Chapter 135: Taking All Three Points

To break is to build; "circuit-break" Perrin!

On the very day Villarreal faced Barcelona, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) issued an official statement announcing that head coach Alain Perrin had been dismissed, with Marcello Lippi appointed to lead the team.

It had been 15 years since China last reached the final round of World Cup qualifiers. They had enjoyed a near-perfect start, drawing 2-2 away against South Korea and edging Iran 1-0 at home. However, things turned sour with a 0-1 home loss to Syria, a frustrating draw away to Uzbekistan, and a hard-fought, narrow win over Qatar at home. After the first three rounds, China sat at the bottom of the group with 8 points from 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss—trailing group leaders Iran and second-placed South Korea by 4 points, and third-placed Uzbekistan by 3. The path to qualification had become incredibly difficult.

In truth, rumors of Perrin’s impending departure had circulated since the draw against Uzbekistan. Who would lead China through the remainder of the qualifiers became the hottest topic in the media. Manzano was the first to be linked with the CFA, and he did not fully deny the rumors, stating only that he would address it after the season—a remark that sounded like a ploy to improve his bargaining position for a contract renewal with Shanghai Shenhua. Eriksson was considered a more suitable fit for the Chinese team, as he possessed the ability to help a squad perform at its "normal level," and Shanghai SIPG was already contemplating a coaching change. In terms of timing, both Manzano and Eriksson could have seamlessly taken over the national team in time for the fifth match of the qualifiers against Qatar on November 15, following the conclusion of the league season in late October.

Now, the answer had finally been revealed. Yet, the CFA’s success in persuading Lippi to return was fraught with challenges. Not long ago, rumors had surfaced that Lippi would return to coach Guangzhou Evergrande the following season, with a potential three-year deal worth up to 20 million euros annually. Domestic media reported that Lippi had already rejected the CFA’s invitation, unwilling to take the job or even serve as a consultant, suggesting that the CFA’s pursuit was merely wishful thinking. Less than 24 hours later, however, the Italian media headlined the news that Lippi would indeed take the helm of the Chinese national team. Today, the CFA finally made the official announcement.

Lippi’s appointment was widely seen as the public’s wish coming true. Back in 2013, after leading Evergrande to the AFC Champions League title, Lippi had watched a China versus Saudi Arabia Asian Cup qualifier from a private box in Xi'an and had even provided crucial advice on the starting lineup before the match. That had been an attempt by Cai Zhenhua to recruit him, but after a draw in that game, Lippi had ultimately declined the CFA. Now that the CFA had finally gotten their man, Lippi was left with ample time, as China would not play its sixth qualifier against South Korea until March 23. Furthermore, looking at the current Chinese squad, Evergrande players accounted for a significant proportion; it was believed that under Lippi, the team would not require much time to gel and could quickly develop into a formidable fighting force.

This outcome did not surprise Dai Zhiwei. He had already heard the rumors, and in his previous life, Lippi had taken over the Chinese team around the same time. However, when asked about Perrin’s dismissal in the player tunnel, Dai Zhiwei first expressed gratitude: "People might quickly forget what Perrin did for Chinese football. He helped us reach the final round; he did a lot. Domestic fans need to respect him and remember what he did for us. It’s not just the players who should respect him; the fans should too."

After a brief pause, Dai Zhiwei felt compelled to add: "I said after the match against Syria that the defeat wasn't just the coach's fault—we are all responsible for that result. That’s football. Anything can happen on the pitch, and we all know that when the team’s overall performance is poor, it isn't just one person's fault. Therefore, the Chinese team, or Chinese football, is not just a problem of one head coach."

As for Lippi, Dai Zhiwei had no prior experience with him, nor did he have the time to dwell on it. After the winter break, the La Liga schedule had become congested; in four days, Villarreal would host Deportivo La Coruña at the Estadio de la Cerámica for the 18th round of the league. The current Deportivo was no longer the "Super Depor" of the past, and their strength was a notch below Villarreal's.

Once the referee blew the opening whistle, Villarreal controlled the tempo but struggled to break the deadlock. Dai Zhiwei was heavily marked, with center-backs Sidnei and Laure shadowing him, giving him no room to receive the ball. Even when he did manage to connect, the physical challenges from Sidnei and Laure were hard to endure. Compared to the hulking center-backs, he still appeared somewhat lean.

"Sigh, this small frame—nothing to be done about it!" Dai Zhiwei had once considered bulking up into a super-muscular physique, but the system's Tsubasa Ozora had stopped him. From a footballer's perspective, Dai was already sufficiently robust; gaining another 3 to 5 kilograms of muscle would be the limit. Any more would compromise his speed, agility, and technical finesse. It was like if Stephen Curry had trained to have LeBron James's physique—it would inevitably have ruined the shooting touch that made him famous.

On the pitch, the ball moved back and forth with neither side creating a coherent line of attack. Even when a half-chance arose, it was neutralized by the excellent form of Deportivo’s goalkeeper, Tytoń. Deportivo lacked better opportunities as well; their passing aimed for the killer blow but failed to tear open Villarreal’s defense.

Bruno intercepted a pass intended for Deportivo striker Andone and quickly fed Trigueros. Trigueros scanned the advancing Deportivo formation, noticed his teammates had moved into position, and launched a pass to Castillejo on the left flank before sprinting forward himself. Castillejo didn't waste time dribbling; he played a through ball back to Trigueros, who had shed his marker. This simple one-two tore open the Deportivo midfield.

Trigueros raced down the left flank toward the penalty area, and before the defender could close him down, he sent the ball into the center for Castillejo. Castillejo found Dai Zhiwei positioned between the two center-backs and deftly flicked the ball with his heel into Dai’s path. Upon receiving the ball, Dai scanned the field and saw Bakambu sprinting toward the right side of the penalty area. Dai accelerated, cutting toward the left side of the box to draw the attention of Sidnei and Laure, then chipped the ball between them to the right flank. Bakambu met the ball, drew back his foot, and unleashed a powerful strike into the near corner.

1-0!

Bakambu raised his hands in celebration, turned around to give Dai Zhiwei a hearty hug for the assist, and high-fived his teammates. After breaking the deadlock, Villarreal’s midfield and attack showed more fluidity. Escribá shifted tactics—though still playing a 4-4-2—with Dai Zhiwei dropping slightly deeper behind Bakambu to play as a shadow striker. This put Sidnei and Laure in an awkward position; they couldn't stick to Dai because it would leave too much space behind them, vulnerable to being pierced by the opposition.

Forced to push forward, Deportivo began to adjust their midfield play, hoping to stretch Villarreal’s defense. Marlos Moreno capitalized on a mistake by Castillejo, charging into the wide-open space on Villarreal’s left. Bruno chased back, but Moreno’s pace was relentless. Even as Bruno caught up, Moreno laid the ball off to Guilherme, who saw that Villarreal’s defense had been pulled out of position and that goalkeeper Asenjo was off his line. Without hesitation, Guilherme attempted a long-range chip, but the shot was slightly too powerful, sailing over the crossbar and into the stands.

Villarreal’s fans cheered in relief, showering the visitors with boos. Asenjo took the goal kick, finding Bruno near the center circle. Bruno stopped the ball and played a beautiful, sweeping pass that dropped perfectly at the feet of Bakambu. Deportivo’s defense was caught high up the pitch, and Bakambu used his pace to surge through the middle, leaving his marker, Luisinho, trailing meters behind.

Bakambu faced only two center-backs, while Dai Zhiwei and Castillejo stretched the defense, creating space for him. Sidnei rushed to pressure him, and Laure sprinted over to help intercept. Bakambu, unfazed, feinted to the left and looked toward Castillejo, making a gesture as if he were about to play a through ball. Sidnei instinctively moved to block the pass, and Laure adjusted his position to intercept.

Seeing the path blocked, Bakambu didn't pause. He pulled the ball back, shifted it to his right, and flicked it forward. He didn't hesitate, because they had repeated this movement countless times in training—he knew someone would be waiting. The ball rolled into the open space on the right of the penalty area. Fernando Navarro sprinted toward it, but a figure was faster.

The moment Bakambu had pulled the ball back, Dai Zhiwei’s striker instincts had kicked in. He trusted in their chemistry. As expected, the ball arrived just as he burst forward. Dai outpaced Navarro and reached the ball, now one-on-one with Tytoń. The goalkeeper charged out, but Dai remained calm, slotting a left-footed shot into the net before Tytoń could go to ground.

"Goal!"

2-0!

The fans at the Estadio de la Cerámica erupted as the Villarreal crests flew through the air once more. "You returned the favor!" Dai Zhiwei shouted after his signature celebration, running over to lift Bakambu into the air. Previously, Bakambu had scored off a Dai assist; now, he had returned the favor with a brilliant pass. Escribá nodded in satisfaction.

Although the winter break hadn't ended and there was theoretical room for signings, the debate over whether to add a backup striker remained. Villarreal currently had only three reliable strikers, as young Rafael had been promoted from the reserves just to gain experience and was not yet ready for La Liga or Champions League play. For a team competing on multiple fronts, this was thin. Fortunately, with Dai Zhiwei and Bakambu in such fine form and no injuries, Escribá could temporarily put the issue aside.

The 2-0 scoreline effectively secured the victory. The "Yellow Submarine" tightened their defense, and Deportivo struggled to find a way through. It wasn't until the 90th minute that Deportivo finally pulled one back; Roberto Soriano’s clearance was blocked by Fayçal Fajr, and substitute Joselu fired home from the edge of the box. However, Deportivo had no time left to level the score. Villarreal secured a 2-1 home victory, claiming the expected three points.