After getting off to a good start in the group stage of the AFC Asian Cup, Qin Xiong became the focus of the Asian media like a savior.
There were four days before the second game. Qin Xiong and the team began to train to become stronger.
He would not relax because of his wedding. After coming to the green field, he was a gladiator who pursued victory!
July 15th.
Malaysia, Bukit Jalil Stadium
China faced Iran.
Qin Xiong wore the captain's armband and started the game.
His body was still not in its best condition, especially after a season of fighting in Europe and the previous injury problems.
But he had at least recovered 80% of his strength.
In fact, the positive effect he brought on the field was not the strength increase of individual integration into the team.
China's current lineup was relatively stable, especially in the middle and front field.
Han Peng, Zhang Pengfei, Shao Jiayi, Zhao Junzhe, Liu Yi, and Qin Xiong. Qin Xiong was the backbone and the absolute core. He could let the team find a resonance point and give everyone strong confidence.
This was the gap between Zhou Haibin and Qin Xiong that could not be crossed in the last game!
China's overall performance in the second game was very good. The team scored three goals in 90 minutes. Qin Xiong only contributed a direct free kick, but the outside world still praised him. They thought that Qin Xiong brought the team confidence and mental strength that could not be ignored.
China team 3: 1 Iran.
They won two games and took the lead to advance into the quarterfinals of the AFC Asian Cup!
The last game of the group stage would be against one of the weak hosts, Malaysia.
Ali Khan gave Qin Xiong a holiday to avoid the game and rest. China team also went into the game with light equipment.
Without pressure and mental burden, China's last game of the AFC Asian Cup group stage had an unexpected effect.
They swept Malaysia with a 5: 1 victory!
This was under the condition that Qin Xiong did not play. Of course, it did not rule out the possibility that Malaysia collapsed under the pressure on their home ground.
China team, with three wins, became the hot favorite to win the AFC Asian Cup.
However, the China team was a bit unlucky.
In the quarterfinals of the World Cup Semifinals, they would meet the South Korean team, which was also one of the favorites to win the championship.
Qin Xiong, who attended the pre-match press conference with Ali Khan, was asked by a reporter if the China team was afraid of the Korean team's revenge!
In the Asian qualifiers of the last World Cup, the China team almost kicked the South Korean team out. If the South Korean team did not make it through the playoffs, the South Korean team would have missed the 2006 World Cup.
Qin Xiong was baffled by the reporter's question. "Why don't you ask if Korea is afraid of China? We were able to beat South Korea on their home ground, let alone in a neutral position. "
Qin Xiong tried his best to play the role of captain. He knew that the China team's mental fortitude was very weak, and their ability to withstand pressure was also weak, so he would shoulder everything!
The words that he didn't dare to say, the dreams that he didn't dare to dream, and the ambitions that he didn't dare to realize were all handed over to him!
July 22nd.
Bukit Jalil Stadium, Malaysia
The China team and the South Korean team met unexpectedly.
The South Korean team's lineup for the AFC Asian Cup this time was still mainly based on the local league, while most of the China team's players were returnees. This reflected the construction philosophy of the two countries in football. South Korea and Japan naturally focused on training their players in the AFC Asian Cup. Even if they were training their players, they had to aim to win the championship!
Naturally, they couldn't send all their elite players with great fanfare just to defeat the China team. That would be too impulsive. Their real goal was for long-term construction and to compete with the world's heroes on the stage of the World Cup.
Although the South Korean team was in the name of revenge, their attitude was still contemptuous of the China team.
The China team, under the leadership of Qin Xiong, followed their established tactical policy: counterattack!
This also reflected the China team's contempt for their opponents in terms of strategy and the importance of their opponents in terms of tactics.
After all, South Korea and Japan were football countries with stronger comprehensive strength. The China team could not rely on a few victories and an AFC Asian Cup title to easily defeat their opponents.
Tactical targeting was essential.
The South Korean team suppressed the China team in the whole game, but the China team played more effectively in the counterattack.
The trend of the game was judged by the football critics: the South Korean team's overall strength was not enough to crush the China team, but the individual strength of the China team's star players was outstanding!
Qin Xiong contributed a classic individual dash to break the goal in this game.
In a counterattack, he dribbled from the midfield, first passed Kim Jung-woo, then cut into the middle, shook off Kim Nanyi, and then broke through Kim Yuangui and Kim Zhikun, and finally shot the ball into the South Korean team's goal.
The China team's counterattack, led by Qin Xiong, turned the South Korean team's defensive line upside down. The targeted tactical restraint was effective. This was also the mainstream tactic that the China team would adhere to for a long time in the future. The main goal was also aimed at the World Cup stage!
In the end, the China team defeated the South Korean team 2: 0. In addition to Qin Xiong's dash to break the goal, Zhang Pengfei supported Qin Xiong in the midfield and assisted Han Peng to break the goal, which also reflected the counterattack ability that the China team had been honing.
After the game, the South Korean media unanimously belittled the China team's tactics were too conservative and only relied on superstars to advance.
The China media was too lazy to argue with the South Korean media. On the contrary, the Chinese fans took it for granted.
If you have the ability, you should also have a superstar!
After entering the AFC Asian Cup semi-finals, the China team met their old rival, Iraq, in the semi-finals. They had played against them in the last AFC Asian Cup.
After three years, the China team was more mature, and its comprehensive strength was obvious to all.
July 25th.
Bukit Jalil Stadium, Malaysia.
The China team's schedule for this AFC Asian Cup was really unique and advantageous. From the group stage to the semi-finals, they were in Malaysia, which saved the physical exhaustion of the tiring journey. They did not even change the stadium.
Coming to the semi-finals, the Iraq team did not dare to underestimate their opponent. Their tactics were conservative and cautious.
The China team could only rely on limited opportunities to try to threaten the opponent's goal.
The China team did not open the door to victory until the 13th minute of overtime, when Qin Xiong kicked a world-class long shot from outside the penalty area.
Qin Xiong's world-class long shot killed Iraq and sent the China team to the AFC Asian Cup final!
The China team's morale was unprecedentedly high.
July 29th.
Grolla Punkano Stadium, Indonesia.
The China team and the Saudi team met in the final.
In the small Asian land, there were no unfamiliar opponents.
The Saudi team was also familiar with the China team, as they had met in the World Cup qualifiers.
The final also became extremely difficult, but Qin Xiong, who had reached his best state, became unstoppable.
In the 57th minute of the second half, Qin Xiong dribbled into the penalty area and fell in the penalty area after being surrounded by the Saudi team. The slow-motion camera showed that Qin Xiong was indeed violated, and the referee's penalty kick was not a problem.
Qin Xiong took the knife and took the penalty in one fell swoop.
After the China team took the lead, the Saudi team launched a crazy counterattack. The China team's defense and counterattack got more good opportunities. Unfortunately, perhaps the pressure of the final caused Han Peng and Zhang Pengfei to miss a chance to score.
Fortunately, the China team resisted the Saudi team's crazy offensive and maintained the score of 1: 0 until the end of the game.
The China team achieved the feat of winning the AFC Asian Cup consecutively in the summer of 2007 after winning the AFC Asian Cup in 2004!
Qin Xiong was the best player and the best scorer of the tournament!
It was also after this AFC Asian Cup that Qin Xiong began to be called the Asian Football Emperor by the Asian media!
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