August 7, 2005, 4:00 p.m.
Only fifteen minutes remained before the final round of the East Asian Cup, and the players from both teams were already waiting in the player tunnel, ready to take the field.
For the national team, there was some good news.
In last night's women's match, the stronger South Korea women's team had been held to a draw by Japan's women's team.
That left South Korea with just one more point than China.
As long as South Korea's Men's Football Team failed to beat the Japan team that evening, the national team would secure the $100,000 as long as they defeated North Korea in this match.
In the stands, every member of the women's team, whose matches had all concluded, was present to cheer specifically for the Men's Football Team.
The outcome of this match did not matter much to the Men's Football Team, as they had already secured the championship in advance, but it mattered greatly to the women's team.
If the Men's Football Team lost, the women's bonus might be gone...
So once the match began, the women's players cheered with all their might, practically turning themselves into the Men's Football Team's personal cheerleading squad.
The stadium was almost entirely filled with chinese fans; there were virtually no North Korean supporters.
Back home, since it was Sunday, countless fans were gathered in front of their televisions to watch the live broadcast.
On forums, on Tieba, countless fans excitedly discussed topics related to the match everywhere.
The national team and the East Asian Cup had completely exploded in popularity across the country. This scene of entire cities turning out to watch the national team felt as though they had returned to the World Cup three years earlier.
The sight left many longtime fans deeply moved.