Football: I am only 16 years old, and you want me to retire and make a comeback?

Chapter 878 Little Zhang Yuning: Zhang Yuning's potential surpasses mine

With the group stage of the World Cup concluded, the crucial knockout stage is about to begin.

The match between China and Spain will kick off at 3:12 AM Beijing time on December 4th. The importance of this match to both sides is self-evident.

The Chinese team is doing alright. After all, reaching the Round of 16 in the World Cup is already their best result in history. Even if they lose to Spain by a large margin, they won't face too much criticism.

Comparatively speaking, Spain will be under slightly more pressure, after all, for this traditional European football powerhouse, being eliminated in the round of 16 is unacceptable.

The hashtags #QatarWorldCup #China #ChinaSpain #ChinaFootballTeamSpain have recently dominated social media, especially the combination of "China" and "Spain," which inevitably triggers the streaming mechanisms of Douyin and Bilibili.

It's no exaggeration to say that if you include the tags "China" and "Spain" when you post something new, even if it's just a random photo, there will be at least 100 people arguing in the comments section.

Before the start of this World Cup, Chinese fans never expected their team to advance to the knockout stage, so naturally no one could have guessed the opponent of the Chinese national team in the round of 16.

That's right, the Chinese national football team's opponent in the round of 16 is none other than the birthplace of head coach Escribá: Spain!

5th in the FIFA world rankings!
……

Qatar, Ruiyang.

boom!
A Qatar Airways charter plane adorned with the Chinese flag landed at the airport.

The group stage has now concluded, and the venues for each team's matches have changed. The Chinese team's match has also moved from the capital Doha to Ruiyan.

So, will the Chinese team be able to return to Doha in the upcoming matches?
Theoretically, it is possible, but the triggering condition is quite demanding: if you advance to the semi-finals or finals, then needless to say, the venue will naturally become the Lusail Stadium.

The plane taxied on the runway and finally came to a stop next to the jet bridge.

Coincidentally, the plane parked next to the Chinese team's plane was a Spanish plane. Both planes were from Qatar Airways and were the exact same model, except for the national flags on their fuselages.

"Our planes are newer than theirs."

Through the window, the observant Tang Ye noticed the differences between the two airplanes.

"Haha, what the hell is this useful?"

"The new plane is definitely better."

Tang Ye pushed Zhang Yuning from behind, criticizing his teammate for not caring about such small details.

Midfielders and center forwards are very different; midfielders are all about the details.

"Really, Ning, you need to pay attention to the details too. A top striker is one who makes good use of the details in front of the goal. Look at how Messi handled things in the penalty area during the first round."

Zhang Yuning waved his hands upwards: "okok, you mean you want me to learn from Messi, right?"

"Whatever you want, it's fine with you."

"It's too late now."

Wu Lei complained, "There are only 3 days left until the knockout stage, what are we going to do?"

"No, Brother Lei, don't be like that. My comprehension is definitely not something that ordinary people can compare to!"

Tang Ye put his hand on Zhang Yuning's shoulder and, as they walked toward the plane's cabin door, he patted his teammate on the back: "Who can score against Wales? It has to be my world's number one center forward!"

"Yuning Zhang!"

"Holy crap, it's so formal!"

Zhang Yuning feigned surprise and delight.

"Absolutely! I told you, my brother Ning is the world's number one center forward, really. You need to be confident. If you want to play well, you first need to be confident. You have to think you're the best in the world, and then you'll really be awesome during the game."

Tang Ye seemed to want to share some kind of evil trick with his teammates.

"Am I not confident enough?"

“Centers from other countries are all fierce, the kind with menacing faces, but you have a bun on your head.”

"Ha ha!"

Tang Ye's rant made his teammates on the plane laugh, and Feng Xiaoting took the opportunity to touch the "dumpling" that Tang Ye had mentioned on Zhang Yuning's head.

"I'm used to it this way. Haaland has the same hairstyle as me."

Feng Xiaoting nudged Zhang Yuning: "Are you as good as Haaland?"

"Hey, don't say it!"

Tang Ye interrupted Feng Xiaoting and Zhang Yuning, who were chatting: "There's a saying that my brother Ning is a bit stronger than Haaland. Didn't someone on Dongqiudi say that Haaland is like a mini Zhang Yuning?"

"Ha ha!"

"So you've started hypnosis, haven't you!"

"Come on!"

"..."

"Tang Ye!"

"Goat! Tang Ye, you are the GOAT!"

"Come on! Don't be afraid of the knockout stage. It doesn't matter if you lose, as long as you play well!"

In fact, the Chinese team players did not need to go to the terminal hall specifically, but considering the needs of the fans, they still chose to pass through the terminal.

After all, advancing to the knockout stage is no easy feat, so let's enjoy this happy time together with the fans.

Once the round of 16 begins, the atmosphere we have now may never be the same again.

……

The World Cup column of the China Football News reports: The Chinese national football team players have arrived at their hotel in the city where the Round of 16 will be held. They will play against Spain on December 4th, Beijing time.

Xinhua News Agency, December 2nd – Reporter Liang Xiaosheng: The Chinese national team held a press conference at noon local time to respond to questions regarding Chinese Football Association Chairman Chen Xuyuan and national team leader Li Tie. Additionally, Escriva stated in an interview that "the match against Spain will definitely not be easy."

For Escudíva, Spain is definitely a very special opponent, perhaps even the most special of all the teams participating in the knockout stage.

“Ferran, in a sense, you have a very thorough understanding of the Spanish national team because you applied for the position of head coach of the Spanish national team after leaving Villarreal, and you were born in Spain and spent half of your coaching career there.”

"...That's absolutely right. Well...I can say I really know the Spanish team. Some of their players come from La Liga and are all players with outstanding individual abilities. So, it's true that I felt very frustrated when I learned that our opponent in the round of 16 was Spain."

Click!

"I don't want to discuss whether there was any collusion between Japan and Spain. Our opponent in the round of 16 will be Spain; that's a done deal, and that's the challenge we face now." "Spain's strength lies in...they have very talented young players; the average age of their starting lineup is under 25."

Escriva misspoke and almost said "we Spain".

However, this cannot be blamed on him, as Escriva once clearly stated in a journalist interview that he is a loyal fan of the Spanish national team.

Even after leaving Villarreal, Esscribá almost became the head coach of the Spanish national team. Unfortunately, his record at Villarreal was second in La Liga, not champion. Otherwise, Esscribá would probably be leading Spain in the Qatar World Cup right now!

"So... in your opinion, what are the chances of the Chinese team winning against Spain? Is it 40%?"

The reporter eventually raised the most crucial question.

"..."

Escriva shook his head at first, it's unclear whether he was denying the question.

"I really don't want to say too much about the winning percentage, but our chances of winning are probably lower than Spain's, and there's nothing wrong with admitting that."

"But I don't think Spain has the advantage in all aspects. I think they have some problems that we can study."

The only advantage for the Chinese national football team being drawn against Spain is that Escribá knows a lot about the Spanish team.

Ferran didn't even need to watch the Spanish team's group stage matches to roughly predict what problems Spain would expose in the knockout stage.

However, Escriva did not reveal this in an interview, leaving one wondering if he has some secret "trump card".

"Jiang (Jiang Guangtai) is in good form, and I think he should be able to make a comeback in the round of 16."

……

Escriva interview: There are problems with the Spanish team; Jiang Guangtai should be able to return in the round of 16.

Qatar Football Association and FIFA official website, 2022 Qatar World Cup group stage top scorers list:
1. Tang Ye (China), 5 goals.

2. Kylian Mbappé (France), 3 goals.

2. Gakopo (Netherlands), 3 goals.

2. Rashford (England), 3 goals.

2. Morata (Spain), 3 goals.

Tang Ye is the only midfielder among the top five scorers, and he also has the most goals, scoring two more than the four players tied for second place.

Being the top scorer in the group stage also gives this Chinese midfielder a significant advantage in the voting for the best player of the group stage.

Among the nominees for the best player in the group stage of this World Cup (Tang Ye, Mbappe, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford, and Gakopo), Tang Ye is clearly the most likely to win the award.

It's worth mentioning that four years ago at the World Cup in Russia, Tang Ye was also the top scorer in the group stage and was selected as the MVP of that World Cup group stage. This year, however, this guy from Qatar was finally given the title of "God of War in the Group Stage".

However, there's a problem: compared to his numerous UEFA Champions League awards, Tang Ye doesn't seem to have won any major individual awards at the World Cup, such as the Golden Boot or Golden Ball. Simply put, Tang Ye rarely wins significant awards in knockout stages.

Is it because Tang Ye can only play in the group stage and his legs go weak when it comes to the knockout stage?

Obviously not. If this guess is true, then what about Tang Ye's MVP awards in the Champions League knockout stages?
The only explanation is that Tang Ye was eliminated too quickly in the World Cup.

They just advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup in Russia, and will be eliminated in the next round. How could they possibly win the Golden Boot and Golden Ball?

Because of this concern, even though Tang Ye currently leads in all statistics, he is not the biggest favorite for the Golden Ball award at this World Cup. He is ranked fourth, after Mbappe, Messi, and Dembele.

The fans felt a little sorry for him, but Tang Ye didn't pity himself.

So-called individual awards are no longer important.

The Chinese team's main goal now is to achieve good results in the knockout stage, at least to break the team's historical knockout stage record.

Tang Ye was full of confidence, and he also hoped to boost the confidence of his teammates. Therefore, the national team captain kept his promise and brought Zhang Yuning "the blessing of his idol".

……

The Sun's front-page headline: Haaland records a World Cup cheering video for Chinese striker Zhang Yuning.

"Hello, Zhang. I am Manchester City striker Erling Haaland."

Haaland, dressed casually, faces the camera; judging from the background, the Norwegian appears to be enjoying a happy vacation.

The camera is a bit shaky, so it must have been filmed with a mobile phone.

"I watched all three of China's group stage matches live, and I have to say, LeBron... well, LeBron, Zhang!"

For Haaland, pronouncing the sound "Zhang" is not an easy task.

"Zhang, you are one of the best players in the game. In my opinion, you should be able to stand on the same level as TY."

Haaland smiled and said, "My friends told me that because of my outstanding performances in the Premier League and Bundesliga, I am often called 'Little Zhang Yuning' by Chinese fans. I am very happy to be compared with you, because we have seen in the World Cup that you are a very promising center forward."

"Furthermore, Zhang, my friend also told me that if we only look at potential, your potential should be above mine."

"Um……"

Haaland pouted: "I don't really like what he said, but my friend rarely says anything wrong, so there's nothing I can do about it, haha. Maybe what he said is true, because I do see some of your talent."

"You will face Spain in the round of 16. I know it will be a challenge for you, but top center forwards should be able to face challenges."

Haaland took a step forward, and the Norwegian in the picture had a very large head and a smiling face that looked even more eerie. It could be said that he was 101% similar to Majin Buu.

"Go for it, Zhang!"

"..."

I wonder what Zhang Yuning will think after watching this video; for the fans, it's enough to make them go crazy.

Zhang Yuning certainly has some influence, managing to get a two-minute video message from a super striker currently valued at €180 million to cheer him on. Even more impressive is that Haaland expressed his admiration (or perhaps submission) in the video!

As for who Haaland's "friend" is... that remains unknown.

Anyway, it's not Tang Ye.

Getting back to the point, it doesn't matter who Haaland's friends are.

Importantly, Zhang Yuning, who is about to participate in the round of 16, received encouragement and blessings from his younger brother Zhang Yuning, and he will surely become even stronger in the round of 16!
……

PS: This update counts as yesterday's. There are still 3 updates today, which should start this afternoon if nothing unexpected happens.

(End of this chapter)