Green Field Eunuch

Chapter 414 Domestic Expansion

Shan Yongzhuo didn't linger and went directly to the national football team training base in Shenzhen to assemble.

The Chinese national football team is training here in preparation for their third match against Iraq in the World Cup qualifiers.

In the first two rounds of the competition, the Chinese national football team achieved two consecutive victories against Singapore and Jordan, firmly occupying the top position in the standings and undoubtedly having the best chance of qualifying.

Of course, such achievements are taken for granted in China today.

With Shan Yongzhuo around, it would be very abnormal if they couldn't even defeat these opponents.

It's worth noting that in the 2011 Asian Cup, Shan Yongzhuo led a group of young players and won the championship with an invincible performance.

The situation in China today is no longer as disillusioned with the national football team as it was in the previous life. On the contrary, the national football team is now considered the darling of the country. Not only Shan Yongzhuo, but also Deng Zhuoxiang, Feng Xiaoting, Hao Junmin and other key players are now big stars in China, with many fans and countless domestic sponsors, and they are getting endorsement deals left and right.

This national team is seen as the new golden generation of Chinese football, and its reputation has even begun to surpass that of the national team that qualified for the 2002 World Cup finals.

After all, the Chinese national football team, which was based on that group of players, was still unable to win the Asian Cup.

Even if there were refereeing factors involved in the 2004 Asian Cup final, not winning the championship is still not winning the championship.

Without achievements, they don't even have the right to breathe.

In sports competitions, results are everything; that's the reality.

Now, this group of national football players, under the leadership of Shan Yongzhuo, has achieved such good results, and naturally they have become the new darlings.

In this match, several players who were playing overseas did not return; only Shan Yongzhuo was summoned back to China to serve the emperor.

In Gao Hongbo's view, everyone else is replaceable, but Shan Yongzhuo is absolutely indispensable.

Gao Hongbo, who has a clear understanding of the strength of the Chinese national football team players, even believes that without Shan Yongzhuo, it would not be surprising if they lost the match against Iraq at home.

The excellent results actually concealed a huge hidden danger for the Chinese national football team.

That means this achievement was entirely due to Shan Yongzhuo alone. Although it's unfair to say that to the other players, that's the reality.

Without Shan Yongzhuo, Gao Hongbo knew very well that the national football team would be exposed for what it truly was.

So, after Shan Yongzhuo arrived at the base, Gao Hongbo immediately came to see him, asked about his condition, and even told him to rest for two days and adjust his condition before making any decisions.

After all, the competition won't start for another four days.

Shan Yongzhuo didn't seem to care much. He was in good spirits, and with the sacrifice in place, a decisive victory over his opponent was a foregone conclusion.

The next few days, Shan Yongzhuo's training was also very easy.

Most of the time, he just practiced shooting and passing to get a feel for the game; otherwise, he didn't have any special training.

In fact, after spending more time together, this group of national football players had already discovered the truth: Shan Yongzhuo was not a very hardworking player, and could even be described as a rather lazy one.

As for the initial statement that Shan Yongzhuo told them, "Effort is everything," they have automatically ignored it.

If hard work were effective, wouldn't I be expected to be even better? The Chinese national football team players, especially the younger ones, felt a deep sense of resentment, believing that talent was indeed the most important factor.

Otherwise, how do you explain that lazy Shan Yongzhuo?

Time passed quickly.

After spending three days at the base, the team took a bus to the city on the fourth day after lunch. They then checked into a hotel near the stadium before heading to the SZ City Stadium for the match.

This match is still attracting a lot of attention.

Firstly, if the Chinese national football team wins this match, they will be able to secure 9 points, which will greatly improve their chances of advancing from the group stage.

Secondly, Shan Yongzhuo will start the game, so in the eyes of domestic media and fans, a victory is inevitable, and given Iraq's strength, a big win is even expected.

The potential for a resounding victory has naturally attracted the attention of countless fans, all of whom hope to see the national team thrash their opponents.

The media overwhelmingly supported the Chinese team, with virtually no media outlets supporting Iraq.

This makes Iraq look rather pathetic, but there's nothing they can do about it.

Everyone knows the chaotic situation in Iraq right now.

However, in reality, this team receives completely different treatment from the national team, and in terms of past performance, they have far surpassed the national team.

They achieved remarkable results during Saddam Hussein's era.

At the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games, they fought their way through the competition and finally defeated the strong West Asian team Kuwait to win the championship.

The Asian Games championship at that time was very prestigious, since there were no age restrictions and each country sent its strongest lineup.

Even after Saddam Hussein's downfall, despite ongoing ethnic and religious conflicts and Iraq's continued chaos, making it difficult for the national team players to even obtain the most basic necessities, they still performed admirably.

At the Athens Olympics, they even fought their way through the competition, and although they eventually lost to the Italian Olympic team, they still managed to achieve a commendable fourth place.

In the 2007 Asian Cup, they made history by winning the Asian Cup title.

Although Iraq is currently in a period of transition, its key players, such as Mahmoud, who shone in the 2007 Asian Cup, midfield maestro Akram, and rising star Karal Jassim, still possess a strong core.

Moreover, in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, the Chinese national team faced Iraq at the Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium. Despite Zhou Haibin scoring the first goal, Iraq scored two goals in quick succession, thus completely eliminating any hope of qualifying for the South Africa World Cup.

This match can be described as a revenge game for the Chinese national football team.

Despite losing to Jordan in the first leg, this Iraqi team, led by Brazilian Zico, should not be underestimated.

However, the domestic media in China currently have a very low opinion of Iraq.

There's a nouveau riche mentality in China right now. According to domestic media, the national football team is already a top-tier team in Asia. With Shan Yongzhuo starting, some extremely arrogant, or rather, sensationalist media outlets have already started speculating about what the national football team can achieve in the 2014 World Cup finals.

For Iraq, a team that can't even play its home games in its own country and can only play at neutral venues, it has been completely ignored by the domestic media.

(End of this chapter)