On the field, the captains of the two teams have completed the coin guessing session.
Vidić won the coin guess and chose the kick-off right.
The game is about to begin.
Zhang Kuang stood in the middle circle, stepping on the turf under his feet, squatting slightly and looking straight ahead.
His breathing was even and his heartbeat was steady. This was the hunter's calmness at the last moment.
"Beep--!"
The referee Irmatov blew the whistle.
Manchester United kickoff.
Hernández called the ball to Zhang Kuang, and Zhang Kuang passed the ball back to Carrick.
The game officially begins.
"China Central Television, China Central Television..."
In the first ten minutes, both sides were testing each other. Santos was not as passive as people imagined. They deployed two intercepting midfielders, Arouca and Enrique, in the midfield. It was not easy for Carrick and Giggs to easily score the ball.
In the 3rd minute, Santos took the lead. After Ganso got the ball in the midfield, he found Neymar on the left with a precise through ball.
Facing the defense of Rafael, Neymar changed directions twice in a row, swung away from the angle and then shot the ball straight to the near corner.
De Gea flew to save the ball and hit the ball out of the baseline with one palm.
The whole audience exclaimed.
Martin·Tyler: "Neymar! The first shot created a threat! De Gea's save is very crucial. The angle of the ball is very tricky and the power is strong. Manchester United's defense should be careful."
Gary·Neville: "What did I just say? Rafael is too easy to grab. Neymar is just waiting for you to stretch your legs, and then he can pass you. Rafael must learn to stand still first."
He Wei: "Neymar's breakthrough shows his talent: fast speed, flexible change of direction, and decisive shooting. Manchester United needs to be given more protection in the midfield, and Neymar cannot be easily faced with Rafael."
Zhang Lu: "Hey, this ball also reminds Manchester United, Santos are not here for tourism, they really want to win."
In the 7th minute, Neymar once again took the ball from the left. Rafael did not rush forward this time, but kept a distance.
Neymar cut in laterally and was about to kick. Rafael shoveled it from the side. The ball was shoveled out of the sideline and Neymar was knocked down.
Irmatov blew the whistle and gave Rafael a verbal warning, but no yellow card was shown.
Gary·Neville: "This is the correct way to defend. Rafael learned very quickly. He didn't stretch his foot just now, but waited until Neymar was ready to kick. Although he committed a foul, he didn't receive a card. The price is acceptable."
In the 12th minute, Zhang Kuang received a diagonal pass from Giggs on the left side of the frontcourt. Facing the defense of Santos's right back Danilo, he first made a fake move to break through to the outside. Danilo followed up, but Zhang Kuang suddenly stopped to spike the ball, took a step inward laterally, and then shot.
The ball spins inward and flies straight to the far corner.
But it's slightly higher than the beam.
There was a chorus of sighs, followed by applause.
Martin·Tyler: "Zhang Kuang's first shot! It almost went in! The ball was handled very cleanly, with a fake move to get away from the angle, and the shot was completed in one go. If the ball had been a few centimeters lower, it would have been a world-wide wave."
Gary·Neville: "Look at his posture when shooting: leaning forward, instep straight, center of gravity stable - this is a textbook-level demonstration of shooting technique. The ball did not go in, but the threat was created."
In the 23rd minute, Carrick got the ball near the center circle. He looked up and looked ahead: Santos's defense line stood very high. Both Danilo and Léo had already passed the midfield line, leaving a large open area in the backcourt.
Carrick did not hesitate, and passed a long diagonal pass directly over the head of Santos's midfielder and flew towards the open area on the right front.
Zhang Kuang started on the right side of the frontcourt, so fast that it was like a red lightning streaking across the green lawn.
The Santos team's defense against Zhang Kuang was a bit loose. The Brazil team is better at offense and personal performance, but it is really poor at defense.
Zhang Kuang paused lightly with his chest before the ball hit the ground, then took a step forward and took off his feet the moment the ball bounced onto the grass!!
The ball was like an arrow shot from a fully drawn bow, clinging tightly to the turf. It was extremely fast and had a very tricky angle, heading straight for the lower left corner of the Santos goal.
Santos Goalkeeper Rafael·Cabral flew to save, his fingertips had already touched the ball!
But the force was so strong that the ball still rubbed the edge of his glove and flew into the net!
1:0!
Yokohama International Stadium was ignited instantly.
Seventy thousand people stood up at the same time, applause, screams, and shouts merged into a heat wave that hit the night sky.
Zhang Kuang ran towards the corner flag area after scoring a goal, jumped up, turned around, put his hands down, and roared!
The iconic celebration is like a god of war descending from the sky.
The banners in the east stand rustled in the wind: Zhang Kuang, Spear of the East!
He Wei's voice was passionate, majestic and confident. "In! In! In! Zhang Kuang! In the 23rd minute! A kick that hit the ground from 30 meters away!
Powerful and heavy! The angle is tricky! The Santos goalkeeper touched it! But he couldn't stop it!! The ball was so fast that the camera could hardly capture the trajectory of the ball!
Manchester United leads Santos 1:0! Zhang Kuang once again proved himself on the stage of the World Series!"
Zhang Lu: "Hey, this ball is so beautiful! Carrick's direct pass, Zhang Kuang's chest stopped the ball, perfect! Then his shot took off without any adjustment.
It was a sign of absolute confidence: I knew I could score, so I didn't need a second shot to adjust."
Martin·Tyler: "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!! Zhang Kuang!! Thirty meters to the ground!! This is his third goal this FIFA Club World Cup!
After scoring two goals against Al Sadd in the semi-finals, he opened the scoring in the final today! Carrick's passing vision is very broad, and Zhang Kuang's handling: stopping the ball, following up, and shooting, every action is world-class."
Gary·Neville: "Zhang Kuang, Manchester United's thickest thigh, this is a thick thigh that has never appeared in the history of Manchester United."
Martin: "Not to mention that Manchester United has thick legs that have never appeared in the history of world football. Which player can maintain an average of more than two goals per game for a long time? Zhang Kuang is the first."
Santos's players stood there with confused expressions.
Goalkeeper Rafael·Cabral got up from the ground, patted the grass clippings on his gloves, and shook his head.
He had already pounced, but couldn't.
Danilo walked back with his head lowered. He was the one keeping an eye on Zhang Kuang, but at this moment he was left far behind.
Neymar was in the middle circle with his hands on his hips, looking at Zhang Kuang who was celebrating with complicated eyes.
The lagging Santos did not retreat, but launched a counterattack like an enraged beast.
In the 28th minute, Neymar received a pass from Ganso in the middle. He first passed Carrick, and then faced Vidić's defense at the front of the penalty area. He changed directions twice in a row: left, right, left...
Vidić was shaken and his center of gravity was unstable. Neymar dodged the angle and shot with his left foot. The ball missed the post and flew out.
The whole audience exclaimed again.
Gary·Neville: "Neymar! If this goal is scored, it will be the best goal of the year. He single-handedly singled out Manchester United's entire defense line in front of the penalty area. Vidić was shaken by him and almost fell down."
Martin·Tyler: "This young man is only 19 years old, but he has no stage fright on the biggest stage in the world. There is no doubt about his talent, but he needs to convert this talent into more consistent goals."
In the 34th minute, Manchester United got a corner kick opportunity.
Giggs took a corner kick, and Rooney nodded in front!
But it was insufficient in strength and was confiscated by the Santos goalkeeper.
In the 40th minute, Ganso landed unsteadily while competing with Vidić for a high-altitude ball. His left ankle sprained and he immediately fell to the ground with a painful expression.
Santos team doctor quickly entered the scene.
Slow-motion playback showed that Ganso's left foot stepped on an uneven spot in the grass while falling, and his ankle turned outward.
Although there was no obvious "click" sound, Ganso's expression was enough to explain the problem. He was in great pain.
Irmatov signaled the team doctor to continue processing, and the game was briefly interrupted.
Martin·Tyler: "Ganso fell down, which is the last thing Santos wants to see. He is the core of Santos's midfield. If he is replaced, Santos's offensive organization will be greatly affected.
The left ankle sprain does not seem particularly serious, but with his style, which requires a lot of dribbling and changes of direction, this injury will seriously affect his performance."
Gary·Neville: "For Ganso, this kind of injury is very troublesome. His game is mainly based on dribbling and passing. If the ankle is not stable enough, it will be difficult for him to perform at 100% level."
Near the end of the first half, Manchester United got a chance to attack in the frontcourt.
Zhang Kuang took the ball on the left. Facing Danilo's defense, he did not choose to break through. Instead, he took a step laterally and blocked his position.
Danilo thought he was going to cut inside and shoot, so his center of gravity shifted to the left.
At this moment, Zhang Kuang flicked his right ankle and made a pass through his crotch... The ball passed between Danilo's legs and rolled accurately to the space on the right rib of the penalty area.
Rooney made a diagonal pass from the right. After receiving the ball, he did not stop the ball and directly took off and pushed the shot into the far corner.
Santos Goalkeeper Rafael·Cabral fought hard to save, but the ball was too fast and the angle was too tricky, and the ball rolled under his arm and into the net!
2:0!
After Rooney scored, he rushed to the corner flag area and did his signature boxing celebration. Then he turned and pointed at Zhang Kuang who was running towards him. Zhang Kuang rushed in front of him and the two hugged tightly.
Martin·Tyler: "Rooney! 2:0! Zhang Kuang assisted, through the crotch!! This is a genius pass!
So beautiful! When the defensive player thought he was going to shoot, he sent a scalpel-like through ball! Rooney's push shot was also very calm, and he shot directly without adjusting. This is a tacit understanding!"
Gary·Neville: "Hahahaha! Zhang Kuang's assist is so 'bad'! He first blocked Danilo with his body, making Danilo think he was going to shoot.
Then Danilo penetrated his crotch the moment his center of gravity shifted. This is a humiliating way of passing the ball. If I were Danilo, I would be very, very angry."
He Wei: "2:0! Before the end of the first half, Manchester United expanded the lead. Zhang Kuang assisted Rooney with a crotch-crossing pass. This goal showed Zhang Kuang's comprehensive offensive capabilities. Not only can he score goals, he also has top-notch vision and passing accuracy."
Zhang Lu: "Hey, this ball is handled in a typical 'Zhang Kuang style'. He first observes, then blocks, and finally takes a shot. Every step is to mobilize the attention of the defensive players. Danilo was played around by him."
When Zhang Kuang returned to the center circle, he glanced at Neymar.
Neymar is also looking at him.
The two people's eyes met silently.
After 1 minute of stoppage time in the first half, Irmatov blew the halftime whistle.
The score is 2:0, Manchester United takes the lead.
Martin·Tyler: "At halftime, Manchester United led Santos 2:0. Zhang Kuang passed and shot, Rooney scored, and Manchester United completely controlled the rhythm of the game.
Although Santos had several breakthroughs from Neymar, it was still suppressed by Manchester United on the whole. Gary, how do you think Santos should adjust in the second half?"
Gary·Neville: "Santos must make changes in the midfield. Ganso was injured and replaced by Elano.
Elano is more experienced, but he does not have the ability of Ganso to 'deliver fatal passes under pressure'. Santos needs more frontcourt running to allow Neymar to have more space to get the ball.
In addition, they must tighten the restrictions on Zhang Kuang. Danilo was too embarrassed by him in the first half."
CCTV live broadcast room!
He Wei: "At the end of the first half, Manchester United leads 2:0. Coach Zhang Lu, what do you think of the performance of both sides in the first half?"
Zhang Lu: "Hey, Manchester United's performance is very mature. They don't just attack blindly, but use rhythm control to consume Santos's physical energy.
First let Santos press out, then seize the space behind the defense and use speed and efficiency to complete the fatal blow.
Zhang Kuang is in very good condition today, and his long-range shot is so wonderful. If you shoot that kind of ball a hundred times, he may score it eighty times, but you will be stunned every time."
He Wei: "Yes, Zhang Kuang is using his performance to prove to the world: No matter Premier League, UEFA Champions League or FIFA Club World Cup, he is the most shining player.
Okay, let's take a short break and continue to bring you live broadcast in the second half."
In the midfield locker room, everyone in the Manchester United team was laughing and joking. Ferguson was smiling and felt very comfortable. With Zhang Kuang here, it seemed that he was in the team, and he felt more at ease than before.
Ferguson focused on the defense and offense in the second half, but said nothing more and let the players have a good rest. The schedule during this period is too tight, so give the players as little pressure as possible.
In the Santos locker room, Santos head coach Morrisi Ramalho was frothing at the mouth while talking about the tactical board, and he put forward higher requirements for almost every player...
On the MyScore platform, fans discussed it enthusiastically.
"I didn't expect that the little guy No. 10 Santos has such a high level? Even the combination of Ferdinand and Vidić easily passed him. It's really good. Manchester United can buy him over."
"Haha, you are overthinking. I heard that Barcelona wants to buy him, so I have made many inquiries."
"Shit, Real Madrid made an offer in 2009, but it was unsuccessful. Barcelona, that Grandet, wanted to have sex for free. I heard that he had reached an agreement with Neymar's father. Let Neymar move to Barcelona on a free transfer in 2014. They don't want Santos to make a penny. This way of doing things for a club like Barcelona is really disgusting."
"Ah? Real or fake? Then how could Neymar's father agree?"
"It's very simple. As long as you agree, Barcelona will give you money. For example, if you want to give Santos a transfer fee of 20 million euros, wouldn't it be good to directly give 10 million of it to Neymar? Then leave the team freely. Barcelona saves 10 million, and Neymar's father earns 10 million."
"Fuck, can you still operate like this? If all clubs operate like this, then... the consequences will be unimaginable."
"Yeah, so Barcelona is playing dirty tricks. Relying on the love of many players for Barcelona, what a dream, they are trying to use the players' love to lower prices, waive visas, etc. Such clubs will have to punish them to death, which is destroying the football ecology."
"Haha, I know, Arsenal is the young captain..."
"Not only Fàbregas, but also many players were lured away by Barcelona in this way."
"No wonder Zhang Kuang doesn't like Barcelona. The temperament of this kind of club is indeed inconsistent with the Zhang Kuang who has the momentum of Hero. It's stingy and all small tricks."
"Yes, to sign players, they secretly collude with the players to strike, lower prices, and waive visas, and spend money to bribe referees in games. On an Ballon d'Or, it also destroys everyone's long-standing impression that Ballon d'Or is equal to the information about the winners of the past season and the championship that beats global players. In order to let Messi win awards, they have to do something like 'beautiful football', 'artistic football', 'promote the development of football' and the like. Tsk tsk, it's really embarrassing."
"Hey, when you say that, it's true. Then, let's put it this way, this club Barcelona is really a very dirty club."
"Ah, stop talking. You are slandering. Barcelona is not like this. Barcelona is great. They innovate technology and train generations of top stars. The greatness of Barcelona is beyond your imagination. You are slandering."
"Slandering your mother, is what the brother above said true? You don't admit it is true?"
"As a neutral fan, Barcelona has some dirty tricks, yes, but Barcelona's greatness is also real, and this is also true. But, having said that, which club among the rich clubs does not have some dirty tricks? So Barcelona will be criticized?"
"Tsk tsk, you neutral fans are neutral enough, but in the end you are trying to whitewash Barcelona. Other clubs have dirty tricks, but no matter how dirty they are, they are not destroying the football ecology."
"Has Barcelona destroyed the football ecology? Why should Zhang Kuang take Ballon d'Or? Messi is the real 'beautiful football' and the one who promotes the development of football. Hero and Zhang Kuang are not worthy of carrying shoes to Messi."
"Okay, okay, okay, Messi is number one in the world, okay, then FIFA can award the award exclusively to Messi. Excellent players will not participate in the award evaluation. Let's see how long this award can last."
"It can be done for a long time. Regardless of whether Zhang Kuang participates in the award or not, there are many stars in football, and any one of them will be better than Zhang Kuang."
"I think so too, then Zhang Kuang won't participate."
"Yes, let's petition together and ask Zhang Kuang not to participate in this kind of award. What's the use of participating in unfair awards? Let them award beautiful football to whoever wants to receive it!"
"I agree too."
"I agree!"
"Bah, if you like to participate, participate, if you don't like to participate, get out. Messi is the number one person in football!"
"..."