Chapter 1 After the End of the First Round of the World Cup Group Stage

After the first round of the World Cup group stage, most of the seeded teams had unsurprisingly secured victories.

Germany won, England won, the Netherlands won, Brazil won, Spain won, and Argentina won. Only South Africa and Italy drew, with South Africa lacking overall strength and Italy facing a formidable opponent. Overall, there were no major upsets in the first round, and the results were generally as expected.

The match with the largest score difference was China's 5-0 thrashing of Colombia. Many coaches of teams that might potentially face China later on have studied the recording of this match repeatedly.

After watching it, their consensus was: Zhang Jun is too OP (overpowered), disrupting the game's balance.

Mexico's coach, Ricardo La Volpe, regarded the match against China as the most important game of the entire group stage. If Mexico could successfully defeat China, then facing the weakest team in the group, Colombia, they would advance smoothly.

So for Mexico, this was a must-win game.

And China, having already secured three points, was in the best position in this group. If they could win against Mexico, they would advance to the next round with six points, one round early.

The Chinese naturally all hoped for this.

However, nothing is absolute, and things on the football field are even more full of variables.

After watching China's 5-0 thrashing of Colombia, the Italians were all clamoring that they would also crush Colombia. At the same time, they congratulated Zhang Jun's China team and hoped that the two teams could advance together in the end. As long as China won against Mexico and Italy won against Colombia, the final match between the two teams would be just a friendly.

They definitely underestimated the current Chinese national team's determination. They lost to Italy four years ago, and they must get their revenge four years later.

"Mexico drew with Italy in the first round, so their strength should not be underestimated. They are technically skilled and adept at controlling the ball and short passing. What we need to do is disrupt their rhythm, not let them pass the ball around in our half, absolutely not! If necessary, you need to foul, in short, disrupting their rhythm and making them lose it is the most important thing," Qiu Suhui said eloquently.

A group of players were listening attentively, but how many actually took it to heart?

The big win in the first round had inflated the egos of many, and they were now preoccupied with how to fight Italy to the death. Mexico? They had been automatically ignored.

June 20th, the second round of the G group group stage.

The match between China and Mexico was the second game in this group. The first game was played on another field, the match between Italy and Colombia.

Before the game, many experts were not optimistic about Colombia, because suffering such a major setback in the first round, a 0-5 defeat to China, was enough to destroy a team's morale.

Even the Italian players showed some contempt when discussing this match. They felt that they were a seeded team, and if China could easily handle Colombia, so could they.

Public opinion also overwhelmingly favored Italy. The result?

After ninety minutes, the score on the scoreboard shocked countless people.

2-2, Colombia forced a draw with Italy.

In this game, Italy's defense once again exposed problems, allowing Jones to seize an opportunity to score a goal, and also forcing Bovo to score an own goal.

Colombia, who had behaved like a docile sheep in the previous game, suddenly burst out, catching Italy off guard. Their initial contempt angered Colombia, and the South Americans' wildness made the casual Italians pay a heavy price. They lost one of the best opportunities in the group stage. Now, if they wanted to advance, they had to fight China to the death in the last game, or hope that China would let them win – a possibility that was too small.

The Colombian players cried again after the game, but this time they were not bitter tears, but tears of joy. Before the game, they were not favored by anyone, including the domestic media. But they used their actions to tell everyone that being able to enter the World Cup's thirty-two teams was definitely not just靠靠靠行行行行的行的

This was an upset in this round of matches.

Thirty minutes later, the match between China and Mexico officially kicked off at the Johannesburg Soccer City Stadium.

Many Chinese fans came to this match with a relaxed mood. In their hearts, only the last game against Italy could make them nervous. After all, that was a seeded team. And Mexico was still too unfamiliar to most Chinese people.

When Chinese people mention American football, the first thing that comes to mind is Brazil and Argentina, followed by Uruguay and Paraguay. As for the Central and North American teams, many people's knowledge is still stuck on: "Americans can't play football." Mexico, which is a neighbor to the United States, has also been misunderstood by many people.

The game had just begun, and perhaps the fans in the stands had not completely settled down, and the Chinese fans in front of the TV were still busy calling friends.

"Bang!" A crisp sound, and all Chinese people's eyes were focused on the goal behind An Ke. Just one minute into the game, Mexican striker Juanma gave the Chinese a warning with a powerful long shot. His shot hit the goalpost, scaring An Ke into a cold sweat.

"Give them a taste of their own medicine!" An Ke shouted and kicked the ball out.

Soon, the Chinese team organized a retaliatory counterattack. Ke Lu broke through the Mexican defensive midfielder and passed the ball to Wu Shangshan. The Mexican defense was attracted by Zhang Jun's movement, giving Wu Shangshan a chance instead. Wu Shangshan, who didn't score in the first game, was holding back a lot of energy, and now he could finally vent it. He took a powerful shot without being marked.

Unfortunately, the angle was too straight and was firmly held in the arms of the Mexican goalkeeper.

"Wu Shangshan is holding back a lot of energy, so this shot of his doesn't look like a shot, but more like a vent," the commentator also knew what Wu Shangshan was thinking. After the last game, the media's focus was all on Zhang Jun, and as his strike partner, he was ignored, and the inner taste was indeed uncomfortable.

Think about it, being able to partner with Zhang Jun in the starting lineup is an affirmation of one's ability. Otherwise, Coach Qiu would definitely choose someone else. Now there is still a strong center like Li Jie sitting on the Chinese team's bench. But Wu Shangshan is not willing to live in Zhang Jun's shadow - this is not just his problem. In Fiorentina, Van Persie, Pazzini, and Morientes all have this problem. On the one hand, they are happy for Zhang Jun's success, on the other hand, they have to consider their own situation.

This situation is a bit like the Bulls dynasty back then. Pippen was outstanding in personal ability, but he always had to live in Jordan's shadow.

Without a heart willing to dedicate, it is really difficult to do this calmly.

Zhang Jun waved to Wu Shangshan, indicating that he had shot too straight just now. Wu Shangshan nodded, then shook his head helplessly, and turned around and ran back.

Qiu Suhui and Hu Li both believed that this game was full of variables. Judging from the first few minutes of the game, this was indeed the case. No one was sure of eating the other in one bite, and could only patiently look for opportunities. And the variable was in this patience.

Qiu Suhui asked the players to actively disrupt Mexico's offensive rhythm, but the Chinese players did not faithfully implement his tactical requirements. Once Mexico passed the ball around, it would pose a considerable threat to the Chinese goal. This time, it was An Ke's turn to become the focus of the audience.

Similarly, the Chinese team's sharp offense also made it impossible for Mexico to fully attack, and they always had to distract themselves to take care of the defense. The two sides were entangled on the field.

Mexico's midfield strength is not weak, so they were able to draw with Italy. And the Chinese team's midfield combination can also be called a dream team. The main thing in this game was the control of the game by their respective midfields.

Even when facing technically skilled Mexicans, Ke Lu's ball control was still amazing. Two Mexican players joined forces and couldn't steal the ball from his feet. His seemingly stumbling and extremely embarrassed dribbling could calmly advance and retreat from the crowd.

Helpless, the Mexicans kicked him down.

The referee did not show a card, but only verbally warned the offending player - the Mexican defensive midfielder, their captain Pineda. This caused dissatisfaction among the Chinese fans in the stands, and boos resounded through the sky.

Because if Pineda hadn't fouled just now, then Ke Lu would likely break into the penalty area, and as long as he broke in, it would be a one-on-one.

Chinese fans believed that the referee from Spain was favoring the Mexicans.

Zhang Jun naturally stood in front of the ball. This ball was about twenty-three meters from the goal, slightly to the left, which was Zhang Jun's favorite position. No wonder the Mexican coach's reaction was so intense after seeing his subordinates foul in this place.

In this position, looking at Zhang Jun's crazy state in the first half, wouldn't a free kick be taken as a penalty kick?

The eyes of the Chinese people fell on Zhang Jun, and the eyes of the Mexicans also focused on the Chinese team's number 11.

The TV lens gave Zhang Jun a special effect, he was concentrating on observing Mexico's wall, and the serious expression made many Mexicans sweat.

The Mexican wall desperately moved forward, hoping to shorten the distance from the ball and prevent Zhang Jun's arc from going around it. Yang Pan, who was standing next to Zhang Jun to cover him, repeatedly appealed to the referee, until the referee gave a yellow card to someone in the lead, and the Mexicans became honest.

It took a minute to grind and grind before the Chinese team could take the kick.

The referee stepped back and blew the whistle in his hand.

Zhang Jun started his run-up. He didn't shoot directly, but passed it to Yang Pan next to him. The Mexican wall didn't expect Zhang Jun not to shoot directly, but to pass it to Yang Pan. They were stunned in place for a moment, not knowing what to do.

At this time, Yang Pan stepped on the ball in place, and then Zhang Jun followed up with a kick - a direct shot!

The ball drew an arc, bypassed the wall that was stunned in place, and flew straight to the goal!

A very unexpected free kick coordination.

But Zhang Jun's shot deceived the wall, deceived the Mexican goalkeeper, and in the eyes of the Chinese, it looked like it was almost certain to enter, but it brushed past the goalpost and flew out!

"Oh my god! Luck is not on the Chinese team's side! God is not by Zhang Jun's side!" the commentator in charge of the English commentary shouted.

Unexpectedly, this slightly exaggerated sentence of his instead set the tone for the subsequent game.

Luck, God.

The Chinese team's offense was still sharp and beautiful, but they seemed to have lost their luck. Zhang Jun and Wu Shangshan both forgot to bring their shooting boots, and the midfielders were even more out of it.

Zhang Jun staged a crazy hat-trick in the last game, perhaps he used up all his luck. In this game, his shots were not accurate, and the shots on goal were all saved by the Mexican goalkeeper. Wu Shangshan? A player with a belly full of fire and nowhere to vent it is no longer a striker. What is most important for a striker? Calm! Even in the face of extremely unfavorable situations, they must still think about how to get the ball into the goal calmly. Wu Shangshan had lost his composure.

Mexico's offense was quite threatening, and their strikers also did not forget to bring their shooting boots. Unfortunately, they met the Bundesliga's best goalkeeper - An Ke. While making high saves, he was also loudly scolding the opposing strikers, like a wild dog, using a fierce and inexplicable expression to put psychological pressure on every Mexican who dared to approach his territory.

The Mexican number 9 striker, Juanma, broke through Liu Peng's defense in a one-on-one, and originally thought he had a chance to make a contribution. Unexpectedly, he just愣神, and saw An Ke rushing in front of him with a ferocious face. Then his center of gravity shifted, and his whole person flew forward.

After falling to the ground, he did not forget to raise his hand to signal to the referee that An Ke had fouled, but when he turned his head, he saw An Ke baring his teeth, making a low purring sound in his throat, like some kind of dangerous beast. This sound made Juanma feel his back tingling.

The referee naturally did not award them a penalty, because An Ke's attack was impeccable: perfect action, quick reaction, and... imposing momentum.

From the current game, Mexico's midfield and China's midfield are evenly matched. It's hard to say who is stronger, who is more outstanding. It's just that both sides' strikers are wasting opportunities, and both sides' goalkeepers are performing very well. The game, which was originally a midfield contest, has changed its taste and turned into a contest of other positions besides the midfield.

Because the photo of him yawning in the last game made the headlines of many newspapers, making his teammates laugh at him for a while, An Ke worked especially hard in this game. He even added a lot of performances while saving, exaggerated performances.

For example, after saving one of the opponent's shots, he would hold the ball, and then tilt his head to shrug and spread his hands to the opponent, earning a chilling scream from the Chinese fans on the scene.

During the halftime break, Qiu Suhui criticized the players who did not execute his tactical requirements. In the second half, everyone strictly implemented his tactics, but luck was no longer on the Chinese team's side, nor was it on Mexico's side, otherwise the score on the field would not have been 0-0 in the seventieth minute.

So where did the luck go?

Luck went to Ellis Park Stadium, luck and God stood on Colombia's side, so they "unbelievably" forced a draw with Italy, and also scored two goals - although one was an own goal - but it also showed that their attack was strong enough to force Italy's experienced defenders to make mistakes in a hurry, which was very remarkable.

After the two sides changed sides and fought again in the second half, they still did not find the feeling of scoring. The process was quite exciting, the offensive and defensive transitions between the two sides were very fast, and there were also many threatening shots, but because of the excellent performance of the goalkeepers and the strikers' inexplicable lack of accuracy, the result was always 0-0.

During this time, Qiu Suhui replaced Wu Shangshan, who was obviously too impatient and had lost his standard, with Li Jie. Li Jie's appearance changed the situation for a while, because his unreasonable breakthroughs and collisions brought some trouble to the Mexican defenders. Zhang Jun and Wu Shangshan are both technical strikers, and Li Jie, who relies on his body to eat, made the Mexican defenders, who are used to踩踩踩自行车自行车自行车, uncomfortable.

However, as the champion of the North American and Caribbean Gold Cup, Mexico deserves to be experienced. After the initial panic, they quickly adjusted and, for Li Jie, they let the strongest defender in the back line mark him closely. Using power to suppress power.

When Zhang Jun shot the ball into the opponent's goalkeeper's arms again, he hugged his head in remorse. It seemed that he really didn't have the luck to score. He scored three goals in the last game, and now retribution is coming...

But admitting that he didn't have the luck to score is not the same as admitting a draw, admitting a goalless draw. Although a draw is not a bad thing, Zhang Jun has higher requirements.

He is working hard to run and create opportunities for other teammates. Now he is the only one who is most effective at doing this hard work. You let Li Jie go to牵扯? People just follow out a defender, and the others stand still and wait for you to come.

Ke Lu's dribbling is still wonderful, but he can't take the ball into the opponent's goal. Yang Pan is strictly restricted on the wing by the Mexican defense and has no chance to come to the center to try a long shot - if he wants to take a long shot, he will immediately face the frontal interception of at least two people.

Li Yongle doesn't have many opportunities to come up to shoot because he has to fight to the death with the opponent's midfield.

From the above, it can be seen that the Mexican coach really put a lot of effort into studying the Chinese team, so Zhang Jun can only run to牽扯, Yang Pan can only cross from the wing, Li Yongle is completely fixed in the defensive midfielder position and dare not come up, and Ke Lu? Even if he can带带带带, he can't pass eleven people alone, right?

There is one person who absolutely does not want to see China and Mexico draw, or lose to Mexico. He is the head coach of the Italian national team, Mr. Trapattoni.

Life is like football, full of unpredictability, and also full of helpless cruelty. Trapattoni is still in charge of the Italian national team at the age of seventy, which is really admirable - because after Lippi resigned, no one dared to accept the position of head coach of the Italian national team again. Helpless, the Italian Football Association found the old coach, who was idle at home and in a semi-retired state, hoping that this former European "gold medal coach" would come forward to save the reputation of Italian football.

Appearing in the World Cup at this age also created a record. But this record is actually very embarrassing and should not exist.

Trapattoni hoped that China would defeat Mexico, but the final result was not what he wanted. China and Mexico fought fiercely for the entire ninety minutes. The number of shots by both sides was 22:20, and the data such as fouls, corners, and offsides were quite gorgeous, but in the end, they handed in a blank sheet.

Trapattoni was watching the live broadcast of this game in the hotel room. When he saw the referee blow the final whistle, he felt a sudden tightness in his heart.

Honestly, drawing with Mexico is not a big deal. Now China has four points and is still the first in the group stage. But the entire group situation is chaotic.

Mexico has two points, Italy also has two points, and Colombia also has one point.

In this case, in the last game, if China loses to Italy, and Mexico wins Colombia, then Italy and Mexico will squeeze out China, which has four points, with the same five points.

Another result is: if China defeats Italy, and Mexico defeats Colombia, then China and Mexico will advance. Italy, as a seeded team, will be eliminated in the group stage.

If: China draws with Italy, and Mexico loses to Colombia, China will advance with the least favored Colombia.

Again, if...

In short, due to the close points of the four teams, there are unlimited possibilities in the last group game.

This will cause a large number of brain cells of Qiu Suhui, the head coach, to die in a very short period of time - because he has to consider all the situations and then study countermeasures.

Therefore, when the referee blew the whistle to end the whole game, there was no smile on Qiu Suhui's face, and most of the Chinese team's players also lowered their heads like children who had done something wrong, and silently walked back to the locker room, ignoring the Mexican players' desire to exchange jerseys. Only Zhang Jun and Yang Pan were directly pulled by the other side on the field, and then took off their jerseys and handed them to the other side.

Because the first game was played too well, too crazy, so this game seems very bad in comparison. They played very badly and didn't score a goal.

Li Yan smiled when he saw the dejected Chinese team players in the stands. This smile made Caliani next to him feel very strange: "Your team didn't win the ball and you're still smiling?"

"Of course, this is a very good result. It's a good time to pour cold water on some people in the country."

One day later, all the second round matches of the group stage ended. The teams that should have advanced have already advanced, and the teams that have no strength have also been eliminated in advance. The remaining teams are struggling to die, or are working hard for the last glimmer of hope.

The situation in Group G is a mess, and Italy has reached the critical moment of life and death.