Chapter 779 Namozov has no way out
"We lost 0:2 in the first round, so we have been pushed to a dead end." In the home team's locker room, Uzbekistan captain Faruk Namozov was speaking to his own players.
Even coach Rasulov stood aside and gave center stage to the national hero of Uzbek football.
Namozov once led the Uzbekistan national team to the Asian Cup runner-up, which was also the Uzbekistan national team's best result in an international competition.
It was with this performance that Namozov was elected the Asian Footballer of the Year.
That was the most glorious time of Namozov's career, and now that his career is coming to an end, he hopes to fulfill his dream in the final stage - to lead Uzbekistan to a historic appearance in the World Cup.
But looking at it now, there is little hope.
After losing two goals in the first round, the national team returned to Uzbekistan and was scolded miserably by the local media and fans.
Among them, head coach Rasulov is under tremendous pressure.
The Uzbek media and fans believed that Rasulov's choice when trailing by two goals was too conservative. He should not choose to defend, but should actively attack and strive to score an away goal.
If we can return to the home court with a score of 1:2, the second round will be much easier to play.
The current score really makes many Uzbek fans feel desperate.
"That's okay, guys. We don't have to think about what's going on and what's not, just focus on this game and try our best to win. Stay focused..." Namozov put his hands on his temples, " It’s very important to stay focused during the game because concentration allows us to be more effective!”
Namozov waved his fists and spoke forcefully.
In the last round of the game, he also failed to perform to his own level and was still under tremendous pressure.
He had no complaints about this. When he returned to Tashkent, facing reporters at the airport, he took the initiative to take all the responsibility for the loss on himself.
At the same time, he also made a promise to fans across the country: "I will definitely score in the second round! We will definitely go to the World Cup!"
※※※
"Although we defeated Uzbekistan 2:0 in the first round, to be honest, a two-goal lead is not a very safe score. As long as Uzbekistan can score from the beginning, the wind will immediately turn in their favor. So the country The boys on the team must not be arrogant and underestimate the enemy just because they are ahead by two goals and let down their vigilance..."
When He Feng said this, the second round of the match between the two sides had already begun.
Playing at home, Uzbekistan changed its tactics of shrinking defense in the first round and took the initiative to attack and be aggressive.
With nearly 70,000 fans cheering in the audience, they launched a violent attack on the Chinese team's goal.
Every Chinese fan watching was frightened.
Will the Chinese team relax after 2:0 in the first round and lose a good game?
There are many such precedents in the history of Chinese football, which is one of the important reasons why Chinese football has such a bad reputation - everyone knows that you can't trip over the same stone twice, but Chinese football does not, and is always tripped. I am addicted to tripping over the same stone.
With Chinese football like this on display, how many people can hold back their anger?
Although as the reform of Chinese football has deepened in recent years, many inherent impressions have been gradually reversed.
But there is something that goes deep into the bone marrow, and that is Chinese fans’ distrust of Chinese football.
At some critical moments, the "tragedies" in history can always awaken everyone's memory, allowing them to combine the game in front of them with those painful memories.
To put it bluntly, those tragedies in the past have made Chinese fans have a very strong "pessimism". They always want to lose but dare not think about winning.
Even those who were a little bolder will eventually be slapped in the face by the cruel reality and will no longer dare to be arrogant.
This is just like that joke:
I always lose every time the Chinese team plays. What if the Chinese team wins? Although I will lose money, I will be happy. If the Chinese team loses, I will be just as happy as if I won the money. In the end, I bought a new house with the money I earned from betting on the Chinese team to lose...
Changing this deep-rooted impression of Chinese football cannot be achieved overnight.
But change must have a beginning, otherwise it will never happen.
※※※
"The Chinese team withstood Uzbekistan's offensive and tried to counterattack..."
When He Feng said this, he felt a little relieved.
Uzbekistan's stormy offensive just now really made him very nervous, and he couldn't help but be surprised when explaining the game.
Anyway, we withstood it. Now is the time to take a breath and get ready for the next wave of attack...
On the court, the Chinese team launched an attack through the left wing.
Different from the first round, this time Uzbekistan did not retreat neatly into its own penalty area to defend when the Chinese team attacked. Instead, it started to press in the midfield and frontcourt, hoping to directly counterattack and launch on the spot. Fight back.
This is of course because their tactical goals are different from those in the first round.
However, this also resulted in more space for their defense.
After Luo Kai received a long diagonal pass from the backcourt on the right, he dribbled the ball forward.
Uzbekistan full-back Edor Otagulov came up to defend him. He glanced at the space behind the opponent, without any fancy and unnecessary movements, directly pushed the football forward, and then relied on his own speed to overtake. !
"Luo Kai...beautiful!! He used his speed to eat Otaguluf alive!"
Luo Kai, who succeeded in overtaking, did not continue to dribble, but after catching up with the football, he started to pass.
The football drew an arc and flew into the penalty area.
Hu Lai rushed over and shot without stopping the ball!
Uzbekistan goalkeeper Hassan Abramov came out to block the shot with his body.
The football hit his leg and bounced back. Hu Lai, who had already completed the shot, immediately made a second reaction upon seeing this. At that time, his body was rushing forward, and it was too late to make other adjustments. He simply took advantage of the situation and dived forward to reach the top!
He pushed the football into Uzbekistan's goal before Hamlayev made a clearance!
The manic storm above the Tashkent Stadium suddenly stopped.
None of the Uzbek fans expected that the goal would come so unexpectedly, and the one who scored the goal was... the Chinese team!
"Hu Lai!! Ah ha ha ha ha ha!!" He Feng laughed loudly, and he relaxed all of a sudden. "Beautiful! Beautiful! With a clean attack, Hulay scored! The Chinese team not only led Uzbekistan 3:0 in the total score, but also scored an away goal! Well done Hulay! Well done. Luo Kai! ”
After the goal, Hu Lai ran to do his signature celebration. Luo Kai did not join in the fun. He just waved his fist at the place where he completed the cross and celebrated alone.
※※※
Looking at the Chinese players rushing to Hulay to celebrate the goal, Namozov kept taking deep breaths to force himself to calm down.
Just now, when he saw Hu Lai tipping the football into the goal with a supplementary shot, his heart seemed to be tightly grasped by some terrible force, unable to beat at all.
At that moment he seemed to be knocked down.
But in the end he was still standing on the court.
He knew he couldn't fail.
Uzbek football has reached its most dangerous moment, and he cannot fall.
"Pass the ball to me more." After calming down, Namozov turned to his teammates and said.
Everyone looked at him with confused eyes at first, and then realized what their captain meant by saying this, and their faces regained their fighting spirit.
A true leader doesn't need long speeches to boost morale. He just needs to tell the people around him to pass the ball to him.
※※※
After the game restarted, Uzbekistan, which was forced into a desperate situation, burst out with huge energy.
No matter whether it is the head coach Rasulov on the sidelines or the players on the field, there is no need to hesitate like in the first round.
Everyone knows what to do next - there is nothing they can do except attack, attack with all their strength!
The Uzbek fans in the stands of the Tashkent Stadium cheered for the team with the loudest shouts, making a last-ditch effort for Uzbek football to win the World Cup.
Amid their cheers, Uzbekistan's offensive became increasingly fierce.
The Chinese team players on the court have been beaten for a long time and cannot make it past halftime.
Hu Laidu changed from a center to a defensive midfielder - returning to the front of the penalty area to assist defense. Although there is not much he can do...
Although there was space behind the Uzbekistan defense, the Chinese team was unable to pass the football. Neither Chen Xingyi nor Luo Kai had the chance to take the football out with their speed.
Uzbekistan's continuous offensive is really like a dark cloud pressing down on the country. It brought huge psychological pressure to the Chinese team players who were caught in the storm.
In the first round, the Chinese team won relatively easily. Because of Uzbekistan's head coach Rasulov's conservative tactics, it can be said that Uzbekistan was basically subdued without much resistance.
Many people may have forgotten that in history, the Chinese team has played against Uzbekistan many times, and they have actually lost more and won less.
Finally before the end of the first half, Uzbekistan used rounds of bombing to force the Chinese team's defense to make a fatal mistake - when Namozov got the ball at the front of the Chinese team's penalty area, there was no Chinese team player. Go up and restrain him.
Namozov took a long shot without mercy!
The football roared into the Chinese team's penalty area like a shell and hit the dead center of the goal!
Although goalkeeper Hao De fought hard to save, he was still beyond his reach and could only watch the ball and sigh...
"Oops——!" He Feng, who was in the studio behind, held his head in his hands and shouted with regret and pain. "The quality of Namozov's shot is very high! But why didn't any of us guard him before he shot? You know, Namozov's long-range shot is notoriously good!"
Yan Kang comforted him and also comforted the Chinese fans in front of the TV: "Although we lost a goal, don't panic or be confused. We are still two goals ahead in the total score, and we also have an away goal advantage... So as long as we don’t mess up, we can still win!”
After scoring the goal, Namozov did not celebrate. He just greeted his forward teammates in the penalty area and told them to quickly go to the goal to get the ball. Then he took the time to put it in the center circle, asking the Chinese team to kick off quickly and the game to continue as soon as possible. .
Uzbekistan is still two goals behind in the total score, because the Chinese team already has an away goal advantage, so even if Uzbekistan scores two more goals, it will still be eliminated.
But this is not the reason for Namozov to give up. He will not give up himself, nor will he allow his teammates to give up. (End of chapter)