Chapter 624: Counterattack Unstoppable
On June 15th, the opening match of the 7th FIFA Confederations Cup was held at the Maracan? Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the host Brazil facing the Asian Cup champions Japan.
It was a crushing victory, with Fred assisting Neymar to open the scoring in just 172 seconds of the game. Later, Paulinho and Oscar each scored, leading them to a 3-0 victory over their opponents.
In the second match of Group A, Mexico lost 1-2 to the European champions Spain. These two match results were within the expectations of the outside world, and fans began to focus on the most tragic defending champions in World Cup history.
On June 16th, at the Mineir?o Stadium, the opening match of Group B between China and Uruguay officially kicked off.
Head coach Tabárez deployed a 4-4-2 formation with Muslera as the goalkeeper.
The four defenders were Pereira, Lugano, Godín, and Cáceres.
The midfield consisted of Ramírez, Fran, Galgano, and Rodríguez.
The forwards were Suárez and Cavani.
After the start of the game, the South American powerhouse quickly created opportunities through rapid passing and penetration. Suárez broke into the penalty area and shot, but his shot was blocked by He Ming, earning them the first corner kick of the match.
Ramírez delivered the ball into the penalty area, but Sun Xiang decisively cleared it with a strong kick, relieving the opponent's offensive threat.
The tactical strategy of the Chinese team was very clear: defend with all their might and launch quick counterattacks opportunistically. Therefore, both Wang Feng and Dong Fangzhuo withdrew deeper, with only Huang Hu positioning slightly forward, actively participating in interceptions in the midfield.
In contrast, Uruguay was more aggressive, aiming to gain an advantage in a short period of time, thus adopting a high pressing strategy.
In the first ten minutes of the match, China's possession rate was only 24.1%, and they did not get a single shot opportunity. However, both commentators and fans were patient, and everyone could see that the once tenacious team had returned!
"Lippi has indeed trained the team's defense well," Zhang Jun couldn't help but sigh. "Although Uruguay has controlled the ball for a long time, they haven't created many real scoring opportunities."
"Yes, these energetic young players are actively disrupting the opponent's play with their running. Football is a sport that requires movement. In previous matches, the team's average running distance was less than 8 kilometers, but in the latest warm-up matches, this data has reached 10 kilometers."
"This is what true attitude means!"
In the 21st minute, Fran received a through pass from Lugano inside the penalty area, but under the interference of Zheng Zhi and Feng Miao, he barely managed to shoot, and goalkeeper Wang Xianghe easily caught the ball.
As he was about to take a break and prepare for a goal kick, he suddenly saw Wang Feng raising his hand, so he immediately threw the ball out without hesitation. This was based on his absolute admiration and trust in the Chinese superstar.
It turned out that Wang Feng's timing of asking for the ball was very clever. At this moment, the Uruguayan players were focused on the front court, preparing to counterattack, showing no signs of retreating to defend. The Chinese superstar quickly received the ball and started moving forward, with Dong Fangzhuo and Huang Hu, who also had sharp instincts, accelerating forward one after another.
The three of them rushed through the midfield like lightning, and there were only three Uruguayan defenders ahead who could intercept them. Seeing Huang Hu running the furthest, Wang Feng didn't engage in defense and made a diagonal pass to him.
The 21-year-old youngster, who had established himself at Werder Bremen, still had some tricks up his sleeve. He controlled the ball with his right foot, dodged Casseres' tackle by dribbling to the left, and then made a cross pass back to Wang Feng's feet, a wall pass!
The Chinese superstar smoothly entered the penalty area, and Uruguay's goalkeeper Muslera rushed out urgently. When he tried to block Wang Feng, Wang Feng passed the ball to Dong Fangzhuo with an inner side of his right foot. Dong Fangzhuo then easily pushed the ball into the empty net.
"Goal! Goal! The Chinese team scored the first goal with their first shot!"
"A clean and decisive counterattack, as fast as lightning. Before most of the Uruguayan players could react, the Chinese team had already pierced through their entire defensive line, with Dong Fangzhuo delivering the final fatal blow."
"So fast, too fast! Wang Feng initiated the attack from the back, completed a wall pass with Huang Hu, and entered the penalty area. The whole process took less than 20 seconds. Uruguay paid the price for their impatience and rashness."
"I dare say that in the future, the attacking trio led by Wang Feng will become a nightmare for the opponents. Not only Dong Fangzhuo and Huang Hu, but also Wu Lei on the bench has a strong impact."
"They are like cold flashes in the dark night, striking fatally when least expected!"
After scoring the first goal, the Chinese team once again entered a defensive mode, while Uruguay, like a startled bird, withdrew in response. Even so, the opponent remained steadfast, with each player maintaining their position in their own penalty area, ready to defend.
Approaching the opponent's territory was difficult, not to mention threatening the penalty area. The South American powerhouse, trailing behind, had to try pressing forward again, but all of this was within Lippi's expectations. Once a counterattack succeeds, it becomes unstoppable.
In the 69th minute, Cavani dribbled the ball towards the penalty area from the flank, hoping to force his way past. Zhang Fanlin seemed unable to withstand the pressure, so Wang Feng immediately stepped forward to defend and seized the opportunity to steal the ball from the side.
He quickly controlled the ball and turned around, making a long pass to Huang Hu, the midfield pivot. Huang Hu, with his back to the oncoming ball, directly used his heel to knock the ball forward.
Dong Fangzhuo, who had inserted from the back line, reached the ball with a quick dribble. With a clear path ahead of him, the opponent could only watch him sprint towards the goal. Muslera had to abandon the goal again and rushed out to intercept near the edge of the penalty area.
For Dong Fangzhuo, it wasn't difficult to score in this situation. A lob shot or a push to the far corner would suffice. But he caught a glimpse of Wang Feng in a better position on his side, so he chose to pass back without hesitation, just like how Wang Feng unhesitatingly passed to him for the first goal!
The Chinese superstar naturally didn't miss the chance of an empty net, and followed up with a powerful shot that pierced through Uruguay's goal, further expanding China's lead!
From the back to the front, his high-speed running was originally just a precautionary habit developed over the years, but he didn't expect his teammates to deliberately pass him the ball.
During the celebration, Wang Feng deliberately acknowledged Dong Fangzhuo together with the fans at the scene. He smiled and asked, "Why didn't you shoot for your second goal?"
"Didn't you teach me? It's smart to pass to a better-positioned teammate for the shot. Besides, one assist and one goal are not inferior to a brace."
"Haha, well said, indeed a Bayern superstar!" The two joked with each other, while the Uruguayan players on the field looked as if they had lost their souls, not to mention the grim-faced Tabárez on the sidelines.
Damn tortoise shell, it's hard to crack, and if you're not careful, you'll get bitten hard. Even with his many years of coaching experience, he couldn't find a good way to adjust tactics to reverse the situation.
However, the Chinese team was not flawless. As they led by two goals and approached the end of the game, the players' vigilance and concentration inevitably slipped, leading to a mistake in the 87th minute, allowing Suárez to pull one back.
The final score settled at 2-1, and the Chinese team won the opening match of the Confederations Cup.
This chapt𝙚r is updated by fr(e)ew𝒆bnov(e)l.com