Overall, this lineup didn't look bad at all.
On paper, it was more than competitive.
But the true importance of a core player is often something you can't see just from a lineup sheet.
In this match, Su Hang scored from a corner kick.
That turned out to be Real Madrid's only goal of the night.
Villarreal, meanwhile, blasted in three of their own and cruised to a convincing victory.
Emerson, positioned as the team's core, was completely unable to link the entire side together.
The key issue was his tempo—far too slow—which left Real Madrid's attack utterly constipated.
By the time he finally spotted an opening, the opposing back line was usually already set and waiting.
Under those circumstances, Raúl and Van Nistelrooy were basically erased from the game.
Even Reyes, whom Capello had placed great hopes in, became noticeably "well-behaved" after one brutal challenge from Villarreal, opting for repeated back passes instead.
After half a season riding the bench in La Liga, Reyes' weaknesses had long since been fully figured out by opposing teams.
In the second half, Cassano, Higuaín, and Robinho came on as substitutes, replacing Raúl, Van Nistelrooy, and Reyes respectively.
But aside from Robinho, it was hard to argue that either of the other two performed better than the players they replaced.
Especially Higuaín.
Once he came on, Villarreal's defenders simply focused all their firepower on Su Hang.
After all, a youngster like Higuaín clearly didn't provide the same level of threat or deterrence as Van Nistelrooy.
As a result, Higuaín was gifted two extremely good chances.
The first came from a perfectly weighted through ball by Su Hang after dropping deep, but Higuaín dragged his one-on-one wide.
The second was a sweeping low cross from Su Hang on the left side of the penalty area. Higuaín arrived at the far post with an open net in front of him—only to blast the ball straight into the stands.
If either of those chances had fallen to Su Hang or Van Nistelrooy, they would have been goals almost every time.
Especially that last one—missing an open net like that was almost unthinkable.
Even the system notified Su Hang: that was a ninth-tier chance!
From a god's-eye view, that chance was as close to a guaranteed goal as it gets—it was one any competent teammate should have finished.
And yet…
So after the match, Su Hang could only regretfully sentence Higuaín to life imprisonment in his own mind.
At least at Real Madrid, Su Hang had no intention of giving Higuaín many more opportunities.
Because unless something unexpected happened, Higuaín was the legendary "happy footballer."
Who the hell could put up with that?
Even so, Su Hang didn't criticize Higuaín after the match.
After all, Higuaín was still young and had room to grow—who knew, maybe one day he'd shed that "happy football" label?
"See? Su didn't even say a word to you, didn't even blame you," Modrić said as he comforted his underperforming friend beside him. "That means he's already completely passed you over in his mind."
...
January 31st, Copa del Rey quarterfinal, first leg.
Real Madrid was once again targeted by the god of misfortune.
It was, on the surface, a perfectly normal match.
Su Hang put on a performance of explosive, overwhelming dominance.
Against a clearly weaker opponent, it didn't matter whether Emerson or whoever else was standing behind him—it made no difference at all.
With a hat trick, Su Hang forcefully suppressed Getafe, leading Real Madrid to a 3–2 victory and sending them into the Copa del Rey semifinals.
But even this match was far from easy.
First, Kompany scored an own goal.
Then Carlos was forced off the pitch with an injury.
After the match, Real Madrid officially announced—helplessly—that Carlos had suffered a severe muscle tear and would most likely miss the rest of the season.
That was genuinely hard to stomach.
Ever since the Brazilian Clique fell apart, Carlos hadn't had much presence in the eyes of the fans.
But on the pitch, his importance was enormous.
This season, Su Hang's scoring output had completely exploded.
Across all competitions, he had already surpassed forty goals—more than last season.
The two biggest reasons for that were the players behind him: Zidane and Carlos.
Zidane's passing supplied Su Hang with an endless stream of ammunition.
Carlos' overlapping runs on the flank gave Su Hang's attacking game far more variety.
Even the greatest strikers in the world struggle to decide matches entirely on their own.
But the very best often need only a single, simple movement to tear open a defense.
Now, both of them were gone.
To say that this had nothing to do with Su Hang would make it very hard to find any other convincing explanation.
In response, The London Globe offered its own unique perspective.
Clara, the author of the report, wrote:
"Su Hang's total goals across all competitions this season have reached forty-five, placing him first in all of Europe."
"This breaks the single-season goal record he himself set and is currently establishing a new single-season record for La Liga players."
"Considering the season hasn't even reached the two-thirds mark, we have every reason to believe he possesses historic-level scoring ability—he has the terrifying potential to score sixty goals in a single season."
"But behind this ability are Zidane, who has already provided twenty-four assists, and Carlos, who has contributed eight."
"Including Van Nistelrooy, whose assist numbers are clearly higher than during the same period at Manchester United."
"Su Hang is the best striker in Europe, but he also has the best teammates in Europe. His explosive scoring numbers cannot exist without their support."
"From a defensive perspective, it is extremely difficult to completely shut down Su Hang. He has already proven himself to be one of the hardest forwards in Europe to defend against."
"Therefore, stopping the players who pass the ball to Su Hang has become the primary strategy."
"Zidane and Carlos were both injured under rough defensive treatment. That kind of attention should have been directed at Su Hang himself, but he is simply too strong, so it was redirected toward his teammates."
"This represents the final defensive solution European teams have found when facing the world's best striker. Judging by the results, they appear to have succeeded."
The article laid bare the reasons behind Su Hang's explosive form this season.
Many professionals praised the analysis and expressed their agreement.
It also placed significant pressure on Real Madrid's upcoming opponents.
If they overdid their defensive pressure on Madrid's other players, it would be easy for them to be caught on camera, analyzed, and criticized.
After all, many famous midfield organizers have pointed out that they often suffer even more fouls than forwards—but referees tend to only notice fouls on attackers, turning a deaf ear to the damage inflicted on midfielders.
February 4th, La Liga Round 21.
Before the match, Emerson withdrew from the lineup for personal reasons, prompting Real Madrid to make a last-minute change and insert Modrić into the starting eleven.
As his weight-gain program neared completion, Modrić's performances in training had begun to improve.
This start was also Capello's way of motivating the rest of the squad.
Another winter signing, the young Marcelo, also earned a starting spot thanks to his diligence and hard work in training.
That was the small, round-headed Marcelo.
Carlos was injured.
Little Carlos rose in his place.
What a perfect handover.
Just like when Ronaldo was injured—and then the Asian Ronaldo, Su Hang, rose to prominence.
But reality is brutally cruel.
Not every newcomer is named Su Hang.
Not every newcomer's first start at Real Madrid takes off.
Some don't take off at all.
Some run aground.
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
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