Chapter 619
10 Japan team, China team scored first, the lucky charm of the national football team!
Lin Feng on the field had no idea what his head coach was thinking. If he knew Zhu Guanghu's true thoughts, he would definitely spit salt water at him!
Although Lin Feng can flexibly adjust his playing style according to the situation on the field, his teammates' styles and positions on the field cannot be adjusted at will.
Taking the forwards as an example, Gao Lin's heading ability is not as good as Han Peng's, his back-to-goal ball control is not as good as Dong Fangzhuo's, and his shooting technique is not top-notch either.
But his ability to move to the wing, create chances, and provide assists is the best among the forwards.
If he's on the field, the midfielders can frequently push forward, using the space Gao Lin creates and his passes to generate scoring opportunities with long-range shots from the edge of the penalty area.
However, if he is on the field, tactics such as going down the flanks or crossing from both flanks to find the striker with high balls should be avoided, because he has no advantage in aerial duels.
This will significantly limit the Chinese team's offensive tactical options. Lin Feng can adjust himself, but he can't adjust his teammates. At this point, it is still very important for the head coach to assess the situation and bring on the most suitable teammates to assist Lin Feng in changing the formation.
Fortunately, Zhu Guanghu did not truly become a hands-off manager; he was also paying close attention to the competition.
At 19:35, with the referee's whistle, the penultimate round of the 2010 South Africa World Cup Asian Qualifiers Round 1 officially began.
Although this match was intended as a training exercise, the starting lineup fielded by the Chinese team was anything but ambiguous, consisting of their strongest players.
As for the Japanese team, determined to turn the tide, they naturally went all out in this match, fielding what they considered their strongest lineup.
With the collective cheers of tens of thousands of spectators at the scene, the Japanese team aggressively deployed a large number of players to the frontcourt after the start of the match, launching a fierce attack on the Chinese team right from the start.
To be fair, the Japanese players have excellent footwork, their short passing combinations are very smooth, and their attacking players are quite creative. You can even see a bit of the influence of the Spanish national team.
Japanese football was influenced by Samba football in its early years, and Latin American players have always been known for their beautiful footwork. Therefore, Japanese football has always followed a ground-based technical style from the beginning.
Of course, given their height and physical attributes, they can't learn the style of German football.
Following Spain's European Championship victory and Barcelona's strong rise in European football over the past year, the Japanese team has begun to try to emulate Spanish football, learning from their advanced football philosophy in hopes of improving their own strength.
Having learned the technical foundation from the Brazilian team, the Japanese team's imitation of the Spanish team is quite convincing. At least within Asia, their inferior version of Western-style passing and control is still effective.
But using this tactic against the Chinese team would be asking for trouble.
With Lin Feng, Chen Tao, and Zheng Zhi anchoring the midfield, the Chinese team boasts arguably the most luxurious midfield in all of Asia.
Chen Tao excels at offense, Zheng Zhi excels at defense, and Lin Feng is adept at both offense and defense.
The trio of three midfielders formed an unbreakable iron triangle. Most Asian teams would find it very troublesome to face this combination, and almost no one could gain an advantage in the Chinese team's midfield.
The Japanese team was no exception. In the first leg between the two teams, the Japanese team also tried to attack from the middle, but they were brutally defeated by the Chinese team. A crushing 7-0 defeat made the Japanese realize the reality.
In this match, the Japanese team clearly changed their strategy, no longer using the forceful attack on the Chinese team's midfield, but instead launching attacks from the flanks.
The Japanese team made full use of the width of the field, stretching the Chinese team's defensive line and looking for opportunities in the less crowded flanks.
As for the mid lane, they don't easily engage from there. Even if they do, they must create a numerical advantage in a localized area to compensate for quality with quantity.
This adjustment was clearly a targeted tactic devised after a comprehensive study of the Chinese team's tactical system, and it achieved good results in the early stages of the match, putting pressure on the Chinese team at one point.
Just three minutes into the game, Shinji Okazaki had a good shooting opportunity, but unfortunately the Japanese striker failed to capitalize on it and kicked the ball wide.
"This ball was a bit dangerous. The Chinese team's defenders failed to mark Shinji Okazaki, giving the opponent a chance to shoot. Fortunately, the opponent did not take advantage of it, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."
Inside the CCTV studio, both commentators still felt a lingering fear after the Japanese team's shot on goal.
"We should give them fewer opportunities like this. The Japanese team is in high spirits today. If we let them score early, it will only further fuel their arrogance and make them play with more confidence and composure!"
One of the two commentators, former national team player Xu Yang, tried to give his younger teammates some advice:
"I think our players should play more aggressively, use physicality when necessary, and foul decisively when appropriate without hesitation. The Japanese team has a very flexible tactical approach. Their players are short but fast. If we can't stop them on the first try, it's easy for them to break through our defense."
The Japanese striker, Shinji Okazaki, who just took the shot, is only 1.75 meters tall, a full head shorter than the Chinese defenders.
Although being short makes it difficult to win headers, being short also has its advantages, namely a low center of gravity, high speed, and great agility.
The moment the opponent started their attack, the Chinese national team's defenders clearly failed to keep up, which gave the opponent the opportunity to shoot.
The commentators' analysis was naturally inaudible to the Chinese national football players on the field and the coaches on the sidelines.
But actually, they didn't need to remind them; the coaches and players quickly discovered the problem after playing against their opponents.
It's clear that Japan's attacking tactics were specifically designed to exploit the Chinese defense's slow turning speed and lack of agility. That's why they fielded a nimble striker like Shinji Okazaki, attempting to use speed to overcome slowness.
If we waste our energy trying to limit Shinji Okazaki's performance, it would be like trying to catch fish by climbing a tree.
He is indeed a significant threat, but the real deadly threat is the player who passes him the ball.
Instead of wasting effort trying to limit the opponent's strikers, it's better to think about how to neutralize their attacks on the flanks.
Although Japan's shot gave China a rude awakening, the Chinese team was no longer the same as before and would not be easily defeated by Japan.
Zhu Guanghu on the sidelines hadn't come up with a solution yet, but Lin Feng on the court had already started taking action.
In the 5th minute of the match, when the Japanese team tried to launch an attack from the 45-degree angle again, Lin Feng suddenly charged in like a rampaging tank, ignoring all reason.
The sudden appearance of an extra person in a certain area negated Japan's numerical advantage.
Lin Feng is extremely fast and spares no effort in his tackling.
With the help of their teammates, the Japanese players on the flanks were thrown into chaos by the Chinese team's pressure. The ball felt like it was burning their feet, and they couldn't hold onto it at all. It was quickly dispossessed.
After losing possession, the Japanese team tried to win the ball back. Matsui Daisuke accelerated and used his body to collide with Lin Feng, attempting to disrupt the opponent's rhythm and cause them to make a mistake.
Unexpectedly, Lin Feng was not affected. Instead, he couldn't handle it and lost his balance, falling flat on his face.
The fans at the scene were in an uproar, completely unexpected that Daisuke Matsui would lose, and lose so badly!
He's Japan's defensive midfielder, sent on to do all the dirty work. And you're telling me he can't even handle physical challenges with Lin Feng? How is he supposed to contain Lin Feng? But now's not the time to think about that. After shaking off Matsui Daisuke's entanglement, Lin Feng has dribbled the ball into the attacking third, and Japan's goal is under siege!
Upon seeing Matsui Daisuke being passed, Nagatomo Yuto and Tanaka Toliou almost instinctively made the same decision—to intercept Lin Feng!
As the saying goes, "A person's name is like a tree's shadow." Lin Feng was the player who posed the greatest threat to their goal among the opposing team. In the pre-match tactical arrangements, the Japanese team's head coach, Chizuki Rei, repeatedly instructed them to be extremely careful of Lin Feng and absolutely not give him any chance to get close to the goal.
Just as the two rushed straight toward Lin Feng, Hasebe Seiya accelerated from behind, overtook Matsui Daisuke who had been passed, and was less than 2 meters away from Lin Feng!
This situation, with obstacles blocking the way ahead and pursuers behind, truly tests a player's ability to handle crises.
When surrounded by three players, most players would find it difficult not only to pass the ball out, but also to keep it at their feet and safely pass it back to their teammates.
But top midfielders can see opportunities in danger and seize those fleeting chances to create miracles!
Two players from the opposing defense rushed out, meaning there were only two defenders left near the opponent's penalty area.
Both Gao Lin and Han Peng were sprinting forward, and if they could pass the ball out, the Chinese team would be able to create a favorable two-on-two situation in the attacking third.
If Hao Junmin on the right wing were even a little faster, the Chinese team might even have a 3-on-2 opportunity!
In just a fraction of a second, Lin Feng quickly sorted out his thoughts.
Before the opponent could get close, Lin Feng dribbled and changed direction towards the middle. Just as Gao Lin was about to be offside, he delivered a low through ball between two defenders.
The pass was extremely precise; the ball almost grazed Nakazawa Yuji's leg as it rolled towards Gao Lin.
Well said!
Gao Lin cheered loudly in his heart for Lin Feng's pass!
Throughout his many matches, both for the national team and his club, Lin Feng has undoubtedly been the best partner and the player who made the most comfortable passes to him.
This guy's ball seems to have eyes; his passes are incredibly accurate, and the power is just right, so he can shoot directly without needing to adjust.
The Japanese goalkeeper had already rushed out of his goal, and Gao Lin, without the slightest hesitation, unleashed a powerful shot before Nakazawa Yuji could block it.
The ball hit Yuji Nakazawa's outstretched leg, but instead of being cleared from the penalty area, it deflected and bounced into the net.
The score became 1-0, with Gao Lin helping the Chinese team take the lead and break the deadlock.
The vast Tokyo National Stadium was as quiet as a library. Tens of thousands of Japanese fans were silent, staring blankly at the football spinning in their own goal and the Chinese players who were running and celebrating together.
The opponent's red jersey looked particularly glaring to them.
Gao Lin is awesome!
Haha, Gao Lin is truly a lucky charm for the Chinese team!
[That's right, I didn't think he was that good, but he always seems to have a lot of luck and manages to score!]
The Japanese goalkeeper must be incredibly frustrated. He had a chance to save that shot, but his teammate's actions turned it into a deflected shot that was extremely difficult to save. It's enough to make you feel hopeless for him!
[Thanks to Yuji Nakazawa for the assist! If the Chinese team wins this game, I will definitely vote for him as the best player!]
This match has received unprecedented attention in China, with at least hundreds of millions of fans watching its live broadcast at this moment.
Many fans were initially worried about the Chinese national football team after seeing the formidable Japanese team.
But after seeing Gao Lin score, those worries vanished, replaced by ecstasy and wild celebration.
In a very short time, the news of this goal ignited the domestic football scene.
The popularity of football sections on major online platforms has skyrocketed, with excited fans turning into posting machines, frantically posting and commenting, quickly pushing them to the front page of major portal websites and making them the hottest topic at the moment.
On the field, the Chinese national team players, who scored an early goal, were equally excited.
Everyone crowded around Gao Lin, touching him all over.
"Well done!"
"Xiao Gao, that was a great shot!"
"Hehe, it's all thanks to Brother Lin's excellent pass. Even my grandma could score with that kind of babysitter-level assist!"
"Don't be modest. I passed the ball to you, and you managed to score. That's your skill!"
Gao Lin's flattery was so cheesy that even Lin Feng couldn't stand it.
"It seems like they've focused all their efforts on offense; their defense hasn't improved much compared to last time!"
After scoring, Gao Lin was noticeably more confident and started giving orders.
However, Lin Feng also agreed with his assessment of the Japanese team's defense.
Human energy is limited, and it is impossible to take care of every aspect.
When the Japanese team focuses its resources on offense, its defense will inevitably be affected.
When Lin Feng intercepted the ball and launched a counter-attack, apart from Matsui Daisuke, no other midfielder could stop him even slightly, forcing the Japanese defenders to move out early and disrupting the overall integrity of the defense.
Even if there was no opportunity in the middle, Lin Feng could have passed the ball to the flanks and created a threat by exploiting the gaps left by the opponent's full-backs.
Although he scored with just one attack, it was a little unexpected for Lin Feng.
But given Japan's style of play, it wasn't surprising that China managed to score in the first half.
Lin Feng was curious about what adjustments the Japanese team would make given that they had fallen behind so early. (End of Chapter)