On Saturday afternoon, the El Prat Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, was almost full. The fans in the traditional blue and white team uniforms sang and danced in the stands as if they were celebrating a grand festival.
It was hard to imagine that a team in the Chinese Super League could have such a high attendance rate.
Many of these fans had supported the same team for several generations. No matter what the team's results were, even if it was relegated, they would not change their minds.
In contrast, the domestic football culture still needed to be cultivated.
In the locker room, Wu Lei was inexplicably excited. This was the first time he had entered the La Liga roster since his transfer.
Although he was not in the starting lineup, Ruby had made it clear when he laid out the tactics. If the team was in the lead, Wu Lei would be replaced at the end of the second half. Firstly, it was to let Wu Lei feel the rhythm and atmosphere of a La Liga game. Secondly, he hoped that Wu Lei's characteristics could help the team. Once the score fell behind, Vallecano would definitely counterattack. After all, RCD Espanyol was not a strong team. Even if it was an away game, Vallecano would at least want to take a draw and a point. Otherwise, it would be a complete failure for them.
Through this period of understanding, especially observation during training, Ruby had a relatively accurate grasp of Wu Lei's characteristics.
Wu Lei's kicking technique in front of the goal was somewhat lacking. His dribbling ability and physical confrontation were also slightly lacking. However, Wu Lei's strengths were also very obvious. They were fast, good awareness, and flexible positioning.
Therefore, Wu Lei could often run into gaps in the game. In the Chinese Super League, Wu Lei had a lot of one-on-one shots. It was precisely because of this that the number of times he missed one-on-one shots seemed to be higher. He was even criticized by the fans. But on the other hand, if it was not for Wu Lei's awareness of positioning, it might be impossible for another person to get so many one-on-one shots.
In La Liga, the opponent's understanding of Wu Lei was almost zero.
Some sports media even bluntly stated that RCD Espanyol signed Wu Lei because of the huge Huaxia market behind him. In fact, his ability was not enough to establish a foothold in La Liga.
In this case, using Wu Lei as a surprise attack was actually a very good choice. If the opponent was not prepared and was caught off guard, RCD Espanyol was likely to attack from behind.
Wu Lei knew that he might have a chance to play in this match, and he was unable to calm down for a long time.
Because the manager had to lay out the tactics, the interpreter was also allowed to enter the locker room. Although the interpreter kept talking about Ruby's tactical arrangements in Wu Lei's ear, Wu Lei did not really listen. His mind was in a half-dazed state.
This was rare for a 27-year-old player. Moreover, Wu Lei had been honing his skills in the Chinese Super League for many years. He had even won the title of the Chinese Super League's Best Scorer. However, when he came to RCD Espanyol, he seemed to have become a newcomer again. Even his mentality was a little similar to that of a young player.
When the players came out to warm up, the visiting players were greeted with boos, while when the RCD Espanyol players walked out of the tunnel, they were greeted with cheers from the entire stadium.
As Wu Lei listened to the singing and cheering, he felt that it was both real and illusory at the same time.
Wu Lei experienced this level of cheers every week or two back home, but this time, he was wearing RCD Espanyol's traditional blue and white uniform. Standing on the La Liga field, the feeling was completely different.
After the warm-up, the main players re-entered the players' tunnel to wait, while the substitutes went straight to the substitutes' bench and sat down.
After a while, the players from both sides walked into the field under the lead of the referee team, following the footsteps of "Fair Play." Then it was time to guess the sides of the coin and return to their own half of the field to prepare.
With the whistle of the referee, the 23rd round of the La Liga Primera División match between RCD Espanyol and Rayo Vallecano officially began.
…
Thousands of miles away in Jing City.
A studio in the PP company's building was broadcasting the game live.
PP Sports had won the exclusive network broadcasting rights of La Liga this season. Originally, the broadcasting rights of La Liga were just a part of PP Sports' layout of the big football IP. However, since the news of Wu Lei's transfer came out, the exclusive network broadcasting rights of La Liga had become very popular. PP Sports could be said to have made a lot of money.
Because Wu Lei had transferred in the middle of the season, the broadcasting rights had already been settled at that time. Otherwise, PP Sports would definitely not have been able to get it at the same price. The domestic competitors would definitely have fought for it at all costs.
But now that the broadcasting rights had been settled, they could only look on enviously at PP Sports. If they wanted to fight for it, they could only look at the next season.
Originally, because of the time difference, the broadcast time of La Liga was not very friendly for Huaxia's audience. It was basically two or three o 'clock in the morning. Unless it was a hardcore fan or a popular game, such as the El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid, there would not be many netizens watching the live broadcast.
But for today's game, La Liga officials adjusted the broadcast time. The kickoff was in the afternoon local time in Barcelona. In Huaxia, it was midnight. Although it was still a little late, for many fans, it was already quite a good time to watch the game. The poor Huaxia fans were used to enduring the time difference to watch the live broadcast of high-level games.
Moreover, once the news of Wu Lei's inclusion in the squad list was reported before the game, there were even more fans paying attention to the game.
PP Sports also adjusted the server resources at the last minute. It turned out that this decision was very correct. When the game kicked off, it was midnight in Huaxia, but the live broadcast started at around ten o 'clock in the evening. For a full two hours, the guests and the host were talking about the game. There were also various short films about Wu Lei, including his highlights in the Chinese Super League, his training with RCD Espanyol, and even some off-field gossip, such as Xia Ruofei's Weibo post of the three of them in the restaurant, and so on.
As soon as the live broadcast started, the number of people watching the live broadcast continued to rise. By eleven o 'clock, it had far exceeded the number of people watching the live broadcast of La Liga games in the past. It was even more than the number of people watching the El Clásico. If the server resources had not been adjusted in advance, it would have been stuck now.
As soon as the referee blew the whistle, the host, Shen Fangjian, immediately said, "Hello, PP Sports viewers. Welcome to the live broadcast of RCD Espanyol's home game against RCD Vallecano in the 23rd round of La Liga. Today, the commentator and commentator is Coach Jia Tianning and I, Shen Fangjian. With the whistle of the referee, the game has officially begun. Now, let me introduce the starting lineups of both teams. Later, we will also combine the game and ask Coach Jia to analyze the formation and tactics of both teams …"
While the two of them were still introducing the starting lineups of both teams, the live broadcast camera swept across the substitutes' bench of both teams.
Of course, this was the normal operation of the broadcast. The camera was actually focused on the manager, Rubi, but at this time, Rubi was not sitting in his seat. Instead, he was standing on the sidelines, watching the game. When the camera panned to Rubi, it also happened to capture Wu Lei, who was behind him on the substitutes' bench.
Shen Fangjian immediately stopped introducing the starting lineups and said with some excitement, "We saw Wu Lei appear on the screen. His eyes are always looking at the field, and his eyes are full of desire for the game!"
Shen Fangjian's partner, Jia Tianning, said with emotion, "How long has it been since we saw a Huaxia player appear in the top league? Seeing this scene today, I have mixed feelings! "
Shen Fangjian said, "I hope Wu Lei has a chance to play in this game!"
"It would be even better if he could score a goal!" Jia Tianning said.
Shen Fangjian joked, "I don't dare to have extravagant hopes. As long as he can play, I think it's a great victory. I'm already very satisfied that a Huaxia player can appear in the La Liga. Step by step, I believe Wu Lei will definitely be able to stand firm in the La Liga!"
Jia Tianning said seriously, "I think if Wu Lei can play, the chances of him scoring a goal are not small. First of all, this is determined by his position. He is a striker, the player closest to the opponent's goal. Second, Wu Lei's characteristics and his excellent positioning determine that he will definitely get a good chance. Of course, it depends on the time the manager gives him to play, the cooperation of his teammates, and Wu Lei's own mentality … "
As the host, Shen Fangjian needed to control the process of the live broadcast. He could not be like Jia Tianning, the guest, who said whatever he thought.
Shen Fangjian felt that Jia Tianning was exaggerating a little. At this time, the camera had already cut back to the field, so he quickly said, "Let's continue watching the game. Coach Jia, what tactics do you think Vallecano will use in this game?"
The two commentators continued to commentate on the game, and at this time, the bullet screen of PP Sports' live broadcast was about to explode. The netizens expressed their opinions.
"This is a little too much! Don't you know what level Wu Lei is at? "
"These two commentators are drunk. With just one shot, they can actually exaggerate to the sky! Those who don't know would think that Wu Lei has already scored a hat trick! "
"I dare say that Wu Lei will definitely not be able to play in this game!"
"The brother who said that Wu Lei will not be able to play is still a little too absolute. I think that RCD Espanyol will definitely let him play symbolically for the sake of the Huaxia market. However, it will definitely be during the garbage time when the game is about to end. Maybe he will not even have time to touch the ball when the referee ends the game. Hahahaha!"
"Okay! Then I take back what I just said and change it to this: If Wu Lei can get more than 15 minutes of playing time in this game, I will live broadcast myself eating sh * t! I will make a post as proof! "
"How good can a person from the docks be? Didn't Wu Lei play with a three-piece set? Single sword, anti-aircraft gun, hands on the head to express regret! "
"The summary is very accurate. It's really hitting the nail on the head!"
A group of netizens mocked and ridiculed, but many netizens could not stand it and stood up to refute.
"Can't you all hope for something better? No matter what, Wu Lei is the first Huaxia player to play in the top league in the last decade, okay? "
"Those who are criticizing Wu Lei for throwing away the single sword, have you not thought about why others can't run away with the single sword, but he can? This shows that his awareness is stronger than others! "
"At this time, they are still coming out to criticize their own player. Can't the Huaxia fans be a little more united? No matter which team you are a fan of, now that Wu Lei has gone abroad, he represents Huaxia. Although I don't like the Shenzhen team, now I unconditionally support Wu Lei! "
Everyone on the Internet had their own opinions and were arguing fiercely. It could be said that it was very lively.
There were also netizens who used the example of a Huaxia player who transferred to the Bundesliga, Zhang Xizhe, as an example. At that time, after Zhang Xizhe transferred to the Bundesliga, Wolfsburg, Zhang Xizhe did not play for half a season. However, he participated in a lot of marketing activities off the field and was jokingly called "the car seller" and "the water dispenser" by netizens. Many netizens concluded that Wu Lei's biggest mission in the RCD Espanyol was to "the water dispenser".
And it also depended on the mood of the manager. If he did not put Wu Lei on the list, then Wu Lei was not even qualified to be the water dispenser.
The Internet was noisy, but the game was still going on. The RCD Espanyol's situation was a little bad. The game had not started for half an hour and they were already behind 0: 2. Two goals were conceded. One was a low-level mistake by their own defender, and the other was the opponent's explosive shot. The goalkeeper could not do anything at all.
Manager Ruby on the sidelines also frowned and looked to be at his wit's end.
In the 33rd minute of the game, the team's main winger, Piatti, who played in the same position as Wu Lei, sprained his ankle when he landed during a scramble. He immediately rolled on the turf in pain. His screams could be heard by the audience through the broadcast.
The team doctor rushed in. After a brief examination, he immediately gestured to the technical area to make a substitution. Piatti was seriously injured and could no longer play.
Ruby's face suddenly became even darker. It was really a case of when it rains, it pours.
With a livid face, he yelled a few words at the assistant coach. The assistant coach quickly called Wu Lei and Ferreira, who was also a new player, to the sidelines for an emergency warm-up.
Piatti was carried out of the field on a stretcher and the game resumed. At this time, the RCD Espanyol club was temporarily short of one player. The two substitute forwards were warming up. Before they were fully warmed up, Ruby did not dare to rashly send them on the field. If one of them was injured, they would lose.
And Ruby was still hesitating about who to send on the field.
The situation on the field was very passive, and Ruby could not hesitate for too long. He quickly made a decision. He asked the assistant coach to go to the fourth official to request a substitution, and he called Wu Lei and the interpreter over to instruct them.
It was already obvious that Wu Lei was going to play!
Huaxia's internet was in an uproar. Everyone originally thought that even if Wu Lei had a chance to play, it would be in the second half of the second half. They didn't expect that with only ten minutes left in the first half, Wu Lei's playing time would be brought forward because of an unexpected injury. This meant that he would have about an hour to play in this game.
"This works too? This maneuver is really a little amazing! "
"It must be the wishes of the Huaxia fans that came into play!"
"Although it's a little unkind, when I saw Piatti fall to the ground, I couldn't help but laugh in my heart …"
…
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