The Xuanwu Sports Center in Jiuan, Hexi can accommodate 60,000 people, but because Hexi Province does not have a top-level league team, Hexi Daqin is still struggling to survive in the Chinese League, so it is difficult for this stadium to be full unless it is a star concert.

But today, the stadium is full of seats and full of voices.

It is finally worthy of its "sports center" title.

What is going on here is a friendly match between the Chinese team and the Slovak national team.

Although coming from afar, Slovakia did not send a second-line lineup, and their main players in the top five European leagues were all present. It can be seen that Slovakia also attaches great importance to this game.

The reason why they attach so much importance is naturally because the Chinese team should not be underestimated.

With its undefeated results in the World Cup in three matches and three draws, especially in the final 3:3 draw with Brazil, the Chinese team has become famous all over the world.

The importance that the opponent attaches to them is just a kind of respect.

The football world is like this, you can be respected if you have the strength, and no one cares about you if you don't have the strength.

When Japanese football debuted on the World Cup stage, no one cared about it.

But now they have made all opponents who play against them dare not take it lightly, no matter how strong that opponent is.

Although Slovakia did its best, the Chinese team performed even better amid the cheering and cheering voices of their hometown fathers and elders.

In an almost crazy atmosphere, the Chinese team continued to attack Slovakia's goal.

This game's new coach Dong Jianhai almost followed the lineup of Shi Wuyin in the World Cup.

Formation 433. Striker Hu Lai is in the center, Chen Xingyi and Luo Kai pull side by side.

Midfielder Jiang Wanqing delayed the interception and defense. Xia Xiaoyu was in charge of connecting the front and rear courts by his side, acting as the hub of offensive and defensive conversion. Zhang Qinghuan was at the forefront, close to Hu Lai, and could be both an organization midfielder and a shadow forward.

The central defender is still a combination of Yao Huasheng and Wang Guangwei, right defender Bai Di, left defender Qu Lu.

Goalkeeper Lin Zhiyuan.

No matter the formation, personnel allocation, or tactical design, they are no different from the national team during the Shi Wuyin period.

Since there is no difference, the international players on the field naturally cooperated and did not feel any discomfort.

Fighting at home again, the state is fiery.

At the end of the first half, the Chinese team had two goals ahead-these two goals were scored by Hu Lai and Luo Kai respectively.

You must know that the opponent is Slovakia. Although they did not participate in this World Cup, they also reached the knockout stage in the European Cup two years ago. They are definitely not a big team.

And the Chinese team was able to lead two goals in the first half!

The fans in Hexi Jiu'an Xuanwu Sports Center fainted happily.

They were shirtless and struggling to beat the drums. Accompanied by the rumbling of the drums, there was a uniform, deafening shout over the Xuanwu Sports Center.

"The Chinese team! Come on (dongdong)!"

The Chinese team played very well in the World Cup, but it is a pity that all three games were in the distant United States. After all, the number of Chinese fans who can go to the scene to watch the game is still very small.

Now the first national team game after the World Cup has been arranged in Jiu'an, the capital of Hexi Province. This game has touched the hearts of countless people. Don't talk about Jiu'an City, the fans from several provinces around Hexi Province were moved by the wind and flocked to Jiu'an City just to witness the demeanor of this national team on the spot.

Tickets for the game were completely sold out half a month in advance. Even so, a week before the start of the game, there were fans from all over the country wandering outside the Xuanwu Sports Center, hoping for a miracle. For various reasons, I couldn’t see the game, and I came to sell tickets, which just happened to make them cut off...

It’s also due to the fact that the current tickets are all real-name certified. You must match the ID card and the information on the ticket to enter the stadium. Otherwise, the tickets for this ordinary friendly match are estimated to be fired as small as 10,000. go…

Slovak players are obviously not comfortable with this away atmosphere-they came to China with the mentality of playing a friendly game. But how does this look like a friendly match?

Without telling them, they even thought it was a European Cup match!

And it's the European Cup held in China...

Damn it!

Chinese fans are so enthusiastic, is China's football atmosphere so good?

※※※

Although Slovakia pulled back a goal in the second half, Chen Xingyi made another victory for the Chinese team in the 66th minute, and the final score was fixed at 3:1.

Anyone who has watched the game will have this idea: The Chinese team won easily at their home court, and the advantage is definitely not just a 3:1 score.

This feeling is actually quite absurd. After all, the previous Chinese team rarely had the same performance when facing European teams-from the scene to the total suppression of the score.

After this game, the media and the Internet were full of praise for the Chinese team.

Everyone thinks it is obvious that the Chinese team that participated in the World Cup is more mature, and the benefits of going abroad are obvious.

When facing European players, everyone dared to make moves and dared to show themselves.

The increase in self-confidence has brought about an improvement in performance on the court.

It seems that it is not too difficult to understand a big victory over the opponent.

※※※

Four days later, the Chinese team ushered in the second friendly match in Haining Jingyang, the stronger Mexican team.

This time, Dong Jianhai's starting lineup has changed a lot from the previous game.

The formation changed from 433 to 442, with Hu Lai and Zhou Zijing starting on the front line, midfielders Jiang Wanqing and Zhang Qinghuan in the center, and Chen Xingyi and Luo Kai separated.

Only the back line did not change much.

However, this set of changes did not produce the effect Dong Jianhai expected.

The Chinese team didn't play well in the first half. Not only did they not score a goal, they also lost two goals.

After the intermission, Dong Jianhai made adjustments and the formation returned to 433. Zhou Zijing was replaced and Xia Xiaoyu came on the bench.

After changing back to the familiar formation, the performance of the Chinese team has improved.

Hu Lai scored a goal for the Chinese team before being replaced.

It was also the only goal scored by the Chinese team in this game.

In the end, the national team lost to Mexico 1:2, ending their two friendly matches with one win and one loss.

Although they did not achieve a full victory record, everyone had a high evaluation of the overall performance of the national team in these two games after the game.

At the same time, the new coach Dong Jianhai also scored high on the performance of the national team's "second entry".

The media believe that what Dong Jianhai did best is not to break the "precious legacy" left by Shi Wuyin without authorization. He followed the tactics and staffing of his predecessor Shi Wuyin, which is very commendable.

Because the performance in the World Cup has proved the effectiveness of Shi Wuyin's tactical thinking and personnel matching.

Since practice has proved the effect of this style of play, why do you want to change it?

After some coaches take over a team, they always want to prove to others that they are different and that they have something new. The so-called "three fires for a new official to take office" can't wait to overthrow everything about the predecessor and promote his own set of things. But in the end, the gains outweigh the losses...may not be able to achieve good results.

After all, people have inertia, especially this Chinese team, they used Shi Wuyin's set to achieve success in the World Cup.

But most coaches boast that others know a lot and that their own set is the best. That's why the successor will continue to overthrow the predecessor.

And Dong Jianhai, the old man, is good to understand the importance of "continuity".

When the Football Association just announced Dong Jianhai as the head coach of the Chinese team, the media was full of suspicion and distrust of this candidate. But after watching these two games, most of the domestic media said that Dong Jianhai may not be the best coaching ability in the current domestic coaches, but he obviously has self-knowledge and puts himself in the right position.

He did not deny Shi Wuyin for reasons of face, but chose to be a follower of Shi Wuyin, who is precisely the best candidate to lead the Chinese team to complete the transition.

The media also used the allusion of "doing nothing but governing" to describe Dong Jianhai's continued use of Shi Wuyin's tactics, praising Dong Jianhai for doing nothing, which is actually the best practice.

And this was also proved in the game-in the second game against Mexico, Dong Jianhai really wanted to try something new. He changed the starting formation from 433 to 442, but obviously the effect was not good. And once the original Shi Wuyin lineup is replaced, the performance of the national team tends to be normal. In the end, Hu Lai’s goal is the best proof.

Obviously Dong Jianhai can see that 433 is still suitable for this national team, so don't mess around.

※※※

"I can't agree with those statements in your media, Yu." When Jorge Dillon listened to the evaluation of Dong Jianhai from the media that Yu Jintao translated for him, he shook his head and said. "Dong’s attempt to make a change was right, but unfortunately he was too timid, and he shrank back after a little setback. So two friendly matches were played, everything remained the same, nothing changed at all...using the friendly matches It’s a great opportunity to try new ideas, but it’s a pity..."

He shook his head, looking quite regretful.

Of course Yu Jintao knew that Dillon would say this, because he understood Dillon's attitude towards the Chinese team-when the Chinese Football Association came to Dillon to talk about coaching, he was involved as Dillon's translator.

There are many speculations about why Dillon and the Football Association did not get together. Yu Jintao has seen it. Some speculations are still reliable, and some speculations are pure nonsense. He knows the inside of it best, but he never talks to the outside. This is a professional ethics of translation.

"It seems that both the Football Association and Dong attach great importance to the Asian Cup next year...you must achieve results in the Asian Cup... But what if you want to win the Asian Cup in January next year? It's Asia. Is the Cup important or the World Cup important?" Dillon seems to have a lot of fun and continues to say. "If you perform well in the Asian Cup, can you perform well in the top twelve? Don't they understand that the top football event in Asia is not the Asian Cup but the top twelve?"

"Jorge, you have to consider the degree of our Chinese fans' desire for the honor of the national team, and to understand the importance of the fans to the national team's performance..." Yu Jintao still decided to say something for Chinese football.

"I understand, but I think this obsession is stupid." Dillon said very hard. "I stick to my original view that the Asian Cup, which is so close in time, should be regarded as an opportunity for the team to exercise, rather than desperately trying to achieve good results. When your Football Association called me, I made it very clear. If I were to coach the Chinese team, I would not have any performance requirements for the Asian Cup, and I had to agree not to recruit overseas players... but they did not agree."

Dillon shrugged and spread his hands.

"It is really difficult for them to agree, Jorge. You know that even Japan and South Korea will recall overseas players during the Asian Cup. The Asian Cup is not the top football match in Asia in terms of competition, but it is of great significance. There is no one. Will so blatantly abandon the Asian Cup and declare to the outside world that the Asian Cup is regarded as a large warm-up game..." Yu Jintao said. "In a sense, this is not a pure football issue..."

"But your situation is different from Japan and South Korea. In January next year, maybe Zhang, Xing, Xia, and Wang have not fully integrated into their respective teams, they will be transferred back to participate in the Asian Cup... if I am the head coach of their club. Since they will definitely be absent for two months of training and competition, why should I give these Chinese players a chance? After I have finally trained them, I will wait until January to give me a backstab. Is it?" Dillon hummed, shaking his head.

Yu Jintao was speechless by him.

They also discussed this issue privately, and Yu Jintao really couldn't refute Dillon's reason.

The head coaches of European clubs don't have the consciousness of "dedicating everything to Chinese football, regardless of rewards, and focusing on the overall situation". They only consider the interests of their teams. To be honest, let your powerful players suddenly leave the team to participate in the national team game in December, and then play until February... Indeed, few club head coaches would willingly let them go.

"Actually, it's not just the Asian Cup. In my opinion, in this national team game, the Chinese team should not arrange the game in China in order to satisfy the fans' desire to chase stars. They should go directly to Europe for training and training. Let those overseas players travel and get too tired, which affects their progress in integrating into their respective teams... Besides, what kind of performance these players play together, haven't you seen it in the World Cup? Let them join in the world. We are together to play two warm-up matches. Isn’t this a waste of opportunity? What is the purpose of the warm-up match? It is to inspect new players before the official match, add fresh blood to the national team, test new tactics, and prepare enough backup plans. …As a result, none of these things were done in the two games."

Speaking of this, Dillon suddenly laughed: "I know why Cao and Yan are so indifferent to the leadership of the Chinese team..."

Yu Jintao did not speak.

After the Football Association failed to negotiate on Dillon's side, they tried to find Shanhaihais coach Cao Wei and Hedong Raiden coach Yan Li. Both of them are among the best domestic coaches.

But they all rejected the Football Association because they had a contract with the club.

Why is it so?

Obviously being able to lead the Chinese team is the dream of countless local coaches. For example, Wang Xianke was very eager to coach the Chinese team. He regarded coaching the national team as the ultimate goal of his coaching career...

There are also a large number of domestic voices calling for opportunities and trust for local coaches.

Everyone thinks "isn’t it a matter of course that our own country’s team uses its own coach?"

But now it seems that perhaps it is this kind of turbulent public opinion that has discouraged those coaches.

After all, their predecessor, Shi Wuyin, was too successful. He not only led the Chinese team to the historic World Cup finals, but also achieved an unbeaten record in the World Cup when everyone was not optimistic.

With such jewels ahead, can I ask who will be the successor?

It is entirely conceivable that after they became the head coach of the Chinese team, all of them will look like walking on thin ice and trembling.

Successfully, it was the predecessor Shi Wuyin who taught well. If they failed, it was because of their low level. Shi Wuyin left a good deck of cards that was played so badly...

"So I guess, Yu. I guess Dong might have figured out this question in the first half against Mexico, so he changed it back decisively and copied the predecessor's stuff intact..." Dillon chuckled.

Then his expression became serious again: "But I have to say... Whether you like it or not, I have to say-football develops very rapidly, and it is very dangerous in world football. It turns out that the development of football is very fast. The successful experience of the Chinese team may become a stumbling block in the future. It is very dangerous for the Chinese team to continue to use the previous tactics without making changes. It is even... it is entirely possible that they will not be able to qualify from Asia in the next World Cup!"

Yu Jintao was a little surprised: "Isn't it, Jorge?"

"How about we make a bet, Yu?"

Yu Jintao shook his head vigorously: "No, no bet!"

Dillon laughed: "So deep in your heart you think I'm right?"

Yu Jintao was speechless, speechless.

"Shi is a smart man, Yu. So he chose to leave after playing the World Cup. He said he was unable to continue to lead the team... Do you think he is humble? No, he actually saw the crisis of the Chinese team, but he couldn't solve it. This crisis, after all, it is difficult to deny oneself." Seeing Yu Jintao's appearance, Dillon shook his head and sighed.

(End of this chapter)