Chapter 1997 Start a New Journey

"...China coach Jorge Dillon answered some questions from reporters at the post-match press conference after the loss to the Netherlands... After Hu Lai equalized, Dillon replaced Ou Yangjin with Guo Junfu. This After the game, the substitution was considered to be the main reason for the Chinese team to lose the ball at the last moment. Without the protection of Ou Yangjin in the midfield, the Chinese team could only let Xia Xiaoyu, who was already cramp, to defend Kaili. This was also the starting point for the Dutch team to counterattack. If it was Ou Yangjin, perhaps Carey would not be able to dribble the ball through the midfield easily...

"Questioned, Dillon said at the press conference that he made the substitution because he wanted to win the game in regular time. He also believed in his team as it stood. He can win. Based on this judgment, he made such a substitution, and he doesn’t think there is any problem with this substitution. Of course, the game did not develop in the direction he expected, and he is also very helpless. But he will not do it for himself He regretted the decision to replace Ou Yangjin with Guo Junfu, and he insisted that it was the right decision.

"As for why Chen Xingyi was not replaced until the 74th minute... Dillon changed his insistence and admitted that he made a mistake. His original focus of tactics was solid defense, so he didn't send out in time. On Chen Xingyi. He admitted at the press conference that if Chen Xingyi was allowed to play at the beginning of the second half to increase the offensive, the final result may be different from what it is now... Therefore, Dillon believes that the responsibility for the loss lies with him, the head coach, He takes full responsibility for it.

"...The contract between Dillon and the Chinese Football Association expires on July 30th this year. Although there are still more than 20 days left, considering that after the World Cup, the national team will have no matches until July 30th. So if the two sides If the contract is not renewed, then the game against the Dutch team will be Dillon's last game led by the Chinese team...

"However, after the Chinese team reached the quarter-finals, some reporters revealed that the Chinese Football Association is negotiating with Dillon to renew his contract. After watching this World Cup, I personally support the Football Association and Dillon to renew the contract. It is best to renew the contract directly. Four years, let him lead the team to finish the next China World Cup... In the next China World Cup, under the leadership of famous coaches and with more mature players, I believe we can even look forward to the semi-finals! Why is it the semi-finals? ?Because the Asian team should win the World Cup semi-finals in a dignified manner!"

※※※

Qin Lin opened the door of the cabin lavatory, and saw the translator Yu Jintao standing outside the door.

"Yo, what are you waiting for?" He greeted reflexively.

"By the way, by the way." Yu Jintao stepped aside and said to him at the same time, "The old man told you to go to his seat."

"Okay." Qin Lin was a little surprised, but agreed anyway.

After emerging from the lavatory, he walked over to head coach Jorge Dillon, who was in the front row of first class.

"Qin, are you here? Come here, sit here." Dillon patted the empty seat beside him when he saw Qin Lin.

That was supposed to be the seat of the interpreter Yu Jintao, but now that Yu Jintao went to the toilet, Qin Lin was allowed to sit.

After watching Qin Lin sit down, Dillon asked, "What are your plans for the future, Qin?"

"Me? I'm still the head coach of the South China Tigers." Qin Lin replied. "The contract hasn't expired yet."

Dillon nodded, and then asked, "Are you interested in coaching the national team?"

Qin Lin stared at Dilong with wide eyes. He didn't expect the old man to ask such a direct question.

"It's okay, Qin, tell the truth."

"Yes... yes." Qin Lin was hesitant at first, but he quickly gave an affirmative answer very simply.

"Then how about you come to be the head coach of this team?"

It's too straightforward...

Qin Lin still couldn't help complaining in his heart.

He knows that the Football Association is negotiating with Dillon to renew his contract recently.

At the same time, as a person close to Dillon, he also knows the specific progress-it is not like the rumors outside that Dillon and the Football Association hit it off and signed the new contract just after returning home.

On the contrary, Qin Lin knew that Dillon hadn't even decided whether to renew his contract with the Chinese team, let alone something like signing...

He didn't know why Dillon didn't renew his contract with the Football Association at first, because he couldn't think of a reason for not renewing his contract.

But hearing Dillon say that now, could it be... he is for himself?

Qin Lin looked at Dillon in shock.

From Qin Lin's expression, Dillon guessed his thoughts, and said with a smile: "If you plan to take over, I will let you. If you don't plan to take over, then I will continue to coach."

"Why?" Qin Lin asked suspiciously. He was really surprised that Dillon seemed to be very optimistic about him. "I mean why are you doing this..."

"My energy is limited. Your Football Association wants me to lead the team to play another World Cup, but I really can't. Even if I want to renew my contract, I won't renew it for four years." Dillon shook his head.

"I am 70 years old this year, the oldest head coach in this World Cup. Four years later, 74, as a head coach, this is already a very old age. It is difficult for me to guarantee that I will still Has a quick mind and a lot of energy. For example, in our game against the Netherlands, I made a very serious mistake. I failed to make a correct judgment on the game situation during the half-time break, and I did not change the star for a long time. ...to keep the team passive for a long time in the second half..."

Having said that, he spread his hands:

"My brain has started to become dull. That's why I asked you if you are interested. If you are, I will not renew your contract with your football association."

Qin Lin lowered his head and fell into silence.

Dillon didn't press him to answer, just watched him and waited quietly.

It was not until Yu Jintao came out of the bathroom that Qin Lin said: "I am indeed interested, Mr. Dillon. It can even be said that my ultimate goal of becoming a coach after retiring is to coach the Chinese national team. But... I think now I am not ready yet. I have learned a lot in the World Cup this time, but I still need to fully digest and master what I have learned through practice. The national team, which usually has few competitions, is not suitable for the present me."

He chose to refuse openly, although Dillon's trust and support really moved him.

Dillon nodded: "Understand, understand. You are very smart and know what you need and what you should do. You also have a very clear plan for your coaching career, so I will not interrupt your plan. But... but next year In the Asian Cup held in your country, I also want to invite you to join my coaching team, I wonder if you are still interested?"

Qin Lin didn't expect that he had already rejected Dillon, and the other party would throw such an olive branch to him. He nodded hastily: "Of course, of course. It is my honor to be able to study by your side!"

Dillon laughed when he got an affirmative answer: "That's a deal."

※※※

Luo Kai sat on the seat, fastened his seat belt, and turned his head to look at the ground below through the porthole.

Just now, a notification sounded in the cabin, telling all the passengers that they had flown into the airspace of China, and there were only a few hours of flight time left before the destination capital.

As the distance to go home was getting closer, Luo Kai's mood did not improve at all.

He didn't even dare to sleep.

Because as soon as I close my eyes, I will think of the game with the Netherlands.

Thinking of the scene where he failed to destroy the football first and let Robin Feeney kick the football into the goal in front of his face.

Thinking that he failed to shoot the good ball from Hou Lai to the goal in time, causing the football to be destroyed by the Dutch team's defender. And it was this corner kick that gave the Dutch team a chance to counterattack.

In fact, he can think of these without closing his eyes. These images are like movies played in a loop in his mind, forcing him to watch them repeatedly.

Wang Guangwei walked past his seat and stopped when he saw Luo Kai staring at him.

"Still thinking?" he asked.

Luo Kai turned his head and saw that Wang Guangwei said this sentence, so he showed a wry smile: "How could I not think about it? My words don't count..."

Wang Guangwei put his hand on his shoulder: "Don't think about it, didn't I tell you after the game? Although the knockout round of this World Cup is over, there is more than one World Cup. Let's come again next time. gone?"

"That's another four years..." Luo Kai clenched his fists, "Who knows what will happen in four years?"

Faced with Luo Kai's question, Wang Guangwei couldn't give a particularly confident answer.

Because it is. In football, who knows after four years if you'll still be fit and fit and still be playing consistently at your club...

If there is one thing that does not go as you wish, the final result is likely to be far from what you expected.

Seeing that Wang Guangwei fell silent, Luo Kai said: "So look, Team Wang. No one knows what the future will be like. Looking at it now, I really haven't fulfilled my promise. What can be done but not done now, why should I do it?" After four years?"

When Wang Guangwei said this, he suddenly nodded and said: "Then don't promise, let's make an agreement, Luo Kai."

"Promise?" Luo Kai was puzzled.

"Well, it's a promise. Let's meet at the next World Cup. If we can still participate in the World Cup by then, you will pay back the knockout match that I owe. What do you think?"

Luo Kai didn't expect Wang Guangwei to say that.

"If you don't want to owe favors, you have to work hard." Wang Guangwei smiled at him.

Luo Kai said seriously: "Okay, this time I promise to keep my word!"

※※※

Ou Yangjin turned her gaze away from Luo Kai and Wang Guangwei, then covered her mouth with her hands, and said to Xia Xiaoyu beside her in a low voice:

"Actually, I've never thought about it..."

"I don't want to understand what?" Xia Xiaoyu asked him.

"The Wang team didn't always say that in the World Cup four years ago, because they didn't continue to attack after tying the Brazil team, they missed the chance to qualify for the group stage. So he has always regretted it. Everyone who participated in the last World Cup regretted it. ?"

Xia Xiaoyu nodded: "Yes, I regret it too. If we had worked harder at the beginning, we might have already qualified for the group stage in the last World Cup. By the time of this World Cup, we will have the experience of playing in the knockout round. It's not like the first knockout game was so fierce against England, and the Dutch fisherman benefited in the end..."

Ou Yangjin said: "But this time we chose to keep attacking after tying the score, but we still didn't win... Then what's the point of our doing so?"

Xia Xiaoyu looked at Ou Yangjin: "The meaning?"

"That's right." Ou Yangjin nodded and expressed the doubts in her heart thoroughly, "I know we are braver this time than four years ago. But if we still lose in the end, will it show that our bravery has nothing to do with it?" Pointless. Isn’t it more frustrating to lose when we’re all better after all?”

Hearing what Ou Yangjin said, Xia Xiaoyu couldn't help laughing out: "You... you say that, don't we have to go to the finals and win the championship to be meaningful? How can it be so easy! This is the World Cup. I From my personal understanding, we fought with the Dutch team until the end, and we still wanted to win them. The significance of this incident is that we defeated ourselves four years ago. This is very important.”

"Why is it important?" Ou Yangjin's frown still did not relax.

"It is so important that this is the foundation and the core. Without this foundation and core, everything in the future will not be established. There is luck in winning or losing, Ou Yangjin. A game does not mean that if you do your best, you will definitely win. But the game Winning and losing cannot be based on luck alone. If we fail to do the most basic things well and rely purely on luck, then we may only win one game in a hundred games. But with this foundation, we can talk about winning or losing. possible."

As Xia Xiaoyu talked, he turned his head and looked around at his teammates in the cabin.

Some of them were listening to music with headphones, some were resting with their eyes closed, some were chatting with other people, and couldn't hear clearly amidst the noise of the cabin.

Even the chat between him and Ou Yangjin was difficult to pass beyond the two rows in front and back.

"In the World Cup four years ago, in the last match, Brother Hu scored three goals. After the game, the referee gave the game ball to Brother Hu. Later, Brother Hu took it back to the locker room and asked our whole team to sign on it. The ball is estimated to be placed in the museum that Brother Hu is building. Do you know the name of the game ball?"

Ou Yangjin froze for a moment, then blurted out the answer: "The heart of a champion."

That was the first time the Chinese team reached the World Cup finals, so he has a deep memory of everything in that World Cup.

"Yes, Heart of a Champion. But don't you find the name ironic?"

"Satire?"

"Well. We obviously still have a little time after the equalizer. If you count the injury time, it is almost ten minutes faster. But we didn't think about working harder and beating the Brazilian team. Everyone is satisfied A draw with Brazil. That ended our first World Cup...and then we signed a football called 'Heart of Champions', don't you think it's ironic? Where do we have 'Heart of Champions'? heart' huh?"

Having said that, Xia Xiaoyu smiled self-deprecatingly.

After laughing, he became serious again, and said to Ou Yangjin:

"And now, I can be sure that we really have this 'champion heart'. With this heart, we can go further and better in the future."

Ou Yangjin looked at Xia Xiaoyu, he seemed to be stunned after listening, and did not speak immediately.

But after a while, he shook his head with a painful expression: "I know you are right, Xiaoyu. But...of course we can go on, but losing this game, losing this World Cup, there is People... have no way to move forward."

"That's why we have to work harder and continue to go down for them." Xia Xiaoyu said. "I believe that four years from now we will perform better than this time!"

※※※

Even at an altitude of 10,000 meters, the staff of CCTV's documentary filming team are still working.

But everyone knows that this is the last work of the documentary.

They shoot from the time the team leaves until the team comes home.

It can be regarded as a beginning and an end.

Now cameraman Cheng Guansheng is pointing the lens of the camera at Zhang Qinghuan, while the reporter is throwing questions to Zhang Qinghuan outside the camera for him to answer.

"Will it be a pity to lose the game? After all, you will be thirty-four years old in four years..."

"Of course there will be regrets, but it has nothing to do with four years later. Anyone who loses the current World Cup will be very regretful." Zhang Qinghuan shook his head.

"Will the World Cup in China four years later be your last World Cup?"

"Probably." Zhang Qinghuan nodded after thinking for a while, "After all, I will be thirty-eight years old in the next World Cup..."

As he said this, his eyes glanced out of the camera, as if seeing through time and space.

※※※

"Here they come, they come!"

Among the waiting crowd gathered on the airport apron, bursts of cheers suddenly burst out.

Everyone raised their heads one after another, built a pergola with their hands, and looked at the sky.

I saw an airplane with a special painting appear in everyone's field of vision.

This plane is the special plane used by all members of the Chinese team.

A month ago, they took this plane and flew from China to Madrid, Spain to prepare for the World Cup.

A month later, the same plane brought them back from Spain.

Even the crew members are the same.

How can the former Chinese team enjoy such treatment?

Not to mention chartering a private plane, you will be scolded for bringing two more cooks.

This is entirely because of their poor performance in the past, making everyone feel that they are not worthy of this kind of treatment.

Now that the grades are good, everything is naturally in order.

The people on the ground waiting to welcome the national team waved their national flags after seeing the plane.

Hope to attract the attention of the heavenly internationals.

The internationals really noticed.

Through the portholes, they saw the crowd gathered below, as well as the constantly flashing "red dot"—that should be the national flag waving in their hands, shining in the sun.

"So many people came to pick us up..."

"Fuck, this battle..."

"We didn't win the championship either...how come there is such a big mess?"

Everyone looked at the dense crowd on the ground and muttered to themselves in an incredible tone.

Most of them have not yet recovered from the sadness and unwillingness to be eliminated, and do not feel that they are heroes or heroes.

The scene of the fans being so enthusiastic made them feel guilty instead.

In the lens of the documentary photographers, seeing such a moving picture, the faces of the Chinese players did not have many smiles.

It's like a child who only scored 60 points in the exam, and when he goes home, he will face a table of meals prepared by his parents with full marks.

They are so overwhelmed that they dare not even set foot in the house...

※※※

With the vibration of the fuselage, the plane landed smoothly on the runway.

Then begin taxiing towards the designated apron area.

Those people who looked small and dense in the sky became clearer individuals.

Among them are ordinary fans, leaders of the Football Association and General Administration, media reporters, and ground staff at the airport.

With smiles and expectations on their faces, each of them saluted the plane approaching them.

The huge fuselage is surrounded by a dragon with red scales and golden claws. Right in front of the dragon's open mouth, there is a burning football at the nose.

This is the special plane for the Chinese National Men's Football Team's World Cup trip.

After the plane came to a slow stop, the ramp car with the red carpet approached for docking.

Everyone and the camera is aimed at the cabin door.

※※※

Qin Lin stood in the front row of the cabin aisle, holding the microphone of the stewardess and said:

"Cheer up! There are so many people coming to welcome you, don't show your face in front of them! The reason why our team exists is because of them!"

Qin Lin waved his hand and pointed out the porthole.

"I know that many people are unwilling and unhappy to be eliminated by the lore at the last moment. But now put away your emotions, reflect and criticize, and wait until we return to Hongfengling to do it behind closed doors. Now, laugh, Don't let them down!"

His gaze was like a sword, sweeping over one by one.

Seeing that the gloomy expressions on the faces of the players who were already waiting in the passage had subsided, he returned the microphone to the stewardess and said politely, "Thank you."

The stewardess quickly waved her hand, and after taking over the phone, she said in a straight voice:

"Welcome the Chinese National Men's Football Team back to the motherland. Our flight has safely arrived at the China Capital International Airport. Thank you for your wonderful performance in the World Cup. No matter what the result is, you are the heroes in our hearts. Thank you! We look forward to it See you again in four years!"

The cabin door was slowly opened.

Thunderous applause and cheers came in from the outside, sweeping across the cabin like a gust of wind.

※※※

All Chinese players who got off the plane stood in two rows under the gangway.

They were all wearing uniform navy blue national team suits, with their hands behind their backs, like a group of well-behaved and obedient students.

In front of them are the lenses of photographers and videographers, densely packed with long guns and short cannons, responsible for recording this scene in the form of video and photos.

Cameramen from the CCTV documentary team were also among them.

Behind and on both sides of the photographer, there is a dense crowd, all of them are representatives of fans.

There were thousands of people present.

Outside the airport, there may be tens of thousands of people.

They are all here to welcome the Chinese team home.

The cheers that erupted when the players of the Chinese team appeared at the door of the cabin have gradually subsided, and the scene is now very quiet.

As the captain of the Chinese team, Wang Guangwei is thanking everyone for their support and welcome on behalf of the whole team, and at the same time expressing his determination.

"...We are flattered by the warm welcome from the leaders, fans and media friends. But we also know that our performance is still far from everyone's expectations...The quarterfinals will not be the end of our struggle. The performance in the World Cup will definitely not be a flash in the pan. In the local World Cup four years later, my teammates and I will definitely do our best, and we are worthy of everyone's love for us!"

There was warm applause at the scene.

After the applause, the host said in an excited voice: "As expected of the captain, well said! Next...can our golden boot also say a few words?"

Although the World Cup is still in progress, Hu Lai, who has scored eight goals, is almost locked in the Golden Boot. It is impossible for anyone else to threaten his position on the World Cup scorer list.

There are currently four players tied for second on the scorer list, namely Argentina's Meli Banega, England's Marvin Stones, Sweden's Edmund Paterson, and France's Mendy Payer.

All four of them scored three goals.

Moreover, the teams of these four people have also been eliminated, and it is impossible to refresh their own goals.

Players from the remaining four teams, who can only score two goals at most, cannot score six goals in the next two games.

In this way, Hu Lai will win the World Cup Golden Boot for two consecutive years. Although he is now returning to China with the team, he will have to go back to Spain on the day of the World Cup finals. At the awards ceremony after the finals, receive your own Golden Boot trophy.

As the captain, Wang Guangwei spoke on behalf of the Chinese team.

Giving Hu Lai, the number one star of the Chinese team, a chance to speak alone is also a special treatment for the Golden Boot.

Hu Lai, who was originally standing next to Wang Guangwei, did not refuse. He took the microphone from Wang Guangwei.

Looking at the camera lens, also looking at countless pairs of eyes.

He said:

"As you all know, I have a dream..."

Before the words had finished~lightnovelpub.net~ the fans at the scene were already commotioning.

During the commotion, Hu Lai continued: "What I want to say is that the dream has not changed until now. We will work hard to realize it!"

The commotion turned into deafening cheers.

The camera's shutter beeped incessantly.

The players of the Chinese team standing beside and behind Hu Lai cast their eyes on him one after another.

The camera in Cheng Guansheng's hand scanned the faces of the players one by one, each of them had different expressions.

There are surprises, shocks, calms, and smiles.

He has already begun to look forward to the World Cup in China four years later.

(End of Volume 7 "Heart of a Champion")

※※※

PS, after I get up, there will be a summary at the end of the volume.

Next time I will write a summary, it should be the end of the summary...

Thank you for your understanding and tolerance during this time, thank you!

(end of this chapter)