The Champions League loss inevitably broke some fans' hearts.
Today's match was at the Santiago Bernabéu: Real Madrid vs. Sevilla.
Since Sevilla has close ties with Barcelona, they've naturally become fierce rivals with Real Madrid. So the tension going into this match was palpable.
Before kickoff, Queiroz announced Real Madrid's starting lineup:
Su Hang
Solari, Raúl, Zidane
Beckham, Guti
Roberto Carlos, Bravo, Helguera, Salgado
Casillas
It was a 4-2-3-1 formation. Figo was suspended this round.
Su Hang, the team's only forward, was making his first-ever start—and already as the lone striker.
That meant the entire scoring responsibility was on him.
It wasn't exactly an ideal setup.
Anyone who understood tactics could see that Queiroz was setting Su Hang up to take the fall.
If it were a two- or three-striker formation, failing to score wouldn't fall on just one person. But with Su Hang alone up front, if Real Madrid didn't score, all the blame would land on him.
Queiroz explained the decision by saying, "The team needs to strengthen its defense," and, "Only by defending well can we win."
As the teams walked onto the pitch, all eyes quickly turned to Su Hang—the unfamiliar face in the lineup.
Not every fan knew who he was.
"Who's that Asian guy? Where's Ronaldo?"
"Ronaldo's still injured. He hasn't returned yet."
"Why isn't Postiga playing? He's way better than this guy. I've never even seen him before!"
"Bro, you clearly haven't read the papers lately. That's Su Hang—he was the key figure in Real Madrid's Copa del Rey win!"
"He's one of our own! A youth academy talent with nerves of steel!"
Thanks to a few informed fans, Su Hang's name started making the rounds.
Still, very few truly believed in him.
Real Madrid fans are notoriously demanding.
An ordinary striker would never win them over.
Plenty of stars have left the Bernabéu in disappointment—each one with a bigger name than Su Hang.
...
Down on the pitch, just before kickoff, Zidane pulled Su Hang aside and gave him some crucial pointers.
"They're playing a 4-4-2 today. Silva and Baptista are up front."
"Baptista is the real threat. They call him 'The Beast.' He started as a defensive mid, moved to attacking mid, and now even plays up front."
"So don't be surprised if he ends up right in front of you. He's the kind of player who covers the entire field."
"Their right back, Alves—he's fast, good with his passes, strong in attack but weak in defense. If you drift wide to support, focus on his side. Use your physicality to gain the upper hand."
Su Hang nodded.
Zidane's advice was gold. As the best midfielder in the world, he always knew how to spot an opponent's weakness.
Beep!
The whistle blew. The game began.
The home crowd erupted, creating a fired-up atmosphere for Real Madrid.
1st minute.
Su Hang dropped back from the forward line. Raúl saw the space and surged forward.
Guti spotted it and attempted a through pass.
But Sevilla's holding midfielder Casquero read it and cut it out.
5th minute.
Su Hang dropped back again, pulling one center-back with him.
Raúl made another run, forcing the other defender to shift over.
Sevilla's back line started to unravel.
Bang!
Zidane played it across to Su Hang.
Su Hang returned it cleanly to Beckham.
Perfect execution—distance, weight, spin—everything was spot on.
Bang!
Beckham met it first-time with a long ball, lofting it to the left side of the penalty area.
Solari, cutting inside off the ball, received it on the left edge of the box, took one step forward... and unleashed a rocket!
The ball smashed into the net.
1–0!
"GOAL! Solari! What a strike!"
"Beckham connected directly with Solari—Real Madrid's attack was sharp and layered, slicing right through Sevilla's defense!"
"Of course, credit goes to Su Hang, Raúl, and Zidane for building it up."
"Especially Su Hang—his movement and layoff were absolutely perfect!"
The commentator clearly understood the game. He recognized Su Hang's role in the buildup.
But on the sidelines, Queiroz didn't look pleased.
Su Hang's luck was ridiculous.
No goal, no assist—and yet he still came away with a bit of credit.
...
"Ah! Su Hang was offside—what a waste!"
"Zidane was looking for the through ball, but Su Hang was off again. No pass."
"Raúl's got the ball, looks over at Su Hang... but he's offside again."
The next ten minutes drove Real Madrid fans mad.
Why was Su Hang always offside?
On the field, Su Hang kept wiping sweat from his forehead.
He wasn't tired—he was nervous.
Afraid his teammates might actually pass him the ball.
Why did he keep getting caught offside?
Because he was doing it on purpose!
It was the only way to avoid getting the ball.
If he received too many passes, his poor first touch and shaky ball control would be exposed.
And then Queiroz would have a solid reason to drop him from the first team.
In truth, it was a clever move.
He avoided getting the ball while giving the impression he was working hard to break through the defense.
And who would criticize a player who was clearly trying?
But Zidane had another interpretation of Su Hang's movements.
Could Su Hang really not understand positioning?
Not a chance.
So why the constant offsides?
He was lulling Sevilla's defenders into a false sense of security.
By constantly getting flagged offside, he was gradually desensitizing their back line—until one well-timed run would catch them completely off guard.
Su Hang clearly wasn't just any striker.
That kind of long-term strategic thinking is exactly what most strikers lack.
What a cunning little fox.
19th minute.
Baptista made a strong run and drew a foul from Guti.
Yellow card for Guti.
26th minute.
Su Hang dropped back again—but this time Casquero didn't give him any space.
He lunged in from behind, trying to beat him to the ball.
But Su Hang had the advantage. He got there first, nudging the ball away—only to get kicked by Casquero immediately after.
The referee didn't hesitate. Whistle. Yellow card.
The Bernabéu applauded.
"Well done, Su Hang!"
"Not bad at all. At least he's hardworking—pressures the defense, drops back to help the midfield, does the things most strikers don't want to do."
"Honestly, his style's a bit like Morientes."
"Don't even mention him. I still don't know how to feel about Morientes."
"I just hope Su Hang doesn't turn into a traitor like he did!"
43rd minute.
After spending the whole match dodging responsibility, Su Hang finally couldn't escape Zidane.
He was just a second too slow this time—no offside.
Zidane played a diagonal ball right into space, landing perfectly in front of Su Hang.
He had no choice but to grit his teeth and charge after it.
Damn it!
Damn you, Zidane!
Why would you pass now?!
...
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