Chapter 815: No Penalty Kicks
"Eh, it hurts!" After the match, Wang Feng, who had already received therapy, was still lying on the bed groaning, while Lu Yao carefully massaged and relaxed his muscles.
With concern mixed with reproach, she said, "You, why do you still push yourself so hard at this age, getting yourself all injured? I dare not tell the details to Mom and the kids."
As if hitting a sore spot, Wang Feng gritted his teeth and said, "The atmosphere is so intense, with the whole country cheering and the entire team fighting desperately. Everyone is holding their breath, wanting to erase the humiliation of the past eight years. How can I not give it my all?"
Lu Yao sighed, "I understand, but your body is different from when you were young. I've been watching injuries become more frequent in the past two years. Every time you fall on the field, my heart skips a beat."
As she spoke, her eyes gradually reddened. Seeing this, Wang Feng quickly turned over to comfort her, "These are just surface injuries, a bit slow to recover but nothing serious."
"I've been thinking, after this World Cup ends, I won't work so hard anymore. After all, I've achieved almost all the honors I could."
"Next, I'll enjoy playing football and making money, spending more time with you and the family, okay?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yao's mood brightened, and she gently patted her husband's back, indicating for him to lie down and asked, "It's about time. So, what are you planning to do? Manchester City still wants to renew, right?"
"Yeah, my three-year contract will expire next summer. The club has presented several options, all quite sincere."
As the key player in the quadruple crown, even though Wang Feng's form has declined this season, he still possesses top-notch skills in the world of football.
In terms of commercial value, competitiveness, and respect, the Sky Blues are eager to keep him, so the conditions they offer are very generous.
This includes a 2+1 contract extension with a 20% salary increase and various bonus enhancements.
Not to mention image rights, which, like the first contract, belong entirely to the player.
But Wang Feng has no intention of staying in the Premier League. He has achieved all his goals here, even better than expected.
Not only has he maintained his peak form, but he has also won major titles to further enrich his personal trophy room.
The intense Premier League journey is not very friendly to a veteran player, and Manchester City's ambitions are not limited to just here. The differences between the two sides have led to a mutually beneficial parting.
As for the future, the Chinese superstar has not yet decided. Perhaps he will return to Inter Milan, experiencing the unique taste of being both an owner and a player.
Or maybe he will go to Ligue 1, where the competition is much weaker than in the Premier League and La Liga.
In the quarter-finals, the host Russia faced Croatia, and after a penalty shootout decided the winner in their previous encounter, the same happened in this match.
Even the score at the end of regular time was exactly the same: 1-1. In the end, Croatia prevailed in the penalty shootout, advancing to the semi-finals.
Brazil suffered a 2-1 defeat against Belgium. It can't be called an upset, as this Belgian team is in their golden generation.
Players like De Bruyne, Courtois, Hazard, and Lukaku are at their peak.
Uruguay had no chance against France, losing 0-2. Griezmann became the key figure, first assisting Varane with a free kick and then scoring with a long shot.
Next, the Chinese team will face Croatia, while France will clash with Belgium.
If there's one rule in this World Cup, it's not to play penalty kicks against the Croatians!
"Ho Yun has cramps again. He's the fourth Chinese player to suffer cramps in this match. They've expended too much energy today!"
"Yes, it's already 116 minutes into the game, the 11th minute of the second half of extra time, and the score on the field is still 1-1."
"In the first half of extra time, the Chinese team planned a counterattack. Wang Feng chipped the ball to the open space on the wing, and Zheng Zhi's cross found Huang Hu, who scored."
"But nearing the end of the match, Modric seized on the defensive loophole caused by the Chinese team's fatigue and sent Mandzukic through with a through ball, who equalized with a shot, sending the game into extra time."
"This scene is so similar for the Croatian team. They've won consecutive matches through this scoreline and penalty shootouts since the knockout stage began. Is history going to repeat itself?"
"I think it's highly possible, because now the Chinese team's main players are exhausted, and the opposing goalkeeper is an experienced player. It's extremely disadvantageous if it goes to that stage."
"Regardless, Wang Feng leading us to this point is already remarkable. Regardless of the outcome, the fans will be very satisfied."
From the start of extra time, Croatia was very experienced in controlling the rhythm. They wanted to drag the game into a penalty shootout, which was their strong suit.
But Modric always felt uneasy. Before the start of extra time, he had argued with the head coach specifically about this, but of course, the head coach won.
"Luka, I don't know what you're worried about. Penalty kicks are our surefire way to win. I believe in Subasic."
"I believe in him too, sir, but once the Chinese team enters extra time, there's a high probability of a physical crisis. Can't we just go all out and secure victory?"
"But that's risky. Wang is a ticking time bomb. Can you guarantee that he won't counterattack when we press forward with all our might? That would be the most fatal scenario."
"But..." Perhaps having witnessed too many scenes of the Chinese superstar scoring decisive goals, Modric couldn't shake off his doubts.
"I understand your concern, but Wang is indeed getting old. So far, he hasn't even scored two goals in a single match, and it's not like they're facing elimination immediately. They probably don't have such a strong desire to score."
Just when Croatia's captain was lost in thought, the Chinese team attempted an attack. Feng Miao sent a through ball to the front, but it was intercepted by Rakitic from the middle.
As he was about to dribble and control the rhythm, signaling his teammates to make runs, Wang Feng, who had been running across the field, accelerated towards him again with an unstoppable momentum.
Rakitic was taken aback and then made a decision that he would regret for the rest of his life. He tried to dribble past the Chinese superstar and then pass the ball out, which would also consume the opponent's energy.
But Wang Feng's eyes were so sharp that his move was anticipated before he could even execute it. The Chinese superstar stretched out his right foot and accurately poked the ball away from Rakitic's control, letting it escape his reach. He then caught up to the ball and entered the penalty area.
The Croatian defense was suddenly in a panic, but fortunately, they were very well-trained in defense. S?trinic?, Lovren, and Kovacic, the three defenders, surrounded the Chinese superstar and blocked both his path to goal and passing lanes.
In a very tight space, the Chinese superstar remained calm. He used his right foot to flick the ball to the right to evade Lovren's tackle, then almost relied on Kovacic's movement to dribble to the left, avoiding his leg.
Stepping forward while maneuvering left and right, he managed to keep the ball away from the three defenders' legs, and unconsciously, as they retreated, Wang Feng got closer and closer to the goal.
After a few successive feints, he suddenly accelerated and broke through the encirclement to reach the edge of the penalty area, with goalkeeper Subasic also rushing forward to block.
Wang Feng aimed for the far corner and shot. The ball passed under Subasic's arm and hit the inside of the far post, bouncing into the net!
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