World Cup of Great Powers

"Zeng, congratulations to your team for winning."

After the game, the old Maldini came up and said a blessing.

Although he had a smiling face, Zeng Zheng could see the sadness in his eyes at a glance.

"Thank you, Mr. Maldini."

Holding Zeng Zheng's shiny hand, the old Maldini said with envy, "You are still young!"

young?

Zeng Zheng turned to look at the enthusiastic celebrating players on the field, laughed and said, "Yes, this Chinese team is very young."

Yang Chen, Su Maozhen, Zhang Yuheng, Sun Jihai, Yu Genwei... these players are all in their prime.

There are only two people over 30 years old, and one of them is a goalkeeper.

Let’s look at Paraguay.

The 32-year-old Gompers stood there. He could no longer run at the last moment, otherwise he would not have tried to bomb the Chinese team's gate with a lob.

Santa Cruz, the new generation leader of Paraguay, was replaced due to lack of physical fitness during the game.

Overall, Maldini's team has done very well.

They implemented the old Maldini's counterattack tactics throughout the game, and used their overall advantages and cutting-edge capabilities to break the Chinese team's door twice in a row in the opening stage.

It can be said that the Paraguay team was infinitely close to advancing.

But it's exactly what the old Maldini said.

His team lost to Young.

He lost to the young coach of the Chinese team, and Paraguay lost to the young players of the Chinese team.

The old Italian defensive counterattack lost to the steel army who improvised on the battlefield!

In this victory, the Chinese team almost demonstrated its hard power to the fullest.

Strong organizational skills, a united fighting spirit, tireless fast horses on the two wings, high-altitude bombing that all four forwards are good at, an attacker who can charge and lead in the middle, and a conductor who always remains calm on the sidelines...

It can be said that the entire Chinese team staged a textbook-like desperate counterattack for fans around the world.

Even many years later, this game was cited by major tacticians as a typical example of a counterattack.

From the bench to the substitute, from the players to the coach, everyone united as one and had the same goal, and finally won the victory!

In such a game, it's no wonder that Maldini was so convinced that he lost.

After Maldini retired, the Paraguayans gave up the entire stadium to all the Chinese.

The team members held hands and ran to the bottom of the stands, circling and interacting with the fans.

Fans also came to the place closest to the sidelines, clinging to the railings just to shake the hands of the football players.

The coaching staff and Jin Chi were already in tears.

From qualifying in the last World Cup, reaching the top 16 in an unprecedented coincidence way; to advancing first in the group in this World Cup, reaching the quarterfinals in history.

They never thought that in just four years, the Chinese team could really take another step forward and reach a higher level.

"I didn't expect that I would still be able to see the Chinese team reach the quarterfinals when I'm old?!"

"Yes, according to the situation of the Chinese team, I have to delay my retirement a few years! Maybe we can also win the World Cup championship!"

"It's worth it in your lifetime!"

Amid the high-pitched singing of the fans, the entire Seogwipo fell into a sea of ​​joy.

...

"Okay, okay, okay! 3 to 2! Thank you Coach Zeng for leading us to the quarterfinals in history!" - "Sports Weekly"

"The Bundesliga top players sounded the clarion call for counterattack! Yang Chen, Su Maozhen, and Zhang Yuheng staged a desperate counterattack!" - "Southern Youth Daily"

"Victory through unity, the spirit of never giving up!" - "Beijing Daily"

"One small step for the Chinese team, one giant step for Asian football!" - "AFC Official Website"

"I hope South Korea can be on par with the Chinese team!" - FIFA Vice President Zheng Menghuai's post-match interview.

"If possible, I hope China and Japan can meet in the World Cup finals!" - Osaka street fans thought after learning that the Chinese team advanced to the quarterfinals.

As the media said, the moment the final whistle blew, the entire East Asia fell into a sea of ​​joy.

Because there is only one hour of time difference, fans learned about the promotion almost at the same time.

At this moment, before it gets dark in China, the sound of firecrackers is already everywhere, which makes the Nian beast's ears shake back and forth. He peeks out of the clouds to see if this year's New Year's Eve has happened six months earlier.

Shortly after the Chinese team advanced, the second game of the World Cup's top 16 knockout match was blown at Niigata's Big Swan Stadium.

The Danish team, which handed over the top spot in the group at the last moment, seemed to be braver than before when facing Spain, which was so impressive in the group stage.

Shortly after the start, striker Morientes scored with a header, giving Spain a 1-goal lead.

Then at the beginning of the second half, young Real Madrid goalkeeper Casillas saved Jorgensen's penalty kick.

However, the tenacious Danish team tied the score with a penalty kick from Romedal in the 89th minute of the game.

In the 30 minutes of overtime, neither side achieved anything, and the game entered the first penalty shootout of this World Cup.

In the penalty shootout, Casillas once again showed off his power, saving two points in a row to help Spain win 3-2 and become the first European team to advance to the quarterfinals of this World Cup.

After the game, the Western media all said: It was Saint Cassie who brought the Matador to the quarterfinals alone!

On June 16, at 14:30 in the afternoon, the whistle blew at the Kobe Wings Stadium for the third game of the World Cup Round of 16.

The Brazilian team in yellow robes faced Ireland and easily won with a score of 2-0.

In the second half, Rivaldo and Ronaldo each scored goals to help the team win.

At the same time, Ronaldo's number of goals in this World Cup has also increased to 5, making him the most powerful contender for the Golden Boot Award.

Coach Scolari said that the goal of the Brazilian team in this World Cup is to win the championship!

At 19:30 in the evening, the fourth game of the World Cup's top 16 knockout round was blown at the Suwon World Cup Stadium.

Deutsche Chariot beat Turkey 1-0, with Neuville scoring the winner before the end.

In this game, Turkish striker Hakan Suk was in a sluggish state, and midfielder Hassan Sass also suffered from excessive thigh muscle fatigue due to his hard work in the group stage.

This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! The German team was also extremely boring, and they could not see the bravery they had when facing Saudi Arabia in the group stage.

Both sides played lethargic throughout the game. If Neuville hadn't contributed the winning goal before the end, the fans might have had to watch another 30 minutes of boring overtime.

After the game, the German team was very satisfied with the team's advancement, but when it came to the coaching staff, everyone was scolded.

No matter what, the pride of the German team lies there.

After the game, Xinhuanet wrote an article commenting: "The powerful German tank now only has its 'spirit' left."

On June 17, at 14:30, the whistle blew at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium for the fifth match of the World Cup’s top 16 knockout round.

Portugal defeated Mexico 2-0, Xavier and Gomez scored in two lightning counterattacks.

There were a total of 10 yellow cards in this game, and even Mexico captain Marquez was sent off before the end.

After this battle, the media commented that "there was no winner."

After Portugal's last fierce battle with South Korea in the group stage, they were already short of troops and suffered numerous injuries.

The quarter-finals were another tough battle.

Both goals were scored by substitute players during the group stage.

According to comprehensive statistics, the Portuguese team has received 10 yellow cards and 3 red cards in this World Cup, making it the team with the most cards.

In addition to the suspension of the main players, stars like Figo and Beto are also suffering from injuries.

Regarding the upcoming quarter-finals, the Portuguese have a surprisingly unanimous view: Just do your best and take it wherever you go!

At 19:30 in the evening, the whistle blew in the Oita Stadium for the sixth game of the World Cup's top 16 knockout round. Two European teams, Sweden and Belgium, competed for a ticket to the quarterfinals.

In the first half, the two sides reached a 1-1 draw;

In the second half, neither side achieved anything;

The game entered the second overtime of this World Cup.

In the 104th minute, No. 11 Larsson scored twice to help the Swedish team win the golden goal, eliminating the European Red Devils and becoming the fourth and third European team to reach the quarterfinals.

On June 18, the two "highlights" of the top 16 knockout rounds were staged on this day.

Under the aura of "host", both Japanese and Korean teams had enough time to rest.

After watching other opponents' games, I walked into the stadium in high spirits.

Of course, as their opponents, they naturally also benefited from the reputation of the "host".

At 14:30, the seventh game of the World Cup's top 16 knockout round was blown at Miyagi Stadium. The host country played against England on a small day.

Not only are the hosts the team, but under the leadership of Troussier, the team has not been troubled by any injuries or red and yellow cards.

Facing a strong opponent, Troussier basically lined up the original team from the group stage.

However, England, led by Beckham, did not give the host any face.

In the 4th minute of the game, Ferdinand set the tone in front of the goal and helped England open the scoring early!

Before the game, the Xiaotian media has been promoting the Chinese team's victory over Denmark and Paraguay, believing that Xiaotian, who is not much worse than the Chinese team, has a chance to defeat strong opponents.

Therefore, after Heskey scored, the Little Day fans were not too frustrated. Instead, they became more and more courageous and cheered the team with louder voices.

Soon, the second goal appeared.

The young player Owen, who became famous for his goal in the last World Cup, stopped the ball with his right foot eight meters in front of the goal, then half-turned and pushed with his left foot. The ball leaked from the feet of goalkeeper Masago Miizaki into the far corner.

Seeing England score the second goal, the fans' voices became louder.

They believe that under the example of the Chinese team, they can also stage a desperate counterattack.

However, in first half stoppage time, England's third goal came.

Forward Heskey received the curve ball from Beckham and blasted it into the goal.

3 to 0!

The Little Days fans were completely silent on the spot.

The dream of a 3-2 Jedi counterattack was completely in vain.

All that was left for them was a 45-minute second half and a 3-goal deficit.

Perhaps at this moment, only Troussier himself knew that the World Cup journey in his childhood was probably coming to an end.

In the second half, Eriksen mobilized his troops, obviously preparing for the quarterfinals.

But no matter how many main players were replaced, Xiaoli's side was still unable to open up the situation.

As soon as the 90 minutes passed, the referee blew the whistle to end the game.

With a 3-0 victory, Xiaotian became the first host to be eliminated in this World Cup.

In an interview after the game, Troussier said frankly, "We long for the Chinese team's desperate counterattack, but what we don't see is the gap between us and the Chinese team."

"These gaps were not formed in a day or two, nor can they be bridged in a day or two."

"We are also two goals behind. Compared with the Chinese team, there are not many changes we can make."

"This also led to the fact that although we were united and implemented tactics, we were further and further behind by our opponents in terms of score."

"Of course, there are many gaps between England and Paraguay, but that is not the topic today."

"What I want to say is that Xiaoli football has indeed made great progress in recent years."

"But compared with our neighbor, the Chinese team, we still need to work harder..."

After easily advancing to the quarterfinals, England was briefly in a state of carnival.

Because judging from the group qualifying list for this World Cup, it is obvious that this is a cup where the "traditional giants" have failed one after another.

Not to mention France, traditional strong teams like Argentina have not even made it to the top 16, and even among these 16 teams, not one is from Africa.

Asian teams, led by the Chinese team, seem to be slowly rising.

The Chinese team is not the host, but it is better than the host.

So no coach will take it lightly when he learns that he will face an Asian team.

After defeating Xiaori, Scolari finally said: "Our goal is also to win the World Cup!"

Judging from the schedule and divisions, many fans are joking on the Internet that Scolari is not afraid of Brazil, but is afraid of the host country's small life.

This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! At 19:30, the final round of 16 knockout match of the World Cup was blown at Daejeon Stadium.

As early as last December when the World Cup group draws were held, some Italians present exclaimed: "What the fuck?! North Koreans? No!!!"

Unexpectedly, Italy really met South Korea in the top 16.

The most feared nightmare for Italians is about to become a reality!

36 years ago, Italy, which had superstars Rivera and Mazzola in the team, was defeated by the then unknown North Korea team by one goal, and thus failed to advance from the group stage to the quarterfinals.

The North Korean player who scored that goal is called Park Doo-ri, and it is said that he is also a dentist.

After so many years, Italians' fear of North Koreans is still so strong.

When South Korea defeated Portugal and became first in Group D, the same exclamation came from the Italian team: "No! Koreans? No!!!"

In fact, what worries Trapattoni more is the style of play of South Korea led by Hiddink.

Vieri said before the game: "South Korea is the team we least want to encounter."

"They have a lot of energy and are very fast."

"In terms of physical confrontation, they are well prepared."

"I predict that we will play a tough game."

The last time the two teams met was at the World Cup in Mexico 16 years ago.

At that time, the Italian team took a 3-1 lead in the first 82 minutes, but South Korea pulled a goal back one minute later.

Fortunately, he managed to save the score in the end and won the game.

More than ten years have passed, and both teams have made great progress.

But this time, when they came to the home court of South Korea, the image of Park Doo-ri was definitely lingering in the minds of the Italians.

In this game, the coaches of the Chinese team and the Paraguayan team came to the scene early to watch the game.

According to Zeng Zheng, it is because the winner of these two teams will be the opponent of the Chinese team in the quarter-finals;

From the perspective of the old Maldini, he was simply cheering for his country after resigning.

Before the game started, when the two famous coaches met in the stands, they were captured by the media for a long time.

The content of the conversation between the two people has also been speculated by many media.

It wasn't until after the World Cup, when Yu Genwei moved to AC Milan, that everyone suddenly realized.

Before the game, the confident Maldini asked with a smile: "Coach Zeng, from your perspective, do you want to meet Italy or South Korea?"

Zeng Zheng shrugged, "I would rather meet Italy."

"Oh? Coach Zeng must have done enough homework on Italy, right?"

According to the old Maldini, any coach with a brain will regard Italy as an imaginary enemy.

This also reflects the strength of Italy from the side.

However, the content of the answer made the old Maldini somewhat unpredictable.

"Mr. Maldini, I think about the problem from the perspective of the Chinese team."

After Maldini frowned and thought for a while, he asked tentatively: "Coach Zeng, do you mean that South Korea is stronger and harder to play than Italy?"

Zeng Zheng shrugged, "From a practical point of view, this is indeed the case."

Faced with Zeng Zheng's lack of face, the old Maldini put on an old face.

In the 17th minute of the game, Kim Tae-young kicked Zambrotta's heel from behind and was given a yellow card.

Del Piero took a long-distance free kick and shot directly, and goalkeeper Li Yunzai flew over the crossbar.

Subsequently, Totti took a corner kick on the left, Vieri squeezed Cui Zhenzhe away from the front point, and headed the ball into the near corner 5 meters away from the goal, giving Italy a 1-0 lead.

Seeing Italy score, Maldini was in high spirits.

"Haha, Coach Zeng, it seems your wish is coming true!"

Seeing that the score had become 1-0, Zeng Zheng was not embarrassed at all, but looked at him from left to right.

"Mr. Maldini, I heard that South Korea has just introduced a policy. As long as they reach the top eight, all of them will be exempted from military service."

Old Maldini frowned: "I have heard about these policies of South Korea. Are you saying that South Korean players will definitely fight back with all their might?"

Sure enough, in the 88th minute, South Korea played a one-two at the front of the penalty area.

Huang Shanhong rubbed the ball past Iuliano and into the penalty area with his left foot. Panucci stopped the ball and his foot went soft. Xue Qixuan took the opportunity to shoot low into the lower right corner of the goal to tie the score.

Seeing the duck flying away from his mouth, old Maldini was dumbfounded.

The Italian fans even cursed.

Those who scold the players, those who scold the coach...

But most of them are scolding opponents and referees.

"But Coach Zeng, I still have confidence in my national team. We are Italy after all!" During the break after the end, the elder Maldini seemed to want to use Zeng Zheng's attitude to increase his confidence.

However, Zeng Zheng failed to make him achieve his wish this time.

"Mr. Maldini, Portuguese fans also have great confidence in their team."

This time, old Maldini remained silent.

Portugal is indeed a strong team.

9 on 11 and still score goals.

If Figo's key attributes hadn't exploded, Portugal might have stopped in the group stage.

After Zeng Zheng's reminder, old Maldini felt an ominous premonition in his heart.

Sure enough, in the 104th minute, Totti broke into the right side of the penalty area and fell to the ground under Song Zongguo's defense.

The referee Moreno thought he was suspected of diving and immediately took out a yellow card.

As a result, Totti, who received two yellow cards in this game, was sent off directly.

Then, in the 111th minute, Vieri cleverly passed the ball horizontally to the left space, and Tomasi scored a single goal.

But before the Italian could celebrate, the flag raised by the assistant referee brought him back to reality.

Offside?

Judging from the slow-motion replay, fans all over the world can clearly see that this is obviously a misjudgment!

Finally, 3 minutes before the end of overtime, Italy, which had been struggling to support itself, finally received bad news.

In the 117th minute, South Korea launched an attack from the right side of the frontcourt.

After Lee Cheon-soo got the ball, he passed it back to Lee Young-pyo who was following up. The latter made a slight adjustment and lifted the ball with his right foot into the Italian penalty area.

Ahn Jung-hwan in the middle took advantage of the competition with Maldini and swung his head 6 meters in front of the goal and headed the ball into the lower right corner of the goal.

Seeing his opponent header over his son's head to score the winning goal, the old Maldini's face suddenly became uglier than if he had just defended himself.

When Ahn Jung-hwan scored, the whistle sounded at the end of the game.

This is the second golden goal of this World Cup.

But at this moment, in the eyes of all Italian fans, this is a golden ball stained with Italian blood.

After a long while, old Maldini finally regained his composure.

"Coach Zeng, I didn't expect it, I really didn't expect it..."

"This World Cup...ugh!"

"The task of resisting Korea will be left to you, Coach Zeng!"

After saying that, old Maldini stood up to leave.

But whether it was because of excessive sadness or excessive anger, old Maldini's legs went weak after he stood up and he almost fell.

Seeing this, Zeng Zheng quickly stretched out his hand to help him, and said with a frightened look: "Mr. Maldini, what are you doing? Get up, get up!"

Seeing Zeng Zheng's panicked face, Maldini's throat was sore and he said, "Coach Zeng, you must avenge Italy!"