Chapter 488: Lectra
The Chinese team defeated the powerful Argentina team, once again advancing to the World Cup semi-finals!
At this moment, countless domestic fans are chanting Wang Feng's name. Without him, we would either struggle in the qualifiers or, even if we make it to the main tournament, merely serve as cannon fodder.
Wang Feng is the god of Chinese football! His presence has changed everything. In the last World Cup, he scored 10 goals to help China reach the semi-finals, but ultimately, injuries and strong opponents led to disappointment.
Now, with 11 goals, he has brought the team back, and this time, both their physical condition and team spirit are even better. The goals that we used to dare not think about are now within reach!
"People often think football is a sport played by eleven individuals, but Wang Feng's role in the national team has surpassed himself. He is a flag bearer. As long as he is on the field running, all other players are filled with hope and contribute beyond their capabilities," said authoritative domestic media about the Chinese superstar.
"In fact, our opponent Argentina in this match is quite similar. They rely on the talented Messi as their flag bearer. He had the opportunity to equalize in the last moments, but unfortunately, missed the chance."
Next up for the Chinese team is Spain, a team consisting of a luxurious lineup from Real Madrid and Barcelona, ??also considered the team with the highest probability of winning the championship among the semi-finalists.
Two years ago, Spain convincingly won the European Championship. In the World Cup qualifiers this time, they won all ten matches, becoming the only team in the European qualifiers to maintain a perfect record.
The team is built around players like goalkeeper Casillas, midfielder Xavi, forward Villa, and maintains a strong defense similar to the European Championship lineup, with Barcelona's young star Pique gradually replacing Marchena in the starting lineup.
In midfield, Xavi and Iniesta still dominate, with Villarreal's main player Senna and Real Madrid's midfielder Alonso occupying key positions. Even Fabregas can only be a substitute, showing the team's strong personnel configuration.
The frontline is led by Valencia's striker Villa and Liverpool's forward Torres, with former Real Madrid captain Raul unfortunately not selected, becoming a spectator of the World Cup like Ronaldo.
Spain scored only 6 goals and conceded 2 in the first 5 World Cup matches, lacking dominant power, but inexplicably stable. Whether it was the round of 16 or quarter-finals, they won 1-0 against their opponents.
Fighting such opponents is actually much more difficult than England or Argentina, because they are always so elegant and calm, and you never know where their limit lies.
However, the Chinese team is not without its strengths. They have more experience in World Cup semi-final matches than Spain. Yes, you read that right. The once-renowned bullfighters made their first appearance in the World Cup semi-finals only this year.
In the distant 1950s, when the World Cup still had a round-robin points system, Spain finished fourth, their best result in history.
In 1986, 1994, and 2002, the bullfighters reached the quarter-finals three times, but were defeated with regret. In the past twenty years, they have always been kings of the qualifiers, never missing a World Cup, but never making it to the semi-finals.
On July 6, at 8:30 p.m. local time in South Africa, the World Cup semi-final between the Netherlands and Uruguay kicked off at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town.
So far, the Netherlands is the only team in this tournament with a perfect record, while Uruguay has remained undefeated with 5 wins and 2 draws. Both sides have performed exceptionally well, and the match was full of twists and turns.
The Dutch team took the lead with a goal from Van Bronckhorst's long shot from 30 meters in front of the goal. However, before the end of the first half, Uruguay equalized with a stunning long-range shot from Forlan from 25 meters.
Then the two sides gradually became deadlocked until the 70th minute when Robben assisted Sneijder to score a goal, with the two Real Madrid teammates performing perfectly for the national team.
However, this goal sparked much controversy. At the time, Sneijder took a shot at the edge of the penalty area, and the ball was deflected by a defender's leg, bouncing towards the center. Van Persie and the Uruguayan defender both went for it.
From the slow-motion replay, Van Persie was in an offside position, but he did not touch the ball, and the ball bounced into the goal on its own. The Uruguayan players believed that although Van Persie did not directly participate in the attack, he gained an advantage from the offside position and interfered with the goalkeeper.
However, the referee team from Uzbekistan ultimately ruled the goal valid because the ball was first deflected by the Uruguayan defender's leg, which in itself was deceptive and could not be entirely attributed to Van Persie causing the goalkeeper to make a mistake.
Just three minutes later, the Netherlands extended their lead. Kuyt crossed from the left, and Robben's header bounced into the bottom left corner of the goal, making it 3-1!
However, Uruguay did not give up until the end. In the second minute of injury time in the second half, Gargano took a free kick and Pereira's left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area broke into the goal, pulling one back for the team.
Unfortunately, they were left with too little time. Two minutes later, the referee blew the final whistle, and the Uruguayan players surrounded the referee team demanding an explanation. They were very dissatisfied with the opponent's second goal and several controversial decisions.
But everything was beyond redemption. The Netherlands won 3-2 against Uruguay, securing the first spot in the final!
This is the third time in the history of the Dutch team to reach the World Cup final. After the match, Sneijder was named the best player of the match. He scored his fifth goal of this World Cup, tying with Spain's Villa for second place in the top scorers' list.
In an interview, he said, "It was a tough match, and tonight we will celebrate properly. No matter what, we won."
"Next, the team will focus on preparing for the final. Besides victory, we will not have any other thoughts. We will bring the World Cup trophy back to the Netherlands!"
Regarding the results of the match between Spain and China, he said frankly, "It's hard to say. Overall, Spain is stronger, but China has Wang Feng. I know him well. He is a player who can create miracles."
"If I had to choose, I might prefer to face the bullfighters. Haha, of course, I'm not kidding. I know Wang too well. His energy scares me."
For Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan, tonight was destined to be a night of sadness. He did not play the full match and was substituted in the 84th minute. Although the player himself was unwilling, the head coach had to make this decision.
He had played until he was injured, and due to Suarez's suspension, Forlan had to run back and forth throughout the game, playing as both a forward and an attacking midfielder. After the Dutch team took the lead, he saved the team with a stunning long shot.
In addition to four shots throughout the game, three of which posed a significant threat, and two threatening assists, Uruguay's attacking system was almost entirely supported by him alone. Forlan deserves to be one of the greatest geniuses in the team's fifty-year history.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢