In the twenty-fifth minute, after a string of crisp passes, Deco tried his luck with a long-range effort from midfield.
The strike was top-class.
Deco had been outstanding at the World Cup this summer as well, proof that he was still firmly at his peak.
Fortunately, Casillas was fully alert and kept the ball out.
In the twenty-eighth minute, Barcelona's attack surged forward again like a rolling tide.
In order to stop Ronaldinho, Emerson grabbed hold of him and was eventually shown a yellow card.
The defensive pressure on Real Madrid was visibly increasing.
If the match hadn't still been so early, Capello might already have been tempted to take Raúl and Van Nistelrooy off and bring on an extra center back and a defensive midfielder.
In the thirty-seventh minute, Barcelona once again put together a spell of slick passing in the attacking third.
Ronaldinho received the ball, used a flip-flap to shake off Emerson, then played it across to Deco.
Without taking a touch, Deco lofted a long pass toward the far post, creating a clear chance.
Iniesta, who had swapped positions with Messi, collected the ball on the right side of the penalty area. He used a roulette to get past Roberto Carlos and, before Cannavaro could step in, cut the ball back toward the edge of the box.
Bang!
From the right side of the area, Messi curled a left-footed shot toward goal.
This time, even if Casillas had grown two extra arms, he still wouldn't have been able to stop a shot that flew straight into the top corner.
Swish!
The Bernabéu fell silent.
"GOAL!"
"Messi! Messi!"
Amid the excited cries of the Barcelona-aligned commentators, even the pronunciation of Messi's name sounded sharper than usual.
"One–two! Barcelona pull one back through the youngster Messi!"
"You have to say, this Messi is genuinely impressive. Barcelona made the right call this season by backing him as their starting right winger!"
"No wonder Barça fans love comparing Messi to Su Hang. Their styles are completely different, but at least they're both products of their club's academy."
On screen, Messi kissed the Barcelona badge, expressing his loyalty and love for the club.
After all, he had renewed his contract this summer, received a pay raise, and was already earning a starter's salary despite not yet being a guaranteed starter.
His agent had even told him that his wages might increase again in the first half of next year.
From a starter's salary to a top-tier wage second only to Ronaldinho and Eto'o.
Since Real Madrid had managed to produce a superstar like Su Hang through the "Zidane + Pavón" plan, Barcelona would surely be able to turn Messi into a star of their own through their idol-making campaign.
Su Hang: ???
Su Hang: Zidane + Pavón? Read that again—what part of that has anything to do with me?
In the forty-fourth minute, Van Nistelrooy won a free kick for Real Madrid.
Zidane took it as a rehearsed set piece.
After a fierce tussle with Thuram, Su Hang rose first.
However, the ball came in rather low.
Bang!
It struck Su Hang squarely in the chest and bounced toward goal.
Valdés reacted instantly, producing a reflex save to punch the ball out for a corner.
Su Hang clicked his tongue in frustration.
If that had gone in, his journey toward becoming a true shooting star would have been complete.
...
When the referee blew the whistle to end the first half, both the fans in the stadium and those watching on television felt it had passed far too quickly.
That alone showed just how entertaining the match had been.
Even many fans who rarely watched La Liga had tuned in for this one.
Soon enough, the second half got underway.
In the forty-seventh minute, Real Madrid launched an attack initiated by Su Hang.
Out on the flank, Su Hang strung together several stepovers, deliberately teasing Zambrotta.
Just as Barcelona fans were mocking his moves for lacking smoothness and deception, Su Hang flicked the ball inward and cut inside.
Relying on his explosive burst, he seized a positional advantage.
Then, using his powerful frame, he pinned Zambrotta and completed the move inside.
Bang!
From the left side of the penalty area, Su Hang curled a right-footed shot toward goal.
Unfortunately, Thuram threw himself in the way, blocking the effort and sending the ball out for a corner.
Applause rang out around the Bernabéu.
After all, Zambrotta was no ordinary fullback.
He was a genuinely versatile wide player, capable of playing left or right midfield, as well as left or right fullback, and reaching world-class standards in all four roles.
Su Hang's successful cut inside meant Real Madrid now had more options going forward.
But before they could capitalize on that, in the fifty-ninth minute Ronaldinho once again dazzled through the middle with a sequence of flamboyant dribbles before laying the ball off to Deco.
Deco took a brief pause, and once Messi started his run, slipped a through ball into space.
Messi made an off-the-ball cut inside and took a few quick touches under Cannavaro's tight marking.
Because of Messi's rapid footwork, Cannavaro didn't dare commit, retreating step by step instead.
Bang!
Messi struck the ball—only for it to turn out to be a disguised pass.
Cannavaro was completely sold by the feint, launching himself into a block and losing his position entirely.
Ronaldinho, who had released the ball earlier and continued his forward run, arrived just ahead of Kompany and poked the ball into the net.
Casillas was powerless to stop it.
"GOAL! Two–two!"
"Barcelona have scored twice in a row!"
"Ronaldinho! This is the ability of the strongest player in world football!"
"He starts the attack and finishes it himself—his all-around brilliance is terrifying!"
"If Su Hang is the ultimate number nine, and Zidane the ultimate number ten, then Ronaldinho is the ultimate nine plus ten!"
"He deserves the Ballon d'Or more than any Real Madrid player!"
The Barcelona commentators were practically shouting themselves hoarse as they began chanting Ronaldinho's name.
The battle for the Ballon d'Or had officially begun.
On the pitch, Messi, who had provided the assist, and Ronaldinho, who had scored, exchanged a smile.
They ran together toward the corner flag. Ronaldinho pointed to his back, and Messi instantly understood—leaping up and landing on Ronaldinho's back.
Barcelona fans were moved to tears.
"Ronaldinho carrying Messi on his back! This is the King of Barcelona acknowledging the Crown Prince!"
"These past two years have marked a generational handover in world football."
"For Portugal, King Figo and Crown Prince Cristiano Ronaldo fought their way through the World Cup, lifting the national team from Europe's second tier to the very top level."
"For Spain, Su Hang succeeded Raúl, with two generations of kings leading the team to the summit of the world."
"At the national team level, Su Hang and Zidane are staging a true season of kings!"
"And now, Barcelona too have reached their moment of succession. But compared to Portugal, Spain, or Real Madrid, Barcelona are even more fortunate—their new king is already in place, while the former king, Ronaldinho, is still in his prime."
"Ronaldinho has at least five peak years left! These five years will see him and Messi lead Barcelona to dominate world football!"
The Barcelona commentator was so emotional that he was on the verge of tears.
In his mind's eye, he could already see the glorious rise of the second Dream Team dynasty.
"Look at Messi, who has one goal and one assist in this match, and then look at Su Hang hanging his head in the replay—who still dares say Messi isn't qualified to be compared with Su Hang?"
"La Liga's so-called 'imprisoned striker' Su Hang has now gone two consecutive matches without scoring."
"His goal drought continues!"
"This is his form right as Ballon d'Or voting opens—maybe he isn't as clutch as everyone thought! That World Cup final hat-trick was nothing more than a fluke!"
Hype.
The Barcelona commentator kept hyping relentlessly.
Scoring two goals in quick succession had given them immense confidence.
It felt as if the scoreline wasn't 2–2, but 8–2.
Bayern: Why is my DNA stirring???
...
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