Chapter 476: Endgame
Draw and advance! With Wang Feng joining the national team, this seemingly cursed phrase is no longer a nightmare for Chinese fans. At most, they occasionally bring it up for a laugh.
The Chinese team faced Serbia in the final match of the group stage, with the game taking place in Nelspruit, 460 kilometers away from Rustenburg, so they had to travel by plane again.
Before that, in Group A, Uruguay narrowly defeated Mexico 1-0, while France lost 2-1 to the host nation South Africa, failing to win a single game and finishing last in the group.
This result caused a sensation in the international football community, and everyone couldn't help but ask, what happened to the defending champions?
Coach Domenech became the biggest culprit, unable to provide favorable tactical support or even manage the team well, leading to frequent internal conflicts.
After winning the World Cup in 2006, the French suffered a humiliating defeat in the 2008 European Championship, leading to many questioning the coach's ability. However, the French Football Association continued to support Domenech.
When the squad for the South Africa World Cup was finalized, it angered the fans even more. Veteran player Vieira was excluded from the squad, and the captain's armband was given to the younger Evra, indicating a lack of leadership when conflicts arise within the team.
With consecutive setbacks in matches, many players lost trust in the coach's lineup, with Anelka even openly criticizing Domenech, leading to his expulsion from the team.
At this point, Evra also caused trouble, not only conflicting with the fitness coach but also calling on teammates to boycott the team bus. This even alarmed the French president Sarkozy, who ordered an emergency meeting to resolve the issue, with legends like Zidane and Dugarry coming forward to mediate.
In the end, the French team still appeared at Free State Stadium, but with a completely changed lineup and morale in tatters, they ended their World Cup journey with a loss.
Ribery and Cisse should be among the hardest working players in the team, but they still couldn't turn the tide. Ribery, feeling disheartened, said to Wang Feng over the phone, "Boss, why do I always encounter such terrible things? Everything is a mess!"
"Things don't always go as planned," Wang Feng comforted, "But I don't think you're in a hopeless situation. Most of the key players, including you, are very young. It's just that the coach's incompetence has ruined the morale of the team."
"When someone with more prestige like Blanc takes over the team, things will definitely get better. You still have many opportunities to contribute." After chatting for a long time, Ribery's mood finally calmed down. He said, "Boss, it's up to you next. I believe you will shock the world!"
Group A final standings: Uruguay first, with 3 matches, 2 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses, 7 points, 4 goals scored, 0 goals conceded, and a goal difference of 4. Mexico second, with 3 matches, 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss, 4 points, 3 goals scored, 2 goals conceded, and a goal difference of 1. South Africa third, with 3 matches, 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss, 4 points, 3 goals scored, 5 goals conceded, and a goal difference of -2. France fourth, with 3 matches, 0 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses, 1 point, 1 goal scored, 4 goals conceded, and a goal difference of -3. Uruguay and Mexico advance, while South Africa unfortunately misses out due to inferior goal difference, becoming the first host nation in World Cup history to be eliminated in the group stage.
In Group B, the South Korean team drew 2-2 with Nigeria, with Park Chu-young and Lee Jung-soo helping the team equalize after being two goals down. Park Ji-sung, who orchestrated two attacks, was once again named the best player of the match.
Argentina defeated Greece 2-0, with Messi serving as captain for the first time. However, during the match, he felt very uncomfortable and was closely marked by the Greek defenders throughout the game.
Looking at the entire match, he created 5 shooting opportunities, hitting the target 3 times, and even hit the post once, showing a disappointing performance.
Group B final standings: Argentina first, with 3 matches, 3 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses, 9 points, 7 goals scored, 1 goal conceded, and a goal difference of 6. South Korea second, with 3 matches, 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss, 4 points, 5 goals scored, 6 goals conceded, and a goal difference of -1. Greece third, with 3 matches, 1 win, 0 draws, 2 losses, 3 points, 2 goals scored, 5 goals conceded, and a goal difference of -3. Nigeria fourth, with 3 matches, 0 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses, 1 point, 3 goals scored, 5 goals conceded, and a goal difference of -2. Argentina becomes the first team in this World Cup to win all three matches. They will face Mexico in the round of 16, while South Korea advances once again, facing Uruguay in the next round, compared to 2002, they are "cleaner" this time, and their next opponent will be Uruguay.
In Group C, England narrowly defeated Slovenia 1-0 in a do-or-die match, with Defoe becoming the hero who saved the team by scoring the golden goal, while the United States secured a 1-0 victory over Algeria.
Group C final standings: The United States first, with 3 matches, 1 win, 2 draws, 0 losses, 5 points, 4 goals scored, 3 goals conceded, and a goal difference of 1. England second, with 3 matches, 1 win, 2 draws, 0 losses, 5 points, 2 goals scored, 1 goal conceded, and a goal difference of 1. Slovenia third, with 3 matches, 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss, 4 points, 3 goals scored, 3 goals conceded, and a goal difference of 0. Algeria fourth, with 3 matches, 0 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses, 1 point, 0 goals scored, 2 goals conceded, and a goal difference of -2. England, despite finishing second due to fewer goals scored overall, surprised many fans. However, some old-timers were not surprised, believing that it was already good enough for the Three Lions to advance.
In order to ensure fair play, the final round of matches in each group kicked off simultaneously. On the evening of June 23, at 8:30 p.m., South African referee Gomez blew the whistle for the match between China and Serbia.
Serbia, known as the "European Brazil," lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with goalkeeper Stojkovic, defenders Vidic, Lukovic, Ivanovic, and Kolarov, defensive midfielders Stankovic and Kuzmanovic, attacking midfielders Jovanovic, Ninkovic, and Kralj, and lone striker Jekic.
On the Chinese side, Li Weifeng was absent due to injury, and head coach Ar?kan made some adjustments to the starting lineup. The formation remained 4-4-2, with goalkeeper Qiu Shengjiong, defenders Sun Xiang, Zheng Zhi, Sun Jihai, and Wang Qiang, midfielders Zhao Xuri, Li Chunyu, Chen Tao, and Gao Lin, and forwards Dong Fangzhuo and Wang Feng.
The Dutchman sent an attacking midfielder with only one goal in mind: to win!
After the start of the match, both sides fought fiercely, with Chen Tao making a slanting pass into the penalty area in the 3rd minute, and Dong Fangzhuo's volley was caught by the Serbian goalkeeper.
Serbia responded in the 7th minute, with Stankovic breaking into the frontcourt and sending a direct cross into the penalty area from a forty-five-degree angle. Jekic outmuscled the defense to reach the ball, but unfortunately, his header missed the target, flying over the crossbar.
"Serbian players are very robust, indeed. The striker Jekic stands at an impressive height of 2 meters 2, currently playing for Santander in La Liga."
"Yes, the Chinese team is still quite wary of teams with tall strikers who excel in aerial duels. No matter how you arrange or shrink your defense, if you put a tall and burly striker in the penalty area and let him head the ball, sooner or later, he'll break through your defense."
"Look, another cross from Serbia into the penalty area. What's happening there? A penalty! The referee points to the penalty spot!"
"South African referee Gomez has called a foul by the Chinese team in the penalty area. It was chaos just now. Let's take a look at the replay."
"Oh, Wang Qiang was pulling Jekic's shirt while competing for a header. He significantly reduced the opponent's height by a whole head and tried to jump with the help of his hands. The experienced Serbian striker fell to the ground."
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢