Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

Gao Lin looked dejected as he was carried off the field on a stretcher; he had been hoping to score a hat trick.

As a result, the opponent's foul shattered his dream; not only did he miss the goal, but he also got injured.

Gao Lin's unexpected injury forced the Chinese national football team to make an unavoidable substitution.

Zhu Guanghu looked extremely grim. While winning this match was important, losing two key players in succession was not worth it.

Especially with the Olympics so close by, and Gao Lin being the main striker for the national Olympic team, his injury is a devastating blow to the team as they prepare to enter the Olympic arena.

Indeed, when Gao Lin was carried off on a stretcher, countless fans' faces were filled with worry.

With less than two weeks left until the Olympics, can Gao Lin recover in such a short time?

Zhu Guanghu originally planned to let Dong Fangzhuo come on as a substitute in the second half to get a feel for the game, but now he doesn't dare to let Dong Fangzhuo play.

The national Olympic team only has two forwards. If both of them get injured in a single match, it would be a complete disaster, and the national Olympic team could call it GG in advance.

Ultimately, he opted for a safer approach and brought on Han Peng instead.

Just as Han Peng entered the field, Lin Feng had already arrived at the penalty spot with the football, ready to take the penalty kick.

If Gao Lin hadn't been injured, Lin Feng would most likely have given him the penalty kick.

But since the person who drew the penalty was not there, Lin Feng, as the team's first penalty taker, naturally had no choice but to take the penalty. Moreover, Han Peng had just come on and had not yet entered the game. If he were to take the penalty rashly and miss, it would be quite embarrassing.

Those who take penalty kicks will subconsciously feel that the goal is too small.

When facing a tall, strong goalkeeper, it feels like you can cover the entire goal with just a little bit of your arms outstretched.

Therefore, even with a penalty kick, there is still a high probability that the goalkeeper will save it, so the person taking the penalty kick has to endure a lot of psychological pressure when taking the kick.

Lin Feng took a deep breath, glanced at the goalkeeper, and began his run-up.

The Australian goalkeeper stared intently at Lin Feng's movements. Normally, players would subconsciously use their dominant foot to take a penalty kick.

Therefore, goalkeepers can use this information to predict the direction of the opponent's save in advance, and the probability of guessing correctly is very high.

However, this tactic won't work against players who don't have a weak foot and can use both feet.

He has to judge which foot the opponent is shooting with based on the steps they take, and then predict the direction of their shot.

one two Three……

The goalkeeper silently counted Lin Feng's steps. When he saw the opponent's running motion stop and his right foot swing backward, he immediately judged that the opponent was going to shoot to the left of the goal.

He immediately adjusted his center of gravity and tried to lunge to his right.

However, just as he lunged forward, he was shocked to find that the ball was not in his sight; the opponent's leg swing was a beat slower than he had expected.

After he lunged forward, Lin Feng casually sent the ball to the other side of the goal.

Without any suspense, the ball went into the net, making the score 2-0.
The Australian players immediately complained to the referee, arguing that Lin Feng's penalty kick was illegal.

Although the referee felt that Lin Feng's actions were inappropriate, he did not consider it a foul.

In 2008, the pause penalty kick had not yet become popular in football, so FIFA's rules on this matter were still blank.

Although the Australians felt it was inappropriate, they couldn't find any supporting clauses, so they had no choice but to swallow their anger. Of course, whether they will appeal or file a complaint after the match is unknown.

In fact, compared to Neymar's unsportsmanlike double kick, Lin Feng's penalty kick style is closer to Lewandowski's. He doesn't use a double kick; he mainly uses changes in rhythm to mislead the goalkeeper. If FIFA's new rules are not strict enough, this move may not be banned.

After scoring this penalty, the Chinese national team's lead was further extended, and with the game nearing its end, time was running out for the Australian team.

In the final moments of the match, the Australian team seemed to have finally been awakened and were determined to fight tooth and nail against the Chinese team.

In the 87th minute, Australia's attack down the right flank resulted in a foul by China, earning them a free kick in the attacking third.

Instead of shooting directly, the Australian players delivered the ball to the far post inside the penalty area. Taking advantage of their height and the Chinese players' declining stamina, North leaped high and headed the ball towards the goal.

But God didn't seem to be on the Australians' side; his header went just wide of the post, leaving the Australians in the penalty area holding their heads in despair.

After that, the Australian team completed another cross and two long-range shots, but none of them posed a significant threat to Zeng Cheng's goal.

This 21-year-old, making his debut for the national team, delivered a perfect performance.

In the final minute of stoppage time, the Australian team had given up hope of equalizing; they just wanted to score a goal and salvage some pride.

However, the home team made a fatal mistake in their eagerness to score. A white figure suddenly appeared and intercepted the ball that Petkovic was passing to his teammate.

Lin Feng, who intercepted the ball in midfield, glanced up at Han Peng's position on the front line and delivered a precise long pass to the top of Han Peng's head.

After receiving the ball, Han Peng chose to pass it across, and Hao Junmin made a high-speed run, received the pass from his teammate, and broke into the penalty area, instantly creating a one-on-one opportunity.

This turn of events came too suddenly; most of the Australian players were still in the Chinese team's half and had no time to participate in the defense.

However, the number of Chinese national team players in the attacking third was not large, so in a way it was a fair match.

Facing the onrushing goalkeeper, Hao Junmin remained calm and did not choose to shoot directly. Instead, he cut inside slightly to create some angle before taking the shot.

With a sharp swish, the ball pierced the Australian team's goal for the third time.

Australian fans at Sydney Stadium are furious! They conceded a goal with stoppage time already ticking away!

To lose a game by three goals, especially at home, is utterly shameless!

Although the Australian team has already qualified for the knockout stage, the outcome of this match will not affect their qualification.

But isn't this a rather embarrassing defeat?

If they can lose by three points at home, what will happen when they play away?

Some Australian fans initially thought the Chinese team was nothing special after watching the first leg of the match between the two teams.

When they return to their home ground for the second leg, they will definitely teach the Chinese a lesson.

Unexpectedly, the final result was that the Chinese taught them a lesson they deserved!

It turns out that we were not even in the same league as them.

The reason we managed to draw the first leg was simply because the opponent's main players were absent, and we were bullying their second team. And we still didn't win, it's utterly shameful!
After another crushing defeat to the Chinese team, Australia's head coach Welbeck was once again thrust into the spotlight.

At this time last year, he lost his job because he led the South Korean team to a 0-4 defeat to the Chinese team.

This year might just repeat last year's mistakes.

The good news is that, compared to losing four times last year, this year there has been some improvement, with only three losses.

Welbeck is a tough guy. After losing the game, he took all the blame alone and praised his opponents: "The Chinese team is a strong team. I think they are the strongest team in Asia at this stage!"

"There are many reasons for the loss, but the main reason is that I failed to devise a perfect strategy to contain the opponent's number 8!"

Lin Feng, who contributed two goals and numerous key passes and tackles, was undoubtedly the most troublesome player for the Australian team in this match, and one of the main reasons for their loss.

The Australian journalists, who were initially furious and ready to confront the authorities, were now in a state of anger.

After hearing Welbeck's answer, everyone fell silent, unsure of what to say next.

Was this Welbeck's fault?
It doesn’t seem so!
Even the top European clubs couldn't contain Lin Feng, so expecting the Australian team, whose squad is far weaker than theirs, to freeze him seems a bit far-fetched.

Australians felt they hadn't lost to the Chinese team, but rather to Lin Feng.

Having a player of Lin Feng's caliber appear on the Asian stage is a bit too much.

……

After defeating Australia 3-0, China has completed all its World Cup qualifying group stage matches.

Although the Chinese national football team suffered two winless rounds at the start of the season, many fans have expressed some concern about the team's prospects in the World Cup qualifiers.

But this thrilling four-game winning streak after all the key players returned has restored the fans' lost confidence.

Especially in the final match, a resounding 3-0 victory over Australia, the Chinese team dominated this traditionally strong Oceania team, both in terms of the final score and the statistics on the field.

In this match, the Chinese team had 58% possession and 12 shots on goal.

Australia had 16% less possession than China and only 8 shots, both about 30% less than China.

With neither side holding back, the Chinese national football team won this tough match, further demonstrating its competitiveness in Asian competitions.

After successively defeating Iran, South Korea, Japan and Australia, the Chinese national football team has brought down almost all of Asia's traditional powerhouses.

This has filled Chinese football fans with hope for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Given the current strength and competitive state of the Chinese team, unless they are extremely unlucky enough to be drawn into a group of death, their chances of advancing are very high.

After an eight-year absence from the World Cup, Chinese football fans are once again feeling the call of the World Cup.

……

Although the team won, Lao Zhu couldn't be happy.

"How are you? How is Xiao Gao's injury?"

"Fortunately, it's just a soft tissue contusion. It should heal in 2-3 weeks!"

Zhu Guanghu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Fortunately, it wasn't a serious injury that would take months to heal.

However, even if it only takes two or three weeks, it will still have a significant impact on the national Olympic team.

The Olympics will start in two weeks. Even if Gao Lin has recovered physically, he will need time to readjust to the intensity of the competition and find his form again.

Therefore, he is very likely to miss several group stage matches in the Olympics.

Zhu Guanghu could only worry for the other side, wondering if it would cause too much trouble for Klaus Toppmöller's tactical arrangements.

Upon learning that he might miss the group stage of the Olympics, Gao Lin immediately became anxious.

"Brothers, you guys have to hold on! Don't let me come back after I've recovered from my injury and find that the team has been eliminated!"

"With Brother Lin here, what are we afraid of? Apart from Brazil, we might be able to crush the other two teams. Don't worry, we'll definitely make it out of the group stage!"

"You're right. Just focus on recovering. Once you're fully healed, you might even be able to make it back for the knockout stage!"

Gao Lin was speechless. So, you guys think I'm not important at all, and the team's presence or absence makes no difference?

"What else? Do you think you're Brother Lin, capable of carrying us to victory?"

"Sigh, I was just worried that Brother Lin would get hurt too. More people means more strength, right?"

"Shut your mouth! Even the apple your girlfriend peeled for you can't shut you up!"

Gao Lin's words actually struck a chord with everyone. After Gao Lin's injury, they had considered what would happen to the national Olympic team if Lin Feng were also injured.
It's no exaggeration to say that Lin Feng carried half of the national Olympic team's strength. If he were gone, it would be like the sky falling for the team.

"Don't worry, I'm not that fragile. In the past three seasons, when have you ever seen me miss a game due to injury?"

Yes, he did. In his second season at Inter Milan, he missed two weeks due to injury.

But such things are not something to be told to outsiders. After all, he said those words to reassure his teammates, and naturally he wouldn't expose his own shortcomings.

Moreover, looking at the entire football world, players who only miss two weeks in three seasons due to injury are extremely rare.

"Alright, I won't disturb your time alone with your girlfriend anymore. But please take care of yourself while you recover and don't overwork yourself!"

Gao Lin, thick-skinned, didn't take his teammates' teasing seriously at all, but his girlfriend was a little embarrassed, and a blush quickly rose to her cheeks.

Seeing that Gao Lin's girlfriend was taking care of him, the group left fruit baskets and flowers and then tactfully said goodbye, leaving the couple time and space to themselves.

"Sigh, Gao Lin is such a lucky guy. He found a celebrity girlfriend who is not only beautiful but also so considerate and caring. Why don't I have such good fortune?"

"Gao Lin is eloquent and charming, not only good at having fun but also at making girls happy. You, on the other hand, are utterly useless and not even that good-looking. I think you should focus on making money; maybe you'll find love when you have more money!"

"If we're really talking about who's the luckiest, who among you can compare to Brother Lin? Brother Lin's girlfriend is the national goddess known as the Fairy Sister!"

"Brother Lin, when are you going to bring your wife out so we can meet her?"

Lin Feng rolled his eyes at the group of people who were just making a fuss, and said:

"She's having a concert right now. If you want to see it, go buy your own tickets. Remember to get front-row seats. I'd like to thank you all for your support on her behalf."

After returning to China, the national football team announced its disbandment.

On the very day the Chinese national football team returned home, in response to the Australian team's complaint about a penalty kick foul by the Chinese team, FIFA introduced a new rule regarding penalty kicks:
Starting August 1st, when taking a penalty kick, players must not pause their shooting motion after completing their run-up; otherwise, it will be considered a foul, the goal will be disallowed, and the player will be given a yellow card.

This regulation immediately sparked widespread discussion among fans, with many viewing it as the "Lin Feng Clause," believing it to be a patch tailor-made for Lin Feng by FIFA.

If this patch isn't implemented, and other players learn this trick, goalkeepers all over the world will suffer!

[Haha, Lin Feng has really pushed FIFA to its limits! They've completed discussions, issued new regulations so quickly, and are implementing them with lightning speed, as if they're afraid of leaving loopholes for the upcoming Olympics!]

[Doesn't this just prove Lin Feng's enormous international influence? Countless eyes around the world, including FIFA, are watching him!]

Yes, Lin Feng has clearly become an idol for this generation of young players. If FIFA doesn't intervene, his tactic will likely be adopted by many young football players! (End of Chapter)