r18novel Chapter 38 World Cup Semifinals!
Chapter 38 World Cup Semifinals!
50 minutes.
That is, less than 3 minutes after the Chinese team scored.
Li Tie intercepted the ball from Senegal in midfield again and passed it to Wu Chengying on the left wing once more.
The Senegalese players were clearly not fully recovered from the blow of conceding the goal, and their defense appeared somewhat flustered in the face of China's lightning-fast attack.
When Wu Chengying got the ball, three players rushed at him at the same time!
Wu Chengying immediately passed the ball to Ma Mingyu, who came over to receive it.
Ma Mingyu easily adjusted his position and then made a diagonal pass to the other side.
The one who sped up there was none other than the young Qu Bo!
Swift as lightning!
Since Senegal's defensive focus was completely drawn to Wu Chengying's side, Qu Bo's side had a clear path ahead.
There was only one center-back, Aliou Cissé, nearby, but it was too late for him to get there.
Seeing that Qu Bo had broken into the penalty area and was about to face the goalkeeper, Aliou Cissé, in a moment of desperation, actually pushed Qu Bo with a rather obvious shoving motion.
Qu Bo's legs buckled, and he fell directly into the penalty area.
The referee's whistle blew.
Aliou Cissé immediately argued with the referee, even accusing Qu Bo of diving, but the referee still firmly pointed to the penalty spot.
Penalty!
Senegal looked helpless, but Su Maozhen had already caught the ball and was walking towards the penalty spot.
In this national team, the first penalty taker is Fan Zhiyi.
The second penalty taker is Qi Hong.
Next up are Yu Genwei, Shao Jiayi...
But they're not on the field right now!
Clearly, Su Maozhen, who had just scored a goal, was brimming with confidence, so he naturally took the initiative to take the penalty kick.
Milutinovic and Ye Xian nodded slightly on the sidelines, showing no objection.
Tony Silva, Su Maozhen first made a powerful shooting motion.
Tony Silva anticipated the move and lunged to his right, but Su Maozhen deftly slotted the ball home...
Goal!
Thanks to Su Maozhen's brace, the Chinese team is now leading Senegal 2-0!
"Three minutes!"
"In just three minutes, the Chinese team scored two goals, completely stunning Senegal!"
"These were truly Senegal's dark three minutes!"
"In the history of Chinese football, there have been many instances of the 'black three minutes.' These incidents have prevented the Chinese team from qualifying for the World Cup and left Chinese fans with painful memories."
"But now, under the leadership of Milutinovic and Ye Xian, this kind of thing will never happen again with this Chinese team."
"Instead, they created a black three minutes for their opponents!"
"China is now leading by two goals, and they are very close to reaching the semi-finals of this World Cup!"
"My God, can you imagine? The Chinese team has reached the World Cup semi-finals?"
I couldn't help but pinch my thigh to make sure I wasn't dreaming...
"Okay, it's true. But compared to the South Korean team next door, I believe it would be more convincing for the Chinese team to reach the World Cup semi-finals."
"Now we'll see if the Chinese team can maintain this relentless attack..."
However, Ye Xian decided to stop while he was ahead.
Senegal, being well-trained, managed to regain their composure after a period of panic and resumed their battle against the Chinese team.
At this point, launching a fierce attack would definitely be inappropriate.
Moreover, with China now leading by two goals, there's no need for them to risk an attack!
Take it back!
On the one hand, it can conserve energy and prepare for the final two games;
On the other hand, a more defensive and counter-attacking style will make it more difficult for Senegal to play.
Soon, in the 65th minute, Ye Xian made another substitution.
Yang Chen, who was in poor physical condition, was substituted off and replaced by Gao Yao.
By substituting a striker for a defensive midfielder, Ye Xian's intentions were quite clear.
Senegal, trailing behind, was unwilling to accept defeat and kept bringing on attacking players, launching wave after wave of fierce attacks on the Chinese team's position.
But the Chinese team was not in a hurry at all, and under Ye Xian's command, they patiently played a defensive counter-attacking game.
Senegal's attack failed to work, while the Chinese team seized the opportunity of the opponent's weak defense and launched several counterattacks, but unfortunately they failed to capitalize on them.
Ultimately, the score remained unchanged.
China defeated Senegal 2-0, successfully advancing to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup!
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The excitement and exhilaration of the Chinese team after the whistle blew need no further explanation.
Interestingly, although it was a historic achievement to reach the semi-finals, the level of excitement seemed to be slightly lower than when they defeated Türkiye and Japan.
Perhaps this is the "inertia" that comes with frequent victories.
The first victory is always the most unforgettable...
The media seemed even more excited than the Chinese team.
Just half an hour after the match ended, the headlines of major media outlets around the world were dominated by the Chinese team's victory.
The eyes of European football are completely focused on Ye Xian and the Chinese team that created a miracle. All reports are inseparable from the keywords "amazing", "legendary" and "the light of Asia".
The Guardian published a breaking news report immediately, titled "Ye Xian's substitution magic! China advances to the semi-finals 2-0, marking the true peak of Asian football."
The article states: "No one could have imagined that this Chinese team, which was defined as 'accompanying the prince' before the World Cup, could overcome all obstacles and enter the World Cup semi-finals."
"In the match against Senegal, Ye Xian's on-field command was nothing short of masterful. Qu Bo and Zhao Junzhe, who came on as substitutes in the second half, played a crucial role, securing the victory in just 5 minutes."
"Such insightful substitutions already show the makings of a top coach! According to well-informed sources, a Premier League club has already set its sights on Ye Xian and is preparing to bring him to England..."
The article specifically compared the Chinese team with the South Korean team, and bluntly stated:
"Although the South Korean team also reached the semi-finals of this World Cup, their victories against Italy and Spain, achieved through controversial home-field advantage decisions, were not exactly honorable."
"The Chinese team, relying on its solid tactical strength, successively defeated Turkey, the host country Japan, and the strong African team Senegal. Every victory was indisputable. They are the true pride of Asia!"
French manager Arsène Wenger, in an interview with L'Équipe, praised Ye Xian's tactical wisdom:
"Ye Xian proved with one victory after another that he was not a flash in the pan."
"Faced with Senegal's strong physical confrontation and fast counter-attacks, when his initial attack failed to work, he made substitutions to activate the team's speed advantage on the flanks and accurately exploited the opponent's defensive weaknesses."
"What impressed me most was his overloaded style of play on the flanks, drawing the defensive focus and then quickly shifting it to the opponent. He played it with masterful skill! To be honest, I learned a lot from this match."
"Such tactical awareness deserves a place in the World Cup semi-finals. The rise of Chinese football is not luck, but the inevitable result of Ye Xian and his players' hard work."
The Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun published an article titled "China, a New Benchmark for Asian Football," which stated:
"The Chinese team proved with their strength that Asian football can stand on the stage of the World Cup semi-finals and win honorably. Compared with the controversial advancement of the South Korean team, the victory of the Chinese team is more convincing. They are the pride of Asian football."
Foreign media were abuzz with this, and domestic media were even more agitated.
The People's Daily published a full-page commentary on its front page entitled "Top Four! Chinese Football Illuminates Asia."
The article states: "From qualifying from the group stage to reaching the semi-finals, the Chinese team has taken every step with difficulty but with unwavering determination."
"Ye Xian's on-field command and the players' tenacious fighting spirit have shown the world the resilience and strength of Chinese football, and also shown the world the true potential of Asian football."
"The Chinese team's clean and decisive victory perfectly exemplifies the true meaning of sportsmanship!"
Of course, not all media outlets are praising it.
There was one country that completely disregarded the Chinese team's advancement...