The Final Opponent

The team won the match, and Klopp was very happy.

Considering how hard the players had been training and competing lately, and with five days left until the final, he gave the players another day off.

Having just received the winning bonus from the Football Association and now hearing about a day off, the players were all beaming with joy.

The lively Mao Biao found a bottle of champagne from somewhere and went on a wild rampage against his teammates.

"Damn it, I just changed my clothes!"

"C-Mao, you son of a bitch, don't run! I'm going to show you why the flowers are so red!"

Many of the players who were ambushed had already changed their clothes and were ready to head out. After this sneak attack, not only was their shower wasted, but their clean clothes were ruined as well.

Furious, they cursed at Mao Biao while chasing after him, intending to use physical means to "deepen their bond."

"Brothers, I was wrong! I'll do it again next time!"

Mao Biao naturally wouldn't surrender easily, continuing to provoke them while using his agile footwork and Snake-like Movement to dodge the group's encirclement.

The group staged a cat-and-mouse game inside the Locker Room, turning the already noisy room into a chaotic mess.

But the space in the Locker Room was limited after all, and Mao Biao was soon cornered by his teammates with nowhere to run.

Pig-like Screams mixed with pleas of "Brother, I was wrong" and "I won't dare do it again" echoed in everyone's ears.

Seeing that the commotion had gone on long enough, Chen Tao clapped his hands loudly:

"Alright, alright, stop messing around. Everyone get ready, I'm treating you all to dinner tonight!"

"Brother Chen is generous!"

"I love you, Brother Chen!"

Everyone had long grown tired of the training meals at the base, and having been abroad for so long, they were all starting to miss the taste of home-cooked food.

So, under the guidance of local Chinese fans, the Youth National Team members found a well-regarded Chinese Restaurant and tucked into a hearty meal.

Coincidentally, the owner of this Chinese Restaurant was also a football fan. After recognizing the Youth National Team members, he insisted on covering the bill for everyone.

But the cost of this meal was not small, and the Youth National Team members felt embarrassed to take advantage of him.

Thus, both sides went back and forth; the Youth National Team insisted on paying, while the owner insisted on not accepting the money.

"How about this? You leave a Group Photo for me to hang in the shop for display, and that will count as settling the bill. How about it?"

When the others heard the owner's suggestion, they all thought it was a good idea.

Lin Feng, however, took a more intrigued look at the owner after hearing his words.

This owner certainly had a sharp business mind!

Once the owner put up this Group Photo and promoted the fact that the Youth National Team players had eaten here, it would be great publicity.

If the Youth National Team went on to win the Youth World Cup, this place might even become a Pilgrimage Check-in Point for domestic fans.

If any Top Star Player were to emerge from this Youth National Team in the future, the promotional effect would be even stronger.

So, don't underestimate a simple Group Photo; the benefits it could bring to this restaurant were far more valuable than the cost of this meal.

"No problem!"

Chen Tao didn't seem to think that much about it and agreed without hesitation.

He might have guessed a little of the owner's intentions, but he didn't really mind.

The restaurant was affordable and the food was good, so he didn't mind doing them a favor with some publicity.

Taking advantage of the meal, Chen Tao and Lin Feng probed the players' attitudes toward the Head Coach.

Overall, the players were very satisfied with Klopp as their Head Coach.

Although the Old Man was sometimes very strict and had high demands for their training, everyone clearly felt their own strength improving under his rigorous requirements.

Furthermore, since he took the team to the Youth World Cup, they had achieved unprecedented and glorious results on the field, which further deepened his prestige in the hearts of the players.

And when Chen Tao subtly revealed that Klopp could use his connections in Europe to help everyone Study Abroad, the players' support for Klopp soared even higher.

Although many still had concerns and dared not directly confront the Football Association, as long as someone took the lead, they would have no problem cheering them on from behind.

The players' stance gave Chen Tao peace of mind; as for taking the lead, there was no need for anyone else to do it—he would do it himself.

Chen Tao, who had always been quite responsible, naturally wouldn't back down on such matters.

With their worries resolved, the Youth National Team players put their hearts entirely into their training.

In the other semi-final held subsequently, Nigeria defeated Morocco and advanced to the final, becoming the Youth National Team's opponent for the championship.

Although Nigeria's fame was not as great as favorites like Brazil or Argentina, their strength could not be underestimated at all.

Except for an accidental loss to the South Korea team during the group stage, Nigeria had remained undefeated in all subsequent matches.

They had once drawn against Brazil, eliminated Ukraine, and even the host, the Netherlands team, had fallen at their feet.

Although this team did not look particularly star-studded or dazzling.

But anyone who underestimated their strength would inevitably pay a heavy price.

Given the opponent's formidable physical fitness and outstanding defensive capabilities.

Klopp specifically intensified offensive training during the preparation sessions.

Worried that the team might get bogged down in positional play, Klopp specifically placed Zou You, who had rarely appeared, into the starting lineup during internal training matches.

Zou You stood at 1.95 meters tall, making him the tallest among the five forwards on the Youth National Team.

However, because of the excellent performances of Gao Lin, Dong Fangzhuo, and Zhu Ting, Zou You had not yet made an appearance in this Youth World Cup.

But not having played before did not mean he would not play in the future.

His height gave him the potential to serve as a surprise weapon.

If all other offensive methods failed, Klopp was very likely to substitute him onto the pitch to give it a try.

Zou You had previously been on the substitute team and rarely trained with the main squad.

Therefore, his performance in the first few training matches was not very ideal.

However, this could not be entirely blamed on him; after all, he was originally a defensive midfielder, and he was only converted into a forward because the Youth National Team lacked a tall center-forward.

He had played in the forward position for too short a time, and he did not yet possess many of the skills that a forward should have.

Consequently, using him alone on the front line yielded very mediocre results.

Klopp clearly noticed this problem as well, so he immediately began experimenting with different combinations.

He took turns putting Gao Lin, Zhu Ting, Mao Biao, and Dong Fangzhuo on the pitch to partner with Zou You in a two-striker formation to test the results.

The chemistry between Zou You and the others was not particularly good, but his partnership with Gao Lin showed promising signs.

The reason for this was likely that Gao Lin was better at setting up plays.

After Zou You used his height to win the aerial ball and flick it to Gao Lin, Gao Lin could dribble, pass, or shoot, offering a wide range of options that made it difficult for opponents to defend.

But if that was the case, wouldn't it be even more effective to place Lin Feng in the shadow striker position and have Zou You flick the ball to him?

Klopp had a bold idea!