Chapter 22: The eve of the second round of the play-offs
Lei Yi was undoubtedly very fortunate as the youngest member of the national team, he made it to the Asian play-offs of the World Cup, and helped the Chinese team win the qualification for the continental play-offs when everyone felt that there was little hope. (Baidu search 4G Chinese network updates faster) Such a record, coupled with the good relationship between him and the head coach beyond the other players, may easily cause others to be jealous, or some other negative feelings.
But he was only sixteen years old, and his legs were medically grade 3 physically disabled, and he even had a car accident at the age of thirteen, and he was in a vegetative state for a year. Until he went to Brazil to play, his family was still very opposed to him playing football, and he even ran away from home for this reason, and with the help of friends, he rode all the way to Beijing, found the head coach Andrik Mao to recommend himself, and succeeded, so he got the opportunity to go to Brazil.
It is easy for people to put the word "physically handicapped and strong" on Lei Yi's head, and repay him the greatest kindness because of his experience.
It is precisely because of this that after everyone learned about Lei Yi's situation, the people in the team would unconsciously take care of him. Although Lei Yi is arrogant, he never looks down on people because of his excellent skills and his outstanding performance in Brazil, which makes his national team teammates unable to hate him.
Although, this kid is somewhat narcissistic...... I have to watch videos of myself playing football every night, and this kid is really a little arrogant, always thinking that he can save the world, but those are harmless compared to the shining points in him.
Although the Chinese Football Association has won more than 20 days of training time for the national team for this two-legged World Cup intercontinental play-off, in the closed training before the game, everyone's day is still very fulfilling, and it can even be said that it is ...... Compact.
Especially in the week leading up to the second leg, almost every day Mr. Andric asks everyone to watch a video of their previous first leg against Ecuador and point out the issues one by one. Andric also has more information about the Ecuadorian team and can give tactical guidance to the players of the national team based on those in his hands.
These have been almost never seen before.
Obviously, even if you don't point it out, everyone can understand the significance of the second leg of the intercontinental play-off against Ecuador on Beijing's doorstep. And of course, they also understand that in this life-and-death battle, they must be at least two goals ahead of the opponent to win this last ticket to the World Cup finals.
Sometimes, just a small step back at a critical inflection point can make everyone's life trajectory different.
On the last day before the game, everyone ate and cut cakes, took a small sip of wine, and ended the last tactical training before the game, and then began to wait for the whistle to start the next day's game.
This is not the first time that China have reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup eight years ago, the night before the knockout round against England, and it was not the night before the first group stage of the World Cup four years ago when they were led by Zhang Shaolin, who played for Lyon in Ligue 1, and Chen Shen, who played for Real Madrid in La Liga, after leaving Yue Yihuang. But as the current captain of the national team, Zhang Shaolin felt that this night was particularly difficult to sleep.
Once he recalled the picture of his then national team teammates leading the team to two World Cups many years ago, and then thought of their current so-called "being beaten back to their original form", Zhang Shaolin felt that he felt very uncomfortable.
"Ahem, ahem...... Lei Yi, did you sleep? ”
Zhang Shaolin, who couldn't fall asleep tossing and turning, tentatively called out his roommate softly, and the name of Lei Yi, who was pinned on by the head coach, didn't get any sound. Zhang Shaolin immediately laughed at his lack of interest, and his pre-game state was not as good as that of a sixteen-year-old child. Immediately, he sighed that being young is good, and it is precisely because he is young enough that he can not be like their group of "veterans" in football, who are particularly heavy on their gains and losses when they encounter meaningful games.
But just when Zhang Shaolin, who was propping up his body, was about to lie down again, he heard Lei Yi's voice.
"Captain, Captain!"
"Oh, I'm here."
Hearing Lei Yi's voice, Zhang Shaolin hurriedly sat up and responded like this. Unexpectedly, Lei Yi actually turned over and kicked up, then closed his eyes and continued: "Don't worry, captain, I'll advance with a hat trick...... Promotion...... Promoted to ......"
Zhang Shaolin realized that the kid Lei Yi was just talking in a dream, and immediately laughed, and got up, put on slippers and tucked the quilt away for Lei Yi, who kicked over the quilt.
Immediately, Zhang Shaolin seemed to think of something and smiled evilly......
That night, Lei Yi slept unsteadily, he dreamed that he was invincible surrounded by invincible golden light on his body, and he got rid of the group of Ecuadorians along the right side of the road, and completed the shot again and again, using his body, it seemed that it was him for a while, and Garrincha for a while. He shouted loudly to his national team teammates in the distance: "Don't worry, captain! I'll score a hat-trick and I'll be promoted!! ”
Promotion? What ...... to advance? What does the captain look like?
Thunder Wing in the dream didn't seem to understand at all, he only knew that he was going to score, score, and score.
But just after he showed his might all the way, he was entangled in the white net when he rushed forward, and he couldn't break free! The sweaty Thunder Wing fluttered for a long time and finally woke up under the alarm clock.
But as soon as he woke up, Lei Yi was stupid, because he found ...... The four corners of the quilt he covered were pressed by three bricks!
found the source of his nightmare, Lei Yi's whole person is not good! He lifted the quilt angrily and tried to lift the twelve bricks on the four corners of the quilt together, but he was extremely unfortunate to be knocked on the hand by the bricks......
So he covered his hands in a muffled voice, and then shouted angrily: "Who did it!!" Who did this!! ”
It's a Sunday, a special Sunday.
On this night, the Chinese team will have a desperate battle with the Ecuadorian team from South America, and the winner will be able to go to next year's World Cup. The loser can only watch himself one step away from the World Cup, and continue to wait four years to start the long World Cup qualifiers from scratch.
In order to adapt to the 13-hour time difference, the Ecuadorian team arrived in Beijing four days before the match day, two days earlier than FIFA requires. It can be seen that the two-goal advantage did not carry them away. And they are still very cautious about this away game.
On the other side of this game, the Chinese team has been stumbling all the way since the top 10 matches in the Asian region of this World Cup qualifiers, which makes people always worry about whether he can advance to the next round of the game. But in such a situation, the Chinese team miraculously struggled back from the line of life and death again and again after facing death, and went all the way to the intercontinental play-offs of the World Cup.
The result of this battle is directly related to whether the Chinese team can enter the finals of the World Cup, and it will certainly attract the attention of countless Chinese people.
The home of the Chinese team, Beijing Galaxy Football Stadium welcomed an opponent of the Chinese team in front of the World Cup finals. This time, however, the fans gathered here were in a completely different mood than the last time they were here.
This time, they came here with hope.
Even if the team they support can't get promoted again, they want to be here, looking at the team with the five-star red flag on their chest, the team that made them cry, made them laugh, made them disappointed again and again, but finally couldn't bear to give up, until the last moment.
At the pre-match press conference the day before, the managers of both sides had announced the 23-man squad of their respective teams for this game. And half an hour before the start of the game, the broadcasters got the starting line-ups of the two warring sides.
Obviously, the performance of the two who were additionally called up by the national team because they grew up at high altitudes in the first leg against Ecuador was still very satisfying to the Chinese coach Mr. Andrik. It is precisely because of this that Li Yunxiao from Jingyuan, Gansu Province and Shen Tianhai from Golmud, Qinghai Province were able to enter the starting eleven lineup of this game beyond the speculation of the outside world.
And, in the right winger position, head coach Andric was very determined to put on the 16-year-old who was extremely disappointing and attracted a lot of criticism in the first leg against Ecuador.
At this point, the players of both teams have completed their pre-match warm-up and familiarized themselves with the field, and are returning to the dressing room to take a hot shower before entering the stadium after preparing to be baptized by the fans in the stadium.
At this time, the shower room connected to the locker room was filled with the sound of water and the steaming mist.
After rinsing off the foam off his body, Lei Yi did not turn off the faucet and walk out of the shower room, but stood there in silence, letting the hot water drip over his head, slide over his body, and then flow down the spout. It was as if he could immerse himself in a kind of thinking.
Football is a very complex emotional sustenance for Lei Yi, and it is also a partner who can accompany him for a lifetime.
He didn't really crave the trophies that much, like Garrincha did a century ago. But he was well aware of the great difference between him and Garrincha. For Garrincha a century ago, playing against the strong didn't make him scrappy, and playing against the weak didn't bore him either, he just loved football, didn't have the ambition of those things, wanted to have fun in the game, and that's it.
But Lei Yi is different, although he also enjoys the joy of football very much, but compared to Garrincha a century ago, he does not have that innate optimism, and he has also once felt inferior and silent because of his long and short legs. Therefore, in his instinct, there is a desire to defeat the strong.
As if that would help him prove it.
Although the current Lei Yi is not very clear about this instinct of his own. But he thinks that what can make people remember him may not be the trophies that will involve a lot of trophies, but the victories that will still make people talk about them many years later.
But because of the influence of those memories when he was with Garrincha before, Lei Yi instinctively didn't think of that team as a strong opponent before meeting the Ecuadorian team, but the defeat in the last round made him more and more serious, and he had a special desire to win this game.
Lei Yi, who opened his eyes again, turned off the faucet, and pulled off the towel hanging on the door panel of the shower cubicle and covered his head, wiped his body neatly and put on his pants, and rushed to the locker room with sliding steps.
Almost at the same moment, the broadcasters cut the TV signal into the Ecuadorian team's dressing room, and the players, who had just finished their shower, were making their final preparations before playing. They put knee pads in their socks, and some people choose to put special bandages on their backs to prevent muscle strain.
So, what about the locker room of the Chinese team? Lei Yi rushed into the locker room full of fighting spirit, and exuded a kind of "Today, the world is left to me to save!" "The terrible momentum. But he had just dressed himself in socks, stuffed shin guards in them, and put on his jersey as well, when he felt that the light in front of him was blocked by two tall and strong men......
That's his roommate and captain of the national team, and ...... The only thing he was afraid of in the team was the Ili boy Yerti.
When the TV broadcast signal was transferred to the locker room of the Chinese team, everyone saw such a scene: Lei Yi, who was still carrying a shoe in his hand, was pressed into a small corner by Yerti, the most fierce-looking and stylish Ili man in the national team commanded by captain Zhang Shaolin, and suffered from Zhang Shaolin's hot wind offensive of the hair dryer of nirvana......
If everyone can still hear something from this broadcast footage, it must be Zhang Shaolin's cruel smile: "Aha! It's almost December in Beijing, and you're going to go out to compete with wet hair? Who gave you the stinky fault you are used to? Let my brother treat you!! What do you think? Capable of you! If you have the ability, you will come out to save the world without drying your hair, and if you have the ability, you will break free for me, your brother Ye! Come on! Here you go!! ”