Manchester United almost won the championship with 83 points in 30 rounds, and the shock of Zhang Kuang 58 goals in 30 rounds spread to Asia!
The front page title of "Liming Daily" is "82.5% of 83 points".
The accompanying picture shows the back of Zhang Kuang. The number 33 is printed on the jersey, and the name is enlarged to take up half of the page.
The article read, "Premier League played 30 rounds, with 27 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss, 83 points, 24 points ahead of the second place, and almost won the championship. This is the scary information after the 30th round of Premier League that just ended, but how much of it is due to Zhang Kuang?
58 goals, 27 assists, directly involved in 85 goals, accounting for 82.5% of the team's total goals. A Asia player, in the Europe top league, carried the team alone and scored 83 points.
This is not the story of 'success in studying abroad', this is the story of 'Asia football produced Superman'. But this 'Superman' is not in our home team, we can only go to my regional team to watch him play!"
This report was forwarded to Weibo, with more than 200,000 comments.
The one with the most likes was. "We used to envy South Korea people for having Park Ji-sung, and Japan people for having Hidetoshi Nakata. Now, we have created a monster that can make Manchester United win the championship eight rounds ahead of schedule."
Another comment that has been forwarded countless times is. "China National Team is still struggling with whether he can enter the top 12, but Zhang Kuang has already locked the championship eight rounds ahead of schedule with Premier League."
I will be a die-hard fan of Hong Kong Team from now on, and I only recognize Hong Kong Team in China football. It's not for anything else, just because Zhang Kuang is on that team."
"My mother asked me why I was kneeling and looking at the computer."
"I don't know why, but I couldn't stop crying when I saw this news. It's not because China national football team won, but because Zhang Kuang let us know that China can also score so many goals in the five major leagues. It's unthinkable."
"I don't dare to think about it. I used to only hope that a China player could stand on the field of the five major leagues, but Zhang Kuang gave me a picture that I couldn't even imagine. I really don't dare to think about it. In the most competitive of the five major leagues, Premier League scored a record 58 goals in a single season? I think I drank too much!"
"Trash, traitor, no matter how many goals you score, what's the use? You are no longer a China person."
"Damn it, how can he not be from China? Stop trolling here!"
"..."
Japan's "Soccer Digest", South Korea's "Seoul Sports", Hong Kong's "Ming Pao" front page headlines, Singapore's "Lianhe Zaobao" front page headlines...
Asia Almost all the media praised this great achievement with great length and praise. At the same time, Asia football circles in other countries are also paying close attention to this 'Premier League carnival', but their focus is completely different.
The major Football Association discussions were quickly summarized in an internal memo from FIFA, titled "The Impact of the Zhang Kuang Phenomenon on Asia Football".
--
While the whole world is discussing the news that Manchester United won the championship eight rounds ahead of schedule, Zhang Kuang people are already at Hong Kong.
The next three warm-up matches were his first appearance on behalf of Hong Kong Team.
At noon on March 20, the arrival hall of Hong Kong International Airport was packed to the brim.
Zhang Kuang walked a full 20 minutes from the airport exit to the parking lot. Of course, the car that picked him up could drive directly into the apron, but Hong Kong Football Association hoped that he could have direct contact with the fans and boost the confidence of Hong Kong fans.
The fans held up his Manchester United jersey, Auxerre jersey, and the temporarily printed jersey No. Hong Kong Team 33. Some people held up their mobile phones to take pictures frantically, some shouted "Come on, Brother Kuang", and some even climbed onto the railing.
The security personnel opened the way for him like pushing a human wall. Zhang Kuang waved all the way, occasionally stopping to sign a few signatures. In the end, he was pushed into the car by the security personnel.
Three o'clock in the afternoon, Hong Kong Football Association training base.
Troussier is already waiting for him in the office.
France is wearing a gray training jacket. His hair is a little sparse and his face has deep wrinkles, but his eyes are bright as if he has just been recharged.
When he saw Zhang Kuang entering the door, he stood up and walked up to shake hands, firmly.
"I am Philip Troussier." He said with a strong France accent in English.
"Hello, Mr. Troussier, in the team, do you like us to call you boss? Boss? Or sir?" Zhang Kuang smiled, "I saw you play with Japan Team when I was a kid."
Troussier was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud, "You can call me whatever you want. As for bringing Japan Team with you, that happened almost ten years ago."
The two of them didn't exchange pleasantries for too long.
Troussier directly opened the tactical board, which drew a 4-2-3-1 formation diagram. This was the most exclusive formation when he led the Asia team, but now he has no choice.
Troussier wants to discuss tactics with Zhang Kuang immediately? This?
However, don't be surprised, Troussier knows who has the final say on this Hong Kong Team, and it is extremely difficult to control this top superstar.
Therefore, he must first reach an agreement with this superstar on tactics, otherwise the game will become very difficult in the future.
Troussier tapped the tactical board with the Mark pen. "I have led many teams in Asia before, and I have never used 4231.
The reason is very simple: Asia players' physical fitness cannot support the back-and-forth running of the full-backs. If the single forward cannot get the ball in front, it becomes a decoration, and the space in the ribs between the four defenders can be penetrated by one hit.
But you are an exception. You can solve all the previous problems by yourself. I just need to give you the ball. However, although the offensive line is solved, Hong Kong Team is a problem on defense."
Zhang Kuang leaned over and looked at the tactical board. The arrows on it were clearly marked:
Among the two defensive midfielders, Jack·Xu is responsible for holding back, and Leung Chun-pong is responsible for sweeping and intercepting. The two full-backs basically do not press.
The attacking midfielder Cris Kang is responsible for the series connection, and the two wing midfielders are responsible for extending the width.
The core of the entire tactical board has only one direction: pass the ball to Zhang Kuang.
"Sir, I understand that you just said that Hong Kong Team's defense is a problem, but what does it have to do with what you said that you never use 4231?"
Troussier: "The meaning is very simple. You may have the ability to end the frontcourt attack, but if Hong Kong Team encounters a strong team, how will you solve the problem defensively? How will you solve the problem of organizing the artillery shells for you?
Do you think these local players from Hong Kong Team can withstand the midfield interceptions and frontcourt attacks of some strong teams?
I think it might be more pragmatic for Hong Kong Team to use a 3-center or 5-back formation, such as a 361 formation, or a 352, 532, and 541 formation. I think Hong Kong Team should focus on defense first and then talk about winning."
Zhang Kuang nodded thoughtfully at the placement and deduction of Troussier on the tactical board.
"I don't know much about tactical issues, and I have no problem with it. You are the coach, how do you decide how I play.
I only have one request: the people behind you don't throw the ball and send me cannonballs. Once the ball reaches the frontcourt, I'll handle the rest.
In addition, I think your tactical thinking has been deduced over and over again, but I still think it is best for you to play a few internal training matches and external friendly matches with the team before formulating a pragmatic strategy based on reality."
Troussier looked into his eyes, paused for two seconds, and then nodded.
"What you said is right. Thank you for your understanding and support, and thank you for your pragmatic suggestions. I believe that as long as we make pragmatic decisions together, then Hong Kong Team scoring World Cup will no longer be a fantasy."
Troussier stretched out his hand and shook it with Zhang Kuang.
Zhang Kuang smiled, "Sir, I understand what you mean. As long as some things are not excessive, I will not interfere with the team's tactics and management, or interfere with the formation.
I'm just a player, and players should follow the coach's instructions to play. If you can't win the game, the first thing you should reflect on is whether you played well or not, and the rest is the rest."
Troussier: "Haha, I feel relieved if you say this."
The next three days of closed training were the most divisive three days in Troussier's career.
On the one hand, he was so excited that he couldn't sleep. Zhang Kuang's performance in the training match was completely beyond his understanding.
Because only by actually watching Zhang Kuang play on the court can you know how powerful he is. This is a player who is more powerful than any player he knows, and is more alien than an alien.
In addition to Zhang Kuang, those three naturalized players are indeed three super players, and they are in the first-class level among Asia players.
Therefore, his head is extremely big now.
Hong Kong Team's players have three levels of real strength. Zhang Kuang is the only one. Cris Kang, Jack Xu, and Shane Lawrie are in the second level. They can barely keep up with Zhang Kuang's pace.
Others are basically "watching" the four of them play football. Not only can they not help these four people, they don't even have a chance to participate.
This is too fragmented, what can we do? This is far beyond his expectation.
This is no longer a question of 4231 and 352 or 532, but how to combine these three separated players?
"When you pass the ball, you must judge the direction of Zhang Kuang's movement in advance."
Troussier stopped the entire team during the second day of tactical training and walked to the center circle to demonstrate in person.
"The cooperation with Zhang Kuang depends on where he is standing, and then pass the ball in front of where he is standing. You just pass it there. Don't worry about him not being able to catch it. It's his business not to catch it, and it's your business whether he passes it or not."
The team members nodded and started the next round of training. Then they magically discovered that as long as they passed the ball in front of Zhang Kuang, Zhang Kuang could basically catch it as long as it didn't pass directly out of the line.
This is a bit miraculous, and the team members also admire Zhang Kuang very much. Troussier applauded from the sidelines, and the applause was louder than anyone else.
"Okay, after solving the problem of how to cooperate with Zhang Kuang and deliver artillery shells to Zhang Kuang, the next step is to solve the problem of defense. We only have three days, so this time we can only take the preliminary steps..."
--
While Zhang Kuang and Hong Kong Team were training together every day, the entire Hong Kong media and the mainland media were paying attention to the issue of the new Hong Kong Team's first appearance.
March 25, 7pm, Hong Kong Stadium.
This stadium, which can only accommodate 40,000 people, was full today.
The stands were all red, and the red jerseys and red scarves of Hong Kong fans were connected together, like a wilderness that was set on fire.
The temporary seats next to the rostrum were also full of people, and there were even people standing around the edge of the track. Fans who were late had no place to go, so they stood on tiptoe behind the billboard to watch.
CCTV-5's broadcast truck is parked outside the stadium.
He Wei and Xu Yang have already sat in the broadcast room, put on their headphones and adjusted the microphone.
He Wei glanced at the dark crowd outside the window and smiled, "This scene is more lively than many China National Team kicking World Cup qualifiers."
Xu Yang nodded. "In a stadium with 40,000 people, there are probably 42,000 to 3,000 people today. Hong Kong fans have put out all their passion for football today. Of course, at least 10,000 fans are from the mainland."
He Wei: "There are also many Southeast Asia, and now many Asia fans like Zhang Kuang very much, and they all call him Asia's first brother."
Xu Yang:"Yes..."
He Wei and Xu Yang are sitting here giving live commentary, and CCTV-5 is broadcasting live. To be honest, this has caused huge controversy in the mainland because...
There is a warm-up match tonight between Wuhan, China National Team and New Zealand. However, as the official media, they did not broadcast the China National Team match live, but came to live broadcast the Hong Kong Team match.
Well, you can imagine what it will be like from the media to the fans, from top to bottom.
There are some things that don't need to be elaborated on.
Let's go back to the scene.
Players from the two teams just came to the court to warm up, and the songs on the court rang over and over again.
"Show off your skills and write it in your diary"
I remember the day we became close friends
Tried to fall down and still stand up before the end of the market
Who also applauds you and me for our wonderful footwork?
..."
The singing voice of "Golden Goal" was soared by Hong Kong fans. They sang the chorus in unison, which was quite shocking.
After they finished singing, another song sounded, coming from thousands of fans from the mainland:
"The five-star red flag is fluttering in the wind
How loud the victory song is
Sing our dear motherland
From now on, we will become prosperous and powerful
Singing our dear motherland..."
In addition to the singing, there is also the sound of drums, which is uniform and uniform, and of course the TIFO is indispensable. The huge colorful TIFO has the members of Hong Kong Team printed on it.
The TIFO of the fans from the mainland is an oversized portrait, with Zhang Kuang wearing a red jersey with the five-star red flag printed on it!
The fans' enthusiasm has already overflowed the screen, which shows everyone's love for Zhang Kuang.
The boxes in the stadium were already filled with top guests from all walks of life. In addition to the people from the Football Association, there were also some big shots and leaders from various walks of life.
In TVB's live broadcast room, two pillars of TVB's football commentary sit, Chung Chi-kwong and Wong Hing-kwai.
Chung Chi-kwong flipped through the information and cleared his throat. "Friends from the audience, good evening. This is Hong Kong Stadium. We are broadcasting an international A-level warm-up match for you: China Hong Kong Team vs. Uzbekistan Team.
Today's game has three meanings: first, it is Troussier's first complete external warm-up match after taking over Hong Kong Team.
The second is Zhang Kuang's first show after joining Hong Kong Team. The third is to test whether Hong Kong Team has the potential to impact World Cup..."
Wong Hing-kwai added next to it, "Hong Kong Team's opponent today, Uzbekistan, is ranked 77th in the world, 56 places higher than Hong Kong Team.
This team is the top eight team of Asia Cup in 2011, and Jeparov is the former Asia Footballer.
The last time Hong Kong Team faced an opponent of this level, he basically lost three or four at the start. But today is different, we have Zhang Kuang and four newly naturalized players..."
In the stands, a huge banner was pulled open by dozens of people. It read, "Zhang Kuang, take us to Brazil!"
Under the banner are numerous signatures, Hong Kong fans wrote all the names they could.
There is also a smaller banner next to it. The writing is in crooked simplified Chinese. It looks like it was written by fans from the mainland:
"Brother Kuang, there is no legend about you in the mainland. Premier League cannot hold your myth. Hong Kong is your new battlefield."
After finishing the last set of warm-up exercises, Zhang Kuang walked to the sidelines, squatted down and tied his shoelaces again.
He looked up at the stands, and the banner "Take us to Brazil" was right in front of him.
The corners of his mouth curled up, but he didn't smile. His expression was calm, like a man who had seen too many big scenes.
He clearly understands the importance of this warm-up match and what today's match means to Hong Kong Team.
After the players returned to the locker room to regroup, the moment they walked out of the locker room, Troussier stood at the door and shook hands with them one by one.
"Come on!"
"Come on..."
In the players tunnel, Zhang Kuang is standing at the back of the team.
In front is the captain Fan Chun-yip.
In addition to the players of Hong Kong Team, there are players of Uzbekistan on the other side. Their players take aim at Zhang Kuang from time to time. Zhang Kuang is really too famous, and some of them are his fans.
The referee looked at his watch, held the whistle in his mouth, waved to the back, and then led the players out of the tunnel.
The sound in the stadium gathered from the stands on both sides!
He Wei: "Dear viewers, welcome to the CCTV5 Golden Match program. What we are broadcasting now is the home match between China Hong Kong Team and Uzbekistan.
Next, let's take a look at the starting lineups of both sides. Let's look at the home team China Hong Kong Team first. They use the 4231 formation today.
The goalkeeper position is No. 1 Fan Chun-yip, who is also the captain on the field. The four defenders from right to left are No. 2 Lee Chi-ho, No. 4 Chan Wai-ho, No. 5 Shane Lawrie, and No. 3 Poon Yiu-cheuk.
The double defensive midfielders are No. 8 Leung Chun-pong and No. 6 Jack·Xu, the attacking midfield trio is the right midfielder No. 7 Li Weilian, No. 10 Cris·Kang, No. 18 Zheng Shaowei, and finally the single arrow forward No. 33 Zhang Kuang."
Xu Yang: "Hong Kong Team substitute list, goalkeeper No. 17 Yapp Hung-fai, defender No. 25 So Wai-chuen, No. 14 Lau Chuen-kun, No. 15 Cheuk Cheuk.
The midfield positions are No. 12 Bai He, No. 11 Li Haiqiang, and No. 16 Au Yeung Yiu-chung. The forward positions are: No. 9 Chan Siu-ki, No. 13 Man Ka, and No. 19 Lo Kwan-yee."
He Wei: "Actually, a few of these players are naturalized players, but they were naturalized relatively early. Let's introduce them one by one later. Next, let's look at Uzbekistan's starting lineup..."
Yes, Hong Kong Team finally adopted the 4231 formation. I don't know if it was Troussier's change of mind or some other reason. Anyway, he used this formation in his first warm-up match.
Of course, what is certain is that there was no pressure put on him. This was entirely due to his personal behavior.
Perhaps humans are such strange animals. When things happen that they usually object to, they no longer object to them, but instead use them.