"Four years ago, what we lost, we will personally take back today!"
"It's hard to imagine what we've been through these four years, but I want to say, now is our time to win!"
"Four years ago, a group of despicable people used despicable means to snatch away our dreams, even the dreams of all of Korea. But these will only make us stronger!"
"Training! Training! Countless training sessions! Training that disregards day and night! And now, I have finally waited for this day!"
"Four years ago, I could only watch my brothers cry from the sidelines. Today, I will wipe the tears from their faces."
"A person is strong because they always know what they want. And a person is invincible because they always know what everyone else wants!"
"When I was very young, my teacher told me a truth. What is fake is fake, and what is real is real. What is real cannot be faked, and what is fake cannot be made real. Now is the time for us to expose all falsehoods."
"Everything we lost will only make today's victory even more glorious."
"Many people want me to recall what happened four years ago. I want to say, friends are enough. No one will remember what happened four years ago. Everyone will only remember what is happening today!"
"Damn xxxxx, today I xxxxxx"
"Conspiracies are called conspiracies because those who use them can never come out in the open."
"I don't want to say any more, boys, let's take back our own glory."
The above twelve passages are messages posted by the Korean team's players and coaches on their respective Weibo accounts before the match.
Each message had over a million comments and shares. All Koreans were there, cheering their players on with all their might, as everyone wanted to wash away the shame of four years ago.
Who would have believed that the mighty Korean team from four years ago would fail to even qualify for the World Cup? This had become a dark cloud hanging over Koreans, suffocating Korean football.
Of course, under the guidance of some clever people, the initial anger of the fans towards Korean football had successfully transformed into anger towards Team A.
Although there was widespread optimism in Korea at this time, the Korean Football Association remained cautious, keenly aware that Team A's only chance of victory lay in bribing referees.
To prevent this from happening again, they had to bribe the referees first.
Unfortunately, the Chinese seemed to have the same idea. The Jiangnan Group was also exerting pressure on the referees, doing their best to get their preferred referees appointed to officiate the match.
Since the referee selection was determined by the Asian Football Confederation, it led to chaos within the AFC. The final referee had not been decided until a week before the match, forcing FIFA to step in personally. They dispatched a highly respected Brazilian referee, who had no ties to either side, to serve as the chief referee for this match.
While this was not the outcome the Koreans had hoped for, at least the referee was not Italian, which was enough.
Initially, Chinese fans were not particularly interested in this match, as they had already secured qualification for the World Cup.
However, many busybodies forwarded the Koreans' arrogant online statements to Chinese forums, which instantly infuriated Chinese fans. The popularity of both sides surged, and a large number of fans began trying to buy tickets for the match.
A stadium with a capacity of 40,000 was completely sold out within one minute of ticket sales opening. When the match officially began, Chinese and Koreans occupied opposite sides of the stadium.
China was a sea of red, while Korea was a sea of white, creating an intense atmosphere of confrontation. Before the match even started, several fan clashes had already broken out.
The Chinese fans involved in the conflicts were then expelled from the stadium. Don't misunderstand, the organizers were not biased towards the Koreans. The Chinese fans had directly injured the Korean fans, forcing the Chinese fans to leave the stadium and go to the local police station to cooperate with the investigation.
Amidst this lively atmosphere, the players from both sides slowly walked out of the locker rooms.
The Korean players' gazes towards the Chinese players were filled with sparks and flames, with everyone burning with intense passion. The entire team almost formed a barrier.
In contrast, Team A seemed to lack that spark. The players' condition was somewhat loose, their eyes unfocused, and there was no sign of fire, not even a hint of enthusiasm. It was as if their opponents were not the Korean team, but the Chinese national football team.
While such an attitude angered the Koreans, it also greatly relieved them.
They had actually felt some pressure, as their opponents had experience in top European leagues. Although they had returned to play in the domestic league, an "enterprise internal league" at that, their strength should have declined significantly. However, it wasn't impossible that they could still be upset.
Seeing the opponents' lax attitude and lack of enthusiasm, the Korean players finally felt completely at ease. They were certain they could defeat their opponents and get their revenge.
As the chief referee blew the whistle, the match officially began. The Koreans kicked off first, and a revenge match burning with fierce flames was about to commence.
Ninety minutes later, the entire match concluded. The Korean players ultimately achieved an excellent record of 0:4, telling all their eager domestic fans: Don't be sad. The truth is, the Chinese did not steal your World Cup spot four years ago; Korea was simply outplayed.