Chapter 206 199: Leading

On the evening of August 7th, at the Beijing Workers' Stadium.

After a brief closing ceremony performance, the Asian Cup final officially kicked off.

More than sixty thousand fans had gathered at the stadium. The government had also dispatched over thirty ministerial-level officials to attend. The number of domestic and international media, along with political and business dignitaries, was countless. Nearly a billion people were watching the live broadcast, and it was also the first time the Asian Cup was being broadcast live in the Middle East Region.

The significance of this final was clear for all to see.

The Chinese Team once again fielded a 4-4-2 formation. The Goalkeeper was Liu Yunfei, and the backline consisted of Sun Xiang, Zheng Zhi, Zhang Yaokun, and Wei Xin. Center-back Li Weifeng was out with an injury. The midfield, from left to right, was Yan Song, Zhao Junzhe, Shao Jiayi, and Li Ming. The two forwards were Li Jinyu and Yang Yang.

Hao Dong had suffered a head injury during the match against the Iran Team. After receiving stitches at the hospital, he had mostly recovered and was fit to play. However, Arie Haan still placed him on the bench for this match, choosing instead to start the red-hot Yang Yang.

With a blow of the whistle from the Kuwaiti referee, Al-Fahari, the highly anticipated Asian Cup final officially began.

The Japan Team was the first to attack. Less than ten seconds after kickoff, they launched their first offensive wave down the left flank. But Wei Xin calmly played the ball off an opponent, sending it out of bounds and diffusing the crisis.

But the Japan Team continued their assault.

In the third minute, a diagonal through ball from the center found Japan Team forward Takada Keisuke, who had shaken off a defender for a one-on-one chance. However, the linesman quickly raised his flag for offside. Takada Keisuke had fallen into the Chinese Team's offside trap.

After weathering Japan's opening blitz, the Chinese Team quickly launched a threatening counter-attack.

When Shao Jiayi received the ball in midfield, Yang Yang quickly ran into open space. But Shao Jiayi's through ball was too predictable and lacked power, allowing the opposing defender to intercept it before it could get in behind.

As Yang Yang jogged back, he made sure to applaud Shao Jiayi, but inwardly, he was analyzing the state of the match since kickoff.

'The Japan Team's formation looks like a 4-4-2, but it's actually a 4-5-1. They've packed the midfield with five players. Their intention is obvious: to sever the link between China's forwards and our midfield.'

'Just now, as soon as Shao Jiayi got the ball and I made my run, a Japanese defender immediately moved to intercept.'

'If the forwards can't get any support from passes, they're just decorations on the pitch.'

Yang Yang could feel that the defensive pressure from Japan wasn't as intense as the Iran Team's.

'It's simple. Iran's defense was tighter, and their players were physically superior. But Japan is different. They excel at possession, so their defense isn't as tight as Iran's. Plus, in this match, they clearly prefer to press high up the pitch.'

Just like this time, when the Chinese Team got a throw-in on the left wing, the Japan Team pushed their entire pressing line into China's 30-meter zone.

When Sun Xiang threw the ball to Zhao Junzhe, the Japan Team pressed relentlessly, forcing Sun Xiang to pass it back to the Goalkeeper, Liu Yunfei.

Liu Yunfei then passed to Zheng Zhi, and by now, the Japanese players were pressing right up to the Chinese penalty area.

'When the midfielders and forwards press high, the backline naturally can't hang too far back, or the three lines will become disconnected.'

Through his God's Vision and his own observations, Yang Yang clearly identified this characteristic of the Japanese team. At the same time, he could feel how difficult it was for his teammates to play the ball out from the back.

Zheng Zhi and Zhang Yaokun passed the ball back and forth, but under pressure from the Japan Team's press, they were forced to pass back to the goalkeeper. Liu Yunfei chipped a pass to Sun Xiang on the left, but there was still no opening, so the ball had to go back to Zheng Zhi again.

At this moment, the Japan Team's backline had only two center-backs left to mark Yang Yang and Li Jinyu.

'Clearly, in their minds, since the ball is upfield, their own backline is safe.'

'But that depends on who you're up against!'

Yang Yang made up his mind. He suddenly dropped back and raised his hand, calling for the ball.

Zheng Zhi had been keeping an eye on the movement upfield. The moment Yang Yang made his run, he understood instantly. He dribbled to the right, cut past a pressing Japanese player, and then, with his right foot, struck a low, driven long ball. The pass traveled thirty or forty meters, straight into the opposition's 30-meter zone, looking for Yang Yang.

Japan Team's center-back, Miyamoto Keisuke, was on Yang Yang's back in an instant. He knew he couldn't prevent Yang Yang from controlling the ball, but he was determined not to let him turn. The moment Yang Yang trapped it, he would be all over him.

Yang Yang was well aware of his opponent's intention. Instead of trapping the ball dead, he met the incoming pass with a gentle push from the outside of his right foot.

The fast, chest-high ball arrived at his feet, but he deftly directed it into an undefended area to his right. Although it rolled a few meters away, this display of ball control still startled Miyamoto Keisuke.

The Japanese captain immediately lunged forward, but Yang Yang was faster. He used his body to shield the ball, blocking Miyamoto Keisuke, then spotted an opportunity and delicately chipped a through ball with his left foot.

...

"The Chinese Team launches a quick counter from the back! A long ball finds Yang Yang directly."

"Yang Yang controls the ball to his right, turns to chase it, and plays a diagonal through ball with his left foot..."

"Li Jinyu is onside! This is a chance for the Chinese Team..."

"GOOOOOOOAL!!!!!"

"The sixth minute! Just six minutes into the match, the Chinese Team is the first to breach the Japan Team's goal!"

"A goal from Li Jinyu!"

"He didn't waste the golden opportunity created by Yang Yang! He beat the offside trap for a one-on-one and calmly seized the chance."

"One-nil!"

...

The entire Beijing Workers' Stadium erupted in an instant.

The roar of over sixty thousand fans, screaming at the top of their lungs, echoed through every corner of the stadium.

An ecstatic Li Jinyu ran off the pitch, dropped to one knee by the corner flag, and mimed firing a machine gun.

This was his signature goal celebration.

Yang Yang was the first to rush over and celebrate with him. Li Jinyu hugged Yang Yang tightly, and then they were both swarmed by their teammates, who rushed out in a frenzy.

...

"Looking at the slow-motion replay, Zheng Zhi's long ball was perfectly placed. Yang Yang's control was even more clever, but what was truly breathtaking was how, after controlling the ball to his right, he used his body to block Miyamoto Keisuke and then delivered that wonderful pass with his left foot."

"The Japanese team clearly forgot that while Yang Yang is right-footed and his right foot is incredibly sharp, his left foot is no slouch either."

"He's excellent with both feet and has had outstanding performances in the previous Toulon Cup and in this Asian Cup."

"One-nil, the Chinese Team takes the lead."

"Arie Haan is also very excited on the sidelines. His decision to move Yang Yang into the starting forward position for this match is, judging by the results so far, a very successful one."

"The Japan Team finds themselves in a difficult position right from the start."

...

...

After a wild celebration and amidst the cheers of the entire stadium, the Chinese Team returned to the pitch.

The match restarted.

After conceding the goal, the Japan Team started playing with a sense of urgency, committing several rough fouls while pressing the Chinese players. Suzuki Takayuki even received the first yellow card of the match.

In the sixteenth minute, Yang Yang got a chance for a long shot. A combination play between Li Ming and Wei Xin on the right wing created an attack. The ball was passed horizontally to Yang Yang at the edge of the penalty area. Feeling good, he took one touch and immediately let fly.

However, the shot went straight into a defending player.

Yang Yang felt a bit helpless about it. Especially since the Japan Team had clearly tightened their man-to-man marking on him, the space he had to operate in had shrunk considerably.

Afterward, the Japan Team continued their attacks, and their initially frantic mood gradually calmed down.

'When it comes to managing their emotions, the Japan Team is still more experienced than the Chinese Team,' Yang Yang thought.

After taking a one-goal lead, the Chinese Team began to play more cautiously.

The team switched to a defensive counter-attack strategy, dropping back into their own half to wait for Japan's attacks and play to their own strengths. Every player was on high alert, not daring to relax for a second.

Under these circumstances, although the Japan Team had possession, they found it difficult to create any real threats.

On the contrary, it was the Chinese Team that, while maintaining a solid defense, actively utilized Yang Yang for quick counter-attacks up front.

First, in the twenty-sixth minute, a quick counter was stopped by a foul from the Japan Team, earning China a free kick in the attacking half. Then, on the right wing, he took down a long ball from the back, forced his way past a defender in a one-on-one down the flank, dribbled from the byline back into the box, and laid it off for Shao Jiayi, who was making a late run from the back.

Unfortunately, Shao Jiayi couldn't keep the ball down, and his shot went high.

The most noteworthy incident came in the thirty-fourth minute. The Chinese Team launched a counter down the left, and Yan Song sent a cross into the box. Just as Yang Yang got to the ball first and was about to shoot, he was pushed to the ground by a Japanese defender.

It was a clear foul, but the Kuwaiti referee turned a blind eye.

Yang Yang got up from the ground and walked toward the nearby referee, protesting repeatedly that he had already secured his position but was pushed down. The referee, however, insisted that his call was correct.

Faced with such a referee, Yang Yang was speechless. He couldn't get too agitated, so he could only walk away indignantly.

Soon after, the Chinese Team got another chance. Shao Jiayi shook off a defender in the center and unleashed a powerful shot, but it was saved by a flying dive from the Japan Team's Goalkeeper, Kawaguchi Norikatsu.

After taking the lead, although the Chinese Team didn't have possession, they were largely in firm control of the match. The Japan Team's attacks struggled to penetrate China's defense, while China's counter-attacks repeatedly threatened Japan's goal.

Whether it was the players on the pitch, the fans in the stands, or the viewers watching on TV, everyone could easily sense the Chinese Team's advantage. Moreover, the team was playing with growing confidence.

Everyone believed that if they continued to play like this, scoring against the Japan Team again was only a matter of time.

During halftime, Coach Arie Haan repeatedly praised the players' performance. He also urged them to keep up the good work, continue their first-half form, and stick to the same rhythm and strategy.

After switching sides for the second half, the match continued in the same vein as the first. The only change was that during the break, Arie Haan had reminded his players not to drop back too deep. He wanted them to push the defensive line forward, preferably to the edge of the 30-meter zone, as this would be more advantageous for their counter-attacks.

A one-nil lead is never a safe scoreline.

Both the players and the coach were still thinking about scoring again and sending Japan packing.

But then, in the fifty-fifth minute of the second half...