After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

December 10, 2022, Albert Stadium, Qatar.

In the stands, the English cross flag and the French tricolor flag clashed and intertwined, while songs, shouts, and cheers rose and fell, almost lifting the roof off this modern stadium.

The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder as a World Cup quarter-final, dubbed a "premature final," was about to begin.

The atmosphere in the players' tunnel was so heavy it was almost palpable.

The players from both sides lined up and awaited the order to enter the field.

The camera lens, like a falcon, precisely captures the focus.

The photographer knew what everyone wanted to see, so he gave Yan Yuan and Mbappe close-ups.

In the footage, Yan Yuan is wearing England's number 7 jersey, with the captain's armband tightly wrapped around his left arm. His expression is stern, his gaze is fixed straight ahead, and his deep eyes reveal no emotion, only an almost cold focus.

Not far from him, Kylian Mbappé, France's number 10, also had a calm expression, but his slightly raised chin and tightly pursed lips revealed his inner pride and determination.

The two superstars, whose market value is at its peak and who are regarded as the pinnacle of football in this era, did not utter a word at this moment, but their eyes seemed to be sparking with invisible electricity.

This is a war that stakes on world-class honor.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Qatar World Cup quarter-final showdown! England vs. France! I'm your commentator, Zhan Jun!"

"I'm Zhang Lu. This match has so many highlights; it's arguably the most star-studded and most intense match of this World Cup so far!"

"That's right, the direct confrontation between Yan Yuan and Mbappe, the clash between England's youth storm and the defending French champions... the tactical arrangements of coaches Southgate and Deschamps will also be crucial."

Following the referee's gesture, the players from both teams, holding the hands of their caddies, stepped onto the grass that was destined to be etched in history.

The deafening roar instantly swallowed the silence at the entrance of the passage.

"Beep—!"

The referee's crisp whistle pierced the sky!

The game officially begins!

France kicked off first.

After a few passes in the backfield, the ball was quickly passed to midfield maestro Griezmann.

However, before Griezmann could turn around to observe, a white figure pounced on him like a hungry tiger!

Declan Rice!

England's defensive midfielder brought down the ball and Griezmann with a fierce yet clean sliding tackle.

"Oh! Rice! He gave Griezmann a real shock right from the start! That tackle was clean! His attitude was very clear: he wanted to start the attack from midfield!" Zhan Jun's voice suddenly rose.

Zhang Lu provided guidance and comments.

"England's midfield setup today, with Rice and Bellingham, is designed to contain Griezmann, the engine of France's attack, on the defensive end. If they can't let him pass the ball easily, Mbappe and Dembele's threat on the wings will be halved."

Just as Zhang Lu predicted, the first 15 minutes of the game were completely turned into a high-speed, high-intensity midfield battle.

The ball tumbled and bounced violently in the air and on the grass, and the sounds of bodies colliding were incessant.

Bellingham was like a perpetual motion machine, covering every corner of the midfield, and his marking of Griezmann was almost non-stop.

Choameni and Rabiot tried to help France stabilize the midfield, but France's passing lanes were repeatedly cut off by England's relentless running and pressing.

In the 7th minute, Rabiot delivered a long pass to Mbappe, who was making a run down the left flank.

Mbappe chested the ball forward, instantly accelerating to the maximum speed, like a blue lightning bolt, attempting to overpower England's right-back Kyle Walker!

"Mbappe! He's started! He's so fast! Let's see how Walker handles this!" Zhan Jun said rapidly.

Walker, the Manchester City full-back known for his speed, remained completely composed.

He fought and retreated, always blocking Mbappe's path as he cut inside, while using his body to provide slight resistance and disrupt his balance.

Mbappe attempted several stepovers to change direction, but Walker remained as steady as a rock.

Just as Mbappe attempted to force his way down the wing, Walker seized the opportunity and executed a precise sliding tackle, cleanly sliding the ball out of bounds!

"Beautiful! Walker! World-class defense! This one-on-one success has greatly boosted England's morale!" Zhan Jun exclaimed.

Zhang Lu added, "Walker isn't afraid of your style, he's afraid of changes in pace. Mbappe can't beat Walker purely with speed. Walker's defense, experience, speed, and positioning are all just right."

On the sidelines, French coach Didier Deschamps, his brow furrowed, walked to the sidelines and shouted loudly, signaling to his team to calm down and control the ball.

Gareth Southgate stood expressionless in the technical area with his hands in his pockets, seemingly satisfied with the team's tactical execution at the start of the game.

The first memorable moment occurred in the 10th minute.

Mbappe received the pass again on the left wing, clearly still upset about the previous confrontation.

This time, he faced a double-team from Walker and Saka, who had returned to defense in time, but he still confidently chose to drive to the basket.

He shoved the ball forward with his right foot, attempting to overpower it with sheer speed!

However, Walker reacted faster, using his strong body to make a reasonable collision with Mbappe while running. Mbappe stumbled and slowed down slightly, and Walker took the opportunity to catch up and once again shield the ball out of bounds.

"Once again! Walker has stopped Mbappe once again! Mbappe can't gain any advantage against Walker today!" The British commentator's voice was full of excitement.

After withstanding France's initial attempt to use Mbappe to attack down the flanks, England gradually began to control the tempo of the game.

Their passing became more patient and organized.

Harry Kane frequently drops deep into midfield, using his excellent ability to receive the ball with his back to goal and distribute it to the opponent, acting as a pivot and playmaker in the attacking third.

From the 16th to the 30th minute, the game took over the rhythm from England.

England controlled the ball more.

Yan Yuan's range of movement on the right flank is extremely wide. He sometimes receives the ball on the wing and uses his excellent ball control skills to draw the help of French left-backs Theo Hernandez and Rabiot.

He would sometimes cut inside to the middle and play exquisite short passes with Kane and Bellingham.

"Look at this combination play! Kane dropped back and passed to Bellingham, who then played a through ball! Yan Yuan made a run down the wing and crossed! It was a high-quality cross! Unfortunately, Saka was a step too slow in the middle!" Zhan Jun commented.

Yan Yuan's vision and football intelligence were on full display during this stage.

His repeated runs and passes constantly tore apart the French defense.

He is not only a finisher, but also a top-notch offensive initiator.

In the 25th minute, the French team intercepted the ball in their own half, and Choameni attempted a long pass to find Mbappe in the attacking third to launch a quick counter-attack.

Mbappe had already started his run and was about to create a one-on-one opportunity! But at that moment, a white figure chased back like lightning!

Yan Yuan is here!

Yan Yuan sprinted all the way back to his own half from the right attacking position, his defensive speed was astonishing!

Just as Mbappe was about to comfortably control the ball, Yan Yuan used his superior physical attributes to make a powerful cut in from the side and rear.

First, he positioned himself strategically, then with a clean and decisive poke, he cleared the ball from Mbappe's feet and sent it out of bounds.

Mbappe's height and weight are incomparable to Yan Yuan's.

In the confrontation, Mbappe was completely at a disadvantage, being firmly blocked behind Yan Yuan.

"Yan Yuan has tracked back to the byline! Beautiful defense! Compared to Yan Yuan, Mbappe's physical disadvantage is too obvious, which also shows that Ligue 1 and the Premier League are not even in the same league." Zhan Jun's voice was full of unbelievable surprise.

Zhang Lu also raised his voice.

"Wow! Look at that! Yan Yuan's defensive awareness! His physique! Amazing! Mbappe never expected Yan Yuan to track back so quickly and make such a precise tackle! Yan Yuan's defense is absolutely world-class! He's not just good at attacking!"

This successful defense earned deafening cheers from the England fans.

After intercepting the ball, Yan Yuan immediately waved his hand expressionlessly, signaling his teammates to quickly move forward and join the attack.

Mbappe stood with his hands on his hips, watching Yan Yuan's retreating figure, a hint of annoyance and surprise flashing across his face.

This may be the first time he has been defeated defensively in such a tough way by an attacker at the national team level.

England's offensive came in waves.

In the 28th minute, Bellingham made a strong breakthrough through the middle and passed the ball to Kane, who took a low shot from the edge of the penalty area. The ball grazed the post and went out of play, giving Lloris a scare.

France's defense began to show signs of disarray under England's fluid and coordinated attacks.

In the 31st minute, Stones passed the ball to Rice, who then passed it to Walker on the right wing.

Walker didn't blindly launch a high ball, but instead passed it to Yan Yuan, who came over to receive it.

Yan Yuan received the ball with his back to goal near the right sideline, and Theo was marking him closely.

Yan Yuan used his body to lean against Theo, first pretending to turn towards the baseline, then easily created some space with a skillful spike.

Instead of going down the wing, he passed the ball across to Bellingham, who was coming to receive it, and then quickly cut inside, rushing towards the edge of the penalty area.

Bellingham understood perfectly. Facing Rabiot's challenge, he didn't stop the ball but instead passed it directly to Kane in the middle.

Kane was unable to turn around due to Chuamey's interference, but he saw Yan Yuan cutting inside and cleverly flicked the ball backward with his heel!

The ball rolled perfectly into the open space on the right side of the edge of the penalty area!

And there, Yan Yuan arrived as quickly as if he had planned it all along!

"Kane! Heel! Beautiful! Passed to Yan Yuan!!!" Zhan Jun's voice instantly reached its peak.

The French defenders realized the danger, and Varane and Upamecano rushed up to block them.

But Yan Yuan didn't give them any chance.

He didn't even stop to adjust; as he ran, he met the incoming ball with extreme extension of his body, swung his right leg, and used the inside of his right foot to curl a beautiful arc into the ball.

The ball lifted off the ground, tracing a rainbow-like trajectory, bypassing Varane's diving block, and with a strong spin, flew towards the top left corner of the goal.

French captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris made a desperate dive to the side, his fingertips stretched to the limit, but the speed and angle of the ball were too perfect, almost grazing the junction of the crossbar and the post, and slamming into the net!

"Goal!!! World-class goal!!! Yan Yuan!!! Unbelievable goal!!! England leads France 1-0!!!" Zhan Jun shouted hoarsely!

"That goal... was unstoppable!" Coach Zhang Lu excitedly added, "Look at Yan Yuan's positioning, that shot! A first-time curler, the angle, the power, the curve—perfect! Lloris had absolutely no chance! It was a perfect shot into the corner! This goal was a combination of top-level awareness and top-level finishing ability!"

After scoring, Yan Yuan took a deep breath, then opened his arms, smiled confidently, and slowly ran towards the corner flag, receiving the thunderous adoration of the entire England fan base.

His teammates rushed forward and surrounded him.

On the sidelines, Southgate finally couldn't help but pump his fist in celebration, while Deschamps, his face ashen, paced anxiously on the sidelines.

After conceding a goal, the French team attempted an immediate counterattack.

Mbappe appeared more impatient, attempting several individual breakthroughs, but he struggled to find a way through either Walker's one-on-one defense or the overall defensive chain of England.

Either the ball is intercepted, or the crosses are of poor quality.

Giroud also struggled to get a shot off under the tight marking of the England center-backs.

During first-half stoppage time, the French team had a long-range shooting opportunity.

Chuamey unleashed a powerful shot from 30 meters out, but the angle was too straight, and England goalkeeper Pickford caught it comfortably.

"Beep—beep—beep!!"

The whistle blew to end the first half.

The England players high-fived each other and walked toward the players' tunnel with satisfied expressions.

Yan Yuan and Kane walked side by side, exchanging whispers.

The French players appeared somewhat dejected; Mbappe, head down, quickly walked into the tunnel.

At halftime, England led the powerful French team 1-0 thanks to Yan Yuan's stunning long-range goal.

These 45 minutes were a victory of tactical discipline, a shining moment for the star player, and a demonstration of Yan Yuan's complete dominance on both offense and defense.

An even more brutal second half is about to begin.