Chapter 147: Surely You Know, Surely You Know—The Sky Must Be Ablaze with Crimson Clouds (Part Two)

With a one-goal lead, the Chinese team grew increasingly composed. Their attacking plays were executed with precision and flair, and they gradually seized control of the flow of the match.

On the sidelines, both head coaches kept their eyes locked on the pitch, staring intently as the players traded blows in a relentless wave of attacks, their nerves stretched to the absolute limit.

In the 21st minute of the match, Wu Lei collected a chipped through-ball from Dai Zhiwei in the center, maneuvered past Zhang Hyun-soo with a sharp turn, and fired a shot that was alertly parried away by Kwon Sun-tae with one hand.

Seven minutes later, following a corner kick for the South Korean team, Lee Jeong-hiep outjumped Zhang Linpeng in the center to direct a header goalward, which grazed the crossbar and went out.

In the 29th minute, Ki Sung-yueng unleashed a powerful drive that Zeng Cheng tipped over the baseline. Meanwhile, Dai Zhiwei's low shot in the 31st minute was cleared over the endline by a desperate sliding tackle from Zhang Hyun-soo.

Although the overall strength of the Chinese team was slightly inferior to that of South Korea, Lippi made full use of Dai Zhiwei—an attacker capable of both breaking through and passing during counterattacks—by deploying him at the forefront of the attack. A few sharp counterattacks were enough to strip the South Korean side of their courage to commit numbers forward.

If even Manchester City could fall victim to Dai Zhiwei's successive hat-tricks during counterattacks, how could South Korea's defensive line possibly match the caliber of the Blue Moon?

Consequently, South Korea was forced to pull back both wingers during defensive phases while simultaneously narrowing their central block. This caused their attacking transition to slow down considerably, invisibly sapping their offensive potency while draining their physical stamina through heavier defensive workloads.

The battle of offense and defense was played out on a grand scale, with victory depending entirely on who could seize their chances first.

Both head coaches, Lippi and Uli Stielike, stared fixedly down the flanks, hoping their respective teams would find a breakthrough.

On the South Korean side, Stielike desperately wanted his players to score to disrupt China's defensive-counterattacking setup. He understood Lippi's intentions all too well; this inherently conservative Italian would likely not hesitate to park the bus in the second half to secure their group standing.

To surpass China in the standings, South Korea had to defeat their opponents, meaning they desperately needed a goal to equalize.

Soon, the match entered the final ten minutes of the first half. The intensity of both teams' attacks began to wane as they engaged in methodical, short-passing sequences.

At this juncture, the Chinese team launched a fresh wave of offense. Zhang Xizhe received the ball in the center, prompting immediate positional adjustments from both Wu Lei and Dai Zhiwei.

Fairly speaking, aside from a slightly fragile ability to convert one-on-one chances, Wu Lei was truly a top-tier forward within the Asian continent.

Wu Lei and Dai Zhiwei rapidly elevated their pace to support Zhang Xizhe. Combining through the center and relying on the tacit understanding they had recently forged, the trio quickly sliced through South Korea's central defensive block.

Zhang Xizhe received the ball on the left side outside the penalty area, pursued closely by Ki Sung-yueng.

This was hardly an area where Zhang Xizhe boasted a high conversion rate—in fact, his conversion rate was poor from virtually anywhere.

Therefore, Zhang Xizhe delivered a gentle pass. Wu Lei, bursting forward at high speed, met the direct ball inside the box without hesitation and immediately lifted it into the air. Already, another shadow was locked in a fierce duel with Zhang Hyun-soo in that zone.

Zhang Hyun-soo was tightly blocked behind Dai Zhiwei. With his wealth of defensive experience, he naturally knew that Dai Zhiwei intended to trap the ball on his chest, after which he could either spin away to beat his marker or turn and shoot directly.

Zhang Hyun-soo had no intention of letting his opponent control the ball so easily. Yet the monster in front of him pressed against his chest like a massive boulder; though nearly ten centimeters shorter, Dai Zhiwei possessed superior physical strength, making him impossible to budge.

Calculating that he could not outmuscle his opponent, Zhang Hyun-soo realized that stepping around to intercept might work, but any failure would allow Dai Zhiwei to let the ball run, lift it, and breeze past him.

Seeing the ball about to arrive, Zhang Hyun-soo's face flushed red as he mustered all his remaining strength, thrusting his right leg outward. Just as the ball was about to make contact with Dai Zhiwei's chest, he hooked his foot upward in a desperate bid to flick the ball away.

However, having to fight against Dai Zhiwei's immense leverage, Zhang Hyun-soo lacked the necessary force, merely managing to elevate the ball's trajectory by a fraction.

Dai Zhiwei had originally intended to cleanly cushion the ball down, never expecting a leg to reach out from behind and disrupt his plans.

By now, the ball had risen just above his chest. To bring it down under control now would likely invite a double-team from the recovering Ki Sung-yueng and Zhang Hyun-soo, resulting in a loss of possession.

"Well, I haven't tried this before," Dai Zhiwei thought, a sudden idea flashing through his mind. Planting his right foot firmly to anchor his body, he secretly slammed his back backward into the body of the clinging Zhang Hyun-soo.

Feeling his balance slip and his body stagger backward uncontrollably, Zhang Hyun-soo realized the danger and scrambled to re-engage, but Dai Zhiwei had already completed his motion.

The moment he bumped Zhang Hyun-soo away, Dai Zhiwei unleashed explosive power from his right leg, leaning his upper body sharply backward while lifting his left leg. Reaching the apex of his extension, the straight surface of his left boot swept cleanly across the lower side of the ball. The sphere curved outward, spinning fiercely toward the goal like a drawn scimitar.

Kwon Sun-tae had originally positioned himself near the near post, but seeing the ball sail toward the far corner, he moved frantically in sheer panic, only to feel the ball was utterly out of reach.

"It's in!!"

"Ha! Dai Zhiwei has scored a brace! We lead South Korea 2-0! What a magnificent volley!!" Hong Gang's piercing cry tore through the night sky above the Changsha Helong Sports Center, only to be instantly swallowed by a deafening wall of sound.

"He is the crown jewel of our Chinese team!" The more Xu Yang watched Dai Zhiwei, the more enamored he became with the young player, pouring out a ceaseless stream of unrestrained praise.

Dai Zhiwei ran excitedly toward Wu Lei, who had provided the assist, exchanging high-fives with his teammates. He knew the match was essentially in the bag for China.

"My teams have never failed when holding a two-goal lead," Dai Zhiwei thought to himself, before abruptly recalling his recent bitter experience of being overturned by Real Madrid. His face twitched slightly before breaking into a grin once more. "How could South Korea possibly compare to Real Madrid?"

Although Dai Zhiwei had maintained a lighthearted demeanor throughout the match, only after slotting home this goal did he truly feel at ease, turning toward the Changsha fans in the stands to perform a simulated gun-blowing celebration!

At club level, his only responsibility was scoring goals, but in the national team, as the absolute vanguard of Chinese football, he carried far greater burdens on his shoulders!

Returning to his teammates with an expression of pure satisfaction, Dai Zhiwei slapped hands with them in celebration. The Chinese players wore ecstatic expressions as well; for a team like China, a single-goal advantage could hardly be called an advantage at all. Only now, holding a two-goal cushion in the first half, did they genuinely feel the confidence to defeat South Korea.

Following the restart, a two-goal deficit finally coaxed out the ferocious side of the South Korean team. Launching a furious onslaught, their front-line trident—backed by relentless support down both flanks—frequently exploited their technical superiority to batter China's defensive line, racking up four shots within the span of just three minutes.

Yet luck abandoned them, and every single attempt missed the target.

"Beep, beep!" As the whistle blew and the single minute of stoppage time elapsed, the first half came to an end.

South Korean manager Stielike stalked down the tunnel toward the locker room with a face like thunder, while Lippi looked upon his players with a gentle smile, the veteran Italian manager appearing thoroughly satisfied with China's first-half performance.

Inside the locker room during the interval, Stielike did not resort to the roaring and shouting one might have expected. Instead, he sketched diagrams on his tactical board in silence for a few moments before putting it away. Noticing the dejected postures of his players, he clapped his hands together and spoke in a tone tinged with manic urgency: "Alright, gentlemen! The match has only just begun, and our European campaign—our continental journey—is far from over. Keep your chins up."

Meanwhile, in the Chinese dressing room, Lippi wore an expression of intense focus as he addressed his squad. With years of elite club management experience under his belt, the Silver Fox knew full well that this was no time for complacency.

Turning to his defensive line, Lippi said: "You played exceptionally well in the first half, especially during those final few minutes. However, the second half will bring much greater trials. You must maintain absolute concentration. South Korea's desperate counter-offensive will be terrifying, and you must hold your positions firmly when they attack."

Both coaches used the fifteen-minute break to issue meticulous instructions. South Korea was far from ready to surrender, and victory was by no means guaranteed for China.

As the second half commenced, the Chinese formation underwent a tactical shift.

Ordinarily, true to Lippi's nature, he would never make substitutions before the absolute dying moments of a match. However, both Hao Junmin and Zheng Zhi were showing signs of physical fatigue. While they could theoretically grind out the full ninety minutes, both carried lingering historical injuries; forcing them to continue at this intensity would cause their stamina to crater by the middle of the second half, forcing Lippi's hand.

Both managers implemented their adjustments on the pitch. Lippi introduced Wu Xi while withdrawing Wu Lei, forming a three-man defensive midfield alongside Zheng Zhi, Hao Junmin, and the newly introduced Wu Xi, effectively transitioning China into the classic 4-3-2-1 "Christmas Tree" formation.

Stielike, meanwhile, swapped the positions of Ki Sung-yueng and Koo Ja-cheol, keeping his remaining three substitution slots in reserve.

The entire Asian football world had its eyes glued to this fixture, and the second half promised an even higher tier of anticipation. Tactical shifts, personnel changes, novel strategies, and old combinations fell into place in an instant. Amidst the expectant gazes of millions, the referee blew the whistle to signal the start of the second half.

Contrary to expectations, the South Korean team did not launch a frenzied blitz immediately upon the restart. Instead, they recycled the ball to the backline, feeding it directly to the feet of Zhang Hyun-soo before moving it on to Ki Sung-yueng.

Ki Sung-yueng carried the ball for a few paces before laying it off to Koo Ja-cheol, who immediately shifted it to the flank while holding his central position—much like before, save for the supporting runs of his teammates.

South Korea began to build their attacks with measured patience, showing no apparent haste to close the deficit. Ki Sung-yueng drifted toward the flank, circulating possession in midfield as he had done previously.

The game progressed in a calm, uneventful manner. Unlike the opening minutes of the first half, the Chinese team refrained from launching wave after wave of attacks, content to let the ball circulate among both sets of players.

In the 52nd minute, Dai Zhiwei and Wang Yongpo pressed high up the pitch to swarm Ki Sung-yueng. However, Ki Sung-yueng managed to prod the ball to Ji Dong-won, slipped past Wang Yongpo with a clever turn, and easily regained possession before cutting sharply inward toward the center at high speed.

"Brilliant!" the South Korean broadcaster roared enthusiastically as he watched Ki Sung-yueng drive forward.

By this point, Ji Dong-won and Koo Ja-cheol had arrived in their respective zones, while Lee Jeong-hiep at the spearhead had already begun making a diagonal dart into the penalty area.

Wu Xi scrambled in desperate pursuit from behind, locking his body against Ki Sung-yueng to prevent him from getting a cross away. The two players tangled fiercely as they entered the box, drawing Hao Junmin over to help with the interception.

Although Wu Xi had come on as a substitute, his quality was easily that of a starter. Ki Sung-yueng quickly realized that Wu Xi was far more difficult to deal with than anticipated. With Hao Junmin closing in, he hurriedly executed a drag-back, trapped the ball under his sole, and whipped a quick pass toward the center.

Sensing immediate danger, Hao Junmin realized the central zone was completely vacated; Koo Ja-cheol had drifted to the left flank during Ki Sung-yueng's initial cut-in, drawing Wu Xi away with him.

Nam Tae-hee came bursting forward at full tilt, winding up his long leg to meet the oncoming ball. Startled, Feng Xiaoting rushed forward to block the lane.

Yet at that exact moment, Nam Tae-hee merely nudged the ball onward. Lee Jeong-hiep had instinctively darted toward the edge of the penalty area in the blink of an eye. Mei Fang possessed commendable explosive pace, matching Lee Jeong-hiep stride for stride off the mark as he glued himself to the striker's side, refusing to be shaken off.

Lee Jeong-hiep effortlessly cushioned the ball down at the edge of the box and attempted a delicate chip to bypass the onrushing Chinese goalkeeper, Zeng Cheng, only to find Mei Fang waiting right where he needed to be.

Without a moment's hesitation, Mei Fang launched a thunderous clearance, hacking Lee Jeong-hiep's lofted shot out across the sideline.

"Well done! Absolutely magnificent! Mei Fang has lived up to our utmost trust; he has fully shouldered the responsibilities of a defensive pillar for the Chinese team!" Seeing South Korea's latest attacking surge neutralized, Hong Gang finally released the pent-up tension in his chest with a triumphant roar.

Lippi pursed his lips tightly at the sight of the clearance, pumping his fist with a trace of smug satisfaction. The message was unmistakable: "See? These are the players I selected!"

Prior to the match, numerous domestic armchair critics had lambasted Lippi for nepotism, claiming he selected too many players from Guangzhou Evergrande. In truth, however, how many other reliable domestic clubs were capable of producing players worthy of Lippi's selection?

Having squandered yet another golden opportunity to score, how could South Korea possibly reconcile themselves to defeat?

From the very beginning, they had never entertained the notion of a draw; this match had to be won at all costs.

Upon the restart, South Korea immediately unleashed a ferocious assault.

In the 58th minute, Wu Xi collected the ball on the left flank, turned past Gao Mingzhen, muscled past Ki Sung-yueng, and slipped the ball into the path of Wang Yongpo.

Wu Xi had successfully carved out space for Wang Yongpo, who maraudered down the left channel with absolute impunity as if moving through an empty field. Bursting into the penalty area, he used his technical proficiency to dummy a shot before executing a sharp cut, sitting down Hong Jeong-ho in the process. He immediately unleashed a low drive, only to find Kwon Sun-tae well-positioned to gather it securely into his arms.

While the Chinese players were still lamenting the missed opportunity, South Korea launched an instant counter-offensive. Kwon Sun-tae quickly delivered the ball to Zhang Hyun-soo, who wasted no time in shifting it straight out to Ki Sung-yueng.

Once again, the pitch bore witness to the immutable truth that the ball always travels faster than any runner. Receiving the pass without taking a touch, Ki Sung-yueng drove a booming long ball across the halfway line, directing it precisely toward a figure sprinting forward at breakneck speed.

Ji Dong-won effortlessly brought the ball under control and charged forward on a solo run, driving straight at the heart of the Chinese goal!