CHAPTER 1862: CHAPTER 974: ADVANCING TO THE TOP EIGHT! (PART 2)

Today, the national football team is in consistently good form. They have a dedicated team servicing them, and everyone’s condition is excellently adjusted.

Because this match is against the strong Iran Team and a quarterfinal match, which is very important, the national team’s starting lineup, with forwards Li Shuangying, Liu Zhan, and Zhao Xuanming in attacking positions, is in place.

Zhu Tan is also positioned in midfield.

The defense remains as solid as ever, which has always been the key to the national team’s victories.

The Iran Team also boasts an impressive lineup, including two or three well-known players in the current world of football, two of whom come from Europe’s top clubs. As Iran people, they are naturally representing the Iran Team in the World Cup.

"Iran Team’s Mursang and Harut are quite famous."

Huang Youjie analyzed while sitting in the VIP stands.

"Indeed, Mursang once played for Manchester United, and Harut for Milan," Ding Yue nodded slightly, discussing the backgrounds of the two Iran Team players.

One was at Manchester United, the other at Milan—both are top powerhouse clubs in Europe.

"Actually, I think Mursang and Harut aren’t that terrifying. They’re still not the same as the era-dominating Messi and Ronaldo. Besides, don’t we have Li Shuangying, Liu Zhan, Zhao Xuanming, Zhu Tan, and the legendary goalkeeper Zhu Cheng? No worries!"

Xu Bin was quite confident.

In terms of player fame, the national team is indeed no match for the Iran Team. After all, Iran Team’s Mursang and Harut are well-known world-class players.

And as for the national team’s Li Shuangying and others, they have participated in fewer world-class competitions, and this is their first World Cup, so they haven’t yet gained an international reputation.

But it is believed that in another two years, the names of Li Shuangying and the others will certainly be resounding in the international football arena because each of them has immense potential.

As long as they give it their all, they will definitely have a place in future world football, and may even become world football superstars like Ronaldo once was.

"The match is about to start, let’s stop with the speeches and watch the game."

Ding Yue said earnestly.

On the pitch, the quarterfinal battle between the national team and the Iran Team officially kicked off, with the national team starting. Both sides engaged in an intense midfield tussle right from the beginning.

This time it was intense contention, not tug-of-war.

Tug-of-war is when both sides get the ball and keep passing it at midfield, unable to find an opportunity to pass to the forwards. Intense contention is different; as soon as you get the ball, the opponent comes to snatch it, with several players sometimes vying for it. Not long after the game started, a player from the national team was knocked down.

The other players from the national team protested, but based on the situation, the referee didn’t issue a yellow card, only verbally warned that Iran Team player.

This was normal because although the Iran Team players were aggressive and fierce during the scramble, there wasn’t any obvious foul.

Around five minutes in, after the national team got the ball, they finally found an opportunity to pass to Li Shuangying. The Iran Team quickly reviewed, and they always had their eyes on Li Shuangying.

Even if Li Shuangying got the ball, it was tough to find a shot opportunity, so he had to pass it to the middle.

In the middle, besides Liu Zhan, Zhu Tan was also approaching slightly behind Liu Zhan. Although Zhu Tan is a midfielder, he also assumes a forward position during attacks, usually supplementing Liu Zhan.

If Liu Zhan couldn’t find a shot opportunity or was endlessly entangled by opponents, he could temporarily pass the ball back to Zhu Tan behind, allowing his side to maintain ball control.

"This Iran Team is somewhat stronger than the America Team during the group stage."

Xu Bin observed the battlefield-like situation on the pitch, with both sides fighting a fierce, smoky battle.

"America Team? They’ve already gone home. No, wait, this is their home, hahaha."

Huang Youjie couldn’t help but laugh.

"Congratulations to America Team for making it into the final sixteen."

Ding Yue joked.

Indeed.

The America Team, also advancing from the group stage, faced the Portugal Team, and was undoubtedly taken away by the Portugal Team, unfortunately left in the top sixteen.

"We aim to make it to the quarterfinals, but it seems it won’t be easy to breach the Iran Team’s goal."

Xu Bin muttered.

Just as Xu Bin finished speaking, on the pitch, with the perfect coordination of Li Shuangying, Liu Zhan, and Zhao Xuanming, Liu Zhan took possession of the ball. After Li Shuangying and Zhao Xuanming drew part of the defense, the trio coordinated and intertwined, allowing Liu Zhan to find a low shot opportunity using his agility to weave through the crowd.

Shoot!

"The ball is in!"

The national team scored again, and against a World Cup heavyweight like the Iran Team, they led one-nil.

When the audience at the scene saw the national team score the first goal, they all cheered.

On the internet back home, the fans and netizens were undeniably thrilled, scoring a goal against a strong team like the Iran Team in just over ten minutes felt incredibly amazing.

"Great goal!"

Ding Yue exclaimed excitedly after seeing this goal.

The coordination among Li Shuangying, Liu Zhan, and Zhao Xuanming was simply excellent, with a nerve-wracking and thrilling low shot slipping under the feet of the Iran Team’s defensive players, and even the Iran Team’s goalkeeper couldn’t stop it in time.

After scoring, Liu Zhan ran excitedly on the field and gave a big hug to Li Shuangying when he reached him—a typical move for football players to embrace their teammates after scoring.

"We can see today the national team’s form is full, scoring finally against the intense fight of the Iran Team, leading one-zero. Let’s cheer for them as the match continues..."

In the live stream of the Feiyue Home streaming media platform, the professional football commentator remarked.

The livestream’s bullet comments were already overflowing across the screen.

"That was truly impressive!"

"Liu Zhan is awesome!"

"Their teamwork was just incredible."

"Powerful!"

"The rise of the national team is today!"

"Come on, they’ve risen long ago already."

"Push into the quarterfinals!"

The livestream viewers were already excited.

The game continued.

After conceding a point, the Iran Team’s attack became even fiercer, and their defense more meticulous. A strong team is always strong; conceding a goal didn’t affect their players’ mentality, but made them more focused instead.

Indeed.

During one attack, the Iran Team almost scored against the national team’s goal, and goalkeeper Zhu Cheng put in every effort to deflect it. He could only deflect it, not hold it.

After being deflected by goalkeeper Zhu Cheng, the defensive players quickly arrived to contest with the Iran Team, ultimately securing the ball without giving the Iran Team a second shot.

Thus, both sides fought fiercely throughout the first half, with the score remaining one to zero.

In the second half.

After substitutions, the Iran Team still couldn’t score. Multiple attempts were defused by goalkeeper Zhu Cheng, resolving the crisis.

On the national team’s side, they found another chance at the eighty-seventh minute in the second half, with Li Shuangying’s miraculous foot scoring a goal!

If it were the national team’s goalkeeper Zhu Cheng defending, it would likely have been saved.

But the Iran Team’s goalkeeper wasn’t the legendary Zhu Cheng; he couldn’t save Li Shuangying’s shot.

In the end.

The match between the national team and the Iran Team ended with a whistle, with the national team winning two-nil, successfully advancing to the quarterfinals!