Chapter 358: Reach the top of Asia again!
"After Wang Feng's decisive goal against Iraq, the Chinese team launches another assault on the Asian championship!" After the semi-finals, the media extensively covered this exciting match, "Everyone felt the tenacity and resilience of Iraq, even Karal, not hesitating to attack himself, they indeed brought considerable pressure to the Chinese team."
"But we have Wang Feng! Thanks to countless experiences in big games, he appears exceptionally calm, reassuring teammates, organizing attacks, and coordinating defense. The Chinese superstar seems like a steadfast needle in the sea, stabilizing the situation. He is the team's spiritual pillar!"
"With him around, who can stop the Chinese team from defending the Asian Cup?"
Xinhua News Agency wrote, "Wang Feng is a leader in the football field who can fight tough battles!" The article pointed out that while China's overall technical ability surpasses Iraq's, they still lack a bit of toughness. It's inevitable to feel timid when facing opponents who go all out.
But Wang Feng is different. Whether it's the Milan Derby, El Clásico, or the Champions League final, he plays a crucial role, exhibiting a calm demeanor that remains unchanged even in the face of adversity.
"Iraq is indeed full of fighting spirit, but Wang Feng's desire to win is no less than theirs, even stronger! All Chinese players should learn from this strong will to win."
In the other semi-final, after a 120-minute battle, Saudi Arabia defeated Japan 3-2 to advance to the final. In the final moments of the game, Saudi forward Malek also scored a decisive goal.
Therefore, the Asian Cup final matchup is between China and Saudi Arabia. Although they are also a powerhouse in West Asia, they have faced each other many times in previous Asian Cups and 2006 World Cup qualifiers, with China remaining undefeated.
Therefore, everyone believes they will be the favorites to win the championship. Wang Feng's form is as excellent as ever, coupled with the growth of his teammates; they can't perform worse than before.
On July 28th, at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Indonesia, the match for third place in the Asian Cup began. Japan's overall strength is stronger than Iraq's, but after 120 minutes of battle, they still couldn't break through the gates of the dark horse of this tournament.
Iraq constantly obstructed Japan's attacks with confrontation and fouls, resulting in one player being sent off with a red card and five others receiving yellow cards. The conflict on the field continued. Japan did not have an attacker like Wang Feng, so they were dragged into a penalty shootout.
In the end, with ten men, Iraq defeated Japan 6-5, securing third place in the Asian Cup!
On July 29th, at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, the Asian Cup final between China and Saudi Arabia officially kicked off.
After some initial probing, both sides began an intense offensive and defensive performance. China, fielding their strongest lineup, had a slight edge in strength, but Saudi players' strong physical attributes made them competitive.
In the 15th minute, Wang Feng dribbled the ball through the right flank, cut inside the defense, and entered the penalty area. He then crossed to Dong Fangzhuo at the far post, but his shot narrowly missed the goalpost, wasting a great opportunity.
Saudi Arabia also had an excellent opportunity in the 24th minute. Defender Aziz lofted the ball into the penalty area, and Malek, pushing aside Li Weifeng, headed the ball powerfully, but goalkeeper Li Leilei made a heroic save, deflecting the ball out of the baseline.
Until the end of the first half, the score remained tied. China had a possession rate of 53%, with 12 shots and 6 on target, while Saudi Arabia had a possession rate of 47%, with 9 shots and 3 on target.
"In the first half, China had a slight advantage, but unfortunately, they couldn't break the deadlock. Let's see how both sides perform in the second half."
"Oh, look at that attack! China started off aggressively, Shao Jiayi carried the ball into the frontcourt and passed it to the flank to Dong Fangzhuo. What will he do?"
After receiving the ball, Dong Fangzhuo glanced at the situation, and Wang Feng was nearby to provide support. After a brief eye contact between the two, they had a plan.
Dong Fangzhuo quickly passed the ball to Wang Feng and made a diagonal run. Hashawi, the Saudi defender marking him, followed closely, but Dong Fangzhuo's speed was clearly superior.
Wang Feng, at the moment the ball arrived, quickly used his heel to redirect it backward, sending it precisely onto Dong Fangzhuo's path. The timing was perfect, and the two met at the edge of the penalty area.
At this moment, Dong Fangzhuo had a moment of space as Hashawi failed to catch up. While another defender, Hariri, was guarding against Wang Feng, Dong Fangzhuo didn't hesitate and took a shot with his right foot.
The ball flew like a meteor across the sky, directly into the upper left corner of the goal. Saudi goalkeeper Moslem dove but couldn't reach the ball, regretting that his arm wasn't just a bit longer to block the shot.
"The ball's in! Dong Fangzhuo scored, he used a powerful and precise shot to break Saudi Arabia's defense! China leads 1-0!"
"Wang Feng and Dong Fangzhuo successfully connected once again. Wang Feng's backheel pass was thoughtful and skillful, not only evading the Saudi defenders but also finding Dong Fangzhuo's forward run accurately. It's amazing!"
"Dong Fangzhuo's final shot was exceptionally brilliant, seizing the fleeting opportunity and decisively taking the shot, delivering a shot of very high quality that the goalkeeper had no chance to save."
"Now the scales of victory are tilting towards the Chinese team. Come on, boys, keep it up!"
Trailing, Saudi Arabia increased their pressing intensity, but the Chinese team, having faced the iron-blooded Iraq, clearly wasn't afraid of this kind of confrontation. Both sides fiercely contested in midfield.
But until the last moments, the West Asian powerhouse failed to equalize the score. Their shooting accuracy also decreased as their impatient emotions rose, with even the last five shots missing the target completely, becoming mere attempts.
When the referee blew the final whistle, the Chinese fans in the stadium erupted into deafening cheers. China successfully defended the Asian Cup, once again reigning supreme in Asia!
The day after lifting the trophy, the Chinese team returned to the capital airport. The exit was already crowded with excited fans and media, all there to welcome the heroes.
When captain Li Weifeng appeared with the Asian Cup trophy, the scene became even more lively, and Wang Feng's presence pushed the atmosphere to its peak.
Everyone shouted the players' names, offering them flowers and applause. In terms of popularity, Wang Feng was undoubtedly the most popular player, followed by Dong Fangzhuo.
In this Asian Cup, Chinese young talents contributed 8 goals, securing the tournament's Golden Boot, while Wang Feng ranked second with 7 goals.
The AFC specially congratulated this outstanding player on their official website, hoping that he would follow Wang Feng's example and continue to excel, showcasing the brilliance of Asian players in Europe's top leagues.
Meanwhile, the media in countries like Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia lamented. Why does China already have a Wang Feng, and now they have Dong Fangzhuo? Do they want to leave other countries with no chance to play football?
In their view, even if Dong Fangzhuo couldn't become the world's number one star like Wang Feng, he definitely had the opportunity to reach the world-class level and outshine all other Asian players.
Perhaps the most helpless of all is Australia, which actively pushed to join the AFC. Originally, the World Cup qualifiers in Oceania were not favorable to them, so they wanted to dominate Asia. But in the blink of an eye, Asia has become hellishly difficult, too!
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