Chapter 7: Win glory for the country

Hu Lai stood in the middle circle with a football under his feet. There was no one around him, just himself-now there is no need for two players to stand in the middle circle when the football game kicks off, just one person.
He looked around, and Chen Xingyi was on his left, standing close to the junction of the center line and the center circle.
Luo Kai was on his right, far away, almost approaching the right sideline.
Directly behind him, Guo Junfu stood outside the center circle, and further behind were the forward line and the back line.
He looked all the way, and could see Lin Zhiyuan, who was standing in front of the goal, lowering his head to play with his gloves.
This is the last moment before the start of the game against Oman.
He was waiting for the referee's whistle.
The fans in the stands gradually calmed down. He didn't have to worry about not hearing the referee blowing his whistle.
As Coach Li said, it was very cold today, five degrees below zero, and the air became frosty-he now has a mouth, and it is a cloud of white smoke.
Although wearing a long-sleeved jersey with a tights and gloves, I still feel cold.
But on such a cold night, more than half of the stands of Ocean Stadium were still seated.
All Chinese fans wearing red jerseys.
This is a U23 Asian Cup game, not an adult Asian Cup, nor a World Cup qualifier, but Dashun fans still gave this game a very high courtesy.
Because this is related to whether the Olympic team can participate in the Olympics this summer.
Hu Lai thought of the link where players from both sides stood on the court and played the national anthem.
The audience sang the "Volunteer March" in unison, which was spectacular and exciting.
Looking into the distance from his perspective, wherever there are people in the stands, a vast white mist rises, tumbling with the rhythm of the national anthem.
The last time he wore this jersey to participate in the East Asian Cup, because it was a game in South Korea, it was a place for others. When the national anthem was played, Korean fans would be very polite if they didn't boo. There was no such scene at all.
In the previous Olympic team warm-up match, because of the different nature of the game, there was no such spectacular scene at all.
The white mist evaporates from the red-bottomed stands, as if flames are burning in the vast snowfields. Looking at such a scene, Hu Lai deeply realized the weight of the four words "winning glory for the country".
That was definitely not a slogan painted on the walls of the sports hall.
At this moment, he heard a crisp whistle.
"CCTV, CCTV! Good evening, audience friends, what you are watching is the opening match of the U23 Asian Cup in 2024. The host Chinese Olympic team will face the Oman Olympic team... accompanied by a whistle from the referee from Japan. Ring, the game begins!"
Li Qingqing in front of the TV straightened up and sat on the sofa.
Next to her, Li Ziqiang put down the mobile phone in his hand and fixed his eyes on the TV screen.
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Because of the cold weather, neither side immediately entered the game state when the game just started.
However, at this point, the performance of the Chinese team is still better. On the one hand, they naturally did a good job of warming up.
On the other hand, the players of the Oman Olympic team seem to be very uncomfortable with such cold weather.
After all, countries from the subtropical and tropical regions of the Middle East may not have such a low temperature in a year...
Before the start of the U23 Asian Cup, Chinese fans posted on the Internet that the Chinese Football Association specifically arranged the U23 Asian Cup in the colder Northeast.
Because there are two Middle Eastern teams in the group with the Chinese team, and they are obviously not used to such cold weather.
But this is a rumor. Because the decision on where to host the U23 Asian Cup was made long ago. At that time, the U23 Asian Cup had not been drawn and grouped. How did the Football Association know that the Olympic team will be divided with those teams?
It can only be said that this situation is a scam.
In the cold weather, the Chinese team's players adapted more quickly, and they began to attack Oman's goal in accordance with the tactics arranged by Shi's guidance.
While Aman knew his disadvantages, he used intensive defense to deal with it.
In this regard, the Chinese team frequently used the two wing spaces after Oman's intensive defense to launch attacks and played proactively.
In the twelfth minute of the opening, the Chinese team nearly scored.
At that time, the Omani players did not know if they had not recovered from the frozen state. When the ball was passed back, the strength was too small and Luo Kai was interrupted.
After Luo Kai, who intercepted the ball, made a move to pass the football to Hulai in the middle, he tricked Oman's defense into that direction quickly, but he suddenly changed direction and cut into the penalty area with the ball.
This hit the Oman defender by surprise. At that time, Oman’s players were so shaken by him, they were already ready to prevent him from passing the ball, but he suddenly cut in and let him go...
There was the first wave of cheers in the stands.
Luo Kai, who entered the penalty area, did not continue to dribble, but after adjusting, he shot directly!
It is a pity that the football he shot was blocked by the Omani central defender who came over in time...
"Ah! Luo Kai! What a pity!" the narrator He Feng yelled from the rear studio.
"It doesn't matter, He Feng, it doesn't matter. At present, the players of the Olympic team are obviously more adaptable to the weather and venue than their opponents... This should have something to do with their previous training camp in Red Maple Ridge. The morale of the players is high. It doesn't matter if this attack does not score a goal. I believe that if the kick goes on like this, the goal will definitely appear!" Yan Kang comforted He Feng next to him, and was also reasserting the audience friends in front of the TV.
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"Ah, this ball... wouldn't it be better for Luo Kai to pass the football to Hu Lai after he cut in?" Li Qingqing pointed to the TV screen and said to his father.
Just now after Rokai’s cut, Hu Lai also quickly turned around and inserted into the penalty area, while the central defender who was originally stuck on his side was forced to cover Ro Kai. He was actually unmarked, and Hu Lai also turned towards him. Luo Kai made a pass gesture.
But Luo Kai didn't even lift his head and shot directly.
Li Ziqiang said with a straight face: "Ro Kai's handling is okay. As a forward, he is basically facing the goalkeeper alone. It is reasonable to choose to shoot directly. It can only be said that the Oman central defender reacted fast enough. If it is a little late, Luo Kai's ball went to the far corner of the goal. Although Hu Lai is the core of the Olympic team, it does not mean that every ball must be passed to Hu Lai, otherwise the other side just needs to prevent Hu Lai, the Olympic team will not. Can't score a goal?"
"Well, Dad, what you said makes sense." Li Qingqing nodded obediently.
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Luo Kai, who was unsuccessful in his shot, looked up and saw Hu Lai in the middle. He made a gesture to Hu Lai, saying that he didn't intentionally not pass it, and he really didn't see it.
Hu Lai didn't care about this either.
As strikers, of course, we all know that at the moment of opportunity, there must be only one thought in my mind, and that is shooting.
This is not alone, but the instinct of the forward.
It has nothing to do with personal relationships.
He and Luo Kai are indeed not good friends, but they are not guilty of deliberately not passing the ball to each other during the game.
On the sidelines, the Olympic coach Shi Wuyin stepped out of the coaching bench and applauded the team's attack.
As the head coach, this is the way to protect his players-he doesn't think it is a big deal for Luo Kai not to pass the ball to Hu Lai, so he stood up and applauded Luo Kai's attack and sealed some people in advance. The mouth also calms the player's heart.
Although Luo Kai did not score this goal, he still greatly encouraged the morale of the Chinese Olympic team.
Facing the team recognized as the weakest in this group, the Olympic team continued to attack. In addition, they made high-position presses against the densely defensive Omani players, and directly surrounded their ball players at the front of their penalty area, forcing them to make mistakes like just now.
The fans of the Chinese team in the stands created a huge momentum to put psychological pressure on the Omani players who were not adapted to the weather.
Under this kind of Trinity offensive, Oman can really only be struggling to cope, and there is a tendency to be unable to resist it repeatedly...
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In the 20th minute, after Chen Xingyi got the ball on the left, he hit the wall two-by-one with Guo Junfu who came up to meet him.
Guo Junfu passed the football behind the right back of Oman who was defending Chen Xingyi. When the latter turned around, Chen Xingyi had already used his speed advantage to insert behind him. After catching up with the football, he took a step and crossed!
He did not pass the football directly, but rolled to the goal against the turf.
When Luo Kai saw Chen Xing's pass, he immediately accelerated and sprinted towards the front point from Hu Lai's side.
Hu Lai did not go with him, but dragged behind and took a step outside.
As a result, when Luo Kai rushed to the front point, he found that what Chen Xingyi had passed was an inverted triangle, just rolling past his feet.
He wanted to take his leg and try to hook the football back and shoot again.
But when he was going to do this, he thought that Hu Lai should be behind him, so he took his foot and let the football roll past his feet, instead of trying to get the ball.
Sure enough, after he leaked the football, Hu Lai ran to the penalty spot, first put his left foot up, and made a direct shot. After the Omani defender who cheated up to cover the defense turned around and tried to block the shot with his body, he flicked a shot. , Give the rolling football to the right foot, and then shoot!
"Hu Lai!!!"
In He Feng's prolonged shout, the football was shot at the back corner of the goal by Hu Lai.
The Omani goalkeeper, who turned over and threw back at the previous point, is powerless with such a kick. Although he made a save, it looks more like a routine...
"The goal is in!!! The goal is in!!! The Olympic team played a wonderful frontcourt cooperation, and finally Chen Xingyi assisted Hu Lai to complete their first goal in this U23 Asian Cup!! "
"Aha! This belongs to the tacit understanding between the two young people of Shining Star!" Yan Kang laughed beside him~EbookFREE.me~ The two of them had this many times in last season's Chinese League. Wonderful cooperation, and now they have moved their connection in the club to the Olympic team! "
"嘢!!!" Li Qingqing sat on the sofa, but raised his arms and cheered. "Pretty!!"
The deafening cheers from the fans on the TV set amidst the turbulent white mist floating in the stands, as if the sound had materialized.
Hu Lai, who had scored a goal, turned and ran to the corner flag area on the other side. In the unmanned open space, under the focus of attention, he jumped up and waved his arms and turned down.
"Hu Lai made his signature celebration! We hope to see more of his celebratory actions in this U23 Asian Cup, just like last season's Chinese League and Football Association Cup!"
Yan Kang smiled and added: "It's OK like the East Asian Cup!"
In the East Asian Cup last year, Hu Lai scored five goals and won the top scorer of the East Asian Cup.
But most importantly, in that East Asian Cup, the Chinese Olympic team won the championship!