Chapter 290: The future can be expected
After scoring, Wang Feng's wound ruptured again, but he didn't care and celebrated wildly, with the camera flashes flickering non-stop on the sidelines. This iron-blooded scene became a classic moment in World Cup history.
In the final moments of the game, Italy did not give up struggling but still couldn't rewrite the score until the final whistle.
China advanced to the quarter-finals of the World Cup!
This result surprised everyone, including senior domestic fans and professional commentators, who never thought China could defeat Italy.
Looking back at the previous matches, China faced Tunisia, Ukraine, and Switzerland, none of which are traditional world powerhouses, so everyone thought they could give it a try. But Italy was different; they were one of the favorites to win the championship!
Although some players were affected by the chaotic situation in Serie A, their absolute strength still far exceeded that of China, except for Wang Feng.
Many people believe that Wang Feng's outbreak was the decisive factor in China's victory. Since Oleg Salenko represented Russia to score five goals in 1994, no player has scored three goals or more in a World Cup match, especially in the knockout stage.
But Wang Feng did it. His four goals completely crushed the Blue Legion. The Italian newspaper "Milan Sports Daily" believed this was "Wang Feng's revenge," stating, "Serie A despicably deprived him of his league championship, so this superstar sniped Italy on the highest football stage, announcing his resentment to the world."
"Rome Sports Daily" wrote that "Italy's first person buried the last glory of Italian football with his own hands!"
"Are Moggi and others who are being prosecuted feeling regret now? Italian football no longer lives up to its past glory, and Wang Feng defeating Italy will be the last straw that broke the camel's back!"
An Asian team enters the World Cup semi-finals for the second time! Unlike the embarrassment and controversy of South Korea four years ago, this time the Chinese team defeated their opponents in a dignified manner.
Therefore, whether it is the AFC or FIFA, they all praised the Chinese team, praising Wang Feng. His reputation is approaching that of football kings Pele and Maradona, as well as football emperor Beckenbauer, becoming the recognized number one in today's world football.
Some even raised the idea of "going all the way black." After all, Greece staged such a magical performance in the European Championship two years ago, but the scale of the World Cup is not comparable to that of the European Championship, and the Chinese team is far from as strong as Greece.
On July 5th, at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, the Chinese team welcomed the host team Germany in the World Cup semi-finals.
Wang Feng's head injury was treated with simple sutures, but it was still very serious. Even with special physique, it would take some time to fully heal.
This time the Chinese team failed to create another miracle. The host team was impeccable in both strength and mentality. Schweinsteiger opened the scoring in the 11th minute.
Klose soon helped Germany widen the lead. However, in the 33rd minute, Wang Feng received the ball from the back and rushed to the edge of the penalty area, dodging Schneider before taking a long shot.
The ball passed through the legs of Friedrich in the penalty area and bounced off the ground, making it difficult for goalkeeper Lehmann to save, 1-2! China pulled one back.
This was Wang Feng's 10th goal in this World Cup, surpassing legendary players like Ronaldo and Eusébio, and equaled Gerd Müller's single World Cup goal record. Ahead of him were only Kocsis with 11 goals and Fontaine with 13.
This goal reignited hope among domestic fans. However, Wang Feng collided with Ballack while contesting a header, reopening his wound, and had to go to the sidelines for treatment. During this opportunity, Podolski once again breached Li Leilei's goal.
At halftime, the Chinese team trailed by two goals. In the second half, in the 69th minute, Ballack scored again for Germany, sealing the victory.
1-4! China was defeated by the host team, stopping at the World Cup semi-finals, unable to progress further. Of course, their performance in this tournament was described as perfect, and no fans would blame them.
In the other semi-final, France narrowly defeated Portugal 1-0. They will compete with Germany for the title of the World Cup.
Four days later, the third-place match was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion. This was also the first encounter between Cristiano Ronaldo and Wang Feng. Neither side performed well. Wang Feng was affected by injury, while Ronaldo was too impatient, contributing several long shots.
Portugal's controversial quarter-final against England left Ronaldo widely criticized domestically. It was anticipated that his days at Manchester United would be difficult in the future, so he desperately tried to prove himself and seize the initiative. However, France did not give him the opportunity, and the match against China would be his last chance.
The more impatient, the worse. Ronaldo's sharp breakthroughs and excellent finishing abilities seemed to be sealed, while other Portuguese players performed remarkably well.
Veteran Figo scored first, followed by Pauleta expanding the lead. In the second half, Maniche once again changed the scoreline with a long shot. When Wang Feng couldn't actively participate in both attack and defense, China completely lost its competitiveness.
However, in the 71st minute, Wang Feng dribbled past Cavallaro on the wing and cut inside, attracting defensive attention before delivering a triangular pass. Dong Fangzhuo confidently shot past Ricardo, breaching Portugal's goal.
This was his third goal of the current World Cup! On the top scorers' list, Wang Feng ranked first with 10 goals, followed by German striker Klose with 5 goals. Dong Fangzhuo was tied with Ronaldo and eight other famous players for third place with 3 goals!
Four minutes later, Wang Feng was substituted, as his head wound had not fully healed yet. This also meant that China gave up the fight for third place.
When Wang Feng was substituted, all the domestic fans at the venue stood up and gave him warm applause, and many European fans also spontaneously stood up to applaud.
1-3, China lost the game, eventually finishing fourth in the world.
Domestic official media, newspapers, portals, and forums immediately released this news. Everyone is still discussing the miraculous performance of the Chinese team in this World Cup.
Wang Feng proved with practical actions that his ability is not limited to the club. Even on the highest stage of world football, he is still the most dazzling gem.
In addition, young players like Dong Fangzhuo, Chen Tao, and Zheng Zhi in the backline also performed admirably. Many people have begun to look forward to the Olympics at their doorstep in two years and the World Cup in four years. When this group of people grows up, they will achieve astonishing results.
On July 10th, the World Cup final was held at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. After 120 minutes of fierce battle between France and Germany, neither team managed to score. In the penalty shootout, relying on goalkeeper Barthez's outstanding performance, France finally defeated the hosts 6-4 to win the championship.
Zidane's biggest wish before retiring was to lift the World Cup again. Now that the dream has come true, he couldn't help but shed tears of joy. Wang Feng, on the sidelines, looked at all this with envy. They were only two steps away from success!
This content is taken from freewebnove(l).com