Chapter 484: Conflict
On the evening of July 3rd at 10:00 PM local time, numerous domestic audiences had long been waiting anxiously in front of their televisions, eagerly anticipating the start of the World Cup quarter-final match between China and Argentina.
Gong Hong, a seasoned football fan, had a wife who wasn't interested in football. If the match was at night, it would be fine, but if it was during prime time, they would often argue over control of the television.
Just like tonight, it was Saturday evening, and it seemed there was an entertainment program that caught his wife's interest. So Gong Hong held onto the remote tightly while sneakily glancing at his wife, who was applying a face mask on the other end of the couch.
His wife couldn't help but chuckle at his protective stance and gave him a side-eye. "Look at you, being all defensive. Alright, I won't argue with you tonight."
Seeing that Gong Hong was still somewhat surprised, his wife continued, "I might not understand this sport, but I know what it means to support the home team. Tonight, it's our Chinese team, so of course, we should support them."
Just then, the voice of the commentator came from the television, "Tonight's match is being held at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa. It's still 4:00 PM local time, and we can see that the sun is shining brightly."
"Of course, the surface temperature won't be low either. According to the meteorological report, the afternoon's highest temperature can reach 32°C, which is a severe test for both sets of players."
"The camera pans to the stands, where we can see many Chinese fans organizing cheer squads to come to the venue to watch and support the team. Their enthusiasm is no less than that of foreign fans!"
"Alright, with the whistle of Belgian referee De Bleeckere, the game officially begins! In the first half, Argentina kicks off first. They are wearing blue and white striped jerseys, attacking from the left side of the screen to the right."
"China, on the other hand, is wearing red jerseys, attacking from the right side of the screen to the left."
"Argentina's starting lineup is very luxurious, with a 4-3-1-2 formation, with Romero as the goalkeeper."
"The four defenders are Otamendi, Burdisso, Demichelis, and Heinze; the three midfielders are Maxi Rodríguez, Mascherano, and Di María."
"Messi is playing as a shadow striker, with Higuaín and Tévez up front."
"It's worth mentioning that many young players in Argentina's lineup clashed with our national team at the Olympic Games two years ago, and I'm sure everyone still has a vivid impression of that."
"At that time, we defeated them and won the gold medal in the end. I hope this match will also have a good result."
"It was rumored before the match that Romero and Heinze might be suspended due to a post-match altercation with Mexico, but FIFA did not impose additional penalties on them, which is not good news for the Chinese team."
"China's starting lineup still follows the 4-4-2 formation, with the goalkeeper..."
China and Argentina are the two teams with the most goals scored in this World Cup so far, with China scoring a total of 12 goals and Argentina 10.
At the beginning of the match, Argentina launched a fierce attack, almost pouring forward in droves, wanting to establish a lead as soon as possible. In the 3rd minute, Di María was warned by the referee for a tackle from behind on Zheng Zhi during a press in the opponent's half.
In the 10th minute, the most controversial moment of the entire match occurred. Mascherano made a wide transfer from the side, and Di María received the ball on the other side and immediately crossed into the penalty area.
Both Tévez and Li Weifeng were contesting for the header, and the Chinese defender, relying on his experience, blocked the favorable position. In desperation, the Argentine forward used his head to reach the ball while swinging his arm upward, causing the ball to bounce off his hand and into the goal.
Nearby defending players immediately raised their hands to signal a handball, but the referee still ruled the goal valid. At that moment, everyone crowded around him, including Wang Feng, who stepped forward to argue logically, but De Bleeckere remained steadfast in his judgment.
"From the slow-motion replay, this is a very obvious handball action, and the goal should not have been allowed!" Zhang Jun exclaimed indignantly.
"I don't know why, but Argentina seems to have been extremely lucky in this World Cup. In the last round of the knockout stage against Mexico, not only was an offside goal counted, but even a player altercation caught on camera did not result in suspension penalties."
"This kind of goal conceded is a huge blow to the players on the field. Mexico collapsed because of this, and I hope the Chinese team can face it more tenaciously. There's still a long time left, and we still have a chance!"
In fact, since the start of this World Cup, people have felt that FIFA seems to have some bias towards Argentina, especially their head coach, Maradona.
This former football legend has gone from being an outcast to FIFA's favorite, enjoying many privileges, such as not having to follow regulations during press conferences, with relevant officials turning a blind eye.
Maradona often jumps out of the coaching area to direct during every match, but the fourth official on the sidelines has always turned a blind eye.
Combined with the offside goal against Mexico and now the handball goal, it's hard not to think too much about it.
Wang Feng rested his hand on his knee, wearing a worried expression as he looked ahead. He had seen this scene many times before, especially when he was still playing for the Blue and Black Legion. He had to withstand referee pressure almost all year round.
So, the Chinese superstar could completely relax and perform, as long as he didn't dare to send him off, everything would be fine. But in such an important tournament, he was very worried that the players' mentality imbalance would cause some low-level mistakes.
Wang Feng certainly knew what was most uplifting at this moment, but Argentina was indeed playing very well, and until now, the Chinese team had not created many good opportunities.
So he kept shuttling around his teammates, comforting and encouraging them, "Just hold on a little longer, the opponent can't maintain high pressure forever, as long as they ease up, it's our chance!"
The game resumed, and the Chinese players were burning with fire in their hearts, and their movements became more aggressive in defense. In the 19th minute, Feng Xiaoting tackled Messi from the side.
Before the referee's whistle fell, nearby Argentine defender Rodríguez quickly stepped forward to demand an explanation. Both sides pushed and shoved, and other players from both teams also joined in, and a conflict was about to break out.
At this critical moment, Wang Feng squeezed in to separate the two teams and shouted in Spanish, "Gabriel, help me!" Heinze had partnered with Wang Feng at Real Madrid for several years, and he greatly admired the Chinese superstar. He didn't want to escalate the conflict, so he helped to calm down his own teammates.
Soon, both sides calmed down, and Feng Xiaoting and Rodríguez each received a yellow card. Wang Feng spoke solemnly, "Everyone, please believe me, we still have a chance! If we get into a conflict and get a red card now, then everything will be over!"
Li Weifeng's temper was usually fiery, but at this time, he stood up to support the Chinese superstar. "Yes, we must not let anger cloud our judgment. Stay calm and rational, just like in the previous few games, hold on firmly."
"The rest, let Wang Feng and Dong Fangzhuo handle it. They have never let us down, have they?" Everyone nodded in agreement, putting aside their discontent and turning it into determination, not to relax until the last moment!
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l