Chapter 129: China Team VS South Korea Team, making Koreans suffer from Sinophobia! The South Korean team has obviously studied the Chinese national team's tactical play and knows that the Chinese team has strong midfield strength. So after the start of the game, they focused their attack on the two flanks, attempting to use the speed and breakthrough ability of the wing players to bypass the Chinese team's powerful midfield. The Chinese team's central defenders are very strong, and with Barcelona star Feng Xiaoting guarding the back line, it is very difficult to break through from the front. But the full-backs on both sides are selected from local players and their own strength is relatively average. Faced with the impact of South Korea's two extremely fast full-backs, they seemed a little flustered. The two defensive midfielders, Zhao Xuri and Lu Lin, had to frequently support their teammates on the wing to help them defend. But in this way, the Koreans found opportunities in the flank area. Their attacking midfielder received the pass from his teammates on the wing, and passed or broke through in the flank area. He used this tactic to pass the ball into the Chinese team's penalty area many times, creating many dangerous situations in front of the national team's goal. Seeing that the Chinese national football team fell into a disadvantage after the opening of the game, the fans who came to the scene couldn't help but worry about the national football team. "Is the Korean team so strong? It wasn't that difficult when we played against the Japanese team last time."
"Yes, we scored a goal shortly after the last game started, but in this game we didn't even have a single shot in the first five minutes. We were completely suppressed by the opponent!" "We won't lose to South Korea at home, will we? I'm a little worried that we've got another Asian Cup final scenario!" "Don't panic, we've only been playing for a few minutes. Don't scare yourself. The Chinese team hasn't started to exert its strength yet!" "Yes, I believe Lin Feng, Chen Tao and the others will not let us down!" Even the fans felt the pressure and tension, and the national team players on the field naturally felt it even more deeply. Unlike the Japanese team which relies purely on their footwork, the South Korean team is a team that has both physical strength and skills. Their style of play is tough and aggressive, and they are the type that really likes to use their physical advantages to create opportunities! This style of play made many young players in the Chinese team feel very uncomfortable. They had never encountered an opponent in the league with such strong pressing, such strong impact, such aggressiveness and oppression. Under the pressure of the South Korean team, these young international players easily lost their composure and made a lot of mistakes in panic. It was precisely because of these mistakes that the South Korean team found opportunities to counterattack on the spot, posing threats to the Chinese national team's goal time and time again. This scene made Lin Feng shake his head! The problems faced by these young players can also be attributed to their lack of match experience and poor psychological quality. However, once the opponent increases their intensity, the national team players become frightened birds. The ball is burning under their feet and no one dares to take it or pass the ball forward. This situation is also common in the adult national team. More than a decade later, one of the common criticisms of national team players by fans is why their performances in clubs and leagues seem to be fine, or even outstanding. But once they arrived at the national team, the national team players seemed to be beaten back to their original form, playing extremely ugly. What about stopping the ball ten meters away, not being able to hold the ball, not being able to see the passing line, only being able to use long feet to clear the ball in the backcourt, not daring to control the ball under his feet, and even the defender passing the ball back to the goalkeeper could score an own goal due to nervousness and mistakes, kicking the ball into his own goal... Looking at their performance in the national team, you have to doubt whether they can play football! Comparing their performances in the national team with their performances in the club, you can't tell they are the same person. Such a huge contrast makes many fans feel that the national team players are not working hard. They only work hard in the club, but are unwilling to work hard when they join the national team. As a result, public opinion once again started criticizing the national team players, with labels such as having a bad attitude, only caring about money, and having no sense of national honor being stuck on their foreheads. But the actual situation may be somewhat different from what the outside world imagines.
Are the national team players bad? Of course he is a bad player, but no matter how bad his basic skills are, they are there, so there shouldn't be such a huge contrast in his performance in the league and the national team! So where is the problem? The answer is foreign aid! Almost all Chinese Super League teams, whether in the league or in the AFC Champions League, use foreign players as the core of the team! What the national team players have to do in their respective clubs is to assist the foreign players and play supporting roles. What should you do if you can’t hold the ball when facing pressure? Pass the ball to the foreign aid! What should I do if I can’t pass the ball during a counterattack? Give the ball to the foreign aid! How to score by advancing to the front of the opponent's penalty area? It’s better to give the ball to the foreign aid! It can be said that in the club, foreign players undertake the most core and important work, while the national team players are just supporting roles around the foreign players, responsible for helping them. Under the club's style of play, the national team players neither have the ability nor the psychological quality to serve as the core of the team. But when I got to the national team, there were no foreign players! When they have to do everything by themselves, the national team players are immediately reduced to their original form and become unable to play football. This is also the reason why the performance of the same player in the club and the national team is so different. So how to solve this problem? It’s very simple, just find a big boss for the national football team! As long as someone's strength can match that of foreign players, he can replace the foreign players' ecological position in the national team and serve as the team's pillar and the backbone of the players. If the national team players can play according to the club style that they are familiar with and comfortable with, assist this big player, and continue to play the supporting roles they are familiar with, there will not be such a big contrast in their performance! It’s a pity that there is no such strong player in the national team! But the good news is that there are two such players in this national team! Seeing that his teammates were playing hesitantly under the attack of the South Korean team, Lin Feng took the initiative to approach his teammates and support them. Seeing Lin Feng retreating to receive the ball, his teammates felt relieved and immediately passed the ball to him. Koreans' physical fitness is considered excellent in East Asia, but when compared with the top five leagues, it is not good enough. Compared with the targeting that Lin Feng had encountered in the Serie A, the intensity of the confrontation from the Korean team was simply child's play! Facing the Koreans' pressing, Lin Feng took his time, took the ball, passed it, and then received the ball as if he was strolling in the garden, thus resolving the Koreans' pressing into nothingness. He was very particular about who he chose to pass the ball to, specifically choosing those young players who had made mistakes in the previous game. According to their previous performance, they would often panic after receiving the ball, feeling that the ball under their feet was burning, and would not care whether the ball route was safe or whether there were enemies nearby to intercept them. They would just pass the ball without hesitation so that they could take a breath. But Lin Feng predicted their prediction in advance, and quickly moved to the most suitable receiving position after passing the ball, giving them a safe option to pass the ball. Naturally, these players passed the ball to Lin Feng without hesitation. After receiving the ball, Lin Feng paused for a few seconds to give them time to breathe, and then directed them to move and run, and then passed the ball back safely. Under Lin Feng's support and command, these players did not make any more mistakes. After a while, the players gradually relaxed. They knew they had teammates around to support them, so they were no longer as nervous and panicked as before. Chen Tao noticed Lin Feng's intention and joined in. With the assistance of Chen Tao and others, Lin Feng's work became easier. He even had time to use his skillful dribbling and escaping skills to tease Korean players who tried to steal the ball many times, which drew cheers from the fans in the stands and also boosted the morale and confidence of his teammates.
Under the arrangement of Lin Feng, Chen Tao and others, the defensive formation of the Chinese national football team gradually stabilized. After seeing this scene, the fans in the stands and in front of the TV couldn't help but sigh: "It really depends on Lin Feng!" "Only Lin Feng and Chen Tao can hold the ball!" After the Chinese national team stabilized its position, South Korea's ball possession time was greatly reduced, and their chances of counterattack also decreased. It was difficult for them to launch a threatening attack as before. This made the head coach of the South Korean team very angry. He shouted to the players standing on the sidelines, asking them to strengthen the double-teaming and restrictions on Lin Feng and not let him continue to perform so unscrupulously. The past ten minutes of competition have proved that Lin Feng is the absolute core of the Chinese team. As long as he is restricted, the other Chinese players will not be a concern at all. How could a group of guys who can't even hold the ball, panic when faced with a little pressure, and make constant mistakes be a match for the South Korean team? Therefore, as long as they can successfully restrict Lin Feng, victory will be theirs! After receiving instructions from the coach, a Korean player rushed forward and tried to grab the ball, but was easily dribbled past by Lin Feng with a beautiful spike and change of direction. Another Korean player rushed up and tried to use his body to push Lin Feng, making him lose his balance. But this move not only did not work, but in the physical confrontation with Lin Feng, the Korean himself was the first to lose his balance! After passing him, the large space behind him was exposed. Lin Feng started sprinting with the ball without hesitation, and headed towards the Korean team's half along the gap behind the opponent. Seeing Lin Feng pass two people leisurely, the morale of the Chinese team was greatly boosted. The players followed Lin Feng's footsteps and launched a massive counterattack against the South Korean team. "Go, Chinese team! Go, Lin Feng!" Amid the deafening cheers from the fans, Lin Feng dodged the interception by the opponent's midfielder, avoided the tackle by the opponent's full-back, and dribbled the ball to the front of the South Korean team's penalty area. Lin Feng was not in a hurry to pass the ball. In his vision, Gao Lin was double-teamed by two opposing defenders, and the passing line was not good. Mao Biao had not yet rushed into the penalty area and was slightly to the side. Even if the ball was passed to him, he would not be able to threaten the goal in the first place. Once the attacking speed slows down, it gives the opponent the opportunity to defend, and the Chinese team's counterattack will be wasted. It seems that I can only come by myself! Lin Feng made up his mind instantly, pushed the ball to the right, adjusted his pace and rhythm, then suddenly swung his right leg and made a long shot from the top of the penalty area. The shot was not sudden. When Lin Feng adjusted his pace, South Korean goalkeeper Zheng Chenglong had already sensed that the opponent was going to shoot. But what really tests him is how to judge the opponent's shooting line and angle in the shortest time. Zheng Chenglong's talent is pretty good among Asian goalkeepers. When the ball flew into the penalty area, he had already judged the flight trajectory of the football. The opponent is going to hit the ball to the right side of the goal! The Korean player kicked the grass hard, moved quickly to the right, jogged two steps, and then flew to make a save. The save posture is very handsome and the body looks very relaxed. But it seems to be of no use! Because the football was not stopped by him, but instead rushed into the South Korean team's goal. In the 15th minute of the first half, the Chinese team broke the deadlock.
Lin Feng's first shot broke through the opponent's goal, changing the score to 1:0! Zheng Chenglong fell to the ground and looked back at his own goal in disbelief. He felt that he had done the best he could, but why did he still let the ball go in? Lin Feng’s goal is being replayed on TV! "Lin Feng's long shot was not sudden, but it was powerful and the angle was very tricky. Zheng Chenglong's basic skills were pretty good and his save was in place, but it was still too slow. Before his hand reached out, the ball had already flown into the goal!" Huang Jianxiang's words sounded as if he was feeling sorry for the Koreans, but after hearing his commentary, the fans were not disgusted but became even happier! "Haha, the Korean team's goalkeeper is really good! But Lin Feng is even stronger!" Zhang Lu expressed the fans' thoughts with a smile. Huang Jianxiang on the side continued to make up the blow: "I think he may not be familiar with Lin Feng's playing style. After a few more shots like this, he will slowly get used to it!" Hearing Huang Jianxiang's words, the fans were overjoyed: "Duosun, if there are more world-class goals like this, the Korean team will probably get beaten like the Japanese team!" "Haha, once you're here, you're a guest. We are a country of etiquette. Based on the principle of hospitality, letting Koreans enjoy the same treatment as the Japanese team is the basic way of hospitality!" "This is a basic hospitality. I would just give Koreans a super double!" "Haha, that will tire our players to death!" "The Japanese team's goalkeeper Kawashima Eiji has already been devastated by the last defeat. If another tragedy happens, I'm afraid the Korean team's goalkeeper will follow in his footsteps, right?" "Both of them are talented and may be selected for the national team in the future. If we leave a shadow in their hearts now, we may be able to take advantage of them when we meet them in other competitions in the future!" "I'm familiar with this, Sinophobia, right?" …… Lin Feng's goal gave the coaching staff and other teammates a reassurance. Zhu Guanghu excitedly high-fived several assistant coaches to celebrate. All the players on the field ran to Lin Feng and celebrated the goal excitedly. The young players are very grateful to Lin Feng. This big guy not only takes special care of them on the court, helping them get rid of tension and panic, but also leads them to victory. With such a strong player in the team, this game feels easier to play than the club's training match! It’s great to be teammates with Lin Feng and others! This is the common voice of many young players. The Chinese team's morale is boosted, while the Korean team is starting to doubt their lives. Park Joo-young stood in the center circle with a depressed look on his face, looking at the Chinese players celebrating on the sidelines, his eyes fixed on Lin Feng's back. Park Joo-young sees this match as a decisive battle between himself and Lin Feng to see who is the No. 1 talent in Asia! In the first fifteen minutes of the game, he was very active, actively looking for opportunities to shoot and score, trying to become the hero of the team. His teammates also trusted him and passed the ball to him a lot. With the help of his teammates, Park Joo-young had completed three shots, but still failed to score a single goal. On the other hand, the opponent only took one shot and scored. This caused Park Joo-young to be seriously injured! "That goal just now was just luck! How could someone just kick the ball into the dead corner? Even top stars like Ronaldo, Shevchenko, and Henry can't do it!" Li Qinglong on the side was still muttering to himself, obviously not convinced about the loss of the ball.
Li Qinglong's words gave Park Zhouyong a little psychological comfort: If it was a lucky ball, it doesn't prove that the opponent is stronger than you. As for the fact that the opponent's dribbling, organization and passing abilities are better than his own, Park Joo-young doesn't care about it. Because the opponent is a midfielder, it is normal for him to know these things, but he is a forward, and the forward's job is to score goals. As long as you do your job well, that's enough! The celebration ended and the game resumed. After the South Korean team kicked off, they tried to continue attacking the Chinese national team. They were obviously unwilling to fall behind like this and hoped to equalize the score as soon as possible so that both sides could get back to the same starting line. However, they did not seem to realize that although they were the same team, the current Chinese team was completely different from the Chinese team 15 minutes ago! Facing the attack from the South Korean team, the Chinese national football team players remained calm and did not show the panic they had shown before. Even young players dare to take action after getting the ball, instead of passing the ball back in a hurry for fear of losing the ball when they encounter the opponent's pressure and physical confrontation as before. The South Korean team is very aggressive in stealing the ball. If they can steal the ball or force the opponent to pass it back, and gradually compress the opponent's space to move, then this tactic will be very successful. But if the opponents are not intimidated by their momentum, and take advantage of the gaps left by the Korean team's mad rush behind them, and seize the opportunity to attack from behind, then the Korean team's tactics can be said to be shooting themselves in the foot! In the 22nd minute, Feng Xiaoting cooperated with his teammates to block the ball from Park Joo-young's feet. After intercepting the ball, Feng Xiaoting took the ball and moved forward. The two forwards of the South Korean team immediately pressed him. Since Feng Xiaoting plays as a central defender, he is the last line of defense for the Chinese national team. As long as the South Korean team steals the ball from him, they will immediately have the opportunity to face the goalkeeper. "Danger!" "You can't stick to the ball in this position, you should pass it out earlier!" The fans and guests in the stands and commentary booth couldn't help but become nervous after seeing this scene. In their opinion, a central defender should not be so slow when playing football. Clearing and passing the ball must be clean and neat, and he must never stick to the ball, because mistakes in this position can be fatal to the team. This view is not wrong. There has never been a defender like Feng Xiaoting in the national team before. After all, the ball-passing central defender is still a very unfamiliar term nowadays. There are only a handful of players in the football world who play in this style. It was not until Guardiola took over Barcelona and began to implement the tiki-taka tactics that this trend swept the entire football world. Since then, in addition to defense, passing ability has become a basic ability for central defenders. Feng Xiaoting, who plays for Barcelona, is undoubtedly at the forefront of the times! (End of this chapter)