Chapter 18 The Mascot on the Bench
The competition has begun for a while, but the TV broadcast always gives Gao Zheng the camera.
The game on the court was very lively, and there were shouts in the stands.
But Gao Zheng sat on the bench.
Two hours before the game, the Chinese team announced the list of the game, and Gao Zheng was not included.
As soon as the news came out, Chinese fans began to worry whether Gao Zheng would not be able to play in this game at all.
So the diagnosis of Atletico Madrid team doctor is correct. Gao Zheng’s current physical condition is not suitable for competition?
Then why do you still need to let Gao Zheng come back?
I just came back to boost the team's confidence, right?
Or it is because the domestic call is so strong that I dare not not call Gao Zheng back.
But when others come back, they still can't play...
This shows that Gao Zheng's physical recovery is not satisfactory.
Everyone is not only worried about this game, but also about Gao Zheng's performance in the future.
The Korean team also learned the news that Gao Zheng did not have it at the same time.
Although Gao Zheng just didn't have one and was still on the roster, the Korean team was very happy.
They knew that this game was of great significance to the Chinese team, and it could be said that the Chinese team could only win but not lose.
So if it weren't for not being able to play in the game, Lippi wouldn't have prevented Gao Zheng from happening.
As a result, Gao Zheng is just sitting on the bench now, which means that Gao Zheng's health is really worrying.
He is not ready for a comeback.
But he was kicked on the shelves and could only sit on the bench, just like a mascot, giving some confidence to the Chinese players on the court.
Some people even speculated that the Chinese players might not know how Gao Zheng's physical condition was. In order not to disappoint or panic, the team's coaching staff must have blocked the news of the players.
The Korean team knew that they were stable in this game.
Only Son Heung-min is a little regretful. He also wants to challenge Gao Zheng in this national team game...
The last time the two met was the first game of the top 12 matches. In that game, Gao Zheng won two goals alone and almost led the Chinese team to a comeback.
Although Son Heung-min is also very active and has assists, he has no goals.
And Son Heung-min knew very well that if Gao Zheng was not injured, the outcome of that game was really hard to say.
In other words, it is difficult for him to compete with a healthy Gao Zheng.
This made Son Heung-min feel uncomfortable.
He has always wanted to defeat Gao Zheng.
Although he himself knew that hope was slim, he still wanted to meet Gao Zheng who was in excellent condition and in good health...
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After the game started, the Chinese team, which lacked Gao Zheng, was slightly beyond the expectations of the South Korean team, and they played very tenaciously.
There is no difference in strength between the two sides, it is just a soft persimmon that is easy to squeeze.
Perhaps it was because of home games.
Perhaps it is because every Chinese player is in a state of anger.
Who caused their current situation?
In the final analysis, it is the group of Koreans in front of you!
If it weren't for the game against them that Gao Zheng was seriously injured and missed the subsequent game, how could the Chinese team's situation in the top 12 games could be so bad?
So it’s not just Gao Zheng who wants to seek revenge on the Koreans, they also want to settle the score with the Koreans.
Although it was at his own home court, the Chinese team's tactics in this game were not to rush and beat hard. Lippi made the players play more conservatively after the game started, and try not to concede the ball first.
This is to prepare for Gao Zheng's substitute appearance.
If you attack the South Korean team from the beginning, given the current situation of the Chinese team, you might not wait for Gao Zheng to play, and the Chinese team will only have two goals or even three goals behind. So what is the need for Gao Zheng to play?
Because of Gao Zheng, Lippi's tactical thinking also changed from before.
If Gao Zheng definitely couldn't participate in this game, Lippi hadn't made corresponding plans. He wouldn't care about that much at that time. From the beginning of the game, he would make the team more proactive and attack the Korean team. He would instill a truth in his players that we are not worse than the Korean team at home. As long as you all have this confidence, we will definitely be able to defeat the Korean team.
Yes, without Gao Zheng, Lippi must desperately instill confidence in his players and keep them high in fighting spirit.
After all, such a Chinese team really needs confidence.
Otherwise it will collapse.
When Lippi took over this team, it really made people feel confident. However, he still didn't win the home game, and finally got a draw and only got one point, which made people habitually start to worry about the future of the national team.
But now that Gao Zheng has to use different strategies.
Lippi wants to be humble Koreans once.
Anyway, the Koreans were not polite to them in Italy at the beginning, and he believed that his methods were relatively open and upright.
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The South Korean team did have some good opportunities in the first half, but because of the Chinese team's tenacious performance, they failed to score.
For example, in the 30th minute, Son Heung-min took the opportunity to counterattack and shot a arc shot at the front of the top of the free throw arc, heading straight to the lower right corner of the goal, and finally the football rubbed against the post and was slightly off.
This kick scared the Chinese fans in the stands and in front of the TV.
But no matter what, until the end of the first half, the Chinese team still stubbornly withstood the South Korean team's offensive without conceding the ball.
In this forty-five minutes, the South Korean team was basically attacking hard and the Chinese team defended to the death. Every Chinese fan was frightened.
I was afraid that the Korean team would score this time.
The Korean commentator was very excited and kept shouting, but he still felt a little depressed when he didn't score a goal.
He thought that with this offensive, the South Korean team could take the lead in the first half.
Of course, it doesn't matter if this is the case now. As the game progresses, he believes that the South Korean team will score sooner or later.
If the Chinese team performs this way, they just want to hold on and not lose the ball and have to do their best, and it is impossible to threaten the South Korean team's goal.
Then the South Korean team will definitely further strengthen the offensive in the second half, and it will only take a while to score a goal.
As for Gao Zheng?
They hadn't considered it at all.
With Gao Zheng's current physical condition and his seven-month-month-long game status, how effective can he have even if he can play?
Maybe his role in not playing is greater than when he is playing.
Since it is a "secret weapon", not playing can still bring confidence to teammates. If you expose your true level on the field, you might cause your teammates to collapse...
"When I say this, don't we expect Gao Zheng to come on stage?" The Korean narrator and the guests looked at each other, and then burst into laughter together.
Chapter completed!