Chapter 966: World Cup: Burned Out!

Chapter 966 -6: World Cup: Burned Out!

The volcanic eruption-like cheers at the Aztec Stadium almost lifted the roof.

The passion of the Chinese team fans amazed everyone.

1-1!

In adversity, the Chinese team, relying on Zhao Mingzhe’s imaginative evasion and precision-guided passing, along with Sun Fei’s calm, even to the extreme, lob shot, tenaciously pulled the reigning champion Argentina Team back to the same starting line!

They brought the two teams back to the same starting line, and Argentina, a strong contender for the championship, was held to a draw by the Chinese team.

After the restart, the game’s dynamics subtly changed.

Clearly disrupted by the conceded goal, the Argentina Team tried to regain control of the midfield and intensify their pressing, but the morale of the Chinese team was high. With Chen Zhong orchestrating from the back, every Chinese player seemed like they had been injected with a booster, running tirelessly and fighting fiercely.

Chen Zhong’s rich experience became the stabilizing force for the Chinese team’s defense.

With Chen Zhong providing a safety net, the attacking players of the Chinese team freely showcased their skills, even drawing the attention of several clubs from Europe.

Sun Fei became a nightmare for Molina on the Argentine left flank.

After equalizing, Sun Fei’s confidence soared, and his constant sprints left the experienced Molina struggling to keep up.

In the 77th minute, Sun Fei once again used his speed to power past Molina, then delivered a cross from the end line. In the center, Hao Chen out-jumped Romero for a powerful header! Unfortunately, the ball skimmed the crossbar and went out of bounds, causing Argentine fans to break out in a cold sweat.

Hao Chen knelt on the ground, filled with regret.

Ancelotti was well aware of the cruelty of the final moments.

He swiftly made a critical substitution: bringing on the energetic central defender Ding Li for the exhausted central defender Xu Lei, being fully prepared for a penalty shootout in this match.

He did not hope to resolve matters in regular time; he aimed to maintain the integrity and strength of the defense.

At the same time, Ancelotti substituted another defensive midfielder for the cramping Zhang Wenxuan, continuing to build a barrier in the midfield, especially strengthening the cooperative defense in Messi’s area—Zhang Wenxuan received cheers from the entire Chinese fanbase when he left the field.

In this match, he had exhausted every ounce of effort in his battles with Messi.

Messi remained the most dangerous presence on the field.

In the 82nd minute, using his incredible individual ability, he carved out an angle amid the encirclement of three defenders and delivered a surgical knife-like through ball. Alvarez instinctively entered the penalty area! In the nick of time, Chen Zhong seemed to anticipate everything, performing a precise slide tackle, clearing the ball out of bounds just before Alvarez could touch it! Argentina won a corner kick.

In this corner kick attack, Argentina demonstrated their corner kick prowess as reigning champions.

After a tactical corner, the ball was sent into the penalty area, and amid the chaos, the unmarked Lautaro met the ball with a furious shot at the edge of the small penalty box! It was almost certain to score!

Wang Xiaolei made a god-level reaction, his body almost horizontal in the air, managed to touch the ball with his fingertips!

The ball changed direction, and with a “bang,” it crashed heavily against the crossbar and bounced out!

Lautaro held his head in disbelief! Wang Xiaolei had once again saved the Chinese team! A huge cheer erupted from the Chinese fans’ stands, with Wang Xiaolei’s name echoing to the skies.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!” This ancient saying seemed to prove true at this moment.

The Argentina Team’s corner kick attack yielded no result, and the Chinese team quickly launched a counterattack!

Goalkeeper Wang Xiaolei threw the ball to start a quick attack, finding Chen Zhong who moved back to support.

Chen Zhong looked up and noticed that the Argentina team’s formation hadn’t fully retracted due to the corner kick offense, leaving a gap on the right! Without hesitation, he launched a ground-level long pass accurately to the right flank where Rooney was starting with high speed! This player, sharing a name with the Manchester United legend, seized the opportunity!

Argentine defender Romero retreated cautiously, trying to force Rooney toward the sideline.

Rooney appeared a bit nervous, and as he approached the edge of the penalty area, faced with Romero’s aggressive pressing, he stumbled, seemingly on the verge of losing the ball!

Yet amid the chaos, before losing his balance, Rooney instinctively flicked the ball with his toe! This unintended poke miraculously slipped through Romero’s legs, rolling towards the slightly left center of the Argentine penalty area!

A red figure appeared ghost-like in that critical area—Zhao Mingzhe! He had extricated himself from Enzo’s entanglement and sharply captured this unexpected “assist”!

At the edge of the small penalty area, unmarked! Zhao Mingzhe positioned himself for the decisive strike! At that moment, the entire Aztec Stadium seemed frozen!

With a dull thud, Zhao Mingzhe’s left footed push shot hit hard against Otamendi who flew forward to block the shot! The ball bounced high!

“There’s still a chance!” the commentator bellowed!

At the dropping point of the ball, another streak of red sped in! It was Sun Fei from the left flank! He arrived right before Acu?a’s sliding tackle could clear, executing a volleyed shot!

However, Argentine goalkeeper Martinez demonstrated his “big match master” temperament!

After Zhao Mingzhe’s blocked shot, he quickly made a second reaction, diving sideways as if on a spring, using one hand to tip Sun Fei’s close-range volley over the crossbar! A miraculous save! Another world-class save!

In just a few seconds, from goal-line defense to counter-attack breakthrough to consecutive blocks, both goalkeepers showcased extremely high skill levels and reactions, with the pace of the match taking one’s breath away!