Chapter 270: The Duel of the Two Asian Heroes
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The match against South Korea was played on the evening of January 29 and was a high-profile match, with both South Korea and China paying close attention. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info
The Khalifa Stadium was also completely full, with a large number of neutral fans as well as fans from both China and South Korea.
Especially Chinese fans, the Chinese team's strong performance in this Asian Cup has rekindled many people's interest in football. In addition, this game kicks off at 23 o'clock on Saturday night Beijing time, and the next day is Sunday, so everyone doesn't have to go to work, you can go to bed late, and you can sleep just after watching the game, and you won't delay things. Therefore, the ratings of this game are expected to reach a new high, which will be the highest in this Asian Cup. The happiest thing is obviously the Asian Cup Organizing Committee and the AFC, the Chinese team can enter the final was not in their plan, because the Chinese team has performed badly before, and the last time they reached the final was because of home advantage. This time, they were able to reach the final completely because of their real skills. With them in the final, there will be at least 300 million more viewers in the Asian Cup final.
The TV broadcasters of the Asian Cup also attach great importance to the Chinese market. If broadcasters and commercial sponsors can decide the outcome of the competition, it is estimated that the Chinese team will be able to reach the final every time the tournament is held.
The media in China has been hyping up the final against South Korea since the day the semi-finals ended. "Po Han" has become the most frequently used word.
The South Korean media are not idle, and "revenge" is their key word.
In such a noisy external environment, the Chinese team had no distractions and concentrated on preparing for the game.
Gao Hongbo has very little pressure now, except for the people in the team, everyone doesn't know that they regard the championship as the ultimate goal. The Football Management Center once set the goal of the top eight for the national team's Asian Cup trip, and now the Chinese team has already exceeded the goal, so for the outside news media and leaders, even if the Chinese team loses the final, Gao Hongbo's position is no problem. In this last game, no matter what the result is, Gao Hongbo can accept it. He was able to make it to the start of World Cup qualifying with the national team.
He spent three years in the Chinese team, not for the Asian Cup, but for the World Cup qualifiers, and his goal is to bring the Chinese team to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Chinese football people have a very strong "World Cup complex", or Chinese have a very strong "World Series complex", as long as it is a world competition, big events are very enthusiastic, such as the Olympic Games, such as the World Expo, such as the World Cup. As long as it is worldly, it will be rushed. Although the level of Chinese football is still very low, the Chinese want to see their teams appear in the World Cup.
Gao Hongbo also has such a complex. He never played in a World Cup when he was a player, and he retired when Chinese football only appeared in the World Cup. He hopes to lead the team to the World Cup finals and make up for this regret in his heart.
Now it seems that he has a great opportunity because he has Chu Zhongtian. After the test of the Asian Cup, the Chinese team with Chu Zhongtian as the core can play a very strong strength, far beyond the limit that this team should have. Some European media have described Chu Zhongtian like this before: "Some players need the cooperation of the whole team to be able to play well; Some players seem to be obscure, but they can make their teammates play well; There are also players who can perform well on their own and at the same time bring their teammates around them to do well. And Chu belongs to this third type of people. ”
Yes, this Asian Cup is a good proof of this. Chu Zhongtian not only performed well, but also let the Chinese team play at a very high level, even defeated strong opponents, and finally broke into the finals. So much so that the domestic media and fans are exclaiming that the Chinese team in front of them is incomprehensible. Running positively, with a good attitude and full of confidence, such a Chinese team is really incomprehensible.
Gao Hongbo hopes to use the Asian Cup as a foundation to lay the foundation for the tactics and lineup of this national team, and then rely on this lineup and tactics to play the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup.
※※※ Coaches always think longer than players.
Chu Zhongtian didn't think about it for so long, he just wanted to play the last game in front of him well. His last game in the Asian Cup, he had to win. Why did he give up the club game and leave the club that paid him a salary for a while? His goal is clear, to be a champion. He traveled all the way from Germany to Qatar for the championship. If he can't win the championship, what is he doing here? Do you hit soy sauce?
At this moment, he was standing in the middle of the tunnel with his team at the front, behind his teammates and next to the enemy.
looked at Park Ji-sung, the captain of the South Korean team standing next to him, and listened to the tsunami-like cheers of the fans of the two teams outside. Chu Zhongtian clenched his fists, he was full of fighting spirit. He played in the final of the UEFA Cup, but it wasn't the same feeling he feels now. Maybe the technical content and gold content of the Asian Cup are far inferior to the League Cup final, but Chu Zhongtian will not be so excited. Because this is the final in which he participated as a member of the Chinese national men's football team, wearing the jersey of the Chinese team and having China's five-star red flag on his chest. He's playing for his country, he's playing for his country, that's his childhood dream.
At that time, the environment of Chinese football was not as bad and dark as it is now, and at that time, China's professional league was also in full swing, and at that time, there were still many Chinese fans who followed the footsteps of the national team obsessively, and at that time, everyone would still be happy and sad for their hometown team...... At that time, Chu Zhongtian's dream was to one day wear the national team jersey and represent his motherland in the World Cup.
Although it is not a World Cup now, it is just a much lower-grade Asian Cup, but it is also a champion.
Chu Zhongtian didn't want to go back empty-handed.
Whenever he has participated in the finals, he must win the championship, this is the "Law of Chu Zhongtian", and this time he also hopes to continue.
The pitch outside was noisy, but inside the passage it was quiet. Whether it was the Chinese team or the South Korean team, everyone entered the game state, standing in the passage, looking at the stadium outside the passage, without saying a word. Maybe it's looking forward to the game for a while.
Chu Zhongtian could have exchanged a few words with Park Ji-sung, both of them could speak English, so it was not a problem to communicate. But after the two of them met and said hello, they didn't say anything else.
The national team game is not the same as the club team's game, this is a game related to national honor, not to mention that the Chinese team and the South Korean team are still mortal enemies? So there is no such thing as an intimate pre-game greeting. Both sides regard each other as enemies, and they are eager to eat their flesh and their blood.
The referees came out of the lounge, they walked straight to the front of the line, and then said to the captain of the two guards, "Follow me." ”
The two captains turned back to their teammates and shouted, "It's out!" Come on! ”
The other players shouted excitedly.
For a while, Korean and Chinese rang one after another. The passage that had been quiet just now was bustling with activity. In such a warm atmosphere, the players from both sides walked out of the aisle and stepped onto the court.
The noise in the stands increased dramatically, reaching a peak.
"They're out!!"
"Great--Korea! Republic of Korea! Great - Republic of Korea! Republic of Korea!! ”
"Chinese team, come on! Come on, Chinese team!! ”
The cheers of fans on both sides cheering for their teams rang out at the same time.
This sound is simply more exciting than the theme song taken when the Champions League game is entered. He enjoyed it to the fullest.
※※※ After shaking hands and exchanging flags in front of the referees, the captains of both sides began to pick sides.
This is the final, Chu Zhongtian attaches great importance to the beginning of the game, so he deliberately lost the right to pick the edge, gave the right to pick the edge to South Korea, and got the right to tee.
The Korean team in front of me is very, very strong, even stronger than the Japanese team.
According to South Korean media reports, the current strength of the South Korean team is above the South Korean team that competed in the World Cup in South Africa last year.
Needless to say, Park Ji-sung and other Korean players who played abroad have also returned to the team. They are Lee Qinglong, who plays for Premier League side Bolton, Park Joo-yong of Monaco in Ligue 1, Che Duri and Ji Sung-yong of Celtic in the Soviet Super League, and Lee Young-pa, Lee Jung-so and Cho Yong-so, who play in the Middle East.
The South Korean team, which is mainly made up of overseas players, is far more experienced and capable than previous editions, and they are considered to be the strongest team since the 2002 World Cup. The reason why such a strong South Korean national team is discharged is because the Korean Football Association is bound to win the Asian Cup after a 51-year absence. At the same time, this is also Park Ji-sung's last Asian Cup, the last 2007 Asian Cup, like Chu Zhongtian, was absent due to injury, Chu Zhongtian is an arm fracture, and Park Ji-sung is knee surgery.
Needless to say, Park Ji-sung's motivation for this match is that other Korean players also attach great importance to this match. One of the strengths of the Korean players is that they always give their all and run to the end during the game. Such a style has always helped them to drag down their strong opponents in the final moments.
In this game against the Chinese team, there is a psychological advantage of being undefeated in the previous 32 years, and there is also the motivation to take revenge, and the performance of the South Korean team can be imagined how positive it will be.
However, Chu Zhongtian doesn't care about this, even if the other party is active, no matter how strong he is, he will defeat the other party.
This final opponent couldn't be more suitable for him. South Korea can be described as the bitter master of Chinese football, with a 32-year history of shameless winless international A-level competitions, and if they can beat them in the Asian Cup final and win the championship, it is really the best ending.
Which is more rewarding to defeat an old enemy and win the championship, or to defeat a cat and dog to win the championship?
It's clearly the former.
※※※After picking the side, Chu Zhongtian handed over the flag of the Korean team to the court, and then returned to the court and called everyone to come over.
"It's the last game, brothers." He looked at his teammates who had been with him for more than a month. This is the longest time he has spent with his national team teammates, he used to just come to play warm-up games or something, and staying in the national team for three or four days is a long time, and he left more of a back to his national team teammates coming and going. He doesn't know much about his teammates, and his teammates don't know him well enough. His prestige and status in the national team is more shaped by media coverage and the trust of the manager, but what kind of person he is is not well understood.
Until this time, he stayed with his teammates for more than a month, training together, playing together, eating and living together, and getting to know each other.
It is precisely because of this more than a month of contact that they were able to break into the Asian Cup final as a team, creating a "miracle" that is impossible to achieve in the eyes of others.
"Now that I think about what I said to everyone before the first game, I didn't expect it to happen so soon. I'm glad that we've all been together and brought so much joy to the fans in this month. Now for this last game, let's put this full stop right. ”
"Champion!"
He took the lead in shouting.
"Champion!!" His teammates yelled along with him.
On the other side, Park Ji-sung was also shouting with his teammates: "The Republic of Korea will win!" ”
And so the finals began.
※※※ This game was considered by many media before the game to be a direct duel between the leaders of the two teams.
Chu Zhongtian and Park Ji-sung, as the most successful representatives of Asian football among Liu Yang players in Europe, have always been compared before, and now they are directly competing on the field, how can such a good gimmick be let go?
However, this is not the first meeting between Chu Zhongtian and Park Ji-sung, in the group stage of the Champions League last season, Hoffenheim was placed in the same group as Manchester United, and in the first meeting between the two sides, Chu Zhongtian played, but Park Ji-sung did not. It wasn't until the second leg of the match between the two sides, the last round of the group stage, that Park Ji-sung and Chu Zhongtian appeared at the same time.
In that game, Hoffenheim defeated Manchester United 3-2 and qualified for the group as desired. In the game, Chu Zhongtian's performance was perfect, scoring two goals alone, and he was the biggest contributor to the team's victory.
Park Ji-sung had another head-to-head confrontation with Chu Zhongtian in the game, but Park Ji-sung must not want to think about that fight. He played as a defender in the game, and when defending Chu Zhongtian, Chu Zhongtian shook off the angle and shot the goal, and the football hit his leg to produce a less obvious line change, and finally flew into the goal, which was Hoffenheim's equalizing goal, which boosted Hoffenheim's morale and led to the subsequent reversal.
The clash between two of Asia's top stars ended in Chu Zhongtian's victory.
However, that time, Park Ji-sung did not play the midfield position that he is best at, so his performance was also affected. But it's completely different in the Korean national team, he plays in his favorite position, he plays the biggest role in the team, he is the heart of the team, and the whole team revolves around him.
Of course, you can only exert your power in your favorite position.
In addition, so far this season, Park Ji-sung has also been in very good form, and has stepped up to save the league many times, the most exciting of which was in the match against Arsenal, his difficult header helped Manchester United beat Arsenal and continue to sit first in the league.
Such a performance is naturally impressive.
Therefore, the duel between him and Chu Zhongtian is particularly eye-catching.
Two players in their prime met in the Asian Cup final, which has never been so star-studded and eye-catching.
Chu Zhongtian quickly felt that today's Park Ji-sung was different from the Park Ji-sung at Manchester United. Park Ji-sung is more active in the national team, not that he is not active in Manchester United, but that he is active and a little crazy in the national team, running at all costs, proving to the world that he is worthy of the nickname of "three-leaf lung".
Chu Zhongtian's physical fitness is also very good, and the physical fitness of both of them is excellent, which enhances the gold content of the confrontation between the two people.
In addition to running aggressively, Park Ji-sung is clearly the center of South Korea in attack, he has actively asked for the ball many times, participated in the attack, his technique and awareness, and experience have caused a lot of problems for the Chinese team's backline. Yang Hao couldn't prevent him at all, so Chu Zhongtian ran to deal with him without giving in.
"Chu Zhongtian and Park Ji-sung!" As soon as the commentators saw Chu Zhongtian in front of Park Ji-sung, they collectively **.
Park Ji-sung also noticed Chu Zhongtian, and he knew that this was specially to defend him. In the Chinese team, the only person who can keep up with him is Chu Zhongtian, and vice versa, in the South Korean team, the only person who can keep up with Chu Zhongtian is Park Ji-sung. Therefore, when assigning marking targets before the game, Park Ji-sung took the initiative to take on the responsibility of defending Chu Zhongtian without the need for head coach Zhao Guang to say it.
Everyone actually wants to see Park Ji-sung single-handedly pick up Chu Zhongtian such a powerful drama, but Park Ji-sung is very calm, he knows Chu Zhongtian, Chu Zhongtian has a relatively big reputation in offense over the years, and he is actually very good in defense, especially one-on-one defense, he is like being able to see through what you will do next, he can always make moves in advance, judge your movements, and then stop the ball.
Park Ji-sung is not stupid, he will not give Chu Zhongtian a chance to break the ball from his feet, and in the face of Chu Zhongtian, he directly passed the football out.
This disappointed those who were looking forward to seeing Chu Zhongtian and Park Ji-sung fight.
Park Ji-sung is not obligated to fulfill their wishes, he only needs to be responsible for the team, and his goal is to help the team win, not to defeat Chu Zhongtian in a one-on-one battle. If his loss to Chu Zhongtian could be exchanged for a victory for the team, he would be happy to do so.
Chu Zhongtian saw that Park Ji-sung passed the football out, so he threw Park Ji-sung to assist his teammates in defending. But he didn't run far, and he always kept an eye on Park Ji-sung from afar. He knew that this was the soul of the Korean team and could not be put too far behind.
Park Ji-sung tried his best to avoid Chu Zhongtian in the attack, and the two played "hide and seek".
In the thirteenth minute, the two had their first head-to-head meeting.
After Park Ji-sung broke through Yang Hao, Chu Zhongtian rushed up from the side and knocked Park Ji-sung out. However, Park Ji-sung did not lose control of the ball, and although he stumbled, he still controlled the football.
Chu Zhongtian didn't succeed in the collision, and he didn't stop there, but continued to stick it, using violent collisions and tough movements, intending to snatch the ball from under Park Ji-sung's feet.
Park Ji-sung stopped urgently to get rid of Chu Zhongtian, and Chu Zhongtian followed him inch by inch.
Park Ji-sung knew he was entangled...... It was obviously not possible to organize the attack forward, so he had to pass the football back and wait for the opportunity to organize the attack again.
In the attack, he has nothing to do with Chu Zhongtian, and he has to be careful of Chu Zhongtian in the defense - so far, except for the attack just now, Chu Zhongtian has basically not made much effort...... For Park Ji-sung, it's like waiting for the upstairs neighbor to take off the second boot in the middle of the night, the first boot has fallen, but the second one has disappeared for a long time, and he can't hear the dull "bang", how can he sleep peacefully?
(To be continued)