Chapter 1 The First Half

The first half was basically the Chinese team continuously launching attacks on the Colombian goal, with Colombian goalkeeper Ospina making various brilliant saves to keep the goal from being breached.

It wasn't until the final moments of the first half that the Chinese team's offensive slowed down, and Colombia got an opportunity.

In the thirty-eighth minute, Zheng Zhi raised his foot too high while defending in front of the penalty area. The referee ruled it a foul and gave Colombia a free kick opportunity on the edge of the Chinese team's penalty area.

Guarín and James Rodríguez both stood in front of the ball. Both of them were capable of taking free kicks, but their methods were completely different.

When the referee blew the whistle, Guarín took the lead in running towards the ball. He made a gesture to powerfully shoot the goal, but just as he was about to reach the ball, he suddenly ran to the other side. Then James Rodríguez followed up with a left-footed curler!

The ball bypassed the Chinese team's wall and went straight to the Chinese team's goal.

Sun Pan, who had been relatively idle in the first half, finally got a chance to show himself. He jumped in the air, stretched his body, and blocked it out, giving Colombia a corner kick.

"Sun Pan! He is very focused! Previously, the Chinese team had the advantage in attack. In this case, the most worrying thing is that the goalkeeper will lose focus and misjudge the sudden ball... Fortunately, Sun Pan didn't..."

This was Colombia's last threatening opportunity in the first half.

Before long, referee Velasco blew the whistle for the end of the first half, and the Chinese team entered the locker room with a one-goal lead.

Perhaps some Chinese fans would regret and worry that the Chinese team's offensive was like a tide, but only scored one goal, but in Lippi's view, this score was completely acceptable. Most importantly, this score would not make the players lose their vigilance and motivation. They had an advantage, but also ensured that the players would not be complacent in the following games.

After returning to the locker room, Lippi did not praise the team's performance in the first half, nor did he criticize the team for wasting opportunities in the first half. He directly began tactical arrangements, telling everyone how to play in the second half with a 1:0 lead.

Continue to put pressure on Colombia, just like in the first half. Yang Muge must continue to stick to James Rodríguez, not giving him a chance to send out wonderful passes, and not giving him a chance to shoot and score.

At the same time, pay more attention to Guarín and Cuadrado. In addition to James Rodríguez, they can also create threats to the Chinese team's goal.

On the Colombian side, coach Pekerman kept instilling confidence in his players, telling them that being one goal behind was not a big deal, and as long as they continued to work hard, they could completely equalize the score. And once they equalized the score, the situation would become favorable to Colombia. At that time, the Chinese team would definitely panic, and as long as Colombia made another effort, they could completely defeat the Chinese team.

Pekerman tried his best to describe such a future to the players, inspiring them. Because Colombia's attack in the first half was really uninspired and almost completely suppressed by the Chinese team.

※※※

While the coaches of both sides were making adjustments, on television, the commentators and guests were also commenting on the first half and looking forward to the second half.

In Chinese television, everyone was happy about the Chinese team's performance in the first half, but on the other hand, they were a little worried, worried that the Chinese team had wasted too many opportunities in the first half. After all, they were only one goal ahead, which was really dangerous.

As the saying goes, "A one-goal lead is the most dangerous score in the world."

The guests offered suggestions for the Chinese team from their own perspectives and predicted Lippi's adjustments in the second half.

But no matter what the strategy was, the key point was that the Chinese team should score as soon as possible in the second half, and score more goals. The best way was to score two goals in a row at the beginning of the second half, completely extinguishing Colombia's idea of a counterattack.

※※※

After a fifteen-minute half-time break, the two sides changed sides and fought again in the second half.

Colombia made adjustments at the beginning of the second half, after all, they were the losing side.

Gustavo Adrián Ramos, the forward who had just announced his joining Borussia Dortmund this summer, came on to replace Ibarbo, and the formation changed to 442, which was a clear signal to strengthen the attack.

After the start of the second half, Colombia's offensive was strengthened. Colombia, which was already behind, had no way out. It was better to let go and fight, with a good chance of equalizing the score.

So Colombia's offensive in the second half was very fierce, and they started a head-to-head battle with the Chinese team.

In the fiftieth minute, when Zhou Yi took the ball in the frontcourt, he tried to break through, but was brought down by Armero. The referee awarded the Chinese team a free kick. Zhang Linpeng pretended to kick the free kick, but when he ran to the ball, he suddenly stepped on the ball to the side. Zhou Yi, who followed up, directly passed the ball diagonally to the center of the penalty area. Colombian defender Zapata headed the ball out of the baseline when he was competing with He Ying. This should be a corner kick, but the referee signaled Colombia to take a goal kick.

The Chinese players protested for a while, but soon stopped dwelling on the matter.

Colombia's first shot in the second half came in the fifty-ninth minute. At that time, James Rodríguez made a挑pass before Yang Muge could snatch it. Guarín directly shot with his left foot after getting rid of the defender in the penalty area, but it went high.

In the sixty-fourth minute, Gao Lin crossed from the left, and Ospina attacked and hit the ball out, but the ball was still under the control of the Chinese team after it flew out.

Zhou Yi passed the ball straight into the penalty area from outside the penalty area. He Ying's shot was interfered with by Zúñiga and did not hit the right spot. The ball hit the side net.

In the sixty-sixth minute, Colombia got a free kick in the frontcourt. James Rodríguez吊the ball into the penalty area, creating a chaotic situation in the Chinese team's penalty area. In the chaos, Yepes抢shot, and the ball flew towards the goal.

It was still Sun Pan. He performed well and palmed the ball over the crossbar!

"Sun Pan made another wonderful save! When Yepes shot, the ball flew towards the back post. I believe many Chinese fans' hearts were cold!"

The Colombian fans on the stands began to increase their momentum, because the team's current performance made them see the hope of equalizing the score and even winning the game.

In their cheers, James Rodríguez ran to kick the corner kick. However, after this corner kick was kicked out, it did not pose any threat to the Chinese team's goal.

Zapata's header flew high over the baseline.

The Colombian fans on the stands let out a huge sigh, regretting that Zapata missed this opportunity.

In the sixty-ninth minute, Yan Min was brought down to the ground by James Rodríguez from the side when he dribbled the ball inside to the ribs on the left.

He himself was shown a yellow card by referee Velasco, and the Chinese team also won a free kick in front of the Colombian penalty area.

This free kick position is quite good, you can directly shoot, the distance of more than thirty meters is not too far, very suitable for exerting force. Don't worry about the distance being too short, after the ball rises, there is no distance to fall and it will fly directly out of the baseline.

Zhou Yi and Zheng Zhi were standing in front of the ball, discussing.

"Let's not shoot this ball directly..." Zhou Yi said to Zheng Zhi.

"What's wrong?" Zheng Zhi asked.

"Let's change it up a bit. Haven't we practiced free kick tactics specifically before?"

"Oh, right..." Zheng Zhi remembered, he nodded in agreement. "Which tactic to use?"

"Let's use number three."

"Number three..." Zheng Zhi thought for a while, recalling what the number three free kick tactic was in his mind, and then he looked at the current situation and felt that it was indeed very suitable to use the number three tactic, so he nodded in agreement.

After the exchange, Zhou Yi stepped back and walked to the edge of the penalty area, leaving only Zheng Zhi in front of the ball.

Zhou Yi, who walked to the edge of the penalty area, shouted to his teammates in the penalty area: "Everyone pay attention, number three free kick tactic!"

He didn't make any gestures or signals, he just shouted it out openly, just bullying the fact that no one in the Colombian team could understand Chinese.

Chinese players can communicate directly on the court without any disguise.

Just like when Zhou Yi and Zheng Zhi were communicating just now, they neither avoided the Colombian players around them, nor covered their mouths with their hands.

The other party couldn't understand it at all. Even if he shouted like this, the Colombian players would still be dumbfounded, not knowing what he said.

As soon as they heard the number three free kick tactic, the Chinese players in the penalty area thought of the offensive free kick routines they had practiced in training.

So everyone looked around, observed the surrounding situation, and prepared for the running position at that time.