Chapter 414: The decisive battle is imminent
When the Chinese Olympic team reached the final and met the Argentine team led by Messi, all the media outlets in the world provided detailed coverage.
Originally, the Olympics were not considered a mainstream football event, and in the past, they would not have caused much of a stir. Most fans only paid attention to club summer transfers and warm-up matches.
But as the world's number one player, Wang Feng naturally attracted attention wherever he went. Moreover, the fact that the Chinese team could reach the final, eliminating Italy and Nigeria one after another, made this underdog miracle impossible to ignore.
Of course, the most eye-catching aspect was the showdown between Wang Feng and Messi. At the club level, the Chinese superstar currently outshone Messi, but it remained to be seen if Messi could turn the tables at the national team level.
Apart from a few extreme "Wang fans," such as Marca, which believed that Wang Feng had never lost a final and therefore would definitely continue the miracle and win the final medal, most media outlets did not favor the Chinese team.
The Italian newspaper Milan Sports Daily bluntly stated that although Gao Lin and Chen Tao had performed impressively in this Olympics, they still couldn't compare to Riquelme and Aguero. With Dong Fangzhuo's injury status unclear, there was no one in the Chinese team who could assist Wang Feng.
Not to mention the defensive end, where the Argentine team boasted rising stars while the Chinese team had only a few relatively well-known players, with the rest still struggling in the domestic league.
"Being able to lead the team to the final already demonstrates Wang's ability. Argentina is highly likely to win the upcoming match, but Wang will definitely give them a hard time," wrote Germany's Kicker.
The publication detailed China's football development history in recent years, emphasizing that until Wang Feng emerged, their results had been very poor. They had made no impact in the Asian Cup, only reached the World Cup finals in 2002, where they were eliminated without scoring a goal or earning a point. They had only one Olympic experience, in the 1998 Seoul Olympics, where they also failed to score a goal, only managing to draw with Tunisia and earn a single point.
At that time, the Chinese team could only be considered a second-rate or even third-rate Asian team. It was only when Wang Feng joined that everything changed completely. They won the Asian Cup, reached the World Cup semi-finals, and now made it to the Olympic final.
Such earth-shaking changes were brought about by the Chinese superstar. "At the national team level, Wang Feng's tactical achievements have already surpassed Maradona and Pelé. After all, Argentina and Brazil are both traditional football powers."
"What he lacks is only the World Cup, and if he can really achieve this goal, he will be the only god in the football world, without any dispute."
The final match was scheduled to take place at the National Stadium, the "Bird's Nest," a venue built for the Olympics that could accommodate 91,000 people. However, this was still far from enough, as it was estimated that on the day of the match, there would be over five hundred thousand people wanting to attend the event, and this number was still rising.
To ensure safety, all security forces in the city were mobilized, even drawing personnel from across the country. Moreover, such a large crowd absolutely could not be too concentrated, so the Olympic Committee decided to divide the capital into tens of thousands of areas, with giant screens set up in each area, limiting the number of attendees.
Other provinces and cities also followed suit, setting up screens in open squares to allow fans to watch the game in a safe environment.
Security, medical care, and construction were all carried out nervously. With four days left until the match, everyone could only work overtime, but they felt extremely satisfied. Having the opportunity to work hard these few days was truly worthwhile!
When the Olympic team returned to the capital, they were shocked by the scene. Looking out from the bus, they saw fans with happy smiles everywhere and construction scenes.
"This is so exaggerated," Yuan Weiwei couldn't help but exclaim, "Everyone's expectations are all placed on us. I'm so nervous!"
"What's there to be nervous about? If the sky falls, tall people will hold it up," Dong Fangzhuo comforted. His eyes were full of fighting spirit and eagerness. Just now, the head coach told him that he would start in the final. This moment had been awaited for too long!
Wang Feng stood up from his seat and showed a confident smile to all his teammates: "Everyone, the final is nothing special. Think about our achievements so far. Belgium, Italy, and Nigeria have all fallen before us, haven't they?"
"As long as we put in 100% effort as before, defend well in every attack, leave the rest to me and Dong Fangzhuo. We will lead everyone to victory!"
Dong Fangzhuo also stood up and said, "Yes, don't be intimidated by Argentina's reputation. They are just a group of young boys, and we still have the captain to rely on!"
Looking at these two stars who dominated the European football scene, the fearful and uneasy mentality of the young teammates gradually calmed down, and a desire for victory emerged in their minds.
To minimize external interference and pressure, the coaching staff decided to conduct closed-door training and refused all media visits and interviews before the match.
On August 22nd, the third-place match, Brazil defeated Nigeria 1-0 with Ronaldinho's goal, winning the bronze medal in men's football at this Olympics. Ronaldinho's trip was finally not in vain.
"The bronze medal looks pretty good," he called Messi to encourage him, "but it's still not as dazzling as the gold medal. Leo, although Wang Feng has the home advantage, the overall strength of the team is much weaker than Argentina's."
"Since you were able to eliminate Brazil and reach the final, continue to defeat China and win the final championship. Take it as the peak of your career, and then gradually defeat Wang Feng in all aspects!"
Messi nodded, "We will work as hard as you guys do, and bring glory back to South America!"
Wang Feng also received encouragement from many European friends, including Makelele, Ribery, and others, as well as teammates from the Galacticos like Raul and Guti.
Real Madrid began training and playing warm-up matches in mid-July. Except for the Chinese superstar, all other main players had returned, and on the 18th, they played their first match of the new season, the first leg of the European Super Cup against Valencia.
Playing away from home, the Galacticos showed tenacious spirit after conceding a goal, with goals from Raul and the newly joined Van der Vaart, securing a 2-1 comeback victory.
"Good luck in the Olympics! We're waiting for you to come back and lift the first trophy of the new season for Real Madrid!" Raul sent a text message to Wang Feng.
Before the final, Wang Feng called his family in Madrid. Lu Yao had already entered a private hospital and was waiting to give birth. Her condition was normal, but she still felt regretful that she couldn't watch the game live.
"Fortunately, you didn't come back. Now the scene is so crowded that it's impossible for you to watch the game here," Wang Feng comforted her. Lu Yao still yearned, saying, "I really want to see such a grand occasion. It's probably the grandest event in the country in recent years."
"Both I and the child will cheer for you. Go and win the final crown, Brother Feng, we believe in you!"
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