Chapter 491: Engraved
Until the final moment, the main referee couldn't help but remind the Chinese team players to return to the field. He still needed to wait for Spain to kick off again before blowing the final whistle.
Zhang Jun's voice continued to roar: "Two goals in 0.3 minutes, Wang Feng led the Chinese team to stage a last-minute counterattack, an astonishing turnaround to eliminate Spain!"
"This was a shot from outside the penalty area. He didn't choose to break into the densely defended penalty area, as that would easily waste time."
"Perfect arc, absolute dead angle, the ball bypassed the crowd and went straight to the top right corner of the goal, grazing the crossbar and post before entering the net. Even if Casillas had three heads and six arms, he couldn't save it."
"This is Wang Feng's 13th goal in this World Cup. He equals the record set by the French legendary player, Fontaine, in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden with 13 goals in a single season!"
"Such terrifying statistics were once considered a myth that could never be reproduced in the history of the World Cup. But now, our superstar Wang Feng has equalled it! With one more game to go for the Chinese team, he will surely break this record and become the true number one in the World Cup!"
As Villa listlessly pushed the ball in the center circle, the referee's whistle sounded as expected, ending the game! China defeated Spain 2-1 and advanced to the World Cup final! Wang Feng seemed to have lost all his strength and collapsed on the ground. Although the other players were also exhausted, they still had a bit of spirit to celebrate. The Chinese superstar was truly drained.
With a total distance of 19.5 kilometers run throughout the match, far surpassing the highest recorded distance of 16.1 kilometers set by Beckham in 2001, Wang Feng ran the equivalent of one and a half marathons!
Whether it was in the attacking frontline, midfield organization, or defensive line, his presence was everywhere. Sometimes even the opponents were surprised, wondering how they kept encountering him on the field.
As the defeated Spanish players covered their faces and left the field, Ramos walked to Wang Feng and helped him up. "Captain, I've always known you're strong, but this is just insane."
The Chinese superstar rolled his eyes. "Clearly, you guys were too careless. What, did you really think you had the game in the bag just because you were one goal ahead of me?"
Ramos shrugged. He also felt unsure, but he couldn't control the overall atmosphere and tactical arrangements of the team. At this moment, as Casillas passed by them, he looked at Wang Feng with a somewhat resentful look, then shook his head and walked toward the player tunnel.
"Looks like San Iker is having some existential doubts. You kicked him into self-doubt!" Ramos chuckled. The two exchanged a few more words. Although the Spaniards were disappointed, losing to Wang Feng was not shameful.
"Next up is the Netherlands, Captain. It won't be easy, but I believe you can beat them." Wang Feng smiled confidently. "Of course!"
Then Wang Feng called his teammates together and thanked the Chinese fans who had been cheering them on throughout the game. Even in the most desperate moments, their voices never ceased.
At this moment, everyone shed tears of excitement. They had never imagined that one day, the Chinese national anthem would be heard on the World Cup final stage.
After thanking the fans, everyone slowly walked into the player tunnel. They understood that now was not the time to relax completely. There was only one step away from the World Cup trophy, and they absolutely could not afford to fail!
FIFA announced the best player of the match, once again awarded to Wang Feng for his two goals in three minutes and excellent defensive performance. Wang Feng was the best player in all six matches of the Chinese team, setting an unbelievable new record in the World Cup.
Everyone felt it was well-deserved. With a total of 18 goals scored by the Chinese team, 17 were directly related to Wang Feng. With 13 goals and 4 assists, not to mention his active involvement in defense, he played a crucial role.
During an interview, the Chinese superstar expressed his gratitude to his teammates as always. "It's through the team's unremitting efforts that we were able to withstand Spain's overwhelming attacks and have the opportunity for a last-minute counterattack. So this trophy belongs to everyone on the Chinese team!"
When asked about the goal for the final, he smiled and said, "Do I even need to say it? The name of a new country will be engraved on the World Cup—the name of China!"
Since the introduction of the World Cup in 1974, each reigning champion has been able to keep the trophy for four years and have the champion country and year engraved on the base, with a capacity for 17 names, which means it will be used until 2038.
The World Cup final between the Netherlands and China will inevitably produce the eighth champion, as neither team has won before. The previous champions were Uruguay, Italy, Germany, Brazil, England, Argentina, and France.
Spain's head coach Bosque expressed helplessness after the match. From various data and the flow of the game, his team dominated China in all aspects, and the last-minute turnaround left him dizzy.
"I don't know how all this happened, why Andrius lost possession. I can only describe it as a miracle. Unfortunately, the one who created these miracles was Wang Feng, who stood against us."
At the same time, he stated that Spain's World Cup journey was not over, and the upcoming third-place playoff was still very important. "This is also our chance to achieve our best historical result."
As for whether he would resign after the World Cup, Bosque denied it. "I love this team very much, and if possible, I hope to continue to serve."
Although he believed that Spain's loss was not entirely his fault, many Spanish media outlets disagreed. "Marca" believed that Bosque "cannot escape blame." "Spain showed a kind of arrogance after taking the lead. The players seemed unwilling to do the dirty work and just wanted a small victory, which ultimately ruined them."
"Bosque didn't correct it in time, or maybe he himself shared this mindset, thinking it was enough to control the situation. But Wang Feng is not someone anyone can easily handle."
"He obviously didn't anticipate this. If it were Rijkaard or Guardiola, they would never choose to let the situation develop smoothly. Aggressive pursuit is the right path."
"AS" admitted that both sides contributed to a roller-coaster match that left fans very anxious. "Spain had passing, class, and understanding. They could make the ball obey them, but they couldn't bring the final victory."
"All of this was caused by the Chinese superstar Wang Feng. In just 3 minutes, he made the Matadors fall from heaven to hell. I think many fans are both sad and relieved."
"They are sad that Spain ultimately missed the World Cup trophy, but relieved that the person who defeated them is a legendary superstar of La Liga clubs, not someone else. This confirms the saying, the best players play in the Spanish league!"
"Marca" said that Spain contributed to an unforgettable match, playing very well throughout, but unfortunately, they were completely overshadowed by Wang Feng and the Chinese team in the end.
"It can only be blamed on their lack of initiative, the frustration of facing a tight defense, and the temptation of a lead. The Spanish players were a bit too complacent."
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