Chapter 101 Zhang Lu's Prediction

In CCTV's pre-match preview program, the famous football commentator Zhang Lu was specially invited to predict the game.

Zhang Lu mentioned that although defeating Brazil was remarkable, the Chinese team should guard against arrogance and rashness, and the Japanese team should not be underestimated.

Of course, in the end, he was still very much looking forward to the Chinese team's performance in the final.

"...This National Olympic team is actually very strong. I don't think the Chinese team is weaker than Japan. On the contrary, I think they are stronger than Japan. So, as long as they perform normally, have enough patience, and don't rush, I believe the boys will bring us back a gold medal."

※※※

When the players from both sides stood in the players' tunnel, preparing to enter the field, Zhou Yi was the focus of attention of the entire Japanese team.

As captain, wearing the captain's armband, he stood at the front of the line, and everyone could only see his back.

Many of these Japanese players play in the Bundesliga. Because of the special number of foreign player slots, the Bundesliga is a forward base for many non-EU players to land in Europe. A large number of Japanese players landing in the Bundesliga has almost become a tradition.

In Asia, Japan has the most players playing abroad, and most of these players playing abroad play in the Bundesliga. Some agents even specialize in bringing Japanese players to the Bundesliga.

However, even with so many Japanese players playing in the Bundesliga, their momentum is not as great as that of Zhou Yi alone.

Any Japanese player playing in the Bundesliga is sure to know Zhou Yi.

Shinji Kagawa is considered an outstanding representative of Japanese players playing abroad, but even he, at Borussia Dortmund, is below Zhou Yi.

This ordinary player, who doesn't look strong enough or fast enough, has used his wisdom and brains to carve out a world for himself in the Bundesliga. He is simply an idol for those Japanese players who also lack outstanding physical condition.

But this time, on the field of the Olympic final, the Japanese players' gazes towards Zhou Yi were not admiration and envy, but... murderous intent.

If they want to win the gold medal, they must defeat Zhou Yi. Of course, their eyes towards Zhou Yi can no longer be affectionate.

However, their murderous intent did not last long, because Zhou Yi kept turning his head.

Zhou Yi, standing at the front, wasn't standing straight and still. He would always twist around and keep looking back. He might not have a clear target, and his eyes would just sweep around, as if he had ADHD.

Most Japanese players didn't dare to look directly at Zhou Yi like this, so as soon as Zhou Yi turned back, they would quickly shift their gaze away.

There was only one exception.

Hotaru Yamaguchi.

The main defensive midfielder of the Japanese National Olympic team.

When Zhou Yi turned his head, he didn't lower his head or shift his gaze like the other teammates, but continued to look at him.

But Zhou Yi didn't make eye contact with him, his gaze swept past and shifted away. It really was just a "sweep." In the process, he might not have had a focal point at all.

After Zhou Yi swept past, Yamaguchi Hotaru lowered his eyelids and didn't continue to look at Zhou Yi.

He was thinking about the conversation he had with head coach Takashi Sekizuka a few days before the game.

At that time, Sekizuka Takashi handed him a task with a serious face: "Be sure to stick to Zhou Yi every step of the way during the game."

This was to have him mark Zhou Yi. Yamaguchi Hotaru wasn't surprised by this task, but what Sekizuka Takashi said next shocked him.

"Literally 'every step of the way'. Stick to him, pull him, wherever he goes, you go."

"Defensive position..." Yamaguchi Hotaru was puzzled.

"Don't worry about it." Sekizuka Takashi waved his hand. "That's not something you should consider. Your task is to follow Zhou Yi and not let him escape your control range. What kind of control range? The range where you can reach out and grab his arm, jersey, and shoulder."

Yamaguchi Hotaru then realized that this marking task seemed a little different from usual...

"Does defending Zhou Yi... need to be done to this extent?" he couldn't help but ask the coach.

"Absolutely." Sekizuka Takashi nodded with a serious face.

Yamaguchi Hotaru's thoughts returned to the present.

Since the head coach said it was necessary, then he would just do it. He didn't need to ask too much why. The head coach's arrangement must have its reasons.

Sometimes on the football field, thinking too much isn't a good thing.

※※※

When the referee team came out, it meant that the players were about to enter the field.

Volunteer children raised the national flags of the two teams and led their respective teams into the field.

Outside, the stadium was already filled with noise.

Although the absence of the championship favorites Brazil and Spain, as well as the host team Great Britain, affected the attendance of the final, at a glance, more than half of the stadium was still occupied.

Mainly Chinese and Japanese fans, they were gathered in the stands behind the two goals, in addition to some neutral fans.

During the group stage, the Chinese team's fans were mainly Chinese students studying in the UK and employees of some Chinese-funded institutions, as well as overseas Chinese. And not many people came, because there were more interesting events than football at the Olympics. In China's traditional advantageous events, such as table tennis, weightlifting, diving, and badminton, there would always be many Chinese spectators. Swimming, due to the outstanding performances of Sun Yang and Ye Shiwen, also attracted a large number of Chinese people.

Compared to that, football was far less attractive, and only true fans would watch it.

However, as the Chinese National Olympic team performed better and better at the Olympics, more and more people paid attention to them. In addition to fans, many people who didn't usually watch football came to support China.

China's football used to have a bad reputation, and everyone felt ashamed when they mentioned it. Saying "Chinese football" was full of contempt. But at this Olympic Games, the National Olympic team won back everyone's respect and trust with their actual performance.

After the 3:1 victory over South Korea, not only Chinese people in the UK, but Chinese people all over Europe were attracted to the UK. They came to the UK from other European countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Poland, Switzerland... to watch the National Olympic team's match against Brazil.

Of course, at that time, many people's idea was—if I don't come to watch it live, I might only be able to watch the third and fourth place final. Not many people thought that the Chinese National Olympic team could beat Brazil and reach the final.

After the Chinese team really defeated Brazil, everyone was surprised that the Chinese team had made it all the way to the final. Now, they had even more reason to stay in the UK and cheer for the Chinese team.

The situation on the Japanese team's side was not very different from that of the Chinese team. Because the image of Japanese football was much better than that of Chinese football, there was no lack of attention and supporters during the group stage.

But being able to make it all the way to the final still made Japanese fans ecstatic. In addition to Japanese people in Europe, many fans in Japan also took flights to London to cheer for their country.

So, although Wembley Stadium wasn't full, the atmosphere on the scene was definitely not a problem.

※※※

"Okay, the players from both sides are entering the field!" He Ping, who was doing the live broadcast on the scene, shouted in a raised voice.

First out were the national flags of both sides, China's Five-Star Red Flag and Japan's Rising Sun Flag. For these two teams and countries, this was a historic moment. Because this was the first time their respective national flags had appeared on the field of the Olympic men's football final.

Following the national flags were the players from both sides.

On the Chinese team's side, captain Zhou Yi took the lead. On the Japanese team's side, the captain was their overage player, twenty-four-year-old defender Maya Yoshida.

Behind them, the players from both sides followed in single file.

The appearance of each player won the support of their respective fans. At this time, no one was booing their opponents, and they were all busy cheering for their players.

After entering the field, Zhou Yi and Maya Yoshida, as captains, went to fulfill their captain's duties.

In the coin toss, Zhou Yi lost to Yoshida Maya, so Yoshida Maya won the right to choose sides.

When the referee signaled Yoshida Maya to choose sides, Yoshida Maya seemed to have already considered it. He pointed to the field behind Zhou Yi and said, "We want this side."

That was the east half of Wembley Stadium, originally the half where the Chinese team warmed up.

Generally speaking, unless there are special reasons, teams will choose the half where they warmed up. On the one hand, to avoid trouble, and on the other hand, to be more familiar.

But Yoshida Maya chose to make things difficult.

Zhou Yi turned around and looked in the direction he was pointing. Most of the Chinese team's penalty area was exposed to the sunlight, and the visibility was very good. Everything seemed normal, nothing strange, or worth paying attention to.

But Zhou Yi frowned slightly.

At Borussia Dortmund, Zhou Yi wasn't the captain and hadn't participated in the coin toss. In the National Olympic team, he was the captain, and he had participated in the coin toss in the previous few games. He had never paid much attention to the coin toss. He cared more about the kickoff right, because his playing style preferred to keep the ball under his own control.

But in this game, he actually wanted the right to choose sides.

He raised his head and looked up at the sky.

It was now 2:55 PM local Greenwich time in London. The sun was high in the sky, a little further west than at noon, but it could still be considered overhead.

But fifty minutes later, at 3:45 PM, the first half of the game would end, and the sun would sink further west. After a fifteen-minute halftime break, at 4:00 PM, if nothing unexpected happened, the sun would be directly above the west stand of Wembley Stadium. Without deliberately looking up, you could feel the dazzling sunlight shining obliquely into your eyes from the roof.

And at that time, the Japanese team would switch to this half, and the Chinese team would be attacking against the oblique sun.

That was why Zhou Yi wanted the right to choose sides—he wanted the Chinese team to be switched to this half in the second half!

But now Yoshida Maya had snatched it away.

The Eight Route Army is cunning... no, the little devils are cunning!