Chapter 284: Against Spain
On the afternoon of June 23rd, the two key matches in Group H kicked off simultaneously. China faced their strong opponent Spain at the Fritz-Walter Stadium, while Ukraine faced Tunisia at the Berlin Olympic Stadium.
Spain deployed a substitute lineup with a 4-3-3 formation, with goalkeeper Canizares. The defense consisted of Salgado, Marchena, Juanito, and Lopez. In midfield were Albelda, Iniesta, and Fabregas. Upfront were Joaquin, Raul, and Reyes. Notable players like Casillas, Xavi, Torres, and Puyol did not start. For China, the only change was Dongfang Zhuo replacing Li Yi, with the rest of the main lineup unchanged.
Before the match, Real Madrid players such as Casillas, Raul, and Salgado greeted Wang Feng. Raul smiled warmly and said, "I didn't expect that we could compete before becoming teammates. Although it's not fair, I won't go easy on you."
Wang Feng responded firmly, "Don't underestimate me and my teammates. You'll be surprised during the match."
Then, they discussed life in Spain and at the club. Raul strongly suggested that Wang Feng move to the affluent area of La Finca in Madrid, where Zidane, Ronaldo, and others lived, as the environment was pleasant.
This was Wang Feng's first interaction with the so-called "Spanish clique" within Real Madrid. They seemed easy to get along with and praised Wang Feng, which relieved him. He felt that at least they wouldn't oppose him at the club. Once he gained a foothold, he was confident he could influence the dressing room dynamics, regardless of the "Spanish clique" or the "South American clique," as results and statistics were what mattered in the club.
Seeing Wang Feng chatting amiably with Spanish stars, Dongfang Zhuo felt envious. Could he become such a player one day?
On the other hand, Iniesta, Puyol, and others looked at Wang Feng with fear. Having suffered at the hands of the Chinese superstar recently, they were eager for revenge.
"Andres, the game is up to you. The Chinese team where Wang Feng plays is relatively weak. This is your best chance to overcome your shadow!" Puyol said solemnly.
Since missing a penalty for Barcelona resulting in the team losing the Champions League, Iniesta had been feeling guilty. He even dared not take penalties anymore and needed to regain his confidence, or Wang Feng would remain a shadow over his career.
With the referee's whistle, the match began officially. Spain dominated the game, and Chinese goalkeeper Li Leilei became the busiest player on the field.
Just 2 minutes into the game, Lopez broke through from the wing, and Raul's header was punched away by Li Leilei. Three minutes later, Reyes' low cross from the left was met by Joaquin's right-footed shot, hitting the crossbar from 18 meters away.
During the subsequent period, Spain created numerous opportunities. Twenty minutes into the game, they had 7 shots, 5 of which were on target, but Li Leilei's outstanding performance and the woodwork prevented them from scoring.
However, China's luck ran out in the 27th minute when Joaquin's cross from the right found Reyes, who beat Sun Jihai and scored from 9 meters out.
In the 41st minute, Spain won a free-kick in the attacking half. Reyes' cross was headed in by Joaquin, who got away from Li Weifeng's tight marking.
0-2! China trailed by two goals!
At halftime, in the locker room, the Chinese players received even more unfavorable news: Shevchenko of Ukraine had exploded in the game against Tunisia, scoring a goal and assisting Voronin to give their team a 2-0 lead.
If the current scoreline continued until the end of the match, China would be eliminated due to the inferior goal difference!
Everyone's expression was extremely serious. Spain's strength was too strong! Even facing a substitute lineup, China couldn't mount a normal attack. Wang Feng was no exception. He had several counterattacks in the first half but failed to penetrate the defense. The gap between him and his teammates was too significant to form effective cooperation.
Wang Feng gritted his teeth. He was unwilling to accept failure like this. But what should he do? Just then, he thought of Dongfang Zhuo, who had shown great effort in running during the first half.
So he went to sit next to the young player and asked, "Do you still have the strength to run?" Dongfang Zhuo, who was also frustrated, replied firmly, "Of course, I can run for another 45 minutes straight!"
"That's good. When we win the ball in the backfield later, charge forward. Don't worry about anything else and try not to get entangled with Spanish defenders."
Dongfang Zhuo was a little puzzled. Even if he charged forward, it wouldn't be useful without the ball coming to him. However, he nodded. At this moment, he could only trust Wang Feng!
As the second half began, Spain gradually slowed down their offensive momentum. After all, this match was just icing on the cake for them, and they didn't want to slaughter their opponents by a large margin.
China still had to defend in their own half entirely. In the 49th minute, Iniesta attacked with the ball on the wing, and Wang Feng stood in his way. The Spaniard looked at the determined Chinese superstar in front of him and couldn't help but shiver. His dribbling movements also became somewhat deformed.
Wang Feng seized the opportunity to press forward. With just a light poke, he took the ball away from Iniesta. Albelda immediately moved forward to intercept. Wang Feng then passed it to Shao Jia, who immediately returned it to him as he accelerated.
A give-and-go! After getting rid of Albelda, Wang Feng swiftly passed Lopez and continued towards the frontcourt.
Remembering Wang Feng's instructions, Dongfang Zhuo, upon seeing Wang Feng steal the ball from Iniesta, began to run forward. His speed was not very fast, so Juanito, who was following him, caught up.
Seeing Wang Feng bypass Lopez and steadily advance under the marking of Marchena and Juanito, getting close to the penalty area, it was within the effective range of the Chinese superstar.
So Juanito didn't care about anything else. In his eyes, apart from Wang Feng, the other Chinese players were not worth worrying about. He immediately gave up marking Dongfang Zhuo and closed in on Wang Feng, blocking his last threat opportunity.
Just when everyone thought China's attack would once again be in vain, Wang Feng passed the ball! He seized the last gap before the encirclement closed in and passed it to the running Dongfang Zhuo.
At this moment, there was no one within three meters of Dongfang Zhuo inside the penalty area! No offside! Goalkeeper Canizares rushed out, and Juanito, who had run halfway, hurriedly returned.
"Shoot!" Wang Feng's shout came, and Dongfang Zhuo, somewhat nervous, adjusted and shot, but it hit the goalkeeper and was successfully collected by him.
"Ah..." Sighs came from the stands. This was China's first shot of the entire game, and it was the most threatening attack. However, it ended in such a disappointing way.
The Spanish players, especially Salgado, breathed a sigh of relief. He felt that his idea was not wrong. As long as he kept an eye on Wang Feng, the other Chinese players couldn't score.
Dongfang Zhuo, who missed a great opportunity, knelt down in frustration. What's wrong with me? If this were in the second division, this shot would have definitely gone in. Am I really not good enough? Can't I shine on a bigger stage?
Wang Feng walked to him and patted his shoulder, "Don't be so discouraged. You did well. I see the hope of turning defeat into victory, right at your feet!"
Dongfang Zhuo looked up at Wang Feng with puzzled eyes, but he didn't explain further. He just told Dongfang Zhuo to keep it up and charge forward whenever China won the ball back.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢