r18novel Chapter 41 Jun Ji-hyun at Her Peak
Chapter 41 Jun Ji-hyun at Her Peak
With China's heartbreaking loss in extra time, the two teams advancing to the World Cup finals have been determined.
Two traditionally strong teams, Brazil and Germany, will meet in the final!
In previous years, everyone's attention would have been focused on the final, since it was related to who would win the World Cup.
As for the third-place match, it's mostly just a formality, with everyone scoring a few goals and treating it as an exhibition match for fun.
But this year seems a little different.
Because the two teams playing against each other are China and South Korea!
These two teams are the biggest dark horses in this tournament – most people believe that the South Korean team is even more of a dark horse, absolutely dark!
More importantly, they are all Asian teams.
Both sides' fans previously claimed that they were the representatives of Asia and the pride of Asia, so this head-to-head confrontation can be used to determine that!
The winning team will also claim the honor of "the best result ever achieved by an Asian team in the World Cup".
Therefore, the debate surrounding this third-place match continues in both the media and online.
However, most people still favor the South Korean team.
It's not that we think the South Korean team is stronger or has the home advantage.
The main problem is that the Chinese team has suffered significant losses.
Originally, the strongest players, Fan Zhiyi and Sun Jihai, were absent due to injuries and will need to rest for several months.
In the match against Brazil, Zhang Enhua was forced to leave the field due to a tackle injury.
Yang Chen, who was substituted off the field, was fine, but Su Maozhen caught a bad cold!
Midfielder Zhao Junzhe and defender Li Weifeng are both suspended due to accumulated yellow cards.
As many as 6 people are unable to participate!
Moreover, the vast majority of them are key players.
Yes, there's also a number 10 striker who was expelled from the national team; he was a key player before.
There are now 7 fewer people here.
At this time, each country could only register 23 players for the World Cup roster.
After deducting the two substitute goalkeepers who are basically unable to play, there are actually only 21 players available.
Now there are 7 fewer people...
In other words, Ye Xian currently only has 14 players available to him!
In other words, for the match between China and South Korea, the minimum number of players that can be used is 11 starters plus 3 substitutes. There won't be a single player available!
This is quite outrageous.
Another point is "fear of Korea".
The last time the Chinese team was able to defeat the South Korean team was 16 years ago in the 1986 Nehru Cup, when China beat South Korea 2-1.
If we're talking about official matches, then we have to go back to the 1975 Asian Cup qualifiers, when China defeated South Korea 1-0.
27 years have passed!
Therefore, South Korean media and fans are full of confidence in this match:
"Beating the Chinese team is definitely not a problem for us. The Republic of Korea will use the World Cup bronze medal to tell the Chinese that we are the true strongest team in Asian history!"
……
However, there was no sense of tension within the Chinese national football team at this time.
Milutinovic himself believes in "happy football," and the team's advancement to the semi-finals has already exceeded expectations by far, so he naturally won't put any more pressure on the players.
Moreover, he didn't feel much about the competition between China and South Korea.
Therefore, on the night of the China-Brazil match, he announced that the team would have a day off!
Of course, since there were only three days between the semi-finals and the third-place match, the Chinese team went to Daegu after a short rest – which is the scene of the China-South Korea match.
Therefore, this holiday was spent "executing" in Daegu.
The players have already shaken off the sadness of losing to Brazil and are off having fun.
There's really nothing to be sad about.
Reaching the World Cup semi-finals, and only losing to Brazil by a golden goal in extra time, is something to brag about for a lifetime.
Domestic media have already deified them!
That evening, Ye Xian also went out for a walk alone.
He needs to relax too!
He didn't like noisy places, so he declined the players' invitation and instead found a quiet riverside bar.
The bar's terrace is built over the river, and the evening breeze, carrying the moisture of the river, dispels some of the weariness.
Ye Xian ordered a beer, leaned against the railing, and gazed at the night view of Daegu in the distance, gently tapping the railing with his fingertips.
Without even realizing it, his mind began to rehearse tactics for the match against the South Korean team.
It's become a professional habit!
Of course, there's another reason: he's different from Milutinovic; he wants to win!
For so many years, the South Korean team's behavior in this World Cup has disgusted him.
Now that he has the opportunity to "kill" the Koreans, shouldn't he seize it?
Of course, this time it is indeed a bit difficult.
The shortage of personnel will lead to limitations in troop deployment and will inevitably affect the flexibility of on-site command.
However, the Chinese team is not the first team to face this predicament.
Before the 1996 European Championship final, the German team was also short-handed.
At that time, their key players, such as Kohler, Sammer, Klinsmann, Basler, Bobic, Andy Muller, etc., were unable to play in the final due to injuries or suspensions.
In the end, the German team could only field an 11-man starting lineup and 5 substitutes, including two substitute goalkeepers.
This situation is so similar to that of the current Chinese team!
But the German team still managed to defeat the Czech Republic with their tenacious will and win the championship.
"So having fewer people isn't a problem. With the right tactics, we can even take advantage of the South Koreans' underestimation of us to win this bronze medal..."
Ye Xian pondered.
At that moment, a gentle and sweet Korean voice rang in Ye Xian's ear: "미안해요, 여기누가계신가요?"
Ye Xian does not understand Korean.
He turned around subconsciously, and the moment his gaze fell upon it, he couldn't help but be slightly lost in thought.
Standing in front of him was a young girl wearing a simple white dress.
Her long, ink-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her eyebrows and eyes were delicate and lively. When she smiled, the corners of her eyes turned up slightly, showing both the charm of a young girl and a touch of lively resilience.
This is……
Jun Ji-hyun?
That's right.
She is the girl in "My Sassy Girl" who is both charming and cool, and dares to love and hate.
This movie was probably the most popular Korean movie in China in the early 2000s.
At this point in time, Jun Ji-hyun is only in her early twenties, right?
She's at the peak of her beauty; she's truly stunning!
"Ah, you're not Korean." Seeing Ye Xian's dazed expression, Jun Ji-hyun switched to English. "I was just asking if anyone was here?"
Her English was clearly not as good as her native language; she stuttered a bit, but at least it was understandable.
Ye Xian snapped out of his daze, a light smile playing on his lips, and jokingly replied in fluent English, "Please sit down, please sit down. Nobody's going to take it; this area is temporarily on my hands."
Jun Ji-hyun's eyes crinkled into crescents as she laughed and thanked him, then gently sat down opposite him, lifting her skirt.
She gestured to the waiter to order a freshly squeezed juice, and when her gaze returned to Ye Xian, her tone became excited: "Hey, I feel like I've seen you somewhere before. You're that... coach of the Chinese team? Ye Xian?"
Ye Xian smiled: "So I'm that famous in Korea?"
"Well, I don't watch football much, but I often see you on TV." Jun Ji-hyun gestured towards the name. "Some experts say you come from the Ye clan of Gyeongseong, and are descendants of Ye Chengjun, the military advisor during the reign of King Sejong. Is that true?"
Ye Xian almost spat out his drink.
I never imagined that I would one day become a Korean!
Fine, the whole world belongs to South Korea...
"Of course I don't believe it," Jun Ji-hyun answered herself, then smiled and pointed to herself, "So, what about you? Do you know me?"
"Of course I know you," Ye Xian said without hiding anything. "Your fierce look in the movie really scared me. So when you came over just now, I thought you were going to hit me..."
Upon hearing this, Jun Ji-hyun's cheeks instantly flushed slightly. She gently covered her face with her hand and said, "Oh, don't mention that! Those are just characters! I'm not that fierce in real life~"
They had a very pleasant conversation.
Ye Xian would ask about the filming details of "My Sassy Girl," and Jun Ji-hyun would also curiously ask Ye Xian about things on the field.
At this moment, they did not seem to be celebrities, but simply two young people of similar age having a pleasant conversation.
However, neither of them noticed that a camera was pointed at them from the shadows in the corner of the terrace.
The sound of the shutter was masked by the evening breeze, and one photo after another was quietly taken.
The paparazzi have been keeping an eye on Jun Ji-hyun, who has become incredibly popular in the last two years.
Originally, the photographer only wanted to capture her private moments, but unexpectedly captured a picture of her sitting side by side with Chinese coach Ye Xian, chatting happily.
So, early the next morning...
South Korean entertainment newspapers and sports media outlets have published photos of Yeh Hyun and Jun Ji-hyun together.
In the photo, the two sit side by side on the balcony railing, their smiles gentle and their posture relaxed, while the accompanying text is highly provocative.
South Korea's national goddess secretly meets with Chinese coach in Daegu; sparks rumors of a romance!
……