Green Field Eunuch

Chapter 415 is as simple as drinking water.

As the match time approached, the SZ City Stadium was already packed to capacity. The stadium, which can hold 32500 spectators, was now overflowing with people.

The enthusiastic Chinese football fans were already shouting wildly in the stands, with the sounds of drums and horns echoing everywhere.

The players from both sides enter the field.

At this moment, the cheers from the stadium audience reached their peak. The situation was somewhat unusual. Fans from all sides of the stands were chanting the same name: Shan Yongzhuo. The same tone and the same voice made it seem as if this was a solo exhibition match for Shan Yongzhuo, with everyone else just there to make up the numbers.

The other players were also mentally prepared, as their reputation and ability were not on the same level as Shan Yongzhuo's.

This, however, ignited the fighting spirit of the Iraqi players. They felt underestimated, as if the Chinese fans all believed their team was destined to win. Iraq seemed to have no hope of victory, and they wanted to prove themselves in the match.

After a series of pre-match ceremonies, the competition officially began.

Iraq kicked off first.

Iraq's overall playing style is offensive, especially after Brazilian Zico became head coach, they have embraced an attacking philosophy even more.

Even when facing the Chinese team, which is widely regarded as the "strongest in the group," they did not adopt a conservative approach from the start.

Iraq's midfield and forward line are indeed quite strong. They fielded the same 4-2-3-1 formation as China, and their attack relied on two renowned forwards, Akram and Younis Mahmoud.

Iraq's first wave of attack was also quite good. Akram dribbled through the midfield and quickly sent the ball to the right wing. Saeed dribbled the ball to the byline on the right wing but was then tackled.

The Chinese team has taken control of the ball.

Gao Hongbo's playing style is still mainly defensive, which is actually a choice made out of necessity. He also hopes that his team can play the passing and possession attacking style of Barcelona, ​​but unfortunately the players' strength is not enough to play such football. They might be able to try against amateur teams, but Gao Hongbo has no confidence against a strong team like Iraq.

Therefore, at Shan Yongzhuo's urging, Gao Hongbo chose the safest approach.

The Chinese team's tactic was to solidify their defense, organize their defense in every position, and then, in the attack, the whole team would provide Shan Yongzhuo with the greatest cooperation and support, placing the entire burden of the attack on Shan Yongzhuo alone.

Gao Hongbo has repeatedly emphasized to the players that they must pay attention to coordinating with Shan Yongzhuo on the field.

Gao Hongbo didn't really need to emphasize this; the players had long been accustomed to this philosophy, playing steadily most of the time, and trying their best to pass the ball to Shan Yongzhuo when needed.

Although this tactic is simple, it has been proven to be the most effective tactic on more than one occasion.

When the Chinese team launched an attack, Shan Yongzhuo's forward runs were not too far forward, so he had many opportunities to get the ball.

Three minutes into the game, Shan Yongzhuo got the ball for the first time.

The ball was passed from the wing. Shan Yongzhuo was restricted by the opposing player and had to drop back to get the ball. However, because the pass was not very fast and the landing point was not good, he barely touched the ball and could not fully control it. The opposing players on the left and right sides took the ball away.

"The team's Iraqi players stole it..."

"The two Iraqi defenders double-teamed us from the left and right, and the defense was very successful."

"It was Shan Yongzhuo's first touch, but he couldn't control it."

"Of course, Yu Hanchao's pass wasn't very good; it was difficult for him to control the ball..."

Despite being double-teamed by two players, Shan Yongzhuo didn't think much of it; it was a very normal occurrence, and he often encountered this situation during matches.

However, this ball had special significance for Shan Yongzhuo. It was a very encouraging steal for the Iraqi players, who felt that their defense had successfully stopped the opponent's world superstar.

Especially noteworthy was Ali Hussein, the player most instrumental in this steal. Hussein was directly matched up against Shan Yongzhuo, and he knew very well that there would be many opportunities to face Shan Yongzhuo head-on. This game was his chance to prove himself.

"If there's a first time, there will be a next time!"

Hussein firmly believed: "I can definitely stop him, I can successfully limit him repeatedly, even if I still let him score in the end, as long as I succeed many times, I will definitely attract attention!"

Shan Yongzhuo, on the other hand, didn't care about being dispossessed at all. He waved to Yu Hanchao to indicate that it was his mistake.

This touched Yu Hanchao deeply. It was clearly his own passing error, but Shan Yongzhuo took the blame, which made him even more determined. "This is the first time I've played with Brother Zhuo, and I must perform better and make better and more comfortable passes for Brother Zhuo!"

Soon, Yu Hanchao got another chance, and this time, his pass to the middle was excellent.

This time, Shan Yongzhuo seized the opportunity, took two steps ahead to meet the ball, stopped it, protected it with his body, and then suddenly turned and charged forward.

His movements were very decisive and efficient.

This time, the turnaround move didn't require any skill, but it was still beyond Hussein's ability to handle, and he easily left Hussein behind.

"Just look at that! Shan Yongzhuo, he's broken through Hussein's defenses!"

"Look at this ball..."

"Shoot!"

"The ball is in!"

"..."

"Hoohoo!"

As the commentator exclaimed, the SZ City Stadium erupted in cheers, and the excited shouts of the CTV5 commentator were broadcast to every corner of China via television.

"Goal! Goal!"

"Just six minutes into the game, Shan Yongzhuo scored the first goal for the Chinese team!"

"1 to 0!"

"A brilliant goal! Shan Yongzhuo made his signature back-to-goal run in front of the penalty area, pressed close to the penalty line, and unleashed a powerful shot into the net from his most favored area!"

"The game had only been going on for 6 minutes when the Chinese team took the lead. This goal is very advantageous for the Chinese team!"

"Shan Yongzhuo is still Shan Yongzhuo after all; you can always imagine his attack!"

As the commentator called out, the camera focused on Shan Yongzhuo.

After scoring the goal, Shan Yongzhuo didn't celebrate too excitedly. He simply raised his hands and clapped to greet the fans, then said something to his teammates who rushed over, and then hugged Yu Hanchao.

His expression was very calm, as if he had just finished a simple task like drinking water.

This goal was indeed very swift; the breakthrough and the goal were executed in one smooth motion, and it looked very simple and easy.

It's as simple as drinking water.

(End of this chapter)