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Chapter 182 Military Training in Pyongyang
During halftime, Liu Jinxuan's mother happily imagined the second half:
"Hey! Our kid might actually be able to come on as a substitute! See, I told my colleagues to watch this game, and they were right, weren't they?"

The husband was speechless: "Didn't you say in the first half that you hoped our son wouldn't have to go on the field and take the blame?"

The wife glared at her husband: "You need to look at things dialectically! Everything is constantly changing. The Chinese team didn't play well in the first half, so of course I didn't want our son to play. But now we're leading by two goals, what can the North Korean team possibly do? With such a good opportunity to play with the momentum, of course he should go up and experience the atmosphere, otherwise it would be such a waste!"

The husband nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, you're right..."

"What kind of tone is that? Don't you want our kid to make his first appearance for the national team?"

The husband raised his hands in surrender: "Of course I hope so. I just think it's better not to set a definite goal. Did you forget that when you told your colleagues to watch this live broadcast, did you expect the Chinese team to start the game like this?"

The wife paused for a moment; of course, she could have stubbornly retorted, "How can they be the same?"

However, she was indeed worried that she might actually become a "jinx," so she decided to keep a low profile...

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"For a while after the start of the match, our performance wasn't ideal. But that's okay, that's normal. The important thing is that we didn't give up in the face of this unfavorable situation. I saw everyone on the field trying to find opportunities to break through. That's the most important thing."

Despite not playing well at the start of the game, He Zhenyong did not criticize his players in the locker room during halftime.

On the contrary, he praised their performance.

"I know that some of you must have had reservations about this arrangement when we decided to use the new tactics for this game. This is the reason why I made this arrangement for the first half. We can't always have a smooth game and play with the wind at our backs. After we set our sights on winning the championship, we embarked on a thorny and very difficult path."

"In the future, we are destined to encounter situations similar to today on this path. We will be restricted by our opponents' targeted tactics, and we ourselves may not be able to perform at our normal level for one reason or another... But it doesn't matter. As long as we don't give up on pursuing victory in the game, I believe that someone will definitely step up. This time it was Wang Lie, next time it might be Chi Zhen, Fu Xiaofeng, Feng Qiyuan... any one of you on the field!"

He Zhenyong looked at each player, and everyone looked at him.

Everyone's face showed a focused and serious expression; no one was indifferent, joking, or apathetic.

You could tell from their expressions and eyes that they agreed with what the head coach said.

Seeing this scene, Cai Bokang couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
How long has it been since the atmosphere in the national team has been this good?

Since being eliminated from the Asian Cup, the national team has been undergoing a generational change, and the atmosphere within the team has been quietly shifting.

Wang Lie's influence was still strong, and on the surface everyone could maintain a harmonious atmosphere, but beneath the calm surface, undercurrents were still surging.

This is something no one can stop.

After all, this is reform, and reform is not a warm and friendly dinner party where everyone is happy.

Reform means that some people will lose power and others will gain power. Those who have already benefited will certainly try every means to protect their position and interests from being harmed, while those who come later will not be lenient when seizing benefits and positions.

You can't even accuse anyone of being selfish in this, because it's human nature, it's the law of nature.

The coaching staff had initially used force to exclude Wang Lie from the team, and everyone thought the atmosphere in the national team would return to normal.

As a result, Wang Lie performed exceptionally well in Taien, and a huge rock was thrown into the calm lake of the national team, causing a massive wave that affected everyone.

To eliminate this impact, and also to avoid wasting the excellent form of Wang Lie and Chi Zhen, the national team coaching staff racked their brains and devised a brand new tactic.

Fortunately, their efforts were worthwhile, and their hard work paid off.

In today's national team, the vast majority of people choose to put aside personal grudges and their own selfish motives, unite as one, and move forward towards a common goal.

This time, perhaps we can create a new history...

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North Korea did indeed make substitutions at halftime, and they made two substitutions at once, reducing one striker and adding a defensive midfielder.

It's clear they want to stabilize the midfield and defense.

It has to be said that the fact that the Chinese team only found their form in the final stages of the first half and scored two goals was actually good news for the North Korean team.

Because the first half ended shortly after the Chinese team found their rhythm, the North Korean team had fifteen minutes to adjust their tactics and rest.

The still-shaken North Korean players can finally catch their breath in the locker room and get rid of the pressure of China scoring two goals in five minutes.

Head coach Choi Young-seok could also rethink his tactics and how to limit the Chinese team's performance.

If North Korea concedes two goals within five minutes of the start of the second half, then things will be in trouble.

After substituting two players in one go, North Korea abandoned its high pressing in the second half and opted for a more compact defense.

"Choi Young-seok's reaction was quick..."

After seeing the results of the North Korean team's tactical adjustments on the field, Cai Bokang said to He Zhenyong.

He Zhenyong said, "After all, it's a home game. If we get thrashed at home, it'll be hard to explain..."

Judging from the initial positioning at the start of the match, the Chinese team's formation was 3-5-2, but in actual attack, it was more like a 3-2-5. The two wing-backs, Lu Changqing and Qin An, pushed up to the forward positions, which gave them a numerical advantage over North Korea's four-man defense in the attacking third.

Theoretically, the Chinese team could pass the ball directly from the defensive line to the front, breaking through the North Korean team's high press.

However, after the match started, the Chinese players were not yet used to the new tactics and were caught off guard by the North Korean team, failing to unleash the theoretical power of this formation.

Zhuang Yunsheng was originally a substitute for Chu Yu and Feng Qiyuan, two center-backs in the national team, but because of his good ball-playing ability, he became the starting center-back in the 3-5-2 formation.

He Zhenyong and Cai Bokang wanted to use his ability to distribute the ball from the backcourt to supply ammunition for the Chinese team's attack.

However, Zhuang Yunsheng and his two center-back partners were not used to the three-center-back formation for the first time in the national team match. They were unable to pass the ball out calmly due to North Korea's high pressing.

After Wang Lie opened the scoring for China with his outstanding individual ability, everyone relaxed. In addition, the North Korean players were unsettled and their pressing in the attacking third was not as aggressive as before.

Chi Zhen's goal was initially achieved when Zhuang Yunsheng made a long pass from the backfield to Wang Lie, who was moving to the wing.

Choi Young-seok was well aware that if he continued to press high up the pitch, he would face a disadvantage of being outnumbered in both defense and midfield against a Chinese 3-5-2 formation that was able to play normally.
In defense, his four defenders were outnumbered by China's five attacking players.

In midfield, the Chinese team can have its two wing-backs drop inside, while two of the trio of Wang Lie, Chi Zhen, and Fu Xiaofeng drop back to midfield to form a rectangular four-man midfield with Su Ju and Song Lihui. This also gives them a numerical advantage against North Korea's three-man midfield.

At that time, the Chinese team will no longer need to make long passes from the backfield directly to the forwards. Instead, they can pass the ball to the midfield, and then pass it through the midfield to the front.

Of course, China's 3-5-2 formation is not invincible. There is no formation or tactic in the world that is invincible. The tactics used by teams that win championships and victories are not necessarily the "standard answer" that applies to all situations. Rather, they are the most suitable for the characteristics and abilities of their own team's players.

“Actually, North Korea doesn’t need to play so deep. They could change their high-pressing to a midfield press. They could switch to a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-4…” Cai Bokang said.

He Zhenyong complained, "Do you think Choi Young-seok didn't want to? But his North Korea has always played a 4-3-3 high-pressing style. If they change their tactics temporarily, wouldn't that be the same as our first half? They might give us even more opportunities... Choi Young-seok's choice is right now. At least we should try not to concede any more goals."

※※※

If you only look at the first fifteen minutes of the second half, the North Korean team did stabilize and did not concede any more goals.

Choi Young-seok's adjustments to the team during halftime were effective.

Unfortunately, each half of a football match is forty-five minutes, not fifteen minutes... otherwise North Korea could have lost by only two goals.

In the 15th minute of the second half, and in the 60th minute of the match, Su Ju unleashed a powerful long-range shot from outside the penalty area, which was brilliantly saved by North Korean goalkeeper Pak Jong-nam. China was awarded a corner kick.

It was from this corner kick that Feng Qiyuan headed the ball into the net.

"Feng Qiyuan!! Great shot!! 3-0!! China has extended its lead! This game is basically over!" Luo Jin shouted excitedly.

This isn't just him making empty promises; it's his genuine feeling after watching the first fifteen minutes of the second half.

Unlike the first half where they were completely outmaneuvered by the North Korean team, the North Korean team tightened their defense in the second half, giving the Chinese team a lot of space on the field. The Chinese players used this opportunity to practice their new tactics against their opponents, with various passing and movement, just like in training.

For those fifteen minutes, the Chinese team dominated in both ball possession and the overall game.

Feng Qiyuan's goal was a natural result of this advantage.

Luo Jin believes that even without Feng Qiyuan's header, the Chinese team would still be able to score.

Because the Chinese team has almost compressed North Korea's three-layer defense line to its limit, North Korea cannot resist for long.

It wasn't Feng Qiyuan, but Wang Lie, Chi Zhen, Fu Xiaofeng... or someone else who scored the goal.

Qin An, the wing-back, even had a shooting opportunity inside the penalty area. It's worth noting that in the original tactics, Qin An played as a right-back. Although he has strong attacking abilities, he is ultimately a defender and his primary role is defense. His main contribution to the national team's attack was actually through crosses from the wing.

Now he frequently appears in restricted areas of North Korea.

That shot was just one way he participated in the attack, not the whole story.

With complete dominance on the field, a commanding lead in statistics, a three-goal advantage in the score, and Wang Lie as a backup option, Luo Jin really couldn't imagine how the Chinese team would lose this match.

National team head coach He Zhenyong seems to share the same idea.

Just minutes after Feng Qiyuan scored, he made China's first substitution of the match.

He substituted center forward Tan Xingchang for attacking midfielder Fu Xiaofeng.

With Wang Lie and Chi Zhen moving back a bit, and Tan Xingchang positioned at the very front, the Chinese team's formation on the field changed from 3-5-2 to 3-2-4-1.

Wang Lie and Chi Zhen appear to be further from the goal, but with an additional center forward as the attacking focal point, China's offensive threat will not be diminished simply because the two players are further from the goal.

This is also part of the new tactics.

After all, the Chinese team can't just train one type of attacking strategy.

Just now it was the trident combination of Wang Lie, Chi Zhen, and Fu Xiaofeng; now it's the three arrows of Tan Xingchang, Wang Lie, and Chi Zhen.

Tan Xingchang possesses height and technical skill, excels at setting up his teammates, and is willing to play a supporting role. Wang Lie and Chi Zhen constantly switch positions around him, making it more difficult for North Korea to defend.

Now that the team is leading by three goals, He Zhenyong is even more determined to use this match to train his players.

In fact, North Korea is a very good adversary because it has distinct characteristics and a strong fighting spirit, and it will not be easily defeated.

This ensures the intensity and effectiveness of the training.

Therefore, his substitution of Tan Xingchang, adjusting the formation and tactics, was not aimed at expanding the lead, but rather at exploring more possibilities.

After Tan Xingchang came on, the Chinese team faced another tactical shift, and their control of the situation was not as good as it was at the start of the second half.

However, it wasn't as chaotic as it was in the first thirty minutes of the first half.

It was clear that the Chinese players were not quite used to it, but they were still trying their best to achieve the coach's tactical goals by relying on the tactical skills they had learned while playing in European leagues.

This is the importance of confidence.

In the same situation of not being used to the new tactics, the Chinese team players can take it in stride when they are leading by three goals.

Even though they didn't score, they didn't give North Korea many opportunities either, and overall the Chinese team had a slight advantage on the field.

Although China only had a slight advantage on the field, there were no major dangers in front of the Chinese team's goal, which made Chinese fans watching on TV even more confident that the Chinese team would win the game.

With this victory, the Chinese team will have 21 points in this group. The match between Australia and Iran is yet to be played. If Iran can defeat Australia at home, the Chinese team will lead third-placed Australia by nine points, securing their qualification for the World Cup knockout stage two rounds early.

Even if Australia defeats Iran, China will still lead Australia by six points. With two rounds of qualifying matches remaining, China only needs one more win to secure qualification.

It can be said that the Chinese team's probability of qualifying is as high as 99.999999999%. Professional media may be more rigorous, but Chinese fans can start celebrating their qualification in advance.

Chinese fans online are already eagerly anticipating what kind of performance this national team will deliver at next year's World Cup...

Watching the TV, Liu Jinxuan's mother frowned and sighed, "Isn't the outcome already decided? Why haven't they made any substitutions yet? They've already used one substitution opportunity, leaving only two... Surely they can't leave five substitution slots unused?"

Her husband comforted her, saying, "That's unlikely. Didn't Luo Jin and Zhao Chuanfeng both say that He Zhenyong was clearly practicing new tactics in this match? If he's practicing new tactics, then he should send more players on the field and test more combinations of players..."

As we were talking, we saw three players run into the edge of the TV broadcast camera. They were wearing the Chinese team's white away jerseys for this match, with yellow vests over them, indicating that they had just been warming up.

Now, what does it mean to return to the coaching bench from the warm-up area?
Any football fan who knows even a little bit about the game knows – it's time to make a substitution!

The wife suddenly shouted, interrupting her husband's comforting words: "Baby!"

At the same time, she pointed to the screen.

The husband looked in the direction she was pointing.

Although it's a long shot, only the human shape is visible, not the face. But how could parents not recognize their own child's running posture?

So his wife wasn't wrong; that was indeed their child.

Their kid is going to come on as a substitute!
The husband was also very happy, after all, he was going to play, and he could say that his family had produced a real national team player!

He turned to share the joy with his wife, but saw that her face did not show happiness; instead, it revealed worry.

He was initially startled, but quickly understood why his wife had that expression.

I both want my son to perform, but I'm also afraid he'll be under too much pressure and won't perform well...

The man who understood his wife said nothing more, but simply put his arm around her shoulder and stood with her to face this historic moment in their son's life.

On the television screen in front of them, commentator Luo Jin was saying:

"The Chinese team is about to make another substitution! Ten minutes after bringing on Tan Xingchang, Coach He is planning to make three substitutions at once! It is worth mentioning that one of these three substitutions is a young player from the China League One team Chongshan Qianfan, Liu Jinxuan, who is only nineteen years old! He has scored nine goals in ten rounds of the China League One this year, making him the team's top scorer and the youngest captain in the club's history!"

Zhao Chuanfeng continued, "He should replace Chi Zhen, after all, they play in the same position and have similar playing styles... Of course, Liu Jinxuan is younger and less experienced than Chi Zhen. Getting a chance to come on as a substitute in this match should be an encouragement for him..."

The television broadcast also switched from a panoramic shot to a close-up shot at the right time.

Liu Jinxuan took off his yellow vest and threw it onto the bench. Then, he and two other teammates walked toward assistant coach Cai Bokang, waiting for Coach Cai to assign them tasks.

He looked somewhat excited, yet also a little nervous, in the footage.

(End of this chapter)