Chapter 36 of 100
Chapter 36
13 min read3,361 wordsMature
Chinese football fans, long ago, were very optimistic, even when the famous 1997 Ten-Strong Tournament failed to qualify for the World Cup.
But later... the mention of football would make them shudder.
Even those unfortunate sports writers, when writing about Chinese football, would turn their words into poison.
In other countries, being selected for the national team is an honor. How many stars have regretted for life because they were not chosen for the national team?
But in our country, being selected for the national team seems to be something that should not be mentioned, as if it would be laughed at.
We have reason to believe that the vast land of our country is filled with countless talented young footballers, yet there is no national team with fighting spirit and determination...
Watching the national team's matches, one doesn't know whether it's a blessing or a curse. Anyway, at this moment, there are many people watching the game in the football bar.
Not far from Liu Hao's table, a group of more than ten people gathered, waving banknotes, all in denominations of 100 yuan. Some held one, some two, some five, some ten, and some a thick wad.
The bar owner was busy collecting money and making records on paper.
This was clearly an underground bookmaker.
The odds set by major betting companies were that Iraq would give half a goal.
This indicated that the bookmakers did not expect China to score in Sharjah, poor China.
"Do you not want to place a bet?" Liu Hao teased.
"I'm regretting it... I bet on Iraq, so I have to bet on China, right?"
"Don't, if you bet on China, China will definitely lose..."
Before Liu Hao could finish his sentence, the bar suddenly erupted!
China scored a goal?!
"Damn it!" The game had only been on for one minute, and China was already leading.
Many people hadn't even looked at the big screen yet.
Those who had bet on Iraq and just handed their money to the bookmaker immediately started cursing.
The money was lost so quickly... damn China!
But despite their cursing, why didn't they look pained? They seemed to have a hint of smugness?
Could it be that many people, like Yao Shixing, would rather castrate themselves to ensure China's victory?
If that were the case, it would be a cosmic miracle. Imagine 1.4 billion Chinese people, each betting 100 yuan on Iraq to win, the bookmaker would see 140 billion yuan disappear, wouldn't they be anxious? So they would have to let China win.
Of course, this is just a joke...
But China really did score a goal.
The gamblers and fans, after cursing the damn China, actually cheered and raised their glasses together.
Sigh... as they say, once you fall in love with someone, you will tolerate their mistakes and foolishness.
Chinese football fans are actually very content, with very low expectations...
"Boss, bring beer, quickly!" The fans started to celebrate wildly, even though it was only the first minute.
"Guo Fei... no, Guo Lin stopped Zheng Zhi's long pass in the first moment, then passed it back to Wang Yongbo. Wang Yongbo shot directly into the far corner without stopping the ball. The ball hit the opponent's central defender and changed direction, leaving the goalkeeper helpless. What a beautiful goal! Oh! Oh! Oh!"
No way... didn't Brother Xuan drink too much tonight? This ball was clearly... As a famous Chinese sports god, Lin Haitao, who was a guest in the live broadcast room today, muttered to himself when he heard Duan Xuan's commentary.
This ball was clearly Guo Fei not stopping it well, the inside of his right foot stopping the ball, but it ended up on the outside, the ball accidentally bouncing three meters away, where Wang Yongbo was waiting.
Wang Yongbo confidently swung his right foot for a powerful shot, but the ball flew towards the corner flag, and was accidentally blocked by the unfortunate central defender, changing direction by 90 degrees and flying straight into the top right corner of the goal, scoring.
But in Brother Xuan's mouth, it became such a heaven-shaking and ghost-crying goal...
The great Lin Haitao could only force a smile and join in the cheering, "Good goal, good goal, China is playing really well! The feeling of leading is really..." He was momentarily speechless, his face slightly red.
Oh, sitting in the CCTV5 live broadcast room to comment is really stressful, you can't just say the truth! Writing is much happier, you can write however you want...
China unexpectedly took the lead.
As long as China leads, it's a blessing! At least everyone doesn't have to watch the game with bated breath, and even if the players play poorly later, it can be勉强 accepted.
After all, a draw is also acceptable, right?
China, as everyone expected, played seamlessly with a one-goal lead.
The ball hardly entered the opponent's penalty area.
The ball was rapidly shuttling in the midfield...
The midfield is a must-contested area, we can't just gather our troops in the back like Mourinho, we must push the battle forward to the midfield...
Fu Bo did not sit idly on the coaching bench but was actively setting up temporary tactics on the sidelines.
Bang...
Bang bang...
Bang bang bang bang...
The midfield was a fiercely contested area, with players fighting with great passion.
Iraqi players fell one after another on the grass.
China's real tactic was to knock down and injure the opponents in the midfield, making them unable to play comfortably.
This was China's most effective tactic, and the players' execution was unprecedentedly high.
There were continuous fouls, all quite hidden, showing that the national players' fouling skills had reached a peak, like flowing clouds, making the referee whistle but unable to show cards.
In the first twenty minutes, China's strong fouling tactics almost prevented Iraq from organizing any meaningful attacks.
But football is football, relying solely on fouls to stop Iraq's progress is impossible. Victory ultimately depends on kicking the ball, not people.
Sharjah was Iraq's home ground, and the boos from the Iraqi fans were deafening, making one feel as if their former homeland had been bombed by American planes, leaving them utterly humiliated.
How could the referee let so many shameless fouls by China go unpunished?
The referee's ears were not deaf.
Finally, he showed the first yellow card to Huang Bowen of China.
Poor Huang Bowen was probably the most normal player on the field. He didn't understand why a light body contact with the opponent earned him a yellow card?
His teammates' fouls were much more serious...
Fu Bo waved his hand from the sidelines and made a new tactical adjustment.
China's fouls immediately became more restrained, more 'elegant'.
The temporarily calmed fouls gave Iraq a chance to breathe, gradually taking control of the ball.
Now it was time for Zheng Zhi and others to perform, with countless headers and long clearances directly aimed at Iraq's goal.
Guo Lin charged forward in the front...
Wang Yongbo, charged forward...
...
Even if they couldn't get the ball, they still charged forward. Even if the goalkeeper kicked a long ball, they still pressed forward. In this situation, only diligence remained. If they didn't try hard, they would face a lot of criticism after the game.
In the last twenty minutes, with the defenders fighting fiercely, China finally managed to maintain the 1-0 lead in the first half...
"Damn! Fu Bo really has some skills, he can win like this..." This was said by a fan.
"I wonder if Puel, watching from the sidelines, feels inferior to Fu Bo..." This was Duan Xuan's teasing.
"Successful tactics, very impressive. I wonder what adjustments Fu Bo will make in the second half?" Lin Haitao's eyes were filled with boundless anticipation, but his back was drenched in cold sweat.
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