Chapter 281: Historic breakthrough
The World Cup officially kicked off on June 10th, with the host Germany facing Costa Rica in the opening match. China's first-round match, scheduled for the 15th in Group H's lower half, pits them against African champions Tunisia.
Tunisia is a traditional powerhouse in African football, having reached the World Cup finals in 1978, 1998, and 2002. This will be their fourth trip to the World Cup finals in 2006.
Key players for Tunisia include Trabelsi from Ajax, Jaidi from Birmingham, and Chedli and Mnari from Nuremberg, showcasing considerable overall strength.
For the Chinese team, winning against Tunisia is crucial if they want to advance. This situation inevitably brings to mind the battle with Costa Rica four years ago.
"Santos, the core of Tunisia's frontline, is injured and will miss the first group stage match against China," assistant coach Nicol is reporting the latest intelligence to Alihan.
"This is good news. Regardless, we must not repeat the mistakes of four years ago. We need to position ourselves as challengers and give our all in every match!"
During the pre-match tactical arrangement meeting, Alihan emphasized to defenders Zhang Yaokun and Ji Mingyi, "Tunisia is likely to field 20-year-old newcomer Zikawi as a starter. He's very explosive, so you must closely defend against him."
Zhang Yaokun and Ji Mingyi nodded solemnly. Compared to African players, speed is a weakness for domestic players.
"In addition, Jaidi's headers and Jamali's direct free kicks are excellent. Be extremely cautious in defense."
"On the field, maintain composure and calmness. The pace of the game will surely be controlled by the opponent. We just need to defend well and seize opportunities to counterattack with Wang Feng. Don't make reckless moves and lose positioning."
At the Allianz Arena in Munich, about 10,000 Chinese fans came to the scene to support. As the familiar cheers erupted, the game officially began.
Tunisia immediately dominated the midfield, with their excellent combat ability and aggressive pressing making it difficult for the Chinese team to hold onto the ball in midfield, forcing them to constantly retreat defensively.
Fortunately, when the lineup compressed into the thirty-meter area, the dense defense repeatedly thwarted Tunisia's attacks, especially Zikawi, whose offensive advantage was completely suppressed.
Tunisia's most threatening attack occurred in the 25th minute when Chedli dribbled inside and passed to the penalty area, Jaidi's header flew towards the far corner, and with goalkeeper Li Leilei unable to save in time, Li Weifeng blocked the ball out of bounds with his body.
Tunisia won a corner, but Sun Jihai cleared the ball from the penalty area, and Zhao Junzhe on the sideline passed the ball to Wang Feng not far away, who immediately turned and quickly launched a counterattack.
The center-back Namouchi standing in front of Wang Feng was shaken off with a feint, and soon he rushed into the opponent's thirty-meter area. At this time, Trabelsi, Jemaa, and Hagui quickly returned to defend.
Wang Feng saw Shao Jiayi sprinting forward in front of him, so he swept the ball with his right foot to Shao Jiayi, then dashed into the penalty area himself. Trabelsi and Jemaa dared not slack off, sticking closely to Wang Feng, while Hagui went to defend Shao Jiayi.
Under pressure from Hagui, Shao Jiayi could only move towards the sideline, and after reaching near the penalty area, he hastily crossed the ball. The quality of this cross was not high, hitting a defending player, but still wobbled towards the penalty area.
Wang Feng had already sprinted forward before Shao Jiayi crossed the ball, making a gesture to snatch the ball. The two Tunisian defenders subconsciously followed him.
When the ball was crossed, the approximate landing position quickly formed in his mind. So after running two steps, he suddenly turned back, forcibly breaking free from the double team.
Near the landing point, Wang Feng jumped high with his back to the goal, using the back of his left foot to volley the descending ball, and the powerful shot pierced through Tunisian goalkeeper Boumnijel's hands and into the net.
"The ball's in!! Wang Feng's fantastic backheel helps China open the scoring!!"
"In the 27th minute, China, using a defensive counterattack, has broken Tunisia's defense! This is a historic breakthrough for China in the World Cup! We've scored for the first time in the World Cup!"
"Now we're in the lead! Audiences in front of the TV, remember this historic moment!"
"After decades of effort and numerous failures, we've finally waited for this moment. Wang Feng, our own Mr. Football, shines on the World Cup stage with dazzling brilliance!"
"At just 23 years old, he is not only the present but also the future of Chinese football!"
After scoring, Wang Feng quickly got up from the ground and rushed towards the stands where the domestic fans were, pointing to the sky with one hand and holding the national flag over his chest with the other. People from afar in the stands had already plunged into madness.
"Wang Feng, you're awesome!"
"Wang Feng, I love you!"
The voices echoed into Wang Feng's ears, listening to the familiar language, his heart surged with emotion, a feeling that he could never experience while playing for top clubs.
Soon after, the arriving teammates surrounded Wang Feng, each of them wearing a happy smile on their faces. They had made history!
After taking the lead, the players' struggle became more intense, repeatedly keeping Tunisia's attacks outside the goal line, and Wang Feng also actively retreated to defend, sometimes even retreating near the penalty area.
As time reached the 71st minute of the second half, China was still in the lead. The audience in the stands held their breath nervously, many of them quietly complaining, "Why is time passing so slowly!"
At this moment, Tunisia got a chance for a free kick in the frontcourt. Jamali took the direct shot, and the ball went straight into the corner of the goal after passing through the wall, despite Li Leilei's desperate save.
"Oh no, Tunisia has equalized! What a pity!"
"The quality of this free kick is very high. Our defense didn't have any major problems, but it's always these unreasonable goals that we're afraid of."
Tunisia's equalizer dealt a blow to China's morale. Victory, which seemed within reach, slipped away, leaving everyone feeling frustrated, including Wang Feng.
But he knew the game wasn't over yet. The frustration and despair could also turn into unwillingness and effort. So he clapped his hands and gathered the players, saying, "Guys, we're so close to a historic victory. Are you really content with just a draw?"
"Let's put in a little more effort, defend well, and then pass the ball to me. We still have a chance!"
Teammates nodded at his words. They had watched Wang Feng's games, especially the three Champions League finals with Inter Milan, which left a deep impression. Wang Feng's never-give-up attitude also inspired many of them.
The game resumed, and Tunisia, not satisfied with a draw, continued to pressure the Chinese team, while China, on the other hand, maintained solid defense and waited for fleeting opportunities.
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