June 18, afternoon, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
In the first round of the Russia World Cup group stage, China faced Sweden.
Although Ibrahimovic had not come, Sweden Team was still a formidable European side whose strength could not be underestimated.
As soon as the match began, the Nordic team used its physical advantage to launch wave after wave of attacks against China Team's defense.
China Team focused on defending deep and stubbornly, making it difficult for Sweden's attacks to break through their two defensive lines.
The first shot of the match came in the twenty-first minute, showing just how tightly contested the game was.
Yet this also showed that the World Cup's quality was indeed far inferior to that of the Champions League.
That was not difficult to understand. After all, the teams participating in the Champions League were all packed with the finest stars from around the world. They played together at the same clubs for long periods, giving them better understanding, while also benefiting from the most advanced and targeted tactics. As a result, Champions League matches far surpassed the World Cup in both entertainment value and quality.
However, for China Team, the intensity of the World Cup was still extremely high.
At the very least, it was far greater than that of the domestic leagues.
Thus, from the very beginning, China Team played extremely passively. They were physically inferior to Sweden and could only make up for it with more diligent running. Their defense was also exceptionally tenacious, with even Yang Yang and Gao Lin up front actively participating in pressing and tracking back.
Even so, China Team still conceded in the first half.
In the thirty-second minute, Sweden Team's Claesson received the ball outside the penalty area and attempted a long-range shot. It struck a defender's leg