Chapter 812: Reliving the Glory
After two rounds of matches, Senegal and the Chinese team both accumulated 4 points, Colombia had 3 points, while Poland, having lost both matches, failed to earn any points and were eliminated early.
On June 28th, in the final round of group matches, the Chinese team faced Poland at the Volgograd Arena.
This professional venue, belonging to the Rotor Volgograd football club, is a UEFA four-star stadium, capable of accommodating over 45,000 people, fully capable of fulfilling World Cup duties without needing renovation.
The stadium's overall structure adopts a inverted circular design, with its most distinctive feature being the circular roof erected above the cable wire framework. Numerous circular steel cables decorate the top, resembling the structure of a bicycle tire.
"The first half of the game has been going on for more than 30 minutes, with both sides refusing to give in, and the situation has reached a stalemate."
"We originally thought that Poland, with no hope of advancing, would not take this match seriously, but now it seems that they are still fighting for honor, while the Chinese team must strive for victory to gain an advantage!"
"Because in another match, Colombia is already leading Senegal 1-0, the South American powerhouse has turned the tables."
Although Poland experienced two consecutive defeats, they were by no means pushovers. Led by Lewandowski, their lineup also included mainstays from Europe's top five leagues such as Milik, Zielinski, and Piszczek.
One important reason for their poor performance is their on-the-spot play, with players' mentality affecting their technical performance.
However, now that they were eliminated, everyone seemed to have let go of their burdens. They didn't want to leave empty-handed, so they were bound to fight with all their might.
This caused a lot of trouble for the Chinese team, as both He Yun and Yang Ronghua received yellow cards before barely stopping the opponents.
The score remained 0-0 until the 82nd minute of the second half.
"The Chinese team intercepted in the backfield, passed to Feng Miao, who brought it forward to the frontcourt by himself, waiting for the attacking players to come up. Just now, they all retreated relatively deep and actively participated in defense."
"Wang Feng and Wu Lei are both making rapid advances, after Feng Miao chipped the ball past the defensive line, was that pass a bit too big?"
"Too fast! Wang Feng! He caught up to the ball!"
"He quickly stops, tricks the defending player with a feint, and goes to the front of the goal! He shoots!"
"The ball is in!! The Chinese team!! The Chinese team scores first!!"
"Once again, we take our fate into our own hands! Wang Feng's quick counterattack pierces through the Polish defense!"
"Can you imagine? This is what a 35-year-old veteran can do! Sprinting over seventy meters at high speed, his pace even surpasses that of the two Polish defenders ahead, even the young and strong Wu Lei was left behind."
"Lifting the ball at the limit of the baseline, instantly transitioning from dynamic to static, calmly feinting past the defense and cutting inside, then using his left foot to shoot and score at the far end."
"We can clearly see that after scoring, Wang Feng didn't celebrate as usual, but instead bent down, hands on his knees, gasping for breath continuously. He really exhausted everything for the Chinese team!"
At this point, Zhang Jun's voice choked up a bit. Whether it was the audience at the scene or the domestic audience in front of their televisions, they couldn't help but respect this towering figure.
On the field, teammates who rushed over to celebrate also noticed the anomaly of the Chinese superstar and asked about his condition. He smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just ran too fast, and now I'm a bit sore."
More than just a bit sore, he felt like his body was falling apart! If it wasn't for his strong willpower holding him together, he could hardly kick the ball in the end.
To inject some fresh energy into the defense, head coach Lippi had already used up all three substitutions. Wang Feng still had to carry his teammates through the final stretch.
Fortunately, this goal not only brought huge encouragement to their side but also struck a blow to the opponent's morale, allowing their fighting spirit to falter.
In the end, the Chinese team defeated Poland 1-0, with an impressive undefeated record of 2 wins and 1 draw, advancing confidently as the group leaders to the round of sixteen.
On the other hand, Colombia, after a loss followed by two wins, secured their spot as the group runners-up with 6 points.
Senegal, on the other hand, was very unfortunate. Clearly in a favorable position to advance with a draw, they unexpectedly lost to their direct competitor, the South American powerhouse, missing out on the knockout stage with 4 points.
Poland, on the other hand, became the third team to exit the tournament with 0 points, following Egypt and Panama.
Looking at the situation of the eight groups advancing to the knockout stage of the World Cup, there were some expected outcomes as well as some stunning upsets.
In Group A, Uruguay and the host nation Russia advanced, while Saudi Arabia and Egypt exited, a result not surprising but lamenting the isolation of the once shining Salah.
Group B naturally saw Spain and Portugal smoothly advance, but Iran and Morocco also caused a lot of trouble for the two teams. In the end, the Central Asian powerhouse missed out on advancement by just one point.
The showdown between Spain and the Matador naturally became a divine battle for Ronaldo's deification. He single-handedly secured a draw with a perfect hat-trick, opening the door to advancement for the team. Its shocking effect was no less than Wang Feng's long-distance sprint that secured victory.
In Group C, France and Denmark advanced to the round of sixteen, as expected, while Peru and South Korea found it difficult to threaten their positions.
The final outcome of Group D's advancement was not unexpected, with Croatia and Argentina advancing, but the process of the matches was surprising.
No one expected Croatia to win all three matches, including a 3-0 victory over Argentina. Midfield core Modric is becoming more mature, leading the team to be dominant on both ends of offense and defense.
Argentina first drew with Iceland and then lost to Croatia, almost losing the initiative to advance. In the match against Nigeria, they were also forced to the edge of the cliff. Relying on Rojo's last-minute goal, they barely won 2-1, securing second place in the group.
In Group E, Brazil and Switzerland advanced to the round of sixteen, while Serbia and Costa Rica reluctantly left.
Switzerland's team is quite magical. They are never the favorites for the championship, nor do they have the strength to compete for the World Cup, but most of the time, they can stand out from the group stage.
Group F witnessed the biggest upset of this World Cup, truly living up to its name as the Group of Death.
Advancing were Sweden and Mexico, with each team earning 6 points, while Japan and defending champion Germany each earned 3 points and were eliminated.
Germany's tank first lost to Mexico carelessly, then adjusted their mindset to beat Sweden, but they were floating again against Japan, resulting in a 0-2 defeat.
Mexico, on the other hand, performed very well, winning two consecutive matches before completely collapsing in the final round, giving Sweden a 3-0 victory.
In Group G, Belgium and England secured their tickets to the knockout stage, while Tunisia and Panama were not strong enough opponents.
It is worth mentioning that Belgium won all three matches as the group winners, while England finished second in the group. Therefore, the Three Lions will be the opponent of the Chinese team in the round of sixteen.
This scene is very similar to the World Cup in South Africa eight years ago, and the fans can finally relax. Compared to the strong Belgium, the Three Lions are obviously easier to deal with.
What? You say they are favorites to win the championship? With stars like Walker, Maguire, and Kane in the squad, their strength should not be underestimated?
Don't joke, when have you ever seen cats bite people? Many fans firmly believe that fate has its own plans, and the Chinese team will surely relive the glory of the past!
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