Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

Chapter 712 Breaking Asian Football History, the Future is at Our Feet!

As their physical condition deteriorated, the Chinese national football team's defense became increasingly shaky. After struggling for another seven or eight minutes, they finally couldn't hold on any longer.

In the 81st minute, Iniesta's shot after breaking into the penalty area was cleared out of bounds by Feng Xiaoting.

Xavi took the corner kick from the left, and Pique, the tallest player on the field, attracted the attention of the Chinese national team defenders.

The moment Xavi kicked the ball out, Pique jumped first, blocking Duwe's path.

However, the ball wasn't aimed at Pique. Puyol, lurking at the near post, used Pique's cover and, from 9 meters out, headed the ball into the Chinese goal with a backheel flick.

The score is now 1-1!

Spain has equalized!

This was Puyol's third goal in his national team career, but it was far more important than the previous two!

Without that goal, Spain might have really suffered a major upset!

But after that goal, everything changed!

The Spanish team was greatly encouraged after scoring and continued their fierce attack on the Chinese team's goal.

Moreover, their players are now more confident than before and are no longer worried about losing.

Even if the game goes to a draw and goes on to extra time, they will definitely win; this can be seen from the physical condition of both teams.

The sustained high-intensity matches caused most of the Chinese national team players to lose their physical strength early on. Even Zheng Zhi, who is usually full of energy, suffered from thigh cramps due to running too far and making too many tackles.

Should we change players?

The assistant coach whispered worriedly in the head coach's ear.

"Wait a little longer, we only have one substitution left, what if someone gets injured later..."

Old Zhu hesitated. Zheng Zhi wasn't the only player who was physically exhausted. If he used up this last substitution, he wouldn't be able to handle any unexpected situations.

The cost of not replacing the players is heavy.

In the 85th minute, Zheng Zhi suffered another cramp, but the Spanish team did not stop their attack.

Xavi broke through the middle and delivered a through ball to David Silva, who broke into the penalty area and, after attracting the attention of the goalkeeper and defenders, passed the ball across to Torres, who was in a better position in the middle.

Torres received the ball, cut past the defender, and easily slotted it home, making the score 2-1.

Before extra time even began, it seemed like the Spanish team had already killed the suspense of the game!

Boos and cheers mingled in the stands. Chinese fans were desperately booing the opposing team for their lack of sportsmanship, for not stopping their attack even when a player fell to the ground, and for taking advantage of the situation instead.

But the Spanish fans didn't care about any of that; they were celebrating wildly that their team had finally taken the lead and could advance to the World Cup final!

The Chinese national team players were extremely frustrated after conceding the second goal. Since their physical condition deteriorated, the team's defensive quality has plummeted.

Previously, the Chinese national football team could rely on hard work and pressing to block the opponent's attack, but after the players ran out of energy, they could no longer keep up with the opponent's pace.

Adding to the fact that after Zheng Zhi fell to the ground, the players thought the opponent would kick the ball out of bounds, so they stopped and waited for the team doctor to enter the field.

Unexpectedly, the opponent was still on the offensive, catching them off guard.

However, they couldn't care less about that at this point. Some players, exhausted, were panting heavily with their hands on their knees, and some even vomited due to excessive physical exertion.

The remaining players who were still able to move around dragged their exhausted bodies to Zheng Zhi's side, who was lying on the ground.

"Are you alright, Zhi-ge?"

Lin Feng and substitute Zhang Linpeng worked together to help Zheng Zhi stretch his legs to relieve the pain of cramps.

"No, it's nothing, I'm just a little exhausted. I'm sorry, I dragged the team down."

Zheng Zhi felt extremely guilty, thinking that if he hadn't fallen, the second goal might not have happened.

"Brother Zhi, don't say that. We're all exhausted. If we don't concede a goal now, we won't be able to hold on in extra time, and we'll still have to concede a goal!"

Lin Feng was telling the truth; the team was truly exhausted and was only holding on by sheer willpower.

But willpower can only last for a few minutes or ten minutes. Can it last for half an hour?

Losing to Spain was something everyone expected before the match. It's just that the Chinese team scored first, which gave everyone some unrealistic hope, so the loss is disappointing.

In reality, the gap between the two teams is too large, and the fact that the Chinese national team achieved this result is already an exceptional performance.

Reaching the semi-finals is already the limit for this team. To reach the finals, the Chinese team needs to have players at least at the level of the top five European leagues in each position, and also need to have a top star like Lin Feng on the team.

This is too difficult for the current national football team, but with the overall recovery of China's football population and the increasingly完善 youth training system, this goal will definitely be achieved one day in the future.

After scoring the second goal, Spain slowed down their attacking pace considerably, clearly preparing for the final.

In the final, they will face their old rivals – the German team they met in the European Championship final two years ago.

In that match, Spain narrowly defeated Germany thanks to Torres's unreasonable outmaneuver of Lahm and his winning goal during his prime.

Germany is stronger now than it was two years ago, while Spain no longer has Torres in his prime, making the outcome truly unpredictable.

A few minutes later, the referee blew the final whistle, and the Chinese team lost 1-2 to Spain, unfortunately stopping in the semi-finals.

Although they lost the game, the Chinese national football team's tenacious performance won the approval of the fans at the stadium.

When the match ended, the Chinese football fans who came to the scene collectively shouted slogans such as "Go China!" and "Well done, national team!" to encourage and comfort the players.

Losing to Spain is not shameful, especially since the Chinese national team scored a goal and once pushed their opponents to the brink of defeat.

If our physical condition had been a little better, I don't think Spain would have been able to win!

The Chinese national football team's fans aren't being stubborn or unwilling to admit defeat; they just feel it's a pity.

On the surface, the Chinese national football team lost this match because of a physical collapse.

The issue of physical fitness existed in the World Cup two years ago.

When the Chinese national football team first participated in the World Cup, they played well in the first half but collapsed in the second half, which ultimately came down to insufficient physical fitness.

The Chinese national football team players, lacking experience in major World Cup tournaments, do not know how to allocate their physical energy effectively in such competitions.

In addition, the opponent uses a passing and possession style, which is very exhausting for the defenders.

This caused the Chinese national football team players' physical condition to drop precipitously after the 70th minute. It was already very tenacious of them to hold on until the 80th minute before conceding a goal.

However, it is believed that with the baptism of this major tournament, the national football team players, having seen the world and accumulated experience, will perform much better in the next World Cup.

In this World Cup, only a handful of players on the Chinese national team had ever participated in a World Cup before, but in the next World Cup, more than half of the players on the team will have World Cup experience, and even experience of reaching the semi-finals.

……

In the locker room after the game, Old Zhu took a deep breath, patted his old face, forced a smile, and then pushed open the locker room door.

"You little rascals, you did a great job today, you didn't embarrass me. Losing to Spain isn't shameful, cheer up, our journey isn't over yet!"

After he finished speaking, he found that everyone was looking at him blankly.

"Old Zhu, what are you talking about?" "Yeah, Coach, do you think we're devastated and need comforting?"

"Hehe, we're not that fragile, so don't worry about us!"

"But you, Lao Zhu, are so old. Your heart must be in bad shape. Can your heart handle such ups and downs? Why don't you take a day off and go to the hospital for a checkup?"

"You bunch of brats, didn't you ever have any good intentions towards me!"

Old Zhu was so angry he was trembling. He grabbed a towel from the wardrobe next to him and lashed it at Gao Lin, Feng Xiaoting, Cui Peng, and the others who were jumping the most. The blow sent everyone flying and the changing room into complete chaos.

The elderly are still a bit weak. After only a few minutes, Old Zhu was out of breath and leaning on the wardrobe.

"Alright, enough joking around. There's one last match in three days. I only have one request: don't have any mental burden, just play freely and give it your all. We'll play attacking football in the next match!"

……

July 10th, 9 PM Beijing time, 5 PM South African time.

The Nelson-Mandela Stadium in Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg, was packed with people.

Although the Chinese team has lost any chance to go further, many Chinese football fans who came to South Africa have stayed to continue supporting the national team.

There were even many new fans who traveled from China and other parts of Africa to South Africa specifically to witness the Chinese national team's final match in this World Cup after the team lost to Spain.

Compared to the Johannesburg stadium, the Mandela Stadium is much smaller, with a capacity of only 5 people, and the Chinese national football fans made up half of the audience.

With only two matches remaining in the World Cup, the game between China and Uruguay attracted many neutral fans to watch.

For neutral fans who came to watch the game, this match was definitely worth the ticket price!

Without the pressure of achieving results, both teams opted for an attacking style of football, making the match extremely exciting and thrilling.

Three minutes into the game, Zhao Xuri threw the ball powerfully from the left side into the penalty area.

Han Peng headed the ball across, and Lin Feng met it with a powerful shot, a beautiful volley that sent the ball into the opponent's goal.

The score became 1-0, and the Chinese team got off to a dream start!

But Uruguay was not to be underestimated. In the 6th minute, Forlán's free kick struck Li Weifeng's arm, and the referee awarded a penalty, which Uruguay's top scorer converted.

The score became 1-1, with the Chinese team leading for only three minutes before the opponent tied the score.

Just six minutes into the game, the two teams had already scored two goals, much to the delight of the fans in attendance.

But even more spectacular goals were yet to come!

In the 10th minute, Lin Feng took a corner kick from the right. Gao Lin's header at the far post hit the crossbar, and the rebounded ball fell to Chen Tao's feet.

Chen Tao took a shot and the ball went through the legs of the opposing defender and into the goal.

The score became 2-1, with the Chinese team taking the lead again.

In the 18th minute, Lin Feng's powerful shot from outside the penalty area caused the Uruguayan goalkeeper to fumble the save, and Gao Lin reacted quickly to follow up and put the ball back into the opponent's goal.

The score became 3-1, with the Chinese team extending their lead to two goals!

The neutral fans who came to the scene and those watching the game were stunned. Was the Chinese team's offensive firepower really that strong?

In their last match against Spain, it seemed like the Chinese team barely managed any shots on goal throughout the game.

How could such a huge change have occurred in just three days? Is this really the same team?

After conceding two goals, Uruguay launched a fierce counterattack.

In the 32nd minute, taking advantage of a midfield miscommunication by the Chinese national team, Uruguay launched a quick counter-attack. Suarez received a pass from his teammate and, with his excellent shooting skills, slotted the ball into the far corner, helping his team pull one back into the game.

The score is now 3-2!

Five goals in 30 minutes! The game has gone completely crazy, and the fans watching are getting hyped up too!

"That was so much fun! This match was so exciting to watch!"

"Attacking football is definitely more to my liking! Counter-attacking, what a joke!"

"If every match in the World Cup were played like this, I guarantee the viewership would rise even higher!"

On the field, the offensive battle between the two teams continues.

In the third minute of the second half, Lin Feng delivered a surgical through ball from the middle, and Gao Lin successfully broke the offside trap and got a one-on-one opportunity.

Gao Lin didn't waste the opportunity. Facing the onrushing goalkeeper, he calmly slotted the ball into the far corner, completing his brace and extending the score to 4-2.

Uruguay responded in kind. In the 55th minute, after a brilliant attacking move, Uruguay broke into the penalty area and passed the ball back to Forlán, who volleyed it from near the penalty spot, sending the ball into the Chinese goal once again.

The score is now 4-3, and the outcome remains uncertain.

However, just five minutes later, Lin Feng changed the score again with a brilliant free kick.

The score became 5-3, with Uruguay still trailing by two goals.

With their morale soaring, the Chinese team withstood Uruguay's counterattack and even launched a siege on the Uruguayan goal.

In the 70th minute, the Chinese team won a corner kick. Lin Feng delivered the ball to the near post, and Gao Lin, after shaking off the defender, headed the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal from 6 meters out.

6: 3!

Gao Lin has finally achieved his long-awaited World Cup hat-trick!

This scoreline effectively ended any suspense in the match!

Although Uruguay narrowed the score to 6-4 in the 84th minute with a goal from Cavani, they were ultimately unable to turn the tide.

In the end, the match concluded with China defeating Uruguay 6-4, winning this offensive battle and securing third place in this World Cup.

After the match, FIFA President Sepp Blatter personally presented awards to the Chinese national team players.

Although there was no trophy, each team member earned a hard-earned bronze medal.

The third-place finish broke the record set by South Korea in the 2002 World Cup, which was fourth place, and became the best result ever achieved by Asian football in the history of the World Cup.

After the World Cup, Lin Feng won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards for his 11 goals scored in the tournament.

This is the second-highest number of goals scored by a single player in a single World Cup tournament, second only to the record of 13 goals set by French star Just Fontaine 52 years ago.

When the Chinese national football team returned to China from South Africa, they received a hero's welcome from the fans.

This bronze medal injected a strong boost into the development of Chinese football. The golden generation of '85, led by Lin Feng and others, inspired countless young people to devote themselves to football.

After the World Cup, veteran players such as Sun Jihai, Li Weifeng, and Zhao Junzhe retired from the national team one after another.

While fans sent their blessings to them, they also welcomed a large number of new talents, including Huang Bowen, Deng Zhuoxiang, Wang Yongpo, Yu Hanchao, and Yu Dabao.

The glory of the old era has passed, and the new era will be created by young players like Lin Feng!

(The End) (End of Chapter)