Valdés is 29 years old!
At the goalkeeper position, he's arguably very young.
It's just that Valdés, although he's made a name for himself at Bar?a, has had a problem all these years.
That is, even as the winner of the Sixth Championship, he still can't be the main goalkeeper for the national team.
It's not like he hasn't outperformed Casillas, but there's no way around it—Spain would always choose Casillas over him, no matter who was in charge.
Especially since Real Madrid and Bar?a recently reached the quarter-finals at the same time.
Even when he's conceded far fewer goals than Casillas this year, both in the UCL and in the league, those damned Madrid journalists still insist that Casillas will always be head and shoulders above him.
However, Valdés can take some comfort in knowing that Bar?a got a better draw than Real Madrid, who faced Manchester United!
FC Schalke 04!
From before the semi-finals began, Valdés was eager to prove himself again.
Bar?a, with him in goal, would never let a lesser team score even half a goal.
Only—
The truth was a hard slap in the face.
He still can't figure out what kind of luck that Chinese player had in the first half, managing to sneak one past him with a header out of nowhere.
Now he's going to be the laughingstock of Madrid's media again.
Fine!
Let's just say Valdés was unlucky enough to concede a header to a Chinese player who had never scored one before.
But!!!
He couldn't make sense of the scene unfolding before him!
Why?
Why on earth?
That Chinese player, who was clearly just a passer, came up with such a crazy play.
He started sprinting wildly from the backfield, blowing past everyone in front of him.
Valdés felt like it happened in the blink of an eye—it was so fast. He'd never seen anyone move that fast before.
Facing the Chinese player, who was already in the penalty box, Valdés panicked.
He could never let this kid score. He had to save Bar?a!
Valdés made a mad dash toward the penalty area.
With great determination, he lunged toward Su.
But to his despair, the crafty Chinese player didn't choose to dribble past him!
Instead, he took a direct shot at the goal after charging into the box.
That shot was so smooth, so decisive.
Valdés was still in midair, his body stretched out in a desperate dive!
He turned his head!
Looking toward the goal—looking toward the football that Chinese player had blasted past him!
Not a single arc!
The football was drilled so sharply into the dead center of the goal!
Valdés watched as the football slammed into the net and landed on the turf at the same time.
A glance that felt like ten thousand years!
Valdés would never forget that goal in his life.
No!
Even if he forgot, there would be countless journalists and media outlets ready to replay this moment, using him as the backdrop again and again.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Okay!
This kid…
He’s really something.
Valdés still hadn’t gotten up.
Then, he saw a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.
The Chinese player with a full head of black hair stormed past him.
Tens of thousands of Bar?a fans behind the goal jumped up in shock.
In midair!
A dashing turn!
At the same time, both thumbs were cocked backward, pointing to the letters on the back of his jersey!
S-U!
"Pretty!!!!"
"Beautiful!!!"
"The ball is in!"
"The ball is in!!!"
"Su!!!"
"Su scores a brace at Camp Nou!"
"That was a great goal!"
"That's a goal that will go down in history!"
"Incredible!"
"Starting from his own penalty area, Su began his crazy show—he tore through Bar?a’s defense single-handedly!"
"A lone rider on a white steed! The world knows not a soul like thee!"
"Su!"
"He has left his name forever on one of the greatest stages in the world!"
"Behind him is three-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi!"
"He passed Bar?a’s greatest defensive midfielder, Busquets, with an unbelievable feint!"
"He dragged his injured right leg and silenced the entire Camp Nou!"
"He has left China’s name on this pitch forever!!!"
—[Wocao! NiuBi! This is a reenactment of Kaká’s Thousand-Mile Ride! Shit, NiuBi ah!]
-I'm so excited! Who the hell says China is a football desert? I'm so excited! Who the hell says China is a football desert! Look, God Su! The God Su who conquered Camp Nou is one of us—Chinese!
-It's definitely a Puskás Award contender, no doubt about it. A thousand-mile solo run—who the hell can stop that?
-GOD Su's celebration was so dominant! Look at the Bar?a fans—they're all dumbstruck! Haha, I love this! I love seeing their faces!
Inside the sports channel's live studio!
This time, the table wasn’t overturned!
Duan and Wang had both gone crazy, forgetting their usual professionalism.
And on the Camp Nou pitch at this moment!
A hundred thousand Bar?a fans stared in disbelief at the Chinese player standing triumphantly in their own stadium!
They couldn’t believe it!
What a crazy performance that was!
This is their mighty Bar?a—why?
Why did their defense crumble like paper in front of that kid?
They thought football wasn’t a one-man sport!
So how could this young man, who had just stepped into professional football less than a year ago, score such an unbelievable goal?
Su!
So the kid’s name is Su!
Courtside!
Guardiola, whose team had just been scored on, didn’t look the least bit surprised at the moment!
Instead, Guardiola was weirdly obsessed!
He had found a gem!
No—
He had found the missing piece of the Bar?a dynasty’s puzzle!
That kind of speed!
Su!
He would fit perfectly at Bar?a!
It didn’t matter whether it was as a winger or a shadow striker!
This guy—
This guy was tailor-made for Bar?a!
His perfect passes could seamlessly integrate into tiki-taka!
With that terrifying speed combined with pinpoint passing, Su would be unstoppable on the flank!
Villa in the middle, Su on the left, Messi on the right!
Plus Xavi and Iniesta!
He could upgrade his Bar?a "Cosmos" to twin engines right away!
Dual-core Bar?a Cosmos!
Su!!!
At this moment, Guardiola wasn’t worried at all that Bar?a might be eliminated because of Su!
On the contrary, he can't wait to tell Bar?a executives about his desire for Su!
The other side!
Magath, who had been suppressing his inner excitement, was pinned down by Hughes before he could celebrate!
Not only Hughes, but one by one the players on the bench rushed over and jumped on Magath!
Magath is old, and he just threw out his back. He can't handle so many energetic young men.
"Gaffer!"
"Gaffer, this is the secret weapon you've been hiding, right?"
"Su has such terrifying speed - you haven't let him show it all this time just to use it at the most crucial moment, right?"
"Gaffer, you're so cunning - in Chinese terms, you're hiding too much!"
"You are definitely a gift from God to FC Schalke 04!"
"Jesus, Gaffer, we're level and it's at Camp Nou!"
"Two away goals!"
"Gaffer, there's hope for us!"
"As long as we hold the tie, we'll fight to the death next game!"
"We might actually get a taste of the Champions League!"
"Gaffer, you're hiding too much!"
Hughes shuddered as he lay on top of Magath!
Only, at this point, Magath was rolling his eyes from being crushed.
"Waist...."
"Yo!!!"
Hughes heard Magath groaning, though Magath is still so passionate at his age!
He's got to match that passion!
And so it was!
Not only Hughes, but the players on the bench and members of the coaching staff gathered around Magath, chanting one by one!
"Yo!!!"
"Yo!!!"
"Yo!!!"
..........
