In Hong Kong Team's locker room, the players were making final preparations. Fan Chun-yip was sitting in the corner, wrapping a bandage around his wrist, going round and round, his movements unhurried and slow.
Cris Kang was leaning on the back of the chair with his eyes closed and his headphones on, his lips moving slightly, as if he was reciting something silently. Lee Chi-ho was tying his shoelaces repeatedly, loosening them again, tying them loosely again, until he was finally satisfied after the countless times.
Next, everyone put on their equipment and went to the field for adaptive training. When they stepped onto the field, the audience burst into warm cheers and applause.
After a brief training session, the players returned to the locker room.
Then Troussier walked into the locker room.
He was wearing a dark blue sports coat with the Hong Kong Football Association badge printed on his chest.
He looked around at everyone, his voice was not loud, but every word was clearly audible:
"Everyone sitting in this locker room tonight is making the history of Hong Kong football. After ninety minutes, you will become the hero of this city, or become a stepping stone for your opponent to reach the top. The choice is at your feet."
He paused. "If we win Iraq, then in the next three games, we only need one or two points to advance, and the home court will be in our hands.
Therefore, fellow warriors, this battle is crucial, show your best and win them down!"
The players stood up from their seats and patted each other on the shoulders.
Someone shouted "Go", and the atmosphere in the locker room was instantly ignited.
7:30, entrance to the players tunnel.
The chief referee Subramaniam stands at the front, flanked by the assistant referee and the fourth official.
Behind him, players from the two teams lined up to wait. The blue Hong Kong Team jerseys and the white Iraq jerseys formed a sharp contrast.
The entrance music sounded and players from both teams stepped onto the turf.
Hong Kong Stadium More than 31,000 fans simultaneously burst into loud cheers.
The sound waves converged from the surrounding stands to the center of the stadium, hitting everyone's eardrums like an invisible tide.
The giant banner in the east stand was unfurled, and the blue words "Hong Kong" were shining brightly under the lights. The fans waved flags and sang the slogan "Come on Hong Kong Team", and the singing was uniform and magnificent.
During the handshake session, Zhang Kuang and Younis Mahmoud touched hands.
The Ivory Coast-born Iraq Team took a long look at him, his gaze steady and sharp, like a cheetah ready to strike.
Zhang Kuang nodded slightly without any unnecessary expression.
Players from both teams take their respective positions, with Fan Chun-yip and Younis guessing sides in the middle circle.
Fan Chun-yip won and chose the side, Iraq chose the kickoff.
Atkinson's colleague Subramaniam looked at his watch and put the whistle into his mouth.
The voice of Chung Chi-kwong in Hong Kong TVB's live broadcast reaches thousands of households through TV signals:
"Good evening, viewers, and welcome to watch the focus of the third round of Group A of the top 20 regional qualifiers in 2014 Brazil World Cup Asia. China Hong Kong faces Iraq at home.
My name is Chung Chi-kwong, and the person commenting with me today is our old friend Wong Hing-kwai Huang sir. I just analyzed the starting lineups of the two teams for you, and now the game is about to start..."
He Wei: "Director Zhang, this game is really incredible. Hong Kong Team has two consecutive wins and ranks first. Iraq and Jordan are chasing behind with the same points.
If we win tonight, with nine points in hand, we will have one foot in the top ten. Think about it, how long has it been since Hong Kong Football Team football has been so glorious? How long has it been since China football has advanced so easily."
Zhang Lu chuckled, "You are right, tonight's game is of great significance to Hong Kong Team. Now we see that the starting lineups of both sides have come out, and Hong Kong Team's formation is 4-2-3-1.
Goalkeeper Fan Chun-yip, defense Lee Chi-ho, Chan Wai-ho, Shane·Lowry, Poon Yiu-cheuk, double defensive midfielder Leung Chun-pong and Jack·Xu, attack line Li Weilian, Cris·Kang, Zheng Shaowei, forward Zhang Kuang single arrow."
He Wei answered, "I have used this formation Troussier for three games, and the more I use it, the more familiar I become. The most important thing is the connection between Cris·Kang and Zhang Kuang.
Let's take a look at Iraq's starting lineup again. They lined up the same 4-2-3-1, goalkeeper Kassid, defense Abbas, Ali Hussein, Shakir, Saeed, double defensive midfielders Munir and Khalid, attacking midfielders Abdul-Zahra, Akram, Karim, forward Younis."
He Wei paused, "Director Zhang, what do you think of Iraq's lineup?"
Zhang Lu smacked his lips. "Of the four players on the back line, Abbas likes to press forward, and Saeed is also an offensive full-back. There is space behind both of them.
Munir on the double defensive midfielder often pushes forward, and Khalid can't make up for it alone. As long as Hong Kong Team can steal the ball in the midfield and quickly separate the sides, Iraq can hit the two full-backs behind him accurately.
Iraq This formation does not intend to focus on defense. They still want to score goals. It seems that their desire to attack is still very strong."
"..."
Inside the stadium, Subramaniam blew the whistle.
"Beep!"
The game officially begins.
He Wei: "China Central Television, China Central Television, audience friends, good evening, everyone, what you see now is..."
In the first five minutes of the first half, both sides played cautiously.
Iraq kicked off the ball a few times in the backcourt to test Hong Kong Team's pressing intensity.
Hong Kong Team's frontcourt trio pressed higher, with Zhang Kuang at the front, Cris Kang and Zheng Shaowei on both sides, constantly putting pressure on Iraq's central defender and defensive midfielder.
In the sixth minute, Hong Kong Team created the first threatening attack.
Jack·Xu got the ball in his own half, looked up and looked ahead, and made a precise long pass directly across the midfield line and fell behind the Iraq defense.
Zhang Kuang started suddenly from between Ali Hussein and Shakir, like an arrow off the string, straight into the penalty area.
His explosive power gave the two central defenders no time to react. Before Shakir could even turn around, Zhang Kuang had already rushed to the ball's impact point.
But just when Zhang Kuang was about to stop the ball and shoot, Iraq goalkeeper Kassid struck decisively and jumped out, trying to knock the ball away before Zhang Kuang touched it.
But how could Zhang Kuang's reaction speed allow the opponent's goalkeeper to grab it?
But God is not as good as man. Zhang Kuang didn't know when his clothes were grabbed by someone. The other party just pulled hard and let go immediately, but the opportunity was already wasted.
Zhang Kuang was knocked down by Kassid's collision. He turned over and fell on the turf, but the referee Subramaniam signaled that there was no foul and the game continued.
Zhang Kuang got up from the ground and did not protest when someone pulled his clothes, because if the referee wanted to call it early, if he did not call it, it means that the referee did not intend to call it.
He patted the grass clippings on his body and gave Jack·Xu a thumbs up.
In the TVB live broadcast room, Chung Chi-kwong's voice quickly followed up. "In the sixth minute, Jack·Xu Changchuan found Zhang Kuang, a beautiful counter-offside!
It's a pity that Kassid attacked too timely, and Zhang Kuang did not get the ball. But this coordination has been achieved, and Iraq's defense speed cannot keep up with Zhang Kuang.
No, Iraq's No. 15 Ali Hussein made an action of pulling on his clothes. Although it was very hidden, it seems that the referee did not see it, and Zhang Kuang did not intend to pursue it..."
There was confusion in Wong Hing-kwai's voice. "I don't understand why Zhang Kuang didn't pursue the case. He was only one meter away from a single blow.
Maybe Zhang Kuang has other ideas? Or maybe he didn't realize it? But from a tactical point of view, Troussier must have arranged a tactic of hitting behind before the game. This is just a test of the water, and there will be more later."
In the 13th minute, Iraq also launched a high-quality counterattack.
Akram got the ball in the midfield and sent a through ball. The ball penetrated the gap between Leung Chun-pong and Jack Xu and accurately landed at the feet of Younis on the left side of the penalty area.
Younis used his body to hold Chan Wai-ho, moved his left foot, got a shooting angle, and then pushed the shot into the far corner.
Fan Chun-yip reacted very quickly, leaning his whole body to the right and using his fingertips to poke the ball out of the baseline.
When the ball flew out of the baseline, the fans in the audience let out uniform exclamations, which immediately turned into warm applause, which was dedicated to Fan Chun-yip.
Chung Chi-kwong raised his voice. "Younis shot! Fan Chun-yip saved it! Beautiful! World-class save! Younis hit the ball very tricky, the angle was already very small, but Fan Chun-yip got off the ground so fast, he completely predicted the direction of the shot."
Wong Hing-kwai took a breath. "Younis is really dangerous. Give him half a step of space to shoot. Fan Chun-yip's save is worth a million. Hong Kong Team can have two consecutive victories. Fan Chun-yip takes at least half of the credit."
You see how calm he is after the save. He stands up and calls out to the defense to pay attention to their position. This kind of goalkeeper makes people feel reassured."
The blue square in the stands burst into loud noises, and the name Younis was shouted, but more cheers came from 'Fan Chun-yip'.
In the 19th minute, Li Weilian got the ball on the right. Facing the defense of Abbas, he made a fake move to break through to the baseline, then suddenly spiked the ball back and passed the ball to Jack Xu.
Jack·Xu didn't stop the ball, moved his left foot, and passed the ball to Cris·Kang at the edge of the penalty area.
Cris·Kang took the ball and turned around, attracting Shakir to attack.
He did not force a breakthrough, but lightly knocked the ball horizontally and sent it to the left side of the top of the arc in the penalty area.
Zhang Kuang came out from behind Shakir, and the ball rolled right into his path.
He didn't stop the ball.
Hit the ball with the instep of your right foot and shoot.
The ball was like a cannonball thrown by a trebuchet, flying straight into the upper left corner of the goal with violent external spin.
Iraq Goalkeeper Kassid flew to save the ball, with his arms fully extended, but the curvature of the ball allowed his fingertips to only touch a streak of air.
The net stirred violently.
The ball went in!
1:0!
Chung Chi-kwong's voice instantly rose to the point of roaring, "GOOOOOOOAL! Zhang Kuang! World wave! Zhang Kuang again!
In the 19th minute, Hong Kong Team led Iraq one to zero! This shot was at least 25 meters away from the goal, and the ball hit the dead center!
Kassid has no choice! Zhang Kuang breaks the deadlock for Hong Kong Team with a violent long shot! This is his 9th goal in the qualifiers."
Wong Hing-kwai smiled from ear to ear, "I'm telling you, Lao Zhong, if you ask Kassid to save this ball a hundred times, he won't be able to save it once."
Zhang Kuang didn't even adjust before shooting. He shot the ball as soon as it reached his feet. There are only a few people in the world who can do this kind of shooting.
Look at Shakir's expression, he probably scored the ball before he even reacted."
In CCTV's live broadcast room, He Wei's voice sounded poetic, "The silver bottle bursts, water bursts out, and the cavalry stands out with swords and guns! Zhang Kuang's long shot perfectly explains what the aesthetics of violence are."
On Iraq's strongest defensive line, he used the simplest and most direct method to tear a bloody hole. At a distance of twenty-five meters, the ball drew a beautiful arc as if it had been endowed with a soul, and hung straight into the dead center.
This is the ultimate in power, the ultimate in art, and the ultimate in Zhang Kuang's personal ability."
Zhang Lu chuckled and said, "There is nothing I can do about this goal. It is purely a reflection of my personal ability. Zhang Kuang's shooting power is already strong. In addition, he used an instep volley this time, and the rotation and speed of the ball reached the extreme."
Look at his transition from Cris Kang receiving the ball to shooting, there is almost no pause, and the ball has already been scored before the goalkeeper has time to judge the direction."
Zhang Kuang rushed towards the corner flag area after scoring a goal. He jumped high into the air, turned half a circle in the air, and when he landed, he waved his hands downward forcefully and let out a roar.
More than 30,000 fans in the stands jumped up from their seats at the same time, the blue flags surged like a sea, and the shouts of "Zhang Kuang" gathered into a thunderous sound that echoed in the stadium for a long time.
Cris Kang was the first to rush up and hug him, and then Li Weilian, Zheng Shaowei, and Jack Xu ran over one after another. A group of people gathered around, and everyone was patting Zhang Kuang on the back and shoulders.
On the bench, all the players stood up and applauded. Troussier rarely waved his fist, but his expression quickly returned to calm. He clapped his hands toward the court to signal the players not to relax.
Among the fans in the stands, someone pulled up a banner that read "The Pride of Zhang Kuang, Hong Kong". The characters were embroidered with gold thread and sparkled under the lights.
The Iraq Expeditionary Army fans in the South Stand fell into a brief silence. Some shook their heads and others put their hands on their hips, but then they started singing again, trying to use their singing to inject power into the team.
After the game restarted, Iraq significantly increased its offensive intensity.
In the 26th minute, Musa Na·Khalid brutally knocked down Jack·Xu in the midfield. The referee Subramaniam showed the yellow card without hesitation.
Khalid spread his hands and made a few excuses to the referee, but Subramaniam was unmoved and pointed to the spot where the foul occurred to signal a free kick.
Jack·Xu lay on the ground for a few seconds, and then Zhang Kuang reached out and pulled him up.
He patted his calf and moved it twice to indicate that there was no problem.
After Hong Kong Team took the free kick, Iraq's pressing became more fierce.
Akram took the ball many times in the midfield to organize, while Younis kept pulling at Hong Kong Team's defense in the frontcourt, trying to find a gap.
However, Hong Kong Team's double defensive midfielders Leung Chun-pong and Jack Xu were very stable and intercepted many times in the midfield, stopping Iraq's offense in its infancy.
In the 32nd minute, Zheng Shaowei took the ball from the left and cut inside, shook Saeed away and then passed across the middle.
Cris·Kang passed the ball without stopping after receiving the ball. The ball rolled laterally along the penalty area line. Zhang Kuang rushed to the ball and shot low.
The ball flew against the turf towards the lower right corner of the goal. Kassid went to the ground to save the ball and poked the ball out of the baseline with his fingertips.
Corner kick.
Cris·Kang took the corner kick and the ball spun backwards.
Chan Wai-ho jumped high and headed the ball towards the goal. The ball hit the crossbar and bounced out. Iraq defender made a big kick.
Chung Chi-kwong's voice was full of regret. "Zhang Kuang's shot was saved by Kassid! Then Chan Wai-ho's header hit the crossbar! Hong Kong Team missed two consecutive opportunities to expand the score!"
Wong Hing-kwai said, "It doesn't matter, Hong Kong Team has gained momentum now, pressing Iraq to fight. Look at Iraq's two full-backs, Abbas and Saeed didn't dare to press them. After being rushed by Zheng Shaowei and Li Weilian a few times, they calmed down. As soon as the side lane was quiet, the space for Zhang Kuang in the middle lane became available."
In the 38th minute, Cris Kang took the ball in the middle, made two consecutive changes of direction to get past Khalid and Akram, and then sent a precise through ball.
The ball penetrated Iraq's entire defense line and fell to the right side of the penalty area. Zhang Kuang's movement attracted the attention of the two central defenders, and he chose to knock the ball horizontally.
The ball rolled towards the center of the penalty area. Li Weilian came in from the right at high speed and hit the ball and shot into the far corner.
The ball slid along the turf for a distance, hit the side netting inside the goal, and bounced into the net.
2:0!
Chung Chi-kwong's voice was full of excitement. "GOOOOOOAL, two to zero! Li Weilian! Cris·Kang's through pass assist, Zhang Kuang's clever cross kick, Li Weilian's push into the far corner to score!
This is a textbook-level teamwork! From Cris Kang's breakthrough in the middle to Zhang Kuang's attractive defense, to Li Weilian's calm finish, every link is perfect!"
Wong Hing-kwai: "This ball is so beautiful! Cris Kang's breakthrough in the middle is the key. He single-handedly messed up Iraq's entire midfield.
Zhang Kuang did it smarter that time. He could obviously shoot by himself, but he passed the ball when he saw that Li Weilian was in a better position. This is the maturity of the shooter. Hong Kong Team is now leading 2-0, and his momentum is fully up."
Li Weilian excitedly ran to the corner flag area after scoring a goal, raising his hands above his head and making a heart-shaped gesture.
Zhang Kuang ran over and patted the back of his head. Cris Kang jumped on his back, and the three of them hugged each other with a smile.
The blue square array in the stands was completely boiling. Singing, cheering, and trumpeting were intertwined to form a huge sound wave.
Some people were shouting "Topping the list Hong Kong", and some were shouting "One more". The atmosphere in the entire stadium was extremely enthusiastic.
In the 43rd minute, while Lee Chi-ho was fighting for a high-altitude ball on the wing, his head collided with Iraq forward Karim.
The two people fell to the ground at the same time, and Lee Chi-ho covered his brow bone. The team doctor quickly came in to check, and pressed Lee Chi-ho's wound with gauze to stop the bleeding.
After a simple treatment, Lee Chi-ho stood up, waved his hand to indicate that he was fine, and returned to the court.
Applause erupted from the stands, which was to encourage Lee Chi-ho's tough guy performance.
In the stoppage time of the first half, Iraq got a corner kick opportunity.
Akram took the penalty and the ball spun towards the center of the penalty area. Younis beat Chan Wai-ho to header the ball, but the ball missed the top and slid out.
Subramaniam blew the whistle to end the first half.
Halftime score: China Hong Kong Two to zero Iraq.