Villarreal B Team Head Coach Rivaldo's office was located on the second floor of the club, appearing somewhat cramped compared to the spacious and impressive office of the first-team Head Coach Escribá.
Upon entering, one could immediately feel the compact space, yet every inch was fully utilized by Rivaldo, revealing a simple and pragmatic atmosphere.
The paint on the walls was already somewhat mottled, clearly showing the marks left by the passage of time.
The decor was minimalist, with no superfluous paintings or ornaments; the only few photos were his group shots with players on the field, each capturing a moment of their shared struggle.
The most striking feature in the office was undoubtedly the mountain of video footage and football books.
Videotapes were neatly stacked in one corner, their labels of various colors making it easy for Rivaldo to quickly find the match footage he needed. Football books, on the other hand, occupied the entire bookshelf, covering everything from tactical analysis to player psychology, from classical works to the latest publications. These books were all well-worn, with dog-eared pages and deep thumbprints on their spines, testifying to Rivaldo's diligence and focus.
On Rivaldo's desk sat a computer and several scattered notebooks. The computer screen displayed match footage being analyzed, while the notebooks were densely filled with his tactical ideas and player analyses. A half-empty cup of coffee sat on the corner of the desk, emitting a faint aroma, as if it were the only luxury in this small office.
Although this office lacked the luxurious decor and spaciousness of the first-team Head Coach's office, it embodied Rivaldo's passion for football and his dedication to his career. This was where he strategized and triumphed, and also a bridge for him to communicate with his players.
In this simple yet wise little world, Rivaldo wrote his own football legend with his talent and hard work.
Lin Feng gently knocked on Rivaldo's office door, and hearing a deep, strong "Come in" from inside, he pushed the door open and entered.
Rivaldo was sitting at his desk, his eyes fixed on the computer screen, which was playing a match recording. Seeing Lin Feng enter, he pointed to a nearby chair, signaling Lin Feng to sit down.
"Lin Feng, you've come at a good time," Rivaldo said. "I'm currently watching footage of Molina, the opposing forward for our next match. You should take a look too."
Lin Feng leaned over and saw a forward in the opponent's jersey on the screen, roaming inside the penalty area, looking for shooting opportunities. Lin Feng noticed that this forward indeed disliked dribbling; every touch he made was concise and efficient, aimed directly at the goal.
"Molina is a true fox in the box," Rivaldo explained. "He always looks for opportunities within the penalty area, and once he gets the ball, he can quickly take a shot. To successfully defend him, we must learn to anticipate his intentions."
Rivaldo paused the video, pointing at Molina on the screen and saying, "Look, after he gets the ball here, he doesn't choose to dribble or pass, but shoots directly. That's his characteristic; he always makes the most correct decision in the shortest amount of time."
Lin Feng nodded, indicating his understanding. He knew that to successfully defend Molina, he had to anticipate his movements in advance and either disrupt or clear the ball before he could shoot.
"This match is very important for us, Lin Feng," Rivaldo continued. "You are a key figure in our defense, and I hope you can successfully limit Molina's performance. Remember, anticipation is key."
Lin Feng stared intently at the video screen, his gaze sharp. He saw that Molina not only shot decisively during the match but also displayed astonishing ability when contesting headers. Whenever an opposing player attempted a high cross into the penalty area, Molina could always accurately judge the landing spot, using his Powerful Header to direct the ball towards the goal or directly flick it to a teammate to create an attacking opportunity.
This scene reminded Lin Feng of the "Powerful Header" skill in his Superstar Template System. This skill would allow him to have a higher jumping height, stronger power, and more accurate landing spot judgment when contesting headers. Lin Feng knew that this skill would be an important ace up his sleeve when defending Molina.
Then, Rivaldo stood up and said to Lin Feng, "Lin Feng, let's go to the training ground now. I've designed a targeted training plan for you to improve your anticipatory defensive ability."
Lin Feng followed behind Rivaldo, and the two of them arrived together at the sun-drenched training ground. The grass on the field was neatly trimmed, and the white netting of the goal gently swayed in the breeze. Lin Feng could feel a unique scent belonging to a football field, a mixture of sweat, grass, and sunshine, which instantly invigorated him.
Rivaldo took out several training cones and footballs from the equipment box, then explained the training plan to Lin Feng in detail. He planned to improve Lin Feng's anticipatory defensive ability against forwards like Molina through various scenario training in simulated matches.
The training began. Rivaldo personally played the role of Molina, mimicking Molina's movements and runs from the match footage, trying to break through Lin Feng's defense. Lin Feng, on the other hand, focused intently on Rivaldo, trying to read his intentions from his every move and make defensive actions in advance.
At first, Lin Feng was still a bit unaccustomed; he was often misled by Rivaldo's feints and couldn't make accurate anticipations. But as time went on, he gradually got the hang of it. He began to accurately judge Rivaldo's intended actions and make corresponding defensive moves in advance.
Rivaldo was very satisfied with Lin Feng's progress. He constantly adjusted his movements and rhythm, creating greater challenges for Lin Feng. And Lin Feng did not disappoint him; he successfully met every challenge from Rivaldo with his effort and talent.
At the end of the training, Lin Feng was drenched in sweat, but his face was beaming with a satisfied and confident smile. He knew that through this training, he had not only improved his anticipatory defensive ability but also laid a solid foundation for defending Molina in the next match.
Just as the training ended and Lin Feng was about to leave the training ground, a system notification sound suddenly rang in his ears.
"Ding—Congratulations, Host! After the recent anticipation training, the system has successfully unlocked a new attribute: Anticipation. The current Anticipation attribute value is 69 points. Keep up the hard work; when this attribute reaches above 85 points, the special skill 'Top-tier Anticipation' will be activated."
Lin Feng was stunned; he hadn't expected his training to trigger a new system attribute. He quickly opened the system interface to check the detailed information of this new attribute.
"Anticipation Attribute: Affects the Host's anticipatory ability in matches, including but not limited to anticipating opponent's movements and anticipating match situations. The higher the attribute value, the stronger the Host's anticipatory ability."
The skill "Top-tier Anticipation" in the system description could allow Lin Feng to see the opponent's next move on the field. If he could activate this skill, Lin Feng would become a top-tier anticipatory defensive master on the football field!