Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

"CCTV, CCTV!"

"Dear viewers, you are now watching the live broadcast of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Final Round match between China and Japan..."

"The ball is in!"

The commentator's voice suddenly rose a notch while he was giving the opening remarks, and his companion couldn't help but gasp in surprise:

"The Chinese team took the lead right from the start of the match!"

"Seven seconds! That's the fastest goal in this World Cup qualifier!"

"Incredible, absolutely unbelievable, this was such a wonderful start for the Chinese team!"

Gao Lin's goal shocked everyone in the stadium.

In an instant, deafening cheers erupted from the stands, as countless fans waved their national flags frantically, roaring and celebrating at the top of their lungs.

Japan's head coach, Takeshi Okada, had just sat down on the bench when he saw the goal. He jumped up as if electrocuted, his eyes widening. He looked at his own goal, then at the scoreboard, his face full of confusion.

No, I only blinked, and the team conceded a goal?
The game had only been going on for a few seconds when Japan was already down by a goal. How could they possibly win?
【Excellent! Well done, Gao Lin!】

[Gao Lin truly deserves to be called the greatest striker in the history of the Chinese national football team; well done!]

Haha, look at the Japanese players and coaches, they're completely dumbfounded!

Fans who saw the goal went wild posting online, eager to share their joy with the whole world.

They anticipated it would be a very exciting match, but they didn't expect it to be this exciting!
The match had just begun when the Chinese team scored such a lightning-fast goal, easing the tension that had been building in the hearts of all Chinese fans.

However, some people who didn't see the goal were completely bewildered when they saw the footage on TV.
[Guys, I just went to the bathroom, and when I came back I saw our players celebrating! What's going on?!]

Fortunately, the television broadcast started replaying the goal, and after watching the whole thing, these fans joined the online celebration.

Unfortunately, they couldn't get tickets and could only watch the game at home, which meant their viewing experience and atmosphere were significantly less impressive.

[Hilarious! I bought a ticket, but I'm stuck in the aisle and can't get to my seat, so it's like I didn't buy a ticket at all!]

[Damn, I'm practically crushed into a meat patty! There are definitely more than this many people here; I suspect at least 80,000!]

Just now, after the Chinese national football team scored a goal, a large number of fans who did not buy tickets poured into the stadium from outside. The security personnel on site did not expel them because everyone was busy celebrating.

In the past, due to security and fire safety reasons, Chinese Super League and national football team matches were often not open to the public in all stands.

But this match not only opened up all the stands, but even the corridors and passageways were packed with people.

If the aisles weren't packed with people, the fans outside would probably have squeezed even more in.

……

The atmosphere on the field was just as intense as that among the fans. After scoring, Gao Lin excitedly ran around the field, reached the sidelines, and opened his arms to the stands.

A huge cheer erupted as the fans closest to him chanted his name wildly, giving him the loudest applause and cheers.

"Well done, Big Head!"

"That was a beautiful shot! It gave the opposing goalkeeper absolutely no chance!"

His teammates surged up from behind, giving Gao Lin high-fives and hugs; some even climbed onto his back.

"Hehe, that's right. I'm a regular starter in a Bundesliga team. If I can't even handle a mere Japanese goalkeeper, wouldn't that ruin my reputation?"

Gao Lin is the kind of person who will shine brightly if given a little encouragement; if you praise him, he'll keep bragging.

What is humility?
He doesn't have that at all!

However, he was right. After three years in the Bundesliga, Gao Lin's skills improved rapidly.

He rarely misses opportunities in front of the goal now, and his outrageous masturbation behavior, like in the early days, is becoming less and less frequent.

If this trend continues, after a while, I'm afraid not many people will know that he also has the nickname "Gao Feiji" (高飞机).

"Brothers, keep it up! One goal against Japan isn't enough. Let's keep attacking them relentlessly and score ten or eight more!"

"Well said! We'll get back at them for how they bullied us back then, and show them what it means for fortunes to change!"

"Hehe, aren't the Japanese clamoring to prove to us who is the strongest team in Asia? Then we'll show them with our actions who the real number one team in Asia is!"

The Chinese national football team, having just scored a goal, is riding high on morale, with the players brimming with confidence.

On the other hand, most of the Japanese players were completely stunned by this unexpected goal.

After the game restarted, the Japanese team seemed to be in a daze and was subjected to relentless, aggressive pressing from the Chinese team.

To be fair, the Japanese players have really good footwork skills.

If it were any other Asian team in this situation, they would most likely concede a goal.

Despite being humiliated by the ball, they managed to pass it out through excellent teamwork.

But that's okay. China's pressing in the attacking third is a targeted tactic, not something a few players came up with on a whim.

Seeing the ball being passed out, the forwards immediately pressed forward, and the midfielders and wingers quickly followed up, weaving a tight net in the opponent's half that enveloped all the Japanese players.

Although the Japanese players were able to pass the ball, they could only pass it sideways or back, and they found it difficult to pass it forward. This caused them to move closer and closer to their own goal, increasing the risk of conceding a goal.

If the Chinese team manages to intercept the ball in this position, they can shoot directly. Meanwhile, the Japanese team, whose passing space is constantly being compressed, seems to still have possession of the ball, but in reality, they have been forced into a corner.

"Pass the ball out quickly, don't pass it around in your own half!"

Japan's goalkeeper, Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, saw the opposing striker had already pushed into his own penalty area and anxiously shouted to his teammates who were in possession of the ball.

The Japanese players didn't lack the desire to pass the ball forward; they simply didn't have the opportunity.

The Chinese players who pressed forward didn't give them a chance to turn around, forcing them to keep passing the ball back.

They originally had a goalkeeper facing the direction of the attack, but at this moment, both of China's forwards had already rushed into the penalty area. Japan's defenders dared not pass the ball back to the goalkeeper and could only dribble to the wing, resulting in them being blocked on the wing.

In the midst of the chaos, the ball went out of bounds.

The linesman awarded possession to the Chinese team. Lin Feng beckoned Zhao Xuri over and instructed him to replicate his attack from the Olympics, throwing the ball powerfully down the wing and into the penalty area.

Here it comes! Zhao Yijiao's signature move: turning a throw-in into a corner kick!

[Throw it into the restricted area, throw it at Han Peng's head!]

In terms of footwork, Han Peng is not as good as Gao Lin and Dong Fangzhuo, but he excels in aerial combat and is a well-known aerial threat on the national team's front line.

In this match against Japan, Zhu Guanghu chose Han Peng instead of Dong Fangzhuo, with the clear intention of using his heading ability to break through the opponent's goal. Han Peng lived up to expectations; after Zhao Xuri's powerful throw-in, he overpowered the Japanese center-back, leaping high to intercept the ball.

Unfortunately, he failed to control the angle of his strike, and the ball went astray.

"Good throw!"

After landing, Han Peng gave Zhao Xuri a thumbs up on the sideline. Although the ball didn't go in, his teammate's accurate throw was beyond his expectations.

With better mental preparation next time, he will definitely perform even better.

Seeing that the opponent's shot went wide, the Japanese players collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

In those last few minutes, the pressure the Chinese team put on them was so great that they could barely breathe.

This suffocating feeling was something I'd only experienced before when facing top-tier teams in the World Cup. I never imagined I'd experience it against an Asian team.

This made the Japanese team members question their own abilities. Had our strength declined, or had the Chinese team progressed too quickly and already approached the level of the world's top teams?

The latter idea was so outrageous that the Japanese team members immediately rejected it as soon as it came to mind.

It must be that our own performance was affected. Although the opponent is strong, how could they possibly surpass the top teams from Europe and America?

Feeling frustrated after the previous few minutes, the Japanese team rallied and decided to take advantage of this opportunity to launch an offensive against the Chinese team.

They didn't believe the Chinese team was really that strong, thinking they were fully capable of competing with them.

However, Japan's attack was intercepted just as it crossed the halfway line by China's tight midfield defense and frantic pressing.

Lin Feng and Zheng Zhi combined to successfully steal the ball from Nakamura Shunsuke's feet, and Lin Feng then moved the ball to the right wing.

Hao Junmin pushed his way through like a small tank. The Japanese full-backs tried to pull him back, but they couldn't stop him at all, as if they were holding onto a bull instead of a person!

After getting past the opposing full-back, Hao Junmin kept looking up to observe the positions of his teammates.

After dribbling the ball to the right side of the penalty area, he decisively delivered a cross.

The ball was passed to Han Peng, but Gao Lin's sprint interfered with the opposing defender and goalkeeper, allowing Han Peng to jump easily with almost no interference and complete a header!

This time, Han Peng seized the opportunity, controlling both the angle and power of his header perfectly.

When Kawaguchi Yoshikatsu saw that the ball hadn't reached Gao Lin, he already anticipated that the Chinese team would head the ball towards the goal.

Even if he had predicted it, he couldn't stop the Chinese team from scoring.

With a whoosh, the ball made intimate contact with the net.

The score became 2-0, with Han Peng extending China's lead.

At this point, only 7 minutes of the game had passed!

[666, as expected of the national team's aerial dominance, Han Peng was definitely the right choice to bring him on for this match!]

[Han Peng didn't get enough of an aerial battle in the last one, so it looks like he'll be in for a good time against the Japanese!]

You guys say Japan is a developed country, and people are usually taller at higher latitudes, right? Why are the Japanese so short?

This question has prompted a lot of thought among fans. Both are developed countries, but South Koreans, who live at a similar latitude, are significantly taller than Japanese people.

The South Korean team's physical attributes and height are in no way inferior to, and may even be stronger than, those of the Chinese team.

The Chinese team suffered a lot in terms of physical strength when playing against the South Korean team.

But when facing the Japanese team, the situation was completely different.

So, why is this happening?

……

"Pretty!"

"Haha, it's stable now!"

"Han Peng is in really good form. I think if we really make it to the World Cup, we absolutely have to include him in the forward line!"

On the sidelines, Zhu Guanghu jumped up excitedly after seeing Han Peng score, pumped his fists a few times, and then high-fived his assistant coaches.

Han Peng is 25 years old now, in his prime. Even in 2010, he will only be 27 years old. As long as he doesn't get injured, he will be the most stable striker on the national team's front line.

Even if Han Peng doesn't score, he can still act as a bridgehead in the attacking third and a pivot point for the team's offense. This tactical value is irreplaceable by any other striker in the national team.

Japan's head coach Takeshi Okada was completely exasperated. Another goal conceded?

It's only been 7 minutes and we've already conceded two goals!

That's way too fast!

Most importantly, the Japanese team's offense was ineffective and their defense was incapable.

With over eighty minutes left in the game, at this rate of conceding goals, they're bound to suffer a humiliating defeat!

Shinji Kagawa, sitting on the bench, was equally shocked.

He was a little confused. From childhood to adulthood, he had always been told that the Japanese team was the number one football team in Asia and held an unshakeable dominant position in the country.

Therefore, Japanese players have always focused on the top international teams, and often look down on other teams in the Asian region.

But this match shattered his preconceived notions. Seeing the Japanese team being beaten so badly by the Chinese team, Shinji Kagawa really wondered if the Japanese team was truly the number one team in Asian football.

Why does it feel like the Chinese team is stronger than them?

As a midfielder, and given his pre-match argument with Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa kept his eyes fixed on Lin Feng.

Neither of China's two goals were assisted by Lin Feng, but both attacks were initiated by Lin Feng.

Experts will know if there is one as soon as they take action!

As a midfielder himself, Shinji Kagawa understands very well that in such situations, it requires keen insight into opportunities on the field and precise passing of the ball to the right player. This demands exceptional vision, a sharp instinct, and, most importantly, accurate passing ability.

He asked himself if he could do it now, especially in high-intensity combat.

But judging from Lin Feng's performance, he seemed to complete these tasks with great ease, which made Shinji Kagawa realize the huge gap between them.

"Honda-kun's reminder is correct. I really shouldn't see him as a competitor to overtake right now; the gap between us is too big!" (End of Chapter)