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

In less than two minutes, the Chinese team scored two goals.

They completely stunned the Jordanian team.

A frenzied shout erupted from the substitutes' bench throughout the stadium.

Jiang Shenglong and Chen Binbin, who were on the bench, jumped up and waved their towels.

Cannavaro pumped his fist on the sidelines and then turned to hug assistant coach Mario.

"My God, that kid's free kick was like a cannonball. This shouldn't be the kind of power a 20-year-old player should be able to deliver," Mario exclaimed repeatedly.

Cannavaro grinned from ear to ear: "This is a monster. An unstoppable monster."

The Jordanian players stood with their hands on their hips, heads bowed, staring dejectedly at the ball in the goal. That powerful long-range shot had shattered their newly built defensive confidence.

In the CCTV commentary booth, He Wei excitedly slammed his fist on the table.

"A powerful shot! After showcasing his uncanny passing vision, Sun Yang demonstrated his terrifying free-kick ability to the entire Asian region. This long-range shot definitely exceeded 110 kilometers per hour. The Jordanian goalkeeper didn't even have time to react."

For the next half hour, the Chinese team, with a two-goal lead, completely controlled the pace of the game.

Jordan attempted to press forward, but whenever the ball entered the midfield, it was met with a meat grinder-like defensive line from Sun Yang and Huang Zhengyu. At halftime, the score remained 2-0.

The atmosphere in the locker room was very relaxed.

Cannavaro drew several arrows on the tactics board and loudly reminded the players.

"Guys, they're going to come back really hard in the second half. Keep the ball at our feet. Stay focused defensively and don't give them any chances to get the ball in front of the box. Winning is fine, but I don't want to see a goal conceded."

The second half began with the teams switching sides.

Jordan's head coach made two quick substitutions, bringing on two fast forwards and starting to try crossing from the flanks.

This tactic did cause some trouble for the Chinese team's defense. Wei Zhen and Zhu Chenjie frequently jumped to contest headers in the penalty area, which took a heavy toll on their stamina.

By the 70th minute of the match, the hot and humid weather in Southeast Asia had caused the players' physical condition to deteriorate significantly.

Jordan's attacking pace slowed down noticeably, and the players' defensive steps became heavier.

Sun Yang was an exception; his stamina bar seemed to be perpetually full. He ran tirelessly in midfield, blocking and tackling.

The time has reached the 80th minute.

Jordan made a passing error in the attacking third. After intercepting the ball, Feng Boxuan delivered a long pass to Sun Yang near the center circle.

At this moment, Sun Yang was surrounded by two defensive players. They were trying to cut off Sun Yang's passing lanes.

Sun Yang looked up at the field ahead and saw that Zhang Yuning, who had made a forward run, was in an offside position.

I'm not sending it anymore. Do it yourself.

Sun Yang flicked the ball forward with his right foot. He had only taken two steps when a Jordanian defensive midfielder and a center-back formed a defensive line on the left and right, closing in on him.

For an average player, the only option at this point would be to pass the ball back.

But in Sun Yang's mind, the image of that short, wiry Argentinian man from the training field in his dream flashed through his mind.

The "Maradona Overcomes Five Barriers and Slays Six Generals" skill is activated.

Sun Yang didn't slow down at all. When he was only half a meter away from the two of them, his left shoulder suddenly sank, and his entire body weight shifted to the left.

This was a very realistic feint. The Jordanian defender on the left thought Sun Yang was going to make a strong run to the left and immediately stretched out his right leg to intercept.

In that instant, Sun Yang, using his powerful ankle flexibility, pulled the ball back with his right foot and then gently tapped it with the inside of his left foot.

The ball obediently changed direction. Sun Yang's body then performed an incredible folding and turning maneuver, slipping through the gap of a dozen centimeters left by the right and left defenders.

He beat two people in a row.

It was decisive and efficient, without the slightest unnecessary hesitation or ambiguity.

Jordan's defense was completely torn apart.

Sun Yang charged into the penalty area. The opposing goalkeeper panicked and rushed out of his goal, spreading his arms to try and cover more of the defensive area.

Sun Yang glanced at the goalkeeper. Without exerting any force, he lightly flicked the ball with the instep of his right foot.

The ball flew over the goalkeeper who was diving to make a save, bounced on the grass, and quietly rolled into the far corner of the goal.

3:0.

To completely kill the game.

Sun Yang scored his 8th goal in this tournament, firmly holding the top spot on the top scorer list.

The game was already lost, and the Jordanian players had lost all desire to run.

With regular time over, the fourth official held up a sign indicating four minutes of added time.

A large lead led to a fatal lapse in the Chinese team's defense. This lack of concentration paid off in the final minute of the match.

Jordan launched a harmless low cross from the left flank.

The ball slowly flew towards the far post of the Chinese team's penalty area.

Left-back Dilmurat assumed center-back Wei Zhen would clear the ball, while Wei Zhen assumed goalkeeper Chen Wei would come out to collect it. The three players in the penalty area inexplicably hesitated to let each other have their way.

It was that half-second of hesitation. Jordanian striker Awad, like a ghost, surged forward from behind and, before Chen Wei could make a save, poked the ball into the empty net with his toe.

3:1.

The ball rolled into the net. The referee immediately blew the final whistle.

China narrowly defeated Jordan, securing a strong place in the semifinals of this Asian Cup.

But Cannavaro on the sidelines showed no joy at the victory. He smashed his water bottle onto the turf, splashing water everywhere.

"Damn defense! What are you doing?! Are you sleeping on the field?" Cannavaro yelled at the departing defenders.

This was the first goal China conceded in this tournament. Cannavaro believes this kind of lapse in concentration is absolutely unforgivable. In the brutal semi-final, such a mistake could have ruined the team's efforts over the past month.

In the locker room after the game, there was none of the usual unrestrained celebration after a victory.

Cannavaro walked in with a gloomy face, while the players sat upright on the bench.

"Did you think reaching the semi-finals was the end of it? That goal you conceded proves you were completely unprepared for the real battle."

Cannavaro walked to the whiteboard, picked up a marker, and forcefully wrote a set of English letters on the whiteboard.

Australia.

"The results of the other half of the bracket are in. They beat their opponent 3-0. Starting tomorrow, we'll increase defensive positioning training." Cannavaro turned around and pointed towards the door. "This team is definitely not a match for Jordan. Beating them will secure you a direct ticket to the Tokyo Olympics. Losing means you can pack your bags and go back to your domestic league."

The entire team fell silent, a heavy weight pressing on everyone's hearts. Each knew that what lay ahead was a true battle for survival.

It was already late at night when I got back to the hotel.

Sun Yang lay alone on the physiotherapy bed, receiving a muscle relaxation massage from his private therapist, Catherine.