Green Field Eunuch

Chapter 89 Visitors from the Stands
Papasinecos' fierce pressing and attack continued for 25 minutes before subsiding, allowing Roma to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

In fact, this is a normal situation.

Generally speaking, weaker teams tend to try to gain an early advantage, but relying on constant running and aggressive tackling to take the lead is very physically demanding, and being able to maintain that for 25 minutes is already quite good.

But that's where it ends.

Papashinnekos' continued pressure failed to produce a goal, and as planned before the match, they began to retreat to make the game more stable.

Meanwhile, Roma finally came to their senses and gradually began to play more effectively.

In the 38th minute, Roma finally got a chance.

Pizarro played a through ball to Totti, who dribbled past the opposing defender and unleashed a powerful shot. The opposing goalkeeper made the save, but Shan Yongzhuo, who was lurking on the side, poke the ball into the empty net.

The score was changed to 1-0.

The home crowd erupted in uproar, with a barrage of curses, but nothing could change the outcome for the team.

Totti and Shan Yongzhuo embraced in celebration, while the Papasineco players looked helpless.

They knew there was a gap in strength between their team and Roma. After their strong attack at the start failed to result in a goal, they could only solidify their defense and look for opportunities, but they still conceded the first goal.

Spalletti on the sidelines also felt relieved; the team had scored first, and it was an away goal, which was very advantageous in a two-legged tie.

If they can secure a strong score in this round, it might give some key players a chance to rest in the next round.

For Roma, the league is still very important. Given that their squad depth is not as good as Inter Milan's, maintaining the form of their key players is crucial.

As the match resumed, the game proceeded rather uneventfully, with neither side making any significant moves.

However, this scene only lasted for 5 minutes.

In the 43rd minute, Shan Yongzhuo dropped back and received the ball 25 meters to the left of the penalty area. Papasineco's defender Kante failed to keep up in time, and there were no defenders around Shan Yongzhuo.

Next, the Mighty Vajra Leg technique was activated.

An exaggeratedly curved shot, the football spinning wildly in the air before heading towards the top left corner of the goal.

Goalkeeper Tzovas made a desperate save, but was unable to make it.

2-0, Shan Yongzhuo scored twice.

The entire Athens Olympic Stadium fell silent; even the most extreme Greek fans were speechless.

They had done everything they could, but the team was already down by two goals at halftime, a score that left them feeling somewhat desperate.

All eyes were on number 19 on the field. This young Chinese player scored two goals, a truly outstanding performance.

The male fans of Papashinnaikos were speechless, while the female fans felt a surge of excitement.

Their eyes were also fixed on Roma's number 19 on the field, never leaving his side; the feeling he gave them was very strange.

Handsome, charming, and with his unparalleled performance, he deeply attracted these female fans of Papashinnaikos. If it weren't for the team factor, they probably would have immediately switched sides and supported Shan Yongzhuo.

Meanwhile, in the stands, one person wore an expression of confusion and bewilderment. That was Gao Hongbo, the head coach of the Chinese national team.

In the recently concluded Asian Cup qualifiers, he faced immense pressure and failed to make an appearance. Although the team managed to qualify despite some setbacks, the doubts surrounding him did not diminish significantly.

The Asian Cup group stage won't start until January 2011, and the domestic league hasn't started yet, and the national team doesn't have any matches. Gao Hongbo decided to check out Shan Yongzhuo's performance, so after looking at Rome's schedule, he took the time to fly to Greece.

Gao Hongbo naturally knew Shan Yongzhuo; the praise for Shan Yongzhuo among domestic fans was almost off the charts.

Although Roma is not considered a powerhouse, it is still a strong team in Serie A and has a considerable number of fans in China. Of course, the number of Roma fans has increased dramatically recently.

Shan Yongzhuo's performance is absolutely commendable. He is the top scorer in Serie A and the Europa League, and broke the Serie A goal-scoring record. He is definitely a rising star.

Domestic fans have almost hailed Shan Yongzhuo as the number one player in Asia, and the topic is constantly being discussed online.

Gao Hongbo doesn't really like recruiting overseas players, nor does he like those famous veteran players. He is very confident in his own skills and tactics, and he believes that by relying on young domestic players, cultivating their skills and tactics, and honing their teamwork, they will definitely be able to perform very well.

Overseas players often have little to no coordination with their teammates, especially Shan Yongzhuo, who has never played in China and is practically a player who appeared out of nowhere.

However, Shan Yongzhuo's performance made him unable to ignore it. If he continued to refuse to call up a player who dominated the Serie A top scorer list, it would be fine if he could achieve good results, but if he led the team to poor results, not only would he fail to pass the fans' approval, but the Football Association would also not tolerate it.

In the end, Gao Hongbo decided to come and take a look, and then decide what to do next.

However, the current situation is somewhat puzzling to him.

In Gao Hongbo's opinion, Shan Yongzhuo's performance was rather poor.

Throughout the first half, Shan Yongzhuo touched the ball very few times and had virtually no coordination with his teammates, making him almost invisible on the field.

The only time Gao Hongbo saw Shan Yongzhuo make a proactive pass was at the beginning of the game when he passed to Pizarro; after that, he didn't make a single pass.

However, it was he who scored two goals.

The first goal was alright; it was a rebound shot, which could be defined as excellent goal-scoring instinct. However, it's impossible to break the Serie A goal record with just that.

The second goal amazed Gao Hongbo; the shooting technique was indeed outstanding.

However, Gao Hongbo didn't see anything else he wanted to see.

His technique is only average, better than many domestic players, but that's about it; his physical strength is also average, he falls down almost at the slightest touch on the field; and his speed is completely undetectable.

Without any of these, there's no impact whatsoever.

To make matters worse, Gao Hongbo felt that Shan Yongzhuo's attitude on the field was somewhat lazy, and he wasn't very proactive in running.

"How can a player like that score so many goals? Is it just because of his footwork?"

Gao Hongbo didn't understand at all.

"Let's see how it goes in the second half."

(End of this chapter)