Chapter 167 “No Man’s Land”

The Shanhai Stadium, which can accommodate 80,000 people, is already packed, and there are still a large number of fans without tickets waiting outside the stadium.

Waiting for someone to refund the check.

Even if no one refunds the check, they are unwilling to leave.

This is a historic moment for Chinese football. At this time, everyone wants to be as close to the center of history as possible.

This will give them a strong sense of participation.

Han Shuyu and Li Qingliang are among the lucky ones who have tickets.

They were indeed lucky as tickets to the semi-finals were sold out.

And they were able to get tickets because sponsors provided them with tickets. In addition to providing them with tickets, sponsors also provide monetary rewards, requiring them to promote the sponsor while filming a VLOG of watching football.

Han Shuyu and Li Qingliang have graduated from college long ago. Now they no longer shoot videos of watching football simply out of love. This is actually their job.

They set up a studio for two people.

Han Shuyu serves as both host and photographer, while Li Qingliang serves as photographer and post-production staff.

Without this status, it would be extremely difficult to watch the Chinese team's semi-finals live - in the games before the semi-finals, they could still get tickets through their connections or their "money power".

But starting from the semi-finals, Chinese football has officially entered a field that has never been involved before. This game is writing new history every minute, and tickets have been sold at sky-high prices.

No matter how much Han Shuyu and Li Qingliang borrowed favors from each other, it didn't work. Their "money power" was far from enough at this moment.

A general ticket can be sold for more than 100,000 yuan, and box tickets are even more expensive.

After Li Qingliang finished taking the empty shots and turned off the machine, Han Shuyu said with emotion to the crowded stands: "Oh, we have been shooting football watching VLOG for so many years. If we talk about how much money we have made, it is really nothing. But I feel like today the two of us have made nothing. Being able to stand in the stands of the semi-finals is the best reward!”

Li Qingliang also felt that it was an honor to be able to stand at the crossroads of history: "Indeed, this will make me proud for the rest of my life!"

Han Shuyu joked: "Be confident, Lao Li. The good times have just begun. There are still many things that will last us a lifetime!"

Then she started to complain about South Korea: "It's awesome... We reached the semi-finals, and their media even said, 'Congratulations to the Chinese team for becoming the second Asian team to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup'... Oh my god! They You still have the nerve to mention this! Damn it! Just because of this, I was disgusted for two days!"

The Chinese team defeated England and reached the semi-finals. Everyone on the Chinese Internet was celebrating. Everyone said that the Chinese team had entered a brand new field.

This is of course a self-celebrating move by Chinese fans.

But the Koreans wanted to step in. Some nefarious people translated the remarks on the Chinese Internet and posted them on the Korean Internet, which attracted a group of Korean fans to show off their sense of superiority:

"Chinese football: This is a new area that no one has set foot in! Korean football: Who? Who is talking?"

"Chinese fans: We are the first Asian team besides South Korea to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup!"

"Chinese fans: Map of Asia, but without Korea"

"The Chinese team reached the semi-finals of the World Cup? It's really pitiful. They will always be the second best."

…

If it were just Korean fans playing tricks, the Korean media would also join in.

Then came the news that made Han Shuyu feel physically unwell for two days.

"Congratulations to the Chinese team for becoming the second Asian team to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup!"

The Korean media really reported this in a very official and formal tone.

The question is how the South Korean team came to be the semi-finals of the World Cup. The whole world knows that they, from the fans to the official media, have the nerve to show it off as a very glorious thing and show off everywhere.

Moreover, they compare the fact that the Chinese team reached the semi-finals with their semi-finals. It seems that the Chinese team's semi-finals and their semi-finals are the same thing.

But is it really the same thing?

Can the top four who were obtained in a clean and honest manner and the top four who were obtained through various crooked means be the same thing?

Bangzi's actions simply insulted the Chinese team and Chinese fans.

If the Chinese fans accept and approve of the forced binding of the Chinese team to the Chinese team, it will be equivalent to letting the stick whitewash their top four, or it will appear that the top four of the Chinese team have come from a wrong origin...

Who can bear this?

"It's okay." Li Qingliang comforted Han Shuyu, "After today, we will be number one in Asia."

Han Shuyu's eyes widened: "Eh? Lao Li, this doesn't look like you..."

In the World Cup 32 years ago, the South Korean team reached the semi-finals by virtue of its "home advantage". The final result was third place, that is, fourth place.

Now the Chinese team has reached the semi-finals. Even if they lose in the semi-finals, they have tied South Korea's "best record of an Asian team in the World Cup."

Li Qingliang said that the Chinese team can become the number one in Asia, which means that he believes that the Chinese team can definitely defeat the Brazilian team today.

After all, if you lose to the Brazilian team, you still have to participate in the third or fourth place finals. What if you are also the runner-up?

With such a vow, there is only one possibility.

The reason why Han Shuyu was surprised was that in her impression, Li Qingliang would not "lose his character" so early.

Facing Han Shuyu's surprised look, Li Qingliang smiled slightly: "We've reached the semi-finals, are we still thinking about losing or winning? No matter whether we can do it in the end, it's not illegal to think about it, right?"

Han Shuyu liked what Li Qingliang said very much. She nodded happily: "Yes, yes, that's it! Regardless of the result, we can't lose in terms of momentum!"

While the two were talking, a song was played on the stadium radio, and Han Shuyu laughed as soon as he heard it.

In the chorus, she simply sang loudly together with all the fans:

"...Today is a good day! Everything you want can come true! Today is a good day..."

※※※

When all the players of the Chinese team, wearing uniforms, filed out of the hotel door and walked towards the red bus with a golden dragon pattern, the Chinese fans who had been waiting at the scene for a long time burst into loud cheers.

The hotel staff also lined up at the door to see off the players.

"Team China! Come on!"

"Team China! Come on!"

Each Chinese player will wave to the surrounding fans before boarding the bus.

The decibels of cheers rose and fell like a tidal wave as they moved.

Twenty-six Chinese players, many of them got on the bus.

Including Zhang Qinghuan, who was not included in the game roster due to injury.

When Zhang Qinghuan appeared, the cheers were mixed with screams.

The CCTV cameraman also quickly increased the focal length and took a close-up shot.

Zhang Qinghuan in the camera is wearing the same navy blue suit as his teammates. On the left chest is the dragon and auspicious cloud logo of the Chinese men's football national team.

Although he was unable to participate in the semi-finals, there was no trace of frustration or loss on his expression.

In the face of those screams and cheers, he still waved gracefully with a charming smile on his face.

After all the players and coaches got on the bus, the door slowly closed, the car lights flashed twice, and then started slowly. The bus full of this history-making Chinese team left the hotel amidst shouts, shutter sounds and applause.

With this scene in mind, the CCTV reporter reporting on the scene roared and reported to the studio behind:

"The national football bus has set off! From this moment on, Chinese football has entered a 'no man's land' that has never been set foot in before! Without previous experience, no one knows what is waiting for us in the unknown front! We are the World Cup The only team among the top four that has not played in the semifinals... But as the national team coach Qin said, a blank sheet of paper is easy to draw on! Inexperience also means not being bound by old experience , let us look forward to these young guys drawing a grand blueprint for us on white paper!”

※※※

"...A blank piece of paper is easy to draw on! Well said!"

In the studio behind, Yan Kang, who was replaced by Li Qingqing as the live commentator, said with emotion.

"This sentence reflects the confidence and determination of Coach Qin. For him and his team, the World Cup semi-finals, which they have never touched before, are not a daunting 'no man's land'. It is a blank sheet of paper. , with unlimited possibilities. Originally, we had been worried before the game whether the Chinese team would be able to perform at a normal level facing the defending champion. After listening to Director Qin’s words, I personally am still full of confidence in the team’s performance in the game. Yes, I also believe that these young men will not let us down!"

In July, at eight o'clock in the evening in Jincheng, it had just turned dark, and there were still some colorful clouds in the western sky.

In Laiqing Football Park, an eleven-a-side standard football field of Anton Flash Star Football Club, a giant white curtain is hung on the barbed wire wall, with two huge speakers standing on both sides of the curtain.

Rows of plastic chairs sit on green artificial turf.

Now all the seats are filled with people.

These people are not only fans wearing Chinese team jerseys, but also maids wearing home clothes. They wave their fans and chat with their neighbors about their family affairs before the game starts.

Which vegetable market's ribs are fifty cents cheaper, which supermarket has another discount, which family's children have been admitted to key middle schools, which family's men and women quarreled...

Yan Yan and Chu Yifan, together with the club staff, were distributing mineral water to the neighbors who came to watch the game.

Behind the "auditorium", there are two huge electric fans, which extract the cold air from the water tank behind the fans and continuously transport it to the auditorium in front, bringing everyone the slightest coolness.

All the plastic chairs were occupied, and there were still many people who had no place to sit. They simply brought outdoor folding chairs from home, so that a standard football field was completely packed.

Next to this 11-a-side football field, there is a seven-a-side football field. Before the game starts, many children are chasing the football and playing on it.

After the scene cut from the rear studio to the Shanhai Stadium, live music was playing.

"...Today is a good day. Everything you want can come true! Today is a good day..."

The singing coming from the distant Shanhai Stadium was mixed with the noisy people in Laiqing Football Park, as well as the laughter and screams of children chasing footballs nearby.

It's like actually being at the game.