Chapter 75: Del Bosque's High Hopes
After Lin showcased his skills, he felt his standing within the team had significantly improved.
Raul, who always greeted everyone with a smile, showed extra care towards him.
Not only did he share his years of on-field experience but also shared some tips to avoid injuries.
"Lin, you're still young, and your professional career ahead is long, so you must, must take good care of yourself and avoid getting injured."
Having played football for many years, Raul had witnessed numerous superstars rise and fall.
Many of these fallen players succumbed to injuries, like his former Real Madrid teammate, Ronaldo the Alien.
Before his injury, Ronaldo was deemed an Alien, feared by all defenders.
However, post-injury, Ronaldo's threat drastically decreased, his match form deteriorated day by day, no longer the formidable force of his heydays.
Spain awaited a promising forward like Lin, and Raul, the veteran of the national team, genuinely hoped Lin wouldn't meet the same fate as those once bright stars of history.
"Don't worry, Captain, I will take care of myself!"
Recently affected by an injury in the league, Lin vividly recalled the memory of that injury.
He had already decided that after this national team match, he would quickly accumulate points to exchange for a talent related to injury immunity.
Even if he couldn't achieve complete immunity, reducing the risk of injury and minimizing its impact would be beneficial.
Raul nodded in relief; young people often ignore advice, even when provided by experienced individuals.
These suggestions were culminated from over a decade of professional career experiences.
Del Bosque held high expectations for Lin after his outstanding performance in the practice match.
In the team's tactical exercises, he specifically arranged for Lin to play as a roving forward.
Giving him immense freedom to decide his playing style in the forward position.
Initially, this approach drew discontent from some veteran players, feeling Del Bosque had overly high expectations for the newcomer, showering him with too much favoritism.
The role of a roaming forward required exceptional skills, technical ability, and match experience. Except for extraordinary superstars, ordinary players couldn't handle that position.
Look at the prominent roving forwards in European football—Maradona, Platini, Zico, followed by Totti, Kaka, and Messi. These are all superstars!
Can a seventeen-year-old youth play as a roaming forward?
No, he can't! I suggest Bosque understands football concepts first and plays to Spain's strengths honestly. Why bother with these impractical things, Spain's lineup is already strong without these hi-tech gimmicks.
Almost everyone doubted Bosque's decision, but the results of the training match surprised everyone.
Lin not only had no problems playing as a roaming forward, but he excelled like a fish in water.
His coordination with teammates, connections, ball distribution, offensive organization, and finishing were impeccable.
It seemed he was born to play in that position!
Not only did he meet Del Bosque's expectations, but he even surpassed them.
The other players in the Spanish team had nothing to say at this point.
Their gaze towards Lin had completely changed because his abilities exceeded their comprehension.
"This kid is a genius!"
Coach Tony excitedly praised his long-time partner.
Del Bosque couldn't stop smiling; he thought he had found a gem, but it turned out to be a gold mine!
"I'm starting to worry about Raul!"
Standing next to Xavi, Iniesta's eyes revealed shock and concern.
Lin's strength was even greater than they imagined. If he returned to Barcelona and competed with Messi...
Would the aging Messi be able to compete with him?
"Leo's starting position doesn't need to be worried about for now. And with Lin's return, it may not necessarily take away Leo's position. Both of them have very high soccer IQ, they might be able to coexist and have a greater combined impact!"
In Harvey's mind, the anticipation had already begun. He looked forward to seeing Lin return after his loan spell and wreak havoc with them at Barcelona.
With Lin's joining, Barcelona's strength would reach new heights, plus the young Brazilian winger they were negotiating for.
Just thinking about how powerful Barcelona would be next year, got everyone excited! League champions, Champions League winners, Club World Cup champions...
They all wanted to reclaim what belonged to them!
After a brief training camp, the entire Spanish team flew to Belarus on October 12th to prepare to face their second group stage opponent.
Belarusian fans warmly welcomed the arrival of the world champions. They went to the airport to "greet" them, even "escorted" the Spanish team's bus to their hotel.
Even at night, to prevent the Spanish players from feeling lonely, they organized a lively outdoor performance.
So, the next morning, Lin found that many teammates had panda eyes.
"What time did you go to sleep last night? Why are your dark circles so serious?"
Seeing Morata's comical panda eyes, Lin couldn't help but laugh.
"Don't ask. Those guys were making noise all night, and I only fell asleep after midnight."
Morata yawned wearily, glanced at Lin, and was surprised to find that the lad looked energetic and lively, without any dark circles.
"How come you didn't hear the noise those guys made outside last night?"
Lin pulled out his earplugs and showed them to Morata.
"I didn't hear anything. I wore these before going to bed."
"Ah, why didn't you remind me? I would have bought a pair too!"
"I thought you already knew, so I didn't say anything!"
Even though Lin said this, he felt a little grateful to the former captain, Raul.
He bought the sleep aid earplugs after Raul's reminder, as the latter advised him to be prepared for unexpected situations while playing away matches.
It seemed Morata hadn't received the same reminder, or perhaps ignored it.
The home team's fans creating noise outside the hotel was something many teams' fans liked to do. This could effectively impact the opponents' competitive state and wasn't against the rules.
If you can't stand it, you can always change hotels. No one is stopping you.
While that was said, with so many people on the team, and it being late, further changes in hotels would consume even more of the players' energy. Additionally, there was no assurance they wouldn't continue to be disturbed by the home fans after moving to a new hotel. So, apart from reporting to the local police, there wasn't much else they could do.
However, even after reporting to the police, if the other party doesn't respond, they can't make any decisions.
From last night's situation, it was clear that Minsk's police were not concerned about this matter.
After the team gathered, Del Bosque noticed that many players, especially the younger ones, weren't in good spirits. It was then decided to let them continue resting while he trained the remaining players.
The training content on match day was very simple, with not much exertion.
In the morning, they focused on recovery-oriented physical exercises, mainly some aerobic activities that wouldn't burden the players' physical fitness.
In the afternoon, they engaged in some ball-related training, incorporating simple tactical coordination to ensure their feel for the game during the match.
Although the training content was straightforward, a large group of journalists and fans surrounded the training ground.
Seeing the cameras set up by journalists outside, Lin gained a more tangible understanding of the popularity and attention the Spanish national team received.
Truly, as world champions, even in a minor group match, they received such treatment.
If this were a more compelling group fixture, the number of journalists would probably be even larger!
Those following this match include not only fans of Spain and Belarus, but also other teams in the same group. Besides, some strong teams aspiring for the 2013 Confederations Cup and 2014 World Cup also kept an eye on Spain, the defending champions, and their new lineup.
The whole world knew that Spain's forward line wasn't strong, and they were all concerned that Spain might suddenly find a solution to their weak attack.
Especially with the consecutive recruitment of so many forwards, everyone was afraid that they might eventually find the correct answer!
So, they would constantly monitor Spain's matches to understand their latest situation.
The focus match of the European zone's second round of World Cup qualifiers, where the defending champions faced Belarus, officially kicked off at the Dinamo Stadium in Minsk.
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