Lin Hai Ting Tao

Chapter 515 Locked on an Olympic Medal

Infighting Raphael and Juan were quickly separated by the arriving referee, Clattenburg, and then their teammates also came over. Captain Thiago Silva rebuked them mercilessly, "What are you doing! The game is still going on, and we're still behind! How can you have internal strife in public!"

But Thiago Silva's reprimand didn't have much effect. Although Juan and Raphael were separated by their teammates, they still glared at each other, with no intention of letting the matter drop.

Being two goals behind the Chinese team made many people lose their composure, and they couldn't think like normal people anymore.

So after the game resumed, Raphael was replaced by coach Meneses.

The attacking player Lucas was brought on.

In the final moments of the game, Meneses was making a last-ditch effort.

Neymar was also recklessly charging at the Chinese team's defense, but whether it was Neymar, Lucas, or anyone else, the Brazilian players mostly chose to go it alone after getting the ball, without thinking about teamwork.

With their excellent individual skills, they could indeed pose a certain threat to the Chinese team's goal, but more often than not, Brazil's attacking opportunities were squandered and wasted.

In the ninety minutes, the Brazilian team still failed to score.

The fourth official raised the sign for stoppage time, which lasted for five minutes.

The Chinese fans in the stands booed, just because of this long stoppage time.

He Ping didn't want to discuss the issue of stoppage time anymore, he just encouraged the team loudly, "Come on! There are five minutes left, hold on, young men of the national Olympic team! You are only five minutes away from a brand new history!"

After the stoppage time started, the Brazilian team's counterattack was like a monstrous wave. The Chinese team all shrank back, huddled in front of their own goal, forming a Great Wall of flesh and blood, using their bodies to block Brazil's desperate struggle.

But they conceded a goal just as stoppage time began, still failing to completely shut out their opponents.

In the ninety-first minute, Marcelo made a long pass directly from the backcourt, and Damião jumped up and headed the ball to Hulk, who cut in on the right. Hulk broke into the penalty area and shot powerfully from eight meters away on the right side of the goal.

This time, although Sun Pan's fingers touched the ball, the "Green Giant's" shot was too powerful. The ball broke through his blockade and flew into the goal from the upper corner...

"Hulk——!!" the Brazilian commentator roared, drawing out the sound, "gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooL!!"

The increasingly silent Brazilian fans at Old Trafford collectively erupted, like a dormant volcano erupting, venting all the emotions accumulated for ninety minutes.

After scoring, Hulk didn't choose to celebrate, but rushed into the Chinese team's goal amid the cheers, and then picked up the ball in front of everyone and ran towards the center circle.

His teammates rushed up to hug him, and then ran with him towards the center circle.

"1:2! Brazil pulled back a goal! There are still four minutes left, as long as they score another goal, they can drag the game into extra time! This will be a devastating blow to the morale of the Chinese team!" Mark Lawrenson shouted excitedly, seemingly anticipating extra time.

He Ping's tone was anxious, "It's really unlucky! The Chinese team's defense was distracted at that moment, and our left back Zhou Yun failed to keep up with Hulk! Now with only one goal lead, and four minutes left in the game, the situation is very critical!"

The hearts of Chinese fans in front of the TV and computer were in their throats. No one could watch the live broadcast of the game sitting down anymore. Everyone stood up, staring nervously at the TV and computer screens.

The broadcast gave close-ups of many players from both sides.

The Brazilian players were jubilant, while Zhou Yun on the Chinese team looked very frustrated and painful. He was directly responsible for this goal, because the area where Hulk broke through was his defensive zone, but he was attracted to Damião and completely missed Hulk.

The TV broadcast cut again, to the Chinese team's captain Zhou Yi, who was clapping his hands hard and shouting something, but the scene was noisy, and there was no microphone where he was, so people watching the live broadcast couldn't hear what Zhou Yi was shouting.

Zhou Yi was encouraging everyone: "It's just a last-ditch effort, there's nothing to be afraid of, just play according to our rhythm!"

Sun Pan, who lost the goal, gritted his teeth: "I swear this is their last goal!"

※※※

The atmosphere of the game became more and more tense after Hulk scored. The Brazilian fans in the stands kept cheering to cheer for the Brazilian team. The Chinese fans, who were fewer in number, were at a disadvantage at this moment, but the Chinese fans in the stands at Old Trafford did not retreat because of this. They were still shouting: "Go China! Go China!"

In the cheering of the fans of both sides, the Brazilian team's offense became more and more frantic, but at the same time, the loopholes in their defense became more and more.

In the third minute of stoppage time, Zhou Yi cleared the ball in the backcourt, and he kicked the ball directly to the frontcourt with a big foot. He Ying gritted his teeth and chased after it. Although he might not get the ball, he was unwilling to let the Brazilians easily get the ball and launch a counterattack. His rushing out might mean that the Chinese team would have one less person in the backcourt, but he knew very well that his role in the backcourt was definitely not as great as it was now. If he could catch up with the ball, he could threaten the Brazilian team's goal and delay a little time.

"He Ying! He's still chasing!" He Ping shouted hoarsely, he also knew that if He Ying could catch up with the ball, it would mean that the Chinese team could buy more time.

Finally, He Ying dared to stretch his foot in front of Juan to stop the ball, and then took advantage of the situation to change direction and accelerate into the penalty area!

At that moment, the cheers of the Chinese team's fans in the stands suddenly increased, overriding the Brazilian fans.

He Ying, who broke into the penalty area, shot, and the ball flew out, grazing the near post!

"Oh! What a pity! Otherwise He Ying would have sealed the victory!" He Ping shouted regretfully.

He Ying, who had finished shooting, fell in the penalty area and didn't get up to quickly return to defense—he had a cramp, which was rare…

However, the Brazilian team did not suspend the game because of this. Gabriel turned around to find the ball boy outside the baseline almost at the same time as the ball flew out of the baseline.

The ball boy didn't know if he was a supporter of Brazil, but he cooperated very well and immediately threw the ball to him. He didn't even bother to place it properly, he just put it on the ground and kicked the ball out with a big foot!

At this time, He Ying was still lying on the ground and hadn't gotten up yet, and the Brazilian team's attack had already developed to the Chinese team's half.

The Chinese fans in the stands booed, protesting the Brazilian team's unsportsmanlike behavior. He Ping also condemned the Brazilian players.

But to be honest, who would care about abiding by sportsmanship at this time? If the Chinese and Brazilian sides were reversed, I'm afraid the Chinese team's players would not pay attention to Neymar lying in their penalty area either. Who knows if the Brazilians are feigning injury to delay time?

Wu Lei raised his hand and shouted to the referee, indicating that a Chinese team player was injured and down, hoping he would suspend the game.

But the referee ignored him. Zhou Yi, while running towards the Brazilian players, did not forget to roar at Wu Lei: "What are you doing?! Focus on defense!"

The Brazilian team had already launched an attack to the edge of the Chinese team's penalty area. Hulk crossed from the right, and Neymar jumped up at the far post to head the ball!

Neymar is not a player who is good at heading, but this time his header was of high quality. He not only suppressed Zhou Yun in the air, but also solidly headed the ball.

The ball he headed flew towards the front post!

"This is a very high-quality header!" Mark Lawrenson exclaimed.

But before he finished speaking, Sun Pan, who was in the air, slapped the ball out with one palm.

"Sun Pan! Well done! A brilliant save!" This time it was He Ping's cheers. "This may be a save that determines the outcome of the game!"

Watching his header being saved by Sun Pan, Neymar, who had just landed, held his head in his hands, widened his eyes, and couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The Chinese players around him all raised their arms and cheered for Sun Pan's save.

Sun Pan got up from the ground and roared: "I said you will never score again!"

He roared at Neymar, but Neymar didn't respond, because he was no longer in the mood to care about what the Chinese players were shouting. His mind was now filled with the thought that the huge shadow of failure was looming over his head.

This was his best and possibly last chance in this game, but his header, which was almost comparable to Pele's header towards the English goal back then, encountered a save that could be compared to the save of the century by the English goalkeeper Banks back then…

Sun Pan's save completely extinguished the Brazilian team's hope of equalizing the score, and Neymar's header was also the Brazilian team's last shot of the entire game.

The subsequent corner kick was taken, and Sun Pan directly摘了下来 (caught it out of the air), and the Chinese team did not give Brazil any more chance.

At the fifth minute and thirty-first second of stoppage time, the referee Clattenburg blew the whistle to end the game!

"The——game——is——over——!!!" He Ping stretched out his voice and shouted every word. "Congratulations to the national Olympic team! Congratulations to them! They have entered the final, and the Chinese men's football team will win the first Olympic medal in history!"