Fox in the Penalty Area

Just a few seconds ago, everyone's attention was still in the penalty area of ​​the Chinese team. No one expected that the battlefield would change in a few seconds.

Don't think that this is only the case for those TV viewers - their sight will be limited by the TV broadcast footage - in fact, this is also true for fans watching the game live.

Because the football is in the penalty area of ​​the Chinese team.

Wherever the football is, it is the hot spot in the game and naturally the most eye-catching.

Burkina Faso's unexpected pass was indeed a bit of a threat.

However, the greater threat still comes from Lin Zhiyuan's attack-if he directly clears the football, Burkina Faso's attack will be over.

But he chose a more fluid approach - he just moved the football away from Salomon, and then walked out of the penalty area with the football. He could no longer control the ball with his hands, and immediately lost his position as a goalkeeper. The biggest advantage.

At that moment, everyone's attention and eyes were firmly attracted by Lin Zhiyuan's movements.

So almost no one noticed that when Lin Zhiyuan moved the football out of the penalty area, Hu Lai in front had already started running.

He first moved laterally towards the sideline, causing Oladapo who was guarding him to follow him.

At the same time, Hu Lai turned back to observe the situation on Lin Zhiyuan's side.

Seeing Lin Zhiyuan kicking the football, he immediately made a diagonal cut, changed his line and rushed towards Burkina Faso's penalty area.

Oladapo's attention was involuntarily attracted by the confrontation between Lin Zhiyuan and captain Salomon, so he did not immediately notice the random movements around him.

Although he had done a good job defending Hu Lai so far in this game, he still relaxed at this time and exposed his flaws.

When he saw Lin Zhiyuan kicking the football towards him, he went to look for Hu Lai and found that the latter was already behind him!

He quickly turned around and chased after him!

Another Burkina Faso central defender, Ola Djiga, reacted more slowly than Oladapo.

While his teammates had already rushed out to defend, Jijia stood there, raised his arms, and signaled to the referee that Hu Lai was offside...

He forgot for a moment that under the current rules, no matter whether the ball was offside or not, the referee would have to wait until the Chinese team's offensive ended before stopping the game.

Moreover, whether it is offside or not is completely determined automatically by the computer system. What is the use of raising his hand here?

At this time, both the fans at the scene and the viewers in front of the TV, following the flying football and the broadcast footage, noticed the scene that happened in front of the Burkina Faso penalty area.

Because they missed the important process in the middle, when they saw this scene, their first reaction was the same as Jijia, wondering whether Hu Lai was offside...

After all, no matter whether the ball is offside or not, players have to finish the offense. It is like opening a blind box. You will never know whether the ball is offside or not until the last second.

But one good thing about fans is that they always think in the right direction.

So even though it was uncertain whether Hu Lai was offside, the cheers in the stands suddenly increased.

This was the whole process that happened before Hu Lai stopped the ball, and it was also a process that many fans and spectators did not see.

After that, when Hu Lai stopped the ball alone in the penalty area and took a shot, things became no longer in doubt.

After the football flew into the goal, the referee blew the whistle, turned around, and pointed his finger at the center circle - this is a valid gesture for scoring!

He did not need confirmation from the video referee team because the sensor integrated into the watch did not vibrate with an offside alert.

So he knew that Hu Lai's ball was not offside.

His gesture ignited the Xuanwu Sports Center, and all Chinese fans let out huge cheers, because they knew that the quarterfinals... were secured!

※※※

"This is our training ground. Although it is rented from Laiqing Football Park, this ground is only for our use, so the quality of the turf is quite good and there is no excessive wear and tear..."

Yan Yan introduced to an old man standing next to him.

The elderly asked with concern: "With this training ground, will it be insufficient?"

"Actually, it's okay, Principal Zhai. Our club is new and not very famous yet. We only attract residents from several surrounding communities to send their children for training. Other than that, we train ourselves. This area is the standard eleven. The football field is divided into several small pieces during training, and it can still be handled." Yan Yan replied.

The old man standing next to him is Zhai Guangming, the retired principal of Dongchuan Middle School. He sighed: "It's a pity that you are in Jincheng. If you were in Dongchuan, our two branches of Dongchuan would provide you with free venues..."

Yan Yan quickly smiled and waved his hands: "Only in Jincheng can we continue to expand the influence and popularity of Dongzhong."

Zhai Guangming agreed very much with Yan Yan's explanation: "Indeed. This year, students from Jincheng have already gone to our East Middle School, just for the name of our East Middle School's 'National Key High School with Football Characteristics'."

"Well, maybe we can see our East Middle School win the national championship again soon!"

Zhai Guangming smiled and said nothing. In fact, he is no longer obsessed with the national championship.

Because the football atmosphere in Dongchuan Middle School is very strong and the level is very high, the national championship is a natural thing, it will happen naturally, and there is no need to deliberately pursue it.

Now I see that not only Dongchuan Middle School, but also the students who graduated from Dongchuan Middle School continue to play football after entering the society, and even set up a football club. Even if it is amateur, it is enough to make the old principal feel Proud:

The "crops" grown from the soil of our Dongchuan Middle School have not grown crookedly!

After visiting the training ground, the group returned to the club's office, the small building where the founding ceremony was held.

Zhai Guangming took out a folded yellow square scarf from his bag and handed it to Yan Yan and Chu Yifan:

"This is a gift to come see you."

Yan Yan said half-jokingly: "Principal Zhai, you can just come, what gifts should you bring..."

Then he and Chu Yifan shook out the yellow scarf. As they expected, it was the flag of the Dongchuan Middle School football team.

But it was somewhat beyond their expectations.

Because this flag looked familiar—their names were among the dense signatures on it.

Not only that, he also saw Hu Lai's crooked handwriting and Luo Kai's name.

Zhai Guangming saw their doubts and explained: "This is the team flag you used to participate in the national competition for the first time."

Yan Yan and Chu Yifan looked at the old principal with wide eyes.

"I took it out of the school's honor room and gave it to you. Consider it a gift for the establishment of your club."

Two people reached out and touched the team flag.

In 2020, the Dongchuan Middle School football team participated in the National High School Football Championship for the first time. At the swearing-in meeting before the expedition, they held this flag and swore to all the teachers and students in the school that they would compete to the best of their abilities and style, and then set off.

Time has left indelible traces on this yellow flag - the color is much duller than it was at the beginning, and it is no longer as dazzling even under the midsummer sun.

But when the two people held it, they still seemed to have traveled back to their high school days.

Fourteen years has been a long time, and they have all changed uncontrollably. They have wives and children, their hair has become less, their bellies have become bigger... Many changes have taken place in their lives.

But fortunately, one thing has not changed - they all still love football as much as they did when they were students.

"Thank you, Principal Zhai..."

Holding this flag that carried their youth, the two expressed their gratitude to Zhai Guangming in unison.

Zhai Guangming waved his hand: "Why are you so polite? I hope you can do a good job in this club, develop it in the long term, and let this flag shine in the honor room of your club. After all, this is a beginning."

The two men nodded in agreement.

Their football career did not start at Dongchuan Middle School, but what this flag represents can indeed be regarded as the beginning of their current club.

If they hadn't participated in the national competition that year, would they still insist on establishing an amateur football club today?

If they hadn't met Hu Lai and Luo Kai at that time, would their lives have been such a wonderful journey?

"Finally, don't forget to take this banner to the competition venue!"

Zhai Guangming pointed to the bundle of red cloth strips already placed on the table.

This was specially brought to them from Dongchuan, and it was actually the main purpose of this trip to Jincheng.

Yan Yan and Chu Yifan clapped their chests loudly: "Principal Zhai, don't worry, I guarantee that the name of our Dongchuan Middle School will be known to the whole country... no, fans all over the world!"

Zhai Guangming nodded repeatedly and smiled happily.

※※※

"... In a World Cup quarter-final that ended last night, the host China team defeated the dark horse Burkina Faso with a score of 2:0, reaching the quarter-finals of the second consecutive World Cup, tying the previous one. The best result of the Chinese team in the World Cup.

"They will face their quarter-final opponent England at the Bailong Lake Stadium in Jincheng! It will also be the first time that four Anton players, Hu Lai, Xia Xiaoyu, Luo Kai and Wang Guangwei, return to their hometown to fight in this World Cup... …”

…

"Hu Lai has once again become the focus of media discussion around the world - the goal he scored against Burkina Faso was the eighteenth goal of his World Cup career. He also tied with this goal He broke the record of Italian superstar Serius Caesar and became the player with the most goals in World Cup history!

"He only needs to score one more goal, and Hu Lai can surpass Caesar and remove the 'tied' label. Judging from his state, he wants to achieve this in this World Cup and become the real 'World Cup No. 1' One person', not difficult. Maybe next time in the quarter-finals against England.

"Caesar accepted an interview with the Italian media after Hu Lai scored. The retired superstar sent applause and blessings to Hu Lai's performance. He said that he was very happy that Hu Lai had the opportunity to break his own record, and he regarded it as a tribute to Hu Lai. Compensation for scoring a goal to defeat the Chinese team four years ago...

"...I always feel that there is something in the Lord's words, and he is still showing off himself in disguise..."

…

"If the Chinese team defeated Burkina Faso and reached the quarterfinals, the happiest people must be the Chinese fans. So besides the Chinese fans, who else is the happiest?

“Last night, after the match between China and Burkina Faso, England’s young player Darren Hunter posted a video on Twitter, recording the moments of the England players watching the match between China and Burkina Faso. reaction……"

The video was shot with a mobile phone and is in portrait format.

The video was probably taken by the photographer from the back row. You can see many England players sitting in their respective seats and looking at the front screen together.

The game between the Chinese team and Burkina Faso is indeed being played there.

However, judging from the score in the upper left corner of the big screen, it was before Hu Lai scored.

The score is still 1:0.

That's when Lin Zhiyuan abandoned the goal and rushed to the edge of the penalty area.

Seeing that Lin Zhiyuan just pushed the football away but did not make a clean clearance, some of the England players watching the live broadcast booed.

But soon, these people jumped up from their seats, raised their arms and cheered.

Because Hu Lai scored a goal!

One of them turned around excitedly and rushed to the camera of the photographer, shouting loudly:

"Settle the accounts! Settle the accounts! Now we have to settle the accounts with the Chinese team!"

This person is none other than Darren Hunter, who scored a hat trick in the quarter-finals against Serbia!

※※※

PS, I'm sorry, I have to take leave again.

This time I am going to Xinjiang to attend my sixth grandmother’s 80th birthday. By the way, I will take my wife, children and parents to Xinjiang to visit.

After all, this may be the last time I take my parents on a self-driving trip that far. As they get older, they are less and less able to sit in a car for too long.

I want them to play in as many places as possible, so this trip may be a bit long...

I'm so sorry!

Because going to Xinjiang has been decided for a long time, I originally planned to finish the book before leaving for Xinjiang, but due to my own procrastination, I later changed my goal to finish writing about the World Cup before leaving...

Until now, I haven’t even finished writing about the World Cup, and it’s already time for me to go out.

I can only shamelessly ask for leave from everyone.

I'm going to take a long vacation this time, and I may not be able to update again until a month later.

I'm sorry everyone, I'm very sorry. When I come back from Xinjiang, I will concentrate on finishing this book...