Chapter 476: Endgame

Chapter 476: Endgame

Draw and advance! With Wang Feng joining the national team, this seemingly cursed phrase is no longer a nightmare for Chinese fans. At most, they occasionally bring it up for a laugh.

The Chinese team faced Serbia in the final match of the group stage, with the game taking place in Nelspruit, 460 kilometers away from Rustenburg, so they had to travel by plane again.

Before that, in Group A, Uruguay narrowly defeated Mexico 1-0, while France lost 2-1 to the host nation South Africa, failing to win a single game and finishing last in the group.

This result caused a sensation in the international football community, and everyone couldn't help but ask, what happened to the defending champions? Thê source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))

Coach Domenech became the biggest culprit, unable to provide favorable tactical support or even manage the team well, leading to frequent internal conflicts.

After winning the World Cup in 2006, the French suffered a humiliating defeat in the 2008 European Championship, leading to many questioning the coach's ability. However, the French Football Association continued to support Domenech.

When the squad for the South Africa World Cup was finalized, it angered the fans even more. Veteran player Vieira was excluded from the squad, and the captain's armband was given to the younger Evra, indicating a lack of leadership when conflicts arise within the team.

With consecutive setbacks in matches, many players lost trust in the coach's lineup, with Anelka even openly criticizing Domenech, leading to his expulsion from the team.

At this point, Evra also caused trouble, not only conflicting with the fitness coach but also calling on teammates to boycott the team bus. This even alarmed the French president Sarkozy, who ordered an emergency meeting to resolve the issue, with legends like Zidane and Dugarry coming forward to mediate.

In order to ensure fair play, the final round of matches in each group kicked off simultaneously. On the evening of June 23, at 8:30 p.m., South African referee Gomez blew the whistle for the match between China and Serbia.

Serbia, known as the "European Brazil," lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with goalkeeper Stojkovic, defenders Vidic, Lukovic, Ivanovic, and Kolarov, defensive midfielders Stankovic and Kuzmanovic, attacking midfielders Jovanovic, Ninkovic, and Kralj, and lone striker Jekic.

On the Chinese side, Li Weifeng was absent due to injury, and head coach Ar?kan made some adjustments to the starting lineup. The formation remained 4-4-2, with goalkeeper Qiu Shengjiong, defenders Sun Xiang, Zheng Zhi, Sun Jihai, and Wang Qiang, midfielders Zhao Xuri, Li Chunyu, Chen Tao, and Gao Lin, and forwards Dong Fangzhuo and Wang Feng.

The Dutchman sent an attacking midfielder with only one goal in mind: to win!

After the start of the match, both sides fought fiercely, with Chen Tao making a slanting pass into the penalty area in the 3rd minute, and Dong Fangzhuo's volley was caught by the Serbian goalkeeper.

Serbia responded in the 7th minute, with Stankovic breaking into the frontcourt and sending a direct cross into the penalty area from a forty-five-degree angle. Jekic outmuscled the defense to reach the ball, but unfortunately, his header missed the target, flying over the crossbar.

"Serbian players are very robust, indeed. The striker Jekic stands at an impressive height of 2 meters 2, currently playing for Santander in La Liga."

"Yes, the Chinese team is still quite wary of teams with tall strikers who excel in aerial duels. No matter how you arrange or shrink your defense, if you put a tall and burly striker in the penalty area and let him head the ball, sooner or later, he'll break through your defense."

"Look, another cross from Serbia into the penalty area. What's happening there? A penalty! The referee points to the penalty spot!"

"South African referee Gomez has called a foul by the Chinese team in the penalty area. It was chaos just now. Let's take a look at the replay."

"Oh, Wang Qiang was pulling Jekic's shirt while competing for a header. He significantly reduced the opponent's height by a whole head and tried to jump with the help of his hands. The experienced Serbian striker fell to the ground."