The Zaragoza goalkeeper's head snapped so fast he lost track of the ball.
Meanwhile, Su Hang's vision was swallowed by the turf as his face crashed into the grass, filling his mouth with dirt.
Black, green, muddy—the colors spun chaotically before his eyes.
He had no strength left to adjust his head or face after the fall.
He bounced once on impact, then his head slammed against the turf another one or two times.
It was just physics at work.
In that moment, Su Hang's mind went blank.
He knew nothing.
It felt as if time had abandoned him, leaving him adrift in chaos, cut off from the world.
Until...
BOOM!
The entire stadium shook violently!
Su Hang felt the earth tremble beneath him.
Then came the sounds—loud, raw, almost indistinguishable.
It was the roar of countless voices.
A roar that seemed to come from the depths of their souls.
The sound swelled, growing louder and louder—from faint to clear, then deafening, until it drowned out everything else!
Su Hang strained every muscle just to lift his head toward the goal.
Truthfully, he didn't need to look.
The roar had already told him everything.
But he still wanted to see.
And sure enough—
That black-and-white ball lay still inside the goal, just as Su Hang lay still on the ground.
"Ah!"
Su Hang rolled over onto the grass, collapsing as a ragged scream tore from his throat:
"Ahhh!!!"
His cry merged with the thunder of La Romareda Stadium.
Inside the stadium, outside the stadium, Zaragoza, Madrid—
Everywhere erupted with frenzied cheers.
"GOAL!"
"GOAL!"
"GOAL!"
"The winner! That's the winner!"
"And it wasn't Zaragoza who scored—it was faraway Barcelona's rival!"
"Su Hang, in stoppage time, once again tore through the field alone to deliver a breathtaking winner!"
"The ball smashed into his face, blood streaming down. He was hacked down time and again, crashing to the turf! But he never gave up. With a desperate strike, he scored the most brilliant goal of the summer!"
"A miracle once unfolded in Istanbul, when Liverpool came back against AC Milan after trailing by three goals!"
"Now another miracle has unfolded in Spain! Real Madrid overturned a three-goal deficit, crushing Barcelona 6-0 to seize the La Liga crown!"
"Su Hang!"
"With three goals and one assist, Su Hang is undoubtedly Real Madrid's greatest hero of the season—without question!"
Clatter!
The stadium erupted in applause.
Even the Zaragoza players joined in.
Looking at the white figure sprawled in front of the goal, opponents and teammates alike felt only respect.
His burning will to win was overwhelming.
If a player like this doesn't win a championship, who can?
The camera zoomed in on Su Hang.
His right shin guard and sock were shattered, streaked with blood.
His left boot had been kicked off completely, a deep cut on his ankle bleeding heavily.
He was only nineteen, yet carried the aura of a champion forged in countless battles.
It wasn't just the stadium.
Everyone watching the broadcast, every viewer at home, found themselves applauding Su Hang.
Even many of his harshest critics back home applauded.
Only when the referee's whistle blew did people remember the match wasn't over yet.
The referee showed red cards to both Zaragoza defenders who had made the sliding tackles.
Both were sent off.
Neither argued.
They knew they deserved it.
But unexpectedly, Su Hang limped toward them.
"Good game! You played incredibly."
"Though the score isn't what you wanted, your spirit deserves everyone's respect."
Then Su Hang pulled them into a hug.
The two Zaragoza defenders' eyes went red. Tears broke free.
They had risen from Segunda División, fought their way up, secured survival, and climbed to ninth place. That alone should have been their glory.
But now, crushed 6-0 by Real Madrid, they faced ridicule instead.
It was hard to accept.
They should have been heroes.
Yet now... their fiercest opponent had acknowledged their excellence.
How could Zaragoza's players not be moved?
Su Hang supported them, limping with them toward the tunnel.
Then he raised both hands above his head and began to clap.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The Zaragoza fans in the stands rose to applaud their players.
Clap! Clap!
The players on the field and both benches joined in.
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
The entire stadium, even Real Madrid fans inside and outside the ground, applauded the two sent-off players.
Su Hang had conquered La Romareda Stadium.
But just as much, Zaragoza's unyielding spirit earned the respect of the Merengues.
They went down with honor.
"Su Hang is absolutely the most deserving player I've ever seen for the Fair Play Award!"
"His legs were bloodied by the tackle, yet he still gave his opponents that crucial applause."
"He treated them like the heroes they were."
"This is what it means to be a Real Madrid player! This is the true spirit of Real Madrid!"
Beep! Beep! Beep!
After the two players left the field, the referee blew three blasts of the whistle, ending the match.
The final score was set: 6-0.
The La Liga season was over.
The standings were final!
Real Madrid, level on points with Barcelona, had claimed the title by a single goal difference!
It was their 30th La Liga crown!
In that moment, the entire Real Madrid bench surged onto the pitch.
In the stands, Figo—dressed in a suit, unable to play today—leapt down and rushed onto the field with his teammates.
The Real Madrid fans erupted again.
Reporters swarmed the pitch for interviews.
Roberto Carlos: "Unbelievable. Truly incredible. Even we can't believe we played like this."
Samuel: "It feels like a dream. I've been awake all this time and I'm still overwhelmed! This Real Madrid team is unstoppable!"
Owen: "As long as we're healthy, we can beat anyone!"
Raúl: "This is a great victory! Su is the biggest reason we won the title. He was outstanding!"
Guti: "In the first half, we were on the brink of despair. But in the second half, Su Hang changed everything."
Casillas: "Su Hang can do it all! His performance today reminded me of Vieira, reminded me of Makélélé!"
Beckham: "Su Hang is the hero in all our hearts! He absolutely deserves the captain's armband!"
Figo: "Before the match, Su Hang told me we would win. He said he wouldn't let all of Real Madrid's hard work go to waste—and he delivered!"
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser