is enough ammunition, twelve goals are definitely not his limit.
Morici is also considered a genius, in Sotu's eyes, perhaps even more so than Vedian!
Fast horses are everywhere, and new ones emerge every year.
But a midfield commander only comes out every few years.
Moreover… Morici has traces of Maniero in him!
Even a tiny bit of similarity is enough to make Sotu put all his effort into nurturing him.
Because even if only one-tenth of a midfield master's talent like Maniero is given to someone else, it would be enough for them to benefit for life, or even to make a foothold in the Five Major Leagues!
As for Lu Yang, to be honest, Sotu has a hard time understanding this player.
A central defender, not tall, not strong.
Speed is barely considered fast, and ball control is surprisingly good.
Call him trash, but he knows all a central defender should, and in the Italian D he even seems quite outstanding. His defensive positioning, tackles, interceptions, and backfield coordination are extremely proficient.
But such a player can only play in the Italian D. If placed in another situation, even the Italian Third Division, Lu Yang might struggle.
Can such a person be considered a genius?
No!
Sotu considers Lu Yang to be talented, but not a genius. Because he doesn't have talent, but he is hardworking and intelligent enough. He uses his wisdom and sweat to firmly plant himself in the intensity of the Italian D League matches.
But… for his whole life, he is probably only going to stay in the Italian D.
For some reason, after making such an evaluation, Sotu felt a bit of sadness in his heart.
He found himself hoping that his judgment was wrong.
Because in his mind, he could never forget Lu Yang's dazzling dribbling and shooting at the Marassi Stadium.
Such brilliance clearly belongs to the super strikers and star forwards in the football world, so why did it shine so brightly on a young central defender in the Italian D?
Did he see it wrong, or does Lu Yang indeed have some unseen potential?
...
On January 22, Sanremo City Stadium.
San Remo welcomed its first battle after the winter break, the opponent being the Avellino Team who were just one step from the relegation zone, ranked fourteenth.
In this match, neither Lu Yang nor Morici was granted a starting position.
It wasn't that Sotu wasn't bold enough, but rather he was deliberately taking care of both to avoid them bearing too much psychological pressure.
If they started, they would become the focus of the entire field from the first minute.
And Lu Yang's work is not suitable to become the focus.
Any central defender who is heavily targeted and repeatedly attacked could potentially make mistakes.
Similarly, Morici as the midfield core would become a prime target even more.
Why should it be those two rookies?
So, in the first half, Sotu had only one request for the team, which was not to concede any goals.
Once Morici comes on, the team will have tactical offensive capabilities.
"Defend! Defend well for me… don't let him advance further… don't rush to tackle, just control your area… you go tackle, there's a defender behind you, your purpose is to sweep the midfield…"
Sotu shouted hoarsely.
This team was still missing too many people.
But fortunately, they were playing in the Italian D, not Serie A or Serie B, otherwise, they might as well have surrendered directly.
San Remo's defense line was as atrocious as ever.
In the 42nd minute, the opponent finally utilized a corner kick tactic to successfully score a goal.
But the usually spirited Sotu did not scold his players, which was a complete contrast to his previous attitude.
Seeing Tom's puzzled look, Sotu explained: "I ask my players to exert all their efforts to implement my strategies. In the process, they might need some courage, and I can give them that."