Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

Lin Feng's goal helped the Chinese team open the door to victory. Before the Chinese team scored, the two teams were evenly matched.

Both sides were on the offensive and defensive, and neither side had a clear advantage.

But everything changed after Lin Feng scored.

The morale boost and confidence gained from the goal allowed the Chinese players to perform more freely on the field, becoming more composed and confident in both offense and defense.

On the other hand, Cameroon's players became noticeably impatient after conceding a goal, even though the match was still far from over.

In the knockout stages of such international tournaments, scoring a goal is very difficult due to the high level of defense.

Aside from a few matches where the odds are heavily against each other and the score might be exaggerated, in the vast majority of knockout matches, a game might only have one or two goals.

They even frequently end in a 0-0 draw, forcing them into a brutal penalty shootout.

So even though it seems like they're only one goal behind, that one goal difference is actually a huge disadvantage for Cameroon.

Therefore, after conceding the goal, the Cameroonian team immediately launched a full-scale counterattack against the Chinese team, wanting to equalize the score as soon as possible.

However, the Chinese team had clearly prepared their defensive tactics in advance, and the opponent's offensive methods were all within the Chinese team's preparations.

As a result, the Cameroonian team was unable to break through the Chinese team's defense in their haste. Their attacks were lively, but they posed little real threat. On the other hand, the Chinese team's counterattacks were quite effective, serving as a wake-up call for the Cameroonian team's defense.

In the 35th minute, the Chinese team intercepted the ball in their own half and launched a counter-attack. Seeing that the goalkeeper was positioned far forward, Lin Feng did not choose to pass the ball but instead took a shot directly, despite the open space on the wing.

The Cameroonian goalkeeper was terrified when he saw the Chinese team about to lob the ball into his goal.

He sprinted back while keeping his eyes fixed on the incoming ball.

He rushed back into the penalty area and immediately jumped to try to stop the ball in the air, but unfortunately, he couldn't touch the ball no matter how hard he tried.

With a crisp swish, the ball swished into the net, and Lin Feng scored his second goal, helping the Chinese team to extend their lead to 2-0!

Unlike the first goal, the second goal came far too easily.

Seeing an opportunity in front of the goal, he chose to take a long-range shot, and it went in.

"This goal wasn't a fluke; Lin Feng has already completed several such long-range lob shots before!"

"Yes, for goalkeepers, if you find Lin Feng opposite you, you must be careful. You can't go too far out, otherwise you might get lobbed from such a long distance by Lin Feng!"

As frequent commentators who have covered many of Lin Feng's matches, Zhang Lu and Zhan Jun are very familiar with Lin Feng's abilities.

The two players witnessed at least two long-range lob shots, indicating that Cameroon's pre-match intelligence gathering was clearly inadequate, as they failed to anticipate this.

Just now, when the Cameroonian team was attacking, their formation was pushed too far forward, and even the goalkeeper rushed out. At that moment, the two of them felt that this was an opportunity.

Unexpectedly, Lin Feng actually managed to catch them.

That's bad. Before, they were only one goal behind and still had a chance to tie, but now they're two goals behind.

With ten minutes left in the first half, time is running out for the Cameroonian team.

If they can't score a goal before the end of the first half, it will be very difficult to score two goals in the 45 minutes of the second half.

Moreover, judging from the first half, the Chinese team's defense was well-prepared, and the opponent's current offensive tactics were unlikely to be effective. They had to adjust their offensive tactics or rely on the individual abilities of their star players to win the game.

However, the Cameroonian team does not have a big-name star like Lin Feng. Although Alexander Song is quite famous, he is a defender!

In fact, Cameroon's performance in the first half was so bad that they could barely keep their goal intact, let alone score.

After Lin Feng scored two goals in a row, the Chinese team's morale soared, and they played better and better in the following period, firmly grasping the initiative on the field.

The football was passed back and forth at the feet of Chinese players, and the various smooth passes and distributions were a pleasure to watch.

Chinese players are not without skill; during the World Cup, they once engaged in an all-out attacking battle with the Brazilian team.

Although they ultimately lost, the smooth teamwork displayed by the Chinese players and Zhao Junzhe's shot that hit the post spoke volumes.

Compared to the five-time world champions Brazil of yesteryear, the defense of this Cameroonian team on the field is considerably weaker.

The attacking force of this national Olympic team is no weaker than that of the Chinese national team back then.

As a result, every attack by the Chinese team made the opponent's penalty area extremely tense.

In the 37th minute, the Chinese team won a free kick on the right side of the attacking third.

Lin Feng's free kick was delivered into the penalty area, but it was headed away by a Cameroonian defender.

Zheng Zhi controlled the ball on the outside, then passed it into the penalty area, but it was intercepted by the opposing player who rushed out. Zhao Xuri's long-range shot then went high and wide.

One minute later, the Chinese team launched another attack.

After intercepting the ball in the attacking third, Lin Feng decisively unleashed a long-range shot from 27 meters out.

The shot was powerful, but the angle wasn't precise enough, and it was blocked by Cameroon's goalkeeper, Amur.

In the 40th minute, the Chinese team once again had a free kick opportunity on the right side of the penalty area.

The ball was still in a bad position, so Lin Feng still chose to pass it into the penalty area.

He gestured for the far post, but instead passed the ball to the near post.

Li Weifeng cleverly bypassed the defenders inside the penalty area and got to the ball, but unfortunately his header hit the crossbar.

Cameroon escaped a close call!
A sigh of regret rippled through the stadium; Chinese fans alike felt a deep sense of loss for the goal.

If that ball goes in, the suspense of the game will be completely killed.

On the sidelines, the Cameroonian head coach secretly wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The situation on the field during this period was extremely unfavorable for the Cameroonian team. The Chinese team's offensive was like a surging tide, almost overwhelming them.

However, they didn't have any good solutions. During this period, the Chinese team's attack was multifaceted. In addition to Lin Feng's continued outstanding performance, several young forwards, such as Chen Tao and Hao Junmin, fully demonstrated their talents in the attack.

And then there's Zheng Zhi, the veteran who frequently makes runs into the box to join the attack, which caused Cameroon to completely lose control of the midfield area.

Their formation was constantly compressed into a small area inside and outside their own penalty area, with absolutely no defensive flexibility.

If it weren't for the goalkeeper's outstanding performance, making numerous crucial saves to deny the opponent's attacks, the score would likely have been more than three goals by now.

But they can't keep taking hits like this. They're still dreaming of defeating China and advancing to the semifinals!

If we continue to get beaten like this, forget about defeating the Chinese team; we'll be lucky if we don't suffer a crushing defeat at their hands.

In the final minute of the first half, the Chinese team won another corner kick.

The Cameroonian players were very nervous. Center-back Biki even received a yellow card for a foul in the penalty area while vying for position with a Chinese player. Seeing that previous set-piece tactics had failed, Lin Feng signaled to Chen Tao to move closer, seemingly to coordinate a tactical corner kick.

Seeing that the Chinese team didn't seem to be planning to pass the ball directly into the penalty area, the Cameroonian players breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Seeing Chen Tao approach, Lin Feng actually left the corner flag area, seemingly wanting the opponent to take the penalty and pass the ball to himself.

Is he planning to take a long-range shot from outside the penalty area?
The Cameroonian players instinctively tried to expand their defensive range to block any long-range shots the opponent might take from outside the penalty area.

However, when they relaxed their guard and thought Lin Feng wouldn't pass the ball into the penalty area, Lin Feng suddenly turned back and unexpectedly sent the ball into the penalty area with a cross.

The Cameroonian team members were completely dumbfounded, never expecting their opponents to pull this stunt.

In their haste, they had no time to intercept or block, and could only watch helplessly as Dong Fangzhuo received the ball in the penalty area and slotted it home.

The score was eventually extended to 3-0!

"The ball is in!"

"China scored their third goal of the match in the last minute of the first half, by Manchester United striker Dong Fangzhuo!"

"This is Dong Fangzhuo's third goal in this Olympics. He has proven to the outside world with his excellent form and results why he was chosen by Sir Alex Ferguson to become the first Asian player to join a Premier League giant!"

Dong Fangzhuo has indeed been in good form at this Olympics.

After Gao Lin's injury, there were some concerns about the Chinese team's forward position.

Although Dong Fangzhuo joined Manchester United, he spent most of his time on the bench after returning to the club, sometimes not even making the 18-man squad, and his playing time was very limited.

In contrast, Gao Lin, although not as famous or influential as Manchester United, has had far more playing time at Borussia Dortmund than Dong Fangzhuo.

Thanks to ample playing time, Gao Lin has more goals and assists than Dong Fangzhuo in the league, and his form is also better.

Therefore, before his injury, he was the only choice for the Chinese team in the forward position.

In the previous overseas training camps and warm-up matches of the national Olympic team, Gao Lin was basically the starting striker.

It's no wonder everyone was nervous about suddenly having to change strikers in the main Olympic Games.

Fortunately, Dong Fangzhuo proved with his actions that he is trustworthy!
As a result, Gao Lin, who has recovered from his injury, has now been relegated to the bench by Dong Fangzhuo and is now competing for a starting position again.

At the end of the first half, the Cameroonian team fled back to the locker room in a sorry state.

Judging from their hurried departure and the solemn expressions on their faces, they were not at peace.

Having conceded three goals in just the first half, the gap is so large it's despairing.

Although few people were optimistic that Cameroon would defeat the host country before the match, no one expected them to lose so badly.

It's worth noting that the Cameroonian team was the champion at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. If they didn't have some strength, how could they have won the Olympic gold medal?
However, at this very moment, this former champion was utterly thrashed by the Chinese team, an Olympic newcomer.

If the Chinese team continues to play so freely in the second half, this match will most likely turn into a disastrous defeat.

There's no need to go all out in the second half. Since we've already secured our place in the semifinals, we should save some energy for our opponents!

Yes, I think around the 65th minute of the second half, we could consider substituting Lin Feng and other key players.

[Gao Lin is practically impatient on the sidelines; it's time to let him get on the court and get a feel for the game!]

[Haha, if I were Gao Lin, I'd definitely hope Lin Feng stayed on the court a little longer. After all, if he leaves the game, who's going to give me assists?]

With the Chinese team on the verge of a resounding victory, fans were in high spirits, and even online discussions were less hostile and argumentative, and more playful and humorous.

Before the match, I was worried that the Chinese team would be countered by the African team's playing style, but now it seems there's no need to worry at all.

The African team is indeed physically superior, but the Chinese team is clearly technically superior.

With players like Lin Feng on the team, the Chinese team seemed to have a lot of freedom in their offense, making it look like they were beating up a child.

The Cameroonian players played very hard, but it was all in vain. They could not escape being toyed with and manipulated by the Chinese players.

In the second half, the two sides switched sides and started the game again.

Cameroon's pressing was more aggressive, and their fouls were more decisive.

This must have been a special request made by their head coach during halftime!
However, sometimes, being too decisive in committing fouls isn't necessarily a good thing.

In the 51st minute, Banning elbowed Zheng Zhi during a challenge near the center circle and was shown a straight red card by the referee!

Already in a disadvantageous situation, the Cameroonian team's predicament has been further compounded by the loss of a player.

In the 59th minute, the Chinese team launched a quick attack in the attacking third. Lin Feng played a through ball into the penalty area, Dong Fangzhuo laid it off with his back to goal, and Chen Tao dribbled past his opponent in the center of the penalty area before unleashing a powerful shot.

With a muffled thud, the ball was once again kept out of the goal by the crossbar.

The crowd erupted in uproar. Their luck was just too much; this was already the second time the Chinese team had hit the woodwork in this match.

Will they do it again later?

They were right!

In the 61st minute, the Chinese team took advantage of their numerical superiority to intercept the ball in midfield and launch a counter-attack. Lin Feng dribbled the ball to the edge of the penalty area and took a long-range shot.

With a muffled thud, the ball struck the crossbar again with pinpoint accuracy.

All the fans at the stadium and those watching on television, as well as the 21 players from both sides on the field, were stunned by what they saw.

Is this door frame some kind of cheat code?
He seems even fiercer than the goalkeeper. Who is the real guardian of the goal? (Leans back tactically)

Lin Feng himself was also somewhat taken aback, but he was eager to try and break the curse.

However, after he completed the shot, in order to protect him, Klaus Toppmöller chose to substitute him early, not giving him a chance to make up for his regret.

Gao Lin came on as a substitute, and the Chinese team's formation immediately changed to 4-4-2.

Gao Lin was incredibly proactive after coming on as a player. While the other Chinese players were already playing more conservatively, he was the only one thinking about scoring goals.

Hard work pays off, and he actually found an opportunity.

In the 82nd minute, under Gao Lin's relentless pressing, the opposing defender made a mistake, which Gao Lin seized to score a goal in a one-on-one situation, helping his team extend the score to 4-0.
Including his goal against Belgium in the previous match, Gao Lin has now scored in consecutive games since returning from injury.

The total number of goals has reached 2, just one less than Dong Fangzhuo.

His condition is equally excellent! (End of Chapter)