Losing a match costs you three points at most, but if you make a substitution in the first half and fall out with a player, that's like planting a time bomb in the locker room. You could even lose the entire season.
Besides, while a first-half substitution makes the player the scapegoat, it also admits that the manager's starting tactics and lineup were flawed.
That's why managers would rather watch their team concede goal after goal in the first half than make a substitution.
Even substitutions during the halftime break are rare.
Especially when it involves a star player.
No matter what, you have to give them until at least the 55th or 60th minute.
But when everyone from Dortmund returned to the pitch, they were all stunned to see that Bayern had actually made substitutions.
Up front, number 33 Gomez was replaced by number 11, Olic.
Even Wang Shuo was shocked.
What was even crazier was that Van Gaal didn't just make one change.
