Chapter 810: Ready to Go
For domestic fans, this period can be described as a mixture of joy and concern. Naturally, the joy comes from another Chinese player, Huang Hu, lifting the Champions League trophy as a key player, following in the footsteps of Wang Feng.
Although he may not be as absolute a core player as his predecessors, he has gradually established himself and become an indispensable part of Bayern Munich.
The concern lies in the state of the Chinese superstar, the giant who once seemed invincible and overshadowed the world, seems to be gradually fading away.
Therefore, everyone is more fervently cheering for him than ever before. When Wang Feng flew from Manchester to the capital to join the team, the airport was already crowded with fans.
All the mainstream media from across the country rushed to the scene, trying their best to get in touch with Wang Feng, asking about his mood and condition, whether he is confident in leading the Chinese team to success in the World Cup, and so on.
However, they were destined to be disappointed. The Chinese superstar was escorted from a special channel by security personnel and taken directly to the training base by car.
His national team teammates were very excited about Wang Feng's return. Whenever he's around, he's the backbone of the team, but the atmosphere was somewhat restrained.
"What's wrong with you guys? Don't tell me you actually believe I'm as devastated as the media reports outside, even shedding tears?" Wang Feng joked.
As soon as he spoke, he instantly dispelled the eerie atmosphere, and everyone felt extremely familiar and warm, so they all breathed a sigh of relief and returned to normal.
Zheng Zhi even laughed and said, "I knew those rumors were exaggerated. It was like the sky was falling. You're not that kind of person at all."
The Chinese superstar shrugged, "Of course not. I'm not going to dwell on past failures, and besides, there's no need to, haha."
Then everyone chatted and joked about the interesting moments of the past season, and even urged Huang Hu to treat them to celebrate.
"This kid is really lucky. I've been at Bayern for so many years and haven't won the Champions League, and he just got it as soon as he arrived." Dong Fangzhuo sighed.
"Timing and destiny. Sometimes, choosing is just as important as effort."
The main lineup of the Chinese team for this World Cup is almost the same as the young army in 2013. The young men who were still wandering in the second and third tiers of European football at that time have gradually grown up.
Goalkeeper Wang Xianghe landed in Ligue 1 and became the starter for Montpellier, defender He Ming became the mainstay of Serie A's Sassuolo, Zheng Zhi was still at Celtic, and Zhang Fanlin joined the Scottish Premier League's Glasgow Rangers.
Newcomer Zheng Zhen was sent by Shandong Luneng to play for Sporting Lisbon in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. Domestic clubs gradually accepted the reality that they would never be able to select players for the national team and could only choose to send promising talents abroad.
In midfield, Feng Miao is still playing for Ajax. Many top clubs in the top five leagues wanted to bring him under their banner, but he likes the team atmosphere too much to leave.
Gradually, he became the absolute core on the field and the captain, helping Ajax win the league title five times in a row against their arch-rivals PSV Eindhoven, and finding his own way in football.
Yang Ronghua has been fighting for many years with Hertha BSC in Berlin, while Fang Yun has landed in the Swedish powerhouse Malmo FF.
Up front, veteran Wang Feng and Dong Fangzhuo lead the line, while Huang Hu and Wu Lei are gradually taking up the mantle.
The rest of the substitutes, like the young men from years ago, are scattered in leagues of small countries like Greece, the Czech Republic, or in secondary leagues like League One in England or Bundesliga 2 in Germany, quietly waiting for promotion and development.
In last year's World Cup group stage draw, the Chinese team was placed in Group H, with their opponents being Colombia, Senegal, and Poland. Overall, the luck was not bad, and there were no major powerhouses in the group.
But each match must be played one by one, and the passion and fighting spirit accumulated over more than five years are now ready to burst forth.
As expected, South Korea defeated their opponents in the playoffs and secured the fifth Asian spot in the main tournament. They were grouped with France, Denmark, and Peru.
Saudi Arabia's opponents are Uruguay, the host nation Russia, and Egypt, while Iran faces Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.
In Group F where Japan is located, the other three countries are Sweden, Mexico, and defending champions Germany, making it a real "group of death".
To study the characteristics of the opponents in the group, the Chinese team specially arranged friendly matches against Chile, Ivory Coast, and the Czech Republic.
In the first match, Wang Feng only played for 10 minutes and did some simple warm-ups. When he sat on the bench, the team played quite chaotically overall and didn't gain much advantage against Chile, who failed to reach the final. In the end, they drew 1-1 thanks to Feng Miao's long-range shot.
After the match, coach Lippi explained to the media, "We just started training with a full squad, and both tactics and lineup need to be adjusted. The result of this game itself doesn't matter."
"I'm very satisfied with the players' fighting spirit on the field. As long as they maintain this momentum, I believe we will get better and better."
Since the start of training camp, the Chinese superstar has appeared in public for the first time to accept interviews. He said, "I will devote all my energy to the upcoming World Cup. Nothing else matters for now."
"Why did you come on so late? The head coach thinks I should preserve my energy more, and I absolutely obey all his arrangements."
"What do you think of this Chinese team? We are a strong team, and everyone is eager for victory and glory. This desire will bring a strong fighting spirit."
"What are the prospects for the results? After participating in the World Cup again after a hiatus of one edition, we will work hard and not let the fans down."
Next, the Chinese team will challenge Ivory Coast. Facing the fierce African opponents, the players worked very hard, but their efforts eventually paid off.
Wang Feng assisted Wu Lei to open the scoring in the only 30 minutes he played. Then Zheng Zhen and Huang Hu each scored, helping the team win 3-1 against the African powerhouse.
In the final match against the Czech Republic, this time Wang Feng simply stayed on the bench steadily. After a fierce 90-minute battle, neither side managed to score, and the game ended in a 0-0 draw.
With one win and two draws, many fans were delighted, especially considering that the Chinese superstar played less than an hour in total. The overall strength of the team has already earned them a place in the world football arena.
Wang Feng's adaptability and ability are evident. Even though he is no longer the invincible king of the Champions League, no one can underestimate the energy he bursts out at crucial moments.
Amidst great anticipation, the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia finally ignited the flames of war. On June 14th, the Luzhniki Stadium hosted the opening ceremony.
Compared to previous opening ceremonies, the scale was somewhat simplified, and the time was shortened to half an hour, focusing on musical activities.
British singer Robbie Williams, Russian soprano Aida Garifullina, and Ronaldo, the extraterrestrial, performed together, with about 500 dancers, gymnasts, and trampoline athletes participating in the performance.
After everything was over, the match between Russia and Saudi Arabia officially kicked off.
No one expected the Central Asian powerhouse, which has a foothold in Asia, to lose so miserably. Just 12 minutes into the game, Golovin scored with a header.
Then Cheryshev and Dzyuba both performed well, helping the host win 5-0 against Saudi Arabia.
Next, all the teams took to the field one after another. Because the Chinese team was placed in the last group in the lower half, their first match came last.
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