Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

All four teams in Group A are somewhat abstract.

Australia, who were ranked first, would have qualified for the knockout stage with two games to spare if they had beaten Iraq, but they failed to advance.

Iraq, who could lose to Qatar, the weakest team in the group, surprisingly defeated Australia, the group leader.

This has complicated the qualification situation for Group A.

After four rounds, the Chinese national football team has 2 wins and 2 draws, accumulating 8 points. With a 1-point advantage, they have overtaken Australia to take the top spot in Group A.

After a surprising upset, Australia missed a good chance to advance early and currently sits in second place in their group with only 7 points.

After two consecutive defeats, Qatar is now at the bottom of Group 3 in points.

After a stunning upset victory over Australia, Iraq moved up to third place in their group with 4 points.

With two group stage matches remaining, all four teams in Group A still have a chance to advance.

Even the top-ranked Chinese team still faces the theoretical possibility of being eliminated.

The situation in Group A is just too complicated!

Iraq's victory has completely disrupted the standings in Group A!

Yes, the entire northwestern Shanxi is in complete chaos!

[Haha, I've always heard that the Chinese national football team has a theoretical chance of advancing, but this is the first time I've heard that they could theoretically be eliminated. How novel!]

[Alright, alright, it's time for the familiar points calculation segment for fans again! Everyone, come out and calculate for the Chinese national team: under what circumstances would we be eliminated?]

With the current points total, it's quite difficult for the Chinese national football team to be eliminated. After some calculations, theoretically, there are only two scenarios in which the Chinese national team could be eliminated:
In the first scenario, if the Chinese national football team loses its next two matches, and Iraq defeats Qatar in its final match, then China (8 points) will be eliminated as the third-placed team in the group, trailing Australia (at least 10 points) and Iraq (10 points).

[In the second scenario, if the Chinese national football team loses to Iraq and draws with Australia, and both Iraq and Australia defeat Qatar in their second-leg matches, then China (9 points) will be behind Australia (11 points) and Iraq (10 points), and will be eliminated as the third-placed team in the group!]

[So, does this mean that if the Chinese national football team draws with Iraq in their next match, they'll be guaranteed qualification regardless of the outcome of their final match against Australia?]

Yes, because we have a head-to-head advantage over Qatar, plus a huge goal difference, so even if Qatar wins their last two matches and has the same points as us, we will still advance!

A draw is enough to qualify? Hmm, that sounds so familiar...

Fans who were initially confident about the national team's advancement in online discussions suddenly lost all confidence after seeing this familiar phrase.

This phrase is like some kind of curse; every time Chinese football gets involved with it, it never ends well.

……

With seven days until the next match, which will be played at home, the Chinese national football team has plenty of time to prepare.

So Zhu Guanghu generously gave the players a day off, letting them go out and have some fun.

"Brother Lin, we're planning to take the high-speed train to Beijing to see the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube. Do you want to come?"

At this time, the atmosphere of the Olympics in China was already very strong, and even in Tianjin, various Olympic signs could be seen on the streets and alleys.

Tianjin is very close to Beijing, and with the Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway having just opened, the players are very curious about the country's first high-speed railway and all want to experience it.

In 2008, high-speed rail was still a novelty for Chinese people. The 4-kilometer high-speed rail network that would later span the entire country was still just a draft plan. People had generally never seen it, but they had long heard of high-speed rail in Europe and the Shinkansen in neighboring Japan, and therefore had long yearned for this mode of transportation.

After hearing that this thing can reach speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour and that it only takes half an hour to drive from Tianjin to Beijing, many people want to experience it!
"Are you able to buy tickets?"

Lin Feng was also somewhat tempted upon hearing this. Although he had ridden the high-speed rail many times, he had not experienced it since his rebirth, at least not in China, let alone the first high-speed rail in the country.

"Don't worry, I guarantee you'll get it!"

……

"So, that's how you got your tickets?"

Lin Feng tried his best to put on a smiling face and made various gestures as prompted by the high-speed rail station staff.

A moment later, a life-size, floor-length poster was printed and placed in prominent locations throughout Tianjin Station. The poster bore the following slogan:
Traveling by high-speed rail with Lin Feng is safe, fast, and worry-free!

That's right, Lin Feng was betrayed by Gao Lin and his gang, and became a free spokesperson for the Beijing-Tianjin High-Speed ​​Railway.

Well, it wasn't free. After the advertisement was filmed, they each received a free train ticket from the high-speed rail station.

As the brand ambassador, Lin Feng also received the privilege of purchasing tickets from the Ministry of Railways—he could ride the train for free, just like railway employees.

Well, that's not bad. We can unlock the ability to use our ID cards to take the train 10 years earlier.

Compared to Tianjin, the Olympic atmosphere in Beijing was much stronger during this period.

The streets and alleys were covered with Olympic slogans and large posters. Lin Feng even saw his own poster among them, which was being used as a symbol of the national Olympic team.

It seems the national Olympic team is getting better treatment now; in his previous life, he didn't remember the national Olympic team ever occupying the center position in Olympic promotion.

"Look, what a huge bird's nest!"

"Idiot, that's called the Bird's Nest!"

When everyone arrived at the location of the Bird's Nest, they were immediately awestruck by the magnificent building before them.

"I really want to play a match here and enjoy the cheers of the entire stadium!"

Hao Junmin suddenly let out a sigh, which drew teasing from his teammates:

"That won't be easy. To get into the Bird's Nest, you have to make it to the final!"

"With our strength, plus Brother Lin's powerful support, making it to the finals is definitely not out of the question!"

Lin Feng waved his hand: "You guys overestimate me. There are so many experts at the Olympics, I definitely can't make it to the finals by myself!"

"Football is ultimately a team sport. To reach the final, everyone needs to work together. Let's strive to get into the Bird's Nest!"

"Yes, keep trying!"

"We'll fight them to the death to get into the Bird's Nest!"

Looking at the magnificent stadium before them, everyone was filled with fighting spirit.

It's not easy for the Olympics to be held in their own country. As the host country, if they don't have any pursuit of the championship, what's the difference between them and salted fish?
"By the way, who is our biggest rival in this Olympics?"

"Brazil or Argentina?"

"I also think it should be one of those two families!"

"We'll see Brazil's strength in the group stage, but as for Argentina, we'll have to observe them through their performance in the group stage and the knockout stage!" Relatively speaking, everyone was more wary of Argentina.

Because many players in this Argentine team have already become starters in the top five European leagues, and their strength is much greater than that of the team in the World Youth Championship!

Moreover, Argentina has a player who can rival Lin Feng and become a superstar – Messi, which makes the only advantage of the Chinese Olympic team disappear.

Outside the Bird's Nest and Water Cube, tourists from all over the country were taking photos. Lin Feng and his group were afraid of being recognized, so they quickly took a few photos outside and then moved on to the next location.

Their images were left outside iconic buildings such as the Water Cube, Wukesong, Folding Fan Hall, and Shooting Range, but unfortunately these venues are not yet open to the public and visitors cannot go inside.

After visiting several Olympic venues, since it was still early, the group went to Wangfujing for a meal of authentic Beijing cuisine. Unfortunately, due to the widespread rumors about clenbuterol and doping tests, no one dared to eat meat, and they didn't even order Peking duck.

A meal without meat feels soulless. No one enjoyed it, so we agreed to come back for a proper feast after the Olympics, when we no longer have to worry about being found to have done doping.

……

"The Iraqi team is not a weak team!"

While the players were having fun outside, Zhu Guanghu and his coaching team were holed up in the training base, studying their next opponent.

The Chinese national football team had previously played against Iraq, although they were held to a draw away from home due to the absence of key players such as Lin Feng.

However, the tenacity and sharp counter-attacks displayed by the Iraqi team in that match left a deep impression on the Chinese national team players.

Furthermore, their opponents had just pulled off a stunning upset against Australia and were riding a wave of momentum, leading some to believe that Iraq shouldn't be pitted against them.
"We can advance with a draw in the next game. Should we play more conservatively and aim for a draw?"

"No, every time we cower in the World Cup qualifiers, we end up losing. We can't let our spirits falter from the very beginning!"

"Well said! The Iraqi team is on a roll, but we are even stronger. There's no reason for us to be afraid of them!"

"So, let's take the initiative in the next match. If they dare to attack, then we'll fight them head-on. If they don't dare to attack, then we'll crush them with a powerful offensive!"

Zhu Guanghu said firmly!

Since the idea that a draw guarantees qualification is a curse, then we shouldn't set our sights on a draw!
Like the Chinese team, the Iraqi team also attaches great importance to this match, as the outcome will directly determine whether they can advance from the group stage.

The Iraqis, ravaged by war, desperately need a victory to heal their inner wounds.

If they can successfully qualify for the 2010 South Africa World Cup finals, it will be a tremendous encouragement to the Iraqi people who are living in war.

Because this match is crucial to the qualification situation in Group A, even the Australian and Qatari teams are paying close attention to the outcome.

Qatar's only hope of advancing is for the Chinese national team to defeat Iraq and for Qatar to beat Australia on home soil.

In that case, they would still have a glimmer of hope in the final round.

If the Chinese national team helps them defeat the Australian team, and the Australian team defeats the Iraqi team, they can advance together with the Chinese team.

Although it is very difficult, there is still theoretical hope, which is their only lifeline.

As for the Australians, they had mixed feelings, hoping that the Chinese team would defeat the Iraqi team and send them ashore ahead of time.

They were also worried that if the Chinese team defeated the Iraqi team, they would not be able to take the top spot in the group from the Chinese team.

Amidst such intense public attention, the match between China and Iraq began.

The match was still scheduled to take place at the Tianjin Water Drop Stadium, which was once again packed with enthusiastic fans.

This is the last home game for the Chinese national football team in the World Cup qualifiers' final stage (20-team stage). Everyone wants to witness the team advance from the group stage and make it into the final 10 of the World Cup qualifiers ahead of schedule.

As expected by the Chinese national team coaching staff, Iraq took the initiative and launched the first attack after the match began.

In the first minute, Iraq launched a long pass from their own half to Younis, who controlled the ball with his chest, chipped it over the defender, and broke into the penalty area to take a shot, but Song Zhenyu made a valiant save.

Iraq took a corner kick, but it posed no threat.

After gaining possession of the ball, the Chinese national team immediately launched a counter-attack.

Feng Xiaoting passed the ball to Zheng Zhi, who then passed it to Lin Feng, who had dropped back to receive it.

Lin Feng observed his teammate's movement out of the corner of his eye, then feinted to get rid of the opponent's defense, before passing the ball to the wing.

Sun Xiang dribbled the ball rapidly towards the byline and then delivered a cross from the left wing.

Surprisingly, he, who usually always misses his passes, unexpectedly delivered a high-quality cross.

Unfortunately, his teammates were completely unprepared for this, and Han Peng reacted a beat too late. By the time he tried to contest the header, the ball had already been caught by the onrushing goalkeeper.

Sun Xiang was so angry he wanted to curse. "I finally managed to pass a good ball, and you bunch of bastards just wasted it like that!"
Han Peng was also a little aggrieved: Who told you to always spread rumors wrongly? Who would have thought you'd spread them so well this time!?
China's counterattack came so quickly that it made Iraq's coach feel uneasy.

He thought the Chinese team, who would qualify with a draw, would play relatively conservatively, but he didn't expect the opponent to be so aggressive.

Judging from the number of troops the enemy committed in their attack just now, they were even more aggressive than us.

So, whose life-or-death battle is this really?
The game continued, and the Iraqi team encountered trouble on the field.

After the goalkeeper cleared the ball, their midfielders found themselves unable to get past the halfway line.

The Chinese national team maintained its 4-5-1 formation in this match, with Han Peng leading the attack.

However, behind him, the Chinese national team lined up three attacking midfielders to supply him with ammunition, and behind these three attacking midfielders, there were two defensive midfielders specifically responsible for causing trouble.

When attacking, the Chinese national football team launched attacks from all three lines simultaneously, forming a multi-layered and three-dimensional siege.

When defending, the Chinese national team's midfield lines work together to compress the opponent's space and relentlessly suffocate the player with the ball.

Faced with the stranglehold of the Chinese national team's five midfielders, the Iraqi team, whose midfield strength was already weak, was quickly overtaken and could barely control the ball.

In the 5th minute, Iraq's number 11, Hawar, was dispossessed by Lin Feng and his teammates for holding onto the ball too long.

After intercepting the ball, the Chinese national football team launched a counterattack on the spot.

Lin Feng passed the ball to Chen Tao, while he himself resolutely moved forward.

Chen Tao tacitly passed the ball back to him, Lin Feng moved to the right, creating space for Hao Junmin to make a forward run, and then made a diagonal pass, stuffing the ball into the penalty area.

The opposing defenders' attention was almost entirely drawn to Lin Feng and Hao Junmin's forward run, neglecting Han Peng, who was in an offside position.

However, just as Lin Feng was dribbling and Hao Junmin was rushing into the penalty area, Han Peng had already quietly retreated from the offside position and moved to a position level with the opponent's last defender.

And because he was behind the opposing defender, the opponent didn't even notice his actions.

Just then, Lin Feng passed the ball over. (End of Chapter)