On November 15, 2016, Beijing time, Kunming Tuodong Stadium welcomed a highly anticipated match, which was Silver Fox Lippi's first World Cup qualifier since taking over the China Team.
In this crucial showdown, the China Team would face the Qatar Team, which was gradually making a name for itself in Asian football.
Coach Lippi made meticulous tactical arrangements for this match, opting for a three-center-back system to solidify the team's defense.
In the goalkeeper position, Yan Junling took the lead, demonstrating his excellent goalkeeping ability and stable psychological quality.
On the defensive line, the three-center-back arrangement made the team's defense more solid.
Lin Feng, as the central center-back, showcased his leadership talent and excellent defensive skills, while Zhang Linpeng and Feng Xiaoting served as the left and right center-backs respectively; their tacit cooperation and outstanding defensive capabilities made it difficult for opponents to break through.
In midfield, captain Zheng Zhi, as the team's core, led players like Wu Xi, Huang Bowen, and Jiang Zhipeng in demonstrating excellent passing and ball control abilities.
They continuously created attacking opportunities during the match, providing strong support for the forward line.
On the forward line, the partnership of Wu Lei, Zhang Yuning, and Zhang Xizhe was eye-catching.
They constantly threatened opponents with their excellent speed and dribbling skills.
During the match, they created many dangerous shooting opportunities, making significant contributions to the team's victory.
Throughout the entire match, the China Team performed at an extremely high level under Coach Lippi's tactical guidance.
Although there were some twists and difficulties during the match, the players, relying on their tenacious perseverance and spirit of unity, ultimately successfully defeated the Qatar Team, securing victory in this crucial match.
Through the starting lineup Lippi deployed for the China Team, one can indeed discern his extremely high demands for the team's ball control ability.
As an experienced veteran coach, Lippi deeply understood that in football matches, ball possession often means control over the game.
Therefore, he meticulously arranged the midfield and forward players to ensure the team could stably control possession during the match.
Lippi had clearly conducted in-depth research on the Qatar Team's defensive counter-attacking style.
Although the Qatar Team had not yet become the Asia champion, its defensive counter-attacking tactical system had initially formed and posed a certain threat.
Therefore, Lippi chose a three-center-back system to strengthen the team's defensive stability, while also deploying technically skilled and precise-passing players in midfield, so that they could quickly launch attacks after successful tackles.
Furthermore, the forward line's configuration also reflected Lippi's careful consideration of ball control tactics.
Players like Wu Lei, Zhang Yuning, and Zhang Xizhe not only possessed excellent speed and dribbling ability but also provided great help to the team in terms of ball control.
They were able to firmly control the ball with their delicate footwork and tacit cooperation during the match, thereby effectively restricting the Qatar Team's defensive counter-attacking tactics.
After the match began, the China Team indeed, as predicted, showed a strong desire and ability to control the ball.
Through precise passing and tacit cooperation, they successfully controlled the ball, demonstrating the tactical effect meticulously arranged by Coach Lippi.
At the same time, the Qatar Team displayed extremely aggressive challenging actions when off the ball.
They tried to disrupt the China Team's rhythm through active physical confrontation, forcing opponents to make mistakes.
However, the China Team players, when facing the Qatar Team's fierce pressing, demonstrated good psychological quality and technical and tactical ability, successfully maintaining the pace of the match and ball possession.
Less than ten minutes into the game, the referee repeatedly blew his whistle, warning and penalizing some actions by both players.
This also reflected the intensity of the match and the ferocity of the players' challenges.
In this situation, the pace of the game was somewhat fragmented for a time, but the China Team was still able to remain calm and gradually regained the rhythm of the match through precise passing and cooperation.
In the fifteenth minute of the first half, the atmosphere of the match suddenly became tense.
China Team captain Zheng Zhi received the ball near midfield, just as he was about to turn to shake off an opponent's entanglement, when suddenly, a Qatar player rushed up fiercely from behind and kicked Zheng Zhi's calf.
Zheng Zhi fell to the ground in pain, clutching his injured leg tightly with both hands, his expression both pained and angry.
The referee, seeing this, immediately ran over and decisively showed the Qatar player a yellow card.
However, this ruling did not seem to quell the anger on the field.
The China Team players rushed forward, expressing their dissatisfaction to the referee, believing that the opponent's foul was too malicious and should receive a more severe punishment.
The Qatar players were not to be outdone; they tried to explain that their action was not intentional, but in the face of the China Team players' anger, such an explanation seemed pale and powerless.
The emotions between the players of both sides grew more and more agitated, and the tension on the field became increasingly thick.
Just then, coaches and staff from both sides also quickly rushed onto the field, trying to calm the conflict.
They pulled their own players while explaining the situation to the referee, hoping to get the match back to normal as soon as possible.
After a few minutes of chaos, order on the field gradually resumed.
The referee once again emphasized the rules and discipline of the match to both players, warning them not to let one foul affect the entire game.
Both players also gradually calmed down and returned to their respective positions.
However, the Qatar Team did not restrain themselves due to the previous conflict; instead, they showed even more tenacious fighting spirit.
Just two minutes after the conflict, the field was stirred up again.
China Team forward Zhang Yuning was elbowed by a Qatar defender during a fierce header challenge.
This heavy blow made Zhang Yuning clutch his eyebrow bone in pain, and blood instantly seeped from the wound, dripping through his fingers.
A clear wound split open on Zhang Yuning's eyebrow bone, and blood gushed out, staining his cheek red.
He gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with an unyielding light, but the pain made his face turn pale.
His teammates, seeing this, rushed forward, anxiously checking his injury, while angrily shouting at the Qatar players.
The Qatar players tried to explain that their action was not intentional, but in this tense atmosphere, such an explanation seemed pale and powerless.
Both players gathered together again, their emotions growing more agitated, and the tension on the field becoming even thicker.
At this moment, Lin Feng, one of the three center-backs, had remained calm and rational, but upon seeing Zhang Yuning's injury, his anger was completely ignited.
He widened his eyes, clenched his fists, and strode towards the Qatar players, ready to demand justice for their brutal behavior.
His face was filled with anger and dissatisfaction, and every action revealed a strong desire for confrontation.
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