Brazil Team's goalkeeper was named Renan. He had never expected his teammate to make such a basic mistake.
But this was no time to blame his teammate.
The ball Lin Feng had poked away was rolling toward the penalty area.
He had to get to the ball before Lin Feng did. Otherwise, they might very well repeat what had happened last time and concede another goal.
Renan had already rushed out quickly, and as he did, the ball kept rolling toward him.
For him, the advantage could not have been greater!
So when they saw Renan charge out, the Brazil fans all breathed a sigh of relief.
There should be no problem with this ball. Although Leonardo had made an incredibly basic mistake, he had at least disrupted the opponent and given the goalkeeper a chance to get the ball.
"Ah, what a pity!"
"Lin Feng put a little too much force into that poke, but you can't blame him. Pulling off that move at such high speed was already very difficult."
In the commentary booth, Huang Jianxiang felt deeply regretful when he saw that the chance was gone.
If he had not poked it too far, it would probably have been another goal.
If this ball had gone in, the situation would have been completely different.
Leading by one goal and leading by two were vastly different. If China Youth Team could take a two-goal lead before the end of the first half, they would not only have more room for error, but also more tactical options in the second half.
More importantly, Chinese players generally had weak mentalities. When the score was close or they were behind, they often failed to perform properly.
But without the pressure of the scoreline, they could not only fully display their abilities, but might even outperform themselves.
However, just as everyone thought the ball was lost and would definitely be claimed by the goalkeeper, Lin Feng had not given up. He was still accelerating!
His legs kept driving forward, stepping in rapid alternation. He was so fast that he seemed to leave afterimages behind him!
The fans in the stands and the commentators on television all stared at the scene in disbelief.
The distance between Lin Feng and Brazil's goalkeeper Renan rapidly closed!
Ten meters!
Five meters!
Three meters!
The next instant, the two would collide!
Could he succeed?
Everyone held their breath, not daring to blink for fear of missing this spectacular moment.
Like Leonardo, Renan was thrown into a panic by Lin Feng's speed.
Too fast. Far too fast.
His opponent would arrive far earlier than he had expected, leaving him virtually no time to deal with the ball.
Retreat was no longer possible. Fortunately, the ball had already rolled into the penalty area. Renan steeled himself, gritted his teeth, and threw everything on the line as he lunged fiercely at the ball.
As long as he got the ball, everything would be over!
Across from him, Lin Feng made the same choice.
After driving off his final step, he extended his right leg!
Who would lose?
Who would win?
Everyone widened their eyes!
Bang!
With a dull thud, the two collided.
Tweet!
The referee's whistle sounded immediately.
Uproar!
The entire stadium erupted, and Klopp sprang from his seat.
Please, don't be injured!
He would rather lose this chance than see anything happen to Lin Feng.
For a player his age, injuries were the greatest threat.
How many talents in the Football World had been ruined by injuries?
They were impossible to count!
"Hang in there!"
"Don't get hurt!"
The fans in the stands and in front of their televisions were all worried about Lin Feng.
Some young female fans were even crying in distress, as though Lin Feng had died on the spot.
The National Football Team had finally produced a once-in-a-generation talent. Everyone treasured him beyond measure, afraid he would fall if held in their hands and melt if kept in their mouths. Seeing him down on the ground, they were beside themselves with worry and heartache.
Fortunately, Lin Feng soon patted himself down and got back on his feet. After standing up, he moved his ankle around. He looked to be fine.
The fans finally let out a huge breath of relief. As long as he was okay, that was all that mattered!
Since Lin Feng was fine, everyone's attention turned to how this play would be judged.
"The goalkeeper definitely touched the ball first. This should be ruled a collision with the goalkeeper by the Chinese player!"
The Brazil fans were adamant, insisting that Lin Feng had collided with the goalkeeper.
But reality slapped them hard in the face. The referee pointed at the penalty spot and awarded the Chinese team a Penalty Kick!
He also showed Brazil Team's goalkeeper a Yellow Gem Card!
This completely stunned the Brazilians!
Meanwhile, the Chinese fans applauded and cheered the referee's wise decision.
"Ah, too bad Lin Feng didn't lie on the grass a little longer. Otherwise, their goalkeeper might have gotten a red card!"
"Heh, maybe he's too young and doesn't have that kind of experience. If it were a certain someone, he would have at least performed a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree diving spin, then rolled around on the grass a few times."
"I don't think that's necessary. Diving is too damaging to one's character. We shouldn't learn such underhanded tricks. Keeping your feet on the ground is how you go farther!"
At that moment, the television began replaying the collision in slow motion.
From the replay, it was clear that although the two had arrived almost simultaneously—
Lin Feng was faster. He touched the ball first, slightly changing its path. That was why the opposing goalkeeper missed the ball entirely and crashed directly into Lin Feng.
There was no problem with the referee's decision. Moreover, being able to see everything so clearly with the naked eye in such a short time was enough to prove that he was an excellent referee.
"You take this one!"
Chen Tao patted Lin Feng on the shoulder and gave him the right to take the kick.
Although he was China Youth Team's primary penalty taker, Lin Feng had fought desperately to earn this ball, so he should take it himself.
The teammates had no objections to Chen Tao's decision. Even the coaching staff by the sideline nodded in agreement.
Since that was the case, Lin Feng did not stand on ceremony.
He stepped up himself, fooled the goalkeeper with his rhythm, and calmly sent the ball into the net.
2:0!
The National Football Team now held a massive advantage.
There was only one minute of stoppage time in the first half. Brazil Team seemed to have suffered a devastating blow and could not organize any effective attacks at all.
They also seemed frightened by China Youth Team's unreasonable counterattacks and no longer dared to push forward.
"Heh, Brazil Team was practically crushed by China's number 10 and number 23 alone!"
"They underestimated their opponents too much!"
"Did they really think Brazil football was invincible?"
In the stands, many scouts who had come because of the hype murmured among themselves, criticizing Brazil Team's terrible performance.
Compared with Brazil Team at the previous Youth World Cup, this Brazil Team had clearly declined in strength.
They lacked truly top-class stars. The previous Brazil Team had players such as Alves and Fernandinho, who left a deep impression on people.
But in this Youth World Cup, there was not a single player like that to be found in Brazil Team.
By contrast, China Youth Team had at least two promising talents who caught the eye: Chen Tao and Lin Feng.
Since when had Brazil football fallen so far that it was inferior even to Chinese football?
It made people wonder: was Brazil Team, the kingdom of football, facing a crisis of broken talent development?
As though to confirm everyone's speculation, China Youth Team took the initiative to change formations in the second half.
They switched from 4-5-1 to 4-4-2, shifting from Counter-Attack to proactive offense and launching a fierce assault on Brazil Team.
Brazil Team seemed to have been frightened by China Youth Team's swift counterattacks. During halftime, they had made extensive preparations specifically to deal with those counterattacks, only to find that their opponents had changed tactics without following the usual script!
Caught off guard, Brazil Team found themselves extremely uncomfortable against China Youth Team's highly aggressive pressing attack.
They had already been anxious after falling behind, and now their tactical preparations had been completely wrong.
Worse still, China Youth Team's players had found their confidence and dared to make moves on the field.
For a time, China Youth Team's attack was vibrant, their combinations flowing like water and leaving the Brazilians gasping for breath.
In the seventy-fifth minute of the second half, Zhao Xuri received Lin Feng's return pass and unleashed a sudden long-range strike from outside the penalty area. It was a world-class goal that flew straight into the top corner.
The score became 3:0!
Brazil Team had been completely torn apart!
The scouts in the stands were stunned. Was this really the China Youth Team they knew?
How did it feel as though they had transformed overnight?
They had become so unfamiliar!
As a result, aside from Lin Feng and Chen Tao, players such as Lin, Feng Xiaoting, and Zhao Xuri also entered the scouts' sights because of their outstanding performances on the field.
Quite a few non-giant clubs began taking an interest in them.
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