July 17th, evening.
Beijing Workers' Stadium.
The opening ceremony of the AFC Asian Cup was taking place in the stadium. The stadium, which could accommodate 66,000 people, was packed to the brim. Almost all of them were China fans, creating a clamor that shook the surroundings.
Qin Xiong put on his jersey step by step in the locker room, tied his leg pads, put on his sneakers and tied the laces tightly. He stood up and prepared to play the game with a normal expression.
The other teammates were also expressionless after doing this, but they seemed to be a little nervous.
Perhaps the pressure of public opinion for the game was too much for them to bear. Qin Xiong glanced at his teammates indifferently and then looked away. After Ali Khan rallied the team's morale, Qin Xiong opened the locker room door and strode out with his head held high.
He walked to the front of the players' tunnel with the captain's armband and did not have any communication with the referee. He stood at the front and looked very calm.
The little caddie pulled his hand, and Qin Xiong turned his head to look down at him. The caddie smiled at him and said that he admired Qin Xiong very much and hoped to get his autograph. Qin Xiong asked the staff next to him for a pen and signed directly on the back of the little caddie's jersey.
The opponent for the first game was Bahrain. Most of their eyes were focused on Qin Xiong. In the past three games of the China team, Qin Xiong's performance had been widely publicized by the media, and everyone knew about it.
How could the opponent underestimate his existence?
When Qin Xiong led the team into the stadium with the referee team, the deafening cheers echoed in the stadium.
The enthusiasm of the China fans was never to be questioned!
They stared expectantly at the appearance of the China team as the host team and cheered for the China team with shouts that would break their throats!
Qin Xiong solemnly carried out the pre-kickoff ceremony.
After the ceremony, he walked to the front of the referee team and exchanged team flags with the Bahrain team captain before deciding on the side to pick and the kickoff.
The China team was the first to kick off.
"The first match of the AFC Asian Cup will be between China and Bahrain. In the last three matches, China's condition couldn't be better! Although the opponents are not strong, we have seen the positive attitude of the China team. Furthermore, Ali Khan has also achieved some results in building the team. Now, the real test for the China team has arrived. With more than 60,000 Chinese fans cheering for them at the stadium and countless Chinese fans watching in front of their televisions, we hope that the China team can perform well! "
Qin Xiong stood on the edge of the center circle. After the referee blew the whistle to announce the start of the game, Hao Haidong gently kicked the ball to Li Jinyu. Li Jinyu stepped on the ball and stepped on the ball in place. Then the two forwards spread out and ran forward. Their speed was not fast.
Just after the kickoff, Qin Xiong stepped into the center circle and directly kicked the ball towards Bahrain's goal from the center line!
Long shot from the center circle!
"Wahhh! China shot the ball at the first second of kick-off! This ball! "
This coordination was long prepared. Qin Xiong thought that for the China team to play with momentum, they must first intimidate the opponent.
Perhaps there would be some unexpected effect.
At the same time, he did not care if he could score a goal.
But he had to intimidate the opponent!
He had to disrupt the opponent's calm mentality.
He controlled his footwork well and the football flew over the heads of the Bahrain team's forwards and midfielders. Then it began to fall after entering the penalty area! But the speed of the ball was not fast.
Although the Bahrain goalkeeper stood in front of the goal line with a card up his sleeve, when the football slowly fell, it became floating. He originally wanted to catch the ball, but it turned into hitting the ball out of the end line!
"It's a pity that the China team almost completed an incredible goal break! But I don't think this is China team messing around. Such a shot at the goal will create a lot of psychological pressure for the Bahrain team! "
The Bahrain players turned their eyes to Qin Xiong. They felt unprecedented pressure when they saw the young China captain with a calm expression but exuding a terrifying aura.
From the first second, Qin Xiong announced his presence. Perhaps it was just a kick to intimidate the opponent, but at the same time, it was a declaration of war to the Asian heroes!
Although Qin Xiong tried to create pressure for the Bahrain team at the start of the game, it was the China team who first exposed that they could not bear the pressure in the game.
When Li Jinyu made a mistake in the pass and Shao Jiayi failed to break through twice in a row, they looked like they were playing at a faster pace. They could not wait to immediately appear in front of the opponent's goal in the next second to complete the shot and score.
Under the expectations of the national fans, they wanted to prove themselves with victory. But the more it was like this, the more it showed that their mentality was unbalanced. This was also a common situation for the China team.
The more critical the moment, the easier it was to lose their footing.
Qin Xiong shouted at his teammates on the field to slow them down!
Do not rush to deal with the ball.
But this situation did not improve too much.
Ten minutes had passed in the game. Other than Zhang Pengfei and Qin Xiong each having a shot, the China team's offense seemed to be all bark and no bite.
The Bahrain team also played a more modest 4-4-2 formation. The pressure on them was much less than that of the China team. They were not the favorites to win the title, nor were they playing in their hometown. At least the expectations on them were lower, and it was easier for them to stabilize their mentality and play to their strengths.
Qin Xiong simply used an unreasonable method to improve the team's situation.
He gestured to Shao Jiayi to let the other party pass the ball to him. A brainless pass to him!
The ball was at Qin Xiong's feet. The pressure was on him, and he became the focus of attention.
This pressure was something he had to bear by himself!
He had been making the most stable passes in the first half hour. Even if he did not attack, he had to pass the ball to his teammates and let his teammates, who had no pressure, control the ball. Then he would run his position and let his teammates pass the ball back.
Slowly, the situation of the China team improved.
They were able to pass the ball steadily and would not make mistakes. Of course, that was an inefficient pass from a tactical point of view, but it would help them build confidence on the field and restore their mentality at the same time.
In the 35th minute of the game, Qin Xiong and Sun Xiang did a series of two-versus-one combinations in the backfield. Then they changed players in the front field, and it became a two-versus-one combination between him and Shao Jiayi. He controlled the ball in front of the penalty area and dribbled horizontally. When the Bahrain center back rushed up, he dribbled with a change of pace and suddenly changed direction 90 degrees to cut into the penalty area. Then he faced the goal and hit a high-quality shot.
Even though the Bahrain goalkeeper's fingers touched the football, he still could not stop the football from flying into the goal after the refraction.
"The ball is in! The China team took the lead to break the goal and scored the first goal of the AFC Asian Cup. It was our young captain, Qin Xiong, who scored this goal for the team! We can see his efforts on the field. He injected control and stabilized the China team. Qin Xiong is already the leader of the China team! He won the praise and support of all the China fans! Come on, China team, keep up the good work! "
Qin Xiong did not celebrate after the goal. Instead, he turned back to hug Shao Jiayi and praised his passing coordination. At the same time, he pointed to Sun Xiang. He was making his teammates more confident and calm!
It could be said that the overall psychological quality of the China team was very fragile!
Whether they were in the lead or behind.
It was easier to give up when they were behind.
It was easier to slack when they were in the lead.
When the Bahrain team launched a frenzy of attacks, the China team's rear defense had problems. Li Weifeng's header made a mistake and the Bahrain team got a second chance to attack in the penalty area. Zheng Zhi gave the opponent a penalty kick when he blocked the opponent's shot.
The Bahrain team scored in one move and equalized the score.
The first half ended in a draw.
On the way back to the locker room, Qin Xiong communicated with his teammates and told them the problems he found in the game. For example, Sun Jihai could try to boldly assist in the front field, the Bahrain team's left wing attack was obviously weaker than the right wing attack, Shao Jiayi should reduce his breakthroughs because the opponent's right back defense was good, and so on.
The China team, centered around Qin Xiong, was infected by his neither arrogant nor rash aura. Even if the score was equalized, there was a huge contrast between their mentality at halftime and the imbalance at the beginning of the first half.
At the beginning of the second half, Qin Xiong instigated a quick attack in the midfield with Zhang Pengfei as a cover on the flank. Sun Jihai went straight to the bottom on the right wing. Qin Xiong's penetrating straight ball came on time. Sun Jihai passed the ball from the baseline and Hao Haidong, who was at the back of the penalty area, headed the ball into the Bahrain team's goal.
The China team, more composed and confident than the first half, once again took the lead at the beginning of the second half.
At this point, the China team controlled the situation on the field. In the 76th minute, Qin Xiong sent Li Jinyu an anti-offside straight ball. Li Jinyu took the opportunity to expand the lead.
In the end, the China team won the AFC Asian Cup with a score of 3: 1!
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