Real Oviedo is a Spanish club competing in the third-tier C1 League.
Many people may not be familiar with this league, but the picture becomes clearer with a comparison.
Real Madrid's reserve team, Castilla, won the C1 League last season, finishing 14 points ahead of second-placed Tenerife and securing promotion to the Segunda División. With Castilla moving up, Real Madrid's C team, which had been working hard in the fourth division, finally got their chance and were directly promoted to the C1 League.
This is due to the Spanish Football Association's rule that the C team cannot compete in the same division as the B team, or at a higher level.
Oviedo competed in the C1 League last season as well, finishing sixth with the same number of points as Atlético Madrid's B team.
However, it's worth noting that Castilla lost both matches against Oviedo last season.
They suffered back-to-back defeats, home and away.
Before heading north to Oviedo, Gao Shen was interviewed by AS and Marca and smiled, saying he wanted to avenge the youth team's losses.
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That said, judging by the starting lineup, it was clear that Gao Shen hadn't fielded his strongest team.
Goalkeeper: Courtois.
Defense: Marcos Alonso, Pepe, Ramos, Carvajal.
Midfield: Kaká, Granero, Verratti.
Forwards: Jesé, Morata, Vázquez.
This lineup looked more like a defensive training exercise.
Only nine minutes into the match, Ramos sent a long ball from the back. Jesé suddenly accelerated in the final third, beat the offside trap, and drove into the penalty area from the left. Facing the onrushing keeper, he calmly slotted the ball into the net to open the scoring for Real Madrid.
Just six minutes later, Morata unleashed a long-range shot that forced a save from Oviedo keeper Barrio. Kaká followed up with another powerful shot, but it narrowly missed the target.
Four minutes after that, Vázquez broke down the right and delivered a cross. Morata met it with a volley in front of goal, extending the lead to 2-0.
In the 35th minute, Morata received the ball and, while being double-teamed, dribbled into the box and suddenly cut it back. Kaká followed up and tapped the ball into the net with ease, making it 3-0.
Real Madrid kept piling on the pressure.
Four minutes later, Morata played a through ball and Vázquez broke into the right side of the box and finished, making it 4-0.
In the 41st minute, Jesé cut in from the left and whipped in a cross, forcing an own goal and taking the score to 5-0.
Having effectively secured victory in the first half, Gao Shen completely switched tactics in the second, opting for a back three.
Varane, Nacho, and Albiol formed the new defensive line, and the front line saw frequent adjustments.
Higuaín, Di María, Granero, and others all made appearances throughout the second half.
In the end, Real Madrid scored three more goals after the break, defeating Oviedo 8-2 away from home.
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After returning from the warm-up match in northern Spain, Gao Shen criticized the team's defensive performance during the review the next day.
The first half was fine, but in the second half, after taking a big lead, the team didn't apply enough pressure. The defenders failed to coordinate effectively, allowing Oviedo three clear chances and conceding twice.
Gao Shen acknowledged that the lack of chemistry and unfamiliarity with new tactics were understandable, but he considered poor execution or player complacency to be unacceptable.
He made it clear to the squad: only 22 players would be on the training camp roster to the United States at the end of the month.
"Take care of yourselves!"
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Three days later, the team left Madrid for Lisbon, Portugal.
They were invited to take part in the Eusebio Cup, a warm-up match held at Estádio da Luz.
Once again, Real Madrid used a back-three formation.
But unlike before, this time Gao Shen paired Pepe, Xabi Alonso, and Varane in defense.
As a result, the team conceded within the first four minutes.
Real Madrid regained the lead with two goals from Di María, but the score was soon leveled again.
In the second half, Gao Shen made widespread substitutions, and Benfica conceded three straight goals.
Kaká's performances in two consecutive matches were far from impressive.
In the second half, Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Toni Kroos, Verratti, Modrić, and others all came on and scored, but the team's overall performance remained lackluster. New signing Toni Kroos' appearance as a center-back was especially poor.
After the match, Gao Shen told the media that the team had just completed over two weeks of intensive physical training, and their form was still being adjusted.
Surprisingly, Gao Shen seemed more pleased with the intra-squad training matches than the actual games. He didn't criticize the players for conceding five goals, instead expressing satisfaction with the team's progress.
This stood in stark contrast to the outrage and even skepticism expressed by fans and media.
Everyone knew Gao Shen never placed much importance on warm-up matches, but conceding five goals was still quite embarrassing.
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After finishing the Eusebio Cup in Lisbon, Real Madrid returned to Madrid.
The next day, Gao Shen took 22 players to the United States. Their first stop was Los Angeles on the West Coast.
On August 2, Real Madrid faced LA Galaxy at the Home Depot Center.
Gao Shen once again adjusted his tactics, this time using a 4-4-2 formation. In the first half, goals from Higuaín, Di María, and Vázquez gave Real Madrid a 3-1 lead.
Former Real Madrid star David Beckham assisted a teammate with a free kick for LA Galaxy's goal.
In the second half, Morata and Jesé both found the net.
In the end, Real Madrid defeated LA Galaxy 5-1.
Cristiano Ronaldo came on in the second half and played 45 minutes. He was very active, but his finishing was poor and he failed to score despite several attempts.
Although Real Madrid claimed a big win, the overall flow of the match and the quality of their defense were far from convincing.
Marca commented that Real Madrid was still far from being a finished product.
Alfredo, the editor-in-chief of AS, noted that Gao Shen's team had clearly developed a different tactical style, one that was more aggressive and focused on ball control and tempo, consistent with Gao Shen's philosophy.
"But with the current level of performance, it's still nowhere near enough to compete in La Liga."
Nevertheless, both of Real Madrid's media mouthpieces repeatedly emphasized that Gao Shen never took pre-season matches seriously.
So far, in the first three warm-up matches, Gao Shen had used six different starting lineups and tactics.
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On August 5, Real Madrid faced the reigning Liga MX champions Santos Laguna in Las Vegas.
It turned out to be a tough game, as the opponent had solid team strength and individual talent.
Xabi Alonso opened the scoring with a long-range effort in the first half.
But in the 25th minute, the Mexican side equalized.
As usual, Gao Shen rotated the entire squad in the second half and adjusted the team's tactical approach.
Toni Kroos scored the winning goal in the 72nd minute with his signature long-range strike.
Real Madrid edged out Santos Laguna 2-1.
…
On August 8, Real Madrid traveled from the West Coast to the East Coast for a showdown with AC Milan in New York.
This was a marquee fixture and the highlight of their U.S. tour.
According to a previously signed agreement, Real Madrid had to field a full all-star starting eleven.
It was the first time that Gao Shen used his main squad.
Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas.
Defense: Pepe, Xabi Alonso, Ramos.
Midfield: Toni Kroos, Kaká, Modrić, Di María.
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Higuaín.
The stars were all on the pitch, and Real Madrid deployed a 3-4-3 formation. It was the first time they used this system in the summer friendlies, with Kroos returning to his left attacking midfield role, and Kaká and Modrić operating in central midfield.
This intricate style of play helped Real Madrid dominate early on.
In the first half-hour, Real Madrid completely controlled possession and tempo. AC Milan didn't manage a single shot, while Real Madrid constantly created chances.
However, Ronaldo, Benzema, and Di María all missed their opportunities.
It wasn't until the 24th minute that Ronaldo's high pressing forced Bonera into an error. The Portuguese broke into the left side of the box and squared the ball across goal. Higuaín arrived and scored with his left foot.
But after taking the lead, Real Madrid lost their grip.
Before halftime, defensive lapses allowed Cassano and El Shaarawy to each score, giving AC Milan a 2-1 lead.
In the second half, both sides exchanged waves of attacks, but with Gao Shen continuing to rotate players and adjust tactics, Real Madrid's performance failed to improve.
Even though Ronaldo scored twice in the second half, AC Milan eventually sealed a 5-3 win with goals from Kevin-Prince Boateng (twice) and Emanuelson.
So far, Real Madrid had played five summer friendlies and conceded five goals in two of them. It was absurd.
The media and fans around the world voiced their concerns about Real Madrid's prospects for the upcoming season.
Sport, the Catalan daily, pointed out that from Pellegrini to Mourinho, Real Madrid had only conceded five goals in a match once over the past few years—and that was against the mighty Manchester City.
Yet in less than half a month under Gao Shen, Real Madrid had twice conceded five goals.
To make matters worse, on August 11 in Philadelphia, Real Madrid lost 0-2 to Scottish side Celtic.
Across six friendlies, the team had three wins and three losses, scoring 15 goals and conceding 16.
This record was unimpressive by any standard, especially since eight of the 15 goals were scored against a third-tier Spanish side.
Against stronger opponents like Benfica, AC Milan, and Celtic, Real Madrid suffered three consecutive defeats, scoring just five goals and conceding twelve—truly humiliating.
In contrast, AS and Marca remained patient. They emphasized that Gao Shen's teams had always performed poorly in pre-season and that he had constantly rotated players and shifted positions during the six matches.
Clearly, this was more like military training.
But for the media and fans, such heavy defeats and consecutive losses were a major concern.
Rumors started to surface.
From questions about Gao Shen's job security, to accusations that Real Madrid could only bully weaker teams, to reports of dissent in the locker room—speculation ran rampant.
It created the illusion that Real Madrid was finished.
Yet the club remained silent.
Only Florentino Pérez reiterated his support for Gao Shen during the team's stop in New York after the 3-5 defeat to AC Milan.
(To be continued.)