Chapter 416: Passive
"In the first half of the game, just seven minutes in, Wang Feng helped China break through the Argentine defense! This is our first offensive and first shot of the game."
"A powerful backheel, as seen in the slow-motion replay, the ball's speed was very fast, and goalkeeper Romero made no reaction until the ball hit the net, showing a surprised expression."
"It's fantastic! Wang Feng's performance in this game is on fire. When the team was struggling against Argentina's relentless attacks, the Chinese superstar stepped up to save the team."
"This attack originated from Wang Feng's defensive interception in our own penalty area, followed by Dong Fangzhuo's display of extreme speed and textbook ball control. When the Chinese superstar advanced into the opponent's penalty area, he used himself as a pivot to shift the ball extensively from left to right."
"It's evident that there was a flaw in the Argentine defense, as they paid more attention to Wang Feng and Dong Fangzhuo, neglecting to mark Chen Tao on the other side, allowing him to easily receive the ball, adjust, and cross."
"The final touch is crucial, and even when heavily marked, the Chinese superstar managed to create space with his strength, then executed a high-quality bicycle kick, completing the goal-scoring process."
"We can see Wang Feng's excitement after scoring. He rushed to the sideline and kissed the ring in his hand, showing affection to his wife in front of the television at home."
"Yes, many fans know that Wang Feng's wife is about to give birth, and this goal is undoubtedly a gift for both mother and child. Here, on behalf of all the fans nationwide, I wish his wife a safe delivery!"
Messi, tapping his own head, feels quite frustrated. It's too early in the game to concede a goal within ten minutes.
In any team, Wang Feng plays the most crucial role. Just like in the previous attack, from interception to counterattack, it was all orchestrated by the Chinese superstar.
Not to mention the looming threat of Dong Fangzhuo. The Argentineans also understand him. Starting from the French Ligue 2, he has grown rapidly through the Eredivisie and the Bundesliga, utilizing rich on-field experiences to improve swiftly.
"It's really tricky! Our strength is clearly superior to China's, but Wang Feng has become the biggest variable. However, he won't give up easily. He won't stop fighting until the last moment."
After the kickoff, Argentina launched a frantic onslaught, with all four top-class players in the midfield and forward positions joining the attack. The pressure on the Chinese defensive line intensified, making it difficult for them to even counterattack.
In the 11th minute, Di Maria dribbled to the edge of the penalty area, bypassed Feng Xiaoting, and then sent a lob pass to the near post. Higuain, who followed up, shot but hit the post and bounced out.
Four minutes later, Messi dribbled through the middle, evading two defenders, and then passed to Aguero on the right. Aguero took a direct powerful shot without stopping the ball, luckily, Tan Wangsong blocked it, and the ball rebounded out for a corner.
Five minutes later, Messi once again toyed with the Chinese defense in midfield. Hao Junzhe fouled him, and the referee showed him a yellow card, awarding Argentina a free-kick in the attacking half.
"How about it, shall I take this free kick or you?" Aguero helped Messi up and asked, "I'll take it. I've been practicing free kicks these days."
"To be honest, sometimes I feel my dribbling is a bit like Wang Feng's, but his success rate is much higher than mine, mainly because the defenders in front of him dare not foul him easily, otherwise, they'll face an unstoppable free kick."
"So I need to develop this skill too." Messi said with determination, as he stood at the penalty spot, imagining the feeling of practicing, the run-up, the shot!
"Oh, a fantastic direct free kick attempt! It was so close to equalizing the score, very dangerous!"
"Yes, from my angle, I thought it went in. Let's take a look at the slow-motion replay. This free kick was of very high quality, a typical curved shot."
"It's just that the angle wasn't controlled enough, the ball went past the wall and directly out of bounds, hitting the outside net of the goal, not hitting the frame of the goal."
"I didn't expect Messi to have such excellent free-kick skills. From now on, the Chinese team's defense in the backcourt might be a bit wary, defending against Argentine stars will be even more challenging."
The Pampas Eagles' continuous fierce attacks finally broke through the defense of their prey. In the 29th minute, Di Maria passed the ball to Messi in the frontcourt. He dribbled past three defenders and shot low into the far corner, 1-1! Argentina equalized!
"With just five minutes left until halftime, Iguain, Messi, and Aguero completed a brilliant penetration attack in the frontcourt. The Chinese defense showed a slight lapse in concentration, failing to compress the space to the utmost."
"Finally, Aguero launched the decisive blow, a chip shot into the far corner from the 8-meter position in front of the goal, 1-2! China suffered a cruel reversal."
The score remained unchanged at halftime. Despite taking an early lead, failing to hold onto it left the Olympic team players feeling somewhat disheartened. Once in the locker room, they all hung their heads in silence.
The gap in strength is still quite significant. Apart from the opening goal, Wang Feng and Dong Fangzhuo found it challenging to make an impact in the attack because China rarely managed to break out and was continuously defending.
Seeing everyone somewhat downcast, Wang Feng clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention. 'What's wrong, everyone? We're just behind by one goal, don't act like we've already lost.'
"I admit Argentina is indeed strong, but they are not unbeatable. Remember how we scored in the first half? We only need a short time to tear apart their defense."
"I have confidence. In the second half, we will definitely get another chance!" Hearing this, everyone looked up at Wang Feng, who remained confident. His confidence gradually infected his teammates, just as it does in the club and national team.
"I agree. In the second half, I will fully support you." Dong Fangzhuo was the first to speak out, followed by Li Weifeng, who said, "I believe in you. What we need to do next is defend, defend, and defend!"
Gao Lin, Chen Tao, Hao Junzhe, and others also responded. The Chinese team's locker room regained its fighting spirit, with even head coach Ying Tiesheng admitting that sometimes Wang Feng's words are more effective than his own.
The following events were much simpler. While everyone's confidence was reignited, Coach Ying Tiesheng explained the tactical strategy for the second half to each player in detail. The focus was still on defense, describing how to mark players and provide cover.
"Mark Messi tightly, don't be afraid to foul him. His free kicks from the frontcourt are definitely not as accurate as Wang Feng's!" The coach said decisively, recognizing that Messi is not as physically imposing as Wang Feng, making him vulnerable to challenges.
Wang Feng also offered his thoughts: 'Coach, I think we can take advantage of Argentina's psychological inertia caused by their current advantage and launch an aggressive attack at the beginning of the second half.'
"The success rate may not be high, but as long as Dong Fangzhuo and I charge forward together, it won't have much impact on the overall defensive line, and it's worth a try." Wang Feng explained. After consideration, the head coach agreed to his proposal and began urgently discussing the specific implementation plan.
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