Spain's last-minute coaching change added even more uncertainty to their World Cup campaign.
However, the arrival of the legendary quartet also gave Spanish fans renewed hope.
The four coaches rushed to the Spanish training base immediately. They joined the team that same evening and began training early the next morning without delay.
Hierro and Xavi took charge of shaping the team's overall tactical framework, while Raúl and David Villa focused on refining the attacking system.
They were joined by Zakaria, a defensive coach temporarily brought in from Athletic Bilbao, who was responsible for strengthening the team's defensive structure.
Hierro emphasized short passing and tight combinations, stressing control through quick exchanges in small spaces and creating chances by varying the tempo of play.
"Remember this. No matter how complex modern football tactics become, their essence is simple. Use positional interchanges between players to find space and score."
"As long as we execute positional rotations and short passing in tight areas to perfection, we can break down any defense."
Hierro repeated this point again and again.
Leo Lin barely took part in full training. He only joined during tactical drills, working under Hierro and Xavi to familiarize himself with his positioning and responsibilities.
The rest of the time, he focused on recovering his arm as quickly as possible with the help of the team doctor.
As the days passed, Dici grew increasingly astonished. She could clearly tell that Leo Lin's recovery speed was far beyond that of an ordinary person.
She had once felt this with Roberto Baggio, but the impact of Leo Lin's recovery was even more striking and intense than what Baggio had shown back then.
Time quickly moved to June 24, the day the World Cup kicked off.
Amid a grand opening ceremony, 32 of the world's top national teams gathered to fight for the ultimate prize.
In the opening match, host nation Russia delivered a stunning 5 to 0 victory, setting the tone for the tournament.
Group stage matches followed one after another. At 8 PM local time, Spain faced Iran in their first Group B match.
Broadcasts went live worldwide, with hundreds of millions of fans watching.
ESPN.
Derek Rae.
"The World Cup, held once every four years, is like the rings of a tree, marking the passage of history and telling stories of triumph and heartbreak for football's greatest stars."
"This is the highest stage in football. Not just the starting eleven. Even those on the bench are the very best, selected from countless players around the world."
"Fans around the world."
"The first Group B match between Spain and Iran is about to begin."
"Let's first look at Iran's starting lineup."
"Goalkeeper. Beiranvand."
"Defenders. Hajsafi, Pouraliganji, Cheshmi, Rezaeian."
"Midfielders. Amiri, Shojaei, Ebrahimi, Ansarifard, Jahanbakhsh."
"Striker. Azmoun."
"A classic 4-5-1 defensive setup. A clear sign of respect for Spain."
"As for Spain, Hierro has rotated the lineup slightly. The highly anticipated young talent Leo Lin is on the bench."
"Reports suggest he may miss two group-stage matches due to an arm injury. That means he will not feature against Iran or Portugal."
"That is not good news for Spain."
"Goalkeeper. De Gea."
"Defenders. Azpilicueta, Ramos, Piqué, Nacho."
"Midfielders. Saúl, Thiago, Busquets."
"Forward line. Aspas, Diego Costa, Silva."
"It remains uncertain whether Spain can quickly find their rhythm after the sudden coaching change."
"This match against Iran will be a major test of both their quality and execution."
"Good luck to both teams."
The broadcast cut to the stands. Leo Lin was not on the bench, and his arm was still wrapped in a bandage.
In reality, he no longer needed it. His recovery had been incredibly fast.
After examining him the day before, Dici concluded that Leo Lin had essentially recovered within just two weeks and could play against Portugal.
Even though Dici found it hard to believe, Leo Lin's body had clearly shown an abnormal rate of healing.
The bandage remained by Hierro's decision.
Partly as a precaution, in case the injury was not fully healed. Partly to mislead Portugal.
If the Portuguese coaching staff saw Leo Lin in this condition in the stands, they would lower their guard and not prioritize preparing tactics against him.
Then, when the lineup was announced an hour before kickoff, Leo Lin's sudden inclusion would hit them like a shock.
"This match is being played at Saint Petersburg Stadium. The referee is Çakır from Turkey. Both teams are on the field. The match is about to begin."
"Whistle."
With the referee's signal, the match kicked off.
Iran committed fully to defense, setting up a deep block. Only the explosive young striker Azmoun stayed forward, while the other nine outfield players formed a solid defensive wall in front of goal.
Spain controlled nearly 80 percent possession and completed twice as many passes as Iran. They dictated the tempo from the start, but the goal just would not come.
Iran's players were tall, physically strong, and extremely disciplined. They compressed space and denied Spain any clear shooting chances.
30th minute.
"Still controlling possession with short passes. The ball goes to the right. There is an opening."
"Nacho cuts it back. Saúl strikes."
"It hits Ansarifard. There is still a chance."
"Busquets follows up with another shot."
"A brilliant block by the defender."
42nd minute.
"Costa holds up the ball with his back to goal and lays it off to the left."
"Aspas twists past his marker and drives into the box."
"He shoots from a tight angle."
"Just wide. Another missed chance for Spain."
"Spain had ten shots in the first half, five on target, with a 92 percent pass completion rate. But still no goal."
At halftime, the broadcast once again showed Leo Lin in the stands.
He did not dwell on anything specific. He simply felt that if he were on the pitch, he might change certain aspects of the play.
Saúl was not advancing decisively enough. There were too few forward passes and truly dangerous balls.
Silva was playing on the right, but lacked pace. His role leaned more toward control. What the team needed was a midfielder who could make constant forward runs and excel in off-ball movement to link up with him.
Leo Lin was certain he was that player.
Fans across various broadcasts were also disappointed that Spain had failed to score.
Given the clear gap in strength and rankings, many had expected Spain to dominate. That was not how the match unfolded.
No one knew what had been said in the dressing room. Leo Lin certainly did not.
Fifteen minutes later, the second half began.
Spain maintained their approach. Quick, tight passing combined with wing play, but now with more runs into the half-spaces.
When Diego Costa held the ball, Saúl and Thiago surged forward from both sides, looking to combine with the flanks and flood Iran's penalty area with more attackers.
This was clearly a new attacking pattern from Spain's four-man coaching team. A coordinated surge from midfield.
With sustained pressure and shifting tempo, the breakthrough finally came in the 80th minute.
Saúl made a late run and received Silva's through pass, driving into the right side of the box. He delivered a precise cutback to the advancing Diego Costa.
Diego Costa struck cleanly and buried the ball into the net.
Spanish fans erupted. Leo Lin leapt to his feet and pumped his left fist.
Across live streams.
"Diego Costa. I love you. I would sell my tablet to support you. But the Haidilao waiter would not let me. Said it was for ordering food."
"Diego Costa. So handsome. My looks hide my true strength."
"Finally a goal. Finally. There is really not much time left."
With the goal, the coaching staff on the sidelines finally exhaled in relief.
All four were Spanish legends. Taking charge of the national team at such a critical moment came with immense pressure. Everyone knew that failure or falling short of expectations would bring heavy criticism.
Yet the quartet stepped forward without hesitation and took responsibility when it mattered most.
At full time, thanks to Diego Costa's late winner, Spain secured a hard-fought 1 to 0 victory over a resilient Iran. The result was far closer than fans had predicted.
As the rest of the first round unfolded, more and more upsets emerged.
After half of the opening round was completed, World Soccer News released a headline.
"Do you want to know what football is?"
"Germany 0 to 1 Mexico."
"Brazil 1 to 1 Switzerland."
"Colombia 1 to 2 Japan."
"This is football."
...
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