“Zhou Yi’s shot was very decisive! An assist from Yan Min… These two players who play for Borussia Dortmund are demonstrating their excellent chemistry in the national team. Yan Min didn’t even look into the penalty area before crossing, he seemed to believe Zhou Yi would move forward. And Zhou Yi started running forward when Yan Min dispossessed the ball, as if he believed Yan Min would definitely pass the ball into that open space…”

Marcel Reif gave a high appraisal of the two players’ performance.

“This is the chemistry cultivated in one year of playing for Borussia Dortmund, and now the Chinese team is benefiting from it…” As a German commentator, he was very happy to see this.

When Zhou Yi scored, the Brazilian commentator wailed, “God… Oscar’s mistake was too fatal! Yan Min immediately crossed after dispossessing the ball, catching our defenders off guard. Whether it was Thiago Silva or David Luiz, their reactions were too slow…”

He had confidently said that Brazil’s second goal was coming soon, and now his face was stinging a bit…

After scoring, Zhou Yi ran to Yan Min, who had passed him the ball, and hugged him. Right under the noses of the Brazilian fans, he gave a thumbs-up to those Brazilian fans who had been mocking him.

Anyone with even a little intelligence would understand what this celebration meant. Zhou Yi was retaliating against the Brazilian fans who had mocked Yan Min.

The other Chinese teammates also ran up, hugged Yan Min, and together they gave a thumbs-up to the Brazilian fans in the stands.

This was truly a collective slap in the face…

Of course, this approach also drew dissatisfaction and boos from the Brazilian fans.

But this Chinese team was no longer the timid group of the past. They didn’t care about the boos from the Brazilian fans at all.

With the game at this point, only one team could remain. It was either you die or I live, so what was the point of talking about politeness and manners…

Anyway, if they eliminated the Brazilian team, they would definitely offend the Brazilian fans. No matter how gentle and polite you were now, they would still boo and hate you.

It wasn’t just soccer; the entire sports world was a war in a time of peace. Since it was war, what was there to be polite about?

He Ping praised the Chinese team’s celebration instead. “Haha! This celebration shows that it was aimed at the previous boos and jeers from the Brazilian fans. The national team’s lads are using this method to defend their teammate’s dignity, which is heartwarming and proves how united this team is… And a united team is not so easily defeated!”

※※※

Although Yan Min played a crucial role in this goal, the TV broadcast cameras still favored Zhou Yi more.

Commentators from various countries were also more familiar with Zhou Yi, and talked about him more.

“…Zhou Yi scored his first goal in the World Cup. In this goal, whether it was moving forward or shooting, he was very decisive, giving the Brazilian defense no time to react. In this goal, he fully demonstrated the qualities of the best player in Europe from the season before last!”

“Zhou Yi keenly sensed the opening, and seizing openings is what he is best at. Not to mention the problems with the two central defenders for Brazil in this goal, Fernandinho’s problem was also very big. He didn’t stay close to Zhou Yi the whole time. Zhou Yi is much more alert than him, and a moment’s negligence caused the goal. The Brazilian team should remember this lesson; some people cannot be allowed to leave your sight!”

“Did Brazil think Zhou Yi can only pass and assist? They forgot that he scored sixteen goals in the league last season, which is terrifying for an attacking midfielder! It’s more impressive than many forwards’ stats. Don’t underestimate Zhou Yi’s scoring ability!”

In the TV footage, Zhou Yi was smiling and chatting with his teammates as he ran back to his own half. From his face, you could always feel a power that made you feel at ease.

※※※

When the Chinese team returned to their positions, the Brazilian team was also ready.

With a whistle, the game restarted.

The Brazilian team was clearly affected by this goal. After the game restarted, their performance was very fractured—they desperately wanted to attack, wanting to regain the lead, but this impatience instead caused a series of mistakes, giving the Chinese team more opportunities to counterattack.

Lippi’s tactical requirement for the Chinese team in this game was counterattack, because the Brazilian team would definitely use their home advantage to attack the Chinese team fiercely. In this situation, playing defensive counterattack was the most correct choice.

After the opening, the Chinese team had also been defending first and then counterattacking, but unexpectedly in the nineteenth minute, Yan Min’s own goal broke the balance on the field.

Fortunately, they had now tied the score, so they could continue to counterattack.

With Yan Min and He Ying, two fast players, plus Gao Lin, a forward who could hold the ball and set up his teammates, the Chinese team’s personnel configuration was very suitable for playing defensive counterattack.

In the thirty-fourth minute, Neymar was blocked by Yang Muge and Yang Hao when he was dribbling forward. Yang Hao kept physically confronting Neymar, distracting him and attracting his attention, while Yang Muge deftly and quickly stretched out his foot from the other side and poked the ball away.

The poked-away ball was taken by Zhou Yi, who was nearby. Then Zhou Yi turned around and sent the ball forward to He Ying, who had retreated.

He Ying, with his back to the direction of attack, used a difficult move to pass the ball to Gao Lin behind him.

Gao Lin protected the ball, adjusted it, and then sent the ball to the left wing. Yan Min cut in on the left wing and received the ball.

Then he was entangled by Alves.

The two of them remained entangled until near the baseline. Finally, when Yan Min tried to nutmeg Alves, he was blocked out of bounds by Alves’s foot.

“Corner kick, the Chinese team has won a corner kick. Although it didn’t lead to a shot, the Chinese team’s counterattack was still very beautiful…” He Ping said. “Unlike before when we were constantly under pressure, we can now organize attacks that threaten the Brazilian team’s goal…”

※※※

After assisting Zhou Yi’s goal, Yan Min became very excited, and got rid of the anxious mood he had before, playing more and more freely.

He could even pull off some flashy moves in front of the Brazilian players, who were known for their good technique.

When he took the ball on the wing again, Yan Min faced Alves’s defense, first accelerating towards the baseline, then suddenly stopping sharply, feinting to cut inside. His right foot even flicked the ball towards the center.

So Alves stopped sharply and turned towards the center.

Who would have thought that at this moment, Yan Min’s right foot suddenly hooked inward, hooking the flicked ball back towards the baseline!

Then he accelerated from the spot, shaking off Alves, who no longer had time to turn around!

“Elastico!!” He Ping exclaimed.

“Elastico!!!” The Brazilian commentator shouted even louder than Zhou Yi.

The "elastico" move was not exclusively for Brazilian players. All players in the world could use it, but it was said to have been invented by the Brazilian superstar Rivellino. For Brazilian fans, this move had a very special meaning, which was that no matter how many players in the world were using it, only Brazilian players used it the best, the purest, and the most beautifully.

For example, Ronaldinho back then stunned the world with this move, and made the world rediscover the elastico, a feint that almost defied the laws of physics.

And now, Yan Min, this Chinese kid, was actually using this move with special meaning in front of tens of thousands of Brazilian fans to shake off a player wearing the Brazilian national team jersey!

The entire stands gasped in surprise.

Amidst the gasps, Yan Min caught up with the ball and swept it towards the goal.

He Ying in the center followed up, wanting to shoot directly, but under Thiago Silva’s close interference, he shot the ball high…

“He Ying! Shot it high… Too bad! But the Chinese team played this attack very beautifully! Yan Min’s breakthrough on the wing was simply thrilling!” He Ping said excitedly.

Soon, the TV broadcast replayed the slow-motion of Yan Min’s breakthrough of Alves, a high-definition camera was able to slow down the players' movements more than usual, so that everyone could better appreciate Yan Min’s feint just now.

The right ankle quickly and flexibly changed direction, completely deceiving Alves.

This man, hailed as the world’s best right-back after Maicon, was played around by Yan Min…

The internet was also full of exclamations.

“Damn! Yan Min’s feint was so cool!”

“Playing the elastico in front of Brazilian players! Only a reckless hothead like Yan Min would do that, right? Haha, so satisfying! So damn good!”

“Let you guys mock Yan Min, now you’re dumbfounded, right? Don’t you know this kid gets stronger the more he’s attacked?”

“So cool, Yan Min used the elastico to teach Alves a lesson…”

“A Chinese player using the Brazilian players’ best passing move to get past them in front of Brazilian players, it sounds too magical…”

“This move reminds me of the 2002 World Cup, when Brazil played Turkey, the Turkish player Ilhan used a rainbow flick to get past Roberto Carlos. Later, Carlos was so ashamed and angry that he fouled and knocked Ilhan down to prevent him from completely getting past him… But this time, Yan Min didn’t even give Alves a chance to foul!”

…

In the Mineirão Stadium, those Brazilian fans who had once肆无忌惮 mocked Yan Min were now unable to make any sound.