June 27, evening, Kazan, Russia.
The final round of the World Cup group stage: China versus Germany.
The final of the previous World Cup had been played in the last round of the group stage, and this match once again affected both teams' chances of advancing from the group. It attracted an extraordinary amount of attention from media and fans around the world.
When Yang Yang stood on the halfway line, waiting for Germany Team to kick off, he already knew China Team had a chance—and a very good one—when he saw the German players' positioning.
Neuer was in goal. The back line consisted of Hector, Hummels, Süle, and Kimmich. The Double Defensive Midfielders were Toni Kroos and Khedira. Up front were Reus, Özil, and Goretzka, with Werner as the lone striker.
Earlier, when he had received the starting lineup in the dressing room, Yang Yang had discussed with Queiroz where Goretzka would appear. Would Germany Team play 4-3-3, or 4-2-3-1?
There was no doubt that 4-3-3 leaned toward attack, while 4-2-3-1 was more conservative.
Now, standing on the halfway line, Yang Yang saw Goretzka positioned as a winger.
He understood Löw's thinking at that moment: he wanted to win, but was afraid to lose.
It was a terrible mentality, but a very realistic one.
Especially when facing a defeated opponent whose strength was already far inferior to China Team's four years ago.
Almost everyone encountered situations like this. For example, they might find something they really, really liked, but its price happened to be too high. They wanted to buy it, yet could not bear to pay so much.
Whether it was 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, Germany Team was destined to fail at this World Cup. Even if they ultimately advanced from the group stage, it would be difficult for