unparalleled

Chapter 585 The Inspirational Road to Icelandic Football

Everyone has seen the really refreshing changes in the national team. To be honest, those Asian teams encountered in the world preliminaries are not a real challenge. Even South Korea and Iran can qualify for the World Cup. It is already a happy event goods.

Now everyone's mentality and standards have gradually improved. Think about how ignorant we were before the 2002 World Cup. We swept away a group of second-tier Asian teams in the same group and felt that we could qualify for the group stage. We have never experienced the test of a real European team... What were the international footballers doing after entering the World Cup at that time?Shooting commercials and receiving endorsements, before the competition was mentioned, I made a lot of money first.

So now everyone is cautious, let's rely on strength first...at least play like the king of the warm-up match!

But this opening really made everyone feel different, not because of how much initiative it took or how sharp it was, but because the Chinese team really used their lives. The Serbian team's midfielder is not weak. A 1.9-meter-four Manchester United midfielder Matic It looks like a ruthless character.

"Matic... oh! Steal - shovel again! This is really cruel!"

Matic played his interception ability in the midfield, and he fought with Zheng Zhi for two consecutive feet. Not to mention, Hao Junmin came up to catch the ball and just wanted to pass the pass, but was stabbed by Matic. Feet for the forward midfielder Milivojevic who plays for Crystal Palace.

Turning around, the opponent's counterattack directly pierced the back of the Chinese team. Frankfurt striker Jovic quickly pushed forward with two defenders and got a single-handed chance. The opponent's shot.

"The Chinese team is under a lot of pressure in the midfield today. This is a high-pressure press at the real European level. I'm afraid Gao Yuyang must return to the midfield."

Serbia, who was scored a goal, gradually entered the state and began to really press up the formation.

World Cup teams need to get serious.

Gao Yuyang knew it very well, so he was going to retreat...but Lippi didn't allow him to do so.

"Gao, the important thing in such a game is not victory."

Lippi called him to the sidelines alone. He never said this to the team, and he could only say this when facing Gao Yuyang.

"Sir, our Zhongxin has collapsed."

Lippi smiled: "Gao, I know that victory is the only criterion in your eyes. Of course we want to win this game, but we also need to prepare for winning in the World Cup."

Lippi has a long-term view. He has to let the team adapt to the rhythm of European football from now on, and he can't count on Gao Yuyang to do everything.This is not Gao Yuyang's team alone...

So when Serbia equalized the score in the No. 18 minute with a cross from the midfield to counterattack, Lippi seemed in no hurry.

The warm-up match, to put it bluntly, has only two functions. It allows the head coach to inspect the team and makes the fans feel comfortable watching. Who would like to play an egg-to-ball game after a friendly match?

To put it bluntly, this game was an open attack, and neither side held back at all.More importantly, the reason why the Chinese team is willing to pay a lot of money for the national team's game is because of Gao Yuyang, and they all come to watch Gao Yuyang score.

In the end, they followed their wishes and didn't make everyone wait too long.

Before the end of the first half, the Chinese team launched a quick counterattack. Gao Yuyang picked a pass from the front of the penalty area to Wu Lei, who was attacked by the goalkeeper Stojkovic, but then Gao Yuyang rushed up from outside the penalty area. The curved ball lob shot and pierced the Serbian team's goal again.

The Chinese team ended with a 2:1 lead in the first half. Judging from the scene, the Chinese team's trident in Europe played very well, and the Chinese team's frontcourt offensive combination was surprisingly effective.

……

In the end, the Chinese team defeated Serbia with a score of 4:2. All four goals came from the trio in Europe. Zhang Yuning, who returned to the national team, scored twice, and Wu Lei also scored a goal. out of their own value.

Although there are still problems in the midfield of the Chinese team, there is no way around it. It is thankful to have Gao Yuyang in front now, and there will be no one like Gao Yuyang on the back line.

After the friendly match against Serbia, the Chinese team moved to Nanjing, where they met Iceland, their second opponent in the friendly match.

The Chinese team is particular about choosing these two opponents.Serbia belongs to the tough physical stream in the Balkan Peninsula. As for Iceland, regardless of their location in Northern Europe, their football style is still different from that of a representative team like Sweden, which is more technical.But they have one thing in common—the strength is really strong.

A small Nordic country with a population of only 33, actually qualified for the World Cup directly in the European region with the first place in the group, ranking [-]th in the world!
This is not a miracle. In the European Cup two years ago, they drew with Portugal led by Ronaldo. In the qualifiers, they beat the "Oranje" Netherlands.

In that European Cup, as the team broke into the quarter-finals, the original "Viking Lion Roar" cheer created by Icelandic fans was also well-known in world football.

The rise of this small country on the edge of the Arctic Circle is by no means as simple as a dark horse.

Can you imagine that a country with a population of only 33 has a complete four-tier league?
Can you imagine that the Icelandic Football Association will distribute UEFA B-level coach qualification certificates to all families in the country, forming a football youth training model led by parents and linked to families?
Can you imagine that Iceland has built tens of thousands of football stadiums with large open structures throughout the country to develop youth training under extremely cold weather conditions that are not suitable for football?

This is what Icelandic football has done over the years.After ten years of hard work, although the Icelandic league is said to be only at a semi-professional level, the strength of this national team cannot be underestimated. Almost all the players who can be selected are from major European leagues, and most of them are players from the five major leagues.

……

This is what Lippi told everyone before the game.

"This is a civilian team, but, boys, mark my words, the dark horses who can rise in European football are not easy roles. We will definitely face opponents who look inferior to us in the World Cup. The most They are the ones who need to be vigilant! The power of civilian teams can never be ignored."

Iceland coach Halgrimsson was very humble and peaceful after he came to Nanjing. When he introduced the team, he blew the Chinese team at the beginning.

"This time we have brought all the main players of the national team. It is a great honor to play against the Chinese team. For us, the Chinese team is also a big challenge for us to have such a top European star as Gao."

The eyes were sincere, and the media present all smiled. Although everyone is gradually adapting to the changes brought about by the national team, it is still a bit fast.

Even CCTV's official Weibo retweeted the interview scene, and accompanied it with a real text: This is the real world-respect can only be achieved with strength!

(End of this chapter)