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Chapter 179 The bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish.
"...As the only player from the China League One in this national team training camp, Liu Jinxuan has attracted much attention. At only nineteen years old, he already has two and a half years of professional league experience with his hometown team, Chongshan Qianfan, and this season he wore the captain's armband, becoming the youngest captain in the China League One. He scored nine goals in the first ten rounds of the season, performing exceptionally well, and was therefore selected for this national team training camp. Let's hear what this young China League One captain has to say about participating in this national team training camp..."

As the voice-over ended, the scene shifted, and Liu Jinxuan, wearing a Chinese team T-shirt, appeared on screen.

The mother looked at her son in the camera lens, but her gaze fell on the national team badge on his chest. She smiled and exclaimed, "Wow, with the national team badge on, this red short-sleeved shirt looks so much better..."

Her father glanced at her and said, "Isn't this the same kind of short-sleeved shirt as the national youth team's?"

The daily T-shirts of all levels of the national team are the same: the national team emblem is printed on the left chest of the red T-shirt, and the manufacturer's logo is on the right chest. There are no other elements except for the size.

Their son had T-shirts like these in both the national youth team and the national junior team, and there are still two of them hanging in the closet at home that he brought back from the national junior team.

When placed side by side, it's impossible to tell which piece belongs to the senior national team and which belongs to the national youth team.

The wife rolled her eyes at her husband: "How can that be the same?"

As the couple bickered, Liu Jinxuan, appearing on the television screen, addressed the camera, saying, "...I came to the national team with the mindset of learning from my seniors. I feel honored and happy to be included in the roster. Since I was a child, I have dreamed of wearing the national team jersey and winning glory for my country."

The reporter asked with a smile, "So, can you say you've achieved your dream now?"

Liu Jinxuan shook his head: "My dream is to win glory for the country. I have only just been selected for the national team, so I have only touched the threshold of my dream. There is still a long way to go before I realize my dream."

The mother gave her son a thumbs-up in front of the TV: "That's a very insightful thing to say!"

The father nodded repeatedly, expressing satisfaction with his son's answer.

His son was more mature than his peers, and after being the club captain for half a season, he knew how to speak in front of the camera.

The interview then included footage of Liu Jinxuan wearing the national team training uniform on the training field, including a shot that resulted in a goal.

The mother was overjoyed: "Hey! Look at him, isn't he doing great? What did I tell you before? Didn't I say our kid could play? See, I was right!"

The husband grinned, never expecting his wife to smooth things over like that...

He didn't want to argue with his wife about whether the performance in this training clip meant their son would definitely be able to play.

As long as she's happy...

※※※

"...We've been practicing new tactics all this time, so we'll be using the new tactics and formation in the match against North Korea as well..."

Upon hearing what head coach He Zhenyong said, the national team players looked at each other in bewilderment.

For the past week or so, the team has indeed been practicing new tactics. Some of them even joked that if they weren't in North Korea, they would have thought they were just here to practice new tactics.

Yes, we're here to participate in the World Cup qualifiers. We gathered here to prepare for the match against North Korea.

If we beat North Korea, and Australia fails to win their away game against Iran, we can qualify for the World Cup with two rounds to spare.

Don't be fooled by the fact that we've been practicing new tactics all week; when the game actually starts, we'll definitely switch back to the old tactics and personnel configuration.

After all, we didn't start this training camp specifically for new tactics...

We still need to make sure we qualify.

Now, according to Coach He, a new tactic will be used against North Korea.

Many people were starting to have doubts: We've only been practicing the new tactics for a little over a week, and many people haven't even fully mastered them yet. Is it a bit too risky to use the new tactics in such an important match?
He Zhenyong could tell what the players were thinking from their expressions, but he still continued:
"Although North Korea has already been eliminated from contention for the next round, this is still their home ground, and it's a battle for their honor. So they will definitely fight hard in the match. This is good for us in adapting to the new tactics, because we can test the results of our training in a real, high-stakes environment. I hope everyone can do their best to demonstrate what we've trained for in the match."

※※※

The television screen showed footage of the interior of the North Korean stadium, with the stands almost full of spectators.

Upon seeing this scene, Liu Jinxuan's mother couldn't help but complain, "Didn't North Korea fail to qualify? Why are so many people still watching?"

“Whether we qualify or not, it’s a national team match, and it’s an opportunity to showcase North Korea’s image. It would look bad if the stands were sparsely populated and mostly empty.” The husband finished speaking and picked up his beer glass, intending to take a sip.

The wife suddenly realized: "I understand, it's the master's task."

The husband nearly spat out his beer: "What are you thinking?!"

At this very moment, on television, the North Korean fans in the stands seemed to be clapping along in unison, as directed by the on-site broadcast.

It's still quite impressive when they create a unified sound wave together.

"Great job, great spirit!" His wife clapped.

With the Chinese team about to qualify, Chinese viewers watching on television are very relaxed.

The television broadcast then switched back to the studio, where commentators Luo Jin and Zhao Chuanfeng appeared.

The two of them will give some simple analysis for everyone before the competition begins.

However, compared to the relaxed Chinese fans watching on TV, the expressions of the two people appearing on the screen at this moment were somewhat subtle, with Luo Jin even frowning.

他 说:

"We just received the starting lineups for both teams... As expected, North Korea, despite already being eliminated, fielded their strongest possible lineup. After all, this is their home ground, and for North Korea, it's a match of honor. But for China, there's been a significant change. If the AFC's official formation is correct, China will be using a 3-5-2 formation, not the usual 4-4-2 or 4-3-3..."

※※※

North Korean coach Choe Yong-seok held up a piece of paper and said to the players sitting in the locker room:
"I just received the starting lineup from the Chinese team, and it's significantly different from our pre-match expectations—they changed their formation, starting with a 3-5-2 instead of their usual 4-4-2. He Zhenyong's Chinese team has never played a three-defender system before. I just spent a long time analyzing this with Coach Li Zhunhao, and we still can't figure out the footballing implications of this adjustment. In the end, I can only say that perhaps the Chinese team feels that if they beat us, they will qualify early, so they decided to try something different in our match. They're probably preparing for next year's World Cup. In other words, lads..."

Choi Young-seok put down the starting lineup for the Chinese team, looked at his players with a serious expression, and even a hint of anger.

"In other words, we became their practice targets."

Sure enough, after he said that, some of the North Korean players realized what their coach meant. Clear anger appeared on their faces.

Choi Young-seok added fuel to the fire:
"Of course, from the Chinese team's perspective, it's normal to think this way. After all, we've already been eliminated from next year's World Cup, so the remaining qualifiers are meaningless to us and have become 'garbage time.' But from our own perspective, would you agree with this view? The World Cup qualifiers have become warm-up matches for our opponents. Do you think that's justified?"

His players remained silent, but their clenched teeth, ferocious expressions, and murderous eyes gave him an answer.

Having received the answer, Choi Young-seok struck while the iron was hot:

"Since our opponents are treating this match as a warm-up, we, as the hosts, should give them a proper warm-up. Fighting and striving are the traditions of our team, and I demand that you bring this tradition to its fullest in this match! Eliminate every enemy who dares to invade our defensive third! Especially their three-man attacking trio!"

※※※

"It really is 352..."

Luo Jin said, watching the broadcast.

Before the whistle blows to kick off, the players from both sides take their positions on the field.

At this point, it becomes clear from the television broadcast which formation each team uses.

Let alone Luo Jin, a professional football commentator, even a qualified ordinary fan can draw their own conclusions.

In this match, the Chinese team actually fielded a formation they had never used before – 3-5-2.

In the television broadcast, Feng Qiyuan, Chu Yu, and Zhuang Yunsheng were lined up from left to right on the defensive line.

As for the original left and right full-backs Lu Changqing and Qin An, they moved forward to the midfield position, joining the defensive midfielders Su Ju and Song Lihui in a line.

Further forward, attacking midfielder Fu Xiaofeng stood close to the center circle line.

Chi Zhen and Wang Lie, the two starting forwards, were positioned on the left and right sides of the center circle respectively—North Korea kicked off the first half of the match.

A very standard 352 formation.

The guest next to him, Zhao Chuanfeng, tried to explain: "The Chinese team is probably trying out more variations... after all, our 4-4-2 formation is already very mature." Luo Jin, standing next to him, opened his mouth slightly. He really wanted to complain that trying out more variations in the World Cup qualifiers was just like an old general on a stage—covered in flags.

Even though the Chinese team is currently ranked first in the group stage, leading third-placed Australia by six points, theoretically, the Chinese team has not yet secured a place in the World Cup.

However, he only complained to himself and didn't say it out loud.

After all, if the Chinese team actually defeats North Korea with this new formation, wouldn't my current complaints be like a slap in the face?

But after the match started, as time went on, Luo Jin realized that his inner complaints... seemed to be coming true?
Almost half an hour into the game, the Chinese team, which is clearly stronger than North Korea, has failed to gain the upper hand on the field.

On the other hand, the North Korean team, playing on home soil and cheered on by 100,000 North Korean fans, played with great energy and created many attacking opportunities in the attacking third through high pressing, repeatedly threatening the Chinese team's goal.

Meanwhile, the live broadcast camera frequently focused on the Chinese team's coaching bench, making the message very clear.

So far in this match, the Chinese team's performance has been less than satisfactory, mainly due to the adoption of a completely new formation. However, this change in formation is not simply a matter of personnel arrangement; it also signifies a change in tactics.

These changes all stemmed from the head coach.

Therefore, if the Chinese team is passive and at a disadvantage, it is the head coach's fault.

※※※

"I bet the live stream cameras are filming us right now, right?"

After Fu Xiaofeng's through ball forward from the backfield went astray, and the Chinese team lost possession to North Korea during the transition from defense to attack, nearly resulting in a goal conceded, assistant coach Cai Bokang covered his mouth and said to head coach He Zhenyong next to him.

"Go ahead and take the pictures," He Zhenyong said, covering his mouth as well. "I'm used to it."

I've definitely gotten used to it.

Back then, he forcibly removed Wang Lie from the national team's tactical system, and every time the national team played a match, he seemed to be directing the team under a microscope.

Let alone national team matches, even if he goes to Europe to watch Wang Lie or Chi Zhen's club matches, he has to be careful to manage his facial expressions, for fear that he will appear on the Chinese internet's trending search list after a match.

"Are they completely disregarding the issue of physical exertion?"

Cai Bokang commented as he watched the North Korean players sweeping and pressing high up the pitch.

"Choi Young-seok will probably make substitutions at halftime; he'll definitely use all five substitutions," He Zhenyong said.

Unlike the early days of football when each team only had three substitutions per match, modern football demands more running from players, and now each team has five substitutions per match.

However, in order to prevent frequent substitutions from fragmenting the game, the rules still require each team to have only three substitution opportunities.

Otherwise, if it were like before, with the number of substitutions equal to the number of substitution opportunities, wouldn't the ten substitutions for both teams mean ten substitutions in total? If a substitution is made every nine minutes on average, the game would be neither playable nor watchable.

The current rules require each team to have only three substitutions, but substitutions made at halftime do not count towards these three substitutions.

Therefore, in order to make full use of the five substitutions, many coaches will choose to make substitutions and adjustments during halftime.

Previously, making substitutions at halftime was seen as the head coach overturning his pre-match personnel or tactical arrangements. Players substituted at halftime were considered victims of poor performance or unsuitability for the adjusted tactics.

But nowadays, few people think that players who are substituted at halftime are scapegoats for "poor performance".

"If we don't take the lead in the first half, should we switch back to our original tactics at halftime?" Cai Bokang asked again.

After pondering for a while, He Zhenyong said to Cai Bokang, "I don't really want to do this... it feels like surrendering..."

Cai Bokang advised, "How could that be? The players understand, after all, we've only been training for a little over a week. They won't doubt the new tactics just because we switched back to the old ones in this game."

"That's what we say, but in reality, it's just preparing a way out for ourselves. I think having a way out can lead to complacency—since we can switch back anytime, we won't be able to fully commit to the new tactics..."

"If we really don't beat North Korea away and fail to qualify early, the pressure will be immense."

He Zhenyong sneered: "Could there be more pressure than when we didn't draft Wang Lie to fight Australia?"

Cai Bokang was speechless.

That's definitely incomparable.

The night before the team officially announced that Wang Lie would not be called up for the World Cup qualifier against Australia, Cai Bokang and He Zhenyong couldn't sleep well.

On the day the news was announced, they didn't even dare to turn on their phones.

They were terrified of being bombarded with phone calls and WeChat messages.

As for online feedback and comments, they not only don't look at them themselves, but they also don't allow their family members to see them—for fear that they wouldn't be able to handle it.

That was the first time Wang Lie had been left out of the national team without any injuries since joining the team. They created a "stain" on Wang Lie's national team history. How could the pressure be not immense?
The media storm at the time seemed to suggest that if the Chinese team lost to Australia at home... no, even a draw would mean the two of them would be fired.

Fortunately, Chi Zhen proved his worth, scoring the only goal under immense pressure and helping China defeat Australia at home. They escaped a close call.

Of course, at the time they all felt that this victory made the situation clear and certain, meaning that the Chinese team had truly begun to break free from Wang Lie's influence and enter a brand new era.

After all, they managed to beat Wang Lie, and the team still won.

Football is a game that values ​​results; in the face of victory, all doubts are meaningless.

Unexpectedly, after the new year, Wang Lie seemed to have unlocked a cheat code, suddenly unleashing tremendous energy and stirring up a storm in the English Premier League at the age of thirty-eight.

When it came time for the World Cup qualifiers in March, they obediently brought Wang Lie back...

I thought it was just a flash in the pan, a last gasp before the sun set.

As a result, Wang Lie's outstanding performance continued until the end of the season, leading the underdog relegation team Tyne to a Champions League qualification for the following season.

This led them to seriously consider redesigning a new tactic that could accommodate both Wang Lie and Chi Zhen, which resulted in their embarrassing performance against North Korea on the field today...

In just over six months, their fates, along with those of Wang Lie and Chi Zhen, underwent significant changes.

I have to say, this person's fate... it's fucking unreasonable.

Cai Bokang stopped discussing with He Zhenyong and focused his attention on the field.

North Korea's aggressive high-pressing tactics caused significant problems for the Chinese team.

The carefully designed passing and running routes in training cannot be executed to 100% accuracy in high-intensity actual combat.

He could understand why He Zhenyong insisted on using the new tactics in the match against North Korea, because such a high-quality real-world match was indeed an excellent opportunity to test the results of training and could greatly enhance the players' understanding of the new tactics.

Just like playing a game, is the experience you gain from fighting low-level monsters in the starting village the same as the experience you gain from challenging stronger enemies?

For the Chinese team, the warm-up opponents they find after qualifying for the World Cup are like low-level monsters in a beginner's village. These opponents won't go all out just to help the Chinese team practice their new tactics.

But now, the North Korean team, playing on their home turf, will go all out to cause trouble for the Chinese team, driven by their own honor and anger at being "disrespected."

We gain far more from playing against such an opponent than from a warm-up match.

But where in this world can you find something that offers all the benefits without any risk?

If the Chinese team fails to defeat North Korea in this match, and Australia also defeats Iran away from home, then the gap between the Chinese team and the third-placed team will narrow from the current six points to three or four points, which would really threaten the Chinese team's chances of qualifying for the World Cup.

Cai Bokang turned his gaze to Wang Lie, who was wearing the captain's armband.

Hopefully, this man who once took the armband from me can pull the team out of the mire again.

Just like he has done countless times before.

(End of this chapter)