Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

After Zhu Guanghu made this declaration, some busybodies immediately approached the head coach of the Uzbekistan team to ask for his opinion.

Kasimov glanced at the reporter, his eyes seeming to say: How polite of you to ask someone who just lost a game such a question.

However, he still answered the question generously:
"The Chinese team has the strength, and if they play normally, I think they will have no problem advancing from the group stage."

The reporter was surprised by Kasimov's high praise of the Chinese team, and continued to ask curiously:

"So, who do you think will be the other team to advance from Group A?"

Kasimov glanced at the reporter again; this guy was really here to cause trouble!

Group A, besides China, also includes two top Asian teams: Japan and Australia.

No matter which team he predicts will advance, he will inevitably offend the other team.

So he didn't choose any of them, and chose himself directly: "We will try our best to get this second spot!"

This was a clever answer; it both avoided the trap the reporter had set for him and expressed confidence in his team.

In another match played at the same time, Bahrain suffered a narrow 2-3 defeat to Japan at home.

With this victory, the Chinese team temporarily takes first place in the group with a three-goal advantage.

China's next opponent is Bahrain. Many fans originally thought that Bahrain was not strong and that the Chinese team would easily take three points.

But after watching their match against Japan, many fans' impressions of the Bahrain team changed.

Japan dominated the match, taking an early 2-0 lead in the first half. In the second half, Bahrain had a player sent off with a red card, and shortly after, Japan scored again, extending their lead to 3-0.
At this point, almost everyone thought the Bahrain team was doomed.

Trailing by a large margin and outnumbered, it seemed impossible for them to turn the tide.

But the Bahrain players did not give up. In the 87th minute, Issa scored a goal, bringing the score to 1-3.
Bahrain's morale soared after scoring a goal, and they almost besieged Japan in the final stages of the match.

Their powerful offensive also caused a mistake by the Japanese team, with a Japanese defender scoring an own goal, making the score 2-3.
In the final moments of the match, Bahrain almost cornered Japan, and the Japanese players showed visible panic on their faces.

If it weren't for the lack of time at the end, allowing the Japanese team to escape with their lives, this match could very well have been a classic comeback, even more exciting than the Miracle of Istanbul.

After all, Bahrain scored too late. If they could have equalized, it would have been like scoring three goals in ten minutes!

This level of difficulty is even more outrageous than Liverpool's storyline back then!

"In terms of raw strength, Bahrain's team is average, but their fighting spirit and their never-give-up attitude in the face of adversity should not be underestimated!"

Old Zhu was worried that the team members would become complacent and arrogant after winning a game, so he had to give them a few words of advice.

But the team members didn't seem to accept his reprimand:
"Old Zhu, stop talking. You keep saying we're arrogant and complacent, but when have we ever been arrogant and complacent?"

"That's right, Lao Li is right. No matter whether Bahrain is strong or weak, we must win this game. Otherwise, when we face Australia and Japan in the following games, we will have no room for error. We understand this principle!"

Seeing that his teammates were self-aware, Zhu Guanghu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

But he was also very dissatisfied with the players, especially the veterans, who took the lead in refuting him.

This is outrageous! Doesn't my head coach have any dignity?
It seems we've been too lenient with you guys. Next game, we'll change the lineup and take all these troublemakers off the field, letting the younger players take over!
……

The Chinese national football team's second match was scheduled to be held at the Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center, which had recently hosted the Olympic football matches. The stadium and supporting facilities were readily available.

Because of the short distance, the Chinese national football team is still training at the Xianghe training base.

After the start of the final round of qualifying, the passion of fans for football and the World Cup was gradually ignited.

A large number of fans have gathered outside the national football team's training base, and they watch from outside the iron fence every day.

In fact, apart from intra-team scrimmages, the other training exercises for the Chinese national football team are quite boring.

But they seemed to enjoy this repetitive and monotonous training immensely, laughing all day long, though it was unclear what they were laughing about.

This scene inevitably brings to mind the grand occasion when the Chinese men's football team was trying to qualify for the World Cup in 2001.

At that time, the streets were deserted and the whole country was paying attention!
News about the Chinese national football team is a topic of conversation for almost everyone in the country. Many people watch every game without fail, and they hog the TV just to watch the live broadcast of the national football team's matches.

When the Chinese national football team qualified for the World Cup at Wulihe Stadium, countless fans across the country excitedly took to the streets, holding banners and signs with fans they didn't know, celebrating China's first-ever World Cup appearance.

That vibrant scene of life and everything thriving is still vivid in my mind!
Unfortunately, the national football team later failed to live up to the expectations of the fans. Coupled with the rampant match-fixing and gambling, it completely disheartened the fans and almost led Chinese football down a path of no return.

Because the Chinese team won their first match in the final round of qualifiers very easily, the outside world is full of expectations for the second match.

Qinhuangdao is located in a much more remote area than Beijing, but for this game, the stands of the Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center were still packed with fans who had come from all over the country.

"Boom boom boom!"

"Team China!"

"come on!"

"Boom boom boom!"

"Team China!"

"come on!"

I had long heard that the land of Yan and Zhao was full of generous and tragic heroes, and today the national football team has witnessed it firsthand.

The drum played by that shirtless, muscular man was incredibly powerful and had a profound psychological impact on the national football team.

"Now I finally understand why war drums were used in ancient battles. The sound of these drums makes my blood boil!"

The Chinese national team players were greatly encouraged by the sound of the drums, but the drums made the Bahrain players, who had traveled a long way, feel very uncomfortable.

Where have they ever seen this thing before?

The knocking made a series of loud thuds, each sound seeming to hit a nerve in their hearts, causing their heart rates to become erratic.

……

Although playing away from home, Bahrain needs these 3 points more than China.

Therefore, after the match started, the Bahrain team took the initiative and launched an attack on the Chinese team.

Perhaps they saw that the Chinese team had used a large number of young players and felt that there was an opportunity to take advantage of it, so they made this decision!

But clearly, they miscalculated.

Although the starting lineup for the Chinese national team was younger, their strength had not diminished. On the contrary, thanks to the experience gained during the Olympics, their teamwork and confidence had improved significantly. Bahrain's attacks were quickly thwarted by China's impenetrable defense in the midfield and backfield. After withstanding Bahrain's initial onslaught, the tide of the game turned.

The game gradually shifted from Bahrain attacking while China defended, to China attacking while Bahrain defended!
In the sixth minute of the first half, the Chinese national team established an early lead by scoring through a brilliant attacking move, with Lin Feng assisting Dong Fangzhuo.

Dong Fangzhuo continued his excellent form from the Olympics in this match, which made people very confident in his performance.

His current hot streak is entirely due to a decision he made after the Olympics.

After returning to Manchester United, Dong Fangzhuo proactively approached Ferguson before the transfer window closed, seeking a loan move to earn more playing time.

This summer, Manchester United spent a fortune to bring in Tottenham striker Berbatov, whose arrival has made United's attacking position even more crowded.

Dong Fangzhuo, who already rarely gets playing time, has even less of a chance now.

He didn't want to waste his excellent form by staying on the bench, so he wanted to loan himself out to play as many games as possible.

Young players of his age are at a crucial stage of their development.

If you waste too much time on the bench, you may never catch up with your teammates again.

When he was the first to go abroad to play, Gao Lin was still competing for a starting position at Shanghai Shenhua.

But now, while he struggles on the bench at Manchester United, Gao Lin has secured his place as Borussia Dortmund's starting striker.

The gap between the two gradually widened, and if Gao Lin hadn't been injured unexpectedly, Dong Fangzhuo would have been relegated to the bench for this Olympics.

Realizing this, Dong Fangzhuo finally took the initiative.

Ferguson was surprised by his request. In his opinion, Dong Fangzhuo was introverted and dull, not the kind of person who would be so opinionated.

However, he was also happy that the other party made such a choice. With Dong Fangzhuo's current ability, he really couldn't establish himself at Manchester United. Loaning him out to train him would allow him to find a good buyer even if he couldn't return to Manchester United in the future.

Thus, under Ferguson's management, Dong Fangzhuo returned to the Belgian First Division, a team he was familiar with.

Upon arriving in the Belgian First Division, he was like a fish returning to the sea, thriving perfectly.

The Belgian First Division A has now completed six rounds, and Dong Fangzhuo has started in every game, scoring 4 goals and providing 2 assists, making him the team's top scorer.

With more appearances and more goals, his confidence returned.

Dong Fangzhuo now appears much more optimistic and positive than he did a few months ago, and the gloomy look between his brows has completely disappeared.

"Well done, Your Majesty!"

"Your shot had a Van Basten vibe!"

Just now, when Dong Fangzhuo took the shot, there was a defender interfering with him.

In the past, he would probably have shot directly, but just now he chose to stop the ball first, then cut inside, using the change in rhythm to get rid of the defender before shooting.

Don't underestimate this point; the difference in shooting success rate between shots with and without interference is enormous.

"Hehe, I just guessed!"

Dong Fangzhuo felt embarrassed by his teammates' praise, scratched his head somewhat sheepishly, and kept chuckling.

"Whether it was a fluke or not, a shot that scores is a good shot!"

Gao Lin warmly put his arm around Dong Fangzhuo's shoulder and quietly leaned close to his ear:

"Could you teach me that move?"

Dong Fangzhuo shook his head: "I really was just guessing!"

Gao Lin naturally didn't believe it, and his eyes were full of vigilance as he looked at Dong Fangzhuo.

Damn it, this guy has actually learned to hide his true abilities. He really is my biggest rival in the national team!
No, I have to roll up my sleeves when I get back, otherwise I'm afraid I'll become his substitute in the future.

China's early goal disrupted Bahrain's tactical plan, which was to score first and then retreat to launch a counter-attack.

Unexpectedly, their attack failed, while the Chinese team's attack succeeded.

This put Bahrain in an awkward position, forcing them to grit their teeth and continue their attack.

However, the more fiercely they attacked, the more weaknesses were exposed in their backcourt. Against a team like China, which has top-class midfielders, such weaknesses are fatal.

So, in the 22nd and 29th minutes of the first half, Bahrain conceded two goals to China in almost the same manner.

Gao Lin and Zhou Haibin scored for China, both receiving assists from Lin Feng.

Seeing the Chinese team play so brilliantly and secure the victory in the first half, the Chinese football fans at the stadium went wild with joy.

The war drum beat almost continuously, pounding away incessantly.

The Bahrain players were already agitated, and the continued torment from the annoying drumming drove them to the brink of insanity.

On the other hand, the drumbeat seemed to be giving the Chinese team a shot of adrenaline, making them more and more energetic and playing increasingly aggressively on the field.

In the 43rd minute of the first half, Lin Feng's long-range shot helped the Chinese team extend their lead again.

The score was now 4-0, and the Bahrain players were practically being beaten to a pulp.

Fans at the stadium and those watching the live broadcast at home began celebrating their victory prematurely after seeing Lin Feng's shot.

Although Bahrain showed some resilience in the last game, they were already down by four goals at halftime. Could they possibly come back?
If they can really create such a miracle, then they should be given a World Cup spot from the Asian region!
"Slow down, slow down, control your pace, don't get hurt!"

Seeing that the players were playing so aggressively, having already scored four goals and still wanting to attack, Zhu Guanghu had to step in and tell them to control the pace of the game.

He noticed that the opposing players seemed a bit off and worried that if the Chinese team continued to score, it would provoke them and cause them to do something irrational during the game.

The team is in such good form, which should be a cause for celebration.

However, revealing too much when playing against weaker teams may not be a good thing, as it will make their two direct rivals, Japan and Australia, more prepared.

Zhu Guanghu was half right; the Japanese and Australian teams were indeed watching this match.

But when they saw that the Chinese team had scored four goals against Bahrain in less than half a game, they were all trembling with fear.

"The Chinese team has become stronger again!"

The Japanese team's coach silently sighed inwardly. (End of Chapter)