Chapter 35

However, on that day, whether it was the Chinese Super League, the Chinese League One, or the top five European leagues, none of them could truly capture the fans' attention.

What people were more concerned about was the China-Iraq match at 10 PM that night.

Indeed, the last match of the 2015 Asian Cup qualifiers was scheduled for that day. The originally planned match on March 5th was rescheduled by the Asian Football Confederation to March 8th.

This arrangement caused a huge uproar within the Chinese Football Association, as it was the opening day of the Chinese Super League and League One, but the Chinese national team players had to travel to Iraq.

As for why the match originally scheduled for March 5th could not be held as planned, it was because that day was the Eid al-Adha in West Asia. March 5th (the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah in the Islamic calendar) is a traditional grand festival in the Islamic world—the Feast of Sacrifice (also known as Eid al-Adha). According to traditional religious customs, every Muslim family that can afford it buys a live sheep to slaughter. Even poor people who cannot afford a live sheep try to get some meat to enjoy.

The festival is too grand; no one would watch football...

As for Women's Day, it's a day for women, and has nothing to do with men, so it's more suitable to play a match on Women's Day...

The Chinese Football Association could not remain inactive, but we are all familiar with their response: condemnation... protest...

In the end, nothing changed, and the match was still on Women's Day.

After the match, Liu Hao did not go home, as Zhang Yu had already made arrangements. She had to celebrate the festival, and celebrations require activities. She sent the child back to her parents' house, then had dinner with her colleagues and went to a KTV to sing...

"Why are you so melancholy on Women's Day?" Liu Hao was still thinking about the Qingdao Zhongneng issue, unable to be happy, and sat in a football bar drinking beer early.

"Because you have the blood of a woman, just without the ability to give birth," said Yao Shixing, a teammate, sitting beside him. Yao Shixing was a long-time bachelor, still living alone at the age of 32.

There's a saying: you may not have a wife, but you have a bunch of kids, which describes people like Yao Shixing.

This guy had been divorced twice and had two children, making him an experienced divorced man.

Being handsome isn't wrong, but being fickle is. Yao Shixing was also one of those handsome, often impulsive men. Who could blame him for looking like Tom Cruise from the side, Brad Pitt from the front, and having the charm of a movie star.

"Get out, on such a special day, you should be seeking happiness for women. If you forget to wear red socks today, I can lend you my red football socks," Liu Hao retorted.

"I can't today," Yao Shixing said seriously, "Every time I watch China's matches, my spirit is so low that I can't even get up!"

"So serious... Then why do you still watch?" Liu Hao was taken aback. Knowing that watching Chinese football would make him feel bad, many people still couldn't resist, eagerly waiting for the match to start, then leaving in frustration...

"I have to watch, because I bet on Iraq to win this time. I always bet on China to win and lost everything, even my underwear. This time I'm betting the opposite," Yao Shixing said, taking a sip of his drink. "The more hope there is, the more painful the loss. This time I'm betting the opposite."

"Wow, so you're contributing to Chinese football tonight?" Liu Hao propped his chin on his hand, thinking, "But with your luck, betting the opposite might actually make China win..."

"I only bet a hundred..."

"Damn..."

The two chatted and drank from around 8 PM until 10 PM, when the match started.

The new head coach of the Chinese team was not on the bench but in the stands, with the match still being directed by interim coach Fu Bo.

The starting goalkeeper, Zeng Cheng, did not travel with the team, and Wang Dalei from Shandong Luneng was in goal.

In defense, Zheng Zhi and Feng Xiaoting were the center-backs, with Rong Hao at left-back and Wu Xi at right-back.

Fu Bo had Zheng Zhi play as a center-back, but Zheng Zhi was a ticking time bomb, with the potential to launch the fastest counter-attacks from the back...

Actually, the center-back position had been a problem for years, with every player being a ticking time bomb.

Rong Hao and Wu Xi were chosen for the left and right-back positions because Zhang Linpeng and Sun Xiang were injured. Even if Sun Xiang had recovered, he wouldn't have become the Asian Carlos; at over 30, he was old and slow, and his favorite move was a 45-degree cross from a stationary position...

In midfield, Huang Bowen and Yang Hao were the defensive midfielders, with Yu Hanchao, Wang Yongbo, and Yu Dabao as the attacking midfielders.

Up front, Gao Lin... the least secure, but he seemed to perform better as a left-winger than as a striker.

The camera slowly panned over the substitutes.

Quan Lei, with no expression, probably frustrated at not starting.

Zhang Xizhe, smiling, the opposite of Quan Lei. Did Fu Bo secretly talk to him?

As for Zheng Long? He was injured and not there...

"Rong Hao's left-back is mediocre in attack and almost non-existent in defense. Pairing him with the slow and lazy Yu Dabao on the left, the left flank's defense is in trouble. Yu Dabao is just a big name, with no speed, no dribbling, and very slow, lazy in defense, like a woman. His ability can't compare to Zhang Xizhe or Yu Hanchao," Yao Shixing's mouth was faster than Duan Xuan's, already starting to comment on the match as soon as the lineup was announced.

Fortunately, Duan Xuan couldn't hear him, or he might have felt ashamed and stopped commenting.

"The attacking midfielder is actually Wang Yongbo. Wang Yongbo is a classic example of a player who holds onto the ball and doesn't pass."

"The most feared phrase is, 'There are X minutes left in the match, and time is running out for China.' I hope it's not the case this time," Liu Hao, not interested in the starting lineup, thought of this heart-wrenching phrase.

Having been hurt by Chinese football for over a decade, he couldn't bear such torment, but he still risked a heart attack to watch the match.

For football fans like Liu Hao and Yao Shixing, we can only give them one word: "cheap!"

Not every fan is as pessimistic as they are.

The fans in the stands were very enthusiastic.

Although the national team was wearing away white jerseys, the fans were still cheering in their red home jerseys.

The camera captured a large, powerful image.

"Wow! The Gold Saint!" Duan Xuan finally said his first words...

"Lord Shaka! Wearing the Chinese team jersey!" Duan Xuan's mouth was wide open, excited like a child who had really seen a Saint Seiya toy, "His meaning is to hope that the Chinese players will be as strong as Shaka, defeating the opponents and advancing with their heads held high..."

"Iraq's home ground was banned by FIFA, so Iraq had to move their home matches to Sharjah, UAE. The fans came up with this idea, which is indeed very creative. Sharjah city and Lord Shaka..." Duan Xuan's thoughts returned to his childhood, and he began to talk non-stop about Saint Seiya...

Actually, this was one of the least stressful matches for the Chinese team in years.

A draw would secure their qualification. This phrase still put a lot of pressure on the Chinese team.

But, even if they lost, they could still qualify? That's no pressure at all.

So Yao Shixing said, "The real reason I bet on Iraq to win is that I think Iraq and China have agreed that they can lose, but only by one goal... because in the other match, Lebanon needs to score three goals against Thailand."

"But... China once scored 7 goals against Hong Kong, didn't they... So, China won't make the same mistake again."

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