Attention from the National team

Feng Xiaoting did not yet know that he had caught the eye of Barcelona; at this moment, he was busy shouting instructions to his teammates to organize the defense.

As a Center Back, you couldn't do your job without a loud voice.

Because defense isn't a one-man show; it is something that can only be accomplished when the entire defensive line acts in unity and perfect coordination.

Therefore, not only does the player himself need to remain focused at all times, but he must also frequently shout reminders to his teammates.

Feng Xiaoting played with his brain; his big picture view and defensive awareness were both outstanding. He became the Captain of Sichuan Guancheng at just 18, making him the youngest captain in the history of the Jia A League at that time.

If he didn't have the skills, the team wouldn't have made him captain, and his teammates certainly wouldn't have respected him.

Under the command of Feng Xiaoting and the tacit cooperation of his teammates, the Nigeria team's counterattack in the final stages of the first half was successfully neutralized by the Youth National Team.

The 2:0 scoreline held until the end of the first half.

This score was very favorable for the Chinese team, but for the Nigeria team, it had pushed them almost to the edge of a cliff.

The score on the field was directly reflected on the players' faces. The Youth National Team players looked very relaxed, chatting and laughing as they walked off, even having the energy to respond to the cheers of the fans in the Stands.

In contrast, the atmosphere on the Nigeria side was extremely heavy; the players looked somber, each one walking with their head down, not saying a word.

Although the Nigeria fans in the Stands tried to comfort them, the Nigeria players didn't react at all, not even lifting their heads.

"Ole~~ Ole~ Ole~ Ole..."

The Youth Team fans at the venue sang songs while happily starting a wave.

Holding such a massive advantage, the Chinese fans who had come to watch the game felt incredibly comfortable and relaxed.

They had never felt this way before. In the past, when they went to watch the Chinese team play, the national team was either trailing or in a disadvantageous position, which kept the fans on edge and unable to relax at all.

But this Youth National Team was different!

From the group stage all the way to the final, they hadn't lost a single game; they had won their way through the entire tournament!

Even when they were at a disadvantage, they could always fight back.

Once winning became a habit, the fans of the Youth National Team gradually developed a sense of trust in them, firmly believing that they would win.

This was why the fans were so relaxed while watching the game.

Taking advantage of the halftime break, fans staying up late to watch the game on major domestic forums seized the time to chat:

"I really can't believe it. In another half hour, we'll be lifting the Youth World Cup trophy!"

"Buddy above, don't jinx it. The game isn't over yet; you shouldn't be popping the champagne at halftime!"

"Haha, my bad, my bad. But I was just speaking from the heart, I really didn't mean to jinx anything."

"Understood, understood. Don't say it's just you; everyone finds it hard to believe. Chinese football has never had such an outstanding result in a world-class tournament before."

"Actually, what's important isn't just this championship; more importantly, the existence of this group of young players has brought huge hope to Chinese football!"

"Winning this title will definitely provide a massive stimulus for the development of Chinese football!"

"With these outstanding young people, the combat effectiveness of the national team will be guaranteed for the next ten years. Reaching the World Cup finals again is just around the corner, and maybe we can even achieve greater breakthroughs—getting out of the group stage and into the knockout rounds. Every step is a huge breakthrough for Chinese football!"

"Brother, stop talking, you're making my blood boil in the middle of the night!"

"I'm really looking forward to these players joining the national team!"

The fans looked toward the future, their hearts filled with hope, as if they could see a beautiful blueprint unfolding before them.

Just as the fans were chatting away, the newly appointed head coach of the national team, Zhu Guanghu, was also pondering this very question.

Ever since Milu resigned, the national team had entered a period of turmoil.

The successive failures in the World Cup Qualifiers and the Asian Cup forced the previous head coach, Arie Haan, to resign in disgrace.

It also left the national team bearing the brunt of heavy criticism from public opinion.

When Zhu Guanghu took over the team, he faced a grim situation of internal unrest, maximum pressure from public opinion, and an aging squad.

To turn this situation around, he had to produce convincing results to answer to the fans.

Moreover, the national team really needed an infusion of fresh blood!

"Although these young men are not old, their abilities are quite outstanding. Perhaps we don't need to wait that long; we could recruit some of the top players among them into the national team right now."

Zhu Guanghu thought to himself. Players like Lin Feng, Chen Tao, Feng Xiaoting, and Zhao Xuri could absolutely join the national team now.

Even if they couldn't be starters, they could at least serve as substitutes.

Recruiting them into the national team would also signal their stance to the outside world, letting everyone know that the national team was determined to learn from their shame and seek change.

At the end of this month, the 2nd East Asian Football Championship would begin.

The national team's opponents would be the North Korea team, the South Korea team, and the Japan team—all of which were very strong teams.

If they could win this championship, it would be a great help in turning around the current poor public opinion environment surrounding the national team.

Especially the match against the Japan team; if they could defeat them, it would go a long way toward reversing the infamy of losing to Japan in last year's Asian Cup Final.

Thinking of this, Zhu Guanghu made up his mind.

The fifteen-minute break ended quickly, and the players from both sides returned to the field to continue the second half of the match.

The Nigeria team made a substitution during halftime, taking off a Defender and bringing on a Forward.

This stance clearly indicated their intent to strengthen their attack in the second half and strive for an early equalizer.

After the second half kicked off, the Nigeria team launched a fierce offensive.

They pressed relentlessly in the midfield, sparing no stamina, and immediately shifted the ball to the flanks upon winning possession, allowing their wingers to cut inside or cross from the byline for the Forward in the penalty area to compete for the header.

This tactic looked simple, but it was highly practical.

Because Zhou Haibin was injured in the previous match against Argentina, the intensity of the China Youth Team in the midfield had declined.

Lu Lin, who replaced him, was only 168cm tall and weighed just 65kg, making him unable to replicate his impact.

The Nigeria team was inherently a physically robust side, and their players' exceptional athleticism further magnified the weaknesses of the China Youth Team on the left flank.

In the 52nd minute, the Nigeria team completed another cross from the wing.

The ball was actually not delivered very well, and the Forward Ogbughu, lurking in the penalty area, had already been boxed in by two Defenders from the China Youth Team, finding himself trapped in a Double Team.

However, under these circumstances, he managed to squeeze his way out and execute a Dive Header of extreme difficulty.

The ball grazed the post and flew into the net, changing the score to 2-1.

This goal was incredibly difficult; even if Ogbughu were given ten more chances, he might not necessarily score it again.

Yet, he had scored it!

This made the Chinese fans in the Stands catch a whiff of danger, as the opponent's goal made them feel threatened.

With at least 40 minutes left until the end of the match, the lead of the China Youth Team had shrunk to one goal, and their psychological sense of security had vanished completely.

After the goal, the Nigeria team surged with momentum, launching an even fiercer counterattack than before.

For a time, the formation of the China Youth Team was completely pinned back into their own half, unable to launch any play at all.

The situation of the match had become unpredictable once again.

At this critical moment, the mind of Lin Feng was incredibly calm.

He recalled the previous reminder from Wenger that the players of this Nigeria team had unstable mentalities and were prone to making mistakes.

Thinking of this, Lin Feng immediately had an idea.

In the 61st minute, after the China Youth Team cleared an attack from the opponent, Lin Feng sprinted rapidly toward the opponent's half and reached out to call for the ball.

With the opponent's players concentrated in his own half, this was simply the best opportunity for a counterattack.

The opposing Player clearly knew this as well and, refusing to give Lin Feng a chance to dribble and sprint, committed a tactical foul to take him down before he could pick up speed.

Beep!

The referee blew the whistle quickly and showed a yellow card to the fouling Nigeria Player.

Lin Feng glanced at the Player who committed the foul; since he really couldn't remember the opponent's face, he memorized his jersey number instead.

I'll target you for my next breakthrough!