Ricardo Barea has just finished exchanging jerseys with Luo Kai.
They held each other's jerseys in their hands and were naked from the waist up. They were not in a hurry to say goodbye and were still communicating with each other.
The main reason is that they are all in the mood to communicate - if Portugal is eliminated, I'm afraid they won't be in the mood to stand on the court and chat.
The Peruvian team won a penalty kick in the 84th minute, and then scored a penalty kick in the 89th minute to equalize the score.
The Icelandic team protested against the penalty kick, resulting in many players receiving yellow cards. One substitute player on the bench was even sent off the field with a red card due to excessive language.
After the game resumed, the mentality of the Icelandic players was also greatly affected.
In the end, it could only draw 1:1 with Peru.
After three rounds of the group stage, they only accumulated two points and missed the qualifying stage.
Therefore, even though Portugal lost to the Chinese team 1:3, they were still able to advance to the top 16 as second in the group.
But they will face the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
"...We no longer consider whether the Netherlands is good at playing or not." Ricardo Barea smiled bitterly at Roquet. "As long as we can qualify, we are not qualified to choose our opponents."
Luo Kai comforted his friend: "In the knockout rounds, it was actually simpler. We used more defensive counterattacks. Four years ago we almost defeated the Netherlands. Now that they don't have Carey, they have nothing to fear."
Baria nodded, and then said: "It's a pity that if we want to meet again, we have to wait until the finals..."
"Then let's aim for the finals and agree to meet in the finals," Luo Kai said to Baria.
Baria was stunned for a moment, then asked: "Is this a short-term goal?"
Luo Kai nodded: "Yes, Ricardo, this is our short-term goal."
Whether or not this goal can really be achieved is actually not important.
As professional players, they know how difficult it is to reach the World Cup finals.
But this does not prevent the two of them from pursuing this goal.
Just because "target" is the "code" between the two of them.
Regardless of whether you can do it or not, you have to give everything for it.
They just use this way to remind each other that on the next road, please try your best!
※※※
"I have a question, Xiaoyu." Joao Valente asked his own question after completing the jersey exchange with Xia Xiaoyu.
"what is the problem?"
"It's just...don't you know Luisinho is going to do 'HUUUUU' during the game to celebrate his goal?"
Xia Xiaoyu shook his head: "I don't know, Brother Hu didn't tell us."
Valente wanted to cover his face: "I knew..."
"What's wrong?" Seeing his friend's behavior, Xia Xiaoyu asked him curiously.
"Are you irritated by Luisinho's action?"
"Uh...it doesn't count. After being scored on, isn't it normal to find ways to counterattack?" Xia Xiaoyu asked rhetorically.
"That's what I said, but your reaction was too extreme, wasn't it?" Valente now thinks of the offensive he faced on the back line, and still has some peace of mind.
Xia Xiaoyu laughed: "Joao, let me tell you, the fact that Brother Hu was ridiculed by Luisinho in celebration might make us all use it to tease Brother Hu repeatedly in the locker room. How could we all be being teased by Louis?
What did Signio do to offend you?"
"Then... but your offensive is indeed more intense." Valente was even more puzzled.
Facing his doubtful friends, Xia Xiaoyu said seriously:
"If our offensive makes you feel exaggerated, it's because you underestimated our pursuit of victory, João."
※※※
"Did Xia really say that? Didn't Hu tell his teammates about the agreement between him and me?"
Luisinho asked Valente.
The latter nodded to him and gave him an affirmative answer.
"Alas..." Luisinho looked at Hu Lai, who was celebrating the victory with his teammates, and sighed: "I will never use Hu's celebrations to celebrate goals again..."
Valente looked at him with wide eyes: "Actually, it's not..."
Luisinho shook his head and interrupted him, explaining: "It's not what you think, Joao. I just understand why Hu did what he did. When I asked him to do his celebration after scoring a goal,
, he must be laughing at me in his heart, right?"
"Why do you think so?" Valente didn't understand.
"He and I were rivals and enemies who were competing for the top spot in the group. But what was I doing before the game? I was trying to find ways to please my enemy."
Luisinho said this and smiled bitterly.
Valente was speechless when he heard this.
"Originally we thought I was provoking Hu by doing this, but now I know we all thought too much. How could this be a provocation? This is clearly being looked down upon."
Valente looked at Luisinho with some worry, fearing that his love and hatred for Hu Lai would lead to him going from one extreme to another.
But Luisinho didn't do that. He shifted his gaze from Hu Lai to Valente, his eyes clear and bright:
"So I decided that I would not follow Hu by imitating his celebrations. What I should inherit is not his celebrations, but his spirit. He is him and I am me. He was unwilling to go at the beginning
When I was making a backdrop for Meili, I shouldn’t think about making myself the second Hu.
"But that doesn't mean I don't respect him anymore, Joao. On the contrary, his status in my mind is higher. I will try my best to reach the top and become the best player. Then when I win the Golden Ball
When the time comes, I will thank the whole world for his influence and help on me.
"From today onwards, I am going to be myself. Who am I? I am Vasco da Silva Luisinho."
João Valente stared at the eighteen-year-old young man in front of him in stunned silence.
※※※
"...Group A has ended all the games, and the teams that can finally qualify are also freshly announced. It is no different from the prediction before the start of the World Cup. The Chinese team and Portugal qualified from this group. But the process was different from what everyone expected...
…
"Who would have thought that Portugal would need the help of Peru in the last round to qualify? Who would have thought that the Chinese team, the host country, would win all three games, score seven goals, concede only one goal, and become first in the group?
"The Iceland coach angrily criticized the referee after the game, believing that the penalty kick taken by the Peruvian team in the 84th minute did not exist. However, after repeated VAR replays, everyone saw clearly that Gudjohnsson
It was indeed a handball foul, not a passive hitter... The reason why the Icelandic team reacted so strongly is probably because the game was nearing the end, and they knew very well what a draw with Peru meant...
"The third round of the group stage of this World Cup has begun. A matter of life and death will happen repeatedly in the following games. In addition to the teams that are determined to qualify and the teams that are determined to be eliminated, most other teams still need to prepare for
Try your best to get a spot in the knockout round.
"This World Cup will also gradually tear off the ribbons and balloons used to decorate the festive atmosphere, revealing the cruel side of this sport and this event - starting from today, we will witness a lot of tears, some of which are tears of joy, and some of which are tears of joy.
Because of the grief. More and more teams, names we are familiar with, will bid farewell to this stage one by one..."
※※※
Wearing a yellow vest that symbolizes a substitute, Park Kyuhyun didn't care that he couldn't start. Instead, he firmly grabbed the arm of Kim Dongyeol who replaced him and said to him:
"Burkina Faso drew with Poland before, so we must not underestimate it!"
Kim Dong-yeol answered him enthusiastically: "Senior Park, be prepared to play in the knockout rounds!"
Park Guixian wanted to reflexively remind Kim Dongyeol not to drift off.
But he also thought:
At this time, we need fearless young people like Kim Dong-yeol...
So he gritted his teeth and said:
"Please, Donglie!"
※※※
Dominic Lasky moved his ankle, which was tightly bandaged, with a little force. It wasn't very flexible, but he didn't feel any pain.
He gave a thumbs up to the team doctor who bandaged him and praised his skills.
But the team doctor frowned: "I can't guarantee that you won't have problems on the court like this..."
"I'll pay attention."
After Lasky finished speaking, he put his feet on the ground, and then clapped his hands hard on his knees.
While making a loud noise, use the force to stand up from your seat.
Then he pulled the captain's armband up from his wrist and finally fixed it on his left arm.
"Are you all ready?"
He looked around the locker room and asked, and his teammates all looked up at him.
So he raised his voice and said:
"We have nothing to lose and nothing to be afraid of. Everything is at stake, today is our final in the World Cup! Now come on, guys!"
