Green Field Eunuch

Chapter 179 Group First
The first half ended with a score of 4-1.

This score was really cruel for Qatar, causing many local players to leave the field early.

After all, the match seemed hopeless, and Qatar, with two consecutive losses, was destined to be eliminated from the group stage.

What's the point of staying here then?
Fans are realistic.

After the start of the second half, Qatar continued their aggressive attack, completely disregarding their defense, and found opportunities in their offense.

In the 52nd minute, they finally pulled one back, making the score 4-2.

But then, they experienced the nightmare once again.

In the 58th minute, taking advantage of a set piece opportunity, Shan Yongzhuo aimed and unleashed a powerful shot from inside the penalty area, getting ahead of everyone else and putting the ball into the goal.

As the ball flew into the goal, a huge cheer and thunderous drumbeat erupted from the Chinese fans in the stadium, and the CTV5 commentator shouted, "It's Shan Yongzhuo again, the fourth goal!"

"A beautiful shot from inside the penalty area!"

"Shan Yongzhuo rarely uses poaching shots. Although he is 185 cm tall, he is not the kind of strong poacher. He is more good at various direct shots from outside the box."

"But seeing this goal, we can also see that he's not bad at poaching and shooting. In fact, he was hailed as Montella's successor when he was at Roma, and his goal-scoring instinct is top-notch..."

"The score is now 5-2!"

After that goal, Qatar was utterly hopeless.

5 is better than 2!

How can we play like this?
Fortunately, Gao Hongbo seemed to have developed sympathy for Qatar and replaced Shan Yongzhuo.

With such a large lead, there's not much point in keeping Shan Yongzhuo on the field.

In another match, Uzbekistan defeated Kuwait. The third match against Uzbekistan, vying for first place in the group, will be even more important.

Gao Hongbo hopes that Shan Yongzhuo can lead the national team to go further, so it is very important for him to conserve his energy.

When Shan Yongzhuo left the field, he received applause from the surrounding stands. Even the Qatari fans applauded him, praising his performance.

His performance was dominant; even a world-class superstar like him could earn the respect of his opponents.

After Shan Yongzhuo left the field, Qatar performed better, perhaps because they felt that their backcourt threat had finally been neutralized.

Unfortunately, they were too far behind in the score.

In the subsequent match, Hao Junmin scored a direct free kick goal, and Qatar also scored a goal in the final moments.

The final score was 6-3, with China defeating Qatar decisively.

Then, domestic sports news was dominated by the Chinese national football team's early qualification and Shan Yongzhuo's four-goal haul.

After the match ended, the on-site reporters immediately published their reports and photos, and news about the Asian Cup dominated domestic news.

"Asian Cup: China's national football team defeats Qatar with a resounding victory, securing their place in the knockout stage with two consecutive wins!"

"Shan Yongzhuo once again put on a phenomenal performance, showcasing the power of the world's number one striker!"

"The first person in Chinese football history has been born: Shan Yongzhuo!"

"..."

A series of reports were released.

On the sidelines, Gao Hongbo shook hands with Mei Chu, exuding the smug, lonely air of a master.

Meichu, on the other hand, was quite dejected. With their early exit from the group stage, he could already foresee his future; this world-renowned coach would undoubtedly be sacked by the Qatar Football Association. Gao Hongbo, however, was very excited.

He never expected the Asian Cup to end like this; the match was far too easy.

In his original expectation, even with Shan Yongzhuo present, the competition would have been a major battle, and it would have been impossible to win so easily.

However, he realized that he had underestimated Shan Yongzhuo.

This player is absolutely terrifying. His efficiency is too high. Asian-level opponents are simply no match for him.

When you have players like that on your team, it's hard to lose, unless you're facing one of the world's top teams.

How lonely it is to be invincible!

Gao Hongbo is starting to look forward to the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. Leading a national team with Shan Yongzhuo, and by then, this group of young players will have been well-trained. It's entirely possible to look forward to making history by qualifying for the World Cup for the second time!

"There is absolutely hope!"

"As long as Shan Yongzhuo is here, we will definitely make it to the World Cup finals!"

……

The following day, the Asian Cup match was reported in China, with keywords such as "two consecutive wins," "advancing from the group stage," "Shan Yongzhuo," "four goals," and "nine goals in two games" becoming popular. This immediately drew more attention to the Chinese national team, and fans prepared to watch the next match.

In England, local Manchester media also reported on Shan Yongzhuo's performance.

The reason is simple: Shan Yongzhuo performed too well in the Asian Cup, scoring 9 goals in two games. Such efficiency is terrifying, even in an Asian competition.

However, with 9 goals in two games and a strong dominance on the top scorer list, Shan Yongzhuo's performance is truly astonishing.

The most important reason is that Manchester City is currently in trouble.

After the winter transfer window opened, Tevez, who had been making a fuss for a long time, finally left, moving to Serie A to join Juventus. Adebayor was loaned to Real Madrid, and veteran Santa Cruz was also loaned out.

Meanwhile, Shan Yongzhuo went to Qatar to play in the Asian Cup. Manchester City's already bloated attacking line now feels somewhat depleted, and they can only rely on the performances of Balotelli and Jo.

Balotelli and Jo failed to carry the team, and they suffered one draw and two losses.

They first drew with Blackpool away from home, and then in the 22nd round of the league, they suffered a humiliating 1-4 defeat to Arsenal away from home.

In the recently concluded 23rd round of the league, Manchester City suffered another home defeat against bottom-ranked Wolverhampton Wanderers, marking their first two-game losing streak of the season.

Manchester City's poor performance has allowed Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea to quickly close the gap in points.

Manchester City desperately misses Shan Yongzhuo's return, but they will be facing the situation of not having him for the entire month of January.

Amidst this overwhelming media frenzy, the Chinese national football team immediately faced its third group stage match against Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan is stronger than Kuwait and Qatar, and they had previously won two consecutive games, placing them second in the group due to goal difference.

If the Chinese national football team can draw this match, they will qualify as the group winner.

Shan Yongzhuo sat on the bench; this was a rest time that Gao Hongbo had specifically given him.

The other players on the Chinese national team also performed admirably, with Deng Zhuoxiang and Zhang Linpeng each scoring a goal, ultimately resulting in a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan.

With the conclusion of the match, the Chinese national football team successfully advanced to the next round as the top team in their group.

China's national football team will face Jordan, a West Asian team, in the quarterfinals.

(End of this chapter)