His appearance means he won’t become the focal point, but rather an assistant.
Similarly, Sogel’s pivot forward playing style makes him unsuitable to be an absolute focal point; he also plays the role of an assistant.
Therefore... San Remo’s attack will undoubtedly lean more towards the midfield.
Their main attackers are the midfield players!
Lam’s debut in the defensive midfield position surprised many.
Everyone thought San Remo had bought a center-back, but it turns out they needed a defensive midfielder?
Whether this transformation can succeed is still a question mark.
In terms of center-backs, San Remo’s original right-back Matias has moved to the right center-back position.
This is not good news for him.
On one hand, the team has changed formation, and he has to leave his comfort zone to adapt to the new position.
On the other hand, in the original 4-3-3 formation, his ranking for appearances might also be after Canyes.
Therefore, even though he is starting in this match, he is far less safe than Naji, who is sitting on the bench for this match.
Naji is over 1.9 meters tall, a big center-back, but because he’s young, his speed and turning speed aren’t particularly slow; he is also capable of playing as a right center-back.
The real reason Naji is sitting on the bench for this match is perhaps because Sotu wants him to learn more from Palacios.
In a three-center-back formation, a center-back’s ability to play the ball is especially important.
Finding a center-back who can play the ball isn’t easy because playing the ball means not only having good passing ability and technique but also having a broad vision, understanding of offensive and defensive positions, a solid nerve, and a certain level of passing creativity.
Many center-backs have good technique, but issues arise when they play the ball because they either have problems with vision or their creativity is overly ambitious, leading to rash mistakes.
A ball-playing center-back often struggles between "creating offensive opportunities" and "committing critical defensive errors," and a slight lack of attention can lead to conceding a goal.
It can be said that what they need to judge is sometimes even harder and more crucial than a forward judging how to shoot.
These statements only emphasize the rarity and preciousness of ball-playing center-backs.
But strangely, San Remo has at least two of such center-backs!
When Palacios played in Serie B, he was the team’s ball-playing center-back with excellent ball-playing ability and defensive command skills. When paired with Naji, he stayed back and acted as a commander, also possessing strong secondary aerial abilities.
When Naji is not on the field, Palacios can be the one to contest headers and tackle; his frontal defensive abilities are very strong. Meanwhile, the role of commander and staying back falls to Bernulin.
As for Bernulin... he might be one of the best ball-playing center-backs in Italy, stronger than Palacios!
This is why after Bernulin joined, Sotu dared to use a three-center-back formation as the key.
Because he has them!
Beep!
Less than ten minutes from the start of the match, the main referee blew the whistle and pointed to the center circle.
Goal counts!
The Black and White Corps’ fans instantly cheered excitedly.
Juventus scored!
In this goal, Juventus’ central forward Manzuyovich demonstrated the powerful qualities of an all-around central forward.
He connected play near the midfield, continuously engaging in wall-passing combinations with the team’s midfielders to bring the ball outside the penalty area.
Then he feigned a pass and smashed forward, changing direction to break into the penalty area.
In terms of defense for this ball, Lam and Palacios showed a lack of cohesion, both rushing to pressure Manzuyovich simultaneously.
And with his footwork wizardry, Manzuyovich executed a Fried Meatballs move between the two.
Then, with Bernulin sliding in, he unleashed a powerful shot that pierced Areola’s defense.
The entire process was carefree, with no hard contact or collision.
The Old Lady Juventus showcased the demeanor of a Serie A champion.
Old Tom on the sidelines held his head: "How could this happen? Clearly, this is our strongest defensive lineup! Even if a goal is conceded, it should come from the flanks, not the center!"
Sotu shook his head and said: "It’s not a matter of configuration; our strategy wasn’t wrong. This is due to a lack of synergy."
Old Tom said: "You’re talking about Lam and Palacios?"
Sotu said: "No! The issue with this goal lies in the midfield. Latu Yidi and Lam had a coordination error; Lam hasn’t adapted to his role as a Destructors in the backfield yet. He’s still unfamiliar with the defensive midfielder position; he’s not fully liberated."
Even though both are Destructors, the differences between a defensive midfielder and a center-back are significant.
Lu Yang deeply understands this.
In the position of center-back, no matter how much you can run, you don’t dare to run out of your defensive zone easily.
Because you are the team’s last line of defense, this is a natural restriction, a fact that all center-backs cannot deny.
Aside from this, theoretically, any player’s position can appear at any time on any position on the pitch... well, excluding the goalkeeper.
Lam, who has played as a center-back since childhood, suddenly moved to the defensive midfielder role, and his subconscious still makes him want to "hold" his position.
Therefore, when Manzuyovich was linking up in midfield, Lam didn’t press forward at the first opportunity, forcing the less mobile Latu Yidi to step up.
Resulting in a loss of position.
The correct way to play this ball would have been for Lam to press forward, Latu Yidi to provide defensive support, and then find a suitable opportunity to sandwich Manzuyovich or cut off his passing routes.