I AM the Football Star

Chapter 334 - 102: King of Long Shots! Saint Simon!

Morici, as the midfield core, has the advantage to fit into even the Five Major Leagues and make an impact.

As long as he performs well, San Remo can have two wooden figures in midfield and still reach Serie B level.

Especially since San Remo’s midfield consists of Lu Yang, Morici, and Latu Yidi.

Latu Yidi’s level speaks for itself, definitely Serie A, though age has caught up, his speed has slowed, and his passing accuracy has worsened, but this is not an issue at San Remo.

And then there’s Versachi, who, when showcasing his special qualities, also has a stable Serie B starting level.

The characteristics of Bai Zhami up front mean that he can be formidable against anyone; after all, speed is the ultimate weapon.

Fernandez basically has the level for a Serie B rotation spot or starting for weaker Serie B teams.

Sogel’s tactical role ensures that he can undoubtedly become the offensive core in Serie B; however, playing in Serie A would be a stretch for him because his position and personal traits mean he can only play as the offensive core, yet he cannot bear the style required for a Serie A-level offensive core.

However, a Serie B core is not necessarily weaker than a Serie A rotation player.

Becher’s is beyond words; in terms of performance, he might even surpass Sogel by a bit. Many Serie A teams are after him, and he already possesses a Serie A rotation level.

Belletti is akin to a slightly enhanced version of Becher’s for twenty minutes!

And then there’s Camihong and Mattias, two full-backs on the defensive line. Don’t underestimate these two just because they came from lower-tier teams, but what is San Remo’s philosophy in buying players?

They mostly purchase at a premium!

This also means these players exceed their supposed level; they already have a level close to Serie B.

After enduring this half-year of honing, with Lu Yang’s patchwork skills and Morici’s expansion development, could they not have improved at all?

That’s impossible!

Palacios and Jalard need no further mention. If you buy them, it’s a win; these veterans remain of fine standards as long as they haven’t started declining.

However, once they start declining, their level drops quickly.

Overall, in the short term, they have an unequivocal Serie B starting level.

With such a team, some more training, strengthening, and familiarization, there is hope for advancing to the First Division.

In summary, San Remo is in the Italian Third Division.

But they have achieved a terrifying record of 32 wins, 4 draws, and just 2 losses! They have set the longest winning streak ever in the Italian Third Division, with 14 consecutive wins!

They are essentially not a team at the Italian Third Division level.

Moreover, they’ve consecutively defeated the top three in Serie B, even though those victories might be inflated, it generally demonstrates their capabilities.

Can such a team, during a surge, challenge First Division teams?

Yes!

But... only against ordinary First Division teams.

And Rome counts as a giant in Serie A!

Fourth in the league!

They are definitely not to be underestimated.

How should San Remo play well in the second half?

"Their goalkeeper is very strong, I think we shouldn’t play too simply," stated Lu Yang with his opinion.

Ameluci is without a doubt the strongest goalkeeper Lu Yang has faced so far, no exceptions.

Against such a goalkeeper, unless luck shines or there’s an overwhelming surge of state, the player’s first shot is unlikely to score.

This is also one of the basic qualities of top-tier goalkeepers... shutting out ordinary shots!

The mark of decline for many top-tier goalkeepers is not that they no longer deliver miraculous saves; they still have those superhuman moments. However, there’s no longer an extremely high save rate against ordinary shots.

So what is considered an extraordinary shot?

Besides the Miracle Ball, there’s another: after a series of dazzling combinations, enticing or forcing the goalkeeper to commit to a save, then redirecting the ball for a shot, counts as an extraordinary shot.

Such shots, no matter how strong a goalkeeper’s abilities, cannot be blocked because the open space has already been created.

No matter how strong a goalkeeper is, against seamless passing by three players, it’s impossible to guard the goal.

"But under Rome’s defense, we might not have many opportunities for coordinated shooting," Morici understood Lu Yang’s meaning.

"Rome should be too wary to play tight defense against us in the second half," said Lu Yang.

In the first half, Morici, Lu Yang, and Becher’s all showcased brilliant dribbles, which might be rolling in reruns on TV now. In this scenario, if Rome still dares to closely mark, they’d be underestimating us.

Don’t forget, the tactic of creating a dangerous play after dribbling, then letting Lu Yang shoot, is one Rome will definitely avoid.

After all, past lessons... Juventus Stadium even paid hundreds of euros out of pocket to replace the nets!

Of course, they’ll demand this money back from the Italian Football Association.

A few words, San Remo could only marginally summarize their thoughts for the second half.

If the opposition doesn’t press as hard, control the ball appropriately.

Avoid shooting from ordinary opportunities, try sophisticated combinations or let Lu Yang take long shots.

If the opposition presses too aggressively, let Becher’s go for a trade-off in injuries to inflict damage and draw cards from them.

If Becher’s falls short, Belletti can step up.

These two are currently San Remo’s Ace of Spades, second only to Lu Yang and Morici as the Jokers.

...

Returning at halftime, the atmosphere on the field remains fervent.

Rome’s fans believe they will win because they trust in strength.