Feng Xiaoting had no idea Barcelona had already set their sights on him. At that moment, he was shouting at the top of his lungs, directing his teammates in defense.
As a center-back, he couldn't do the job without a loud voice.
Defense wasn't a one-man task. It required every player on the defensive line to work together in perfect coordination.
So not only did players need to stay focused at all times, they also had to frequently remind their teammates loudly.
Feng Xiaoting was the kind of player who relied on his brain. He possessed outstanding awareness of the overall game and defensive instincts. At eighteen, he had already become Sichuan Guancheng's captain, making him the youngest captain in Jia A League history at the time.
Without real ability, the team would never have made him captain, and his teammates would never have accepted him.
Under Feng Xiaoting's direction and through the team's coordinated defending, the Nigeria team's late first-half counterattack was successfully neutralized by the China Youth Team.
The 2-0 scoreline remained unchanged until halftime.
The score was highly favorable for the Chinese team, but for the Nigeria team, it had practically pushed them to the edge of a cliff.
The score on the field was reflected directly on the players' faces. The China Youth Team players looked relaxed, chatting and laughing as they walked, with enough energy left to respond to the cheers from the stands.
Nigeria's atmosphere, meanwhile, was extremely heavy. The players wore grave expressions, each keeping his head lowered without saying a word.
Although the Nigerian fans in the stands tried to comfort them, the Nigerian players gave no response. They did not even raise their heads.
"Ole~~ Ole~ Ole~ Ole..."
The China Youth Team fans sang happily while starting a wave around the stadium.
With such a massive advantage in hand, the Chinese fans who had come to watch felt incomparably at ease.
They had never experienced this feeling before. In the past, whenever they watched the Chinese team live, the National Football Team was either trailing or trapped at a disadvantage, leaving the fans tense and unable to relax at all.
But this China Youth Team was different!
From the group stage all the way to the final, they had never lost a single match. They had fought their way here by winning every game!
Even when they fell behind, they could always claw their way back.
Once winning became a habit, the China Youth Team's fans gradually developed faith in them, convinced that they would win.
That was why the fans could watch the match in such a relaxed state of mind.
Taking advantage of halftime, fans staying up late to watch the game flocked to the major domestic forums to chat and post:
"I still can't believe it. In another half hour, we'll be lifting the Youth World Cup trophy!"
"Bro upstairs, don't jinx it. The match isn't over yet. You can't start popping champagne at halftime!"
"Haha, my bad, my bad. I was just feeling emotional. I really didn't mean to jinx it."
"I get it, I get it. It's not just you. Everyone finds it hard to believe. Chinese football has never achieved such an outstanding result in a world-class tournament before."
"Actually, the important thing isn't just this championship. What matters even more is that these young players have brought enormous hope to Chinese football!"
"Winning this championship will definitely provide a huge boost to the development of Chinese football!"
"With these outstanding young players, the National Football Team's fighting strength will be assured for the next decade. Reaching the World Cup again is within sight. Maybe they can even achieve bigger breakthroughs—get out of the group stage and make the knockout rounds. Every single step would be a massive breakthrough for Chinese football!"
"Bro, stop talking. You've got my blood boiling in the middle of the night!"
"I really can't wait for these players to join the national team!"
As the fans looked toward the future, their hearts were filled with hope, as though they could see a beautiful blueprint unfolding before them.
While the fans chatted away, Zhu Guanghu, the newly appointed national team manager, was also considering this question.
Since Milu had resigned, the National Football Team had entered a period of turmoil.
Consecutive failures in the World Cup Qualifiers and Asian Cup had forced the previous national team manager, Arie Haan, to resign and take responsibility.
They had also left the National Football Team burdened with tremendous public criticism.
When Zhu Guanghu took over the team, he faced a grim situation: internal instability, overwhelming outside pressure, and an aging squad overall.
To reverse the situation, he had to produce results convincing enough to answer to the fans.
And the National Football Team truly needed an injection of fresh blood!
"Although these youngsters are still young, they're remarkably capable. Perhaps there's no need to wait that long. We can recruit some of the best among them into the national team right now."
Zhu Guanghu pondered it silently. Players like Lin Feng, Chen Tao, Feng Xiaoting, and Zhao Xuri were fully capable of joining the national team already.
Even if they could not become starters, they could at least serve as substitutes.
Recruiting them into the national team would also demonstrate their stance to the public, letting everyone know that the National Football Team had learned from its humiliation and was determined to reform.
At the end of this month, the second East Asian Football Championship would begin.
The National Football Team's opponents would be the North Korea team, South Korea team, and Japan team, all formidable sides.
If they could win this championship, it would greatly help reverse the National Football Team's terrible public image.
Especially against the Japan team. If they could defeat them, it would go a long way toward washing away the disgrace of losing to Japan in last year's Asian Cup Final.
With that thought, Zhu Guanghu made up his mind.
The fifteen-minute break soon ended, and the players from both sides returned to the field to continue the second half.
The Nigeria team made a substitution during halftime, taking off a defender and bringing on a forward.
Clearly, they intended to strengthen their attack in the second half and try to level the score as soon as possible.
After the second half began, the Nigeria team's offensive pressure was ferocious.
They pressed frantically in midfield without sparing their stamina. Once they won the ball, they immediately moved it out to the flanks, allowing their wide attackers to cut inside or reach the byline and cross for the forwards in the penalty area to attack.
The tactic looked simple, but it was highly effective.
Because Zhou Haibin had been injured in the previous match against Argentina, the China Youth Team's intensity in midfield had weakened.
Lu Lin, who had replaced him, was only 168 centimeters tall and weighed just 65 kilograms. He could not fill Zhou Haibin's role.
The Nigeria team was already a physically tough side, and their players possessed exceptional athleticism. This further magnified the China Youth Team's weakness down the left flank.
In the 52nd minute, the Nigeria team delivered another cross from the wing.
The cross itself was not particularly good. Ogbughu, the forward lurking in the penalty area, had already been boxed out by two China Youth Team defenders and was caught in their Double Team.
Yet even under those circumstances, he forced his way out and completed an extremely difficult Dive Header.
The ball skimmed the post and flew into the net. The score became 2-1.
It was an incredibly difficult goal. Even if Ogbughu had been given ten more chances, he might not have scored it again.
But he had scored it anyway!
That allowed the Chinese fans in the stands to sense a trace of danger. Their opponent's goal had made them uneasy.
There were still at least forty minutes left in the match, and the China Youth Team's lead had been cut to one goal. Their psychological safety net had vanished completely.
After scoring, the Nigeria team's momentum surged as they launched an even fiercer counterattack than before.
For a time, the China Youth Team's formation was completely pinned inside its own half, unable to push forward at all.
The flow of the match became uncertain once more.
At the critical moment, Lin Feng remained incomparably calm.
He recalled Wenger's earlier warning. The Nigerian players had unstable mentalities and were prone to making mistakes.
With that thought, Lin Feng immediately came up with an idea.
In the 61st minute, after the China Youth Team defused one of the opponent's attacks, Lin Feng sprinted toward the opposing half and held out his hand for the ball.
With the opposing players concentrated in their own half, it was the perfect opportunity for a counterattack.
The opposing players clearly understood that as well. They gave Lin Feng no chance to carry the ball forward. Before he could build up speed, they brought him down with a tactical foul.
Beep!
The referee promptly blew his whistle and showed a yellow card to the Nigerian player who had committed the foul.
Lin Feng glanced at the player who had fouled him. Since he truly could not remember what the man looked like, he memorized his jersey number instead.
Next time I break through, I'm coming for you!
Before you continue