Chapter 320 - 313: Three Consecutive Wins

A huge upset!

When the first match of Group B at the FIFA U-20 World Cup ended with the Chinese Team’s resounding 3-0 victory over Turkey, the media outlets following the tournament were in an uproar.

No one had expected that the Chinese Team, considered the underdogs of the group, would crush Turkey 3-0 in their very first match.

Yang Yang continued his excellent form from Ajax, scoring a brace and earning the title of Man of the Match.

After the match, the official FIFA website quickly published a report and commentary on the game.

The article stated that Turkey, hailed before the tournament as the European team most likely to win the title after traditional powerhouses like Argentina, Brazil, and Spain, was unexpectedly stunned by the Chinese Team in their first group stage match.

"The pace of this match was incredibly fast from the very beginning. Just two minutes in, the young prodigy from Ajax, Yang Yang, cut in brilliantly from the left flank and scored, opening the account for the Chinese Team."

"Then, it was Yang Yang again with another outstanding individual effort, adding another goal for the Chinese Team from inside the penalty area."

"Besides the brilliant Yang Yang, Zhou Haibin had a very dangerous long-range shot, Feng Xiaoting made a surging run from his own half all the way into the box, Chen Tao frequently put on a spectacular dribbling display on the right wing, and Gao Lin directly threatened the Turkish goal on multiple occasions..."

"The Chinese players’ excellent performance left a deep impression; they completely dominated the first half."

"In contrast, Turkey made too many mistakes. Their goalkeeper, in particular, inexplicably passed the ball directly to the opposing center-forward twice—an incredibly foolish error that nearly led to a humiliating and disastrous defeat for Turkey."

"In the second half, Turkey’s performance improved for a time, but the Chinese Team’s defensive line was very well-organized and gave them no opportunities. Instead, it was a world-class long-range strike from substitute Zhao Xuri that further extended China’s lead."

The report mentioned that in a post-match interview, Turkey’s head coach, Ustomar, couldn’t hide his disappointment. He stated that the Chinese Team performed better and deserved the win, but that Turkey also played tenaciously in the second half and was simply unlucky not to score.

Chinese Team head coach Klauen, in his interview with FIFA, said that Turkey was a strong team, especially in the second half when they had several threatening moments. However, the Chinese Team seized their chances in the first half and established a commanding lead.

"Without a doubt, Yang Yang was the key figure who decided the outcome of the match."

When the news of the National Youth Team’s 3-0 first-round victory over Turkey reached China, the entire nation erupted in celebration.

The national media and fans were all in an uproar.

The pre-tournament turmoil and the crisis over Klauen’s coaching position had made everyone in the country very worried about this FIFA U-20 World Cup campaign.

But now, they could all breathe a temporary sigh of relief.

In a post-match interview with Chinese media, captain Feng Xiaoting said the team’s atmosphere was excellent. The players were united, and everyone firmly supported Coach Klauen’s leadership, which was the key to their resounding victory over Turkey in the first round.

When interviewed by National Television, Yang Yang also stated that unity within the team was crucial.

"We Chinese have a saying: to deal with external threats, you must first secure internal stability. Only when we are united internally, with everyone pulling in the same direction, can we go further in the FIFA U-20 World Cup."

The Football Association officials accompanying the team also reaffirmed their trust and support for Klauen, stating that everyone, from top to bottom, would continue to back his coaching. As long as the team achieved good results at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, he would remain in his position.

Having qualified for the World Cup, and now with a 3-0 victory over Turkey in the opening round of the U-20 tournament—these events gave people a glimmer of hope for the future of Chinese Football.

At this very moment, however, an authoritative sports media outlet in China once again hyped up a supposed post-match conflict between Klauen and the Chinese coaching staff. The Football Association quickly issued a stern criticism, calling the story a baseless rumor. They also harshly condemned a previous article by the same outlet, which claimed a high-ranking Football Association official had personally cooked for the National Youth Team to improve their meals, deeming it a fabrication.

"The National Youth Team’s diet in the Netherlands has always strictly adhered to professional player standards. That so-called photo was simply of an official picking up a spoon while inspecting the kitchen. It was then captured by certain unscrupulous media outlets in China and used to fabricate news about the team’s poor diet and an official personally cooking for them."

The Football Association stated that they reserve the right to take action against these news media outlets for fabricating facts.

Yang Yang also took the rare and high-profile step of posting an article on his blog. He detailed the team’s campaign in the Netherlands, revealed many details, and exposed the tactics of certain unscrupulous media outlets—such as setting verbal traps for players—used to disrupt the team’s internal unity and stir up animosity.

Yang Yang’s blog post went viral overnight, exposing the ugly face of certain Chinese media outlets for all to see.

At the end of the article, Yang Yang also made an appeal, arguing that the media should fulfill its role of overseeing and reporting the truth, not fabricating stories and recklessly inciting internal conflict within the team just to boost sales.

"Believe me, football is an industry. If you run it into the ground and tarnish its reputation, nobody benefits!"

Yang Yang’s words quickly caused a huge stir back in China.

And the National Youth Team’s resounding first-round victory in the Netherlands sparked further heated debate back home.

Numerous figures in the football world expressed that this generation of the National Youth Team must not repeat the mistakes of the "Super Platinum Generation" of the past. If they performed well in the Netherlands, they should be sent to play abroad as soon as possible—send one out for every one that’s ready.

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After the Chinese Team’s 3-0 victory over Turkey, the first round of matches in the FIFA U-20 World Cup continued to unfold.

As the powerhouse teams made their appearances one by one, everyone gradually realized a problem: the top teams were generally underperforming, and upsets were happening one after another.

Argentina lost 1-0 to the United States, and Brazil drew 0-0 with Nigeria.

Both of these highly anticipated title contenders encountered dark horses in the first round, casting a significant shadow of upsets over the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Meanwhile, European runner-up Turkey’s crushing 0-3 defeat to China was even more shocking.

Four teams from Asia were participating in the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Apart from China, which caused an upset, the other three teams had mediocre performances. South Korea lost 1-2 to Switzerland, and Japan lost 1-2 to the Netherlands. Surprisingly, Syria, considered the weakest of the group, managed a 1-1 draw with Canada, which was somewhat unexpected.

The biggest scoreline of this round was Chile’s 7-0 demolition of Honduras. This result allowed two Chilean players, Palada and Fonsalida, to each score a brace, putting them at the top of the scorer charts alongside Ukraine’s Aliyev and the Chinese Team’s Yang Yang.

It’s worth noting, however, that the Chinese Team ranked first among all twenty-four teams in one particular statistic: fouls.

The players fought hard in the first round, and Head Coach Klauen’s high-intensity pressing tactics were very effective. However, the resulting physical exertion and the number of fouls and cards received both posed potential risks.

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Three days after the match against Turkey, China faced their second opponent in the group stage: Ukraine.

Because of their 3-0 victory over Turkey in the first round, the Chinese Team had become Ukraine’s main rival for direct qualification from the group. This made the Ukrainians play with ferocious intensity.

Having learned from Turkey’s mistakes, Ukraine strengthened their man-marking on Yang Yang. They went on the attack from the very beginning, fully utilizing their physical advantages, and successfully scored in the nineteenth minute.

But just six minutes later, the Chinese Team struck back on a counter-attack.

Feng Xiaoting intercepted the ball just outside the penalty area, then charged forward on a fifty-meter surging run. He passed the ball to Hao Junmin on the left flank. Hao Junmin, who had replaced Lu Lin in the starting lineup for this match, sent in a cross from the left. Yang Yang made a quick run to the near post and calmly tapped it in, equalizing the score.

In the thirty-fourth minute, Chen Tao found an opening at the edge of the box and took a low shot, but it failed to pose a threat.

Four minutes later, Yang Yang found space in the center. After receiving the ball, he quickly dribbled past several defenders and, from near the penalty spot, slotted the ball into the net to give the Chinese Team the lead.

For roughly the last ten minutes of the first half, the Chinese Team completely suppressed Ukraine.

This situation continued after the teams switched sides for the second half.

Under the Chinese Team’s continuous, organized attacks, Ukraine’s defense finally cracked again.

During a cross from Yang Yang on the right wing, a Ukrainian center-back committed a handball, and the referee awarded a penalty kick.

Yang Yang selflessly gave the precious penalty opportunity to Chen Tao. He knew very well that Chen Tao had been desperate for a goal over the past two matches. The player, who had just joined Anderlecht, calmly converted the spot-kick.

Three to one.

Having established a comfortable lead, Yang Yang was substituted off in the sixty-fifth minute.

Unexpectedly, just three minutes later, the referee awarded Ukraine a penalty. They calmly converted it, changing the score to 3-2.

But Klauen quickly brought on Lu Lin to replace Hao Junmin.

Lu Lin had been forced off with cramps in the seventieth minute of the first match. According to his own analysis and that of the coaching staff, it was mainly due to excessive nervousness, not a problem with his stamina.

This time, after coming on as a substitute, he played with ferocious energy, frequently creating threats down the left flank.

Not long after, Chen Tao took a corner kick and assisted his teammate Cui Peng, who scored with a close-range header.

Four to two. The Chinese Team once again sealed the victory.

With two wins in two matches, the Chinese Team became the first team in this FIFA U-20 World Cup to advance to the round of sixteen. They received special coverage from FIFA. Yang Yang, who had scored four goals in two rounds, was the team’s undisputed number one star, but other players on the team also received praise. This also led to the Chinese Team attracting more attention from scouts of European clubs.

Then, three days after defeating Ukraine, the Chinese Team beat Panama 4-1 in the third round, advancing from the group with a perfect record.

Since the final round was inconsequential and Panama was not a strong opponent, Yang Yang was not included in the squad, allowing him to focus on preparing for the knockout stage. Zhou Haibin, Gao Lin, Hao Junmin, and Lu Lin all scored in succession, securing another big win for the Chinese Team.

But what surprised the media and fans both in China and abroad the most was that the National Youth Team not only won all three matches, but they also displayed excellent passing combinations and attacking football, showing very strong team cohesion.

This greatly satisfied the senior National Team’s head coach, Arie Haan, who was vacationing in the Netherlands. He believed that many of the players already had the ability to join the National Team and also stated he would strongly push for national team players to play abroad.