A White Steed Beneath a Silver Saddle, Swift as a Shooting Star

"CCTV, CCTV!"

"Dear viewers, you are watching the live broadcast of the 2005 Netherlands Youth World Cup quarterfinal between the Chinese team and the Brazil Team!"

"This match will be brought to you by Huang Jianxiang!"

"First, let's take a look at the starting lineups for both sides..."

Before the match began, Huang Jianxiang quickly introduced the lineups to the viewers.

"Compared with the starting lineup from the previous match, the China Youth Team has made adjustments in several positions."

"Lin Feng, who put on a stunning performance in the last match, unsurprisingly appeared in the starting lineup."

"In midfield and defense, Zhao Xuri replaced Hao Junmin in the starting eleven. This midfield enforcer from Dalian Shide possesses excellent defensive awareness and outstanding Physical Confrontation. He can add more steel to the China Youth Team's midfield."

"Besides that, Zhao Xuri has a decent long shot as well, which may bring some variety to the China Youth Team's attack."

After the match began, the Brazil Team was the first to launch an attack against the China Youth Team.

Compared to the China Youth Team players, the Brazilian players were clearly more skilled on the ball.

Just two minutes into the match, the Brazil Team created a shooting opportunity.

Leonardo tried to head home a teammate's cross, but sent it over the bar.

Before the China Youth Team could breathe a sigh of relief, the opponent's attack came roaring back.

Several Brazilian attackers exchanged quick passes in a tight area near the edge of the penalty box, throwing the China Youth Team's defense into disarray before slipping a through ball into the box. Their forward then swept a shot toward goal.

Fortunately, Yang Cheng remained fully focused and went to ground in time to make the save, pushing the ball away.

The match had only just begun, yet the China Youth Team had already fallen into a massive disadvantage!

Compared with Germany, their opponent in the previous match, the Brazil Team had an entirely different style.

This was a team with more outstanding individual ability and finer technique at their feet.

Their football was passionate and uninhibited, their creativity utterly unconstrained.

Against them, the China Youth Team players' weakness in individual defending was laid completely bare.

Especially down both flanks, where the opponent's one-on-one success rate was extremely high. They battered the China Youth Team's wings until they could barely function.

In the 8th minute, Brazil sent in a cross from the byline. Tardelli made a run at the near post but was denied by Yang Cheng.

In the 13th minute, Brazil's Bobo cut inside from the flank and threaded a pass into the left side of the box. Sobis slid in for the shot, but it went just wide.

In the 19th minute, Rafael's long-range shot struck the crossbar, drawing gasps from the crowd.

During this stretch, China Youth Team goalkeeper Yang Cheng became the busiest man on the pitch.

If not for his outstanding performance keeping the China Youth Team's goal intact, they would likely have already fallen behind.

But if the match continued like this, conceding a goal was probably only a matter of time.

The Chinese fans watching the match were sweating in their palms, their hearts pounding wildly!

As expected of the Brazil Team—their pressure was suffocating!

Many people recalled the terror of being dominated by the Brazil Team in the World Cup group stage three years earlier.

The vastly different situations on the pitch were reflected in the two teams' coaches as well.

At the sideline, Brazil's head coach sat leisurely on the bench, chatting and laughing with his assistant coach, looking utterly relaxed.

On the other hand, Klopp could not sit still at all.

He stood by the touchline, staring sternly at his own players on the field, his brows nearly twisted into a knot.

This could not go on. They were far too passive.

They had to make a change!

With that thought, Klopp waved his hand and issued orders for a tactical switch.

After receiving the instructions, the China Youth Team players began to pull back proactively. They gave up the contest in the midfield and attacking thirds and switched to Counter-Attack.

Klopp did not actually like Counter-Attack football very much, because he felt it was too utilitarian and would stifle young players' creativity.

By comparison, he preferred the pressing tactics of German football.

But this match was extremely important to both the team and himself. If they lost, the consequences would be unthinkable.

If he were fired, all the effort and dedication he had poured into this China Youth Team would go down the drain!

Based on his understanding of the Football Association, once he left, this China Youth Team would surely be ruined by that bunch of parasites.

These young men should have had brighter futures. Old man Klopp did not want to see their talent wasted like this.

And there was another important reason he had chosen Counter-Attack: Lin Feng's speed!

In the past, the China Youth Team lacked a player as fast as Lin Feng. Even if they wanted to launch quick counterattacks, they simply could not make them quick enough.

But because Lin Feng had joined them, everything had changed!

Seeing the China Youth Team retreat and adopt Counter-Attack, the Brazilians became even more contemptuous.

In their eyes, Counter-Attack was a tactic only the weak would use. The strong would never deign to play that way.

The opponent was clearly backing down. They were scared!

Besides, this move would not work against them. As the stronger side, the Brazilians believed they had more than enough ways to smash through the opponent's goal!

With such arrogant confidence, the Brazil Team launched an even fiercer offensive against the China Youth Team's goal.

Because the China Youth Team had pulled back on their own initiative, Brazil enjoyed more possession and took more shots.

But to the Brazilians' surprise, the threat of their attack began to decline instead.

The Brazilians were strong in one-on-one duels, but after the China Youth Team pulled back, they found it difficult to get those opportunities. Almost every time, they were outnumbered.

Under those circumstances, the China Youth Team's previously fragile defensive line began to become impregnable.

The Brazilians strained with all their might, yet at most they could push their attack into the thirty-meter area. Beyond that, they could not force their way forward.

With no other choice, the Brazilians began trying long-range shots from outside.

But every time they took a long shot, a China Youth Team player promptly closed them down, leaving their attempts with poor quality.

Though Brazil still appeared to hold every advantage on the surface, the situation was completely different from the opening minutes.

Seeing the change on the pitch, Klopp revealed a satisfied smile.

Brazil's players were individually strong, but not so strong that they could take on two or even three opponents alone.

In open space, they naturally held every advantage in one-on-one situations.

But once their room to operate was compressed and the numerical advantage of the defenders was used to Double Team them—

They could no longer create danger. Instead, their flaws—holding onto the ball too long and hesitating to pass—would give the China Youth Team chances to win possession and launch counterattacks.

In the 27th minute, China Youth Team midfield stalwart Cui Peng combined with left back Zheng Tao to successfully win the ball on the flank.

Cui Peng immediately passed it out to Chen Tao, who had dropped back to offer support.

Before dropping back to receive the ball, Chen Tao had already surveyed the positioning of his teammates up front.

At that moment, both Lin Feng and Gao Lin were accelerating toward the opponent's penalty area. After a glance, Chen Tao sent a long ball directly forward.

The pass was not intended for striker Gao Lin, but for Lin Feng out wide.

Chen Tao's idea was good, and his pass was accurate.

But he had underestimated Lin Feng's speed. The ball did not have enough lead on it, forcing Lin Feng to brake and slow down to receive it.

By the time he received Chen Tao's pass, the opponent's defenders had already gotten back into position.

With no better option, Lin Feng could only force his way down to the byline with the ball and send in a cross, hoping his teammates in the box might get lucky.

Gao Lin jumped with all his strength, but against the opponent's two towering center backs, he had no way to win the ball.

"Ah, what a pity!"

"Chen Tao's pass was too short!"

"If he'd put a little more power into it, Lin Feng might have gotten a One-on-One!"

The fans sighed repeatedly, all feeling that the China Youth Team had squandered a golden opportunity.

Chen Tao himself felt a little embarrassed. He knew Lin Feng was fast, but he had not expected him to be this fast.

Had this guy held back in the previous match and not gone all out?

Chen Tao was not the only one startled. Klopp and the Chinese coaching staff were shocked as well.

"When did this kid become so fast?"

"That burst just now was insanely quick—like lightning!"

"Lin Feng, Lin Feng—what a fitting name for a boy who chases the wind!"

Although the China Youth Team's attack did not result in a goal, it gave everyone on the Brazil Team a scare.

That number 23 on the other side was far too dangerous!

But...

Why did that number 23 feel strangely familiar?

Watching him play, it was as though they were seeing some familiar predecessor...

"My fault. Next time, I'll definitely give you a better pass!"

When Lin Feng dropped back into his own half, Chen Tao specifically called out to him.

Now that he had witnessed Lin Feng's speed, he could confidently send the ball farther ahead next time.

Hearing Chen Tao call out, Lin Feng could not help but smile.

This guy was pretty considerate!

No wonder Chen Tao had become Shenyang Ginde's captain at such a young age. Not only was he skilled, but he was also thoughtful. He could keenly notice and care for others' feelings, and he had a strong sense of responsibility. He was a natural-born leader.

After being frightened by the China Youth Team's counterattack, the Brazil Team behaved themselves somewhat over the next few minutes.

But after seeing that the China Youth Team could no longer produce such dangerous attacks, they soon returned to their old ways and forgot the threat of the China Youth Team's counterattacks.

The first half was nearly over, yet they still had not scored against a weak side like the Chinese team. That was becoming hard for the Brazilians to stomach.

So they launched even more frenzied attacks against the China Youth Team's goal.

But sometimes, the more desperate you were, the harder it became to score.

Brazil laid siege for a long time without being able to break through. Worse still, because so many players had committed themselves to the attack, their back line became even more exposed.

An exposed defense came at a price.

In the 37th minute, the China Youth Team won the ball again in their own half.

The heart-stopping scene from ten minutes earlier unfolded once more!

The difference was that Chen Tao gave the pass plenty of lead this time.

A white steed beneath a silver saddle, swift as a shooting star!

Lin Feng surged forward in great strides, shaking off every pursuer as he charged into the penalty area with the ball.

A One-on-One!