The Football Association's Enormous Bonus

Beep!

The referee simply Could Not Watch Anymore.

He blew his whistle to stop the match and called a foul on the China Youth Team, finally rescuing Messi from his plight.

Messi felt like crying; he felt as if he had suffered a humiliating insult and wanted to crawl into a hole.

The opposing team's two attacking midfielders had actually used a defensive tactic—closing the door to catch the dog—to deal with him, a forward. It was an absolute disgrace!

After scrambling up from the ground, Messi subconsciously kept his distance from those two "old foxes," Lin Feng and Zhou Haibin.

He didn't want to experience the feeling of being a "Roujiamo" ever again.

Fortunately, there wasn't much time left in the first half, and the referee soon blew the whistle for halftime.

Although the Argentina team was leading on the scoreboard, there wasn't a hint of a smile on the face of their Team Core, Messi.

On the contrary, despite trailing, the players of the China Youth Team were chatting and laughing, as if they were the ones in the lead.

"Heh, the youngsters on the China Youth Team are maintaining a great mentality. Facing a top-tier powerhouse like Argentina, the first thing we must do is keep our composure; we cannot let our mindset crumble."

When the live cameras captured this scene, Huang Jianxiang, fearing that someone might criticize the youngsters, quickly explained the situation as if he were a mother hen protecting her chicks.

He was overthinking it, though. The fans were incredibly tolerant toward this young team that kept creating miracles and bringing them surprises:

"Haha, these boys have such a great mentality. If only the players on the National Football Team had such a mindset, that would be great."

"Forget it. Those unreliable guys on the National Football Team—even when we have the superior strength, they always buckle under pressure and drop the ball at the last moment."

"The National Football Team never fails to disappoint when it comes to being disappointing!"

"The China Youth Team is doing just fine. Just keep this good mentality, don't put too much pressure on yourselves, and play well in the second half. I don't think a comeback against Argentina is impossible!"

"Exactly. The first half proved that the gap in strength between us and the Argentina team isn't as big as we imagined. Plus, their absolute core is clearly having stamina issues. There's a lot of hope for the second half!"

Although the team was trailing, everyone could see that in the final minutes of the first half, Messi looked like he could barely run anymore.

And if Argentina were without Messi, their offensive threat would be significantly diminished. The second half should be the time for the China Youth Team to counterattack.

In the locker room of the China Youth Team, Klopp first praised the players for their performance in the first half.

He especially affirmed their successful defense against Messi.

If the players hadn't taken the initiative to exhaust Messi's stamina, significantly reducing the number of times he could attempt a breakthrough, the China Youth Team would likely have conceded more goals in the first half.

But for the second half, the China Youth Team would focus on offense.

"Lin Feng, your performance in the first half was outstanding, and I am proud of you. But your performance has certainly alerted the Argentina team.

If nothing goes wrong in the second half, they will arrange a player to man-mark you, doing everything possible to lower your speed and deny you the chance to sprint. In this situation, what do you think you should do?"

Klopp stared intently at Lin Feng, waiting for his answer.

Lin Feng thought for a moment about how Kaka would handle such a situation.

"If they really do that, I will find a way to shake off my marker. If I can't, I will switch to an off-the-ball style, using my movement to pull and contain their defensive line as much as possible, creating offensive opportunities for my teammates."

Klopp nodded approvingly, very satisfied with Lin Feng's answer.

The China Youth Team operated on a Dual Core Drive; even if Lin Feng was frozen out, there was still Chen Tao who could lead the team's offense.

The tactics he laid out next were almost entirely focused on how the team should launch attacks if Lin Feng were neutralized.

"Chen Tao, Zhou Haibin, if the opponent really commits a lot of energy to defending Lin Feng in the second half, the pressure on you two will be greatly reduced, especially in your position, Zhou Haibin.

So, in the second half, I need both of you to step up and lead the team's offense."

Hearing the Head Coach's instructions, Chen Tao and Zhou Haibin nodded heavily.

Zhou Haibin came from Shandong Luneng. Although he wasn't as famous as Chen Tao, his strength was not to be underestimated.

He became famous at a young age, not only playing for the Shandong Luneng First Team early on but also being recruited into the National team by Head Coach Arie Haan in 2003, becoming the youngest international in the history of the National Football Team.

To be the youngest international in history, Zhou Haibin naturally had his own set of skills.

He had a wide field of vision, excellent footwork, outstanding organizational ability, and a superb long-range shot.

Furthermore, he was physically strong, had abundant stamina, and possessed good Physical Confrontation skills. He performed well on both ends of the pitch, making him a true Hexagonal Warrior.

"I will sub in Dong Fangzhuo for the second half. Dong, after you get on the pitch, use your physical attributes and ability to compete for the ball. Be aggressive in the box; if you get the ball, shoot. Don't overthink it..."

After Klopp finished speaking, someone pushed open the locker room door.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the entrance. When Klopp saw who it was, he frowned slightly.

The person was none other than the team leader of the China Youth Team, Li Feiyu.

Li Feiyu placed the case he was carrying onto the bench in the locker room.

"Everyone, quiet down and listen to me!"

He raised both hands, signaling for everyone to be silent.

"The leaders of the Football Association are very satisfied with the results we have achieved in this Youth World Cup. To motivate everyone to create further glory, the higher-ups have specially approved a bonus.

As long as you can win this match, everyone—including the coaching staff and logistics personnel—will receive a bonus ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 yuan!"

As he spoke, he opened the suitcase he had brought in with him.

Everyone's gaze in the Locker Room was drawn to the contents of the case.

Inside the case, dozens of bundles of Hundred Yuan Bills were stacked neatly.

Seeing the money inside and hearing that it was intended as a reward for them, the players—with the exception of a few—all had their eyes light up, staring straight at the cash.

In an era where the National Average Salary was only 1500, a 5000 bonus was truly a significant amount.

Moreover, the players certainly wouldn't be receiving the lowest tier of the bonus; it was highly likely they would receive the 10000 tier.

For this group of young players who had only been on the First Team for a few years and had little money in their pockets, it was incredibly attractive.

Furthermore, this was an unexpected windfall.

It was well known that when players participated in a National Team Match, they didn't receive a salary.

The women's team could receive a bit more in allowances due to the Football Association's support policies, but the Men's Football Team sometimes didn't even receive an allowance at all.

Even if there was an allowance, the amount was pitifully small.

The daily training allowance for National Football Players was around 80-100 yuan, and for the China Youth Team, it was even less, at less than 50 yuan.

A 10000 bonus was almost equal to several years of training allowances; it was truly not a small sum.

Seeing that the bonus in his hands had successfully stirred up the players' enthusiasm, Li Feiyu nodded with satisfaction, then immediately dropped another bombshell:

"In addition to today's bonus, if you can win the championship at this Youth World Cup, the Football Association will issue a one-time Championship Bonus of 3 million. At that time, every starter and Starting Substitute will receive between 80,000 and 100,000, and even the bench players will receive a bonus of 50,000."

Once this news was announced, it immediately caused an uproar among the players.

The players widened their eyes, struggling to digest this shocking news.

This bonus was far more than the money from just a moment ago, and it was even higher than the Annual Salary many of them earned at their clubs.

I'm afraid that even for the Asian Cup Championship Trophy, the bonus amount might not necessarily reach this figure, right?

From the size of this bonus, one could tell that the Football Association truly attached great importance to the results of this Youth World Cup.

Heavy rewards bring out the brave; the morale of the China Youth Team was already high.

Now, being heavily stimulated by money, they were all acting as if they had been injected with adrenaline, howling and shouting.

They couldn't wait to rush onto the field right now and devour the opposing Argentinian players alive.

However, amidst this jubilant atmosphere, a look of worry appeared on the brow of the China Youth Team head coach, Klopp.