On the afternoon of September 1st, Hong Kong Stadium News Release Hall.
The spotlight illuminated the entire room.
There are four people sitting behind the long table: Hong Kong Team, coach Troussier, captain Fan Chun-yip, China National Team, coach Camacho, captain Zheng Zhi.
Troussier is wearing a dark gray suit with an open collar and no tie.
The face of France has a kind of relaxed confidence, which is in sharp contrast to the expression of Camacho.
Spain was sitting upright on a chair, his suit buttoned meticulously, but the solemn expression between his brows gave the reporters in the audience a sense of tension.
The first question came from a reporter from Hong Kong's "South China Morning Post". The fluent English spread through the translator. "Mr. Troussier, you said before the game that Hong Kong Team's goal is to win with all its strength. Facing a traditional strong team like China National Team, why do you think Hong Kong Team has a chance?"
Troussier leaned forward slightly, crossed his hands on the table, and spoke in an unhurried tone:
"China National Team is a traditional strong team of Asia. Its lineup thickness and competition experience far exceed ours. This is a fact. But the outcome of football never depends on paper strength. Otherwise, we can just compare the data directly. Why play for ninety minutes?"
He paused and glanced at the audience. "We studied the midfield connection loopholes of China National Team. The pressing of Zheng Zhi and Huang Bowen will leave space behind them. This is our opportunity.
Zhang Kuang's speed and finishing ability are enough to change the game. We will stay at home and attack the opponent's defense with quick counterattacks to strive for the ideal result."
Zheng Zhi looked confused, no, are you so polite? Tell me about my vulnerabilities in front of me? Is this your confidence or your smoke bomb?
The reporter asked, "Will tomorrow's tactic still be 361? Will it still only rely on Zhang Kuang's personal finishing ability? Others will fully defend?"
Troussier raised the corner of his mouth slightly. "What else? Can you give me a better way? Even Manchester United does this, why can't I?
If you have the best finisher in the world, you will also design tactics around him. Zhang Kuang is not an ordinary player, he is the kind of player who can change the trend of the game by himself.
My task is to let him get the ball, let him rush up, and then score goals. The second is not to let the defense concede too many goals, so Zhang Kuang it will be meaningless no matter how many goals he scores.
In fact, our tactics are very simple and clear, there is no need to cover up, and there is no need to cover up, because no matter whether we cover up or not, as long as Zhang Kuang is on the court, he is the core, not only the core of our offense, but also the core of how the opponent defends against him."
There was a murmur from the audience.
Troussier's words were so confident that they were almost arrogant, but no one could refute them.
The information of Zhang Kuang is there, Europe Super Cup scored five goals, Premier League scored four goals against Arsenal in the third round, and he scored 16 goals in five games in the new season. Who dares to say that in this state, he is not worthy of becoming the core of the tactics?
Reporter: "So in the face of China National Team's attack, what preparations did Hong Kong Team make?"
Troussier: "China National Team's frontcourt attack group is the best among China players, so we have prepared multiple defenders to meet their attack.
Our defenders were trained under the repeated impact of Zhang Kuang. I believe they should be able to barely cope with the attack group of China National Team, right?
Troussier's words made all the reporters roll their eyes. Why did they compare China National Team's frontcourt attack group to such a strong player as Zhang Kuang?
Reporter: "Captain Fan Chun-yip, how is the current atmosphere in the team at Hong Kong Team? As captain, how do you balance the issues among the local faction, the naturalized faction, and the mainland faction in the team?"
Fan Chun-yip: "In Hong Kong Team, there are no local factions, naturalized factions, or mainland factions. There is only the Hong Kong faction, so there is no problem. The current atmosphere of the whole team is good and very harmonious."
Reporter: "..."
After asking Fan Chun-yip a few questions, the next question was thrown to Camacho. A reporter from CCTV Sports asked in English:
"Mr. Camacho, this is your first official competition after coaching China National Team. Your opponent is China Hong Kong Team who owns Zhang Kuang. How do you evaluate the difficulty of this game?"
Camacho spoke English with a strong Spain accent, not fast but very clearly. "We value every opponent and will never underestimate China Hong Kong."
Because the current Hong Kong Team is not the previous Hong Kong Team. Since March, Hong Kong Team has been undefeated in three warm-up matches, and Asian Qualifiers has easily won both stages.
During this period, they obtained about 2,400 raw points, and after weighting, they can also get 290 points. The international ranking has also significantly improved from 141 to 76, and the current international ranking of China National Team is 69.
Therefore, Hong Kong Team is no longer the weak team that everyone thought before, but a strong team that is no worse than China National Team. Especially since they have the support of top superstar Zhang Kuang, their real strength is a bit higher than China National Team.
I watched the video of their recent warm-up match. Coach Troussier's tactical system is very clear, especially the defensive counterattack is very efficient.
But our strength advantage exists objectively. The defensive midfielder combination of Zheng Zhi and Huang Bowen is balanced offensively and defensively. We hope it can support the team's offensive and defensive system, especially when facing the impact of Zhang Kuang."
He paused and seemed to be considering his words: "I hope the rhythm can be firmly controlled in our hands, so that we can limit the opponent's counterattack speed and focus on guarding Zhang Kuang. The only goal in the away game is to secure one goal and fight for three points to start World Cup qualifiers's journey."
A Hong Kong reporter took the microphone and directly asked a slightly pointed question, "Mr. Camacho, you said you would 'focus on keeping an eye on Zhang Kuang'."
But in the past year or so, Premier League's top defender, UEFA Champions League's defense, and UEFA Europa League Cup champion Porto have not been able to restrain him. Do you think China National Team's defense can do what Europe's wealthy teams can't do?"
Camacho's expression did not change, but there was a subtle hint of embarrassment in the air under the stage.
"Football is not mathematics. If team A cannot guard someone, team B cannot guard it. We have different tactical systems and different defensive strategies.
Zhang Kuang is indeed an outstanding player, but China National Team also has the way we defend. The game is played, not analyzed on paper."
But this answer obviously did not convince everyone.
When the reporter sat down, the colleagues next to him exchanged tacit glances with each other.
Reporter: "Captain Zheng Zhi, are you confident in stopping Zhang Kuang? If you encounter a situation where you really can't stop him, will you use a shoveling method?"
Zheng Zhi was very angry after hearing this, but he had to hold back.
"This reporter, what you said is very unpleasant. What do you mean by using a shovel when you can't stop someone?" All defensive actions used on the football field are based on the actual situation, and shoveling is also a legal and compliant action.
As for your question about whether I can guard Zhang Kuang, I can't answer that because I haven't played against him yet, but I believe that myself and my teammates will work hard."
Reporter: "..."
--
After the press conference, there was a quarrel online.
"Haha, how bad is this reporter? He directly asked Zheng Zhi if he would shovel Zhang Kuang's feet? What? You want Zheng Zhi to directly shovel Zhang Kuang's feet?? Zhang Kuang is not Cissé. Several players who tried to tackle Zhang Kuang's legs broke their legs. I heard that Piqué is not as good as before."
"It's just that this reporter has such bad intentions. What kind of question is he asking? Then you might as well ask if he will fight with Hong Kong Team on the court?"
"Haha... Speaking of this, it is the tradition of the national team. Zhang Kuang is the best. He was expelled for fighting."
"This is really Zhang Kuang's dark history, it's undeniable. Haha, it's hilarious. Let's see how Zhang Kuang, the best at fighting, will fare on the court with the national team?"
"Yeah, now that you say it, I'm even more looking forward to tomorrow night's game."
"Who are you? Isn't it a big deal to just watch the excitement?"
"..."
September 2, evening, Hong Kong Stadium.
It's seven o'clock in the evening, one hour before the game starts.
Hong Kong Stadium's lights were all lit up in the night, and four searchlights shot from the ceiling to the lawn, illuminating the entire lawn as if it were daytime.
This professional football stadium, which can accommodate 40,000 people, began to gather fans at 5 o'clock this afternoon. By 7 o'clock, more than 90% of the stands were filled with red.
The red color of Hong Kong fans is the traditional color of Hong Kong Team which is dark red and slightly purple.
On the south stand, a huge TIFO is slowly unfolding, with a lion flapping its wings painted on it, and "Pearl of the Orient·United as One" written in traditional Chinese below.
The North Stand is the gathering place for China national football team fans. About 4,000 expedition fans wore white jerseys and waved five-star red flags in their hands. Their singing penetrated the entire stadium.
The shouts of "Come on, national team, Hong Kong Team, work hard!" carried a special atmosphere that was both confrontational and complicated.
In the square outside the stadium, vendors' stalls are filled with various flags and souvenirs.
The most eye-catching one is Zhang Kuang's Manchester United 33 jersey, and there are posters of his portrait wearing Hong Kong Team jersey hanging next to it. The print volume of these posters is amazing, and almost every fan who attends the stadium has one or two in his hands.
"Boy, here's a Zhang Kuang doll!" A little boy wearing a Hong Kong Team jersey pulled his father's clothes and pointed at a doll with the Zhang Kuang head on it.
The boss smiled and handed it over, "Eighty mosquitoes, bury them properly."
The little boy took the doll and held it in his arms, his eyes shining brightly.
Not far away, a group of China national football team fans were taking a group photo.
They held banners saying "Come on China national football team" and had national flags painted on their faces, but when they glanced at the Zhang Kuang posters, there was a hint of mixed emotions in their expressions.
They shouted that they wanted to win, but they knew in their hearts: the man wearing jersey No. Hong Kong Team 33 may be the strongest striker of China origin they have ever seen in their lives.
It's a pity that he doesn't wear the red China national football team jersey.
--
19:30, player tunnel.
Players from both teams have finished warming up and are now standing in the tunnel waiting to enter.
The lighting in the tunnel was dim yellow, mixed with the white searchlights pouring in from the entrance to the stadium. The air was filled with grass clippings, sweat and a subtle sense of tension.
Zhang Kuang stood in the middle of the Hong Kong Team queue, with his hands on his hips and his head lowered, looking at the concrete ground beneath his feet. He was wearing a red Hong Kong Team jersey with 'ZHANG' and '33' printed on the back. The shin guards had been tied up and the laces of his sneakers were tied meticulously.
His expression was calm.
What was he thinking in the entrance hall? No one knows.
Standing in front of him is captain Fan Chun-yip. The 38-year-old goalkeeper is flexing his wrist and looking back at Zhang Kuang from time to time.
Fan Chun-yip patted Zhang Kuang on the shoulder. "Is the formation big enough?"
Zhang Kuang raised his head and smiled at him, "Not bad, not as quiet as Old Trafford."
"You kid..." Fan Chun-yip smiled and shook his head, turning back, but the smile kept hanging on the corner of his mouth.
In the queue of China national football team, Zheng Zhi stood at the front.
Captain China national football team is looking at the light at the end of the passage, his eyes are calm and his breathing is even.
Behind him are old teammates such as Li Weifeng, Du Wei, and Sun Xiang, and behind him are Mesozoic players such as Huang Bowen, Yu Hai, and Chen Tao.
Huang Bowen's eyes involuntarily glanced in the direction of Hong Kong Team's queue. He was looking at Zhang Kuang.
It's hard to say what Huang Bowen is thinking about at this moment.
As a member of the golden generation of China football, he has seen countless opponents, but there has never been an opponent like Zhang Kuang, which gave him an unspeakable sense of contradiction deep in his heart.
That is a person of China blood, but he does not wear the China National Team jersey.
And his strength... is so strong that it makes people despair.
The chief referee Al-Jassim stood at the front of the tunnel. The golden whistler Qatar lowered his head to confirm the timer in his hand. The two linesmen stood behind him, each holding the flag.
Jassim glanced at the teams on both sides of the tunnel to confirm that everyone was in place, then took a deep breath and waved his hand!
"Let's go, gentlemen."
He took steps towards the bright light at the end of the passage.
Players from both teams filed out with their ball boys in hand.
The moment Zhang Kuang walked out of the passage, the entire sound of Hong Kong Stadium was suppressed like a wall.
The cheers, songs, and shouts of 40,000 people converged into a huge wave of sound that almost drowned out the approach music being played on the stadium radio.
Hong Kong Team fans in the South Stand stood up collectively, raised the red scarves in their hands, and sang a Cantonese song in unison. The lyrics were exactly the words of "Golden Goal". The air wave made his scalp numb slightly.
The China national football team fans in the North Stand did not show any weakness. Although the voices of four thousand people were small, they gathered into a white crowd, standing stubbornly in the sea of red.
The lights on the lawn are so bright that it makes people squint.
The turf was neatly cut, and its dark green surface glowed softly under the light.
The night temperature at Hong Kong in early September was 26 degrees, and the breeze blew in from the gaps in the stands, bringing with it a hint of the salty smell of sea water.
Zhang Kuang stood on the side of the center circle, with his hands on his hips and his eyes scanning the entire stadium.
On the south stand, a huge red banner is particularly eye-catching. It reads in white letters: Zhang Kuang dominates the field.
He smiled, then withdrew his gaze and looked forward.
China national football team's players are lining up opposite him.
Zheng Zhi stood at the front, and their eyes briefly met in the air.
Then they move away.
The game hasn't started yet, but the smell of gunpowder in the air is already too strong to be resolved.
--
The voices of China Central Television and He Wei came from CCTV Sports Channel's live broadcast, clear and calm:
"China Central Television, China Central Television, good evening, all viewers. Welcome to 2014 Brazil World Cup Asia The focus of Group A of the top 20 regional qualifiers: the live match between China Hong Kong and China National Team. I am He Wei, and the person I am explaining to you today is the coach Xu Yang."
The voice of Xu Yang followed closely. "Good evening, everyone, my name is Xu Yang. This game has been given too much meaning since the day the draw results came out.
This is not just a World Cup qualifiers, but also Zhang Kuang's first official match against the motherland on behalf of Hong Kong Team. This special background makes the game's attention go far beyond football."
He Wei: "That's right, just ten days ago, Zhang Kuang had just performed the miracle of winning five in the finals of Europe Super Cup, and then completed four in the third round when Premier League faced Arsenal.
His state in the new season can be described in four words: unstoppable. Today he returned to Hong Kong, stood on the lawn of Hong Kong Stadium, and faced China National Team. This will be his first truly tough battle in the international arena."
Xu Yang: "Let's analyze the starting lineups of both sides. On Hong Kong Team's side, Troussier arranged a 3-6-1 formation. This is a very bold and very targeted arrangement.
The goalkeeper Fan Chun-yip is experienced, and the three central defenders Cheuk Cheuk, Shane·Lowry, and Chan Wai-ho are responsible for frontal defense. The configuration of the six midfielders is terrifying, Lee Chi-ho, Poon Yiu-cheuk, Leung Chun-pong, Jack·Xu, Bai He, Kwok Kin-pong, this midfield combination almost covers the center and the wings. The intention is very obvious, which is to strangle China national football team's passing line in the midfield, and then wait for an opportunity to launch a counterattack."
He Wei: "The lone forward position is No. 33 Zhang Kuang! This arrangement fully illustrates Troussier's tactical thinking: the whole team defends, and all the balls are handed to Zhang Kuang during counterattack.
This is betting all the money on one person, but based on Zhang Kuang's current status, this is indeed Hong Kong Team's best chance of winning."
Xu Yang: "Looking at China national football team, Camacho is playing a 4-2-3-1 formation. The goalkeeper is Yang Zhi, and the defense is Liu Jianye, Li Weifeng, Du Wei, and Sun Xiang.
The double midfielders are Zheng Zhi and Huang Bowen. The offensive and defensive balance of this combination is currently the best configuration of China national football team. The offensive line trio of Yu Hai, Chen Tao, Hao Junmin, and Yang Xu are at the front.
This lineup looks very strong on paper, but the problem is: they are facing an ultimate defensive formation with three central defenders and six midfielders. Is China national football team's midfield penetration ability enough? Can the wing open a gap? These are all suspense."
He Wei: "Okay, all the guesses and analyzes will be confirmed on the field. Players from both sides have completed lining up and are playing the national anthem. Let us take a look at the on-site ceremony first."
The live broadcast screen cut to the scene of Hong Kong Stadium.
Players from the two teams lined up on both sides of the center circle. Hong Kong Team was wearing a red jersey and red shorts, and China National Team was wearing a white jersey and white shorts.
The red and white colors in the stands were clearly distinguishable, and the singing of 40,000 people became solemn and solemn at this moment.
Since the national anthem of Hong Kong Team is the same as the national anthem of the national team, according to the regulations of FIFA, the national anthem will only be played once before the game, and both teams will stand in silence to listen and sing the national anthem.
So when the national anthem was played, the Hong Kong Team players put their hands on their chests, and Fan Chun-yip's lips moved slightly as they sang along. Zhang Kuang stood there with a calm expression and looked forward, also singing along, and the singing was very standard.
Even Hong Kong Team's naturalized players all sing very standardly. This is a hard and fast rule and something Football Association has communicated to them.
China national football team The players sang in unison, and the more than 40,000 fans in the audience sang in unison. The singing passed through the entire stadium and echoed in the night sky.
When the song settled, the audience burst into warm applause, and the players from the two teams began to line up and high-five...
The voice of Xu Yang came from the live broadcast room. "Okay, both sides have completed the entrance ceremony. We can see that the players of Hong Kong Team sang the national anthem very standardly and very seriously. This scene is really touching..."
He Wei: "Yes, the scene of two teams singing the same song is touching. The captains of both teams have already gone to the referee Al-Jassim to guess the coin.
Hong Kong Team captain Fan Chun-yip, China National Team captain Zheng Zhi. Okay, the coin is tossed...Fan Chun-yip guessed correctly, Hong Kong Team chose the ball, which means the national team kicks off first."
Players from both teams stood in their respective positions,
The referee Al-Jassim held the whistle in his mouth and his chest bulged slightly.
"Beep--!"