As the Chinese team players finished celebrating and slowly returned to their own half.
Luo Kai lowered his head and carefully felt the touch from his left ankle with every step he ran.
His left foot came down heavily, and then when he raised his right leg, he shifted all his body weight to his left foot and took a heavy step.
There was no obvious discomfort from the ankle.
Only then did he feel relieved.
Fortunately, when I made the pass just now, my ankle was strong.
If the old injury chooses to relapse at that time, everything will be over...
Chen Xingyi, who was running back with his teammates, noticed Luo Kai's slightly strange running movements and the way he lowered his head, and quickly figured out why Luo Kai did this.
So he sped up and ran to Luo Kai's side, and when running back side by side with him, he asked him: "How are you, is your injury okay?"
Luo Kai raised his head and glanced at him, shook his head and said, "It's nothing."
"Hey, that's good!" Chen Xingyi grinned, "Thanks to that kick of yours, otherwise I would have been scolded to death. Now that I have scored, I can say that I kicked it there with premeditation.
, Ha! Don’t let anything slip during the post-game interview!”
Luo Kai was amused by Chen Xingyi's shameless look. He didn't say anything anymore and just ran back to the half court with Chen Xingyi. Then when they crossed the midline, they parted ways.
One person goes to the right and one person goes to the left.
The wings of the Chinese team are finally flying.
※※※
While the Chinese team was celebrating the goal crazily, England head coach Ryan Jackson on the sidelines could not be bothered by the goal, nor could he bother to debate whether the ball should exist or not.
He has made the decision to make substitutions and adjustments.
But it's not about strengthening defense.
Generally speaking, when the opponent equalizes the score and is in full swing, if you want to make adjustments, you should also strengthen your defense to avoid being allowed to score another goal in a short period of time, thereby killing the opponent.
But Ryan Jackson did the opposite and stepped up his offense.
I have to say that this head coach is indeed different from most head coaches, so much so that it makes people wonder if he has a good relationship with Leeds City head coach Tony Clark in private...
When the game just resumed, the England team completed the substitutions.
Ryan Jackson replaced the team's captain, midfielder Connor Kirk, with young striker William Sutton.
In order to seize the time, Kirk did not run to give the captain's armband to second captain Johnson Law, but simply put it on the arm of Pete Williams nearby.
Then he trotted off the court.
After being equalized by the Chinese team, the English team was not thinking about how to maintain the tie, but how to kill the Chinese team before the end of the game.
So they can't waste time on substitutions.
Almost by chance, the Chinese team also made substitutions.
Zhang Qinghuan, whose physical fitness declined significantly, was replaced.
He was replaced by midfielder Gao Ruimin.
Although Dillon removed an attacking midfielder and replaced him with a defensive midfielder, it does not mean that he is trying to stabilize the defense.
Because while replacing Gao Ruimin, he also pushed Chen Xingyi and Luo Kai to the front line.
As a result, the Chinese team's formation became a slightly strange 334.
Under normal circumstances, when people talk about the numbers of the formation, the back line is in front. For example, 433, that is four backs, three midfielders, and three forwards. 352, that is three backs, five midfielders.
field, two forwards. England played 451 in this game, which is four defenders, five midfielders and a single forward.
The current 334 of the Chinese team is definitely not an inversion of 433. It is an inverted configuration of three defenders, three midfielders and four forwards.
It is often when a desperate situation is needed that the head coach will come up with such a bold formation.
It can be seen that Dillon also hopes to end the game within regular game time.
However, the two head coaches still maintained their sense, because they each still had one substitution on hand, which was prepared for possible overtime.
※※※
Although Hulay scored in the 84th minute of the game, it took some time to confirm whether the goal was valid, so it was not actually only six minutes before the end of the regular game.
According to the stoppage time principle of this World Cup, the final injury time may give a lot of time.
At least seven or eight minutes, maybe closer to ten minutes.
So there may still be nearly fifteen minutes before the game actually ends.
And this time is enough for both sides to score a goal.
Whoever can score at this time will be the real winner.
After the game resumed, both sides launched a fierce attack on the other side's goal.
It was the England team that took the lead. Johnson Law made a rare assist and pressed near the penalty area of the Chinese team.
Facing Chen Xingyi's tackle, he made a "fried ball" and passed Chen Xingyi, who had lost his center of gravity, and cut inside.
However, he was not able to continue to break through.
Facing Cai Shuyi's defense in the ribs, his first fake move had no effect, so Gao Ruimin next to him immediately rushed over.
Seeing that he was in danger of being double-teamed, Johnson Law temporarily changed his mind, half-turned and used the outside instep of his left foot to push the football behind him.
Jay Adams and Xia Xiaoyu rushed towards the football at the same time. In the end, Adams was one step ahead and shot directly at the ball!
The football is like a cannonball, flying towards the Chinese team's goal!
Very powerful and very fast!
So much so that goalkeeper Lin Zhiyuan could only stand there and raised his hand reflexively...
Fortunately, he chose his position well and was right on the flight path of the football.
It's just that the speed of his hand couldn't catch up with the flying speed of the football. It can be said that he was completely caught off guard and collided with the football!
The football hit his hand, jumped slightly, and finally missed...the bottom line!
"Adams shot!! What a shame!"
"Shoot! Lin Zhiyuan! Good shot! He saved the ball!"
Then the Chinese team fought back. Luo Kai got the ball from the wing, cut inside, took two steps, and suddenly shot from about 33 meters away from the goal!
Even though goalkeeper Tom Walker dived sideways, he did not touch the ball.
In the end, the football hit the post and bounced back. It was cleared by the England defender.
"Luo Kai...a long shot! Hit the post!! Ah!"
He Feng shouted regretfully, as did the Chinese fans in the stands, and the English fans were so frightened that they broke into a cold sweat.
"This is our second shot in this game that hit the goal post... What's going on with the goal at Pirates Park? Don't you recognize the owner yet?" Xie Lan frowned and muttered in the stands.
But her logic soon became self-consistent. She slapped her thigh and suddenly realized: "It must be because Luo Kai shot the ball! This stadium doesn't recognize him!"
Hu Lixin was dumbfounded when she heard this. He refrained from reminding her that the Chinese team's shot that hit the post in the first half was shot by their son...
In the 89th minute of the game, Carl Gregg cut into the middle from the wing and then drove the ball into the penalty area.
Liu Yan exchanged a kick with him in the penalty area, then lost his balance and threw himself out. However, Greg half-knelt on the ground to protect the football and maintain his balance.
Then he quickly got up, faced Wang Guangwei who was up for grabs, and suddenly threw the ball out!
He wanted to catch Wang Guangwei off guard.
However, Wang Guangwei saw through it in advance and turned around to block the ball, blocking Greg and the football.
Greg couldn't stop the car and bumped into Wang Guangwei's back. The two fell to the ground at the same time, and the football was easily won by goalkeeper Lin Zhiyuan who was attacking.
Amidst huge boos, the referee's whistle sounded.
William Sutton, who was standing next to him, raised his hands to signal that Wang Guangwei had committed a foul.
But the referee gave the exact opposite gesture - he ruled that Greg had committed a foul by pushing someone from behind and awarded the Chinese team a free kick!
"There is no problem with the ball. Wang Guangwei did not commit a foul! He grasped the timing of blocking very well and got ahead of Greg. When Greg strode out with the football, he actually lost control of the football...
"
He Feng explained to the Chinese fans watching the live broadcast.
Greg was very dissatisfied with the referee's decision. After he got up from the ground, he ran to yell at the referee. In response, the referee made a gesture to him, indicating that if he criticized him too much, he would be punished.
Give him a yellow card.
Greg then closed his mouth, but the expression on his face was still angry.
At this stage of the game, if we can get a penalty kick for the team, it will be a decisive opportunity, so every penny must be counted.
It was after England's attack that the fourth official held up a stoppage time sign on the sidelines.
Seeing the stoppage time, the commentators from various countries in the commentary box said one after another:
"This game requires nine minutes of stoppage time! In the second half, the two teams scored a total of four goals. There is time for celebrations, substitutions, and VAR intervention time. Nine minutes is reasonable..."
"Both teams now have the last nine minutes to change their destiny!"
"Who would have thought that the match between England and China would be so fierce... Before the game, everyone was still more optimistic about England, but the Chinese team showed us their tenacious side!"
“Now I think it’s normal no matter who wins or loses in the end, but it’s also a pity!”
※※※
After the game entered stoppage time, both sides also realized that there was little time left in the game. If they did not want to play overtime, this was their last chance.
As a result, the offensive became more and more fierce, and defense seemed to become less important.
There is space in the back lines of both sides, it depends on who can seize it first.
The game time passed quickly in the back-and-forth attacks between the two sides.
When the nervous fans from both sides finally breathed a sigh of relief, they discovered that there were only two minutes of injury time left.
"In the 97th minute of the game, the score was still 3:3, and overtime was getting closer... The head coaches of both sides also began to call more substitute players to warm up and prepare for overtime...
"
The footage of the TV broadcast was also given to the head coaches of the two teams to let everyone see how their respective preparations were going.
But at this moment, the broadcast camera suddenly cut back to the field.
I saw Pete Williams sending a through ball from the frontcourt!
The football passed through the gap between Luo Kai and Liu Yan. At the same time, Carl Gregg on the wing quickly cut inward and got behind the Chinese team's defense!
"Ouch! Be careful!"
"Danger!"
"England's chance!"
The screams of the Chinese fans and the cheers of the English fans in the stands instantly made the air in the stadium boil!
Accompanied by the screams and noises, goalkeeper Lin Zhiyuan rushed towards Greg like a torpedo!
As soon as Greg caught up with the football, Lin Zhiyuan had already slid over. He had no time to make any other moves and could only give it a kick!
Isn't that how he poked the football into the Chinese team's goal in the first half?
But this time the football he poked out was blocked by Lin Zhiyuan who rushed over with his body!
The football hit Lin Zhiyuan's chest, bounced back, and rolled past the Chinese team defender Liu Yan who was returning to defend.
Liu Yan reflexively wanted to destroy the football, but when he kicked his legs back, he did not touch the ball.
I could only turn around and watch the football fall to the feet of Pete Williams!
At this moment, the Chinese team has an empty goal!
"Hey! Hey!" He Feng was so anxious that he could only yell, but he was speechless.
The screams and boos from the Chinese fans in the stands were even more deafening, as if a sonic attack could disturb Pete Williams.
Luo Kai rushed towards Pete Williams with all his strength and was ready to foul - this ball, even if it was a foul, would never give him a chance to kick it out!
But Peter's reaction was faster than he expected. Without any unnecessary movement, he stopped the flying football to his right, then half-turned and shot with his feet!
At this time, Lin Zhiyuan had just gotten up from the ground and was about to turn around and pounce back, but it was already too late...
Gao Ruimin, who returned to the penalty area, jumped up, looked up at the football, and reflexively... waved his arms upward!
It seemed that he wanted to block the football with his hands...but his hands couldn't reach it, and the height was still not enough!
Under everyone's gaze, the football passed over Gao Ruimin's head, fell downwards, and continued flying towards the goal behind him!
Judging from the height and trajectory of the football, it is impossible to expect the ball to fly over the crossbar. As long as no accident occurs, the ball will definitely go in!
Is the Chinese team... going to be defeated?!
Wang Guangwei, who was back in front of the goal, saw the football about to fly past him. He kicked the ground and jumped back. At the same time, he stretched his left hand towards the football!
A standard goalkeeper side dive!
When he felt his fingers touch the football, he suddenly exerted force and pushed the football sideways!
At the same time, he looked back and saw the football spinning in an obvious arc and going around... the back goal post!
Then he fell from the air and fell to the ground, keeping his head turned and looking back, motionless.
