Football: Starting from the Ronaldinho template

Chapter 94 Even if it's slow, keep going and you'll eventually reach your goal!
The next day.

Inside the training facility in Campbell.

"Qin Ming suffered a contusion to the back of his left leg. Yesterday, he applied a cold compress, which reduced the pain, but fatigue during training today triggered the symptoms. He will need 3-7 days to recover."

The team doctor said to Perrin with a worried expression.

This morning during his recovery training, Qin Ming felt his left leg twitching, and he experienced significant pain when exerting force.

It's the spot where Kim Jin-soo stepped on.

So they rushed to the nearest St. Vincent's Hospital for an X-ray, which revealed that the damage was not serious.

It's inflammation caused by the muscles being squeezed and then used at high intensity.

However, you still need to apply cold compresses and rest for 3-7 days. Otherwise, continuing to exercise will aggravate the inflammation and may even produce more serious side effects.

"It looks like I'll have a hard time participating in the next match."

Qin Ming didn't try to put on a show of wealth.

If you are injured, rest.

It would be such a waste to ruin one's career by being reckless in a competition.

"Qin Ming, how are you feeling? Are you feeling any better?"

Gao Lin was worried that Qin Ming would be bored, so he came over right after training.

"It's alright. I don't feel anything when I'm not exerting force. The doctor also said it's not a big problem."

Qin Ming scooped up a handful of blueberries and threw them into his mouth.

Honestly, Australian blueberries are pretty good; the berries are large and have a perfect balance of sweet and sour.

Anyway, it tastes better than the ones produced in Germany.

Is it because of sufficient sunlight?
Moreover, this stuff has very few calories and is very nutritious, but it's expensive.

Before he traveled through time, he was usually reluctant to buy such things.

"Did you know what? I heard that before the Japanese players even returned home, fans put up banners outside their hotel and hurled some really nasty insults at them!"

Gao Lin was talking about gossip with great interest.

Don't assume that only Chinese fans have a lot of trolls; in reality, it's pretty much the same in every country, including those football powerhouses.

"The South Korean team seems to be in a similar situation. Their hotel is not far away. I heard that someone sent them malt candy. Do you know what malt candy means in South Korea?"

Gao Lin winked and said, "It means 'go to hell'."

Qin Ming suddenly thought of Son Heung-min. Although he wasn't a fan of the South Korean team, he had a decent relationship with Son Heung-min.

There was no conflict between the two.

In yesterday's situation, it was definitely not suitable to communicate, and it's not really suitable now either.

Otherwise, he would be fine, but Son Heung-min would definitely be criticized.

"Let's wait until we get back to the league before we contact each other again."

Qin Ming thought to himself, then looked at Gao Lin and asked, "Brother Gao, I heard you were very brave when you were young. You got into a fight in England and were even expelled from the national Olympic team?"

As their relationship grew closer, Qin Ming also became quite familiar with Gao Lin, which is why he dared to ask about it.

"Damn it! I get angry just thinking about this!"

Gao Lin didn't mind; he treated Qin Ming as a junior and also as a friend.

Moreover, he has a very outgoing personality and there's nothing he can't say.

"I remember it was in the 80th minute of the game. After I helped the team equalize, I was fouled. That guy was aiming for my leg!"

"Can I tolerate this?"

"They just started fighting them, and that's what happened."

Gao Lin became a little embarrassed towards the end.

why?
As a result of the fight, Zheng Tao suffered a comminuted fracture of his jawbone, Chen Tao suffered a fractured eye socket, and Wang Dalei suffered a torn ear, while his opponents were unharmed.

It's one thing to fight, but it's really shameful to lose.

"The British are indeed tough to fight because they are tall and strong."

Qin Ming offered a word of comfort.

The brawl had a significant impact, but the players shouldn't be blamed entirely.

Because the team leader's requirement at the time was: do not fight back when hit, and do not talk back when insulted.

Isn't this just being a coward?

We're all passionate young people, how could we possibly stand being maliciously fouled and mocked by our opponents?
"Forget about that, let's talk about you instead."

Gao Lin looked out the window with envy in his eyes, "You're only 17 this year, and you still have the chance to participate in the Olympics and the World Cup. But I'm not so lucky."

"It's okay, just call me brother, and I'll take you with me."

Qin Ming made a joke.

"You deserve a beating!"

Gao Lin waved his hand dismissively, then suddenly changed the subject: "If we actually make it to the 2018 World Cup finals, I'll really call you 'brother'."

"Let's not! If the fans find out, they might say I bullied you!"

Qin Ming was just saying it casually.

"Alright, I won't talk to you for too long, so as not to disturb your rest."

Gao Lin patted his behind and left.

No sooner had Gao Lin left than Wu Lei arrived, asking, "Qin Ming, do you think my playing style is better suited for La Liga or the Bundesliga?"

His recent performance in the Asian Cup, especially his inspired runs, has indeed attracted the attention of many foreign clubs.

So now he's thinking about where to go after this season's Chinese Super League ends.

Qin Ming is the most experienced in this kind of thing, so listening to his advice is definitely the right thing to do.

"Brother Lei, to be honest, your basic skills are not good. Even if you go abroad, you will still need to practice, especially shooting, shooting with both feet."

Qin Ming knew that good advice was hard to hear, but he still had to say it.

"I know."

Wu Lei is very sincere. He is a genius in the Chinese Super League, but if he were sent abroad, he might not make a splash.

"My suggestion is to look at the Bundesliga. Why do most Asian players start their careers in the Bundesliga? It's because our strengths are speed, football intelligence, agility, and positioning, which give us an advantage against Bundesliga defenders."

"As for La Liga, there are too many similar players, and they are physically better, so it's difficult for us to compete with them."

Qin Ming has gained some experience after playing half a season in the Bundesliga.

"Do you think it would be suitable for me to go to Wolfsburg?"

Wu Lei suddenly thought of Volkswagen, the team behind Wolfsburg.

"not good."

Qin Ming poured cold water on his enthusiasm, saying, "Wolves want results right now, including next season. So they won't give you time to grow. They will definitely choose to buy a striker who is competitive enough."

"Then I'd rather go to a smaller team."

Wu Lei understood.

Perrin was sulking in her office. Based on the doctor's advice, Qin Ming was likely to miss the semifinals.

This made it even harder for them, who were already exhausted, to play against the UAE.

"It's all Dieter Black Gold's fault!"

Perrin took a deep drag on his cigarette.

Wolfsburg's early success, keeping a tight lead over Bayern, can be attributed in part to their relentless use of De Bruyne and Qin Ming.

Which team in the world has such a high attendance rate for its 17-year-old players?
He could understand the pressure Dieter Blacking was under, but when the terrible consequences fell on his head, he naturally couldn't accept it.

"Fortunately, Omar from the UAE was injured during the match against Japan."

Perrin's expression relaxed a little.

You should know that Omar has a well-known nickname: the Gulf Messi.

Although every national team seems to have its own "Messi," which greatly diminishes the value of such nicknames, those who are called that must still have some talent.

Moreover, the UAE team fought the Japanese team for 120 minutes, so in terms of physical fitness alone, the Chinese team definitely had the advantage.

"It's a competition of willpower."

Perrin watched the video on the screen silently.

January 27. Newcastle Stadium.

"The 2015 AFC Asian Cup semi-final between the UAE and China has begun!"

"The former played very proactively after the kickoff, which probably means that Qin Ming's absence from the game has relieved the UAE team of their defensive concerns!"

"On the contrary, Perrin chose a defensive counter-attacking tactic!"

"Actually, I think this is easy to understand. The UAE's overall strength is higher than ours, and our offensive intensity has dropped sharply. Our only chance of winning is to defend and counterattack!"

"Moreover, the UAE's pre-match smokescreen that Omar was not injured and started the game will cause a lot of trouble for the Chinese team!"

"."

Qin Ming did not go to the stadium with the team, but stayed at the training base to recover from his injury.

He was in the conference room watching the game with his strength and conditioning coach, Morse.

Although the UAE and Japan went into extra time, their stamina will not be a problem in the early stages of the game. In fact, they will need to use their physical advantage to break through the opponent's goal first.

The game went to the 21th minute.

The UAE played a coordinated attack on the right flank, controlling possession around Omar, making it difficult for the Chinese team to win the ball back.

Moreover, Zheng Zhi's form has declined after several high-intensity matches.

"Omar delivered a lobbed pass with his left foot from the edge of the penalty area, but Mabhat's sliding shot missed!"

"That's terrifying!"

"Omar's nickname is really fitting. This tackle shows his skill. It's just that his teammate didn't hit the right spot!"

He Wei suddenly missed Qin Ming and couldn't help but wonder if Omar would still be so eye-catching if Qin Ming were there.
But the UAE, like the Japanese team before them, led the Chinese team in all aspects of possession, shots, and other statistics, making it difficult for the Chinese players to breathe.

In the conference room, Qin Ming seemed to have become a football fan again, wondering what the national team was like when he first saw it.

They're afraid to make any moves, they don't chase after the ball after it's lost, and some even act like divas.
What now?
Despite being pressured, the players dared to make moves, getting up immediately after falling, and turning around to win the ball back right after losing possession.

It took the Chinese national football team a long time to learn the simple word "strive."

The fans at the scene did not disappear because of the bad situation; instead, they cheered for the Chinese team with even louder drumming and shouts of encouragement.

The first 40 minutes of the match went smoothly.

But in the final moments, the UAE launched a fierce attack, and it looked like the Chinese team was about to be unable to resist.

But when Omar made a bold breakthrough through the flanks, it was thwarted by Zheng Zhi.

Ren Hang decisively stepped forward and passed the ball to Hao Junmin on the side. Although he had limited playing time as Qin Ming's substitute in this Asian Cup, his form was much hotter than when he was at the club level.

Perhaps seeing Qin Ming's excellence put pressure on him, but also gave him more motivation.

Snap! Instead of blindly launching a long pass and cross, he hit a one-two with Yu Hai and then flicked a pass with the outside of his foot.

"Sun Ke!"

"Can we seize the opportunity to counterattack?!"

"Sun Ke is running very fast! He overtook the UAE full-back and dribbled into the penalty area!"

"Diving shot!"

"Beautiful! Goal! Goal!"

He Wei was so excited he couldn't contain himself.

For the first forty minutes, the Chinese team was like someone carrying a dagger, waiting to be attacked while their opponent relaxed, ready to deliver a fatal blow.

Inside the meeting room, Qin Ming clenched his fist and waved it; at that moment, he was a football fan.

That fan who used to say he hated you, but couldn't let go of you in his heart.

However, after the 65th minute of the second half...

The UAE's physical advantage has become apparent.

Omar broke free from the side again, and this time Zheng Zhi was unable to stop him.

Omar charged to the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a shot, which was saved by Wang Dalei. Khalil then pounced on the rebound and scored before Zhang Linpeng could clear the ball.

1-1!

Qin Ming stared silently at the screen. He could sense that the rhythm was off and that the Chinese team's defense was showing signs of collapse.

As expected, Perrin made substitutions to strengthen the defense in the midfield and backfield.

But this is only a temporary solution and not a cure.

When you don't pose an offensive threat, the defensive pressure becomes very high.

The opportunity to counterattack like that was rare and hard to come by.

Furthermore, the UAE has also begun to focus on keeping an eye on Sun Ke, while also preventing Hao Junmin from organizing the operation easily.

The UAE gradually took control of the game's pace.

"Perrin used his last substitution, replacing Zheng Zhi with Wu Xi."

"The 35-year-old captain is nearing his limit."

"The UAE continued their fierce attack on the right flank, making full use of Omar's abilities."

He Wei sighed silently.

82nd minute of the second half.

Omar's breakthrough in the flank caused Mei Fang to lose his position on the wing, allowing the UAE full-back to quickly overlap and receive the pass.

The message is in progress.

The football spun towards the far post of the penalty area, where it was headed on by Abdulrahman, who was lying in wait, and grazed Wang Dalei's hand before going into the goal.

"The UAE team has scored another goal, successfully reversing the score against China."

"Our defense on the flanks became very difficult after Zheng Zhi was substituted, but why is a 35-year-old veteran so indispensable?"

"I think this is a problem that the entire Chinese football community needs to consider."

He Wei saw things very clearly.

"The match is over!"

"UAE team rallies to defeat China 2-1 and advance to the final!"

"And we will be playing Iraq, who lost to Australia, in the third-place match!"

"Looking back at the match, I think the initial tactical deployment was correct, but later on, perhaps due to lack of stamina, the formation gradually became chaotic!"

"It all boils down to one sentence: If you're not as skilled, you have to admit defeat!"

"The road ahead for Chinese football is long and arduous!"

"But don't be afraid, we're here, we've always been here!"

He Wei felt disappointed, but also saw hope.

Because the Chinese team lost like men.

Even when they were completely suppressed in the end, they did their best to defend.

This is something the Chinese team has never done before.

On the field, Zheng Zhi called his teammates over, and they formed a circle.

"After winning three consecutive group stage matches and defeating South Korea in the knockout stage, we seemed to be a bit blinded by victory, and inevitably became somewhat proud and arrogant."

"This game proved a lot."

"Don't be arrogant. We still have a long way to go, and there's a third-place match to come."

"come on."

Zheng Zhi did not mention Qin Ming, because everyone knows who they relied on to get to where they are today.

The loss was partly due to Qin Ming's absence, but more importantly, it was because they were simply outmatched in skill.

Many of them play for small clubs and know how difficult it is to be selected for the national team. Now they see hope for a resurgence.

If you don't want to be eliminated, you have to keep improving.

Wu Lei has also made up his mind to play abroad. He is already 23 years old this year, which is no longer considered a young player.

How many more years can we afford to waste?

Moreover, he also wants to wait until the future when he is qualified to stand on the World Cup stage, instead of relying on someone else to get there.

Qin Ming stood up in the conference room; he had just remembered a sentence.

As Lu Xun once said: Even if you are slow, if you keep going, even if you fall behind, you will definitely be able to reach your desired goal!
(End of this chapter)