Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
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Many domestic fans don't understand Spanish commentary.
But every time Lance got the ball, everyone understood.
"Lance! Lance! Lance! Lance——"
"Shoot!"
"Goooooooal!"
"This boy from Atlético Madrid weaved through the Real Madrid defence, scoring with a long-range shot!"
"Eight minutes into the first half, Atlético Madrid temporarily leads by one goal at home!"
Atlético Madrid fans and Lance fans on Twitter were already celebrating wildly.
"Who said Lance was invisible? Who said Lance was declining? His form is invincible!"
"Atlético Madrid is invincible! ¡Vamos!"
"We must win today! Take home the Copa del Rey trophy!"
At the Vicente Calderón Stadium, the stands were a scene of jubilation, with over 60,000 people singing in unison, worshipping their god.
"Oh oh oh oh—Lance!"
"Oh oh oh oh—Lance!"
"He is our guardian! He is the knight of Atlético Madrid!"
"Unstoppable, piercing through all enemies!"
Even Cristiano Ronaldo had to admit, Lance's influence had subtly surpassed his and Messi's.
If not for the Champions League title, Ballon d'Or, and other honours, Cristiano Ronaldo might not have been able to hold his head high in front of Lance.
"Did this guy start playing football in the womb? How annoying, oh, damn it!"
Lance and the Atlético Madrid players weren't overly excited after the goal.
It was just a regular Copa del Rey goal.
Small stakes!
Lance just smiled and waved to the fans, high-fived Griezmann in celebration, and quickly returned to his own half.
The match had just begun, and Atlético Madrid still needed to remain cautious and continue defending.
"It seems I can operate without a template."
However, Lance could feel that his breakthrough just now, though seemingly brilliant, was actually an extreme operation with adrenaline pumping.
He had to be 100% focused, perfecting every detail.
If there was any deviation, that ball would definitely have been intercepted, not so easy to score.
Using the system's overpowered skills would be much easier than just now, and breakthroughs could be more effortless.
"So, I still need to practise more."
Lance showed no complacency.
On the contrary, he was even more aware of the huge gap between his current level and his potential ceiling.
...
"Real Madrid is gradually strengthening their attack, eager to equalise after falling behind."
"Atlético Madrid's defence is relatively stable, with Simeone's 4-4-2 formation, which is more suited for defensive counter-attacks."
"On the right, Saúl is well-balanced in all aspects; as a versatile player, he will also drop back to the centre in defence, forming a three-man defensive midfield."
"Lance's position will be a bit more to the right, forming a double attacking midfield with Griezmann."
"So, during defensive counter-attacks, Atlético Madrid will switch to a 4-3-3 formation, or 4-5-1, with Torres at the very front."
Spanish National Television, as a free channel, invited big-name guest commentators for this derby.
Commentator José Ángel's partner was none other than former Real Madrid legend, Roberto Carlos.
He clearly and concisely analysed Atlético Madrid's defensive counter-attacking formation changes.
It was clear that Atlético Madrid had made meticulous arrangements for Real Madrid, especially by having the energetic and active Lance mark Cristiano Ronaldo, working with Juanfran to neutralise Real Madrid's main man.
Lance performed excellently in attack and was very serious in defence.
The Cannavaro template gave Lance some defensive experience, even without the template equipped now, Lance could still be effective when confronting Cristiano Ronaldo.
"Damn it, it's this guy again!"
When Cristiano Ronaldo dribbled to the attacking third, he faced Lance in a 1v1 duel.
A direct confrontation between the two best players in the world!
"Left? Right... A change of pace? It's really too easy to guess!"
Lance almost couldn't hold back; Cristiano Ronaldo's intentions were truly easy to predict.
Thinking back, 18-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo was still called Ronaldinho, Manchester United's flashiest player, constantly showcasing fancy footwork.
Now, Cristiano Ronaldo had become a "muscle man," attacking purely with physique and experience.
His seemingly flashy step-overs had no deceptive effect; just keep an eye on his upper body.
"Fuck!"
Cristiano Ronaldo, in a fit of anger, lashed out, colliding with Lance, cutting inside with the ball, ready to shoot!
Lance dared not be complacent.
His step-overs might be humorous, but he himself was not humorous.
This guy was still one of the strongest forwards in the world!
Lance quickly chased after him to block Cristiano Ronaldo's shot.
Cristiano Ronaldo, stubborn, insisted on forcing the shot!
"Ronaldooooo——"
Amidst the commentator's shouts, Cristiano Ronaldo's powerful right leg unleashed a decisive blast!
"Good block!"
Lance extended his leg at the crucial moment to block it!
The ball deflected off his boot, seemingly flying out of bounds.
"Phew—defended."
From any angle, this was a successful defence.
"Beautiful!"
Goalkeeper Oblak was ready to give Lance a thumbs-up.
As expected of Atlético Madrid's core, he was effective at both ends of the pitch.
Just when everyone thought the ball was about to go out, the left-back on the other side, Filipe Luís, was dumbfounded!
He didn't notice the ball, reacted half a beat late, and it hit him directly in the back!
In an instant, it changed direction and flew towards the goal!
Everything happened too fast, Oblak's instinctive save was already too late!
"WTF?"
The moment Lance turned around, he could only see the ball darting into the net from inside the post!
This can happen?
"Cristianooo Rooonaldooo——"
"Gooooooal——"
"An incredible shot, Real Madrid dramatically equalises with Cristiano Ronaldo's long-range effort!"
1-1!
27 minutes into the first half, both teams were back on equal footing.
Lance couldn't help but hold his head, much like Jackie Chan's meme expression.
Huh? What the fuck?
Cristiano Ronaldo didn't care about the details; whether it was an own goal or not, he just celebrated.
He smugly glanced at Lance, then sprinted towards the away fans' stand, leaping high.
Real Madrid fans were overjoyed, joining in Cristiano Ronaldo's celebration.
"Siuuuuuu~~~~"
...
"My God, this is truly insane!"
Griezmann couldn't help but curse in French several times.
Even Torres, usually so composed, wanted to swear.
"Never mind, never mind. Let's try to score another one, don't lose our composure."
Captain Gabi was also stunned.
Lance, as the team's core, quickly comforted his teammates.
It was just a lucky goal; it wouldn't be good to let it affect morale.
The Atlético Madrid players were also seasoned warriors and quickly adjusted their emotions, returning to their own half to prepare for kickoff.
Passing the coaching bench, Lance specifically looked at the opposing coach, Zidane.
The bald Zidane looked very dashing in his suit, a mysterious smile on his face.
No way, Zizou, are you really a master of the dark arts?
...
Fortunately, the rest of the first half passed without incident, with both teams fiercely battling in midfield for the next 20 minutes.
Neither side managed to score.
Going into the changing room at 1-1 was acceptable.
In the second half, they switched sides and resumed the match.
They had initially thought the previous goal was just an accident, but then in the 58th minute, Koke's tackle resulted in a free-kick in the attacking third.
Koke received a yellow card, and Cristiano Ronaldo stood over the ball, preparing to take the kick.
Lance, Griezmann, Saúl, and others formed a wall, and under Oblak's direction, they had blocked off all possible shooting angles.
"If this ball can be deflected, we might be able to organise a counter-attack."
Lance looked back at Ramos, Varane, Marcelo, and Carvajal.
All of Real Madrid's defensive line had come forward to the edge of the box to participate in the attack.
Only Toni Kroos and Modrić remained in the back to protect the defence.
If he and Griezmann rushed up to disrupt their formation, there might be a chance!
The free-kick was relatively close, making Cristiano Ronaldo's knuckleball less effective.
The distance wasn't enough for it to dip, and it could easily fly into the stands.
Cristiano Ronaldo took a few steps back in his familiar manner, measured his stride, took a lateral step, and struck his iconic pose.
"A bit showy."
"No choice, that's just him."
His teammates around him were all complaining about Cristiano Ronaldo's "standard free-kick routine."
They had grown accustomed to it over the years.
Beep—
The whistle blew, Cristiano Ronaldo started his run, and shot!
"Not enough height!"
Lance immediately judged that Cristiano Ronaldo, in an attempt to keep the arc low, would likely hit the wall with his free-kick.
At that moment, they started their run early, rushing forward to further reduce the defensive distance!
Lance was ready to receive the ball.
"Give it to me!"
Saúl next to him leapt high, ready to head the ball away.
However, at that very moment, Saúl noticed Cristiano Ronaldo's kick had a slight wobble, making it impossible to judge in such a short time!
Then, with a fierce whooshing sound, Saúl felt a pain in his head; he headed the ball but didn't know where it went.
Lance also ran a few steps before realising the ball hadn't come to him, and he looked back.
Well, I'll be!
The ball, deflected by Saúl's header, flew directly towards the other side of the goal!
"Oh no?!"
Goalkeeper Oblak had judged the direction and had already taken a few steps, but it was too late to change direction now!
His diving save could only watch the ball graze his fingertips, hit the inside of the post, and bounce into the net!
The Vicente Calderón Stadium instantly fell silent.
Atlético Madrid's home ground, 59 minutes into the second half, Atlético Madrid 1-2 Real Madrid!
Lance couldn't help but turn to look at Zidane.
Real Madrid's new coach still maintained his earlier smile.
When his gaze met Lance's, Zidane's smile widened.
One lucky goal was one thing, but twice it was a damned deflected shot.
"Alright, alright, playing the occult, are we?"
A small opening isn't open, not closed means it's open!