Real Madrid's defense, tailored specifically to contain Ronaldinho, collapsed in the 15th minute.
What was the difference between Cambiasso's defense—with a yellow card—and Guti's?
Guti: You'd better be complimenting me!
At the 18th minute, a now-unleashed Ronaldinho delivered a killer through ball to Saviola.
He had a clear one-on-one chance.
The entire Bernabéu held its breath.
Casillas stepped up with a masterclass in one-on-one defending, pushing Saviola's shot away.
He was in exceptional form today.
At the 20th minute, Su Hang had his moment.
Although his passing wasn't refined, that didn't mean he couldn't make a pass.
With his back to Puyol, he received Raúl's pass and, using the sole of his foot, rolled the ball behind him.
Puyol, just 1.78 m tall and blocked by Su Hang, had no sight of it.
The ball slid right through his legs.
"Beautiful pass!"
"Su Hang threaded it behind Puyol with his back to him!"
"Raúl shoots—ah! Valdés denies it!"
"Both keepers are performing at a very high level."
That pass sparked a change—Real Madrid players, impressed, began looking to Su Hang more often.
He frantically tried to avoid being offside, but he couldn't refuse passes forever.
At the 25th minute, Zidane delivered a stunning through ball.
It was so precise, Su Hang couldn't escape it—bang!
He stretched to control it, but the ball rolled straight to Puyol.
Puyol looked stunned.
This... Are you serious?
Does my red-and-blue kit look white to you?
I know about red-green color blindness, but is there red-blue-white color blindness too?
Bang!
Puyol passed to Xavi, who looked up to launch a counterattack.
With no choice, Figo grabbed Xavi—and the referee blew the whistle, giving Figo a yellow card.
He had disrupted a prime counter opportunity.
Su Hang looked apologetically at Figo, who waved it off—it happens.
Even Ronaldinho makes mistakes.
By the 31st minute, Figo surged down the right and delivered a picture-perfect cross.
All Su Hang had to do was rush in and strike.
But he missed it.
Some balls look easy—like even someone's grandma could tap them in—but at game speed they can be unexpectedly difficult.
You have to gauge the ball's speed, trajectory, and align your movement perfectly.
Su Hang was shielding Puyol, but he couldn't both shield and deliver a precise shot at once.
His "beastly physique" gave him power, but not elite instinct or finishing finesse.
Bang!
Reiziger received the ball on the other flank, pushed forward, and launched a counter.
Zidane rushed in with a sliding tackle, sending both ball and opponent out of play.
Barcelona players immediately swarmed—and a skirmish erupted.
The referee booked Zidane. Though he made contact with the ball first, the tackle was deemed dangerous.
Zidane didn't argue—he instead found a moment to tell Su Hang, "Su, you need to reset mentally. Get excited, get focused—like against Sevilla!"
Su Hang nodded.
It was hard to tell Zidane he was already fully focused.
Like a vocational student striving to get into Peking University in too short a time—unlikely!
Peking University Blue Bird: Really? I don't believe it!
At the 39th minute, Ronaldinho threatened again.
After weaving past two defenders on the left, he was fouled by Helguera just outside the box.
Helguera drew a yellow; if he'd been a second slower, it would've been red.
The tackle succeeded, but gave Barcelona a dangerous free kick.
"Su! Get back!"
Given the position, Real Madrid hurried everyone into the wall—including Su Hang.
He joined the wall and tried closing his eyes—but the fear of the unknown made him flinch and open them again.
Forming a wall is agony.
It tests steel resolve—especially for a forward.
Forwards are supposed to be fearless when chasing goals, willing to clash with studs and goalpost head-first.
But being hit by a free kick? Most would dodge that.
Players choose positions that suit them—and positions shape who they become.
That's why fewer forwards want to be in the wall.
Beep!
The referee blew—and Ronaldinho struck a curling free kick toward goal.
Su Hang jumped high, eyes wide open as the arc approached.
"Damn!"
He turned his head to avoid it, but Ronaldinho's curve was perfect.
Su Hang's movement unexpectedly blocked the ball's path.
And only Su Hang could—since he was the highest jumper in the wall.
Bang!
The ball struck Su Hang square on the forehead. He crumpled to the ground.
What happened next was truly, as they say, "none of his business."
Everything went white… and when he opened his eyes, a crowd was around him.
The team medic rushed over.
Su Hang understood they were speaking—but he was hazy. He waved desperately, meaning: "I can't do this anymore. I can't go on."
But the medics responded with thumbs-up and quickly left the field.
"Oh! Su Hang is okay!"
"He's a real tough guy!"
"They offered him a break on the sidelines, but he refused!"
"He's a true man!"
"He made a brilliant block—without it, Ronaldinho's free kick was destined for the net!"
"This is why fans keep demanding Queiroz start Su Hang. He's more than just a passer or someone willing to do the gritty work—he can shut down Ronaldinho too!"
"His attacking wasn't consistent today, but that's due to lack of game time. Queiroz should be responsible for that."
Queiroz sat dumbfounded on the bench.
Alright, fine—Su gets all the credit, I get all the blame.
Fair enough?
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