Chapter 1 Sunlight

Sunlight streamed in through the window, dancing on Zhang Jun's face and waking him up.

"Yang Pan... stop it," Zhang Jun mumbled, still half asleep.

Yang Pan put down the Swiss Army knife he was holding, grinning at Zhang Jun. "Aren't you going to get up? The sun's already high in the sky."

Zhang Jun looked around, dazed. "What time is it?" he asked, scratching his messy hair.

"Nine seventeen in the morning."

"Really? I haven't slept this well in ages... ha!" Zhang Jun stretched. "Come to think of it, why isn't there training today?"

"Are you still confused? Qiu-zhi gave us a day off because our team qualified."

Zhang Jun sat up, looking at Yang Pan. "So, our team qualified?"

"Did you think you were dreaming?"

"It feels a bit like it... ha!" Zhang Jun got up and went to the bathroom to wash up.

Yang Pan picked up the newspaper from the table. Li Yan had brought them. Unlike Zhang Jun, he believed that even though sports media was becoming increasingly boring like entertainment media, a careful person could still find something of value in them.

Without exception, the front page headlines were all large, bold, and red: China Qualifies! Historic Entry into World Cup Round of 16!

Red, everywhere was red. Red jerseys, red flags, red firecrackers, red fireworks, red words, red feelings...

Having experienced it firsthand, the front page held little interest for Yang Pan. Surprisingly, the second page wasn't about the Zhang Jun and Shevchenko conversation, but about him.

Different media outlets expressed different opinions about his words last night. Some commentators even analyzed Yang Pan's speech as a result of over-excitement, like a certain over-excited Chinese player at a celebration banquet before the 2002 World Cup, who shouted, "We will make it into the top 16!" It only added another joke to Chinese football.

Only Li Yan wrote a commentary in their newspaper titled "From Now On," analyzing the meaning behind Yang Pan's words. Yang Pan couldn't help but nod in agreement: many things he said resonated with him.

"...Yang Pan has always been calm, displaying a maturity beyond his age. From the reporter's understanding of him, he rarely gets over-excited and loses control. This time is no exception. The beginning he speaks of is this World Cup, not just one match yesterday, and the end of this beginning is definitely not being eliminated in this World Cup. I think he must have a deeper meaning... Perhaps this historic breakthrough will be the glorious beginning of their golden generation. Chinese football has been sluggish for decades, and now it is the beginning of a new era... Therefore, he said that qualifying for the group stage is only the beginning. If everyone is satisfied with qualifying for the group stage and stays where they are, without being enterprising, then it is an end. But for someone who is ambitious, not satisfied with the status quo, and looks further ahead, this victory is indeed just a beginning."

Yang Pan just skimmed it. Did he need others to analyze his words for him? These things were meaningless to him. He was concerned about how the media viewed Zhang Jun's and Sheva's performance.

Turning further back, he finally found reports about Zhang Jun and Sheva.

In Yang Pan's view, China won against Ukraine, but Zhang Jun lost to Sheva. As the only goal scorer in the team, Sheva's two goals were substantial. Yang Pan being elected as the best player of the match was only because China won against Ukraine and qualified.

The media's opinion differed slightly from Yang Pan's. They believed that compared to Sheva, who was still fighting until the very end, Zhang Jun's performance was too weak. He only had one goal and missed several scoring opportunities. Aside from the shooting, he was nowhere to be found. China won, but Zhang Jun was completely defeated.

But Yang Pan disagreed with the media's view that Zhang Jun was completely defeated. After all, Sheva had been playing in the world football scene for more than ten years, while Zhang Jun had only been playing for a few years. Losing to Sheva was not a shameful thing. The key was... China won.

Sheva wasn't retiring this year either. If Zhang Jun wanted to win back, he would have plenty of opportunities. Anyway, uh, anyway, he wouldn't be in Milan in the future, and they would meet at least twice a season.

Ukraine had already departed from Germany this morning, and they left quite quickly. Before leaving, Sheva made a phone call to congratulate China and Yang Pan. Obviously, on the field, the two were each fighting for their own side, but no matter what kind of friction occurred, they were still friends off the field.

When the two went downstairs for breakfast, Yang Pan told Zhang Jun that Sheva had left. "He had a message for me to pass on to you."

"What?" Zhang Jun asked, stuffing a fried egg into his mouth.

"He said he's looking forward to the new season and competing against you again."

Zhang Jun looked up at Yang Pan, who was sipping juice from a straw. He turned to look at the blue sky outside the window, where there was a faint white trail left by an airplane.

"So... he already knew."

※※※

After breakfast, Zhang Jun and Yang Pan gathered in Li Yongle's room. Many people were discussing where to go for fun. At this time, Xiang Tao barged in.

"Big news! Big news!" he shouted, and everyone turned to look at him. Xiang Tao was pleased to be the center of attention.

"Do you know who our opponent in the Round of 16 is? Italy! Italy! Three-time World Cup champion Italy!"

But he didn't see the "shocked" expressions he expected, but a bunch of middle fingers.

Xiang Tao froze, not knowing what was going on.

Wang Yu asked him, "Are you still asleep?"

Xiang Tao scratched his head. "How did you know? I just got up and saw this newspaper..." He waved the newspaper in his hand. "I came to tell you without even washing my face."

Someone laughed, and more and more people laughed. Xiang Tao really seemed like he hadn't woken up yet, looking completely confused.

Yang Pan pointed to the newspaper in Xiang Tao's hand. "Read the whole article first."

Xiang Tao lowered his head to look at it.

"...All the Group B matches ended last night, and the qualifying teams have been decided: Group A first place, Italy; Group B second place, America... Last night? Ended last night? Group B played on the same day as us?"

"Damn! You just realized that!" someone scolded jokingly.

"Damn it! Yesterday, I was only busy celebrating, who would know these things!" Xiang Tao muttered as he went back to wash his face.

The others were still laughing, but Yang Pan nudged Zhang Jun. "Inzaghi..."

Zhang Jun shrugged. "I just want to go have some fun now. I can't waste such a nice day."

Yang Pan didn't say anything, but he knew that Zhang Jun must want to play against Italy, just like he wanted to play against Ukraine.

That day, everyone didn't talk about Italy, didn't talk about the Round of 16, didn't talk about the future, and everyone had a great time.

※※※

Everyone knew that their opponent in the Round of 16 was Italy, and Qiu Suhui's training was very targeted. Most of the time was spent practicing breaking defensive counterattacks and set-piece tactics.

Lippi was an old fox. Looking at the team's record when he was at Juventus, you could tell. In this World Cup, Italy put defense first. Although the scenes were mostly dull, they were absolutely safe. Lippi put stability and results on his lips. Facing the criticism that his scenes were dull and his football was utilitarian, he responded: "In a World Cup like this, results speak for themselves. Italy won all three games and qualified for the group stage. If they are not satisfied, they can try this job themselves."

There was no way to change his tactics by irritating him. He was simply a brick wall.

Many people said that Lippi's approach made Italy lose its style as a world power. But Qiu Suhui thought that this was precisely where a team was called a "world power": maturity. No matter what the situation, they didn't panic and responded to all changes with invariance.

Playing against this kind of team was the most troublesome because they never made mistakes and patiently waited for you to make mistakes. This was why the scenes were dull. As opponents, they didn't dare to make mistakes either. Both sides were careful. Where could there be any excitement and passion?

Qiu Suhui also agreed with Lippi's sentence "In a World Cup like this, results speak for themselves." In Chinese, it meant "The winner is king, and the loser is the villain." What's the use of playing well if you can't win?

China's strength was insufficient in this World Cup, and Qiu Suhui was powerless. But as Yang Pan said, this was just the beginning. In the years to come, Qiu Suhui was not willing to let the Chinese men's football team always be a spectator, and simply "playing with spirit" was far from enough.

※※※

"Ah-choo!" Zhang Jun sneezed again. Sneeze three times in a minute, which alerted Yang Pan. As usual, he checked the temperature of the air conditioner: 26 degrees Celsius. Not low. "Do you have a cold?" he asked casually.

"No... Ah-choo! No..." Zhang Jun said, sneezing again.

Yang Pan frowned. He got up, grabbed Zhang Jun, and walked out.

"Hey, where are we going?"

"To the team doctor."

"Hey, I don't have a cold! I just suddenly choked!" Zhang Jun clearly didn't want to go.

"Suddenly choked four times?" Yang Pan ignored such a lame excuse and insisted on dragging Zhang Jun to the team doctor's room.

The result of the temperature measurement left Zhang Jun speechless: 38.2 degrees Celsius.

"A cold, a fever," the team doctor concluded.

Qiu Suhui and Hu Li were both called over.

Qiu Suhui stared at Zhang Jun, his expression very serious. "When did this start?"

"Yes, yesterday, after returning from training, I blew the air conditioner without wearing any clothes..."

Qiu Suhui turned to ask the team doctor, "Dr. Liu, the game is the day after tomorrow. Do you think he can play by then?"

"I'm not sure. It depends on how well he recovers in the next two days. Because of the fear of urine tests, many special medicines can't be given to him. I can only boil him a few doses of traditional Chinese medicine, but you also know that traditional Chinese medicine is slow to take effect..."

Qiu Suhui nodded and turned to Zhang Jun and said, "Get more rest in the next two days. Don't go out if you have nothing to do. It's not good to go from cold to hot. Wear more clothes usually... Drink more water." He said all the ways he could think of to help him recover as soon as possible.

Zhang Jun just nodded. He was like a child who had done something wrong in front of an adult, not daring to say a word.

His cold and fever did surprise Qiu Suhui a bit. When he heard the team doctor call him, his hand shook, and he was really startled.

Although after the game with Ukraine, some people criticized Zhang Jun for not performing as well as Shevchenko and not being excited enough, but look at the current Chinese forward line, who can make the world-class Italian defenders have some fighting spirit? Only Zhang Jun.

If Zhang Jun can't play, the Chinese team doesn't even have a dagger to threaten Italy. What can they talk to Lippi about?

The Chinese team has been praised for its high attack power in the past few games. Zhang Jun is the last link in the attack chain, and his importance is self-evident.

Hu Li woke up the pensive Qiu Suhui. Zhang Jun and Yang Pan had already left. "Let's think about what to do without Zhang Jun. Rearrange the tactics, and training must be changed accordingly..."

"But there are only two days left. Tomorrow is one day of training, and the game is at eight o'clock the day after tomorrow. How can there be enough time?"

"Then there's no way... Let's focus on practicing set-piece coordination tomorrow."

Qiu Suhui also had to accept Hu Li's suggestion. He had thought about it. If Zhang Jun couldn't play, he would change the formation to 461, playing with a single striker. Anyway, the Chinese team had tried this formation during the pre-match warm-up.

The two of them were troubled by the lineup, obviously forgetting that there was still one person beside them. Dr. Liu coughed and spoke, "Coach Qiu, there's something I want to remind you. Zhang Jun's cold is not only because he blew the air conditioner. He has been in a state of overdrawing his physical strength, and his resistance has decreased, which is why he got a cold."

Qiu Suhui looked at the team doctor and nodded, "I know."

He did know it a long time ago, but what could he do? In a big competition like the World Cup, could he not let Zhang Jun play on the grounds of physical strength? Don't be ridiculous! The Football Association would not agree, the media would not agree, the fans would not agree, and Zhang Jun himself would not accept it.

He turned to Hu Li and said, "Zhang Jun needs to rest. Let him go to the strength room for strength training tomorrow, and let him rest by himself at other times."

Hu Li nodded to show that he knew. Dr. Liu's tone was obviously reproachful. He was not the team doctor designated by the Football Association, but Qiu Suhui had found him from outside. He hadn't been in the national team for a long time, and he didn't understand many things. He didn't understand Qiu Suhui. You should know that in China, being the head coach of the men's football team is really not a job for humans. The pressure is too great.

There was even more pressure on the issue of using Zhang Jun.

When Zhang Jun went to League B, some people thought that Zhang Jun was no longer in shape and that he should not be given a national team starter. Qiu Suhui used him despite the pressure.

Later, Zhang Jun played better and better, and those people immediately changed their tune, thinking that Zhang Jun was China's priceless treasure, and his role was so great that no one could match it. Qiu Suhui would be questioned even if he replaced him five minutes early. What if he dared not use Zhang Jun in a game?

Oh my god! That would definitely turn the world upside down. Strategic rest would also be hyped as "abandonment" by some ulterior motives, and this would be a very serious problem.

※※※

Zhang Jun returned to his room depressed. He knew very well that if he didn't recover in time, he would not be able to play in the match against Italy.

"Look, I told you not to go, don't go. Now it's so serious..." He was complaining about Yang Pan, who had dragged him there.

"Damn it! Don't be silly. It's better that you went today. If Qiu-zhi only saw it before the game, then you definitely wouldn't be able to play. Now you have one day to recover. Besides, playing with a fever is dangerous for you and the team. Are you willing to drag everyone down because of you?"

Zhang Jun didn't say anything. He understood in his heart that no matter what the excuse, team interests were greater than his personal interests.

"Okay, I'll obey the organization's arrangements." After a long time, he sighed.

Yang Pan said with a smile, "Don't be so pessimistic. Maybe you'll be fine when you wake up?"

Is that possible? Zhang Jun rolled his eyes. Yang Pan was obviously comforting him. Even if he was comforting him, couldn't he find a reasonable reason?

As a result, that night, in order to take care of Zhang Jun, Yang Pan turned off the air conditioner when they went to bed, and they slept in a steamer.

When he got up the next day, Zhang Jun happily told Yang Pan that the fever seemed to have subsided. But by noon, he had no appetite for food at all. He took traditional Chinese medicine, but it didn't seem to have any effect, and he suddenly became silent.

The news media already knew about Zhang Jun's fever. This was naturally instructed by Qiu Suhui. Last night, he suddenly thought that he could use the news media to create some trouble for Lippi.

Anyway, the news media is now doing things that are false and true, and no one knows how true it is, plus his possible intentional release of fake news, which is enough for Lippi to hesitate for a while.

The training was also ostentatiously open to the media for more than ten minutes, and Zhang Jun was indeed not at the training ground. Then the team doctor also came out to prove that Zhang Jun was currently having a fever and was not suitable for training. As for whether he could play in the game, "It depends on whether his fever subsides before the game."

Everyone knew that it was a bit impossible to get rid of the fever in one day. Even if the fever subsided, could he still play at his level in this physical condition?

Su Fei was also very worried. What he was worried about was not whether Zhang Jun could play, but Zhang Jun's body. When he called, Zhang Jun's voice was obviously different.

"I'm fine, just a little cold. I'm resting now after taking the medicine. Don't worry, wait and watch me play tomorrow!" Zhang Jun had said the same thing to his mother ten minutes ago.

Zhang Jun had to sigh to Yang Pan, women, sometimes they are so strong that it's unbelievable, and sometimes they are so timid that it's outrageous.

Yang Pan laughed at him for not knowing what he had. In fact, Yang Pan was also very worried about whether Zhang Jun would be able to play tomorrow. And he believed that he was definitely not the only one who had this worry.

※※※

Qiu Suhui never announced the starting lineup. His confusing tactics really made Lippi a little unsure.

Lippi's views were different from those of the Italian media. He always believed that the most threatening players on the Chinese team were Zhang Jun and the low-key Li Yongle. Because he couldn't figure out Zhang Jun's personality, he couldn't define him, and it was difficult to judge what he would do.

Such people were the most dangerous.

If Zhang Jun didn't play, he wouldn't have to waste defenders to mark the Chinese team's forwards. He could let the full-backs try to assist, and Pirlo could also be liberated. But if Zhang Jun was on the field, he had to ensure that there was a center-back marking him, and his involvement in the front would also put some pressure on the Italian backfield.

Now, he didn't know whether Zhang Jun would play or not, so he couldn't determine the lineup and tactics.

Qiu Suhui was also worried about whether Zhang Jun would play. The game time was approaching, and Zhang Jun's fever had only subsided a little. His head was still dizzy, and the team doctor advised him not to let Zhang Jun play. But Zhang Jun himself had a very high desire to fight, and it was difficult to persuade him not to play.

Zhang Jun playing would increase the team's combat power, but it might also become a drag due to physical reasons.

What gave him a headache was that the team doctor and Zhang Jun were now expressing their opinions and arguing in front of him.

"Your physical condition is definitely not suitable for playing! Your fever hasn't subsided."

"Who said my fever hasn't subsided? It's just a little dizzy, but it doesn't matter. This small illness is not enough to make me rest."

"Do you know what you're doing? You're overdrawing your sports life!"

"I'm willing to overdraw it for a World Cup like this."

Qiu Suhui couldn't bear it any longer. He slapped the bedside table with his palm: "What are you arguing about? Are you the coaches, or am I the coach?"

Both of them were silent.

Qiu Suhui looked at both of them again, and then said to them, "Zhang Jun, you will still be in the starting lineup for this game."

Zhang Jun's face showed joy, and the team doctor was about to open his mouth immediately, but Qiu Suhui stretched out his hand to signal him not to worry. He continued to say to Zhang Jun, "Don't be too happy. If you don't perform well enough, I will replace you immediately, even if the game has just started. Do you understand?"

"Understood!" Zhang Jun replied, sticking out his chest.

"Then go back and prepare."

After sending Zhang Jun away, he turned to the team doctor and said, "Dr. Liu must still be blaming me for letting Zhang Jun play."

Dr. Liu didn't speak, but it could be seen from his silence that he was indeed angry.

Qiu Suhui smiled, "I also know that Zhang Jun's illness hasn't improved, but I still want to let him play. If this was just an ordinary warm-up match, a friendly match, or even the Asian Cup, I wouldn't let him play, no matter how he insisted. But now it's different. This is the World Cup. Dr. Liu, you haven't been here for long, maybe you still can't understand what a World Cup means to these players. Being able to play here is a lifetime of glory, and for this kind of glory, they are willing to give up a lot of things. I respect his choice, because it only happens once every four years, so let him be willful once."

Dr. Liu sighed and said nothing more. He knew that he couldn't influence the head coach's decision, let alone decide the players' own thoughts. In the end, he was just a doctor, and he would only have the opportunity to appear when the players were injured, that's all.

Qiu Suhui didn't explain any further. He asked Dr. Liu to return to his room, and he had to seize the last bit of time to make adjustments to the tactical arrangements for Zhang Jun's appearance.

On the other side, after repeated consideration, Lippi also decided to assume that Zhang Jun would start the game and arrange his tactics accordingly. He had figured it out. Regardless of whether Zhang Jun played or not, he would stick to his own set of tactics, seek stability and win, and results were the hard truth.

※※※

Back in the room, Zhang Jun only said three words to Yang Pan's inquiring gaze: "I'm starting."

Yang Pan asked, "Do you know that Inzaghi is not playing?" This was the latest news, and it was already broadcast on the news.

Zhang Jun nodded.

"Then you still decided to start?"

"This is the World Cup, Yang Pan. No player would give up the opportunity to play in the World Cup, right? Even if Inzaghi doesn't play, I will still start."

"That's right..." Yang Pan lay on the bed, muttering as he looked at the ceiling. "This is the World Cup, no one will give up this opportunity. Lippi didn't let Pippo play, and Pippo must be very uncomfortable in his heart..."

"Hey, Yang Pan..."

"What?"

"This game is also very different for you, right? After all, it's the first time you're starting and wearing the captain's armband in a World Cup match. Aren't you worried about yourself?"

"Why should I worry? Even if Qiu-zhi doesn't give me this armband, I'll still play like this. There's no change if I give it to me. Haven't you seen it? Qiu-zhi has always let me be his spokesperson, just to train me to be the captain. Look at the starting lineup of this game, what's the difference between the national team and the Olympic team? Qiu-zhi is getting bolder and bolder. It's really naked, naked..." Yang Pan understood everything in his heart, but he usually didn't say it.

Zhang Jun only noticed the fact that Qiu-zhi was training Yang Pan to be the captain after he said it. He looked at Yang Pan lying on the bed and suddenly felt that the road he and he would take in the future would not be the same. The two of them embarked on two different roads... But one thing Zhang Jun was sure of was that no matter what kind of road they took, the final destination would definitely be the same, so-called different paths leading to the same goal.

※※※

On July 1st, there were two knockout matches that day, A1 vs. B2, and A2 vs. B1. The match that Zhang Jun insisted on participating in was A2 vs. B1, China vs. Italy, with the kickoff at 8:00 p.m.

Before them, the in-form Brazil team defeated the United States 2:0 and advanced to the quarterfinals. Kaka played the entire game, performed well, and had an assist.

Not long after the game ended, Zhang Jun received a phone call from him, "We advanced to the quarterfinals! Zhang Jun, I'm waiting for you!"

"Damn it! Your opponent is the United States, and we are Italy. I know our own abilities very well, and I don't expect to defeat them..." Zhang Jun was standing alone outside the dressing room, where he received the call. There was very strict security here, and no reporters could approach. The staff coming and going were busy with their own affairs, and no one paid attention to him, so he happened to have a relatively private space.

"Then why are you clamoring to play?"

"I just want to prove something. Although I can't defeat Italy, I'll make them suffer a little."

Kaka didn't speak. He knew that Zhang Jun had a knot in his heart, "Then I wish you good luck."

"That's what I should say to you. Brazil is this year's World Cup favorite. It's you who need good luck!" Zhang Jun laughed.

All the arrangements were made, and now was a period of adjustment before the start of the game, which was very short. When Zhang Jun pushed open the door and entered the dressing room after finishing the call, he happened to see Yang Pan standing up. "Okay, let's go!" he said to everyone.

Yang Pan was wearing the yellow captain's armband and looked particularly energetic. In the Chinese football environment, which emphasizes seniority, he should be regarded as the youngest national team captain.

He was standing at the front of the team, followed by goalkeeper An Ke, and then by center-back Liu Peng, who replaced Zheng Jun in this game. In this game, Qiu Suhui made a record by arranging only two veteran players in the starting lineup, and they were still overseas players. He didn't use any domestic players.

He was already considering the next World Cup, training young players and training the team. Most of the people in this lineup, if there were no accidents, would be the main players in the next four years. Everyone else had been trained, and Liu Peng had very few opportunities. Today was a good opportunity to train troops.

Even in a game that was considered to have been decided before the game, in Qiu Suhui's eyes, it had great value. So he repeatedly emphasized to everyone before the game: "Use your eyes and hearts to experience and learn. Why is Italy a world power? Playing against them is the best learning opportunity. I hope that everyone can learn something from this game and apply it to various games in the future."

His words were like a "last will and testament," and many people heard it: This game was likely to be their last game in this World Cup.

Zhang Jun was standing at the back of the team. He touched the bracelet, closed his eyes, "Su Fei, Dad, Mom, watch me play."

When he opened his eyes, a dazzling light appeared in front of him—he was already on the pitch.

※※※

This Round of 16 match was arranged at the home stadium of the Bundesliga team Borussia Dortmund—Westfalenstadion. This was a coincidence, but it made it the only real home game for the Chinese team in the World Cup.

Because this was where An Ke fought, here were his fans, and these fans were the most fanatical fans in all of Germany. Because of An Ke, they were now all fans of the Chinese team.

In this game, Italy came with nearly 20,000 people, while the Chinese fans, for various reasons, only had a few thousand people. The remaining seats were all filled with Borussia Dortmund fans. In order to cheer for the Chinese team, they all wore red clothes - which was the color of the Chinese team's uniform for this game - waving the Chinese and German flags, as well as large portraits of An Ke. Their singing could be heard throughout the stadium, clearly suppressing the momentum of the Italian fans. Compared to them, the real Chinese fans looked more like supporting actors.

When the Chinese reporters saw this scene, they were all taken aback, and some even sighed, "If our own fans could do half as well as other people, look at the atmosphere on the scene! Tsk tsk!"

An Ke was very moved. He was not an easy person to be moved. This time, the fans had done too much for him, more than he could have imagined. He once again felt that it was such a right decision to stay in Borussia Dortmund.

"The game is about to begin! Let's take a look at the grand occasion of the Westfalenstadion. It has almost become a red ocean! Just because of one person, this has become the home of the Chinese team! Italy's 20,000 fans seem insignificant! An Ke used his loyalty to earn the respect of the Borussia Dortmund fans!" This was the voice of the German commentator.

Chinese on-site commentator Wang Jianxiang: "People are generally not optimistic about us before the game, but looking at the atmosphere on the scene, I feel hope. This is the most famous devil's home stadium in the Bundesliga. It is very difficult for teams that come here to escape unscathed! Now, this is our home!"

Italian commentator: "We came with 20,000 fans, but I didn't expect that this would be a world of red, which reminds me of the Korean home stadium four years ago. I hope the result of the game will not be a replica of four years ago. Should Galliani consider exporting players to South Africa? Haha!"

Like this commentator, almost the full of red reminded those Italian players who participated in the Korea-Japan World Cup four years ago of that unhappy summer. In their seriousness, the Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese all look the same, there is no difference. Since there is no difference, then the revenge of the Koreans can also be avenged on the Chinese.

Suddenly, the Italian team was like seeing a red bull, full of murderous intent.

This was the first time that the Chinese team had stood on the stage of the World Cup knockout stage, but they didn't show any nervousness. After the experience of the previous three games, these young men became more and more confident in the team. Even against world champion Brazil, we scored a goal, so what other teams are there to be afraid of?

The reason why Qiu Suhui likes to trust this group of children whose average age is 24 is because he likes this point of them. After experiencing the initial worship of authority and powerhouses, they now only want to challenge this authority. This is also the reason why these children are most likely to succeed - they dare to challenge.

The 2006 in Germany was just the runway for their takeoff. In the 2010 in South Africa, he wanted to make them famous in the world.

※※※

"The referee blows the whistle, and the game begins! The first team to kick off is the Chinese team. They are wearing red jerseys, red shorts, and attacking from left to right. The Italian team is wearing white away jerseys and attacking from right to left. Audience friends, this is the second Round of 16 match of the 2006 Germany World Cup..."

The Chinese team was in no hurry to attack after kicking off. This was Qiu Suhui's instruction. Italy was very stable, and there was almost no chance to launch a quick counterattack. On the contrary, it was possible to be intercepted and launch a counterattack. Therefore, at the beginning of the game, they should try to control the ball and attract their main players over before seeking a counterattack. After all, with the level of the Italian defenders and midfielders, even Kru Li, who was the best player in the team, was not confident that he could protect the ball in the enemy's camp. Because there was one point, the Italian defenders were different from the Premier League defenders: if they really couldn't get the ball, they would definitely foul without hesitation, and the location of the foul was also very particular, usually not posing too much of a threat to the goal.

For Kru, who likes to control the ball, only one trick is needed to deal with him: foul. If his rhythm and feel for the ball are destroyed, he will not play well.

Kaka had a deep understanding of this in Serie A. As an attacking midfielder, he had caused all of the opponent's defenders to receive yellow cards in a single game several times, which showed how rude the Italian defenders were.

After passing the ball a few times, the ball was finally passed to Kru.

The Chinese team was still in the same starting formation as the previous three games, 442. However, there were slight adjustments in the details. Yang Pan leaned towards the right, more like a right winger, while Kru leaned towards the middle, a real attacking midfielder, and the left was left to Xiang Tao, who liked to assist and insert from the back.

Now, Kru was going to learn about "Italian-style defense."

As soon as his body came into contact with Gattuso, Kru felt a great pressure. The kid seemed to have endless brute strength, constantly impacting him, and the strength was just right, so he wouldn't fall directly to the ground, but it made him very uncomfortable.

Not only did he bump, but his hands and feet never stopped moving. When Kru turned, he turned, when Kru stopped suddenly, he also stopped suddenly, and when Kru accelerated, he immediately put his hand on him. Several times, Gattuso's hand almost grabbed Kru's mouth.

Shit! Is this Italian defense? Kru cursed inwardly after being grabbed by Gattuso again. Although Qiu-zhi had the defenders imitate Italian defenders for offensive and defensive drills before the game, the level of defense was simply child's play compared to what Kru was currently enduring.

He looked up, intending to pass the ball to someone, but suddenly felt that something was wrong under his feet. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Gattuso grabbing him and kicking the ball!

How could he let you cut it off like this? Kru quickly dialed the ball to the side, avoiding Gattuso's feet. He wanted to break through, but as soon as he turned around, he saw an Italian defender intercepting the ball, it was the world-class center-back - Alessandro Nesta.

It turned out that he had been waiting for this opportunity. Being in AC Milan together, he and Gattuso cooperated tacitly. Like lions that don't hunt, Kru struggled for a long time and found that he was just prey that had fallen into a trap. He looked at Nesta's back, shook his hands, and gave up chasing.

For the first time, he encountered a tenacious defense that was completely different from the past, and he lost miserably.

Nesta only took a few steps, got rid of Kru, and passed the ball to Pirlo.

In this game, Italy lined up a luxurious attack lineup. Piero and Cassano played as forwards, and Totti coordinated and organized behind them. On the bench were also big-name stars such as Vieri, Inzaghi, and Gilardino.

Zhang Jun really wanted to compete with Inzaghi on the same field, but now he could only look at Lippi's face.

But he was not short of opponents. Cassano, who was about the same age, was picked out by the Chinese media to be his opponent. In the 2004 European Championships, Cassano performed quite well, scoring two goals, and almost became Italy's hero. I believe many people still remember the scene when he scored a goal but learned that Italy had been eliminated, and he went from joy to sorrow, squatting on the ground and crying. His bad-boy image was sublimated in many people's hearts.

Two years had passed, and he was still a problem child, still causing trouble, but no one had ever doubted his talent. In Rome, in order to restrain him, he had been