Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

"This is a disgrace to Japanese football!"

"Our football team actually lost to the Chinese!"

"Osim should be held responsible for this!"

……

Although the number of Japanese fans attending the game was far less than that of Chinese fans, it doesn't mean that Japanese fans didn't care about the match.

In fact, the match had very high viewership ratings in Japan.

It's even higher than when the Japanese team participated in the group stage of the World Cup in Germany last year!
The Japanese may say they don't care, but they care more than anyone else, and they all secretly watch the live stream behind closed doors at home.

That's why, after seeing the Japanese team concede three goals to the Chinese team, a huge number of fans suddenly came out to criticize them.

Like South Korean fans, Japanese fans, who are usually arrogant and condescending, also cannot accept that their team lost to China, their former defeated opponent.

The Chinese team has not beaten the Japanese team in international competitions for more than a decade.

Japanese fans were used to their team winning against China, but suddenly they were beaten 3-0 by China in the Asian Cup final.

How could they possibly accept such a huge contrast?

The fact that the players weren't forced to commit seppuku as an apology shows that Japanese fans are quite virtuous and lenient.

But no matter how unwilling or angry the Japanese fans were, it didn't affect the game.

In the 75th minute of the match, the Japanese players, eager to attack, passed the ball to their leader, Shunsuke Nakamura.

Hopefully, this leader can step up and lead the team to a comeback victory!
The moment the ball came to Shunsuke Nakamura's feet, the midfielder, who plays for Scottish Premiership giants Celtic, seemed to recall his glorious years in the Scottish Premiership and the Champions League.

These memories rekindled his fighting spirit and gave him renewed courage.

However, just as he was about to dribble the ball towards the opponent's half and strike at their heart, a tall figure blocked his way.

"It's Lin Feng!"

"He stopped Shunsuke Nakamura; this was a direct dialogue between the midfield maestros of China and Japan!"

The commentators from various countries got excited. They were all representative figures of Asian players playing in Europe and the midfield cores of their respective national teams.

The match between Lin Feng and Nakamura Shunsuke had been something they had been looking forward to for a long time.

Upon seeing Lin Feng appear before them, Nakamura Shunsuke instantly felt as if a beam of light had descended from the sky and shone upon the two of them, making them the focus of attention for nearly 100,000 fans in the stadium.

This was the opportunity he had been dreaming of, a chance to prove himself on the field!

You play for a top club, and so do I!

You are the league champion, and so am I!

Who is worse than whom?

Come on, Lin-san!
I'm ready for this. Let me see what you're capable of!

Nakamura Shunsuke was full of fighting spirit, and he had even thought of his lines after defeating Lin Feng.

However, the anticipated epic battle did not occur. Lin Feng made a tackle, using his superior strength to knock Nakamura Shunsuke to the ground and snatch the ball from his feet.

The two are nearly 10 centimeters apart in height and about 20 kilograms apart in weight!
Their physical strength was simply not on the same level. Nakamura Shunsuke wanted to fight with his footwork, but Lin Feng didn't give him a chance at all.

Why shouldn't I use my physical advantages?

Why would I be so foolish as to try and outsmart you with technical skills?

The two only exchanged a single glance before the outcome was decided.

There was an uproar at the scene!
Why is this plot so different from what they imagined?

What happened to the promised clash of masters?

How could it end in just one round?

Was Lin Feng too strong, or was the Japanese guy on the other side too weak?

At this moment, fans couldn't help but have serious doubts about Shunsuke Nakamura's abilities.

Is the midfield maestro of this Scottish Premiership giant just hype?
The players on the field had no time to think about these issues, because Lin Feng was dribbling forward with great strides after intercepting the ball, and the Japanese team's defense was in trouble again.

Japan's two defensive midfielders, Yuki Abe and Keita Suzuki, rushed towards Lin Feng immediately, trying to stop him.

However, with Lin Feng already accelerating, the two men's attempt to intercept him was like moths to a flame.

Spike, change direction, accelerate, flick the ball, change direction again!
The two Japanese defensive midfielders who rushed up to intercept were both easily defeated, as Lin Feng swept them aside in the blink of an eye!
After successfully dribbling past his opponent, Lin Feng's speed not only did not decrease, but continued to accelerate!
Japan's defender, Satoshi Yamaguchi, rushed forward, but Lin Feng ruthlessly beat him.

Yuji Nakazawa tried to foul, but it was like hitting a wall.

The opponent didn't fall, but I staggered a few steps and lost my defensive position.

Facing the onrushing goalkeeper, he didn't even spare the goalkeeper, accelerating with another touch of the ball and getting past the Japanese goalkeeper as well!
Without any suspense, the ball rolled into the Japanese team's net once again.

The score is now 4-0!

The Japanese team, still recovering from old injuries, has now suffered another one!

Lin Feng's victory over all obstacles and his subsequent goal left the fans in the stadium speechless and unable to recover for a long time.

This kind of dribbling technique is simple and brutal, but it makes the fans' adrenaline surge and their blood boil.

This is the most primal beauty of football!

A perfect blend of individual heroism and speed and passion!

Powerful, elegant, and deadly!

As expected of the number one in Asia, he is indeed overwhelmingly powerful!

At this moment, the fans at the scene, including the Japanese team's fans, were all impressed by Lin Feng's performance.

"4:0!"

"China has scored again!"

"That's incredible! Lin Feng intercepted the ball himself, dribbled past defenders, and scored the goal all by himself. He practically single-handedly dismantled the entire Japanese defense!"

"His sword energy spans thirty thousand miles, his frost chills fourteen provinces! Lin Feng, he is the nuclear weapon of the Chinese team!"

"The outcome of the match is no longer in doubt. With less than 20 minutes left, it's impossible for the Japanese team to pull off a miracle!"

Even though it might sound a bit arbitrary, the commentator remained resolute.

Let alone the Japanese team, even if it were the World Cup champions, Italy, it would be impossible for them to score four goals against the Chinese team in such a short period of time.

Siu!

As soon as Lin Feng struck a pose on the sidelines, the fans in the stadium immediately started cheering enthusiastically.

They were completely captivated by the game, utterly impressed by Lin Feng's skill, and naturally didn't hold back their applause and cheers. The female fans near the stands even excitedly left their seats, desperately trying to squeeze into the stadium. Even when stopped by security, they kept chanting Lin Feng's name, looking like they wanted to have his babies.

Fortunately, Lin Feng couldn't understand Indonesian and didn't know what they were saying.

Liu Yifei couldn't understand either, but she could roughly guess what the group of female fans meant.

This made her very angry, as if someone was coveting her most precious possession; she felt a mix of annoyance and unease.

Is this what possessiveness is?
……

Lin Feng's goal put the Japanese team in an even more passive position.

In the few minutes following his goal, the Chinese national team repeatedly threatened the Japanese goal with set pieces and long-range shots.

Lin Feng, Shao Jiayi, Chen Tao, Zheng Zhi, and even Zhao Xuri all took turns showing off their footwork, with almost everyone attempting a shot.

Although they didn't score, they created a huge threat and pressure on the Japanese team's goal.

Under immense pressure, the Japanese players' movements became distorted, and some even suffered cramps due to exhaustion.

While lying on the grass is a common tactic used by the leading team to delay the game, the Japanese team did the opposite.

It became a way for them to stall for time, allowing themselves and their teammates to catch their breath amidst the Chinese team's relentless attacks.

This is truly a reversal of the Heavenly Stems!
You're the ones who're behind, so how can you be so spineless as to give up the attack and even deliberately delay the game?
What about the spirit of the Blue Warriors that your media has been touting?

The crowd booed loudly, as fans were dissatisfied with the Japanese team's time-wasting tactics.

After conceding four goals, it doesn't matter if we lose another one now. Even if we can't win, we have to find a way to score a goal to save face for the sake of our dignity!

How can we give up so easily?
Just as the fans were booing, the Chinese team once again executed a brilliant combination play.

In the 83rd minute, Lin Feng's diagonal pass from outside the penalty area caused chaos in the Japanese team's penalty area. Gao Lin's shot was blocked by a defender and fell to Lin Feng's feet.

Lin Feng quickly charged towards the penalty area, and after shaking off the defense at a tight angle near the byline, he chose to shoot directly.

Shots from such a narrow angle generally don't pose much of a threat, but considering that the shooter was Lin Feng, the Japanese players dared not be careless.

Kaji Ryo even leaped into the air to block Lin Feng's shot.

But he didn't put his hands behind his back in time, and Lin Feng's shot hit his raised arm squarely.

Beep!
The referee, with his keen eyesight, immediately blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot.

Penalty kick!

Lin Feng wanted to give the penalty to his teammates, but they were unwilling to take the penalty he had won himself.

Before this, Lin Feng had already scored two goals. If he scores this penalty, he will be able to complete a hat-trick in the final.

If anyone takes that penalty kick, even if Lin Feng himself doesn't mind, he'll be cursed to death by the fans when he gets back!
Seeing that his teammates were being modest, Lin Feng had no choice but to do it himself.

He carefully placed the ball at the penalty spot, stomped hard on the back of the ball, and then retreated to the edge of the penalty area to wait for the penalty kick.

Japan's goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi was very nervous, as his goal had already been breached four times today.

If we concede another goal, we'll set a new record for the biggest goal conceded in an Asian Cup final.

He really didn't want his name to be etched in shame, so he tried his best to save Lin Feng's penalty kick.

Unfortunately, Lin Feng gave him no chance. After a feint, he easily fired a shot into the net, making the score 5-0.
He also completed a hat-trick in the Asian Cup final, which is the first hat-trick in the history of the Asian Cup final!
"Lin Feng!"

"Lin Feng!"

"Lin Feng!"

The fans at the scene chanted Lin Feng's name, as if they wanted to worship him!
One match earned Lin Feng the hearts of countless fans across Asia.

Anyone who watched the live broadcast of this match would remember him!

189 touches, 97% pass completion rate, 17 key passes, 15 successful dribbles, 6 shots, 3 goals!
Lin Feng's performance in the finals was simply phenomenal!
The fans at the scene stood up and applauded, giving Lin Feng a thunderous round of applause.

The broadcast camera focused on a certain spot in the stands, and many important figures appeared in the shot.

The event was attended by the current FIFA President Sepp Blatter, Vice President Chung Mong-joon, newly elected AFC President Zhang Jilong, and Japan Football Association President Saburo Kawabuchi, among others.

At this moment, they stood up just like ordinary fans and cheered for Lin Feng's performance.

Seeing the camera pointed at him, Blatter smiled and waved at the camera, drawing cheers from the audience.

The presence of the FIFA president at the Asian Cup final demonstrates FIFA's high regard for Asian football!
Whether we can get a bigger slice of the pie from FIFA in the future depends on this bigwig's attitude, so naturally we have to be polite to him.

"Hehe, Chinese football has improved very quickly!"

Feeling the enthusiasm of the fans at the scene, Blatter smiled warmly and chatted with the host, Zhang Jilong, for a few words.

Zhang Jilong humbly replied, "Not at all, it's just good luck that we have a genius like Lin Feng. Without him, our current results certainly wouldn't be this good!"

"Hehe, without suitable soil, a genius like Lin Feng cannot be born. So in the final analysis, it is still because your youth training work is done well!"

Zhang Jilong blushed a little at these words. Youth training is the biggest weakness of Chinese football. Lin Feng was not a domestically trained player at all; he was developed in Germany.

They were just lucky that the German Football Association didn't snatch them away!
We have to thank the German, Klaus Toppmöller, for this. If it weren't for his keen eye, the Chinese Football Association wouldn't have noticed Lin Feng's existence, and there would have been no unexpected rise of the national team, let alone this Asian Cup championship trophy!
Thinking about this, Zhang Jilong wished he could give Klaus Toppmöller a medal weighing a ton!
……

Compared to Blatter, the powerful president, Chung Mong-joon, the FIFA vice president, received far less applause.

But when it was Zhang Jilong's turn as the AFC president, the applause was much louder.

After all, there were more than 40,000 Chinese fans at the scene, and their attitude towards the first AFC president from China was naturally one of unconditional support!

Thanks to Long Ge (a nickname for a referee), the Chinese national football team did not suffer any obvious targeting from the referees in this Asian Cup, and sometimes they even received some preferential treatment.

In fact, it wasn't just the Chinese team that received preferential treatment. In this Asian Cup, all the East Asian and Southeast Asian teams were treated relatively fairly, with no major misjudgments or missed calls.

The relatively fair rulings enabled Southeast Asia to achieve its best result since participating in the Asian Cup.

Two teams made it to the quarterfinals, and another team made it to the semifinals.

But once the referees started to be fair, the West Asian teams were in trouble.

Without the help of referees, the performance of West Asian teams in this Asian Cup has plummeted.

Teams such as Qatar, the UAE, and Bahrain were eliminated in the group stage, while Iran and Saudi Arabia were eliminated in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.

As a result, no West Asian teams were featured in the Asian Cup final for two consecutive editions, turning it into an all-East Asian battle.

This has made the West Asian Football Federation eager to make a move, but Long Ge is firmly in his position and is not afraid of the other side's underhanded tactics.

Before their internal conflicts with the football associations of Japan and South Korea, the three East Asian countries, with their status and influence in Asian football, were not afraid to challenge the West Asian football associations.

At worst, we can just split up. East Asians can play by themselves, and West Asians can play by themselves.

However, if they were to actually separate, Australia and Southeast Asia would most likely follow East Asia.

At that time, it's highly likely that three of the 4.5 spots for Asia will be allocated to East Asian teams, leaving only 1.5 spots for West Asia. Their competition will be much fiercer! (End of Chapter)