Chapter 625: Confronting Challenges
The victory over Uruguay in the first match allowed domestic and international media as well as fans to see a completely new face of the Chinese team. "Reborn in the fire!" commented the Sports Television Station.
However, head coach Lippi was not entirely satisfied, especially with the unnecessary concession of a goal in the final moments. As a result, he punished the entire team with extra training after the match, and Wang Feng was no exception.
"From now on, you must cultivate a cautious and serious attitude. I will not tolerate such basic mistakes!" the Italian coach sternly reprimanded, warning of potential suspensions for repeated offenses.
After sweating profusely in training, Zhang Fanlin, who made the mistake, apologized to the Chinese superstar and his teammates with a face full of shame. Wang Feng, on the other hand, patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, saying, "It's nothing. Remember, today's hard work is for tomorrow's success!"
The medical team, already prepared, immediately approached to massage and relax each player. Although Lippi was strict, he wouldn't joke about the players' bodies. Scientific training plans and therapy greatly alleviated muscle fatigue.
Four days later, in the second match of Group B of the Confederations Cup, the Chinese team faced Tahiti.
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia. Since Australia joined the AFC, the level of the Oceania Nations Cup has seen a drastic decline, with countries like New Zealand, the Cook Islands, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, among others, participating.
Tahiti was the weakest team among the eight participating teams. The Chinese team had a rare opportunity to play an attacking game.
In the 11th minute of the game, Wang Feng cooperated with Dong Fangzhuo on the flank and broke into the penalty area with a wall pass. Wang Feng then took a shot from a narrow angle at the 10-meter mark, and the goalkeeper Rochet made a mistake in the save, inadvertently letting the ball slip into the near corner, 1-0.
Ten minutes later, Huang Hu cut inside from the flank and made a diagonal pass. The Chinese superstar controlled the ball, turned to shake off the defense, and shot into the far corner, further extending China's lead.
Just before halftime, Wang Feng dribbled past three defenders in succession and passed the ball, allowing Huang Hu to follow up with a shot, making it look too easy.
After the break, Yang Ronghua lofted the ball into the penalty area. The Chinese superstar rose high to complete a header, securing a hat-trick. The Chinese players, getting more and more excited, attempted more methods. Feng Miao sent a world-class shot from the top of the arc, forcing Tahiti goalkeeper Rochet into another mistake, and Zhang Fanlin scored a brilliant side volley.
In the end, the Chinese team swept aside their opponents with a score of 6-0, securing two wins out of two matches and accumulating 6 points. Meanwhile, Uruguay beat Nigeria 2-1, with both teams having 3 points each.
Due to the presence of the extremely weak Tahiti team, two consecutive wins for the Chinese team did not guarantee early qualification. This was because Nigeria had scored 9 goals against Oceania champions, meaning they could potentially accumulate a significant goal difference. It was expected that Uruguay would also aim to boost their goal difference.
In other words, if the Chinese team lost to Nigeria, then all three teams would be tied on 6 points, and they wouldn't have the advantage in goal difference. On the contrary, they might be eliminated.
But if they drew or won, they would definitely secure the top spot in the group. Commentator Zhang Jun, facing this situation, said decisively, "A draw ensures advancement curse is no longer a concern for the Chinese team. We can start studying our semifinal opponents!"
Zhang Jun couldn't believe he had the potential for such a dramatic statement. Looking at the score of 0-1 and the 88th minute displayed on the big screen at the scene, he felt a bit overwhelmed.
In this match, the Chinese team's strategy was the same as in the first match against Uruguay, and the players performed very actively and diligently. However, Nigeria's physical fitness was too outstanding, continuously pressuring the defense through high-intensity confrontations.
Moreover, they had their own tactics against fast counterattacks—rough play and fouls! Apart from Wang Feng, no other player on the Chinese team could hold onto the ball under such intense pressure, including Dong Fangzhuo.
Furthermore, because the referee in this match had a lenient attitude, Nigeria's defense only received three yellow cards in the entire match, with no one being sent off.
In the 71st minute, the African champions utilized a corner kick opportunity. Musa, suspected of fouling He Ming in the penalty area, headed the ball into the net after committing a foul. However, the referee signaled that the goal was valid, putting the Chinese team in a trailing position!
On the sidelines, Lippi frowned deeply. He sighed quietly in his heart—was this the end? Confrontation had always been a challenge for Asian teams, especially for these young players who were still in a period of rapid growth.
But regardless, this team had great potential for development. The future was promising.
The fourth official indicated 4 minutes of injury time, and Wang Feng withdrew to the edge of the penalty area to participate in defense. When Sun Xiang was unable to keep up with the pace, he rushed forward to defend and intercepted the ball.
Dong Fangzhuo and Huang Hu once again made a quick advance, with Nigerian defenders closely following, confident in their ability to intercept as long as the ball came their way, as previous counterattacks had been extinguished in this manner.
However, this time, the Chinese superstar chose to dribble forward himself. Slowing down and then accelerating explosively, he used rhythm changes to shake off Mba, "Too powerful! Wang Feng, who has been running the entire game, still has this level of control and explosiveness. No wonder he can conquer the world."
Pushing forward into the field, Wang Feng pretended to dribble past Ogude, but actually cut inside, using a very deceptive skill to get past him. Ambrose immediately slid in for a tackle, but Wang Feng easily avoided it with a jump.
At this point, the Nigerian defense realized what was happening, but it was too late. The Chinese superstar was going for it alone! They quickly mobilized to block, but it was all too late.
Dodging past Echiejile with a lateral dribble, Wang Feng slotted the ball into the penalty area, deceiving goalkeeper Enyeama with a large swing of his body, then shot into the empty net.
"Goal! Wang Feng equalizes the score! He once again saves the Chinese team!"
"An unstoppable solo performance, dribbling past five players in a row and scoring, performing a miracle alone!"
"We will never forget his breathtaking feat of dribbling past seven players on the World Cup stage seven years ago. As he grows older, Wang Feng's football skills become more concise and return to basics, with fewer dazzling attacks."
"But today, the Chinese superstar has shown everyone with practical actions that he only felt it unnecessary, not impossible!"
"When the team is in crisis, Wang Feng can still save the world like a hero from mythology!"
Lippi, extremely excited, ignored his old age, raised his hands high and ran wildly along the sidelines. This feeling! At this moment, he recalled the scene of the Chinese superstar galloping across the "Little World Cup" stage, where no one could control him.
He used to be the presence that could drive opposing coaches crazy, but now he was under his command! The Italian coach felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction and pride.
The audience at the scene was also shocked by Wang Feng's performance. Apart from the cheering domestic fans, many Brazilians also stood up to applaud him. They really enjoyed watching football that was gorgeous and full of skill.
With this goal, the Chinese team drew 1-1 with Nigeria, topping the group with 2 wins and 1 draw. Uruguay also advanced to the next round with 2 wins and 1 loss.
As expected, the host Brazil and the European champions Spain smoothly advanced from Group A. Because Brazil defeated Spain directly in their match, they topped the group. Next, the Chinese team's opponent would be Spain, the Matadors.
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