Football: Starting with the Crescent Moon Slash

2015, April 12.

La Liga Round 16,

Real Madrid will host Rayo Vallecano.

Rayo Vallecano is a truly ordinary team that has been relegated between La Liga and the Segunda División for a long time. In the 2000-01 season, they reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup and once upset a number of giants such as Real Madrid.

The home crowd was fervent, and the team displayed remarkable fighting spirit despite their limited budget.

It is the second oldest team in Madrid after Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

Because of the zigzag arrow in the center of the team logo that resembles a lightning bolt, it is jokingly called "Lightning" by fans.

"Welcome, everyone, to CCTV5. I believe that many of you football fans have already heard the news that James Rodriguez is about to leave the team."

"At the same time, we are also excited about the growth of young player Jiang Yan. From an attacking midfielder to an all-around midfielder who can move in and out of the box, he must have put in a lot of effort for this."

"We can see that Real Madrid's players have already started warming up. Jiang Yan did not start today. The midfield is still our rumored leading man James Rodriguez partnering with the 'Two Elders of the Underworld'."

"Jiang Yan's growth has threatened James Rodriguez's position. We can see in training that James Rodriguez almost never passes the ball to Jiang Yan."

"Especially with a schedule that doesn't include the Copa del Rey, and with the league and Champions League on two fronts, the match times are fixed, and there are only three positions in midfield."

"Yes, no matter what, the duel between Jiang Yan and James Rodriguez is the biggest highlight of this match."

"Coach He, what are your thoughts on this 'clash' between the two?"

"In my opinion, James Rodriguez is incomparable to Jiang Yan in terms of technique, physique, and experience in dealing with matches, but Jiang Yan's talent and potential are definitely superior to James Rodriguez's."

"Yes, I agree with Coach He's point of view. That's why their duel is currently the focus of media attention."

......

Inside the changing room.

Benitez was still strategizing for the match.

"System, activate random player skill packs."

A golden light flashed.

A tall, elegant player slightly turned his body, his eyes locked like an eagle's, ready to intercept the opponent the moment they started to move...

He is the elegant guardian of AC Milan, whose textbook positioning renders countless strikers' breakthroughs futile.

He is an artist in front of the penalty area. In one-on-one life-or-death duels, he never needs rough fouls; with precise anticipation and clean tackles, he nips the opponent's attack in the bud.

On the San Siro pitch, he was the anchor of the defense, using his calm mind and elegant movements to exemplify the aesthetics of defense.

Beneath the national team jersey, he is the steel Great Wall of the Azzurri, protecting the glory of Italian football with time and again perfect one-on-one defense.

……

Congratulations on obtaining: Alessandro Nesta's "One-on-One Defense" skill!

【您的防守水平提升了：防守意识：70→75；防守：64→70；身体：64.2→66】

His one-on-one defense is an elegant art; every positioning is as precise as a scalpel, every interception as light as a butterfly, making opponents realize in despair that breaking through him is more difficult than breaking through an impenetrable wall.

It turned out to be the one-on-one defensive skill he desperately needed right now!!

This is truly a timely rain!

It's important to understand that Jiang Yan's weaknesses right now are defense and technique.

Now, with Nesta's one-on-one defensive skills, combined with Busquets's exceptional positioning, he's about 80% confident in taking on MSN one-on-one!

"Got it? Follow this plan for the first half, and take the lead right from the start!"

After a brief speech, the La Liga match between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano in the fifteenth round officially began.

Real Madrid's squad list,

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale

Midfielders: Modric, Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez

Backline: Danilo, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo

Real Madrid's squad list hasn't been finished yet.

Just three minutes into the game, Bale received a pass from Danilo on the wing and slotted the ball into the far corner of the net.

Real Madrid 1-0 Rayo Vallecano.

After scoring, Bale made his classic heart-shaped hand gesture in celebration.

Benitez raised his arms and shouted from the sidelines.

Clearly, his blitzkrieg tactics were a great success.

However, the advantage on the field did not last long.

In the tenth minute of the match, Rayo Vallecano equalized the score with a header from a corner kick by a defender.

One wave subsides only for another to rise.

Real Madrid kicked off, Benzema's pass was intercepted, and Rayo Vallecano midfielder J. Sanchez scored a stunning long-range goal from outside the penalty area.

Real Madrid trail Rayo Vallecano 1-2.

The match had only been going on for 12 minutes.

......

On the commentary panel.

"This is unbelievable! Real Madrid are actually falling behind at home!!"

"However, both of Rayo Vallecano's goals were brilliant! One was a superb corner kick combination, and the other was a spectacular long-range strike. But Real Madrid's defense needs to be more vigilant."

"It seems like Rayo Vallecano is gaining momentum, and it will be difficult for Real Madrid to equalize in the short term."

On the live stream chat.

[Hahahaha, this is so satisfying! The big winner has arrived, 85x odds is a sure thing!!]

[See? Real Madrid without Jiang Yan is just a mess. Even your Ronaldo isn't effective on the field!]

[Stop talking nonsense. Even if Jiang Yan were on the field, he could only watch those two goals go unanswered. With a defense like that, Real Madrid's league title is a distant dream!]

[This defense always falters in crucial moments; how can they win the Champions League like this?]

[Hehe, stop spreading rumors, haters, you'll be in for a surprise soon!]

[Holy crap! Look! A red card is coming!!!]

Holy crap?!

Holy crap!

……

On the pitch, the referee showed a red card to Rayo Vallecano's right-back, Dito.

A straight red ending!

When Dito was defending against Ronaldo, a violent stomp earned him a Ruby God of War card.

The situation on the field suddenly began to tilt.

Not only Dito, but even Roberto, number 10, who stepped forward to argue, received a yellow gem card.

Upon seeing the opposing team have a player sent off, Real Madrid fans immediately chanted "Long live the referee!"

At 11 against 11, Rayo Vallecano might be able to hold on for a while, but at 11 against 10, it's only a matter of time before they are tied, or even overtaken.

as predicted.

In the 25th minute of the match, James Rodriguez delivered a brilliant pass to Bale, who made a forward run and fired a shot into the net.

Real Madrid equalized the score at 2-2.

Faced with Real Madrid's fierce counterattack, Rayo Vallecano, playing with one less player, opted to park the bus inside the penalty area.

However, ordinary buses could not stop these superstar players.

In the 30th minute, a Rayo Vallecano defender pulled down Cristiano Ronaldo inside the penalty area.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a penalty to give his team a 3-2 lead.

In the 41st minute, Bale received a brilliant pass from James Rodriguez and scored a stunning long-range goal from outside the penalty area.

Thanks to James Rodriguez's amazing performance,

Real Madrid 4-2 Rayo Vallecano.

The first half ended amid cheers from Real Madrid fans.