SWR: Chapter 1126/1128

Chapter 1126: Simeone's Raging Charge

Real Madrid's trip to Zurich was a fruitful one.

After returning to Valdebebas in Madrid, the club held a brief welcoming ceremony.

Except for Gao Shen, all the other award-winning players brought out their trophies and shared their joy with teammates. Ronaldo even gave everyone at Valdebebas a valuable and exquisite gift.

In this regard, the Portuguese star still knew how to behave.

Most Real Madrid players were also genuinely happy for their teammates' awards. In addition to congratulating them, Gao Shen also encouraged the others.

At the press conference before the Copa del Rey the next day, Gao Shen encouraged his players to learn from Ronaldo.

Gao Shen said Ronaldo deserved the award and everyone in Real Madrid was delighted.

"He was eager for this honor and worked very hard for it."

Gao Shen said he was not surprised by Ronaldo winning the award, but he emphasized repeatedly that although Ronaldo was extremely talented, his effort after joining the club was the key factor in his success.

"He's the hardest-working player I've ever seen and very disciplined."

"Talent is important, but it has to be proven through hard work. It is impossible to succeed on the pitch with only talent and no effort."

But Gao Shen also expressed some regret.

"I think Toni Kroos and Modric are both world-class midfielders, and I believe they deserve recognition."

"I also believe this will further motivate them to perform even better."

The current atmosphere within Real Madrid was excellent, and Gao Shen was very satisfied.

"As we all know, our training workload is very high, especially during the winter break. We have adjustment plans, but many of our young players are training separately, such as Pogba, Varane, Jese and Morata."

"They all work very hard on the training ground and push themselves to improve. I think this is very positive and reflects the mentality of our team."

"I am satisfied with the current situation of the team. I firmly believe our efforts will be rewarded."

…

On the evening of January 15, at El Sadar Stadium in Navarra.

In the second leg of the Copa del Rey round of 16, Real Madrid faced Osasuna away.

Since the weekend league game was also away, and many players had traveled back and forth to Zurich for the FIFA awards, and given that Real Madrid had already won the first leg at home, Gao Shen decided not to go all out but to rotate and adjust.

He used Casemiro and Illarramendi as a double pivot, with Isco ahead of them to showcase his creativity. Further forward, the trident consisted of Morata, Dzeko and Jese.

In the 32nd, 41st, and 55th minutes, with goals from Dzeko, Morata, and Jese, Real Madrid defeated Osasuna 3-0 away and advanced smoothly to the quarterfinals.

At the same time, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona also beat their opponents and advanced.

After the draw, Real Madrid's opponent in the quarterfinals was Espanyol.

…

Three days later, in the 20th round of La Liga, Real Madrid visited Osasuna.

Just 8 minutes in, Di Maria assisted Pepe, who scored with a header from a set-piece routine.

Three minutes later, assisted again by Di Maria, Ronaldo scored with a long-range strike to make it 2-0.

After that, Real Madrid's attack became unstoppable, dominating the game and bombarding Real Betis.

In the end, they won 7-0 away.

Di Maria scored once and provided three assists, delivering an outstanding performance.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema both scored twice.

This victory completely washed away the team's sluggishness since the winter break. Both the result and the performance showed the attacking Real Madrid of the first half of the season.

More importantly, Barcelona drew 1-1 away at Levante, and Atletico Madrid also drew 1-1 at home with Sevilla. Both major rivals stumbled.

This allowed Real Madrid to further extend their lead.

Media outlets such as Marca and AS exclaimed: The invincible Real Madrid is back.

…

Three days later, in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, Real Madrid beat Espanyol 1-0 away.

At the weekend, in the 21st round of La Liga, they defeated Granada 5-0 at home.

In the second leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-0 at the Bernabeu with goals from Dzeko and Pogba, advancing to the semifinals with a 3-0 aggregate score.

This time, Real Madrid's opponent would be Atletico Madrid.

That weekend, in the 22nd round of La Liga, Barcelona hosted Valencia at the Camp Nou.

Sanchez scored for Barcelona in the 7th minute, but former Real Madrid player Parejo scored one and assisted another to help Valencia turn the game around.

In the second half, Messi equalized with a penalty.

But the joy didn't last long. Feghouli dribbled past three players before crossing from the byline. Alcacer got ahead of Pique and scored to restore Valencia's lead.

In the end, Valencia defeated Barcelona 3-2 away.

At nearly the same time, Atletico Madrid beat Real Sociedad 4-0 at home with goals from Diego Costa, Villa, and others.

The final match of this round was Real Madrid's visit to Athletic Bilbao.

It was a tough game, and it wasn't until the second half that Real Madrid broke the deadlock. Ronaldo assisted Di Maria to score.

But soon after, Ramos made a mistake in clearing the ball, and Bilbao capitalized with a volley to make it 1-1.

At the critical moment, Toni Kroos fired a long-range shot from outside the box to seal the win for Real Madrid at San Mamés.

With a 2-1 victory, Real Madrid narrowly defeated Athletic Bilbao away.

After this round of matches, Spanish football was in an uproar.

Especially in Catalonia, where criticism of Martino reached a peak.

Barcelona had fallen to third in the league.

Not only were they behind Real Madrid, but even Atletico Madrid had overtaken them.

When had Barcelona fallen to the point of being behind both Madrid giants?

Simeone's team had indeed performed exceptionally well this season. Even after the winter break, they stayed close behind Real Madrid.

On the other hand, Barcelona were gradually showing signs of decline, as if they were running out of steam.

Of course, the most eye-catching team was still the finely tuned Real Madrid.

A perfect record of 22 league wins was truly incredible.

Although Real Madrid's performances varied over those 22 games, they were stable overall and extremely efficient in collecting points. This left people wondering how long the streak would last.

AS editor-in-chief Alfredo revealed that winning the league with a perfect record was not impossible.

In Europe's top five leagues, going unbeaten to win the title was rare but had happened. However, no team had ever won the title with a perfect record.

Gao Shen's Manchester City once had the chance but failed to achieve it.

Now, did Real Madrid have a chance to claim this honor?

In the history of Real Madrid, the longest winning streak was 15 games under Mourinho. In La Liga, the longest was Barcelona's 18-game streak. But now, Real Madrid had reached 22 straight wins.

This led Spanish media to conclude that Real Madrid would surely win La Liga this season.

Gao Shen's team also showed unstoppable momentum.

After the league match, focus shifted to Atletico Madrid, their semifinal opponents in the Copa del Rey.

As usual, Gao Shen rotated between league and cup games. Even though this was a big match, Ronaldo was rested, with the in-form Jese starting in his place.

The young Real Madrid forward expressed his ambition before the match.

"I hope to score against Atletico Madrid."

Midfielder Modric also said the team was in excellent form and confident of beating Atletico at the Bernabeu to take the first step toward the Copa del Rey final.

But Atletico Madrid were just as ambitious, especially Simeone, who even declared they would beat Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

"We will go to the Bernabeu and let all the fans see our progress."

Simeone boldly stated at the pre-match press conference.

He believed Real Madrid's biggest threat was their midfield.

"Their attack is the best in Europe. They have a superstar like Cristiano Ronaldo. Di Maria has also been excellent this season. Benzema and Dzeko are both top strikers in Europe."

Simeone denied rumors that Ronaldo would be rested but showed no fear.

"Ronaldo is indeed their most dangerous scorer, but we know him well. Whether he plays or not makes little difference to us. We will still win."

Simeone did not reveal exactly how he planned to defeat Real Madrid, but when the game began at the Bernabeu, his strategy was clear.

Midfield stranglehold.

Atletico Madrid's resilience was well known. What was even more shocking was that Simeone benched Villa, played Diego Costa as the lone striker, and packed the midfield with five players.

They lined up with Turan, Diego, Raul Garcia, Koke, and Gabi across midfield, aiming to overwhelm Xabi Alonso, Modric, and Toni Kroos.

Simeone was confident that Gao Shen would not underestimate Atletico.

Real Madrid were strong, but against a fierce Atletico, they couldn't hope to win without their strongest lineup.

Simeone was convinced of this.

In fact, if Gao Shen really rotated, Simeone considered it a good thing for Atletico, increasing their chances of winning.

But when the match actually started, Simeone was shocked to see his strategy only half working.

Under Atletico's intense pressure, Gao Shen had indeed rotated heavily.

Not only did he rotate, the changes were significant.

Ronaldo sat on the bench, replaced by Jese. Toni Kroos and Xabi Alonso were also rested, with Pogba and Casemiro starting instead.

"He actually dared..."

Simeone stood in front of the away dugout, his face showing surprise, disbelief, admiration, and even embarrassment.

"How dare he..."

The Argentine was angry and humiliated.

Filled with rage, he called on his players to charge forward.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1127: Angels Are Different

"A corner for Atletico Madrid."

"The delivery goes to the back post."

"Godin, heads it."

"Casillas misses it, Modric!"

"At the crucial moment, Modric clears it off the line."

"Real Madrid are very fortunate to keep it out."

"The score is still 0-0."

"Let's look at the slow-motion replay again. Modric's goal-line clearance was very risky."

"At the crucial moment, Modric kept the goal safe."

…

The entire Bernabeu rang with a collective sigh of relief.

Real Madrid's players were still clearly shaken by the scare they had just survived.

Gao Shen let out a long breath on the touchline, turned back to the home dugout, asked the staff next to him for a bottle of water, and took several big gulps.

It was the 52nd minute of the second half, and Real Madrid had almost conceded.

"Do you want to prepare a substitution?" Zidane asked with concern.

This was the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals, and it was at home. If they could not beat Atletico Madrid here, it would be very unfavorable for the second leg at the Calderon.

Real Madrid were not short of solutions. There were plenty of players on the bench, such as Ronaldo and Isco, who could change the course of the game. The key was what Gao Shen had in mind.

Gao Shen drank his water, fully aware that the players on the bench were itching to come on, especially Ronaldo.

He had already been out to warm up several times.

"Wait a little longer." Gao Shen still shook his head.

Zidane, Carlo, Hierro and the others looked at each other, some of them not understanding what Gao Shen was waiting for.

Or what he was thinking.

It was already the second half, and Real Madrid still could not break the deadlock. At this point, were they not planning to make changes?

Gao Shen saw their expressions but did not explain much.

There were some things he could think about and do, but he could not say them.

This was the loneliness of being a leader.

Spelling everything out would only make things worse.

Just like last September at the UEFA Elite Coaches Summit, when Guardiola mentioned that his reason for resigning was largely because he failed to limit the performances of Messi, Xavi, and others.

Did that sound outrageous?

For a genius like Messi and a commander like Xavi, how could you limit their performances?

Shouldn't you maximize their threat and strength?

But sometimes it really is like that.

With power comes responsibility, and vice versa.

When you ask players to take on more responsibility on the pitch, it means giving them more power.

But there is a problem.

Because modern football emphasizes collective play, the era of changing the game single-handedly is over.

Under Vilanova, Messi was given the greatest freedom, and Barcelona performed poorly in the Champions League.

On the other hand, what was the first thing Martino did when he took over Barcelona?

He moved Messi wider, which was a restriction on Messi.

Looking back at Gao Shen's past, all of Barcelona's successful seasons involved restricting Messi.

Of course, this restriction was not suppression, but tactical constraint.

As a superstar on par with Messi, the same applied to Ronaldo at Real Madrid.

Gao Shen had been restricting Ronaldo since he took over at Real Madrid, and he still needed to do so now.

But Ronaldo had just won the Ballon d'Or, which was a great event. Gao Shen could not pour cold water on him at this time.

If he really did that, cracks would definitely appear.

What should he do then?

Gao Shen started Jese in this game to remind Ronaldo that Real Madrid could cope without him.

Even in a crucial match like a home Copa del Rey semifinal against Atletico Madrid, Gao Shen dared to rotate him.

Of course, the prerequisite was being able to win.

This was a trade-off.

Otherwise, just imagine that if Ronaldo came on now, regardless of whether he succeeded in the end, his status at Real Madrid would be further elevated. Over time, he would become more and more untouchable and harder to constrain.

Sometimes Gao Shen thought that in his previous life, the reason Real Madrid won the Champions League four times in five years after Gareth Bale joined was also related to the team restricting Ronaldo.

Of course, this restriction was not pleasant.

Gao Shen's current approach was much gentler.

…

Now Real Madrid were attacking from right to left.

Taking advantage of a stoppage, Gao Shen called over Jese, who was closest to him.

"When you go back, tell Dzeko and Di Maria to rotate more. The three of you are too rigid with your positions."

"You have to drag their defenders with you."

Jese nodded firmly. He understood what the coach meant.

Gao Shen had already reminded them once at half-time.

But in the second half, facing Atletico's tight defense, they had all forgotten.

"Also, tell Pogba and Modric to carry the ball more. We can try to win more free kicks, and also look to play more small combinations with Di Maria."

Jese nodded to show he got it.

Gao Shen patted him on the shoulder and sent him back on.

Modric was one of the midfielders Gao Shen had admired most since he transmigrated. You could even remove the words one of.

Why did he value him?

Because he could reliably escape pressure and progress the ball under a high press. This ability was rare in all of European football.

Coincidentally, Pogba could do it too.

Gao Shen's pairing of these two in midfield tonight was by no means random.

But Simeone had also increased the pressing intensity in midfield tonight. He not only dropped both wingers back, but even had Diego Costa repeatedly track back, which put the entire Real Madrid midfield under a high-intensity stranglehold.

In this situation, Gao Shen had to make the midfield and front line work together.

And the key was Di Maria.

He had already given Di Maria some instructions at half-time, but after the restart, the performance was not ideal, so he called Jese over to add more detail.

As Jese returned to the pitch, he quickly passed on the detailed instructions.

Dzeko, Di Maria, Pogba, Modric, and the others also received the latest message and looked over.

Gao Shen made a rotation gesture from the touchline, indicating that they should rotate and drag the defenders with them.

As long as you drag them around, you create opportunities.

Against Atletico Madrid, once you score and break the deadlock, they become much harder to deal with.

…

Simeone stood in front of the away dugout. Seeing Gao Shen adjusting on the sidelines, he wiped the stubble on his face with his hand, stuck out his tongue, and licked his dry lips like a hungry wolf.

He realized Gao Shen was making adjustments, but he did not know what Gao Shen intended to do.

However, there was one thing he truly admired about Gao Shen, and that was rotation.

In the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals, against a mortal enemy like Atletico Madrid, Gao Shen still dared to rotate. That courage was admirable, especially since the rotation was not minor.

It was as if both full backs had been rotated tonight as well.

Marcos Alonso and Arbeloa started.

Previously, Arbeloa had clashed with Diego Costa, and both had bad tempers.

This kid was exactly to Simeone's taste, especially his little tug on Diego Costa's shirt to wind him up, which Simeone liked a lot.

Unfortunately, he should not have been under Gao Shen.

Gao Shen was a gentleman and particular about such things. Simeone was not. He would do anything to win.

No matter how Gao Shen adjusted, Simeone would stick to his own plan.

They had just launched a threatening counterattack. If Modric had not saved it on the line, Atletico would have been ahead.

He believed that as long as Atletico Madrid kept at it, they would get their chance.

"Hey, keep squeezing their midfield. Do not let them play forward easily." Simeone shouted as he walked to the touchline.

No matter what tactics you use, I will focus on suffocating your midfield.

No one knew more advanced tactics than Simeone, and the most important thing was still the midfield.

But not long after Simeone finished speaking, when Real Madrid worked it out from midfield, Pogba dribbled away from two defenders and passed to Di Maria.

The Argentine received the ball in the pocket between several Atletico midfielders. He killed the ball with his left foot, looked up, then struck a left-footed long shot.

This sudden effort had high quality and some swerve.

Asenjo shifted across to cover the angle, but failed to hold it and the ball spilled out.

Dzeko came in for the follow-up, but Miranda slid in to take ball and man.

The Bosnian center forward went down inside Atletico's area. The entire Bernabeu erupted in boos and shouts for a penalty.

But the referee waved both hands repeatedly, indicating no penalty and to play on.

The boos inside the Bernabeu grew even louder.

Simeone first smiled on the touchline, then his face stiffened. He walked to the sideline and blasted his players.

"How did you lose Di Maria?"

"Damn it, you let him receive there and still shoot?"

"Are you all blind?"

Simeone roared, and when he turned around to work, he glanced at Gao Shen next to him and found Gao Shen shaking his head and spreading his hands in disappointment. The Atletico coach's mood immediately improved.

Was Gao Shen upset?

Then he felt much better.

But gradually, Simeone's mood, which had just lifted, sank again, and the smile on his face froze.

Because he realized Real Madrid's entire front line had changed.

Especially Di Maria.

As a fellow Argentine, Simeone knew Di Maria's level too well.

After Gao Shen's adjustment, Di Maria no longer stuck to the right. He began actively linking with Pogba and Modric on both flanks and even in central areas.

This was a very obvious change.

Gao Shen had started to draw out Di Maria's versatility.

There was no doubt Di Maria was not a traditional core. He did not have Ronaldo's dominance, nor Messi's extraordinary skill set. But the Angel had his own footballing traits, or rather, traits that belonged to Argentina and South America.

He was different from European players.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1128: Simeone, I Was Wrong

Gao Shen once said that the biggest difference between European players and South American players is that Europeans are more stable, so stable that they seem mass-produced on an assembly line.

Barcelona's style of precise, stable, and patient possession play is simply impossible for South American teams to replicate.

Gao Shen even always felt that Messi for Barcelona and Messi for Argentina were two completely different versions, and the reason for this difference was that Argentina simply could not play the kind of football Barcelona played.

This is not about technical ability, but about football culture and a player's playing mindset.

It is like Riquelme not fitting in at Barcelona.

The so-called creativity of South American players is actually a spirit of adventure.

Many times, the tiny gaps they perceive are also seen by European players, but the football education and influence Europeans receive from childhood tell them immediately that the pass has a low success rate.

So they instinctively avoid risk and choose not to pass.

This is by no means accidental, but very common.

Because in European football, teams demand that passing accuracy meets the standard.

In contrast, South American players are more casual. They are more willing to try risky passes, sacrificing accuracy. Sometimes they do not even consider whether their teammates can collect the ball.

In the eyes of European players, this is irresponsible.

All European academies teach players to pass to a teammate's feet, to their stronger foot, with the right weight and timing.

All of this is to facilitate the receiver's next action.

But South American players?

They do not always do that.

They will take risks, they will experiment, they will play passes that seem illogical.

Is the pass not great?

No, they will tell you that you do not have to receive it conventionally. You can respond in an unorthodox way, or even stop and go.

So when you watch South American teams, you often see risky passes and dangerous receptions, yet they still find a way to control it. Even after collecting the ball, they resolve the earlier dilemma, launch a new attack, or create a fresh threat.

It is always unexpected and surprising.

But in European football, this style is not allowed, even strictly forbidden.

Why?

Because of fear of risk.

When you misplace a pass, you give your opponent an extra chance to attack.

And taking risks often means instability.

But now, all European teams pursue stability.

Why does Barcelona always win the league?

Because they are stable, shockingly stable.

Even Messi, an Argentine who has been completely Europeanized, feels different from traditional Argentine players like Aimar and Di Maria when you watch him play.

Or rather, Messi's style is not traditionally Argentine at all.

Messi is not unique in this. As many said back then, Rivaldo did not play like a Brazilian, and Kaka did not either. The same principle applies. They are Europeanized South Americans.

In recent years, in South America, especially in Brazil and Argentina, many teams have faced a dilemma in player development. Should they choose Europeanization, or continue to stick to South American culture?

Needless to say, choosing Europeanization makes it easier to succeed in Europe.

Sticking to the South American style is tradition.

These two ideas clash and compete constantly, which has also led to the relative downturn of youth development in Brazil and Argentina in recent years.

After all, in this Europe-centered wave of possession play, South American football has never found its own position.

But South American football is born with strong adaptability, just like their on-field style, flexible and maneuverable, and they can quickly adapt to new environments.

Gao Shen believes they will adjust quickly.

He believes that in a few years, we will see another wave of South American talents, from Brazil and Argentina, emerging in European football, continuing to bring pleasing, creative football to fans worldwide.

…

This is true on a large scale, and a similar situation exists even within a team.

Toni Kroos is famous for his stability, but his passing often struggles to produce unexpected surprises or shift tempo.

Modric is relatively more imaginative and adventurous, but still not like South American players.

So Gao Shen chose Di Maria.

Fans familiar with Di Maria know him well. The Argentine can use unexpected tricks to dribble, pass, and shoot, such as his signature scissor-kick cross.

These are unimaginable for many European players.

Facing Atletico Madrid, Gao Shen chose Di Maria.

Di Maria did not disappoint.

In the 67th minute, Dzeko moved to the right, Jese stayed central, and Di Maria appeared on the left.

Real Madrid's attack on the right broke down, and Modric switched play with a diagonal pass.

The ball was a little high and slow, so when Di Maria received it, Juanfran was already set.

But the Argentine was skilled and bold, and not panicked at all.

After chesting it down, he pinned it with his left foot and dribbled inside. He carried it slowly, step by step, easing Atletico's defensive alertness.

Especially after Koke recovered his position, Juanfran visibly relaxed.

But to everyone's surprise, Di Maria suddenly accelerated, shaped to play it, then disguised and poked the ball with the outside of his left foot.

The ball seemed to have eyes, slipping past Koke's left and landing on the left side of the six-yard box.

Jese, in the middle, had originally wanted to drop in for the pass, but Di Maria's sudden ball surprised not only the defender but also him.

The young Real Madrid forward reacted quickly, spun, exploded into space, shook off Miranda in one burst, and went straight to the left side of the six-yard box. He met Di Maria's pass and finished with his left foot. The ball went through Asenjo's legs and into Atletico's net.

By the time Asenjo reacted and crouched instinctively, the ball was already in.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"

"In the 67th minute, Jese breaks the deadlock for Real Madrid!"

"A goal from the talented young Jese, 1-0!"

"Di Maria's pass was beautiful and imaginative, threading it straight past Koke."

"Jese's turn and burst were extremely explosive."

"This is Real Madrid!"

"Their players can suddenly create a clear chance and catch their opponents off guard."

…

When Gao Shen saw Di Maria's brilliant pass and Jese's goal, he clenched his fists and celebrated.

This was exactly the effect he wanted.

A nutmeg like that was risky, and if Jese had reacted a fraction slower or broken later, for example if it had been Dzeko instead, the move would have broken down.

But sometimes, you have to admire the ingenuity of South American players.

This is something many European players do not have, and it can even be an advantage.

Gao Shen applauded vigorously, while also signaling the team to keep pressing forward and keep playing this way.

Especially Di Maria, Gao Shen encouraged him to be even more proactive.

Barely seven minutes after the goal, Di Maria switched back to the right.

The Argentine Angel drifted inside, swapping positions with Modric. The Croatian then advanced on the right and fed Dzeko.

The Bosnian center took it on the right channel outside the box with his back to goal but could not turn.

At that moment, Di Maria suddenly darted inside from the right half-space and raised his hand for the ball.

Dzeko slid it into Di Maria's path, right between Atletico's two midfielders, Gabi and Koke. A lane to goal opened again between Atletico's midfield and defense.

It was almost identical to Di Maria's earlier long shot.

The Argentine did not hesitate and struck immediately.

The ball flew like a cannonball, ripped through Atletico's two lines at high speed, and arrowed toward goal.

Crucially, when it hit the box, it bounced off the turf, making it even faster.

Asenjo read the line and dived across, but it was too late.

Di Maria's long-range effort flew into the left side of Atletico's goal.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"

"What a worldie!!!"

"A world-class strike from Di Maria!!!"

"One assist, one goal!"

"Di Maria has been excellent tonight. Whether it was the assist for Jese or this world-class strike, he has left a deep impression on everyone."

"The entire Bernabéu is on its feet, chanting Di Maria's name."

"This is Real Madrid's Angel!"

…

Simeone's face darkened and he turned away dejectedly.

He realized he had underestimated Di Maria and misjudged Gao Shen.

Perhaps Gao Shen never intended to use Ronaldo from the start. He wanted to use Di Maria.

Judging from the second-half trend, especially after Gao Shen's adjustments, Di Maria looked more like Real Madrid's offensive core, dictating their attacking direction and rhythm.

As an Argentine, Simeone knew Di Maria's style too well.

Sometimes, it truly surprises Europeans.

Whether it was the pass to Jese or the bouncing long-range strike, it was remarkable.

But anyone familiar with Argentina or South American football would not be surprised, because this kind of thing is very common in Argentina and South America.

Of course, very few are as strong as Di Maria.

This is a seriously underrated player.

Simeone had always felt that way.

In fact, he had always thought Gao Shen underestimated Di Maria.

But now it seemed he was wrong.

He had underestimated Gao Shen.

(To be continued.)