Presenting flags to the football school teams, and round three of the Asian final 20 group stage of the World Cup qualifiers!

At dusk on October 2, flight Zhang Kuang landed at Hong Kong International Airport.

He did not go home to catch up on jet lag, but directly transferred to the commercial vehicle at the airport bound for Shenzhen.

The sky outside the car window was gray, and occasionally a few tiny raindrops drifted by, hitting the glass and leaving long, thin traces.

Zhang Kuang leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to relax. His mind was already planning the schedule for the next few days: Shenzhen Xionghua Football School, Hong Kong Xionghua School, and then Hong Kong Team training. The schedule was densely packed.

At 7:30 in the evening, the car finally passed the border and arrived at Shenzhen.

After that, he checked into the hotel, and then he called Wu Guohua, and several faculty and staff from the school, and went to Guangming, a well-known local restaurant. I heard that the raw materials and cooking methods were authentic from a certain place.

A group of people had their mouths full of oil and almost swallowed their tongues. It was so delicious.

That night, Zhang Kuang invited a few people to Dongguan's Prince Hotel to relax and discuss the future development of the football school.

Fortunately, Zhang Kuang passed the customs secretly, and some reporters did not find his traces. When he passed the customs, he put on a simple disguise, wearing a hat and a pair of flat glasses.

His whole person changed drastically, and few people recognized him.

I slept refreshed that night and rushed back to the football school early the next morning to have breakfast. After cordially shaking hands, signing autographs and taking photos with the students and parents who came to celebrate, everyone chatted for a long time.

Many students and parents had many questions to ask Zhang Kuang, and Zhang Kuang patiently answered them one by one.

At nine o'clock in the morning, everyone rushed to the auditorium. A red banner was hung around the auditorium with the words 'Xionghua Football School U Series School Team Establishment and Flag Presentation Ceremony' printed on it. The auditorium was filled with students and parents, about 300 people.

He wore a white casual shirt and dark trousers, which was a little less sharp and a little more easy-going than the red jersey he wore on the court in the past.

Then Wu Guohua went up to the rostrum and began to read the manuscript. The general idea was that after nearly three months of examinations, a growth profile has been established for every student in the football school, and a comprehensive proficiency test has been conducted.

Therefore, in order to better cultivate students' football skills, it is necessary to form U-series school teams to participate in regular overseas competitions. Therefore, this school team selection is open, transparent and verifiable, which not only objectively reflects the true level of the players, but also reflects the subjective opinions of the coaches.

Anyone who meets the technical standards but is not selected does not need to be anxious or worried, because the school team's quota will be rotated every three months for the bottom 10 players.

For example, the U12 team has a first-team quota of 25 players. After three months of overseas competition, ten players with relatively poor performance will enter the final rotation quota that changes every three months.

Of course, this does not mean that these ten people will never have the chance to enter the first team again. As long as they continue to train hard for three months, they will still have the opportunity to enter the first team again.

After Wu Guohua clearly explained the school team selection mechanism that students and parents are most concerned about, he also talked about some things that students and parents need to pay attention to after entering the U-series first team.

This includes how salaries, subsidies, bonuses, etc. for entering the first team are paid and received, as well as other matters, such as what procedures should be followed when students feel they are not being taken seriously in school, and when other schools recruit people.

It can be said that the entry, rotation, and exit mechanisms are clearly explained so that students and parents can feel at ease.

After speaking for about half an hour, the formal flag-giving ceremony followed. The school has a total of eight U-series echelons, namely U9, U10, U11, U12, U13, U14, U15, and U16.

Those above U17 basically belong to the quasi-professional youth team. The football school is currently not planning to form a professional team, so it does not develop a quasi-professional youth team and only trains students to U16. If there is hope for a professional career at U16, then the students will be introduced to some professional clubs for more systematic training.

In fact, the current Xionghua Football cannot form youth teams above U13. It can only form U9, U10, U11, and U12. When these students grow up, U13, U14, U15, and U16 can be formed.

Under the warm introduction of Wu Guohua, Zhang Kuang came on stage to present the flag.

Zhang Kuang walked up to the podium, glanced at the children in the audience and the parents in the stands, and bowed slightly.

Under the auspices of Wu Guohua, the flag presentation ceremony officially began.

First, more than 20 members of the U9 team came to the stage one by one, and each received a small team flag from the principal.

The flag is dark red, with an eagle spreading its wings embroidered in the center, and a football under the eagle's talons. The words 'Xionghua U9' are embroidered in gold thread on the corners of the flag.

When the children took the flag, they acted very solemnly, and some even bowed slightly before turning around and walking back to the queue.

Then came the members of the U10, U11, and U12 echelons. Zhang Kuang handed them flags one by one. After their names were read out, each member was very excited and proud when they received the flag.

Zhang Kuang stood aside and Jingjing watched, and a certain string in his heart was gently plucked.

He remembered the days when he was a child and played football on street courts. At that time, there was no such ceremony, no team flag, or even a pair of decent sneakers.

He ran on the cement floor wearing his father's rubber-spiked shoes, which cost tens of dollars. When he fell, he got up and continued running. There were layers of scars on his knees.

What supported him at that time was pure happiness, but these children standing here now have much better conditions than they did back then.

Later, I got better after entering a football school.

After the flag presentation session, Zhang Kuang walked to the microphone.

He cleared his throat and slowly swept his eyes over the faces of the children in the audience. Those young faces looked up at him, their eyes sparkling like stars in summer.

"Good morning, classmates, parents, and teachers. First of all, congratulations to the students who have been selected for the Xionghua U series school team. You have officially started the first step on the road to professional players."

Zhang Kuang spoke, and the sound spread through the microphone to every corner of the stadium.

"This road is not easy. There are about 40 million players registered in various Football Associations around the world. If you add in the students who are not registered but are receiving formal training, the number is probably 80 million to 150 million.

Let's not talk about the 80 million to 150 million students. Just talk about the 40 million registered players. In the end, there are about 150,000 players who actually took the professional path and became players of professional football teams in various countries around the world.

Yes, you heard it right, there are 80 million to 150 million students, 40 million registered players, and only 150,000 people can become professionals in the end.

Among these 150,000 professional football players, only less than 30,000 can earn more than RMB 10,000 per month, which is less than 20% of the total number of professional football players.

Therefore, when you embark on this career path, you will face countless challenges, such as competition among team members, competition with opponents, injuries, player selection, etc. Every wrong step may ruin your career path.

However, if you succeed, then the rewards will be huge, not to mention how far away the goal is that you can't see. For example, for me, my annual income is definitely 30-50 million pounds, depending on how many commercial activities I want to accept, such as advertising.

Another example is the player Chinese Super League, whose annual income is several million yuan, and the player China League One's annual income is hundreds of thousands.

Of course, this is the golden age of youth, which generally only lasts about 10-15 years, but if it really stabilizes, these 10-15 years will allow you and your son and grandson to not have to worry about money for basic living for three generations. This is the reward.

There are high risks, but there are also high rewards. Therefore, to all the students who received the flag today, I wish you all the best. I wish each of you will eventually embark on the road to success and have a bright future. Come on, young people!"

Bang bang bang...

The audience burst into warm applause.

After the ceremony, Zhang Kuang was not in a hurry to leave. He took a photo with the young players of the school team and sat down to chat with everyone for nearly an hour.

Finally, at about 11:40 noon, he left the school. When Wu Guohua sent Zhang Kuang to the car, he held Zhang Kuang's hand for a long time without letting go.

"Zhang Kuang, take care of yourself outside, come on!"

Zhang Kuang said with a smile, "Coach, I am working hard. I work hard every day. In order to have better abilities, I have to consume a lot of energy every day."

Wu Guohua smiled, "Okay, kid, go get busy."

When the car drove out of the gate of the football school, Zhang Kuang looked back.

On the training ground, young players wearing new team uniforms have already started training. Red and white figures are running and chasing on the green grass, and crisp shouts can still be heard faintly through the car windows.

The corners of his mouth moved, but he didn't say anything. He turned back and leaned on the seat.

That evening, Zhang Kuang returned to Hong Kong.

The next morning, the same flag presentation ceremony was held at Hong Kong Xionghua School.

The atmosphere in the school team was equally enthusiastic. Zhang Kuang repeated the same behavior as Shenzhen in football. When he finished speaking, the audience burst into warm applause, which lasted for a long time.

After the flag presentation ceremony, Zhang Kuang did not stay too long.

But reporters who heard the news had already blocked Zhang Kuang. Someone asked him what he thought about the upcoming Iraq competition. Zhang Kuang smiled and waved his hand.

"You will naturally know about the competition when you get to the field. Don't worry, everyone, Hong Kong Team will definitely advance."

Reporter: "Will it also be a big score? How many goals do you think you can score? Three? Four? Five? Or more?"

Zhang Kuang smiled, "Who knows? We'll see when the time comes."

Reporter: "..."

It was already three o'clock in the afternoon when we returned to Hong Kong Island's training base.

Troussier was leading the team in a tactical drill. When he saw Zhang Kuang walking into the training ground, France clapped his hands and signaled the players to continue training, and walked over quickly.

In the next few days, Hong Kong Team's training was intense and orderly.

Troussier repeatedly practiced the 4-2-3-1 offensive and defensive transition on the tactical board, focusing on the quick counterattack after the midfield stranglehold.

Cris·Kang's series of moves, Jack·Xu's mid-to-long passing schedule, Li Weilian and Zheng Shaowei's two-wing activities, every link has been taken apart, crushed and polished repeatedly.

During the team training match, the substitute team that simulated the Iraq formation once suppressed the main team in the first twenty minutes, forcing Troussier to call timeout twice on the sidelines.

France stood in the middle of the field and said to the main players in English with a strong French accent, "Iraq is tougher than you think, and they will not let you fall down comfortably."

If the substitute team can make you panic, then Younis will tear you apart directly."

This sentence was like a bucket of cold water poured on the players' heads.

In the following training, the concentration of the main team obviously reached a higher level.

On the evening of October 10th, the press release meeting the day before the game was held in the conference hall of Hong Kong Stadium.

Troussier was wearing a gray suit and sitting behind the long table with a calm expression.

The microphone in front of him has the logo of the Hong Kong Football Association, and behind him is a background board with the words '2014 Brazil World Cup Asia District Qualifiers' printed on it.

France said straight to the point, "Tomorrow we will face Iraq. This is a crucial game for qualifying in the group.

We are top of the table with six points, but that means nothing because the table won't keep us from conceding goals.

Iraq is a strong opponent, Younis Mahmoud is Asia's top terminator, we must restrict him in all aspects."

A Hong Kong reporter asked, "Coach, Hong Kong Team has never defeated Iraq in history. Faced with this psychological disadvantage, what targeted adjustments have you made?"

Troussier leaned forward slightly. "History is meant to be rewritten. The Hong Kong Team of today is no longer the Hong Kong Team of the past. My players know this fact very well, and they don't need me to remind them.

We have the confidence to win two consecutive games, have the home court advantage, and have the support of the fans, which is enough for us to believe in ourselves."

Another reporter asked, "How is Zhang Kuang's current condition? Europe's people are saying that his condition has declined. Do you think his condition has declined?"

Troussier raised the corner of his mouth slightly. "Zhang Kuang's physical condition? That young man's physical fitness is like a camel that never tires.

He ran the entire field in training yesterday, and his sprint speed is still the fastest on the team. You don't have to worry about his physical fitness. On the contrary, I sometimes tell him not to run too much."

There was a burst of laughter in the venue.

The latter reporter asked, "Do you predict the score?"

Troussier shook his head. "The score of a football match can never be predicted, but I can tell you that we will not defend, we will attack."

"..."

Later, Iraq coach Zico also held a release meeting.

Brazil Coach's face was calm, and his tone had the unique majesty of a veteran coach.

"We now have three points and are second in the group, but there is only one game behind the leader Hong Kong. If we can win tomorrow and tie the points, the qualifying situation will be completely different."

Zico said, "Younis is in very good condition. He showed an excellent sense of scoring goals in training. I know Hong Kong Team's tactics are working well, but the level of their opponents in the first two rounds is different from ours. Tomorrow will be a competition on another level.

Of course, the most difficult thing is not Hong Kong Team's tactics or home court factors, but that super dangerous player - Zhang Kuang. So far, we can't think of any way to limit him."

"..."

The release will end in a peaceful atmosphere, but the air is already filled with the tension before the war.

Media coverage has also begun to increase. Whether it is print media, TV media or online media, they are discussing this game.

The happiest thing is the betting company, with many people participating.

"I bought Hong Kong for 50,000 yuan. I must win."

"100,000 yuan buys Zhang Kuang two balls, 50,000 yuan buys 3 balls, 5,000 yuan buys 4 balls, and 1,000 yuan buys 5 balls."

"Fuck, are you all buying like this? If I buy Iraq, will I win a lot of money?"

"Do you think this is China National Team? You can win money every time you close your eyes and buy that the national team loses?"

"Hey, I don't know how to play this way of playing. I'd better buy China National Team. China National Team plays against Jordan. How much money can I make if I win by buying Jordan?"

"Look at the odds. The odds for Jordan to win are 1.3, and the odds for the national team to win are 2. You can't make much money."

"Then I will buy a Jordan worth 500,000 yuan to win, and a national team worth 2,000 yuan to win. After all, as a China person, I still have to support the national team."

"Ah? Buy 500,000? Brother, you will soon have a villa near the sea."

"Is it true? Is it so effective? Is it true? How about I mortgage my house and bet Jordan to win?"

"China National Team vs. Jordan will play tomorrow night at Shenzhen. Is it the same time as Hong Kong Team vs. Iraq?"

"Well, do you want to go see it?"

"..."

At six o'clock in the evening on October 11, fans gathered around Hong Kong Stadium.

Fans wearing Hong Kong Team jerseys flocked to the stadium from all directions, some waving flags, some with red and blue oil paint on their faces, some blowing plastic horns, and the sounds of hoo-rah-rah-rah echoed throughout the streets.

There was a long queue at the entrance, and the security personnel shouted greetings to maintain order. The beeps of the automatic ticket machines mixed with the chatter and laughter of the fans, making it noisy and lively.

Preparations inside the stadium are also in full swing. Lawn maintenance workers mow the turf for the last time, the goal net is carefully inspected, and neatly stacked towels and water bottles are placed on the bench seats.

In the east stand, a group of volunteers were unfurling a huge banner with the six characters "Hong Kong·First Place·Glory" printed on it, with white characters on a blue background, which was particularly eye-catching.

At 6:20, bus Hong Kong Team drove into the entrance of the venue.

Zhang Kuang stepped out of the car with his headphones on and looked up at the stadium's outer wall. The neon lights had already lit up, illuminating the words 'Hong Kong Stadium' brightly.

He took a deep breath, the air was mixed with the smell of sea breeze and the noise of fans in the distance.

When he walked through the mixed interview area, several familiar Hong Kong reporters waved to him. "Zhang Kuang! Are you confident tonight?"

Zhang Kuang gave them a thumbs up and said nothing because it was stipulated that interviews were not allowed at this time.

After the Hong Kong Team players entered the locker room, Iraq's bus also arrived after a while. Looking at the surging crowd, the Iraq players all had solemn expressions on their faces. They wanted to win, because if they won, they would get bonuses, which would subsidize their family's expenses. This bonus was very important to them.

I really envy those Hong Kong players. They earn tens of thousands of dollars in salary every month. That Zhang Kuang is even more outrageous, with a weekly salary of more than 200,000 pounds. Zhang Kuang's weekly salary is enough to support their family for thirty years.

Alas, so unfair!