Chapter 485: Stalemate
After a brief conflict, the game resumed and the situation became deadlocked again. The Chinese team did have the ability to break through the Argentine defense, but due to the opponent's fierce attack, they could only defend their penalty area and hold on tenaciously.
After surviving the first thirty minutes, the situation finally began to turn. Argentina's attacking momentum decreased sharply, allowing the Chinese team to open up their formation slightly. After all, they were the ones trailing and needed to seek counterattack opportunities.
In the 32nd minute, Shao Jia intercepted the ball in midfield and quickly passed it to Wang Feng nearby. Wang Feng turned and shook off Mascherano, intending to advance to the frontcourt. However, Heinze came from the side and tackled the Chinese superstar, prompting the referee to blow his whistle.
Wang Feng shook his head slightly in frustration, and Heinze walked over and extended his hand. "I couldn't catch up with you. This is the most effective way of defense, isn't it?" Wang Feng grabbed his hand and got up. "That's not necessarily true!"
The Chinese team won a free kick near the midfield. After discussing among themselves, they decided to directly loft the ball into the penalty area. Li Weifeng, Sun Ji Hai, and Wang Feng all went into the penalty area to compete for the header.
Zheng Zhi delivered the ball to the front post. The Argentine defense in the penalty area was tight, but the Chinese superstar deliberately moved backward to attract defenders and create chaos. Li Weifeng seized the opportunity to win the first header.
In the chaos, Feng Xiaoting made a "screen and roll" move with Wang Feng. He blocked the Argentine defender, while the Chinese superstar quickly moved to snatch the ball and headed for the goal.
"Wang Feng's header!! Oh, the ball is just slightly off and flies out of the bottom line."
"The Chinese team has completed their first threatening attack of the match. It shows that they still have some ideas. Free kicks can be a weapon for our offense!"
Both sides continued to attack and defend for the rest of the time, but the score remained unchanged until the 43rd minute. After Argentina's attack was thwarted, Feng Xiaoting quickly lifted the ball to Wang Feng outside the penalty area.
The Chinese superstar controlled the ball with his chest and turned sideways, creating space. Despite being tightly marked by Di María and Rodríguez, he managed to use his heel to flick the ball and turn around before the ball hit the ground completely.
Immediately, Wang Feng dribbled the ball towards the frontcourt. Di María tried to stop him but failed. After reaching the frontcourt, Wang Feng quickly passed to the overlapping Hao Jun Zhe on the wing.
Hao Jun Zhe ran all the way to the near the goal line. Under the pressure from Otamendi, he managed to cross the ball, but it was not a perfect delivery, falling short of the intended target.
However, at this moment, the Chinese superstar had already charged into the box. The Argentine goalkeeper Romero and defenders Burdisso and Demichelis were all there, trying to disrupt him.
Wang Feng glanced at the situation and made a decision in an instant. He pushed against Demichelis, and with a left-footed push, he didn't shoot but instead added more power to the ball to send it towards the back post, where almost no one was defending!
A red figure dashed out and shot with his leg raised, and the ball unquestionably found the net!
"The ball is in! The ball is in! The Chinese team scored! In the 43rd minute, Dong Fangzhuo equalized for the Chinese team!"
"A brilliant fast counterattack pierced through the Argentine defense, planned and assisted by Wang Feng. His positioning and movement were textbook-perfect and worthy of study by all domestic players!"
"Let's take another look. After a quick turnover in the backcourt, the Chinese team quickly found Wang Feng. This is a very clear tactical plan, and initiating a counterattack by him achieves the highest efficiency."
"With a chest control, Wang Feng created space despite being tightly marked by two defenders. He successfully turned and started the attack, passing the ball to the winger Hao Jun Zhe, while he himself charged into the penalty area."
"Hao Jun Zhe's cross was not of high quality and was off target, but Wang Feng accurately judged and won the first ball, managing to deliver the ball from the crowd, like a magician on the field!"
"Dong Fangzhuo rushed in from the back post. He only needed a gentle push to send the ball into the huge net. However, we shouldn't underestimate the technical difficulty of this shot. Players often struggle to control their power and shoot high during high-speed advances, but obviously, Dong Fangzhuo doesn't have this problem, after all, he is a regular player for Bayern Munich!"
"Both teams are back on the same starting line again. The impact of Argentina's handball goal should have worn off a bit. The Chinese team should seize the momentum and break the Pampas Eagles like they did with England!"
However, Argentina was not the Three Lions that could be easily overcome. They had strong beliefs and their own aces! Just when countless domestic fans were still immersed in joy, the commentator was passionate, and the players on the field were still rejoicing, the Pampas Eagles raised their arms again.
After the kickoff, they immediately launched an attack. Messi dribbled the ball forward while shaking off two defenders, then cut to the left side. Di María was speeding up on the left, Tévez was waiting for a chance to sprint behind, and Higuaín was also joining from the right.
The Argentine stars seemed to have eyes behind their heads. Without hesitation, Messi hooked the ball with his right foot to the right, and it landed right in front of Higuaín. This choice caught the Chinese defense off guard, and Higuaín quickly ran out to receive the ball and entered the penalty area one-on-one.
Goalkeeper Qiu Sheng Jiong had no choice but to come out, but as he dived to the ground, Higuaín used the tip of his foot to chip the ball over him, and the ball dropped into the goal.
"Oh no! Higuaín has given Argentina the lead again, less than a minute after the Chinese team equalized!"
"There's really nothing we can do about this. Our players were still excited from scoring, and they suddenly accelerated. Especially Messi's penetrating pass this time was really amazing."
"Let's take another look at the whole process of conceding the goal. Messi first broke through with his individual skill. You can clearly see that he was cutting inside from the right, at which point both Di María on the left and Tévez in the middle had space, and even his own long shot was threatening."
"So naturally, our defensive players focused on these two. Sun Ji Hai and Zhao Xu Ri both moved towards Di María."
"But Messi deliberately didn't pass to the empty space. Instead, he hooked the ball to the front, anticipating the overall situation on the field while breaking through, knowing where all the players were standing and where to pass to catch the Chinese team off guard."
"Yes, the coordination between Higuaín and Messi is also very close. He immediately reacted and sprinted into the penalty area for a one-on-one opportunity. He scored a hat-trick in the group stage, with Messi assisting."
"Although it's unfortunate to fall behind again, the Chinese team doesn't need to panic. It has been proven that our offense can threaten Argentina and score goals. There's still a chance in the second half!"
There were five minutes of injury time in the first half, but neither team created any good chances. Soon, the referee blew the halftime whistle, and the score stood at 1-2, with the Chinese team trailing by one goal.
Back in the dressing room, the mood among the Chinese team players was still good. Although they were behind, they had shown their strength. Coach Ali Han once again emphasized defense and counterattacks.
"They will definitely launch another wave of attacks at the beginning of the second half. Hold on during this period and don't concede. We need to play more patiently."
"Don't commit too many players to counterattacks, make sure the defensive line stays in position. Argentina is slightly better in terms of fitness, so we can't let speed overwhelm us."
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