Watch the Video

**Chapter 8: Watch the Videos**

After more than two weeks of physical training, most of the players felt like they had shed a layer of skin. Quaresma was no exception. After all, he had never been known for his physical prowess on the field.

However, with the help of a system that digitized his attributes and capabilities, he was indeed improving.

For instance, his physical fitness attribute had increased from 72 to 76.

While other players were building physical reserves through training, Quaresma was actually enhancing his physical fitness.

However, due to the limited time for technical and tactical training, Quaresma's urgent need to improve his teamwork had not been significantly addressed, which made him a bit anxious.

Soon after, the Porto team flew to the United States to participate in the Champions World Series tournament held there.

After Del Neri took over as coach, he immediately initiated drastic reforms, completely abandoning the tough defensive tactics of Mourinho's era and began implementing offensive football. This tactical shift was something he had successfully executed with Chievo Verona.

But for Porto, adapting to this change wasn't going to be easy. Completely overhauling and rebuilding a team is not as simple as it sounds.

In the three warm-up matches in the United States, Porto's opponents were Liverpool, Galatasaray, and AC Milan.

Even though Del Neri's tactics hadn't fully taken root in Porto, the fans didn't consider these issues. They only saw this as an exam for the new coach to prove whether he was qualified to succeed Mourinho.

Of course, these were just warm-up games, and the results didn't really count. The clubs were more focused on practicing their tactical line-ups.

Quaresma got a starting opportunity in the first game against Liverpool. Playing as a right-wing forward, he was part of a front line that included Fabiano and Postiga, with Meireles and Maniche partnering in midfield, and the new Brazilian signing Diego starting on the left.

Ignoring the defensive line for a moment, Quaresma believed this should be Porto's main line-up for the new season. Their strength had been proven by future performances.

Quaresma deliberately suppressed his offensive instincts to focus on team play, aiming to better integrate into the overall tactics and improve the team's coordination. Even so, when faced with pressure from Liverpool players, Quaresma showcased excellent individual skills, maintaining possession without turnovers or steals.

When an opportunity to cross arose, Quaresma didn't hesitate to use his signature move—the outside of his right foot.

The reverse arc of the cross bypassed the defender at the near post, and Postiga, positioned in the middle, headed the ball past the Liverpool goalkeeper, changing the scoreline.

Thanks to this goal, European champions Porto defeated Liverpool 1-0 in their first warm-up match.

However, the victory didn't hide Porto's poor performance. The offensive organization was chaotic and disorderly, the defense lacked system and solidity, and for most of the match, they were dominated by Liverpool. If Liverpool had been more focused, and if their strikers Owen and Cissé hadn't forgotten their shooting boots, Porto would likely have lost.

In the next match against Galatasaray, likely for the purpose of evaluating players' abilities, Del Neri rotated most of the starting lineup. Quaresma could only sit on the bench and watch his teammates' performance.

The game ended in a draw. Porto neither executed the attacking play Del Neri wanted nor showcased the solid defense of last season. It was a messy match, with both teams struggling.

Quaresma frowned on the bench, feeling that Del Neri was a bit too idealistic.

Porto wasn't a blank slate. The team had been deeply imprinted with Mourinho's coaching style over several seasons. Del Neri's attempt to easily dismantle and rebuild it was not going to be straightforward.

These two games clearly demonstrated this point. Porto played in disarray, with players attempting to adopt Del Neri's offensive strategy but still accustomed to Mourinho's defensive style. The clash of tactics led to a split between offense and defense, resulting in unsatisfactory performance.

At this time, public opinion was pessimistic about Porto's prospects for the new season. Despite not losing, the fans complained—what kind of football is this?

Thus, in the final game against Milan, Del Neri's team was under significant pressure. If the performance remained poor, they would face heavy criticism upon returning to Portugal.

Due to the pressure, Del Neri decided to field the same starting lineup as in the first game, signaling his preferred lineup for the new season.

However, even with the main players on the field, the core problems remained unresolved. The superior individual abilities of the main players couldn't fundamentally address the issues.

From start to finish, Milan controlled the game, leaving Porto struggling. In this situation, Del Neri's desired offensive play was impossible to execute, and he could only pace anxiously on the sidelines.

No matter how strong Quaresma was, he couldn't solve the team's overall problems. Additionally, he hadn't fully integrated his personal abilities with the team's tactical play, rendering him ineffective.

For the first time, Quaresma felt helpless on the field. This sense of powerlessness was very uncomfortable. For someone who always aimed to win, it was like a stab to the chest, causing intense frustration.

Very frustrating!

Back at the hotel in the evening, Quaresma, still bitter about the failure, asked the assistant coach for the videos of the games. Outside of practice, he wanted to see where he needed to improve.

After a while, Quaresma had learned to reflect.

"Well, the wing was open, I should have run there. Diego's pass would have reached me."

"Fabiano was in a good position. Why didn't I see it?"

"I should have moved to support Meireles here. A two-on-one play could have penetrated their midfield."

"The gap was wide open, I should have cut inside!"

After reviewing the game, Quaresma felt he had gained a lot. He believed that if he didn't waste any potential opportunities, scoring double-digit goals wouldn't be a problem.

When Quaresma casually opened his attribute panel again, he froze.

Could it be that watching the game videos had actually increased his teamwork ability by 0.04?

Quaresma was too excited to speak.

He remembered starting with a teamwork attribute of 54. After this period of technical and tactical training and several warm-up matches, it had grown to 55.22, but now it was 55.26.

No wonder he felt his tactical awareness improve while watching the videos. Why didn't it reflect in the data?

It seemed he needed to watch more videos in the future. This method of improving abilities was like a hidden cheat.

Quaresma seemed to see another promising path opening up before him.