Chapter 794 Shake hands and make peace
Before the game between Leeds City and Liverpool United, Hulay won the second Premier League Player of the Month trophy of his career.
He thus became the player with the fewest appearances to win this honor.
After winning the award, he did not continue his scoring momentum. In the game against Liverpool United, he played only 66 minutes before being replaced. He failed to score before being substituted.
But he doesn't really care about this, because even if he doesn't score, he still leads the Premier League scorer list.
This is actually a "tacit understanding" between him and Clark.
Whether before the game or during the game, he never asked to leave early. But Clark knew that there were two very important games for Hu Lai. The flight distance alone would be enough to circle the earth.
It is a very severe test for his physical fitness.
Therefore, Clark "made his own decision" and did not let Hu Lai play the whole game, hoping to let Hu Lai rest more.
Although when Hulay came off the field, Leeds City only tied with Liverpool United 1:1. Clark is still willing to take the risk of not winning the game so that Hulay can face the two most critical national team games in better condition.
This move gained Clark a lot of goodwill in China. Chinese fans are naturally the most concerned about the national team's games and the most concerned about Hu Lai's physical condition. They also know that Clark replaced Hu Lai so early so that he can better prepare for the World Cup qualifying play-offs.
After Hulay was replaced, Leeds City finally defeated Liverpool United 2:1 with Kamara's goal in the 81st minute, taking all three points.
In this regard, Chinese fans have said: Good people are rewarded.
Then in a focus game of this round, Stan Park Rangers defeated Manchester Athletic 3:1 at home. The win keeps them at the top of the league table with thirty-four points.
Manchester United, which lost the game, plummeted from second place in the league to fourth place.
Not only was it surpassed by Leeds City with 25 points, it was even under pressure by London Bridge - Manchester Athletic and London Bridge had the same points, but in terms of goal difference, London Bridge was slightly better. With this goal difference advantage, London Bridge overcame Manchester United and became third in the league.
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After the game against Liverpool United, Hulay did not fly back to China this time. Instead, he took a plane to the west, diagonally across the Atlantic Ocean, and went directly to Paraguay to join the national team.
This time in the play-offs, the Chinese team was drawn into a guest first and then a home schedule.
In the eyes of many people, this is much better than serving first as host and then as guest.
But this is not the case. Because visiting first means that the Chinese team spends more time on the road than its opponents.
The first leg of the match between China and Paraguay is on November 14th. After the match, they will return to China to prepare for the second leg on November 19th.
The two games were only four days apart. For the Chinese team, which had to make a long-distance intercontinental flight, it was definitely more tiring than Paraguay, because they had to fly from China to Paraguay and back from Paraguay in the first round, suffering continuous jet lag. The impact on the team is greater than ordinary people imagine.
If the game is played first at home and then away, the team will have no game mission after flying to the away game for the second round. Naturally, there will be no need to worry about the long-distance flight back and the impact of jet lag on the team...
In order to prepare for these two important games, China has also made special adjustments to the league schedule.
Although the professional league and the Football Association are now separated and managed by the professional league, the Football Association can no longer issue orders to the league as it did before and can change it however it wants. However, before an important goal like the World Cup, the Football Association and the professional league quickly reached a unified opinion after simple consultations.
After the 27th round of the league, the Chinese Super League was completely suspended, and the remaining three rounds of the league will not be played until the World Cup qualifying play-offs are completed.
Starting from November 3, the national team will gather for a week of training to prepare for the game against Paraguay in advance.
In order to avoid the situation where the team loses its match status due to only training but no games, a warm-up match was specially arranged to play against the South China Tigers at the national team training ground.
After this game, the Chinese team boarded the plane directly from Lingnan and flew to Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, where they will join Hulay for the last two days of training before facing the powerful enemy Paraguay.
The difficulty of this game can be seen from the timing alone.
As the team's main shooter, Hulay can only practice briefly with the whole team as they sharpen their guns before the battle. This is a very helpless reality, but it is also an opportunity for Paraguay.
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"I don't think this is our chance." Paraguay coach David Arturo looked at the information in his hand and told others on the coaching team.
"Although Hu's training time with the national team was not long each time, I noticed that his performance in the national team was very good, and he did not show any lack of tacit understanding with his teammates. I think this may have something to do with him being in the national team. It has something to do with China’s domestic playing experience. Many people in this national team were his teammates in domestic clubs and the Olympic team, and some were opponents who played against him in the domestic league... These all make him proud. They are no strangers to each other.”
Arturo talked eloquently.
"So if we think that they will not cooperate well enough and underestimate the enemy, then we might... no, we will definitely pay the price for it!" After Arturo finished speaking, he looked around at his coaching team, Make sure there is no nonchalant look on each of their faces.
"After missing the World Cup for four consecutive times, this is the closest we have come to the World Cup. I don't want to lose this opportunity forever because of our own pride and underestimating the enemy at such a critical time. That will be unforgivable in our lives. Error!”
The old coach Arturo said something very harsh, but no one felt that what he said was wrong.
The two core members of the Paraguay national team, one behind the other, are both over 30 years old. As professional players, they are still in their golden age. As long as you maintain a scientific training and routine, it is normal to play until the age of 36 or 7 in your career.
But career and the opportunity to participate in the World Cup are completely different concepts.
To reach the World Cup, we cannot rely on a few old men whose careers are on the decline.
Therefore, four years later, Arce and Sosa will most likely not even make it to the Paraguay national team, let alone compete in the World Cup.
Everyone must have this idea now - prepare as if this is their last chance.
Only in this way can we go all out and leave no regrets.
After all, these coaches are responsible not only for their own jobs, but also for the biggest dream of two legends in the future history of Paraguayan football.
This is nothing to be careless about.
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The Paraguayan media stood outside the hotel where the Paraguayan national team was staying, aiming their guns and cannons at the revolving door.
The light in the splendid hall shines through the huge floor-to-ceiling glass, and you can clearly see people walking around inside, which is very lively.
"I saw Arce, he was with Arturo, who did they seem to be waiting for?"
The reporters waiting outside the hotel started talking about the scene in front of them.
"Waiting for someone? Who are you waiting for?"
"Who else can we wait for? Who else on this team is worthy of letting the captain and head coach wait together? Uh..." The person who said this also realized the problem, and he and the others looked at each other.
"Stop joking, how could Arce wait for Sosa here?"
"Yes, as far as the relationship between the two of them is concerned..."
It is not a secret that Sosa and Arce have a bad relationship.
Everyone knew it, but no one said it publicly anymore.
Souza and Arce are no longer openly confronting each other, but that doesn't mean they can shake hands and make peace. In fact, they are still in a state where the king does not see the king, and no one pays attention to the other. It can be said that the two parties involved in the "Sleeve Band War" actually only signed a temporary armistice agreement, but did not completely end the war.
Reporters naturally know this, so they feel that it is absolutely impossible for Arce to wait here to greet Sosa.
But the scene in front of them now makes people can't help but speculate in that direction, because logically speaking, this is the only possibility that makes sense.
"Don't think too much... maybe Arce just met Arturo in the lobby and the two of them chatted casually?"
Someone gave an explanation, but even he couldn't convince himself.
Because Arce didn't look like he met Arturo by chance and started chatting in the lobby.
The two people looked towards the door and stood side by side - it was obvious that they were waiting for someone.
The answer was soon revealed.
A car stopped at the entrance of the hotel, and Sousa Espinola got out of the car.
Seeing this, Arce and Arturo rushed up to meet him at the same time.
Then Arturo deliberately trailed half a step behind, letting Arce walk in front of him, and extended his hand to Sosa.
"Quick, quick, quick!"
The reporters realized what was going to happen next and pressed the camera shutter one after another, or locked the lens firmly on the two people.
Amidst the continuous sound of shutters, Sosa also stretched out his hand.
After experiencing the "Sleeve Band War", these two Paraguayan football bosses held hands together for the first time in front of the camera...
That night, on the Paraguayan Internet, countless Paraguayan fans rushed to tell each other, saying with great joy: Brothers working together can make a difference! No one can stop the Paraguay national team this time! We are finally going to the World Cup! !
(End of chapter)