When Cahill received the ball, he also saw Zhou Yi, but he didn't take Zhou Yi seriously at all.

Ever since Zhou Yi scored, he had seemed to lose all his strength, barely running on the field, like a wooden stake.

There was no way someone like that could be effective on defense.

If Zhou Yi were in good physical condition, he might have been able to pester Cahill, but what could he do now?

Cahill dribbled the ball toward the Chinese team's goal, completely ignoring Zhou Yi in front of him.

※※※

"Cahill has the ball! No one is defending him! This is terrible!" Liu Hong exclaimed. Actually, he had also seen Zhou Yi, but just like Cahill thought, Liu Hong didn't think Zhou Yi could do anything.

The audience in front of the TVs became nervous.

This could be considered a major mistake for the Chinese team's defense!

If they were tied at the last moment… wouldn't all their previous efforts be in vain?

Zhou Jianliang clenched his teeth, straightened his back, and placed his clenched fists on his thighs, his whole body trembling slightly…

※※※

Zhou Yi watched Cahill dribble the ball towards him, initially surprised – was this guy blind? Couldn't he see that he was right here?

But he quickly realized that the other team must think he had run out of energy, and that standing on the field was as good as not being there, so he couldn't stop him.

Hey, that's too much of an insult!

Cahill had already rushed in front of Zhou Yi, he flicked the football to the right, accelerating to pass Zhou Yi.

Almost everyone could imagine that Cahill would easily break through Zhou Yi, and then enter the penalty area!

At that time, the Chinese team could only rely on the brave performance of goalkeeper Yang Zhi…

But at this moment, Cahill, who had rushed to Zhou Yi, suddenly lost his balance!

Zhou Yi was seen pulling on Cahill's clothes with his hand, and his foot was already sliding towards Cahill!

But at this time, the football had already been flicked away by Cahill, and he could absolutely not slide into the ball, only… the person!

Pulling and tugging, with a slide under his feet, Zhou Yi just knocked Cahill to the ground like that!

Everything happened in a flash, before anyone could react, Cahill had already fallen… He watched helplessly as the football he had flicked out rolled and rolled, and then was caught in the arms of the attacking goalkeeper Yang Zhi…

Then, he heard the whistle sound.

Only then did he react, and suddenly jumped up from the ground, raising his hand and roaring at the referee: "He fouled! Foul!! That's a foul!!"

In Cahill's almost hysterical roar, Zhou Yi just lay on the ground, not raising his arms to indicate that he had not touched the opponent, nor getting up to defend himself. He gasped for breath, his chest rising and falling sharply, just looking at the night sky of Doha, his ears full of noise.

He heard Cahill's almost desperate screams, and also heard his teammates' exclamations.

He also heard the messy voices in the stands.

But none of these mattered anymore, what mattered was that he didn't let Cahill dribble the ball into the penalty area.

That was more important than anything.

Thinking of this, Zhou Yi, lying on the ground, smiled.

※※※

"Cahill breaks through… Zhou Yi! He… slides into Cahill!" Liu Hong's voice was full of horror. "This is this is… a foul…"

Not only him, but almost all Chinese fans in front of the TV, as long as they understood what this meant, widened their eyes, covered their mouths with their hands, and looked at the TV screen in disbelief.

Zhou Jianliang's originally tense body, which was trembling slightly, suddenly relaxed, and then he leaned back, against the back of the sofa, staring blankly at the TV screen.

Li Cuiyun, who originally didn't understand football, had watched so many of her son's games that she understood a little of what this meant.

She turned her head to look at her husband, and got a definite answer from the expression on his face.

Their son… helped the Chinese team reach the finals, but he was very likely to miss… the finals!

※※※

When the Chinese team players saw Zhou Yi tackling Cahill to the ground, they were stunned for a moment. Cahill jumped up and protested to the referee, and only then did they wake up from their dreams, and ran towards the referee from different directions, waving their arms at him, wanting to defend Zhou Yi.

But when they opened their mouths, they couldn't say anything.

How should they defend him?

This was an undisguised, undoubtedly… foul!

But even so, the Chinese team players still surrounded the referee, hoping that he could be lenient and only give a yellow card.

But everyone knew in their hearts that if someone broke through and was directly facing the goalkeeper, how could a foul that brought down the attacking player be just a yellow card?

But in the eyes of the Australian players, especially in Cahill's eyes, even giving Zhou Yi a direct red card could not quell the anger in his heart, because if Zhou Yi hadn't fouled, he would have directly charged into the penalty area to shoot, and he was confident that he could kick the football in. But now… this attack came to an abrupt end three meters in front of the Chinese team's penalty area!

Even if Zhou Yi was sent off, it wouldn't change this reality.

Australia would get a free kick, but could a free kick be compared to a sure goal?

Even a penalty kick would be better than a free kick!

※※※

"Damn, Zhou Yi!!" Sun Pan exclaimed in the group.

"Alas…" He Ying sighed.

Yang Muge and Guo Nu didn't say anything.

They were just as clear about what this scene meant.

Zhou Yi could actually not foul, and let Cahill into the penalty area directly, maybe Yang Zhi could stop this shot?

This was actually self-deception. If Zhou Yi just let Cahill in like that, Cahill would most likely score. No one could guarantee that goalkeeper Yang Zhi could save Cahill's shot, and Zhou Yi did not choose to throw the responsibility to the goalkeeper behind him.

※※※

Gao Hongbo had been standing on the sidelines all along. Seeing Zhou Yi's foul, he suddenly squatted down.

One hand was still supporting the ground.

His assistant coach Fu Bo turned his head and couldn't find Gao Hongbo, and only saw him when he looked down.

So he also squatted down, next to Gao Hongbo.

Neither of the two men spoke, just watching the pitch, waiting for… the verdict of fate.

※※※

Although there were many people surrounding him, both Chinese and Australian players, the referee still pushed everyone aside, walked up to Zhou Yi, and then beckoned him to get up.

Zhou Yi lay there motionless.

It was not until the referee gestured for him to get up for the third time that he slowly sat up, and then sat on the turf, looking up at the referee.

When the referee saw Zhou Yi sitting up, he reached into his chest pocket and took out a stack of things, including yellow cards, red cards, and a record book.

Then he pulled out the red one from it.

There was no need to watch any further.

He showed Zhou Yi the red card!

"Red card! Zhou Yi… is sent off with a red card!" Liu Hong said with a trembling voice. "This is an… undeniable foul, and it's only right to give Zhou Yi a red card… but… but… in this way, he will miss the Asian Cup final, miss our match against Japan!"

※※※

"Zhou Yi was actually… sent off?!" The Japanese players in front of the TV were also very surprised.

This was a result that no one had expected.

The Chinese team would eliminate Australia, but the Chinese team's most threatening and important player would miss the final…

"Now it's great, the championship is in our hands…"

"That was really close! We're so lucky!"

After their surprise, the teammates patted their chests and rejoiced.

Shinji Kagawa also looked at the TV screen in surprise, and paid no attention to the surrounding teammates' rejoicing, as if he and they were people from two different worlds.

※※※

When Zhou Yi saw this red card, there was no change in his expression, and he still had the faint smile he had before. Then he got up from the ground, patted his butt, and turned to walk towards the sidelines.

He didn't say goodbye to anyone, didn't explain anything, and didn't defend himself. He just left the field resolutely. The only exception was that he glanced at Cahill before turning to leave.

"...When he fouled, he already knew what the result would be, right?" Liu Hong said, looking at Zhou Yi's departing back. "But he still did it, without hesitation. He sent the Chinese team into the final with one hand, but he himself… Thank you, Zhou Yi. Without you, maybe we wouldn't even be able to reach the semi-finals…"

Liu Hong's words were very sensational, but Zhou Jianliang turned off the TV, and then got up.

"Aren't you going to watch?" Li Cuiyun asked him strangely.

He didn't answer his wife, but went straight back to the bedroom.

※※※

"If I were the goalkeeper… he definitely wouldn't have had to foul!" Sun Pan gritted his teeth and typed such a sentence in the group. "I guarantee I wouldn't have let that Cahill score!"

"If I were on the field, it should have been me who committed this foul!" Guo Nu also said.

Yang Muge: "If I had been there, I shouldn't have let this gap appear…"

He Ying: "If I were there, even if this goal was scored, it wouldn't have affected the overall situation, right…"

Then the group fell silent. None of them were on the field, they were in distant Europe, but this scene made them feel the same way.

※※※

Zhou Yi walked off the field, and Gao Hongbo got up to meet him, reaching out his hand in advance. When Zhou Yi shook his hand, he pulled Zhou Yi in front of him and hugged him, patting him on the back.

He didn't say anything, just patted him.

He patted him again and again, until Zhou Yi said, "Okay, Gao *Zhi*, I have to leave the field." (*Zhi* is a polite title for coach.)

Only then did Gao Hongbo let go of him, looked at him, and saw that Zhou Yi's face was not sad or angry, but still had a faint smile on his face, he was very surprised: "You… are you happy?"

"Why can't I be happy?" Zhou Yi spread his hands, "We're going to enter the finals, *yě*!" (*yě* is a filler word indicating excitement.)

"But you…"

"I can't play in the final? It doesn't matter, I'll just wait another four years." Zhou Yi smiled and shook his head. "It's only a matter of time. But Gao *Zhi*, is your victory declaration ready?"

He winked at Gao Hongbo, and then turned and left through the player tunnel.

Gao Hongbo's eyes followed his back until he disappeared into the depths of the tunnel.

※※※

Zhou Yi was sent off with a red card, but the Australian players didn't feel happy or excited at all. Cahill was full of anger and was about to explode.

Zhou Yi just walked away lightly, which made him particularly unhappy. If Zhou Yi had cried and refused to leave the field at the end, he might have felt a little better. As a result, Zhou Yi actually walked away with a smile on his face! And he glanced at himself before leaving!

Although he didn't say anything, Cahill read a sense of mockery in Zhou Yi's glance and smile…

As if mocking them for losing their last chance and being eliminated!

And when he took the ball and rushed towards Zhou Yi, he thought it was a soft persimmon to be kneaded at will. Now this situation is really ironic… Perhaps choosing Zhou Yi as an opponent was wrong from the beginning!

Cahill would rather Zhou Yi stay on the field and score the goal himself, than Zhou Yi leave the field and take Australia with him as a burial object…

Cahill vented all his anger on this free kick. He heavily kicked it into the Chinese team's human wall, hitting the Chinese player Gao Lin, who was clutching his stomach and lying on the ground, but the football… also flew out of the sideline.

Then, the referee's whistle sounded – the game was over!

The Chinese team advanced to the final, while Australia could only go to compete with South Korea for third place…