Chapter 50: Football Night (Part 2)
New book on the rise, continue to seek recommendation votes and member clicks ^_^
"But a misjudgment by the referee can unbalance your mentality." It's clear that the host also knows this.
Hao Dapao nodded and said, "Right, he's using this to provoke you, but don't always think about it. A football match is a display of technique and tactics, not a 'I'm going to fight him' kind of thing. It's impossible. The 90-minute game is almost like a marathon, can you imagine sprinting in a marathon like it's a 100-meter dash? So you must keep yourself calm, extremely calm, this is very crucial."
"As the current attacking duo of the national team, you both performed well in this Asian Cup. Some fans have already called you 'China's Ronaldo and Rooney combination'. What do you think about that?" The host asked suddenly.
"We two are more handsome than they two." Hao's clever and evasive response made the TV audience burst into laughter, but the name "Chinese Rolodex" quickly became even more well-known because more and more fans discovered that the Hao duo was indeed very similar to the Luo duo.
These two combinations are both able to hold down at least two defenders in the game, although the level of competition is different; they have all taken care of the vast majority of the team's goals; they are both a combination of old and young; they both have super-strong ability to grasp opportunities; they both have technical characteristics that are similar yet unique...
At this time, all Chinese fans hope that the Hao-Hao combination can be like the Luo-Luo combination, invincible in attack, even if only on the Asian stage. But everyone ignored a very important point at this time: Hao Da Chao is already 34 years old, how long can he still play? The Hao-Hao combination, this knockoff version, is destined to be like that year's real Luo-Luo combination, just a fleeting moment...
"Finally, I just want to say one more thing: the big guns need to refuel, not only on the football field but also use these three days to quickly recover; Xiao Gao you also need to refuel, strive to perform another hat-trick, our magical little prince." The host finally sent his blessings and put an end to this exclusive interview.
Hao's praise, although sincere, would undoubtedly cause some trouble for Gao Jun, especially among the younger players in the national team who had hoped to take over in the future. They couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Fortunately, Hao realized this and explained himself to the other players after returning to the national team's base, saying that he had made those comments to confuse the Japanese team into assigning more defenders to Gao Jun, which would give him more opportunities. This explanation sounded reasonable, and the younger players' animosity towards Gao Jun dissipated somewhat, allowing the Chinese team to focus on their preparations without internal conflicts...
August 7, 20:00, the final of the 2004 China Asian Cup kicked off at the Beijing Workers' Stadium. The Chinese team's head coach Arie Haan put out his strongest lineup: goalkeeper Liu Yunfei; left-back Sun Xiang, two center-backs were Zheng Zhi and captain Li Dui, right-back was Sun Jihai who finally started in the previous match; left-forward was young player Yu Hai, attacking midfielder was Shao Jiayi, defensive midfielder was Zhao Junzhe, right-forward was 33-year-old veteran Li Ming; two strikers were Hao Haidong and Gao Lin who both performed well in this tournament.
And as for Japan, although they cannot send their strongest lineup due to the absence of several top players from this Asian Cup squad, their strength should not be underestimated. The goalkeeper is the experienced veteran No. 23 Eiji Kawashima; the four defenders are No. 3 Gen Shoji, No. 5 Yuto Nagatomo, No. 21 Genta Miura and No. 22 Maya Yoshida; the four midfielders are No. 6 Wataru Endo, No. 10 Shinji Kagawa, No. 14 Koya Kitagawa and No. 15 Yuki Muto; and the two forwards are No. 11 Takashi Inui and No. 20 Shoya Nakajima
Interestingly, both sides' formations are exactly the same, not only are they both 4-4-2, but their midfielders also adopt a diamond-shaped position. In this case, it's a real test of strength between the two teams...
Objectively speaking, the Chinese team that participated in the final was slightly stronger than their Japanese opponents in terms of personnel configuration, especially in the front line and back line. The individual abilities were generally better than those of the Japanese team, but Japan's strong midfield and excellent overall performance made up for the lack of individual ability to a large extent. This was particularly evident on defense, and the presence of Junichi Nakamura, the Asian free kick king, posed a huge threat to China, which had always struggled with set piece defense. However, considering that Japan's scoring in previous matches almost entirely relied on set pieces and counterattacks, their attacking ability is problematic. Now, with a strong and hot state, the Chinese team at least appears to have a high chance of winning...
In fact, the final match in history was also like this. Two of the three goals scored by the Japanese team were scored with the help of set pieces, one of which was a handball, and the last one relied on quick counterattacks. If the Chinese team had done a good job defending, the Japanese team would not have been able to score at all. Due to Li Dajun and Sun Jihai's presence on the field, China's backline is now much stronger than it was in that historic final match. Gao Hongbo's only concern is the refereeing of this match, but the national football coach and most players who have enjoyed home advantage in so many previous matches do not seem to be aware of the danger in this regard...
As Kuwaiti referee Al-Fahari blew the whistle, Japan kicked off and the 2004 Asian Cup final officially began! From the start, Japan used their strong midfield to counter-attack, but their sluggish frontline was unable to turn their advantage into a lead.
In the 3rd minute, Japan's midfielder made a diagonal pass, and forward Tamada Keisuke fell into China's offside trap...
In the 5th minute, Shao Jiayi made a midfield pass to Gao Lin, but was intercepted by a Japanese player. It was clear that Gao Lin, who had performed exceptionally well in previous matches, had become the focus of Japan's defense. Realizing this, Shao Jiayi decided to give more passes to Hao Haidong, who was not being defended as tightly. Meanwhile, Gao Lin began to make runs and deliberately drew away the Japanese player marking him, creating space for his attacking partner Hao Haidong.
This move quickly produced results. In the 8th minute, Sun Jihai and Li Ming of China relied on their skilled cooperation to enter the front court from the right flank. Li Ming made a diagonal pass into the penalty area, and Hao Haidong jumped up and headed the ball, but unfortunately missed this scoring opportunity.
