20demayo Chapter 711 A Counterattack from Desperate Circumstances: China Scores First!
Chapter 711 A Counterattack from Desperate Circumstances: China Scores First!
In the 57th minute, Iniesta and David Silva, who had just come on as a substitute, completed a series of one-two passes in the attacking third, disrupting the Chinese team's defensive formation.
Ultimately, David Silva delivered a cross from the edge of the penalty area, and Villa's shot from 15 meters out was saved by Wang Dalei with a spectacular diving save.
Just as Chinese fans were celebrating their team's narrow escape, Spain's attack came crashing down again!
In the 58th minute, Capdevila and Iniesta played a one-two before Capdevila delivered a low cross from the left. Alonso backheeled the ball in the box, and David Silva's right-footed shot was once again saved by Wang Dalei.
But the crisis was not over. After the ball was saved and fell to the feet of the Spanish players, it was passed between Xavi and Alonso and quickly returned to Iniesta's feet.
Iniesta dribbled past the defender and broke into the left corner of the penalty area before crossing the ball. The ball looked like a pass, but it also looked like a shot.
Villa then tried to reach for it with his foot, but he was too short and the ball slid past the goal.
If Torres had been on the field, he might have been able to reach it.
Chinese fans, who had escaped disaster once again, dared not celebrate. They felt suffocated as Spain's attack came back again!
In the 60th minute, David Silva received a cross from Xavi, cut past a defender at the edge of the penalty area, and fired a low shot with his left foot that went just wide of the right post.
Spain noticeably increased their pace after David Silva came on.
Their attacks became bolder and more ferocious, and the smooth passing between several players in the attacking third made it impossible for the Chinese national team's defenders to keep up with their pace.
David Silva is not a tall player and doesn't look particularly strong, but he has a very stable lower body and is very good at protecting the ball.
His ability to get rid of the ball, pass, and even break through is outstanding, especially his chemistry with another dribbler, Iniesta, which put enormous pressure on the Chinese national team's defense.
Seeing the situation was so passive, Zhu Guanghu didn't wait any longer and replaced two people in one go.
Du Wei and Zhang Linpeng were substituted on at the same time, replacing Sun Jihai and Li Weifeng.
Spain's high-intensity attack just now completely exhausted the two veteran players' stamina.
Based on the pace of the first half, they should have been able to hold on for about 70 minutes.
But now, their physical strength has been exhausted prematurely.
In fact, it wasn't just these two veterans; the other players on the national team were all panting heavily at this moment.
The intense exertion of those few minutes had put their physical strength to the brink of collapse.
If they continue playing like this, the Chinese national football team will probably collapse due to declining physical strength around the 75th minute.
The substitutions did not seem to improve the situation for the Chinese national team. In the 63rd minute, Alonso made a diagonal pass from the left wing, and Ramos made a run into the penalty area at the far post and made physical contact with Zhang Linpeng. Ramos fell in the penalty area and loudly asked the referee for a penalty.
A chorus of boos erupted from the crowd, with Chinese fans believing Ramos was faking an injury.
From their perspective, they didn't see Zhang Linpeng commit a foul at all; they only saw the other party deliberately trying to scam them!
[Now China's Ramos is greater than Spain's Ramos!]
[Are the Espanyol so desperate because they can't score that they resort to this kind of bluffing tactic?]
When Zhang Linpeng debuted, he was jokingly called the "Chinese Ramos" because of his position on the court and his very strong physique.
It's unexpected that the first encounter between the two 'Ramos' on the field would be in this way.
The referee naturally ignored Ramos's unreasonable demands. If a penalty had been awarded, the Spanish players would probably have all fallen into the penalty area!
David Silva was very active on the field, and his teammates couldn't contain him.
Lin Feng then personally returned to keep an eye on him, which slightly eased the opponent's attack on that side.
Even so, the Chinese national football team's passive situation on the field has not improved.
Seeing that the attacking channel on the left was blocked, Xavi, the on-field strategist of the Spanish team, immediately adjusted his direction and began to shift possession to the right flank.
In the 68th minute, Xavi passed the ball to Villa, whose shot from a tight angle 12 meters out on the right was saved by Wang Dalei.
Wang Dalei originally planned to lie on the ground with the ball for a while to give his teammates more time to rest.
But as soon as he lay down, he heard Captain Lin Feng shout:
"Da Lei, pass the ball to me!"
Without a second thought, Wang Dalei sprang up from the ground as if by instinct, grabbed the ball and rushed toward the penalty area. After glancing at Lin Feng's position, he threw the ball with a powerful throw to the wing.
China's counterattack has begun again!
Lin Feng had somehow made his way to the wing, where he received a pass from Wang Dalei and dribbled past him with explosive speed, charging towards the Spanish team's half.
Spanish fans at the stadium and watching on TV held their breath. The previous attack had lasted too long, and almost all of their players had pushed forward, leaving their backfield very vulnerable.
The Chinese players on the field also knew that the opportunity was rare, and Gao Lin, Hao Junmin, Han Peng and others gritted their teeth and accelerated their sprint.
Although Lin Feng might not pass the ball, their trip might be worse than not even touching the ball at all.
Even if you don't receive the ball yourself, it's still great to attract the attention of the opposing defenders and create some space for your teammates!
Faced with Capdevila's interception, Lin Feng didn't entangle with him for too long. He directly copied Bale's pass to himself three seconds later, passing the ball behind the opponent's back, and then overtook him from the outside of the field, using his absolute speed advantage to outrun his opponent!
This violent act of eating raw food left countless fans at the scene and watching on television speechless!
The Spanish team's coach and substitutes were all stunned and looked at each other in disbelief at what they were witnessing so closely.
Everyone knows Lin Feng is fast, but no one expected him to be this fast!
The game was almost 70 minutes in, and the other Chinese players on the field were almost too tired to run anymore. Even the Spanish players were slower than at the beginning of the game, but he still had the energy to make such a vigorous sprint!
Is this guy a monster?
Lin Feng, who was sprinting at full speed on the field, had no time to consider the reactions of others. While sprinting at high speed, he kept observing the positions of his teammates.
The current situation on the field is three against two, with the Chinese national team having a numerical advantage.
But after glancing at the positions of his two teammates, Lin Feng shook his head inwardly.
Gao Lin's position is not good; he's too close to the left, and it takes time for him to pass the ball there.
By the time the ball is passed and received, the opposing players who are tracking back to defend are probably already in position.
As for Han Peng, although he was in the middle, he was marked tightly by the two opposing defenders. If he tried to pass the ball, it would likely be intercepted by the opponent.
Furthermore, neither of the two shooters is particularly reliable in terms of shooting skills. If they were facing an average goalkeeper, Lin Feng might have chosen to pass the ball to them and let them try.
But the goalkeeper they'll have to face is Casillas!
Lin Feng, who had been Cassie's teammate for three years, knew very well how terrifying Cassie was at this stage!
If Gao Lin or Han Peng shoot, unless they perform exceptionally well, there's a very high chance Casillas will save the shot.
Under Spain's possession-based pressing, the Chinese national team had very few attacking opportunities in this match, making each chance extremely valuable and not to be wasted. Therefore, after a brief deliberation, Lin Feng decided to take matters into his own hands!
After speeding past Capdevila, Lin Feng cut inside and moved towards the middle lane.
Puyol reacted instantly, abandoning his guard against Han Peng and lunging at Lin Feng.
Pique immediately covered for Han Peng, sticking close to him and preventing him from receiving the ball.
Seeing this, Gao Lin slowed down and moved towards the middle, preparing to receive the ball.
But Lin Feng still didn't pass the ball. Gao Lin was in a position to receive the ball, but he couldn't shoot directly. If the ball reached his feet and he couldn't pass it out in time, then China's attack would come to nothing.
Seeing Puyol approaching, Lin Feng did not slow down, but instead flicked the ball to the right front and sprinted at full speed.
When you are fast enough, you don't need to use feints to get past opponents; speed is your greatest weapon.
Upon seeing Lin Feng's movements, Puyol quickly sped up and stretched out his arm to push and disrupt Lin Feng's rhythm.
Puyol's movement only slightly slowed Lin Feng's speed, but it did not disrupt his dribbling rhythm or cause him to lose control of the ball.
Just as Puyol was desperately engaging in physical battles with Lin Feng, Casillas, inside the goal line, rushed out immediately, trying to cooperate with Puyol to completely block Lin Feng's shooting angle and resolve the crisis.
In the stands, fans from both sides were on the edge of their seats.
Chinese fans saw Casillas rush out of the penalty area and get closer and closer to Lin Feng, and they almost wanted to shout for him to shoot.
Spanish fans were even more anxious. They complained that Casillas was too slow, and they were also afraid that Lin Feng would suddenly fall in the penalty area, because Puyol's hand gesture was very obvious. If the opponent went down, it would most likely be a penalty!
To their relief, Lin Feng did not choose to go down and ask for a penalty kick.
But what the other party did next chilled them to the bone!
Despite Puyol's desperate pulling and interference, Lin Feng saw Casillas closing in at close range. He remained calm, using his left hand to hold Puyol away from his body, and calmly adjusted his footwork by swinging his right arm. Before Casillas could make a blocking move, he took the first shot.
The ball was moving too fast; before Casillas could even lower his arm, it had already slipped under his armpit with a sharp swish, and the net shook violently.
The scene was quiet for a moment, then erupted into deafening cheers!
Goal!
"China has scored!"
"1-0, we're in the lead!"
On the commentary booth, several commentators excitedly raised their arms and shouted when the goal was scored.
The emotions that had been suppressed for most of the game were finally released at this moment!
[Lin Huang is awesome!]
[China is awesome!]
That was such a cool shot!
[Haha, who would have thought we'd score the first goal!]
The fans were incredibly excited. This match was the most challenging and stressful one the Chinese national football team had faced since participating in the World Cup.
Spain's passing and possession tactics left fans breathless.
The Chinese team kept running and fighting, but they just couldn't get the ball. The ball kept being passed around at the opponent's feet, and the Chinese team could only struggle to keep up.
Against this backdrop, the players' emotions were extremely suppressed, and many even pessimistically believed that the national team might not be able to get a shot on goal in the second half.
However, at this critical moment, Lin Feng once again stepped forward, seized this only opportunity, and delivered the fatal blow!
This rapid transformation from hell to heaven completely ignited the emotions of the fans, allowing them to release all the pressure that had been building up inside them.
On the field, the moment Lin Feng scored, the entire bench of the Chinese national team erupted in cheers.
The coaches and substitutes all rushed onto the field and embraced the players on the field wildly.
At that moment, they seemed to forget their exhaustion; the immense joy seemed to infuse their weary bodies with energy, bringing them back to life.
On the other hand, the Spanish players had very serious expressions on their faces.
Throughout the match, the Chinese team only managed two shots on goal, and Lin Feng's shot just now was even the first shot for the Chinese team in the second half.
As a result, they conceded a goal!
This was a huge blow to the Spanish team, causing their players to have doubts.
They didn't doubt their abilities, but they did have some doubts about their luck.
Otherwise, why did they suffer a shock defeat in the first group stage match and then fail to beat Chile in the final group stage match, finishing second in the group?
……
There are still more than 20 minutes left in the game, we must hold on!
We're in the lead now, so don't rush things. Just don't make any mistakes, and definitely don't foul in the penalty area!
[Old Zhu, make a substitution immediately! Take Gao Lin or Han Peng off and bring on a defensive player!]
After the fans were overjoyed, they couldn't help but worry about the team.
The match was still under 70 minutes in, and Espanyol had plenty of time to change the score.
Moreover, it is foreseeable that once the match resumes, the opponent will launch a desperate attack regardless of the cost.
The next 20 minutes will likely be the most agonizing 20 minutes of the entire match.
As expected, the Spanish team made another personnel change.
Fabregas and Torres came on in succession, with the former replacing Alonso, who had a card, and the latter replacing Villa, who had missed several chances.
Although Torres is not at his peak, he still put tremendous pressure on the Chinese national team's defense when he came on the field.
In the 70th minute, David Silva delivered a low cross from the left, Torres received the ball at the near post, turned and chipped it to the far post, where Iniesta's half-volley from 11 meters out was brilliantly saved by Wang Dalei!
Wang Dalei was extremely busy in this match, making numerous saves and denying countless shots from the opponent from the start of the first half.
Without his heroic performance, the Chinese team's goal would have been smashed to pieces by the opponent long ago!
If it weren't for Lin Feng's goal, the best player on the Chinese national team's side in this match would undoubtedly be the goalkeeper!
But Wang Dalei's heroics couldn't change the Chinese team's passive situation.
Spain launched another attack on the Chinese goal! (End of Chapter)