Chapter 478: Fearless
The Chinese team advances as the group winner! This is another Asian team to advance after South Korea in this World Cup, and it's also the first time in Asian history that a team from the continent has topped the group in a World Cup hosted outside of Asia.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) specially congratulated this achievement, stating that under the leadership and inspiration of the world-class superstar Wang Feng, Asian football is entering a period of vigorous development.
However, for domestic fans, there is a mixture of joy and worry because China's next opponent is England, while Germany will face the United States.
England's football reputation is renowned worldwide. According to the latest FIFA national rankings, they are ranked 8th. Moreover, England has emerged from the shadow of missing the Euro 2008. Under Capello's leadership, they have entered a new era.
In the World Cup qualifiers, the Three Lions won all 8 of their first-round matches and secured their place in the final round two rounds early, including two 4-1 and 5-1 away wins against their old rival Croatia.
Manchester United striker Rooney leads the attack, with a gathering of midfield stars like Gerrard and Lampard, who are pillars of their clubs. The defense also boasts enviable combinations, with Terry, Ferdinand, and Ashley Cole all world-class stars.
"It's really difficult to get past England!" commented one domestic netizen. "In the last World Cup, we had relatively good luck, facing only Switzerland in the Round of 16. But now, not only do we have to face the Three Lions head-on, but even if we successfully advance, we'll likely have to encounter Argentina. It's simply a devilish schedule."
Someone consoled, "In the Round of 16 of the World Cup, we can't rely on luck anymore. If we want to go further, we have to fight regardless of who the opponent is. Showing fear against tough opponents will only result in morale loss."
The Chinese team, from the coach to the players, also thinks the same. They held a brief mobilization meeting after the group stage, with Ar?kan saying, "Everyone, we topped Germany to advance. England couldn't even beat the United States. This clearly indicates many things."
"Sometimes, it's not just about the strength and reputation on paper, but more importantly, it's about performance on the field."
Wang Feng also stepped forward to inspire everyone: "Yes, the past three matches have proven that we have the ability to compete with the world's top teams. So everyone can hold their heads high and aim for the highest honor. We don't need to fear any opponent!"
For a moment, the players' spirits soared, all expressing their determination to go head-to-head with England!
In the final round of Group E, Japan defeated Denmark 3-1. Honda Keisuke and Endo Yasuhito broke through the Nordic powerhouse's defense with free kicks. Denmark goalkeeper Sorensen performed poorly, receiving a poor rating of only 3 points after the match.
Denmark's head coach Olsen expressed his dissatisfaction, stating that they had absolute dominance in both possession and attacking statistics, attributing their loss solely to bad luck.
Japan's head coach Okada Takeshi, on the other hand, stated that victory is the ultimate goal. He praised the players' performance on the field, considering the scoreline as the best reward for their efforts.
"Our goal in this World Cup is the quarter-finals. If China and South Korea can do it, Japan can definitely do it too!"
In another group match, the Netherlands defeated Cameroon 2-1. Robben, who missed the entire season due to injury, can finally return to the field. He came on as a substitute in the 70th minute and scored the winning goal for the team.
Wang Feng is also pleased because this means he can return to the starting lineup for Real Madrid in the new season.
Cameroon's legendary striker Eto'o scored the team's only goal, but ultimately couldn't save them. He left the field with tears of regret after the match.
The final standings of Group E are:
Netherlands first, with 3 matches played, 3 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses, 9 points, 5 goals scored, 1 goal conceded, goal difference 4.
Japan second, with 3 matches played, 2 wins, 0 draws, 1 loss, 6 points, 4 goals scored, 2 goals conceded, goal difference 2.
Denmark third, with 3 matches played, 1 win, 0 draws, 2 losses, 3 points, 3 goals scored, 6 goals conceded, goal difference -3.
Cameroon fourth, with 3 matches played, 0 wins, 0 draws, 3 losses, 0 points, 2 goals scored, 5 goals conceded, goal difference -3.
The Netherlands and Japan advance to the Round of 16, while Cameroon becomes the first team with 0 points in this World Cup. However, historically, they are not weak. In 1990, they reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup, but unfortunately, their performance in this tournament was too poor.
In the final round of Group F, Paraguay drew 0-0 with Australia, while Slovakia defeated Italy 3-2. The Blue Team finished bottom of the group and was eliminated, marking another shocking news in the world of football after France's elimination.
Coach Lippi's constant changes in tactics failed three times, personally contributing to the disaster of the Blue Team, reflecting the gradual decline of Italian football talent.
In the first round, they adopted a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Marchisio pushed to the advanced midfield position after Totti's retirement. However, his characteristics were too mediocre, lacking the talent to organize attacks, which led to stagnation in the team's attacking play.
In addition, Gilardino was deployed as a center forward, while the 1.90-meter tall Aquilani acted as a winger. Neither of them was comfortable in their positions, naturally unable to fully demonstrate their strengths.
In the second round, the Italian coach adjusted the formation to a 4-4-2, but still failed to bring victory to the team, mainly because there was no chemistry between the wings and the midfield.
Lippi relied on Montolivo but did not give him enough space and status. He lacked possession time, leading to a vacuum in the midfield and being vigorously targeted by the Australians.
In the final do-or-die match, the "Silver Fox" changed to a 4-3-3 formation, but Italy no longer had orthodox wingers. Although Di Natale often ran to the sidelines to seek opportunities, his crosses were disastrous, more suitable for a shadow striker role.
Of course, they were not without a way out. Quagliarella, who came on as a substitute, played an important role on the wing. His crosses were equally poor, but he had a superb skill of cutting inside and shooting from distance, scoring twice against Slovakia. Unfortunately, he was given too little time.
The final standings of Group F are:
Paraguay first, with 3 matches played, 1 win, 2 draws, 0 losses, 5 points, 3 goals scored, 1 goal conceded, goal difference 2.
Slovakia second, with 3 matches played, 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss, 4 points, 4 goals scored, 5 goals conceded, goal difference -1.
Australia third, with 3 matches played, 0 wins, 3 draws, 0 losses, 3 points, 2 goals scored, 2 goals conceded, goal difference 0.
Italy fourth, with 3 matches played, 0 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss, 2 points, 4 goals scored, 5 goals conceded, goal difference -1.
In the final round of Group G, North Korea was defeated 0-3 by Ivory Coast with no fighting spirit, while Brazil drew 0-0 with Portugal. The final standings are:
Brazil first, with 3 matches played, 2 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses, 7 points, 5 goals scored, 2 goals conceded, goal difference 3.
Portugal second, with 3 matches played, 1 win, 2 draws, 0 losses, 5 points, 7 goals scored, 0 goals conceded, goal difference 7.
Ivory Coast third, with 3 matches played, 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss, 4 points, 4 goals scored, 3 goals conceded, goal difference 1.
North Korea fourth, with 3 matches played, 0 wins, 0 draws, 3 losses, 0 points, 1 goal scored, 12 goals conceded, goal difference -11.
In the final round of Group H, Chile was defeated 1-2 by Spain, while Switzerland drew 0-0 with Honduras. The final standings are:
Spain first, with 3 matches played, 2 wins, 0 draws, 1 loss, 6 points, 4 goals scored, 2 goals conceded, goal difference 2.
Chile second, with 3 matches played, 2 wins, 0 draws, 1 loss, 6 points, 3 goals scored, 2 goals conceded, goal difference 1.
Switzerland third, with 3 matches played, 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss, 4 points, 1 goal scored, 1 goal conceded, goal difference 0.
Honduras fourth, with 3 matches played, 0 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses, 1 point, 0 goals scored, 3 goals conceded, goal difference -3.
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