When Pete Williams stood in front of the penalty spot, England commentator Matthew Cox was so excited that his voice even trembled:
"The England team got a penalty kick opportunity! In this case, the game may end in regular time!"
In fact, going from the top 16 to the top eight is not worthy of being so excited by a seasoned commentator.
Mainly because the process of this game was too ups and downs.
From the opening, England took the lead to score, and then the Chinese team chased two goals in a row to take the lead. Then England also chased two goals in a row and took the lead again. Eighty minutes into the game, the score was still 3:2. Many England fans
Everyone thought that the England team would win this game, but they didn't expect that the Chinese team would equalize the score again with this cross ball that almost went out of bounds.
When the competition reaches this point, it feels normal for whoever can advance, but it also means that it becomes extremely difficult to advance.
The score is now 3:3, and the game time has exceeded the injury time. Considering the red card for the penalty kick, the interruption time is a bit long. The referee may make up some time as appropriate, but it will definitely not be too long.
So the penalty kick at this time is an opportunity that can determine the outcome of the game.
It’s a real kill!
After Pete started his run-up, Matthew Cox shouted: "Pete!"
Then he didn't say anything, because Peter's run-up time was indeed a bit long...
But he knew this was putting pressure on the Chinese team’s goalkeeper!
So he also cooperated.
Until Pete kicked the ball and shot, he yelled again: "Shoot!"
Then he widened his eyes and watched Lin Zhiyuan block the football!
Before he could get upset, he saw the football hit the goal post and bounce back to the goal.
Matthew Cox cheers up again: "There's still a chance!"
Pete Williams rushed towards the spot where the football landed and headed the ball back!
Lin Zhiyuan had no time to get up...
It's always there now, right?
No!
I don’t know if Pete Williams’ header was too straight or if Lin Zhiyuan’s foot was stretched too long...
Anyway, the football was blocked by Lin Zhiyuan with his feet!
There is no chance for a follow-up shot this time.
The football flew high into the air, over the crossbar, and landed on the top net above the goal.
Matthew Cox in the commentary box held his head in his hands, speechless and a little depressed.
He Feng, who was diagonally behind him, suddenly stood up from his seat, knocked over the chair behind him, and while wearing a headset, he waved his fists vigorously:
"Lin Zhiyuan!! He made the save! Wonderful save! Incredible two consecutive saves! He made a contribution!! He made a contribution! He lived up to Wang Guangwei's red card! Beautiful!! Beautiful!! The Chinese team is still alive! England did not kill
Kill us! No!!!”
Yan Kang next to him stood up and shouted like him: "This save made Lin Zhiyuan the hero of the Chinese team! It also made Wang Guangwei, who was sent off with a red card for intentional handball in the penalty area, the hero of the Chinese team! They worked together to stop it.
England's stunning victory... and twice! Ah - unbelievable! Unbelievable!!"
There was a commotion at the commentary box, with commentators from all over the world exclaiming.
"The Chinese are back to life! The game is going into overtime!"
"The craziest screenwriter couldn't write such a script! A red card plus a penalty kick, Wang used a foul to prevent England from scoring a goal. Now Lin used an incredible two consecutive saves to prevent another!"
"The Chinese team is so tenacious! This is their first knockout match in the World Cup in history, but you can't see the feeling of a novice at all. It's like they have reached the top 16 in every World Cup... It's amazing, it's so
Amazing! This game completely refreshed my understanding of the Chinese team and Chinese football!"
"Lin Zhiyuan saved Peter's penalty! The Chinese team retained the hope of staying in the World Cup! They used practical actions to win glory for Asian football! The real 'Light of Asia'!"
…
There are many, many more shouts and compliments like this.
In this World Cup, the Chinese team has actually surprised many people and broke their past stereotypes. However, whether it was a 3:0 victory over the defending champion or a 3:1 victory over Nigeria in the key group qualifying match, they did not succeed.
This quarter-final is even more shocking.
The game was back-and-forth with the top favorite of this World Cup, the only team that had won three consecutive group matches and scored the most goals. In the last minute of the game, one player was sent off with a red card, forcing them to a desperate situation...
They haven't lost yet when the whole world thinks they should lose.
Everyone watched them slipping from the edge of the cliff, thinking that the Chinese team would definitely die this time. However, when they rushed to the edge of the cliff, they found a tree sticking out from the edge of the cliff. The Chinese team just grabbed the trunk of the tree with both hands and hung up.
Outside the cliff.
Although it is extremely dangerous, it has not fallen yet!
※※※
"My day!!"
"Nice! Lin Zhiyuan is awesome!"
“The Chinese team is awesome!”
"Niubi Niubi! Zhenjier Niubi!"
In the living room of Chu Yifan's house, everyone was roaring and yelling at the top of their lungs, using all their strength to vent the tense, desperate, painful and suppressed emotions just now.
Not only them, but at this moment in China, huge cheers and all kinds of swear words erupted in countless living rooms, late-night food stalls, bars, cinemas, and KTV private rooms.
The same is true on the Internet.
"Fuck! Lin Zhiyuan's ball...fuck! Awesome! Fuck!!"
“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!!”
"I turned off the fucking TV, but then I heard the roar from the building opposite, so I quickly turned on the TV... What the hell did I miss!"
"Awesome! Lin Zhiyuan saved the Chinese team and Wang Guangwei!"
"What nonsense? Lin Zhiyuan and Wang Guangwei worked together to save the Chinese team!"
"Yes, yes, I was wrong. It was Lin Zhiyuan and Wang Guangwei who saved the Chinese team! They are both heroes of Chinese football!"
"It's so funny! Before this penalty kick, Lin Hai heard Tao post on Weibo that the Chinese team was definitely eliminated this time. He even wrote a eulogy... Now everyone is running to thank him for shining a bright light on the Chinese team! Hahaha
!”
"The Chinese team is awesome! I don't care what our results are at the end of this World Cup. With this game and this performance, they are my heroes!"
"Fuck, Wang Guangwei didn't go back to the locker room?"
In the TV broadcast, footage of Wang Guangwei appeared again.
When Pete Williams took the penalty kick, others were at the tunnel entrance of Pirates Park. Instead of going in, they stood with their backs to the field and waited nervously.
When there was a huge noise in the stadium, he couldn't tell the specific result of the ball from the sound for a while.
At this time, there were Chinese fans in the stands next to the entrance to the players' tunnel, yelling at him and telling him the result.
So he immediately turned around and ran outside, and he did see that the Chinese team players were celebrating, not the English players.
For a moment, he excitedly wanted to rush onto the court to celebrate with his teammates. After only two steps, he remembered that he had already been sent off and was not allowed to set foot on the football field according to the rules.
So he stopped again, and then looked into the distance at his teammates who were rushing towards Lin Zhiyuan, celebrating alone.
Spin in circles, jump, wave your fists, then bring them back to your chest, hold them hard, and tremble slightly.
If you can't find others to hug you, you can only hug yourself.
His face was still stained with tears, but now he was smiling so happily.
"Team King! Team King..."
In a bar in Jincheng, Wu Yue and his former teammates from the Jiaxiang High School football team did not cheer along with the others around them. Instead, they cried loudly and called for their old captain.
"Those bastards in Dongchuan owe us, the King, another favor!"
※※※
When he saw the football go over the crossbar and fly out, Pete Williams, who completed the follow-up shot, stood in front of the goal with his hands raised and clasped behind his head, staring blankly at the scene.
Someone bumped him from behind, causing his body to tilt slightly. Someone bumped him from the other side, knocking his body right again.
All the Chinese team players ran past him and pounced on Lin Zhiyuan.
In front of him, the goalkeeper of the Chinese team had just stood up from the ground when he was knocked to the ground by the swarming teammates.
A group of people just jumped into the goal.
They cheered and screamed, mixed with the few Chinese words that Peter could understand:
What's Up!
New Bee!
But Peter's brain had lost the ability to think, and he had no reaction at all to everything he saw and heard.
Until Johnson Law came up and hugged him, pulling him away from the celebrating Chinese team players and comforting him: "It's okay, Pete! It's okay! We haven't lost yet, there are still thirty minutes of overtime, you
Cheer up! Cheer up! Don't be affected by this penalty!"
Although he wears the captain's armband on his arm, Peter is only twenty-five years old after all.
It's hard to say whether a twenty-five-year-old young man can handle such tremendous pressure...
There will definitely be thirty minutes of overtime in this game. As the core of the team's midfield, Pete Williams must quickly adjust his mentality, otherwise the team will be in danger after entering overtime.
Pete Williams' performance before missing the penalty kick was impeccable. There is no need to blame him just because he missed the penalty kick.
At least, he is not a sinner in England.
After Johnson Law dragged Pete Williams out of the Chinese team's penalty area, other England players also came up to comfort Pete.
On the other side, the crazy celebration of the Chinese team players is coming to an end.
Everyone got together and took this opportunity to unify their thoughts.
Although captain Wang Guangwei is no longer on the court, Lin Zhiyuan seems not qualified to speak to everyone as captain.
But this is not a problem. This Chinese team does not need someone to be a leader now. Each of them has enough self-awareness.
Chen Xingyi said: "Okay, okay, there are still thirty minutes in the game, everyone calm down. If someone gets one in overtime, we will be in trouble!"
Luo Kai nodded in agreement: "That's right, and we still have one person missing. It will definitely be difficult to play in overtime! Keep your spirits up and concentrate!"
Liu Yan and Cai Shuyi simultaneously stated: "We will never let the England team score another goal until our death!"
Lin Zhiyuan stretched out his left hand that saved Pitt's penalty: "I feel that I am in very good condition today. You can rest assured to leave the back to me!"
When Hu Lai saw this, he folded his hands up.
Lin Zhiyuan was a little surprised, but he didn't pull his hand back.
Xia Xiaoyu followed Hu Lai and put his hand up.
Then one by one, everyone put their hands on top of each other.