Son Heung-min stood just behind him and saw it all happen with his own eyes.
He watched Leo Lin bend a beautiful shot right in front of him, sending it precisely into the top-left corner, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Son Heung-min was certain that the curve he had imagined during his two consecutive shooting attempts had looked exactly like that.
But there was always a gap between reality and the ideal. Somehow, that saying did not seem to apply to Leo Lin.
Son Heung-min had started out in the Bundesliga and fought his way up step by step through his own hard work. After finally catching Tottenham's attention and moving to the Premier League, he had gone on to break out.
Yet the young man in front of him had played for only one short season and already possessed the kind of ability Son Heung-min had spent so many years working toward.
Scholes admired Leo Lin far too much. He finally understood why Casillas had praised Leo Lin so wildly in the commentary booth last season.
At first, he had thought it was because Casillas was a Spanish legend himself. But now he understood. When you saw a performance like this up close, all you could do was praise it from the heart and offer your congratulations.
It was like looking at a work of art. You simply could not control the admiration you felt for it.
As a fellow Midfielder, Scholes understood better than most just how rare the midfield talent Leo Lin was showing at that moment truly was.
With the whistle sounding for the end of the first half, the match entered halftime.
The fans in the live chat were still savoring the crescent curve Leo Lin had just produced.
"I've only ever seen top wingers produce that kind of curve from wide areas before. For a midfielder to do it is incredibly difficult."
"Modrić can create that kind of curve with the outside of his foot, but if we're talking purely about curling it with the inside of the foot, I honestly can't think of another midfielder who can produce that trajectory. Maybe Toni Kroos?"
"Tottenham's counterattacks are sharp, but unfortunately for them, Liverpool are stronger right now."
"After signing so many new players, Liverpool's changes this season have been obvious. At the start and toward the end of last season, because the squad wasn't complete enough and they were under pressure from fighting on multiple fronts, Liverpool often fell into passive situations against strong opponents. They also frequently found themselves trailing.
But so far this season, even against stronger opponents, Liverpool can take the lead instead of falling behind first and then fighting back. That is what real progress looks like."
Liverpool fans were enjoying themselves, and inside the Liverpool dressing room, Klopp wore the same satisfied smile.
"All right, I don't know how many times I've wanted to say this to you, but your first-half performance was enough to satisfy me, and it should be enough to satisfy yourselves too."
"Fabinho, excellent forty-five minutes. I saw your progress."
"You deserve a doughnut. I'll have the chef give you one as a reward."
"In the second half, we keep playing this way. I want to see even stronger impact, especially in midfield."
"With Fabinho sweeping and protecting behind you, Wijnaldum needs to push higher and attack Winks. Leo Lin, you're responsible for breaking down Dembélé. Both of you can dominate your individual matchups. That's our advantage."
Klopp was delighted with the team's first-half performance, because he had not expected them to produce the effect he wanted by the fifth round of the Premier League, after only five matches.
... The second half began, and Tottenham made a substitution. Lamela came off the bench to replace Winks.
Pochettino wanted to add more technical quality to the midfield, but whether it was Lamela or Winks, both were at a disadvantage against Wijnaldum.
After being repeatedly shouldered aside by Leo Lin early last season, Wijnaldum had learned from the pain and thrown himself into training. His physical qualities had improved even further.
Combined with his polished ball control, Wijnaldum had already reached a new level this season.
Once the second half began, Wijnaldum repeatedly went up against Lamela and created more opportunities.
In the sixtieth minute.
"Tottenham want to create chances through Lamela, but he's really struggling against Wijnaldum."
"They're playing out from the back. Vertonghen is looking for Lamela."
"Wijnaldum presses from behind and wins it. Lamela is knocked to the ground."
"The referee says no foul. Wijnaldum carries the ball forward and launches the counterattack."
"Two against one through the middle."
Leo Lin had originally been close to Wijnaldum. After Wijnaldum completed the tackle, Leo Lin quickly pulled sideways, drawing away Dembélé, who had been defending near him. That allowed Wijnaldum to face Dier head-on.
He did not stop. He carried the ball naturally toward the left, used his physical advantage to hold off Dier, then burst past him in two strides before immediately sliding a through ball forward.
In the middle of the penalty area, Firmino beat the offside trap, received the ball, and had a half one-on-one chance.
An ordinary striker would definitely have shot.
But he did not, because he was an all-around striker, playing the role of an all-around striker.
Firmino stopped sharply, pulled the ball back with the toe of his left foot, and played a folded pass behind him.
First, the tip of his left foot dragged the ball backward. Then, in the same motion, he gently nudged it diagonally back to the right.
Mané appeared right on time.
A low drive toward the far corner.
"GOOOOOO!"
"Mané scores!"
"The score is now 2-0!"
"Firmino with the assist!"
"This is exactly why fans love Firmino."
"People always say that even when he doesn't score, he still plays an important role on the pitch. This is exactly what they mean."
"Liverpool's midfield and attack are linking up so cleverly. They can always use their midfield operation to connect with the front three."
"And now Wijnaldum can stand on his own too. He has become an excellent partner beside Leo Lin."
The broadcast camera now cut to Henderson and Rodri on the bench.
A very meaningful shot from the director.
"Henderson is on the bench for this match. Compared with last season, he should be facing more competition this season."
"As for Rodri, who arrived with a price tag of more than twenty million, he might have been able to start at Athletic Bilbao, but at a team like Liverpool, he may need to wait patiently for his chance."
"After all, a fee of more than twenty million is already on the lower end in Liverpool's current squad."
"So far this season, across the first four Premier League matches, Rodri has only had twenty-one minutes of playing time."
"Add to that Wijnaldum's explosive form, Fabinho's obvious improvement, Henderson, who was already the team captain, and Leo Lin, who basically won't be removed from the starting lineup."
"When will Rodri get a stable rotation opportunity in midfield?"
"No one knows."
Scholes knew Rodri had potential, but he needed playing time to bring that potential out.
With a two goal lead, Liverpool played with more ease.
That sense of ease was not carelessness. They slowed the tempo while still staying cautious, making their play feel freer and more natural.
In the seventy-second minute.
"We're more than seventy minutes into the match now, and the situation on the pitch is roughly seventy thirty in Liverpool's favor. Whether you look at the score or the performance, they're the better side."
"But Cole, do you know what frightens me the most?"
Scholes turned to look at Ashley Cole, who seemed to understand exactly what he was thinking.
"What frightens you most should be that Liverpool don't seem to have gone all out at all. They've only shown part of their arsenal, and they've already suppressed Tottenham with ease and taken the lead."
Scholes smiled and nodded. Beside them, Henry shook his head helplessly and said:
"Two words."
"Absolutely terrifying."
...
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