Football: He suffered a broken leg at the start of the game, but partnered with Haaland!

With the referee blowing the opening whistle, the second round of the AFC U23 Asian Cup group stage match between China and Uzbekistan officially kicked off.

Because the stadium was empty, the vast Songkhla Stadium echoed with the crisp sound of whistles. Only a few technical officials and broadcast staff sat scattered in the stands.

The open environment amplified every detail on the field: the sound of the ball rubbing against the grass, the sound of players' cleats crushing the soil, and the tactical instructions shouted out by the coaches from the bench, all intertwined to create a pure sense of real combat pressure.

Uzbekistan kicked off first.

Midfielder Kodyrkulov, stepping on the ball, stared wide-eyed at the Chinese team's positioning.

Drulovic, standing on the sidelines, spat his chewing gum directly onto the grass.

In all the pre-match analysis videos of the Chinese team, Sun Yang, the mixed-race midfield maestro wearing the number 10 jersey and with abnormal footwork, didn't even stand in the midfield at the start of the game.

Sun Yang ran straight back to the Chinese team's penalty area.

He was flanked by Zhu Chenjie and Wei Zhen. Three Chinese players, each over 1.85 meters tall, stood across the goal. The two full-backs, Dilimulati and Feng Boxuan, had dropped back to the byline. Only Duan Liuyu, Huang Zhengyu, and two wingers remained in midfield. Up front, Zhang Yuning stood alone near the center circle.

A complete and utterly impenetrable defensive formation.

"They've retreated!" Uzbekistan's assistant coach, Tassieev, yelled from the sidelines, gripping the tactics board. "Coach, that number ten has gone to play as a sweeper!"

Drulovic cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted in Russian, urging his players on the field: "Play according to plan! Kick the ball high into the air! Smash them with your bodies!"

Uzbekistan's two tall strikers, both over 1.9 meters, immediately surged into the Chinese penalty area. The four midfielders quickly spread out.

In the third minute of the match, Uzbekistan had their first attacking opportunity in the attacking third.

The left winger didn't even look at the ground movement in the middle, and immediately launched a cross.

The football traced a high parabola in the humid night sky of Songkhla, landing squarely on the Chinese penalty spot.

The tall center, Abdikholkov, tilted his head back and used his nearly 180-pound weight to force his way into Zhu Chenjie. Zhu Chenjie gritted his teeth and tried to block the position, but the size difference between the two was too great. Zhu Chenjie was pushed back repeatedly and couldn't find a foothold to jump.

Just as the big guy was about to jump and head the ball, a red figure cut between him and the ball's landing point.

Sun Yang bent his knees to block the shot, using the positioning and anticipation techniques taught by Maldini.

Without that unnecessary sprint before jumping, he precisely positioned his waist against the side of the big guy Ab's hip.

Just as the big guy was about to push off the ground, he felt his lower body suddenly lose its strength as Sun Yang lifted him up with his shoulder, causing his massive body to sway.

In the brief moment when the big man lost his balance, Sun Yang used his legs to lift himself up, his smooth forehead colliding head-on with the ball.

A muffled thud.

Sun Yang cleanly headed the ball to the edge of the penalty area.

The big guy, Ab, staggered a couple of steps to steady himself, staring at Sun Yang as if he'd seen a ghost. He'd clearly felt he had a huge physical advantage, yet he hadn't even completed a proper jump.

"Keep an eye on him!" Sun Yang shouted to the back line as soon as he landed. He patted Zhu Chenjie on the shoulder: "Don't try to fight him head-on. If he pushes you, just step to the side half a step so he can't exert force."

Zhu Chenjie wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and nodded repeatedly.

The time has come to the tenth minute.

Uzbekistan's attack was monotonous and mechanical. Aside from crosses from the wings, they relied on high-angle shots. Drullovic was determined to use his twin towers to tear a hole in the Chinese defense.

Goalkeeper Chen Wei's voice was hoarse from shouting.

The Chinese team's penalty area has completely become a training ground for header attacks and defenses.

Wei Zhen and Zhu Chenjie were panting heavily after being worn down by the two tall Uzbek strikers. Asian players are simply outmatched when facing tall players with Slavic heritage. Several aerial duels had taken a toll on the two center-backs' stamina.

But whenever that deadly cross lands in the heart of the penalty area, Sun Yang always manages to get into position a step ahead.

Sun Yang used Klinsmann's heading anticipation mechanism to perfection at this moment.

Don't rely on brute force. It all depends on the accuracy of judging the landing point, and then using subtle physical contact to disrupt the defender's jump and power.

Cannavaro stood ramrod straight on the sidelines, arms crossed. This was the effect he wanted.

Uzbekistan's attacking formation pushed further and further forward, with both center-backs even crossing the halfway line.

Twelfth minute.

Uzbekistan launched an attack down the right flank. The full-back made a run forward, took a touch on the wing, and then swung his right foot to chip the ball towards the far post.

The ball, with a strong inward spin, headed straight for the left side of the six-yard box.

This time, Abdikholkov learned his lesson. Before the ball even hit the ground, he used the momentum he built up with a few steps to crash into the penalty area like an out-of-control truck.

He wanted to use absolute impact to knock his opponent away.

"My ball!"

Sun Yang shouted out loud.

Instead of retreating to defend, he took two large steps forward, following the trajectory of the ball.

The giant Abdu had already taken to the air. His enormous body almost blocked out the high-frequency lights inside the penalty area.

Sun Yang planted his feet on the grass and, just before the opponent was about to collide with him, he shifted half his body to the side, his left shoulder precisely touching the opponent's ribs just below.

Use someone else's strength against them.

The overwhelming force was largely dissipated by Sun Yang's light lean. The large Ab's body tilted severely in mid-air due to the uneven force.

A center forward who loses air superiority is like a tiger with its teeth pulled.

Using the fulcrum he had just leaned against, Sun Yang straightened his waist and lifted himself up.

A textbook header clearance. Sun Yang headed the ball precisely to the right flank.

That's the defensive zone of full-back Feng Boxuan.

The tide of battle turned completely at this moment.

The Chinese team's ten-plus minutes of defensive huddling wasn't out of fear. It was all for this one second of explosive action.

Feng Boxuan stopped the ball with his chest, without any further dribbling. He glanced at the situation on the field and passed the ball directly to Duan Liuyu in midfield.

Just as the ball flew out of the penalty area.

Sun Yang, who had just gotten up from the ground, completely ignored the Uzbek center who was lying on the side, and immediately started sprinting forward.

With the added advantage of Kanté's seemingly inexhaustible lungs, Sun Yang's physical exertion during those twelve minutes in the backcourt was almost negligible. His explosive power at the start was maximized by his top-tier stamina.

At the same time, the Chinese team's formation underwent a dramatic change.

The wingers and full-backs, who had previously positioned themselves on the flanks, made significant forward runs. Yang Liyu and Chen Binbin, two players with exceptional speed, darted forward like two sharp knives along the flanks, penetrating Uzbekistan's completely undefended backline. The formation shifted from a defensive 5-4-1 to a highly offensive 3-4-3.

Multiple players are making runs and creating opportunities.

Uzbekistan's two center-backs had already overestimated themselves and pushed past the halfway line. Now, facing three or four Chinese players sprinting forward at the same time, they had no idea which one to mark.

Uzbekistan's midfield and defense were completely disrupted by China's sudden and rapid counter-attack.

Duan Liuyu received the ball in midfield and watched as Uzbekistan's number six, Ganeev, pressed him closely.

"Send it to me!"

A loud roar came from behind Duan Liuyu. Sun Yang swept over like a red storm.

Duan Liuyu didn't even need to look at anyone; relying on the tacit understanding they had developed during training, he pushed the ball across with the instep of his right foot.

Sun Yang did not stop the ball.

Ganiev had already abandoned Duan Liuyu and turned to pounce on Sun Yang. If they could cut off the number 10's passing lanes in midfield, China's counter-attack would be doomed.

As Sun Yang ran, he gently flicked the ball with the outside of his right foot, and the ball slipped past Ganiev's outstretched calf, returning to Duan Liuyu's feet as he made his forward run.

A clean and decisive one-two pass.

The two switched places. Ganiev was so disoriented by the sudden movement that he couldn't turn around and chase after them in time.

After receiving the ball, Duan Liuyu did not hold onto it for long, and with a push shot, he knocked the ball back to the middle.

The ball has crossed the halfway line.

Sun Yang received the ball in the middle. The field of vision in the attacking third was completely opened up.

Throughout Uzbekistan's half, only their two clumsy center-backs were desperately retreating.

Chen Binbin is waving from the left flank. Zhang Yuning is carrying someone in the middle. Yang Liyu is already at top speed on the right flank.

This is a three-on-two situation where victory is certain.

"Point and shoot" is automatically activated.

Without pausing, Sun Yang swung his right leg forward, striking the ball solidly with the instep.

It wasn't a long, high pass. Instead, it was a subtle, low, through ball.

The ball, like a scalpel tearing through the defense, passed precisely through the gap between the two Uzbek defenders with great penetrating power.

The ball was moving so fast that it gave the defenders no time to intercept it.

Yang Liyu sprinted down the right flank without even needing to adjust his footing. Just as he reached the right edge of the penalty area, the ball rolled comfortably to the front of his right foot.

Receive the ball and go down to the byline.

Uzbekistan's penalty area was in chaos. Center-back Kobilov stumbled and tried to block Yang Liyu's cross.

Yang Liyu didn't cut inside. Instead, he swung his right foot near the byline, sweeping it directly towards the center of the six-yard box.

A powerful low cross.

Zhang Yuning, who was following up from the middle, rushed in and tried to poke the ball towards the goal.

Uzbek goalkeeper Nematov reacted quickly. The 1.82-meter-tall goalkeeper displayed amazing explosiveness. Instead of trying to catch the powerful cross with his hands, he leaped into the air and slammed his fists down hard on the ball.

Just a fraction of a second before Zhang Yuning's toe was about to touch the ball, Nematov's fist forcefully knocked the ball away.

boom.

The ball soared high, heading straight for the edge of the penalty area.

"Stop him!"

Nematov, lying on the ground, shouted to his teammates.

Several Uzbek midfielders who had finally managed to get back into position hurriedly looked up to find the ball.

But no one noticed that a yellow-skinned number 10, who should have been defending in the Chinese team's penalty area, had already rushed to the edge of Uzbekistan's penalty area.

Starting from his own penalty area, he sprints forward, participating in passing and cutting all the way, before finally reaching the edge of the opponent's penalty area.

This is a full 80-meter high-intensity anaerobic sprint.

Kante's top-notch cardiopulmonary function prevented Sun Yang's legs from suffering from lactic acid buildup, and his breathing remained calm and stable.

The ball passed its apex in the air and began to fall rapidly.

Sun Yang did not slow down; he stepped directly into the penalty area.

There was no intention to stop the ball. Every second wasted in the penalty area meant the opposing defenders would close in and block the shooting angle.

He wanted to hit the door directly.

The ball's height was a bit awkward. Controlling it with your chest would take too much time, and kicking it wouldn't reach it.

Sun Yang stomped his foot hard just one step before the free-throw arc. He lunged forward, diving to meet the trajectory of the falling ball.

This is a highly spectacular fish leaping to the top.

Sun Yang's body stretched out completely in mid-air, his back straight, almost forming a horizontal angle with the grass of Songkhla Stadium.

At the peak of his body's movement, he suddenly swung his neck.

The ball landed squarely on the forehead.

Instead of using force to smash, Sun Yang used a clever upward flicking motion.

The ball changed direction.

It flew in a large, high arc, slowly but fatally towards the top right corner of the goal.

At that moment, goalkeeper Nematov had just punched the ball away, his entire body still lying prone on the grass. Just as he was about to prop himself up, he saw the ball sail over the heads of his two center-backs.

The distance was too great. The effort to get up couldn't keep up with the ball's downward speed.

Nematov stretched out his arm in vain, trying to catch the ball in mid-air, and could only watch helplessly as it fell into the white net at the far corner of his own goal.

Goal!

In the silent stadium, the sound of the ball hitting the net sounded unusually jarring.

The Chinese team's bench erupted in chaos. A group of young men in substitute vests waved their towels wildly and rushed towards the corner flag.

Fabio Cannavaro, a coach who had seen countless big games, suddenly jumped up. He grabbed assistant coach Mario by the neck, and Italian profanities echoed through the empty stadium.