Four changes.
-----
Without Shunsuke Nakamura, the Japanese team was not just short of one player. This change directly made Zico's brain crash, and he did not know how the team could reverse the situation!
Where was the turnaround point?
Who would organize the Japanese team's overall offense?
Who should be replaced now?
Zico was still angry after protesting the referee's decision on the sidelines, but he was actually confused.
The Chinese fans at the scene and the fans all over China firmly believed that the China team would win the championship at this moment.
Arihan completed the substitution before Zico.
Hao Haidong was substituted off the field. Amidst the warm applause of the fans, Hao Haidong, with his head wrapped in gauze, walked to the sidelines and was replaced by the midfield engineer player, Zhao Junzhe.
Zhao Junzhe quickly ran into the field and went directly to Qin Xiong. He told Qin Xiong that he would play in the defensive midfielder position to further liberate Qin Xiong.
Qin Xiong nodded to show that he understood.
In the following time, Qin Xiong began to play the role of controlling the field in the midfield.
He had communicated with his teammates many times during training to pay attention to the changes in his rhythm.
With Zhao Junzhe and Liu Yi as defensive midfielders behind him, Qin Xiong appeared to be more unscrupulous.
He would pay attention to the changes in the Japanese team.
If the Japanese team did not fully press, he would interact with Shao Jiayi and Zhang Pengfei on the two sides of the midfield, Zhao Junzhe behind him, and the fullbacks, Sun Xiang and Sun Jihai, to pass the ball and interact.
He slowly shaped the favorable offensive situation. If there was no good opportunity, then he would not risk losing the ball.
If the Japanese team pressed forward, then Qin Xiong would speed up and suppress the Japanese team in such a change in rhythm.
As the defending champion of the AFC Asian Cup, the Japanese team could not let the China team run out of time.
The players in the front field could not seize the ball, and the midfielders could only press up. The disadvantage of playing with one less player was very obvious.
But every time the midfielders pressed forward to snatch the ball, Qin Xiong would transfer the ball and create the best attacking environment for the China team. Because he was observant, he could always choose the best attacking direction.
Shao Jiayi got a chance to shoot when he broke through from the side. Unfortunately, his shot hit the post and bounced out of the end line, which made him extremely annoyed that he missed a good opportunity.
Li Jinyu began to find it difficult to do things alone. Only when Kawaguchi Noh made a save after Qin Xiong missed a long shot did he get a chance to shoot again. Unfortunately, the ball missed.
The closer the match came to an end, the more anxious the Japanese team became.
They needed a miracle.
Even if they only scored a goal in the chaos, they could still tie the score in the end.
But at this moment, the calm and confident center back combination of Li Weifeng and Zheng Zhi did not give the Japanese team any chance. With Liu Yi and Zhao Junzhe acting as a screen to help defend the penalty area, the Japanese team's offense could hardly threaten the China team's goal.
In the 88th minute of the game, Sun Jihai bravely intercepted Fuxi Chongshi's dribbling in the front field. After Sun Jihai intercepted the ball, he directly passed the ball to Qin Xiong. Qin Xiong faced Nakata Koji's pressing from behind and used his outer instep to pad the ball to Zhang Pengfei on the side. Then he turned and rushed forward. Zhang Pengfei did not dribble the ball and directly passed the ball back to the middle.
Qin Xiong made a cycling action in front of the three managers and then flicked the ball to the right, followed by a dexterous lob shot from under his foot.
The reason why Qin Xiong, who was in the right position in front of the penalty area, chose the lob shot, which had a low success rate, was that he became a thorn in the eyes of the Japanese defenders. Even if he shot long shots, the opponents did not hesitate to block with their bodies, making his shooting angle very small.
However, he noticed Kawaguchi Nengo's habit of standing, and another point, Kawaguchi Nengo's height!
The goalkeeper was only about 1.8 meters. Height may not represent the coverage area of a goalkeeper's save, but it should be known that the taller the goalkeeper, the longer his arms generally, and the coverage area would increase year-on-year.
After the lob shot appeared, the stadium was silent for a moment.
It seemed that everyone had a tacit understanding to admire the rainbow across the field.
Rising from the right side of the front of the penalty area, the football with a light rotation around the heads of all the Japanese defenders. The speed was not particularly fast as it drew an arc and began to fall. The end of the falling trajectory was the upper left corner of the goal!
Kawaguchi Nengo ran from the other side of the goal almost at the same time in the direction of the left goal post.
Kawaguchi Nengo, who was 1.79 meters tall, jumped up at the last moment and used one hand to block the football that was about to fall into the corner of the goal!
He failed!
He closed his eyes and bowed his head, lying on the goal line for a long time without moving, as if he had not been able to defend the dignity of the Japanese team, and he was deeply remorseful and guilty!
"The ball is in! What a wonderful goal! Qin Xiong has put an end to all the suspense in the game! He scored the first goal, and now he has locked in the victory for the China team. This goal is simply the best goal of the AFC Asian Cup! Looking at that pleasing arc, it was truly a visual impact of four ounces hitting a thousand catties! 3: 0, the China team has completely defeated the Japanese team! "
Qin Xiong trotted to the sidelines. Facing the tsunami-like stands, he clenched his right fist and bowed slightly. After two seconds, he raised his right fist heavily, and the Beijing Workers' Stadium erupted with loud cheers.
“BOOM！”
It seemed that he had become the most admired star captain in the history of China's football. His iconic celebration was familiar and understood by the fans, and they cooperated with him to complete the spectacular goal celebration at this moment!
The Japanese players looked at each other. No player believed that they could reverse the situation and create a miracle!
From the moment Shunsuke Nakamura was restrained by Qin Xiong, the direction of the game was not in their plan.
Until this moment, they still could not find a way to contain the core of the China team.
He was too strong!
Perhaps only the main force of the Japanese team at their peak would be able to defeat him!
All the China players on the substitutes' bench and the China team's coaching staff stood on the sidelines of the field. They looked at the field with their arms around each other's shoulders. In the VIP box, the officials of the China Football Association and some leaders in the officialdom stood up with joy, waiting for the end of the game.
Finally, the moment the whistle sounded for the game.
The China players and coaches on the sidelines roared and rushed into the field together, and the scene was particularly spectacular!
The cheers from the stands shook the entire stadium. The Chinese fans hugged each other in celebration, jumping up and down and shouting. Many of the fans' voices were already hoarse, but they were still shouting until they broke their throats and wanted to continue!
"This is a historic moment! This is a historic moment in China's football! The China team has won the AFC Asian Cup for the first time! This year's China team is destined to go down in history and be remembered by countless Chinese fans. They have held the first AFC Asian Cup trophy for China! They have lived up to the expectations of the fans all over the country. They have united together with a new spirit and defeated a strong enemy. There are more difficult battles ahead of them, but at this moment today, let's forget all the troubles and future challenges and enjoy the joy of winning the championship! "
Qin Xiong was surrounded by many teammates. Everyone knew that Qin Xiong played a key role in the journey to the championship. As a captain, he was not only qualified, but also outstanding.
Almost no fans left the field in the stands. Of course, a small number of Japanese fans left inconspicuously.
At the following award ceremony, Qin Xiong was first awarded the MVP of the AFC Asian Cup.
Then, as the captain, he won the fourth championship trophy in 2004 at the age of 19!
The AFC Asian Cup trophy!
Surrounded by his teammates, he received the championship trophy and held it high with a wild smile on his face. It was filmed by many media reporters, and the live television broadcast would definitely record this scene and play it repeatedly after the game!
After leading the China team to the AFC Asian Cup, Qin Xiong had undoubtedly become the number one star in China's sporting world!
It could not be said that he had become a national idol, but at least in the sporting world, no one had a higher influence and commercial value than him.
During the post-game interview, Qin Xiong wiped his face with countless microphones in front of him. He said with a slight smile, "This championship is the result of the efforts of the whole team. It is the best reward for our efforts and also for all the China fans. I don't know how long they have waited, and I don't know how much they have been looking forward to it. I only know that now everyone can enjoy the victory together and enjoy this championship! All along, the China fans' support for the national team is obvious to all. The fans have made us proud. Now, we hope that we can also make the fans proud. "
When asked about his evaluation of the defending champion Japan, Qin Xiong shook his head and said, "I don't know what the Japanese team thinks of the AFC Asian Cup. Even if they did not send their strongest team here, there are still many people who think that the Japanese team is stronger before the game. I won't refute the outside world's evaluation, but I just want to say that football is not a game where the strong win. Moreover, I don't think there is a big gap between us and the Japanese players on the field today. We deserve to win. Since the Japanese team did not go all out, there is no need to regret it.
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