Chapter 1 The Strategy for Extra Time

After ninety minutes, before the start of extra time, both teams would enjoy a few minutes of rest. Because the rest time was too short, no one went to the locker room to rest. Everyone came to their respective benches and coaching areas, sitting on the ground.

Zhou Yi was sitting on the ground, and the Chinese team's physical therapist was massaging his thigh muscles to relax them and relieve fatigue.

He was indeed very tired.

Since the start of the Asian Cup, the Chinese team had played five games. Zhou Yi started in every game and played the entire match, without missing a single minute.

This was a first for him since becoming a professional player. Previously, at Borussia Dortmund, whether in the youth team or the professional team, he had never played five consecutive full games, because his physical fitness wouldn't allow him to do so. Although his physical fitness had improved significantly in the past two seasons, Borussia Dortmund was also competing on multiple fronts this season and needed to rotate players, so Zhou Yi hadn't been able to start and play ninety minutes in five consecutive games.

In the Asian Cup, this was the first time he had done so, and it was a new experience for him.

Gao Hongbo had no choice. The Chinese team's squad wasn't as deep as Borussia Dortmund's, so he could only rely on Zhou Yi, and he had to rely on Zhou Yi.

Although he positioned the Asian Cup as a training exercise and the starting lineup wasn't exactly the same in every game, Zhou Yi was an indispensable mainstay. Zhou Yi was also the only reason he dared to rotate so much and still reach the semi-finals.

Moreover, cup matches were inherently tightly scheduled. From January 8th to January 25th, they played five games in eighteen days, averaging almost one game every three and a half days, which was equivalent to playing two games a week for three consecutive weeks.

The demands on physical fitness were naturally very high.

Zhou Yi wasn't naturally gifted with great stamina, so it was normal for him to feel tired, but he was still persevering.

To prepare him for extra time, the team doctor massaged him desperately, hoping he could rest a little better and last a little longer.

Because the current Chinese team had used up all three substitution slots, if Zhou Yi couldn't run anymore, there would be no one to replace him. He could only stand on the field, which meant the Chinese team would be effectively playing with one less player against Australia. That would be too dangerous.

While the players were resting, Gao Hongbo seized the time to explain the strategy for extra time.

Actually, the strategy was very simple.

Both sides had expended a lot of energy by this point, so it was impossible to maintain the pace of the ninety-minute game in extra time. Usually, one team would attack for half the time, and then the other team would attack for the other half. Even Australia wouldn't have the stamina to relentlessly attack for the entire thirty minutes of extra time.

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The five-minute break passed in the blink of an eye. As Zhou Yi got up from the ground, preparing to enter the field, Gao Hongbo stopped him.

"Regardless of the outcome of this game, thank you for your contributions to the national team, Zhou Yi," he said.

Zhou Yi was puzzled. "Gao Zhi, are you preparing words to comfort me in case of defeat?"

He was still a little out of breath as he spoke.

"I just don't want you to feel too much pressure."

"There's no pressure, Gao Zhi. We've made it to the semi-finals, what pressure is there? But we're still going to the finals, so Gao Zhi, you should prepare your victory speech in advance, ha!"

With that, he turned and went onto the field.

Gao Hongbo watched his back, lost in thought.

※※※

After the start of extra time, Australia kicked off, so naturally, Australia should take the initiative and launch an attack on China's goal.

This was the "convention" of countless extra-time matches.

But the actual situation was somewhat different from the convention.

Because soon, when the ball fell to the Chinese team, they actually took the initiative!

Under Zhou Yi's leadership, they launched an aggressive attack on Australia's goal, forcing Australia to retreat across the board and huddle in their own half, defending against China's attack, hoping to block China's goals with a dense defense while waiting for an opportunity to counterattack.

Playing a positional battle and breaking a dense defense was something many people found to be a headache.

When Zhou Yi had the ball, Australian players would immediately rush up to mark him closely, preventing him from easily passing the ball.

At the same time, they were also very careful with their feet when pressing, lest they knock Zhou Yi to the ground, and the referee would award a free kick in a very good position, which would not be good.

After all, the Chinese team had two free kick experts. Deng Zhuoxiang had once used a knuckleball to break the goal guarded by Lloris in a friendly match against France, and Hao Junmin had just used a free kick to break Uzbekistan's goal in the Asian Cup group stage...

So, although the Australian players pounced fiercely, they didn't dare to really knock Zhou Yi to the ground.

For Zhou Yi, he realized that this might be an opportunity.

The opponent was pouncing fiercely because they didn't want him to pass the ball properly, so what if he didn't pass the ball?

That's right, don't pass the ball, dribble and break through himself!

And the Australian players didn't dare to make too much physical contact with him after pouncing, which gave him space and opportunity to break through!

So, in the ninety-ninth minute, when his teammate passed the ball to him, and Australian midfielder Jedinak also rushed up, Zhou Yi didn't choose to stop the ball, but instead turned his right foot sideways, at a slight angle. When the ball hit it, instead of stopping at his feet, it bounced off, bouncing towards...the front!

At the same time, Zhou Yi exerted force and kicked off, rushing out, just brushing past the rushing Jedinak!

As he passed by, Zhou Yi could even catch a glimpse of the astonished expression on the other's face—obviously, he didn't expect Zhou Yi, who always passed the ball back and forth in front of the penalty area, to actually...go for the penalty area behind him!

"Zhou Yi! Breakthrough!" Liu Hong exclaimed.

In his exclamation, Zhou Yi charged into the penalty area.

His sudden start and breakthrough really surprised the Australian players, so their reaction was half a beat slow, and when they wanted to rush up, they saw Zhou Yi tilt his body to the left and raise his right foot, as if he was going to pass the ball to the right!

Australian defender Neill, who was standing in front of him, quickly glanced over there, and there was indeed an opening!

Thinking of Zhou Yi's accurate and deadly passes, Neill, who originally wanted to pounce on him, hesitated, should he cut off this passing route first?

His body tilted towards the opening.

Seeing the other party tilt, Zhou Yi's right foot landed, but instead of passing the ball, he... lightly hooked it to the left!

He squeezed past Neill's back just like that!

Seeing Zhou Yi suddenly change direction and break through, Neill instinctively wanted to reach out and trip Zhou Yi, but after reaching out with his hands and feet, he realized that he was now on the edge of the penalty area, a very, very sensitive place. If he fouled here, there was a high probability that a penalty would be awarded!

With such a flash of thought in his mind, Neill's hands and feet froze in the air, and he could only watch Zhou Yi break in!

Zhou Yi just took the ball into the penalty area!

At this time, the Australian players woke up as if from a dream and turned around to pounce on him.

If viewed from the air, Zhou Yi was like a humanoid magnet, instantly attracting all the Australian players around him who were of the opposite polarity.

At this time, the Australian penalty area was almost empty, and Zhou Yi could pass to anyone and create a shooting opportunity.

But Zhou Yi didn't pass the ball. Instead, he shot with one foot before the encirclement closed!

The ball drilled out from the gaps between the feet of the crowd, rolling along the turf towards the near corner of the goal!

Schwarzer saw the ball rolling out of the encirclement and quickly fell to the ground to make a side save, but the ball kicked out by Zhou Yi was faster...

When he fell completely to the ground, the ball had already rolled into the goal behind him...

In the one hundredth minute, the Chinese team took the lead!

"Zhou Yi! Zhou Yi! Zhou Yi—!!!" Liu Hong roared hysterically, recklessly. "Beautiful! Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!! 2:1! The Chinese team took the lead! They took the lead against Australia in extra time!! They have a chance to defeat their opponents and enter the finals!! Every time at the last moment of the game, Zhou Yi, who was originally physically exhausted, often has amazing performances. I think this kind of moment can simply be defined as 'Zhou Yi Time'!"

In front of the TV, countless Chinese fans were equally hysterical.

Zhou Jianliang was among them, his face flushed red from shouting, and veins popping out on his neck.

Having been a Chinese football fan for so many years, when was the last time he felt so happy?

He had long forgotten...

※※※

After scoring the goal, Zhou Yi drilled out from a group of stunned Australian players, only to run headfirst into Gao Lin.

Gao Lin hugged him and then knocked him to the ground, followed by Hao Junmin pressing on top of him, and more Chinese players were on their way, screaming excitedly, like teenage girls seeing their idols.

The Chinese team players on the bench also rushed out of their seats like a flock of startled birds. The waving arms were like fluttering wings.

Gao Hongbo clenched his fists in front of his chest and waved them vigorously. Behind him were the coaching staff members who were already hugging each other.

Everyone was venting their emotions to the fullest, roaring recklessly until their voices were hoarse.