58 Spain youth team

Spain, inside the office of the national team coach Vicente del Bosque.

Coach Vicente del Bosque, who led Spain to win the World Cup and the European Cup, is watching a game video with his assistant coach, Tony.

The two pay little attention to the game's result, instead focusing on the performance of the No. 10 player in the green jersey on the field.

After watching the video, Tony's eyes lit up, and he excitedly says to del Bosque:

"Boss, this guy is a perfect fit for our national team lineup. The problem will be completely solved!"

Del Bosque smiles and raises his hand, signaling his partner not to get too excited.

While he acknowledges that Werder Bremen's No. 10 player is indeed well-suited for the current tactical system of the Spanish national team, he also recognizes that the player is too young.

Reports suggest he's not even 17 years old yet. If we recruit him to play as a key player in the national team at this age, even as championship-winning coaches, He will likely face severe criticism from the media!

"True, he's good, but he's just a little too young. If we hastily recruit him, it might even cause criticism. You know how difficult those reporters are, especially in Madrid," says Coach Tony, observing his partner's hesitation.

He then suggests a compromise:

"Here's what we can do. Let's have him play for the national youth team first.

If he adapts well and performs impressively, we can include him in the national team list. That way, the criticism won't be as severe!"

Del Bosque nods, considering it a good idea, and delegates the matter to Tony for handling.

...

After the match against Hamburg, there's a two-week break until the next Bundesliga round.

Lucas expects to have a long vacation, but unexpectedly, he receives a call from the Spanish Football Association, informing him to report to the National Youth Team.

Lucas doesn't reject the opportunity to play for the national team, even though he has never been recruited before, leaving his national team resume blank.

While the invitation is for the National Youth Team, he understands that it's already a great opportunity for someone his age.

As for the national team, he hasn't given it much thought.

He assumes that del Bosque would likely look down on him, given the abundance of talent in the Spanish international team. Why would they recruit an unknown rookie like him?

Besides, he finds it more appealing to dominate opponents with the national youth team than to sit on the bench in the senior team.

He quickly packs his belongings and rushes back to Spain to join the National Youth Team.

This year's Spanish National Youth Team features several young players from La Liga giants, including Morata and Nacho from Real Madrid, and Thiago, Tello, Montoya, Bartra, and Muniesa from Barcelona.

Additionally, there are many main players from smaller and medium-sized clubs, such as Isco, Malaga's key player and a strong contender for the European Golden Boy Award this year.

Most of these players ply their trade in La Liga. Some are starters, others serve as core players, and the remaining ones are important rotation options.

While they may not enjoy the same level of popularity as the players in the Spanish senior team due to their age, their abilities are far from weak.

It's safe to say that they are among the top youth teams in Europe this year.

Similar to the senior team, the Spanish National Youth Team's core is primarily composed of Barcelona players.

As Lucas also emerged from Barcelona's La Masia youth academy, he quickly adapts to the team's tactical system upon joining.

After a few days of joint training, Lucas realizes that his teammates in the national youth team possess superior skills compared to his club teammates.

Although they are young, their abilities surpass those of his club counterparts, and their potential and talent are even more promising.

What they lack is primarily experience in high-level competitions.

With stronger teammates, Lucas feels much more at ease during games.

Whenever he creates space, his teammates can swiftly pass the ball to him.

Additionally, Barcelona's tactical system is perfectly tailored for Messi, and as Lucas embodies similar attributes, he feels at home within this system.

Thus, with better support, he excels in the team's group matches, scoring five goals using various techniques in just half of a game.

Moreover, given his background as a defensive midfielder and Messi's organisation skills, Lucas occasionally takes up a role in the forward line, organising the team's midfield work, connecting the attacking group, and providing opportunities to his teammates.

After all, he understands the importance of not hogging the limelight.

By assisting Morata on a few occasions, they quickly form a friendship, disregarding the fact that their respective clubs are rivals in the league.

In contrast, the Barcelona players in the team display a lukewarm attitude toward Lucas, revealing a subtle sense of rejection.

Nonetheless, they don't bring this attitude onto the field and continue to pass the ball to Lucas when necessary.

Lucas pays little mind to this, suspecting that these players perhaps fear he might return to Barcelona and compete for their positions.

However, only Lucas knows that he has no intentions of returning to Barcelona, which allows him to take the opponent's wariness lightly.

Lucas's seamless integration and excellent offensive and linking abilities in midfield significantly enhance the main team's attacking firepower.

His performance not only earns him the respect and admiration of his teammates but also surprises the head coach of the National Youth Team, Julen Lopetegui.

Given that Lucas is younger than his teammates, Lopetegui initially assumed that the national team is placing a burden on him, requiring him to help Lucas, a young player, adjust.

In the end, he realizes that Lucas is a major asset, someone extraordinary.

His presence effectively resolves the team's lack of potent finishers in the forward line.

Despite his young age, Lucas's personal abilities are exceptional, resembling a clone of Messi himself.

And the Spanish national team's longing for Messi is widely known worldwide.

Consequently, without hesitation, Lucas is included in the starting lineup and given the opportunity to play for Spain in the European Youth Championship qualifier against Switzerland.

In this game, the revamped Spanish forward line displays a formidable attacking prowess.

The Swiss team, renowned for their defensive capabilities, concedes three goals within the first half alone.

The Swiss players are left dumbfounded. The opponent's No. 10 is unbelievably exceptional, making it nearly impossible to defend against him one-on-one.

What's more, he not only scores goals but also provides precise passes and assists.

Even when the Swiss team attempts to double-team him, he effortlessly delivers the ball to the Spanish team's attackers.

Additionally, the other players in the Spanish youth team demonstrate remarkable abilities, capitalizing on the space provided to score goals.

As a result, the Swiss team finds themselves in an embarrassing situation where they struggle both offensively and defensively.

The players of the Spanish youth team enjoy a comfortable game, despite making just one change in the striker position.

Yet, the team feels entirely different, as if a rusty machine has been lubricated and now operates smoothly.

The Swiss youth team, on the other hand, experiences terror.

They witness the echoes of Barcelona's golden era in this Spanish youth team, with their passing and control system mirroring that of Barcelona.

Furthermore, the opponent's No. 10 bears an uncanny resemblance to Messi himself.

Confronted with the Spanish youth team's mesmerizing ball-handling abilities, the Swiss team finds it impossible to get a touch on the ball, often running around like headless chickens in pursuit.

The Spanish youth team effortlessly manipulates the Swiss team's defense by passing the ball, exposing numerous loopholes and causing them to concede goals one after another.

By the end of the first half, the Spanish youth team has already scored three goals, maintaining a staggering 79% possession rate.

Throughout the entire first half, the Swiss team scarcely has a chance to touch the ball.

The Swiss team's situation doesn't improve in the second half, even though the Spanish National Youth Team shows sportsmanship as the host.

They deliberately ease off and become more lenient, resulting in just two goals in the second half. Nevertheless, Switzerland remains powerless to mount a counterattack.

In the end, at the final whistle, Lucas contributes two assists and two shots, playing a pivotal role in the team's 5-0 victory over Switzerland.

..

.

The unfortunate Swiss team failed to score a goal at home and was badly defeated by their opponents.

However, they were not the only victims.

Four days later, Spain faced Croatia in a home match.

Spain continued their relentless offensive onslaught.

Despite the Croatian national youth team's stronger strength compared to Switzerland, they couldn't escape the relentless punishment inflicted by Spain.

Lucas unleashed his firepower in this game, delivering an astonishing four-goal performance and providing two assists.

When the final whistle blew, Spain emerged victorious with a resounding 7-0 win over Croatia, securing their place in the main tournament of the European Youth Championship with an eight-game winning streak.

Their formidable offensive power has garnered attention from the entire European football world.

Fans from various countries have begun to marvel at the Spanish national team's previous triumphs in the European Cup and the World Cup, and now their youth team's extraordinary capabilities.

Could it be that the Spain will dominate European and even world football in the next decade or so?

...

Perhaps there is no need to be so pessimistic.

Simultaneously, in the World Cup qualifying match against the weaker Georgia, the Spanish senior team secured a victory without conceding a goal.

They unleashed a flurry of shots towards the opponent's goal throughout the game.

Finally, Soldado scored in the 86th minute, securing a hard-fought victory.

Following the match, the Spanish media found themselves in a state of turmoil.

While they praised the dominance of the youth team in the European Youth Championship, they expressed dissatisfaction with the senior team's performance in the World Cup qualifiers.

Despite securing the win, the weak front line of the senior team remained a concern.

Moreover, the aging of players like Xavi Hernández and others led to a decline in the team's overall performance, raising concerns throughout Spain, particularly regarding the upcoming Confederations Cup.

At this critical juncture, Lucas's remarkable performance in the youth team caught the media's attention, leading to a suggestion:

Since the national team lacks a strong striker, why not recruit this talented forward from the youth team and give him a chance?

This proposal sparked heated debate.

Opinions were divided, with both supporters and opponents.

Consequently, the potential recruitment of Lucas to the national team became the central topic of discussion in Spain.