Fox in the Penalty Area

The national team match day in March consists of two games. After the away game against Iraq, the Chinese team returned to China to prepare for the second top-12 match against Thailand.

The Thai team had just tied with the Iranian team and their morale was at a high level.

In fact, they have basically no hope of qualifying for the World Cup, but this does not prevent them from giving their best in every game.

Because for the Thai team, this is their "World Cup".

Therefore, before the game, Chinese team head coach Jorge Dillon warned his players not to relax their vigilance just because promotion is imminent.

If the Thai team is really tied or even defeated at home, it will not only be a loss of face, but it may also affect the qualifying situation and make other opponents ready to take action.

The Chinese team didn't let head coach Diron worry too much.

Facing the high-spirited Thai team at home, the Chinese team took the initiative from the first minute of the game.

Although Thai players are shorter, more flexible and faster.

However, in the face of the absolute strength gap, the characteristics of the Thai team cannot play a role in "turning the tide".

After all, when it comes to speed, the Chinese team also has fast players.

In terms of technology, the skills of Chinese players are not bad either.

The dexterity of Chinese players is indeed not as good as that of Thai players, but they have an advantage in physical strength.

Plus home games.

Amid the cheers of all Chinese fans, the Chinese team scored two goals against the Thai team in the first half.

Zhou Zijing opened the scoring for the Chinese team with a header.

Ten minutes later, Zhang Qinghuan suddenly shot a cold arrow outside the penalty area to expand the lead.

The Thai team, which conceded two goals, tried to counterattack, but at its home court, the Chinese team firmly controlled the rhythm of the game and did not give the Thai team a chance to make a comeback.

In the last top 12 match, the Thai team drew with Iran 0:0.

That's because they first played at home, and secondly the bus parked well, and finally managed to maintain the 0:0 score until 70 minutes later, when Iran became impatient.

I can't even seize the opportunity.

Now that all such advantageous conditions do not exist, it is even more difficult for the Thai team to come back.

In the second half, the two sides changed sides and fought again, but the Chinese team still firmly had the upper hand and refused all unexpected situations.

Hu Lai received Zhou Zijing's header in the 62nd minute and scored, sealing the victory for the Chinese team.

He was replaced by Dillon three minutes after the goal.

A three-goal lead does not require him to stay on the court to intimidate opponents.

We still need to give others more opportunities to play.

It wasn't just Hu Lai who was replaced early.

Chen Xingyi and Zhang Qinghuan were both replaced accordingly.

With fifteen minutes left in the game, Dillon used up all the substitutions he had.

Let the substitute players come on for training.

It also allows players in Europe to get more rest.

Hu Lai, Zhang Qinghuan and Chen Xingyi are all the absolute main players of their respective teams. They play a lot of games and need more rest time. If it were not allowed by the rules, Dillon even planned to replace all the overseas players and replace them with domestic players. Players come to play against the Thai team to see how big the strength gap between the two is.

As the three main players were replaced one after another, even the Chinese fans thought that this was the end of the game and the score would not change.

Unexpectedly, in the 87th minute, Luo Kai, who was positioned as a forward, took advantage of the Thai team's unwillingness to compete and scored with a header in the penalty area.

The score was fixed at 4:0.

"Luo Kai! Good goal! When everyone thought the game would end with this score, he was still chasing the goal! 4:0! The Chinese team defeated the Thai team at home! This is Luo Kai's last four consecutive games. He scored a goal in every game, and his condition is so good!"

Commentator He Feng said happily.

The Chinese fans at home were even happier. They sang the "Second National Anthem" in unison in the stands:

"The five-star red flag is fluttering in the wind——! How loud the victory song is!!"

When the song started, Dillon, who had been leaning on his chair, sat up straight and listened.

Then he smiled and said to the translator Yu Jintao beside him:

"Listen, Yu! The song of victory!"

Yu Jintao smiled and said: "Yes, a song of victory!"

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After the match against Thailand, seven rounds of the top 12 have been completed.

In these seven rounds, the Chinese team has won all of them and currently ranks first with 21 points.

The Japanese team ranked second with 16 points.

Iran follows with 14 points.

With three rounds left in the top 12, the situation has become completely clear.

The three teams of China, Japan and Iran have left Iraq, Syria and Thailand far behind. Two direct promotion places will definitely be born among these three teams.

The only suspense is who will play in the play-offs.

The Chinese team may be the smallest.

Next, we only need to wait until June, when the eighth round of the top 12 is completed, and the Chinese team is likely to advance to the World Cup finals.

If this is true, it will be the smoothest in the history of Chinese football's bid for the World Cup.

Things that Chinese fans never dared to dream about before are now becoming a reality.

In this incredible process, the foundation for the deepening reform of Chinese football starting in 2015 was laid.

And it is the overseas players who play a key role.

The players who scored goals for the Chinese team in this top 12 competition are all overseas players.

After training and competing in Europe, they have made significant progress and have opened up a big gap with domestic players.

Their performance, especially the "role model" of Hu Lai, has inspired more young Chinese players to study abroad.

Just after this top-12 match, news came from China that Anton Shining Star's young midfielder Ou Yangjin will officially transfer to the Scottish Premiership giant Clyde Rangers after the summer transfer window opens.

He is also the ninth overseas player in the Chinese national team.

But in fact, there are far more than these nine people who go abroad to play football.

For example, Qin Qi, who is playing for the Frankfurt White Hart Youth Team, has not been selected for the national team, but has already entered the national youth team and the national youth team.

Many Chinese fans are paying attention to the growth of this "Queen of Famous Family" in Europe and looking forward to his future, wearing the jersey of the Chinese national team and appearing on the World Cup stage.

These are the ones that everyone is familiar with. In addition, there are some overseas players that the majority of Chinese fans are not familiar with. Because it is not a major league in Europe, it has almost no voice in the public opinion field, and it does not attract attention. No one pays attention to it.

Some of them were inspired by Hu Lai and others.

Some people feel that their development prospects in China are limited, and they want to go out to experience things and strive for a broader future.

This is also due to the outstanding performance of Chinese players represented by Hu Lai in European football, which has opened up the visibility of Chinese players and established the reputation of Chinese players. Only then are European clubs willing to consider introducing Chinese players. Even if he is not a Chinese national football player, the advantage is that he is cheap.

Different from Hu Lai and his friends who went abroad to study with great fanfare, now more Chinese players go abroad to play football in various ways, but they seem to be silent.

But this does not mean that these players who go out but do not play in the mainstream leagues are meaningless.

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When Hu Lai and other overseas players returned to the club by flight from China after playing in the top 12, hundreds of enthusiastic Chinese fans gathered at the airport terminal to see them off.

This scene appeared on TV news, online short videos, and social networks, attracting the attention and heated discussion of many people.

And outside the bustling crowd, at the same time, in the same airport. Some people may have stopped briefly, cast an envious glance at the enthusiastic fans, and then hurriedly left, dragging their luggage toward the security checkpoint for international departures.

Either to chase the football dream in my heart, or for more practical reasons, I embark on a flight to a foreign country with a feeling of apprehension and excitement.

Just like dandelion seeds, blown by the wind, scattered across the sky.

Many of them may end up on cement floors, asphalt roads, and other environments that are not suitable for growth.

But some will fall into the right place, and at some point, break out of the ground.

Wait for another gust of wind to blow their seeds farther away.

In this way, like a relay, they grow, mature, bloom, and multiply silently in fields, roadsides, and everywhere that can grow.

One day, when you look towards the mountains and fields, you will see yellow flowers all over the mountains and fields.

They sway in the wind, as if nodding to you.

You don’t know how far they have traveled and how much wind and rain they have experienced in order to appear in your field of vision.

You don’t even know the names of these little yellow flowers, but that doesn’t stop you from feeling sincerely happy after seeing this scene.

It is a kind of joy and throbbing that comes from the depths of the human heart after seeing vitality.

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