World Cup of Great Powers

"Extra number, extra number!"

"The French team was completely eliminated!"

"The Chinese team drew with Senegal 2-2, and the world champion was completely eliminated!!!"

The news that France was eliminated once again dominated the World Cup news headlines.

There has been a previous impact, and fans all over the world have been paralyzed.

Even if there is a small group of people who expect a miracle to qualify, it is difficult to make a clear judgment in front of the Chinese team and Senegal.

Both teams are teams that have emerged in the third world in the past two years, one represents Asia and the other represents Africa.

Although in everyone's impression it is still far behind the generally strong European teams, there is no comparison between the two teams.

Fans can't guess who will win.

Now, when the result of the draw came, the fans suddenly realized that they could only lament for the former world champion.

It doesn’t matter if you are proud or complacent, or if you are careless and lose Jingzhou.

Opportunities are equal.

The only fault is that the French themselves didn’t grasp it!

What is foreseeable is that media around the world will begin to shift the focus of their coverage from the French team to China and Serbia.

The next report about the French team in this World Cup can only be the so-called "fight for honor" final group match.

It’s really sad to think about it.

The dignified former world champion ended up in such a miserable end.

On June 7, Cameroon in Group F lost 1-2 to Sweden in the second match, becoming the third team to be eliminated from this cup after Saudi Arabia and France.

Different from the death group of Group F, Spain, the "boss" of Group B, easily defeated Paraguay with a score of 3 to 1.

With two wins from two games, it became the first team to reach the top 16 of this World Cup.

At 19:30 on the evening of June 7, the "British-Afghan War" known as the battle of the century began.

The feud between the two teams dates back to the 1966 World Cup.

Since then, the two World Cups between England and Argentina in 1986 and 1998 have attracted the attention of fans all over the world.

Tonight, the British-Afghan war takes place again.

In addition to the feud between country and family, it is also time for the young England captain to make a break with his past.

In the 43rd minute, Irving broke into the Argentina penalty area from the left rib, and when facing the defense of Argentina's No. 4 defender Pochettino, he flicked the ball to the right.

At the same time, Pochettino made a very unwise action to extend his legs to intercept. Owen immediately jumped forward and fell to the ground. The referee on duty, Italian Collina, immediately blew the whistle and awarded a penalty kick.

After putting aside all the weird thoughts in his mind, Beckham took a short run and volleyed hard with the instep of his right foot.

The ball flew low and fast straight to the center and flew into the net from the feet of Argentina goalkeeper Caballero, who was knocked away. England led 1-0.

This goal became the only goal in the game.

In the end, England won the game.

For the young Beckham, it was a revenge for what he had done four years ago.

The 90 minutes of the Great Britain-Arab war can be said to have been an enjoyable experience for fans all over the world.

While everyone was speculating on how far England, led by Beckham and Owen, would go, another European team that was definitely eliminated appeared.

On June 8, South Africa defeated Slovenia 1-0. Nom Witt, a rookie playing for Udinese, scored the winning goal with his thigh.

Slovenia, hit by internal strife, suffered a losing streak and became the second European team to be eliminated.

Another game in Kashima also revealed a big upset in this World Cup.

After Italy achieved its first victory with 442 in the last game, Trapattoni once again insisted on playing with this formation.

After Croatia lost to Mexico, coach Jozic boldly replaced five players, including discarding the team's most famous star Suker.

It was such a magical rotation that finally helped Croatia chase two goals in a row after falling behind by one goal and successfully achieve a comeback.

Because Italy was whistled off two goals in this game, the Italian domestic media was extremely angry. All media outlets shouted, "The Azzurri were robbed in the World Cup!"

La Gazzetta dello Sport's front-page headline read "A theft!"

"Sports Daily" pointed the finger directly at the referee, calling this an "ugly law enforcement"

Immediately, the Italian Football Association stated that it had decided not to appeal to FIFA, which caused disappointment and frustration among Italian players and critics towards the referee and linesmen.

Maldini said to the camera in disappointment after the game: "It was the referee who defeated us."

At this point, if Italy wants to qualify in Group G, it will only have a chance to qualify if it defeats Mexico in the next round.

When the news of Italy's defeat came, the entire national football team was filled with sadness.

Since the introduction of Serie A in the 1980s, almost all domestic fans are Serie A fans.

“I didn’t expect Italy to lose too!”

"Alas! This whistle in this World Cup doesn't feel very fair!"

"Hey! Think about it, if Italy is also eliminated from the group, how interesting would it be to go directly to the World Cup?"

Everyone was stunned when they heard this.

yes!

First the French team, then Italy.

If the two top European teams in this World Cup do not even qualify for the group stage, the International Pearl Curtain may really consider whether it will easily allow East Asian countries to host the World Cup next time.

On June 9, Brazil also won very neatly.

The 3-0 victory against Nigeria not only highlights the style of the football kingdom, but also proves to the world that the glory of the French team is only temporary, while our Brazilian team will always be the best in the world!

In the other two games, Turkey drew 1-1 with Costa Rica and narrowly defeated Russia 1-0.

On June 10, South Korea drew 1-1 with the United States, and Portugal defeated Poland 4-0.

At this point, South Korea and the United States ranked first and second with one win and one draw with four points, while Portugal ranked third with one win and one loss and three points.

As a strong European team, if Portugal wants to qualify, it must defeat the host South Korea in the third group match.

This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Such a wonderful confrontation will naturally cause a lot of controversy in South Korea.

Many local South Korean fans believe that the Chinese team can eliminate the French team, so why can't South Korea eliminate Portugal?

For this reason, Zheng Menghuai, the vice president of the International Bead Curtain, also stood up and issued a message, saying that South Korea will do its best to win this game!

In another Group H match, Tunisia and Belgium drew 1-1.

After this game, Belgium ranked third in the group with 2 points, and Tunisia ranked last with 1 point.

Belgium can qualify if it defeats Russia in the next round, while Tunisia only has a theoretical hope of qualifying.

In a blink of an eye, the time came to June 11th.

Starting from this day, for the sake of fairness, the four teams in the group will play the third game of the group at the same time.

After three battles, it will be decided immediately whether to go or to stay!

June 11, 14:30 pm, Seoul World Cup Stadium.

"Dear viewers, welcome to watch tonight the third round of Group A of the 2002 World Cup, the match between China and Denmark."

"I am Huang Jianxiang, the host of this game."

"The situation in Group A is relatively clear at the moment. On the other side of the match between France and Senegal, the French team, which lost both games, has been guaranteed to be eliminated. The Senegal team, which only has 1 point, can qualify only if it defeats the French team.

Chance."

"In terms of points, the Danish team, which has won two games, has qualified ahead of schedule, so there is no pressure on the Danish team at all in this game."

"The Chinese team's points are four points for one win and one draw. A draw will advance to the top 16."

"Even if you lose to your opponent, you still have a chance to qualify."

"So for the Chinese team, the hope of advancing to the top 16 is very high..."

After hearing Huang Jianxiang's explanation, the fans in front of the TV also sighed.

For many years, the Chinese team has been fighting a "life and death battle".

Although it is also "a draw to qualify" today, from a probability perspective, the Chinese team has a very high chance of qualifying after drawing with Senegal.

In the words of fan Rossi: "When has our Chinese team ever fought such a prosperous battle?"

So when the players from both sides were warming up, some Chinese fans in the stands couldn't sit still and took out the prepared banners in advance.

"Come on, Team China, we can qualify if we tie!"

"Everyone is waiting for us to advance to the top 16!"

"Congratulations to the Chinese team for advancing to the top 16 in two consecutive World Cups!"

...

Generally speaking, because the Danish team, which wants to preserve its strength, has little fighting spirit, and the French team on the other side is much stronger than Senegal, so for fans, most people think that the Chinese team only needs to go through the motions today.

.

After 90 minutes, 0-0, this is a happy ending.

You, the Danish team, celebrate yours, and we, the Chinese team, celebrate ours. Wouldn't it be beautiful to qualify together?

Soon, the warm-up was completed and Zeng Zheng led the players towards the locker room.

When passing the players' tunnel, the enthusiastic fans leaned on the railing and shouted at Zeng Zheng below:

"Coach Zeng, come on!"

"Thank you, Coach Zeng!"

"Coach Zeng, thank you!"

Zeng Zheng waved to everyone one by one, then followed the team and walked into the player tunnel.

As soon as he entered the passage, he saw bamboo shoes and two bamboo mats waiting for him at the corner.

"Uncle Wang, Uncle Xu, what brought you two here? What? Don't you still trust me?"

After Xu and Wang looked at each other with a wry smile, Wang Junsheng stepped forward and grabbed Zeng Zheng's arm, pulling him aside.

"Xiao Zeng, this is an important moment for promotion, how can we not come?"

"Also, what are you talking about!"

"If we don't trust you, no one in the country can trust you!"

Zeng Zheng was amused after hearing this, "That means you two are here to bring benefits to our coaching staff and players?"

Welfare?

In the past, before a competition, a certain leader would come to the locker room and euphemistically say "cheer up" the players.

Since Zeng Zheng became the head coach, he has made it clear that he will abandon this trend.

Except for sponsors and bonus information, no other leaders are allowed to come to the locker room to talk to the players before the game.

"What benefits do we two old men get?"

"With your family supporting you, who would have the nerve to come to the national team to do welfare?!"

Now, Ms. Qian has become the only sponsor of the national team.

Whether it is equipment or advertising, all are financial investments from Ms. Qian and her family.

"Then you two are here?"

"Xiao Zeng, we have read your report..."

Xu Fang took a deep breath and stepped forward to pat Zeng Zheng on the shoulder.

"how to say..."

"Your Uncle Wang and I have been thinking about it all night, and I very much support your idea."

"You are a football coach, of course we respect your opinion."

"I'm just here to give you a word of truth. With me and your Uncle Wang as your strong backing, you can just go ahead and do it boldly!"

Zeng Zheng was delighted when he heard this and stretched out his hands to hold one in each hand.

"Okay, Uncle Xu, Uncle Wang, I'm just waiting for what you two say!"

"You can just watch from the stands!"

"After 90 minutes, I will definitely lead the Chinese team into the top 16!"

King Xu: "Well, then we will be waiting for your good news!"

Looking at Zeng Zheng's leaving figure, Wang Junsheng sighed, "The waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves ahead. Lao Xu, we are really old."

"Who says it's not the case? The ideas of young people are more passionate than those of us old guys. If you want to make progress, don't you have to rely on these enterprising young people?"

Hearing this, Wang Junsheng sighed: "Speaking to Lao Xu, when do you want to tell him about the bamboo shoes and bamboo mats?"

"Let's wait until after the World Cup!" Deputy Xu Zhuxi breathed out, "There's no rush on this matter. I can still handle it for two years. As long as we plan well in these two years, with his current achievements, this matter will not go away!"

Wang Junsheng nodded, "Okay, as long as you know what's going on. Alas, I'm just afraid that he will be stubborn and have a bad temper."

As soon as Zeng Zheng returned to the locker room, he saw the coaching staff and players looking expectantly.

"Xiao Zeng, what did they say about the bamboo mat?" Chi Shangbin asked nervously.

He came to give instructions before the game. He had experienced a lot before.

"What else can you say?" Zeng Zheng raised the corner of his mouth, "Can they still change their mind about something that was approved two days ago?"

"Don't worry, the plan hasn't changed, we'll just play as we planned!"

"The fans are looking at us!"

"come on!"

"come on!!!"

The team members roared in unison.

...

"Okay, now the players from both sides have officially entered the stadium."

"For the Chinese team, the captain's armband is once again worn on the arm of General Fan."

"The goalkeeper is still Ou Chuliang, who performed steadily and well in the first two games."

"The four defenders are Wu Chengying, General Fan, Li Weifeng and Xu Yunlong."

"From left to right in midfield are Li Jinyu, Li Xiaopeng, Zhang Xiaorui and Sun Jihai."

"Zhang Yuheng and Yang Chen are two forward partners."

"In this game, Li Tie accumulated yellow cards and was suspended. Sun Jihai's position was also moved from right back to midfield. Li Xiaopeng returned to the lineup in the first game."

"On the forward line, Coach Zeng did not field the Bundesliga forward combination from the first two games, but replaced Xie Hui with Zhang Yuhuang."

"Generally speaking, the Chinese team's lineup is not much different from the previous two games, and it is full of offense."

"For the Danish team, the goalkeeper is Sørensen."

"The four defenders are Helweger, Henriksen, Laursen, and Heintze."

"The four midfielders are Romedal, Gravesen, Grenchar and Toftin."

"The two forwards are Sander and Thomasson."

When Huang Jianxiang finished his introduction, many fans were stunned.

Good guy, Denmark is full of Mori people!

"Mr. Olson, what tactics do you think the Chinese team will adopt today?"

"Tactics? Do the Chinese team need to talk about tactics today? If they can draw with us, they will be thankful, so what tactics are there to talk about!"

Denmark coach Olsen leaned back in his chair after the whistle, with his hands folded on the back of his head, looking like he was on vacation.

"Speaking of which, the Chinese team is really lucky. It was really lucky to beat the French team in the opening match."

"But the same goes for the French team. They are aging so seriously and there are always internal conflicts. In addition, when Zidane is injured, no one will obey anyone. It is reasonable to lose, huh!"

Olsen's face was full of pride when he thought about his team's 2-0 victory over France.

The Chinese team won by "stealing the chicken" without Zidane, while the Danish team actually won with Zidane also playing.

Since the Danish fairy tale in 1992, with the retirement of Schmeichel and Laudrup, the Danish team has gone from bad to worse. In 1994, it even failed to reach the World Cup finals.

Not only that, they were also eliminated in the first round of the 1996 European Cup, and even in the 2000 European Cup group stage, they lost all three games.

This World Cup is a test for Denmark after 10 years of renewal.

Judging from the victory over the French team, which went all out, the Danish team's reform can be considered a success.

It’s no wonder that Olsen still has such strong self-confidence when facing Asian teams like the Chinese team.

However, after the game started, the Chinese team exerted strong pressure on the Danish team.

Zhang Xiaorui put the ball at the feet of Zhang Yuheng with his first touch. The latter took the ball to the edge of the penalty area and shot. The ball hit the Danish player and bounced out of the baseline.

In the 3rd minute, Glenchard had the ball intercepted on his own left. Sun Jihai launched a quick counterattack from the midfield and passed the ball to Yang Chen on the right. Henriksen, who was guarding Yang Chen, accidentally fell down. Unfortunately,

Yang Chen's diagonal shot was blocked by Sorensen.

Looking at Zhang Xiaorui who was looking for the position of the valve core in the corner area, assistant coach Ralph couldn't help but muttered:

"Looking at the Chinese team's attitude, they seem to want to beat us..."