Football: Starting from the Ronaldinho template

Chapter 59: Honduras Slayed in Chang'an!

2014 11 Month 18 Day.

An autumn rain brought a chill to Chang'an, but the ancient city was unusually bustling, welcoming travelers from all over.

"Good evening, viewers!"

"We are currently outside the Shaanxi Provincial Stadium, and we can see that there are many Chinese fans here. We are going to conduct random interviews with a few of them."

"Hello, do you have time for an interview?"

The CCTV reporter looked at the middle-aged man across from him who was wearing glasses and a Chinese national team jersey.

"Okay, I have time."

The middle-aged man straightened his collar and had his companion check his appearance.

"May I ask your name? And is there anything you'd like to say about the Chinese national football team's last match, the game against New Zealand?"

The reporter handed over the microphone.

"My name is He Sheng. I am a structural engineer and also a Chinese football fan."

"I am very satisfied with the last game. Whether it was Qin Ming, who just joined the national team, or the other players, their performances were different from before, and they made me feel their drive."

"Also, I think Coach Perrin's tactical approach is quite suitable for the current national team."

He Sheng was perhaps a little nervous, and subconsciously said a lot.

"So you went to Hongdu first and then came to Chang'an to watch two games in a row?"

The reporter was surprised to encounter a loyal fan.

"Yes, it's almost the end of the year and I still have some annual leave left, so I thought I'd come and watch the national football team play live."

He Sheng smiled.

He rarely watches these friendly matches; he usually watches the World Cup Asian qualifiers or matches that are close to where he lives.

But the significance of the friendly match changed after Qin Ming returned to China.

He was one of the first to follow Qin Ming, and having watched Qin Ming gradually shine in the Bundesliga, he had long wanted to witness it live.

Now that the opportunity has arrived, I certainly can't miss it.

"So what are your thoughts on tonight's game?"

The reporter asked again.

"Qin's technical style can make up for the shortcomings of the national team. I think we should have no problem playing against Honduras, even though their world ranking is higher than ours."

"Furthermore, I hope the national football team can continue to fight and strive to give us fans a surprise in the Asian Cup early next year."

He Sheng offered his heartfelt blessings.

During the 2002 World Cup, he had just graduated from university. He was saddened for a long time when the national football team failed to qualify for the knockout stage.

I thought it was just a starting point, but who knew it would be the peak of the national football team.

In the past few years, watching the competitions made him want to get a refund.

But after more than a decade of ups and downs, he never gave up and continued to support the national football team.

Now, hope has finally arrived.

This time, he wants to see more, not just Asian Cup runner-up, not just missing out on the World Cup.
The autumn rain did not dampen the fans' enthusiasm. 28,000 fans came to the Shaanxi Provincial Stadium, all wearing bright red jerseys and singing cheering songs in unison.

However, the situation on the field was somewhat dull.

Given the precedent set by New Zealand, Honduras's defensive efforts against Qin Ming can be described as extremely high.

However, despite wasting a lot of defensive resources, they were also unable to easily threaten the Chinese team's goal.

Time passes minute by minute.

Qin Ming was very patient.

A football match can easily last 90 minutes, but players only get to touch the ball for a mere 5 minutes.

He began to change his role, trying to stretch the opponent's defense or make a pass.

Honduras gradually lowered its guard.

In the 38th minute of the match, Qin Ming found an opportunity. After receiving a pass from Zheng Zhi, he sprinted along the sideline.

Honduras, who had just been thrashed 6-0 by Japan, now exposed their weakness in transitions between attack and defense – slowness! Chavez, who plays for a Chinese League One team, hurriedly moved forward to defend.

But Qin Ming's dazzling footwork and agile movements gave him a misconception.

Last year, Honduras suffered a crushing 0-5 defeat to Brazil in an international friendly match.

Chavez was almost knocked unconscious by Neymar at that moment.

Why does Qin Ming seem more like a Brazilian player than Neymar?

Snap! With a rapid flick of the ankle, the football traced an exaggerated trajectory, like a bull's tail.

"Huh? Chavez was completely faked out and fell flat on his backside!"

"Qin Ming dribbles the ball towards the penalty area!"

Facing two players blocking the goal, Qin Ming skillfully looked to his left but actually passed the ball to his right.

Gao Lin, positioned at the front, finally avoided a miss and calmly slotted the ball into the goal.

1-0! ! !

Finally breaking the deadlock before halftime, Gao Lin excitedly dove across the grass to celebrate, his outstretched arms resembling wings.

"No wonder people call him Gao the Airplane."

Qin Ming covered his mouth and chuckled from behind, while Zheng Zhi next to him laughed along.

Perrin watched the Chinese team celebrating from the sidelines, and finally felt a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. If they could defeat Honduras, who were ranked higher than China, and win the two friendly matches in December, then China should be guaranteed to become a seeded team.

As for whether they can win, the Chinese national football team's opponents are Thailand and Paraguay.

Last year, the Chinese team was defeated 1-5 by the Thai team, which can be described as a complete and utter defeat.

But Perrin had already received information that the Thai team would not send its main players, but instead field substitutes or youth players.

So if he still can't win.

It would be better to end get out of class earlier.

As for Qin Ming, there's no need for him to come back. He can finish the first half of the Bundesliga season, saving himself the fatigue of traveling, and then play in the Asian Cup during the winter break.

"China takes a corner kick on the right!"

"Zhang Linpeng got to the ball first, but his header was saved by the goalkeeper. Let's see who gets the second ball?"

"Zheng Zhi!"

Zheng Zhi, who controlled the second point in the heart of Honduras, passed the ball to Qin Ming without hesitation.

At this moment, most of the defenders are in the penalty area.

Once Qin Ming realized he was unaffected, he got into position and unleashed a finesse shot.

Bang! The close-up recording equipment picked up a screeching sound as the soccer ball spun so violently it seemed to tear through the air.

Then, the Chinese fans, standing on tiptoe, saw the Honduran goalkeeper jump up and his hand reach for nothing.

Swish! The crisp sound of the football hitting the net sent the aging stadium into a frenzy.

"Qin Ming! He scored a similar chip shot goal in the Wolfsburg vs. Hamburg match not long ago!"

"It seems that in addition to his spiritual breakthrough, he has also mastered the technique of rubbing and shooting!"

"Look at that flawless arc, leaving Escubine only able to watch the ball with envy!"

He Wei's voice traveled through the internet to the ears of every fan following the game.

After the goal, Qin Ming was substituted off the field at his own request.

Because Wolfsburg's next league match is in five days, he needs to conserve enough energy to deal with Schalke 04.

Ultimately, the Chinese team defeated Honduras 2-0, successfully defending their position in the final thirty minutes.

After finishing two national team matches, Qin Ming ate a bowl of mutton stew before boarding a flight.

He still has a long way to go to climb this muddy hillside.

By the way, before returning to Germany, he asked Gao Lin to help him find a real estate manager, as he planned to buy several properties in a few first-tier cities as an investment.

(End of this chapter)