Chapter 12

Lin Sen sent on Peña and took off Mista. Thus, the 4-4-2 formation turned into a 4-5-1. Then, he gave the team one and only one instruction at halftime: do everything possible to neutralize Betis' two wings!

The specific instructions were given to two players: one was Antonio-López, who moved forward after Peña came on, and the other was the team captain, Maxi-Rodríguez.

What Lin Sen did not expect was that this adjustment would lead to the loudest boos he had faced since the start of the game. The boos came at him like a swarm of locusts, leaving Lin Sen both surprised and helpless.

"It seems the home fans are not pleased with Lin's halftime adjustment. In the entire first half, Atlético Madrid barely created any offensive opportunities, and Lin's adjustment was to replace a striker with a defender. He seems more concerned with his defense than his attack. Has he forgotten that this is Atlético Madrid's home ground?" the commentator said with a touch of schadenfreude.

In the stands, Bal's face was dark. They say that a ten-year fan is half a coach, and Bal, a decades-long fan, was very clear about Lin Sen's intentions. In the first half, almost all of Betis' attacks came from the two wings. If these wings were contained, Betis' offense would be largely neutralized. However, understanding and accepting are two different things. Although Atlético Madrid had nothing to play for, the fans were already red-eyed from losing. At this moment, any spark could ignite the powder keg. To most fans, replacing a striker with a defender was a sign of weakness, and no other explanation was needed. When had Atlético Madrid ever shown weakness to a team like Betis?

Chaparro remained calm about Lin Sen's adjustment. Clearly, clamping down on the wings was not a new tactic.

However, while Chaparro anticipated Lin Sen's intentions, he did not expect the determination behind them.

At all costs!

The unfortunate Odonkor was the first to feel the weight of these words. Compared to Mark González on the left, he was directly targeted by the two full-backs, which was particularly frustrating for a player who liked to run the entire length of the wing. Being tangled up halfway through felt like being interrupted in the middle of a crucial moment. He could tolerate it once or twice, but after several times, he was on the verge of breaking.

Sure enough, when Odonkor received the ball and was just starting to run, Antonio-López fouled him, sending the ball out of bounds. Odonkor, like a bull that had been provoked, charged at the opponent...

A yellow card.

Chaparro, who was on the sidelines, was no longer calm.

Twenty minutes had passed, and although the opponents had not created any significant scoring opportunities, his team had not managed any decent crosses, especially from Odonkor's side. Not only had he not managed to get to the baseline, but he had not even managed a single 45-degree cross. This was outrageous. Were they planning to fight to the death on the wings?

Chaparro began to look at the young Chinese man on the sidelines with a different perspective.

To be honest, he did not have high hopes for this young man from China. In recent years, with the rise of Japan and South Korea, the East had gradually shed its reputation as a football desert. But that was Japan and South Korea, not China. In terms of football geography, where was China? Moreover, if someone else had said, "When I was a coach, you didn't even exist," it might have sounded sarcastic, but for Chaparro, who was in his sixties, it was not an exaggeration. His age and experience were undeniable, and time was always the greatest truth. However, with age, the competitive spirit waned, and he tried to view people and events with a more tolerant eye. In his eyes, Lin Sen was not an amateur coach in the media's eyes, nor a lucky team doctor, but simply a junior.

But now, the junior standing next to him clearly had his own ideas.

Compared to Odonkor, Mark González was also under pressure, but it was much less. Although his speed was not as fast as the German's, if not for Barrera's relentless marking, he could have created more opportunities... Speaking of which, was this the opposing coach? On closer inspection, he was not much older than Chaparro. As Mark González ran, he glanced at Lin Sen from the corner of his eye.

Mark was sizing him up, and Lin Sen was sizing up Mark.

This Chilean winger, who had recently transferred from Liverpool in the Premier League to La Liga, had been at his peak a couple of years ago. However, Lin Sen was not concerned with that. He was focused on the current attack. The Chilean's speed was not as fast as the German's, but his technique was much better, and he occasionally made dangerous cuts inside. It seemed that Maxi-Rodríguez had not fully followed his instructions, or rather, he had overlooked the weight of the phrase "at all costs."

Sigh. Was he setting me up?

Lin Sen felt a bit frustrated as he looked at the Atlético Madrid captain.

Was this... letting Mark González run wild? Or the legendary "eye defense"?

Football matches are sometimes like a game of poker. The cards are important, but the order in which they are played is the key. Chaparro's hand was not as good as Lin Sen's, but he could play whatever cards he wanted. Lin Sen, on the other hand, had to see if the cards were willing to be played, which was why he had replaced the starting center-back partnership to fit those seven players into the lineup. It was not just about sending a message or punishment.

The game gradually entered its final stages, and the situation remained deadlocked. The quick counter-attacks that occasionally followed the opponents' rapid advances in the first half were gone. Defense was not as flashy as attack, and the fans could see the flashy breakthroughs in attack but not the clean and decisive defense. For defense, the lack of highlights was the biggest highlight. But the fans did not care, and the boos from the stands grew louder.

Lin Sen felt increasingly frustrated. He took several deep breaths to calm himself down. It was at this moment that the deadlock was broken.

Sisco advanced down the center with the ball, and Raul García did not lose his position. After battling Sisco for most of the game, Sisco did not choose to continue charging into the wall but instead moved to the left, facing Barrera...

Lin Sen's heart sank. He turned to look for Maxi-Rodríguez. When he saw the Atlético Madrid captain still far in the opponents' half, and the opposing Mark González already sprinting up the wing like a small plane with all engines running, he knew he was in trouble.

Sisco successfully drew Barrera away, leaving Mark González unmarked. He was not just a player who could only cross from the baseline. He directly entered the penalty area, and Pablo, who had no choice, rushed over from the center. However, Mark González, knowing that the tall Pablo would not take risks, accelerated and left him behind, facing Abbiati directly...

Pablo had only two choices: to execute immediately or to delay. He chose the latter.

The Calderón finally fell silent.

A few minutes later, the score on the scoreboard changed.

Seeing the color above Chaparro's head turn green, Lin Sen knew his options were limited. He turned back to the bench, preparing to play his last two cards.

---

When Sisco scored the penalty, Simão's expression did not change, seemingly indifferent.

Like many "second generations," the former "Figo II" ultimately became the "Pigeon II." However, even if he could not become Figo, he was still one of the best wingers in La Liga. Since joining Atlético Madrid this season, when had he ever been a substitute except for injuries? Now, this damn Chinese man had directly put him on the bench?

Late for the meeting? Accept the consequences?

Simão sneered inwardly, and then he saw the person walking towards him, and his sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Next to Simão, Reyes' eyes were fixed on the pitch, but his focus was not on the game.

As a winger who had joined Atlético Madrid at the same time as Simão, he did not think his abilities were much worse than the Portuguese. However, he was not as picky as the Portuguese and did not mind being a substitute.

But accepting a substitute role did not mean accepting any arrangement.

---

NO!

Lin Sen received two completely unexpected headshakes in response.

Even when José had insulted him, even when the young Hill had toyed with him, he had never felt his emotions so hard to control.

Simão smiled at him and shook his head.

Reyes only gave him a side profile, also shaking his head.

Lin Sen knew that many cameras were trained on him and that countless eyes were watching. Therefore, he struggled to control his emotions, fearing that he might do something irreparable. After a moment, Lin Sen looked at Simão and Reyes with a calm gaze, nodded, and calmly turned away.

"Let's guess what happened. It seems Lin was planning to bring on Simão and Reyes, which fits the current situation of Atlético Madrid. But look what happened. You wouldn't believe it. Both Reyes and Simão shook their heads. Yes, they shook their heads. We cannot easily fabricate any facts, but everyone knows what a headshake means. Oh, poor Lin. This is only his second game in charge..." The camera was crystal clear, and the commentator, like a fly that had just smelled blood, began to shout excitedly.

This was what he wanted! This was what all the media wanted! The game? Betis won, and their ranking rose to 11th? Atlético Madrid lost, and their ranking dropped to 12th? To hell with it.

The boos from the stands grew louder, mixed with countless curses.

The game? The game was over.

Lin Sen walked towards the tunnel with a blank expression. At that moment, someone walked over and stopped him.

"Young man, don't be discouraged." Chaparro extended his wrinkled hand, his tone unusually sincere.

Lin Sen shook his hand, smiled, and did not respond, then turned and walked into the tunnel.

Whether Chaparro's words were as sincere as they sounded, Lin Sen did not want to guess. In football, there are winners and losers. The winners can display their grace, but the losers have no reason to accept any excuses.

Watching Lin Sen quickly walk towards the tunnel, seemingly trying to block out all the boos, Chaparro sighed. Then he began to think: Well, with this victory, maybe we can still aim for a UEFA Intertoto Cup qualification?

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