Highlights of the Chinese Olympic team's 2:1 victory over the Spanish Olympic team in the quarter-finals of the Olympic Games appeared on the Chinese Internet.
There is a comment that well represents the views of the vast majority of Chinese fans on this game:
"I don't know whether it was the Olympic team that shocked me by defeating Spain 2:1 and reaching the Olympic semi-finals, or the corner kick tactics of the Olympic team that shocked me more..."
Regarding the corner kick tactic, someone found out a Football Association Cup match in 2023 after the game, in which Anton Flash Stars challenged Lingnan Poseidon away from home. At that time, Anton Flash Star was still a Chinese League One team, while Lingnan Poseidon was ranked sixth.
Chinese Super League team.
The disadvantaged Anton Shining Star frequently made strange moves in that game, and almost every set piece was a novel tactic with a lot of imagination.
The corner kick tactic used by the Olympic team to score goals has also appeared in that distant Football Association Cup match. It was just that Qin Lin, who was in charge of the last shot at the time, kicked the football into the sky...
Now Hu Lai took the shot and scored.
The corner kick tactics are almost exactly the same. The Olympic team copied Anton Shining Star's tactics intact.
Many fans really didn't expect that this tactic, which was just a joke, could actually be effective in international competitions. Looking at the performance of the Spanish Olympic team players after losing the ball, it was an eye-opener for them!
In addition to the corner kick tactic that surprised everyone, the result of the game was also shocking.
Although when they met the Spanish Olympic team in the quarter-finals, some fans in the country clamored to take revenge for what they had done four years ago.
But when the Olympic team actually eliminated Spain, many people were still in disbelief.
This is the runner-up in the European Youth Championship!
The overall strength of the Spanish Olympic team is definitely not weak. On the front line is Mario Salado, the best young player in Europe who plays the main role in Catalonia. On the back line is the young center back Nuno Se who has been trained by the King of Madrid.
Kairos is in charge.
At the same time, three overage players including Sevilla Navigator's main forward Rafael Herguez were also recruited.
I also went there with the intention of winning a medal, but ended up being eliminated by the Chinese Olympic team in the quarterfinals!
After the game, some Chinese fans asked this soulful question:
"Is there a possibility that...we are really strong?"
Although before the Olympic Games, some Chinese fans held an optimistic attitude and believed that the Chinese team could compete for gold and silver. Hu Lai's remarks when he and Li Qingqing participated in business activities seemed to prove that this optimistic view was justified.
But more Chinese fans still dare not place too much hope on the Chinese Olympic team. On the one hand, they do not want to lose their character. On the other hand, they really feel that with the strength of the Chinese Olympic team, it will not be a problem to qualify in the group.
It is still too difficult to get a medal.
To know what it means to win a medal at the Olympics, you have to look at "precedent":
Asian football's best result at the Olympics is a bronze medal.
They were created by the Korean Olympic Team at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the Japanese Olympic Team at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.
Among them, the leader of the Korean Olympic team in the 2016 Rio Olympics was their top talent Park Soon-tae.
It was his outstanding performance in the Olympics that helped the Korean Olympic team win a bronze medal.
It can be said that the bronze medal is the ceiling for Asian football in the Olympics.
Therefore, the vast majority of rational Chinese fans do not dare to truly believe that the Chinese Olympic team can win medals.
Even if they easily qualified in the group stage of this Olympics, they thought it was because their opponents in the group stage were too weak.
It wasn't until the Olympic team eliminated the Spanish Olympic team that most people realized that this Olympic team might really touch the ceiling of Asian football in the Olympics!
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On the line of the penalty area, the four players of the Chinese Olympic team stood in a row, just like a human wall in a free kick. But the difference from the human wall is that the players in the human wall have their backs to the goal, while they are facing
goal.
Next, Zhang Qinghuan kicked the football out of the corner flag area, and he kicked a ground ball.
The target was the four Chinese Olympic team players standing side by side in the penalty area.
The first Zhou Zijing feinted a shot, the second Xia Xiaoyu also feinted a shot, and when the third Hu Lai came, he kicked the football into the goal with his left foot.
When the football flew into the goal, the Spanish players who had gathered in front of the goal had not completely dispersed and were still gathered there.
Then the scene was frozen.
"This is the corner kick tactic used by the Chinese team in the game."
Leonardo Palladini, head coach of the Argentine Olympic team, pointed at the screen and said to the players of the Olympic team in front of him.
"Of course there was an element of luck in this goal, and it looked like a farce. But we have to see something really useful from this joke-like goal. This 'really useful thing' is... our semi-final
The opponent is difficult to deal with!"
Palladini's expression was serious and even fierce when he spoke.
"When the Chinese team faced Spain, they kept their posture very low, so they conducted very detailed tactical drills for set pieces. And this corner kick is just a microcosm of the efforts they put in behind them. I don't know what we
Will you encounter such set-piece tactics during the game? If you encounter any weird tactics, don't panic like the Spanish players, just respond normally."
As for how to deal with the Chinese team's set-piece tactics, that's actually not what Paladini wants to focus on. His focus is to warn his players not to underestimate the enemy.
"...I know that in terms of paper strength, maybe we are better than the Chinese team. But please note that I said 'maybe' in football matches. As long as our strength cannot constitute the same advantage as crushing us, we cannot say that we are better than the Chinese team."
We can definitely win. Obviously, our strength is not enough to crush this Chinese team. I don’t even have to give you an example from four years ago. The gap between the strength of the Chinese team and the Argentine team at that time was even greater than that between them and us now.
Big, but they beat us then..."
When Cantero heard the coach say this, he glanced at Melli secretly.
Then he was a little surprised to find that Merry was also looking at him.
Well, although the head coach Mr. Palladini said "not to give examples from four years ago", he still successfully evoked unpleasant memories for the only two people in the team who experienced that game four years ago...
…
"... We only have to watch their game against Spain to know that this is definitely not an opponent we can despise. Spain lost the game because they underestimated the enemy. It would be stupid if we also lost the game because we underestimated the enemy.
.I know that people in China have always thought that it was a shame that Argentina lost to China four years ago and did not even qualify for the group stage. Then I think this is an even more shameful thing than losing to them four years ago.
!”
Cantero was speechless: Didn’t the coach agree not to give examples from four years ago? But why do you have to mention the game four years ago in every paragraph...
"Besides, I don't need to remind you that there is Hu in the Chinese team's lineup, right? He is a very powerful guy. He has scored seven goals in this Olympics, which is one goal less than Straoui. But
Straui has been eliminated, and no one on the scorer list can threaten him... Although there is no scorer list in the Olympics, I just hope you know that you must maintain the necessary respect when facing the Chinese team with Hu
And take it seriously!”
Cantero secretly glanced at Melli again. This time Melli didn't look at him anymore, but stared at the coach Palladini with extremely sharp eyes.
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"Merry."
When the meeting ended and the players returned to their rooms, Cantero walked up to Melli and asked in a low voice:
"Are you dissatisfied with what Mr. Palladini said?"
Melly glanced at him: "Mr. Paladini is telling the truth, why should I be dissatisfied? I never deny Hu's excellence."
"Then the look you looked at Mr. Palladini at that time..."
"Ramon, do you know why Mr. Palladini kept mentioning our failure and Hu four years ago in his speech?" Melly turned to ask his friend.
"He...well, he hopes that we will pay attention to this opponent and not underestimate the enemy..."
"It's not just for this reason. His words were actually meant for both of us, Ramon. Because those who experienced the game four years ago and experienced the shame firsthand, we are the only ones in this team now. Paradi
Mr. Ni wants to stimulate our fighting spirit and show our best form in the semi-finals."
Melly looked at Cantero and said seriously.
"In competitions like the Olympics, there are only two days between each game, so it is difficult to make targeted arrangements and arrangements in training. Therefore, what determines the outcome of the game is not tactical adjustments, but the performance of the players on the field.
and status.”
After what he said, Cantero understood that winning the game mainly depends on the players' on-the-spot performance, so the head coach's actions are tantamount to motivating them.
But then he frowned and said: "Even if Mr. Palladini didn't say it, we would not lose our fighting spirit. You know, I have been waiting for this game for four years. Otherwise, why would I take the initiative to apply for another term?
The Olympics? Isn’t it just to have the opportunity to take revenge on Hu on the most appropriate occasion?”
Melly smiled slightly: "How could Mr. Paladini know about this kind of thing? He was just doing what a head coach should do. So I responded to Mr. Paladini with that look to reassure him,
We will give our best in the game.”
"That's right. We will go all out in the competition! This time when I shake hands with Hu before the game, I will look directly into his eyes and tell him that it is God's best to meet him again in the Olympics.
Arrange it!" Cantero's blood boiled as Melly said it.
But he made Merry pour cold water on him: "No, Ramon. This is the only thing you must not do."
Cantero: "..."
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PS, sorry, I forgot to set up automatic updates yesterday...
But I do remember what I set, and I don’t know where my memory went wrong...
Fortunately, I got up early today, otherwise I might have to wait until noon to update this chapter... [face covering]