Chapter 455 Now that we’re all in the finals
"Let me tell you, when a few of us were out playing just now, we encountered something interesting... There was a banner hanging out in a restaurant. We asked the translator to read it for us. It said to celebrate the Chinese team winning the Olympic Games. To qualify, their restaurant has a 50% discount for three consecutive days... It’s so funny, isn’t it just a qualification for the Olympics? It’s like entering the World Cup, haha!”
"We also encountered similar situations. To be honest, after I went out, I really thought that the Chinese team had won the U23 Asian Cup..."
In the hotel restaurant, the Japanese team players took advantage of their meal to chat about their experiences during today's outing.
In the semifinals last night, they defeated South Korea and also qualified for the Olympics.
Therefore, although there is still one final to play, the coaching staff of the Japanese Olympic team also gave the players a day off and allowed them to go out for shopping.
After these people came back, they all brought back what they had seen.
What caught their attention the most and impressed them most was the ubiquitous joyful atmosphere in Jingyang City, the capital of Haining Province.
In addition to restaurants hanging banners to announce various discounts, major shopping malls can also see large reward event notices to cheer for the Chinese Olympic team and congratulate the Chinese Olympic team for reaching the Olympic Games.
As one of the cities hosting the U23 Asian Cup, the original football atmosphere here was not that strong.
If you are not a fan and do not follow Chinese football, as a person living in this city, you may not know that an intercontinental football event is being held in this city.
But now, as long as you go out in the streets and alleys, you can see many football elements.
Even in convenience stores, handwritten notice boards can be seen telling everyone that the Chinese Olympic team has just qualified for the Olympics.
These made the Japanese team players feel both novel and funny.
After all, it is just the Olympic Games, not the World Cup. It is so grand that it makes people feel that Chinese fans have never seen the world...
But if you think about it carefully, it seems that they have really never seen the world.
The only time I participated in the Olympics was in front of my own home. I wandered around for a long time without even leaving the country.
As for the World Cup, they have never participated in it once, so that they are now qualifying for the Olympics just like qualifying for the World Cup.
You must know that in Japan, there is not much reaction to qualifying for the Olympic Games this time. After all, they are used to it. Since Japanese football participated in the Olympic Games for the first time in 1996, up to now, it has not missed any Olympic Games. Pass.
Now only reaching the World Cup can make Japan react, but it is unlikely to be like the scene they saw in China today.
After all, everyone, including the players themselves, takes it for granted to reach the World Cup.
If the Japanese team misses the World Cup, it will probably be the most sensational time in the media.
Sugiyama Tatsuya couldn't listen anymore and stood up from the dining table.
Seeing the captain standing up, everyone's eyes were drawn to him.
"I say, enough is enough!" Sugiyama Tatsuya said to the whole team with a frown. "Think about when we first entered the World Cup, didn't we look like country bumpkins? You know, this is a superpower with a population of 1.5 billion! When these people's football enthusiasm is fully aroused, they will Don’t you know how scary it has become? Do you need me to remind you about the attendance of the Chinese team in these games? Especially their third group match against Qatar..."
Hearing the captain say this very seriously, the expressions of the Japanese Olympic team players who were still laughing before gradually calmed down.
Especially when they heard the last sentence, the expressions on many people's faces could already be described as "solemn".
Hulay scored five goals in less than nine minutes in that game, which not only shocked the fans, but also shocked them.
That game was not originally scheduled for players to watch collectively, but after Hu Lai completed a hat trick in more than three minutes, the news quickly spread among the Japanese team players, who were still staying in the hotel room. The Japanese Olympic team players all turned on their TVs to watch the game.
But even so, people who moved a little slower only saw the afterglow after Hu Lai completed five goals, but did not see the five goals themselves.
They later watched it all through online highlights.
Every Japanese Olympic team player who saw this ten-minute video was so shocked that they could only keep repeating "The country is here."
Although they did not see the live broadcast of Hu Lai's "Nine Minutes and Five Goals", they still felt the heated atmosphere when they turned on the TV.
There seemed to be only the cheers of the Chinese fans in the entire stadium. No other sounds, not even the referee's whistle, could be heard clearly.
"Now think about it, if we play in that environment in the next finals, can we withstand it?"
When Sugiyama Tatsuya said this, there was no other sound in the restaurant.
In the next finals, the Chinese team had the advantage of playing at home and had a huge advantage.
Everyone can imagine this with their knees.
"Of course, if everyone thinks that reaching the Olympics is a mission accomplished, and it doesn't matter what the result is in the finals, then just pretend I didn't say it."
After Sugiyama Tatsuya finished speaking, he sat down again.
The other players looked at each other, and then the team's main center back Yoichi Yamaura said: "Sugiyama-kun, no one will think that the final is insignificant. The Chinese team stole our championship in the East Asian Cup, and this time in the U23 Asian Cup final, This is our chance for revenge!”
"Yes, yes! Yamaura-kun is right!"
"If you really want revenge, then put away your contempt." Sugiyama Tatsuya said.
※※※
All the Chinese Olympic team players gathered in the hotel conference room.
They are having a meeting.
Head coach Shi Wuyin knocked on the table, and the conference room suddenly became quiet. Everyone looked at him,
Under the gaze of everyone, Shi Wuyin said: "I called everyone here because I wanted to ask everyone for their opinions. We have now qualified for the Olympic Games. It can be said that the task of this U23 Asian Cup has been completed and the goal has been achieved. So what do you think about the next final? You can tell me freely. Do you want to play casually regardless of the results, or do you plan to compete with the Japanese team for the championship? ”
"Needless to say, Director Shi will definitely win the championship!" Hu Lai couldn't wait to raise his hand and said loudly as soon as Shi Wuyuan finished speaking.
After qualifying for the Olympics, the task given by the system was actually completed, and he could directly receive the task reward.
But he didn't do that, because only fools would directly receive the mission reward. If he won the championship, wouldn't the mission reward be better?
He was afraid that everyone would lose motivation after qualifying for the Olympics. Then who would he look for to get the reward?
He is just a forward who can only score goals and needs the support of his teammates. If his teammates are not of the same mind as him, then he will definitely be alone.
So he has to express his position in advance and try to win some.
But he seemed to be thinking too much this time. Almost as soon as he finished speaking, all the teammates in the conference room said: "Hu Lai is right, Coach Shi, we all want to win the championship! No one reaches the finals. To get the runner-up spot!”
"Besides, our opponent is Japan... How can we lose to the Japanese team again at our home court?"
In the 2004 Asian Cup, the Chinese team served as the host, but ultimately lost to the Japanese team in the final. At that time, it was Koichi Sato, the head coach of the current Japanese Olympic team, who helped the Japanese team turn defeat into victory and win the championship.
How could the players of the Olympic team not intend to win the championship under such circumstances?
So in fact, Hu Lai doesn't have to rush to stand up and "lead the rhythm", and his teammates on the Olympic team will not give up on this final.
Shi Wuyin was very satisfied with the players' reaction. He nodded and raised his hand to signal everyone to quiet down: "Okay, I know what you are thinking. To be honest, I don't want to lose to the Japanese team at my home court. Although we won the East Asian Cup last time, we did not defeat Japan in the game and only drew with them. It can be said that that was our only regret in the East Asian Cup..."
If Shi Wuyuan had said this a year ago, he would definitely not have said this. He will feel that the team's ability to win the East Asian Cup is already a very good performance, and he will not expect more.
But one moment after another, the strength of the Olympic team a year later is completely different from that of a year ago. What he has experienced a year later is more and more exciting than a year ago.
Especially after Hu Lai's performance of five goals in nine minutes, Shi Wuyin suddenly felt like "I've never seen anything like this".
I also feel more confident in speaking than before.
So now when he thinks that not being able to defeat the Japanese team is the regret of the Chinese team in the East Asian Cup, he himself doesn't think there is anything wrong in saying that.
Likewise, no one in the conference room thought what he said was wrong.
It's like not defeating the Japanese team is indeed a regrettable thing for them.
But in fact, after drawing with the Japanese team and winning the East Asian Cup, everyone felt very satisfied. No one felt that it was a pity to draw with the Japanese team...
"...So this U23 Asian Cup, since we have reached the final, our goal must be to defeat the Japanese team and win the championship trophy at our home court!"
"Yes, win the championship!"
“Beat Little Japan!!”
Howls sounded one after another in the conference room. (End of chapter)