How About a Hat Trick?

"It feels like Italy's chain defense isn't all that great after all!"

On the bench, Negredo, after celebrating with the other substitutes, rested his chin on his hand and seriously commented.

Such arrogant words would usually draw criticism, but today, after seeing their teammates effortlessly pass the ball into the opponent's net, the Spanish players on the bench agreed with Negredo's assessment.

This type of goal rarely even happens in their internal practice matches. It felt like Italy was weaker than their own substitute lineup.

Buffon got up from the ground and couldn't help but kick the goalpost in frustration.

This goal was incredibly humiliating, but looking at his teammates, who had given their all yet still failed to stop the attack, made Buffon even more furious!

On the sidelines, both coaches remained calm after witnessing the goal.

Del Bosque only clapped symbolically. This kind of goal for Spain at this point was just a matter of skill, nothing to boast about.

And since Italy was an old rival, winning against them in a friendly didn't seem particularly exciting.

On the other side, Prandelli appeared calm on the surface, but inside, he was panicking.

It felt like Spain had become even stronger since they faced them in last summer's Confederations Cup. Their coordination was more fluid, and their possession game was more lethal.

But the lineup was still the same, with some players even a year older. Logically, Spain's strength should have declined.

So why did it feel like Spain was constantly evolving and getting stronger?

Last summer, Spain couldn't score goals like this!

Their tight, small-area play in the front was certainly dazzling, but that was mostly built on Lin's exceptional individual ability.

But today, before Lin even showed his full power, they had already scored such a stunning team goal.

This left Prandelli with a deep sense of helplessness: How can anyone beat a team like Spain?

Italy had no answers, so they were completely on the back foot for the rest of the game.

Apart from the first ten minutes, Italy spent the rest of the first half pinned in their own half by Spain.

The inevitable happened in the 38th minute. Spain produced another brilliant sequence, with Lin assisting Iniesta for a goal.

In the 44th minute, surrounded by three Italian defenders, Lin moved like a football magician, twisting and turning in the tight space to create just enough room to score.

His excellent ball control, rapid footwork, and quick adjustments left the Italian defenders in awe.

They had done everything they could, but they still couldn't stop him!

He was simply too strong!

By halftime, Italy was down by three goals.

This left many Italian fans who had come to support their team feeling despondent:

If our team is in this state, how will they compete with top teams in the World Cup?

To make matters worse, they were stuck in a "group of death." Was Italy going to crash out in the group stage again?

While Italian fans sank into despair, Spanish fans were celebrating like it was a holiday.

They loved seeing their team dominate like this!

Who doesn't love watching their team crush an opponent?

And this wasn't just any opponent—Italy was the World Cup champion from two tournaments ago. Beating Italy like this proved that Spain was unbeatable!

Del Bosque shook his head. Prandelli's Italy was a letdown.

This didn't provide the challenge they needed for their preparation.

Maybe they should schedule a match against the Netherlands?

But the Netherlands was their group stage opponent in the World Cup. Would they agree to such a friendly?

If not the Netherlands, perhaps Germany or Belgium might be worth considering.

Both teams were strong, especially Germany, who were among the top five favorites to win the World Cup.

After the World Cup group draw, major European betting companies had released the odds for each team's chances of winning the tournament.

As the defending champions, Spain was the top favorite with odds of 1:2.73.

Given that the World Cup hadn't even started yet, these odds were quite impressive.

The second favorite was Argentina, with Messi, at 1:6.

In third place was the host nation, Brazil, with odds of 1:6.5.

Originally, Brazil's odds should have been higher, but their heavy defeat to Spain in last year's Confederations Cup final had shaken people's confidence in them.

Germany came in fourth, with odds of 1:7, close behind Brazil.

In fifth place was the Red Devils of Europe, Belgium, with odds of 1:10.

Following them were Italy and the Netherlands, both at 1:18, and France at 1:22.

Teams with odds over 30 were considered long shots, with very little chance of winning.

Of course, these odds were set by European bookmakers, so there was some bias.

In terms of pure football strength, England might not be stronger than Uruguay, yet their odds were significantly higher.

Del Bosque didn't want to arrange friendlies against weaker teams, fearing that such matches would make his team complacent.

Germany and Belgium were both in Europe, so arranging a friendly would be convenient.

Both teams made adjustments in the second half. Del Bosque substituted Valdés, Martínez, and Alonso for Casillas, Fàbregas, and Busquets.

After Casillas left the field, Ramos took over the captain's armband.

However, just 15 minutes into the second half, Ramos twisted his ankle.

Del Bosque had no choice but to substitute him as well. Unable to move properly, Ramos handed the captain's armband to the nearest player.

And that player happened to be Lin!

"Lin, this is for you!"

Ramos hastily passed the captain's armband to Lin before being helped off the field by the medical team.

Since Xavi was still on the field, Lin intended to give the armband to him.

But Xavi shook his head. "Lin, you're the captain now. Wear it!"

Xavi had already decided to retire from the national team after this World Cup, so he had no interest in competing for the captaincy.

In fact, as a veteran, Xavi had long noticed that Del Bosque was grooming Lin to be the team's core leader.

So, as the older players gradually retired, the captain's armband would eventually be handed to Lin.

Since that was the case, Xavi thought it was better to let Lin get a taste of being captain now.

Since Xavi insisted, Lin didn't hesitate.

So, on this day, at 18 years and 15 days old, Lin wore the national team captain's armband for the first time, becoming the captain of the Spanish national team.

Although it was only temporary, it was still a historic moment for Spain.

Seeing Lin wear the captain's armband, the Spanish fans at the Calderón Stadium gave him a round of applause.

In the 77th minute, Silva and Iniesta combined with a one-two in the attacking third. Iniesta, on the edge of the box, flicked a backheel pass.

Lin received the ball and threaded a pass to the advancing Silva, who calmly slotted it home.

With this goal, Spain was now up 4-0!

But the fans weren't satisfied yet. They began chanting, urging Lin to complete a hat trick!

Initially, Lin thought he could ease up a bit, but hearing the fans' cheers, he got fired up.

And when he got fired up, it was bad news for the Italians.

Faced with an increasingly lively Lin, the Italian defenders were in despair.

Come on, it's just a friendly! Do you have to go all out?

Lin felt that wearing the captain's armband, if he didn't score, it would be letting the fans down.

Having already conceded four goals, the Italians were beyond furious. Seeing that Lin was still trying to score, they began playing more aggressively.

Lin noticed their physical play and immediately realized they didn't want him to get a hat trick.

Italy had been pinned in their half for most of the match, and their penalty area was crowded with players. If Lin tried to dribble through, he might not succeed.

But if the opponents committed fouls, that made things easier!

All he needed to do was find a good spot and draw a foul!

So, after receiving the ball from a teammate, Lin deliberately dribbled toward the middle, as if he was going to weave through the Italian defense.

The Italian players didn't realize he was bluffing, thinking he really intended to do it.

After all, Lin had the skill to pull it off. He and Messi were known as the most dangerous dribblers in football, nearly impossible to defend against.

And since Lin had already succeeded once earlier in the match, the Italians believed he could do it again, treating him like a major threat.

Marchisio was the first to step up, but in a flash, Lin dribbled past him effortlessly.

Marchisio was stunned. He knew Lin was a great dribbler but didn't realize just how good he was.

No wonder some experts claimed that with Messi's dribbling abilities diminished by injuries, Lin was now the best dribbler in the world!

Marchisio didn't dare be careless, immediately reaching out to tug at Lin from behind.

But Lin was much stronger than he expected, and the first pull didn't bring him down.

Surprised, Marchisio pulled again, and this time Lin went down easily.

But something didn't feel right…

Marchisio looked at where he had fouled and froze!

Seeing where the foul had occurred, Buffon, the Italian goalkeeper, also froze!

Damn it!

This spot for a free kick was incredibly dangerous!

As soon as the referee blew the whistle for the foul, Lin quickly got up and placed the ball, backing up to prepare for the free kick.

Chiellini, with his vast experience, began arguing with the referee about the exact spot of the foul. As he retreated, he subtly nudged the ball, causing it to roll a few yards away, disrupting Lin's setup.

Lin noticed this and felt a bit exasperated. He had no choice but to reset the ball in the correct spot. However, upon examining the ground, he found that someone had scuffed the turf, creating a slight dip. Placing the ball here would make his shot less accurate, as the ball wouldn't sit perfectly.

Lin glanced at Chiellini, who feigned innocence, his expression calm as if he had nothing to do with it.

Undeterred, Lin stomped on the turf, trying to level the area as best as he could. Once satisfied, he reset the ball, then took seven or eight steps back to prepare for his kick.

Since watching the legendary Juninho Pernambucano, a master of free kicks, Lin had been practicing diligently. Originally, he had mastered the knuckleball and dip shot, but after studying Juninho's style, he added the "S-Curve" free kick to his arsenal.

This was his first time trying it out in a real match, and who better to test it against than Gianluigi Buffon, one of the greatest goalkeepers in the world?

Buffon was keeping a close eye on Lin. As their eyes met, Lin flashed a small, mysterious smile. 

Buffon felt a sudden unease in his gut.

What was that smile supposed to mean?

As Lin began his run-up, Buffon cleared his mind of any distractions, focusing entirely on Lin, not wanting to miss a single movement.

For a player like Lin, who was adept with both feet, it was hard to predict which foot he would use to strike the ball. However, Buffon had faced countless free kick specialists in his career, and he had honed his ability to judge based on their run-up.

Step by step, Lin approached the ball, and Buffon's mind was racing. He quickly calculated that Lin would use his right foot to strike the ball, which meant it would likely go toward Buffon's right, the left side of the goal.

With confidence in his prediction, Buffon sprang toward his right side just as Lin made contact with the ball.

As expected, the ball was headed to Buffon's right side!

Buffon felt a surge of relief—he had judged correctly!

Lin, I admit your dribbling and shooting are exceptional, but when it comes to free kicks, you're not yet in the top tier.

Throughout his 18-year career, Buffon had faced some of the best free kick takers in history: Sinisa Mihajlovic, Roberto Baggio, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho, Juninho Pernambucano, and his own teammate, Andrea Pirlo. Each had their own unique style, whether it was brute power, deception, or curve.

But in all those years, Buffon had accumulated a wealth of experience.

In Buffon's eyes, Lin's free kicks were impressive but not yet at the level of these masters. Perhaps in the future, Lin could join their ranks, but today was not that day.

With confidence, Buffon stretched out, prepared to catch the ball. But just as he was about to make contact, the ball swerved unexpectedly, curving in the opposite direction—toward his left.

An S-Curve!

Buffon was shocked as the ball changed direction mid-flight, a signature move of Juninho Pernambucano, one of the most unpredictable and difficult free kicks to defend against.

Desperately, Buffon stretched out his left hand, trying to block the ball. But his body was already committed to the right, making it impossible to reach far enough.

With a crisp sound, the ball whipped into the back of the net.

Buffon stood there in disbelief.

Lin, too, was momentarily stunned.

And then, the crowd erupted in cheers.

A hat trick!

Their player had just completed a hat trick in this match!

Lin finally snapped back to reality. He ran to the sidelines, stood behind the advertising boards, and spread his arms wide, closing his eyes to take in the deafening cheers from the 50,000 fans in the stadium.

Seeing Lin embrace the adoration of the crowd, the cheers only grew louder.

As Buffon retrieved the ball from the net, he couldn't help but revise his earlier assessment of Lin.

Maybe this kid's free kicks weren't as far from perfection as I thought.

When the final whistle blew, Spain emerged victorious with a 5-0 thrashing of Italy, courtesy of Lin's hat trick.

While Spain's morale soared, Italy was left to regret their decision.

In hindsight, why on earth did they ever agree to a friendly with Spain?