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(extra chapter)
Over the next few days, the football fever blazing from Germany set the whole world alight.
Football became the only thing anyone talked about on social media, with one thrilling match after another captivating fans everywhere.
On June 16th, Argentina demolished Serbia 6–0, announcing their championship ambitions in style.
Maxi Rodríguez scored twice, while Crespo, Tevez, and Messi each contributed a goal and an assist.
Su Hang's former Real Madrid teammate Cambiasso also found the net after an astonishing 26-pass build-up from the entire team.
After that performance, many believed Argentina had already revealed their true contender's form.
In the Netherlands' clash with Ivory Coast, Van Persie and Van Nistelrooy both scored, with Robben providing an assist.
On June 17th, Portugal defeated Iran 2–0.
Figo shone again with two assists, while Deco and "Manchester United's Little Ronaldo," Cristiano Ronaldo, each scored once.
The Italy vs. USA match, however, brought a surprise.
Pirlo assisted Gilardino to make it 1–0, but within five minutes, the Americans equalized, holding Italy to a 1–1 draw until the end.
On June 18th, Brazil beat Australia 2–0.
Ronaldo set up Adriano for the opener, and Robinho assisted Fred for the second.
Real Madrid players' assist counts kept soaring throughout the tournament.
France, on the other hand, found themselves in deep trouble.
Though Henry scored to give them the lead, South Korea equalized in the 81st minute.
Two straight draws left France's chances of advancing in doubt—a scenario no one had imagined before the tournament began.
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June 19th marked Spain's second group-stage match against Tunisia.
Aragonés once again fielded his preferred starting lineup, with only Alonso and Senna swapping positions.
But in the 8th minute, Tunisia scored first.
Spain launched wave after wave of attacks but couldn't find the breakthrough.
At the start of the second half, Aragonés substituted Senna for Fàbregas and brought on Raúl for Luis García.
Raúl pushed forward, Fàbregas moved to attacking midfield, and Spain shifted from a 4-3-1-2 to a 4-2-1-3, turning up the offensive pressure.
Tunisia's goal came under siege, yet Spain still lacked that final touch of luck.
Then, in the 70th minute, Aragonés turned toward Su Hang and motioned for him to warm up.
Spanish fans erupted in cheers.
Commentators were equally fired up.
"Su! Su Hang is warming up!"
"The camera's on him—Real Madrid and Spain's double captain!"
"Su Hang is finally getting ready to enter the fray—Aragonés' secret weapon!"
"Everyone knows Su Hang is a clutch performer—he's led countless incredible comebacks!"
"He's the kind of player who thrives in adversity and helps his team turn things around!"
"Su Hang is warming up—Aragonés finally made the right call!"
But in the 72nd minute, Fàbregas delivered a perfect assist, and Spain's number seven, Raúl, slotted home the equalizer.
Just as the assistant coach was about to signal the substitution, Su Hang stopped him and walked over to whisper something to Aragonés.
Aragonés' expression turned strange.
Su Hang said quietly, "Our morale's sky-high right now. Making a substitution now would break our rhythm."
"Besides, with Tunisia pushing forward, Torres' threat will only grow."
The assistant coach looked completely baffled.
What was happening?
Aragonés had planned to replace Torres with Su Hang—that would have been Spain's final substitution.
But Su Hang was telling him to wait?
If Su Hang hadn't been in uniform, the assistant might've thought he was part of the coaching staff.
In the end, Aragonés agreed with the suggestion from Su Hang and Simón.
Minutes later, Fàbregas launched a counterattack pass.
Torres broke free and finished one-on-one.
2–1!
Spain turned the match around!
Before the players could even start celebrating, Aragonés and his assistant leaped from the bench, hugging Su Hang and Simón tightly.
"You were right, Su! You were damn right!" the assistant shouted, ecstatic.
If I could give ratings, Su Hang wouldn't just get five stars—he deserves six!"
If you hadn't seen it yourself, you'd never believe Torres—who had been underwhelming so far—would score.
But Su Hang had predicted it minutes before it happened.
No... Su Hang couldn't have known that.
That must've been Simón's call.
Yes, definitely Simón!
As the coach who led Real Madrid to four consecutive titles, how could Simón not understand tactics?
But he knew the importance of respecting his superior, so he let Su Hang do the talking.
Though Su Hang stayed on the bench, the coaching staff knew full well how much Aragonés admired him.
Su Hang's guidance in training and his leadership over the squad had showcased the charisma of a true captain.
Because of that, Aragonés had already started thinking about how to integrate Su Hang into his possession-based system.
He'd never changed his tactics for any player before—he always chose players to fit his system.
Had he been given even two more months, Aragonés would've started Su Hang without question.
Simón was brilliant!
After the celebrations, Aragonés turned to Su Hang, his look saying, "Now are you ready to come on?"
But Su Hang shook his head.
He looked over at Joaquín, who seemed a little down.
As one of the three who had been warming up, Joaquín was clearly eager to play.
"The way the game's shaping up now, it's perfect for Joaquín's pace and dribbling," Su Hang suggested.
Aragonés had been thinking the same thing.
Still, he hesitated—he couldn't just announce Su Hang was coming on and then replace someone else instead.
Wouldn't that make Captain Su lose face?
But to his surprise, Su Hang's thinking matched his own.
"Joaquín! Joaquín will come on for David Villa!"
"Joaquín looks absolutely delighted, grinning from ear to ear. Let's hope we'll still see him shining on the top stage five or six years from now."
Su Hang chuckled, "How about fifteen or sixteen years? He might just make it—he's a living fossil of La Liga."
"That means Su Hang won't be playing tonight."
"But judging from how he's still discussing things with Aragonés and Simón, he clearly agrees with the decision."
"Aragonés keeps consulting with Su Hang—they're clearly analyzing the match together."
At the 90th minute, substitute Joaquín used his pace and dribbling to beat defenders before threading a perfect through ball.
Torres received it inside the box and was brought down—another penalty!
This time, he took it himself and converted.
3–1!
Spain completed a spectacular comeback.
Torres scored twice.
Fàbregas provided two assists.
Raúl got the crucial equalizer.
Joaquín added the finishing touch, proving his worth.
But the most admirable moment came from Su Hang's decision to refuse his own substitution.
In the post-match interview, Aragonés revealed everything:
"I was planning to replace Torres with Su Hang. We all knew Torres hadn't been performing well up to that point, and as the head coach, I had to make sure we won."
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(35 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser