Sun Pan was ultimately sent off, but the rules required someone to guard the goal, so the Chinese team had to substitute a player on the field to allow backup goalkeeper Zeng Cheng to enter the game.

So Gao Lin, who had started the game, only played for ten minutes before being dejectedly taken off.

But the Chinese team's losses didn't stop there. The team's head coach, Lippi, was also sent to the stands by the referee for protesting too vehemently.

Now the Chinese team was down a man on the field, and the coaching staff was missing its most important member, and they'd been penalized with a penalty kick...

Many Chinese fans' hearts sank to the bottom.

Then Marc Wagner personally took the penalty kick and scored, putting the Chinese team behind 0-1.

This goal and the previous conflict completely disrupted the Chinese team's players' emotions. When the game restarted, many couldn't concentrate on the game.

And the German team seized this opportunity, scoring two goals in two minutes in the twenty-third and twenty-fourth minutes.

Changing the score to 3-0!

In the twenty-sixth minute, the German team scored another goal, 4-0!

Liu Jianhong fell silent in the commentary box, and the Chinese team fans in front of the television also fell silent.

The Germans on the field were celebrating their fourth goal, and not far away, the Chinese players were hanging their heads.

Although the game had only started for twenty-six minutes, in the eyes of many, the Chinese team had been publicly sentenced to death. They were finished, this semi-final was over, and the German team had become the first team to enter the final...

After taking a four-goal lead, the German team's offensive rhythm finally slowed down. Perhaps they also felt that this was enough for them to win the game.

Although they slowed down the pace, the situation on the field was still firmly under their control.

Until the end of the first half, the score did not change again, 4-0, Germany led.

"I know the situation is difficult, but we still hope to see the Chinese team's lads not give up easily. The game isn't over yet, even if they're behind by four goals..." Liu Jianhong said weakly, not even believing his own words. Being behind by four goals was just too difficult, and the Chinese team was also down a man, and the head coach couldn't direct them from the sidelines.

The television broadcast gave each of the Chinese players leaving the field a close-up, and every Chinese team player who appeared on the screen had their head down, walking quickly into the tunnel. Behind them were the German fans' excited songs and shouts.

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When the Chinese team players entered the locker room, Sun Pan was in there. He had recovered from the anger of being sent off, but his mood wasn't good. After all, he had seen the news of his team conceding four goals in a row in the locker room.

He wanted to apologize to his teammates for his mistake, but Zhou Yi stopped him: "It's not your fault, Pan Pan. You had no choice but to foul on that play."

Sun Pan opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but Zhou Yi interrupted him with a gesture: "Alright, no need to say anything more. Everyone knows what the situation is like, I think I don't need to say it. It's a bit ironic to think about it now, yesterday we specifically held a meeting to unify our thinking and give them a good fight... but now..."

Hearing Zhou Yi say this, everyone's mood in the locker room became even lower.

But Zhou Yi's voice suddenly rose: "But this is not a reason for us to give up. I know that there are many difficulties in front of us. Any one of these difficulties is enough for others to lose the game with peace of mind. But that's other people, not us. Being behind by four goals is nothing, really, it's nothing, I'm not just saying this to make it sound easy. Everyone, who among you has experienced despair?"

His rhetorical question stunned everyone in the locker room, and then Yang Muge suddenly raised his head, opened his mouth as if wanting to speak, but in the end he didn't say anything.

"I have experienced it, everyone. I have experienced despair, and more than once. I have experienced a game in which we conceded four goals in the first half, I really have. When I was at Borussia Dortmund, I participated in the Champions League for the first time, and we conceded four goals in just forty-five minutes in the group stage away game against Inter Milan..."

This time, not only Yang Muge, but Sun Pan, Guo Nu, and He Ying also raised their heads and looked at Zhou Yi.

They all remembered that game. At that time, they watched the live broadcast of the game in front of the television and discussed it in the group. Although they were not on the field, they could feel the suffocating despair.

"But in the end, we tied them 4-4, in their home stadium!" Zhou Yi said. "What's being behind by four goals? As long as all of us don't give up, we can create miracles! Football is round, friends, no one has stipulated that when we are behind by four goals at halftime, we have to surrender in advance. The final result depends only on our subsequent efforts, and not on the score in the first half."

"I don't plan to surrender now, I want to continue to work hard, I'm not willing to admit defeat so early. I will fight until the last moment, and I firmly believe that we can tie the score!"

Yang Muge raised his hand: "I won't give up either, I have also experienced despair."

He Ying also raised his hand: "I won't surrender, I will fight until the last moment."

Guo Nu raised his hand, his face flushed red: "I, I, I..."

Zhou Yi waved his hand at him: "Alright, Lao Guo, we all know what you mean, you don't need to say it."

But Guo Nu stubbornly finished the sentence in a staccato manner: "I! Will! Not! Give! Up!"

Sun Pan raised his hand: "I'll cheer you on from here!"

Zheng Zhi raised his arm: "Now we have nothing to worry about, in this situation, there is only one way to go, and that is to fight them!"

"Fight!!"

A huge shout erupted in the locker room.

※※※

Lippi stood outside the locker room, his translator Wen Shudang standing next to him. They had originally planned to push the door and enter the locker room.

But listening to the shouts that kept ringing from inside, Lippi didn't do so.

"Wait a little longer..." he said to his translator. "Don't go in now, don't disturb them."

Although he couldn't understand Chinese, he could still feel that the players were encouraging each other in the locker room from the momentum.

"I had originally prepared the words to comfort and encourage them, but now it seems that I don't need to say that." He smiled. "Then let me return to the essence of a coach and contribute to them tactically..."

After the voices in the locker room became quieter, Lippi opened the door to the locker room.

He looked at the Chinese team players in the room, who were still a little excited, raised his hand and greeted them: "Lads, I'm very happy to see you so high-spirited. First of all, I want to apologize to you for my impulsiveness in the game... But now, let's put what has already happened aside and focus on the game. There are still forty-five minutes left, from now on, please treat these forty-five minutes as your World Cup final... If we want to counterattack in the second half, we must score as soon as possible..."

※※※

In the German national team's locker room, the atmosphere seemed very relaxed.

Faced with such a large score advantage, head coach Löw couldn't keep a straight face at the players.

The German team played very well in the first half. In the second half, the Chinese team would not only continue to be short a man, but they also wouldn't have a head coach on the sidelines to direct them. Wouldn't a four-goal lead be enough to help the German team win the game?

Marc sat in his seat, watching his teammates who were gleeful in the locker room.

A four-goal lead at halftime, and the opponent was short a man and a head coach. It was normal for everyone to be happy because it meant that they had almost half a foot in the World Cup final.

But for some reason, Marc just felt that the current situation was wrong, it shouldn't be like this.

He searched around and found his teammates from Borussia Dortmund, Hummels, Großkreutz, and Durm.

Then he walked up to them.

"I said... I'm always worried that we're celebrating too early." Marc said in a low voice.

"What's there to worry about? We're leading by four goals!" Durm didn't understand where Marc's worries came from.

"We're not only leading in the score, we're also leading in numbers! I know that Zhou Yi will definitely be very sad if he loses the game. When I get back to Dortmund, I'll take him to a nightclub to relax, as compensation, ha!" Großkreutz was very happy at the thought of being able to participate in the World Cup final with the team.

Marc saw that his teammates were so relaxed, he was still worried, so he said: "I think we should still be careful in the second half, after all, it's not Zhou Yi who was sent off... Have you all forgotten that we also had a situation where we were behind by four goals in the first half at the club? But in the end, we tied it 4-4, and the person who directed that game was Zhou Yi!"

Hummels patted Marc on the shoulder: "I understand your worries, Marc. But the Chinese team is not Borussia Dortmund, and I know the game you're talking about, it's the group stage game between us and Inter Milan in the Champions League. But we didn't have fewer players than Inter Milan in that game."

He seemed to have convinced Marc, and Marc stopped talking.

But in fact, the indescribable worry in Marc's heart did not disappear. At the thought of Zhou Yi, with his understanding of his good friend, Marc couldn't celebrate as carefree as his teammates.

He hoped that he was overthinking things this time.

But when the second half of the game started, Marc felt that he was probably right.

Because the Chinese team in front of him was completely different from the Chinese team that had been completely crushed in the first half, there was a big change!

In the fifty-third minute, less than ten minutes into the second half, Yang Muge intercepted the ball in midfield, stealing the ball from Özil's feet. Then he passed the ball to Zhou Yi, who immediately made a direct pass, passing the ball to Yan Min, who had switched to the right wing.

After breaking through on the right wing with his speed, Yan Min crossed the ball.

He sent in a very accurate cross.

The ball flew towards the penalty spot.

He Ying ran diagonally and jumped high, wanting to head the ball, but under Boateng's close interference, he didn't head the ball, and the ball fell towards the penalty spot.

Just as the Chinese fans were feeling sorry for He Ying's miss, Zhou Yi, who had been running forward after passing the ball, arrived just in time. Facing the flying ball, he swung his right foot!

Bang!

His right instep solidly struck the ball!

The ball flew towards the goal like a cannonball!

Neuer, despite diving to make a save and touching the ball, was caught off guard by Zhou Yi's sudden shot, and coupled with the power, Neuer deflected the ball, but the ball still plunged into the goal!

At that moment, the air in the Mineirão Stadium seemed to freeze, and the Chinese fans in front of the television jumped up.

Liu Jianhong, after being stunned, hysterically shouted: "Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal!!! Goal!!! Zhou Yi scored a goal for the Chinese team! Now we are only behind by three goals! And the second half has just begun! There is still a chance!!"

After scoring the goal, Zhou Yi didn't celebrate at all, but rushed to the goal, wanting to get the ball, but He Ying had already completed this task before him. Seeing this, Zhou Yi turned around and ran back, and called on his other teammates to go back and prepare to continue the game.

The second half had just begun, and the Chinese team had scored a goal, and hope was reignited in their hearts.

And Marc looked at Zhou Yi's back as he called his teammates, and couldn't help but think of that Champions League group stage game.

He turned his head to look at his teammate Hummels. Hummels was actually not far from Zhou Yi when Zhou Yi shot, but he didn't react at all, and could only watch Zhou Yi complete the shot.

Hummels' face now showed a hint of horror, completely different from the Hummels he had seen in the locker room.

Although the German team was still leading by three goals, Marc's worst fears had probably already begun to happen...

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ps, the third update will be at six o'clock in the afternoon