Lin Hai Ting Tao
Chapter 749 The Powerful Zhou Yi
When Wu Lei passed the football to Zhou Yi with a scissor kick pass, Zhou Yi, eager to win, swung his right foot, ready to shoot directly.
Makoto Hasebe slid in, attempting to block Zhou Yi's shot with his body.
This scene excited fans in front of the TV and at the stadium.
Chinese fans hoped Zhou Yi would score a world-class goal—Zhou Yi's goal count wasn't high, but many were spectacular.
Japanese fans were thrilled by Hasebe's selfless slide, screaming to pour their strength into him.
But the "collision of Mars and Earth" they hoped for didn't happen.
Zhou Yi's raised right foot didn't shoot but instead hooked the football to the left.
The football brushed past Hasebe, who had slid in...
Lying on the ground, Hasebe looked back at the football in surprise, unable to believe he'd missed!
"Hasebe... didn't tackle him?!" The Japanese TV commentator's voice held a hint of surprise and... fear.
After dodging Hasebe with the hook, Zhou Yi took a step forward and tapped the football to the right with his left toe!
Just as he tapped it, Yasuyuki Konno's foot arrived, but because Zhou Yi had poked the football away beforehand, Konno's kick missed!
There was some physical contact between the two, but Zhou Yi quickly evaded, jumping up and using the outside of his right foot to flick the ball to the side that his left foot had touched, dodging Konno.
At this point, he was already on the edge of the penalty area. Hasebe was struggling to get up from the ground, and Konno? He was still stuck in place by his momentum, not reacting...
Zhou Yi was now basically in a one-on-one situation.
He directly faced the Japanese team's goal, with goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima already guarding the net.
Maya Yoshida had gone to intercept Wu Lei's cross on the wing and was now turning to run back.
Zhou Yi gently nudged the football inward with the outside of his right foot, then swung his right foot, stiffening his instep, and shot!
"Zhou Yi—!"
Duan Xin hadn't finished shouting when he saw the football fly like a cannonball toward the upper near corner of the Japanese goal.
Kawashima, who had taken two steps forward, saw Zhou Yi shoot and quickly made a diving motion. But the power of Zhou Yi's shot was too great. Kawashima didn't even have time to dive forward, he could only lean back, diving backward, stretching his arms as far as possible, hoping to push the ball over the crossbar...
At 1.85 meters tall, Kawashima was the second tallest player in the Japanese team, second only to Yoshida at 1.89 meters. But at the goalkeeper position, 1.85 meters wasn't considered particularly tall.
So, height was actually a weakness for Kawashima.
And now this weakness had become somewhat fatal—leaning back made Kawashima's already unimpressive height even less impressive. Even if he stretched his arms as far as possible, he couldn't touch the football that was soaring like a plane taking off from an aircraft carrier deck. The football passed just one centimeter above his fingertips.
Then it slammed into the underside of the crossbar, bounced down, hit the ground, bounced up again, and was caught in the net above the goal...
Goal!
"Eh! Eh! Eh!" Although Duan Xin hoped the Chinese team would score, when the goal actually came, he was a little dazed, not reacting for a moment, letting out three "eh" sounds in a row, fully expressing his surprise.
But he quickly recovered and said with a loud laugh, "Good shot! Good shot! Zhou Yi, what a shot! This goal was fantastic! It's just like a Messi goal! He beat two Japanese players in a row with a powerful shot! Clean and efficient!"
The fans at the stadium reacted even faster than Duan Xin. When the football hit the net, a huge cheer erupted in the sky above the Helong Sports Center, that cheer soaring into the clouds, booming beyond the heavens like rolling thunder.
"Long live the Chinese team!!"
※※※
After scoring, Zhou Yi confirmed that the football was in the goal, turned, and ran toward the sideline, throwing himself at Wu Lei, who had passed him the ball.
Instead of passing directly to He Ying in front of the goal, Wu Lei had cleverly passed a scissor kick pass.
Although Zhou Yi's dribbling was brilliant, he also had to thank Wu Lei for the pass.
The two embraced on the sideline, and the other teammates followed, hugging them.
They celebrated wildly near the corner flag.
Everyone knew how important Zhou Yi's goal was.
Although they were playing at home and had the advantage, if they couldn't break the deadlock and take the lead, everyone would still feel somewhat uncertain. What if Japan endured this period and then scored on us?
Such things had happened before.
So, taking the lead was a good thing, at least allowing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief for the time being.
Taking the lead could also consolidate everyone's previous psychological advantage, allowing them to play even more smoothly.
※※※
"Ah, Zhou Yi! Careful! Zhou Yi! Careful!!" As Zhou Yi dribbled past Hasebe and Konno in quick succession, the Japanese TV commentator couldn't help but scream. Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Yi shot the football into the goal. Kawashima leaned back, falling to the ground, as if he had been shot through the chest by a football-turned-bullet...
"Ah—! The ball still went in..."
The Japanese commentator sighed.
On the field, the Japanese players also felt helpless about the goal, many looking dejected in the close-up shots.
Zhou Yi's goal left them speechless—they couldn't even complain about anything.
It was a goal that combined teamwork and individual skill.
Zhou Yi's two consecutive feints to dribble past players were extremely smooth, like flowing water. He easily got past Hasebe and Konno.
This scene might not be unfamiliar to Hasebe.
When he played for Wolfsburg, he had plenty of clashes with Zhou Yi's Borussia Dortmund, and he was very clear about Zhou Yi's abilities, which was why he had selflessly used a sliding tackle to stop Zhou Yi's shot just now.
But he still couldn't stop him.
That was Zhou Yi's ability, he was speechless.
Shinji Kagawa looked at Zhou Yi, surrounded by his teammates, and thought of the first match between the two teams. Clearly, after a season, Zhou Yi had made great progress again.
In fact, this wasn't an incredible thing, just look at his achievements this season.
But it still made Kagawa feel somewhat emotional.
He had transferred to Manchester United this season, and his performance wasn't bad, but it was still a bit short of his performance at Borussia Dortmund.
He actually knew where the difference lay...
It was because he didn't have Zhou Yi by his side.
※※※
When Zhou Yi scored, Gao Hongbo on the sidelines still seemed somewhat reserved. After all, it was only a one-goal lead, and he didn't want to be too excited, in case it sent the wrong signal to his players.
Only a one-goal lead, although it was a good start, but maintaining this momentum was the greatest test of ability.
He hoped his team would avoid complacency and continue their efforts.
Next to him, Alberto Zaccheroni shook his head.
Although the result of the match against the Chinese team didn't affect whether the Japanese team could qualify for the World Cup, the result of the match against the Chinese team was still very important.
Zaccheroni didn't want his team to lose to China.
※※※
After the match restarted, the Chinese team, riding the momentum of the lead, continued to launch fierce attacks on the Japanese goal.
The Japanese team was suppressed to the point where they could only retreat and defend. Offense? They simply didn't have time to think about it, they just wanted to make sure they wouldn't concede another goal in a short period of time...
During this time, the Chinese fans were the most excited, cheering continuously. The Japanese fans were anxious.
The Chinese team continued to get shooting opportunities, forcing Kawashima to make consecutive saves.
Fortunately, there were no shots like Zhou Yi's, and although Kawashima was a little flustered, he still managed to keep all of China's shots out of the net.
The Chinese team's fierce attack continued until the end of the first half. It wasn't until the referee blew the whistle for the end of the first half that Japan's suffering ended.
Many Chinese fans were dissatisfied with the whistle blowing at this time—wasn't this ruining the atmosphere!
But the Japanese fans were clearly relieved—if China continued to attack like this, they might concede another goal!
※※※
The players of the two teams gradually left the field and returned to their respective locker rooms.
The on-site commentators handed over the microphones, leaving the work to the people in the back studio.
The Chinese TV station was generally satisfied with the team's performance in the first half, but some guests pointed out that with so many opportunities, it was a pity that they only scored one goal. If they could have scored two or three goals, wouldn't the suspense of the match be over?
Of course, this idealistic idea was just an idea, how could it be so simple?
Overall, the atmosphere in the CCTV studio was very relaxed, with the hosts and guests chatting enthusiastically about Zhou Yi's goal.
But on the Japanese TV side, the atmosphere was much more tense.
The host, who was constantly burning with the spirit of *chuunibyou* at the start of the match, couldn't maintain his *chuunibyou* in the face of this result.
Because what they saw was not just a 0-1 deficit, but also being suppressed and not having the advantage on the field.
This was what gave the Japanese hosts and guests the biggest headache.
In fact, this match was also the first time they had witnessed the strength of the current Chinese team.
The last time they played, the Chinese team wasn't in its best condition, with incomplete personnel. Some of the five overseas dragons were in poor form, and some didn't start.
But now, after a season of training, everyone was in the best condition, both in terms of ability and form.
At this time, the Japanese realized that the opponent they had always looked down upon had become so strong...
"Are we going to lose?" The decorative female host couldn't help but ask a question, leaving the professional guests unsure how to answer, and the male host unsure how to smooth things over.