Chapter 620: First World Cup Match - Portugal vs. Spain
The day after the opening match, the competition in Group B, where Spain is placed, officially kicked off.
The first game was between Iran and Morocco, the two weakest teams in the group. This match was likely the only chance for both teams to secure a victory in this World Cup. If they could win, and maybe pull off a draw against either Spain or Portugal, they might just have a chance to advance from the group stage.
As a result, both teams played aggressively, fighting for this slim hope.
The two sides were evenly matched, and the game was fiercely contested. By the end of regular time, the score remained 0-0. Just when it seemed like the game would end in a draw, Iran's substitute forward scored an own goal during injury time, gifting Morocco a golden goal at the last minute.
With that own goal, Morocco secured a 1-0 victory over Iran.
Iran's loss made the performance of Asian teams at the World Cup look even worse. In the previous World Cup, none of the Asian teams managed to secure a win. And in this World Cup, both Saudi Arabia and Iran lost their opening games, putting enormous pressure on Australia, South Korea, and Japan, who were still to play.
After the Morocco-Iran match ended, the World Cup turned its attention to a highly anticipated clash: Spain vs. Portugal.
This was a rematch of the previous European Championship final.
Spain had come out on top last time, but no one knew who would win this time.
Pre-match predictions favored Spain, as they had a better record against Portugal in previous meetings. Additionally, despite Spain's current roster not being as strong as in the past, it still had a clear edge over Portugal's lineup.
However, football is full of surprises, and the stronger team doesn't always win.
The game between Spain and Portugal had barely begun when Cristiano Ronaldo scored a goal.
Just two minutes into the match, Portugal launched an attack, and Ronaldo was brought down in the box by his club teammate, Nacho. The referee awarded a penalty without hesitation, and Ronaldo calmly converted it, putting Portugal ahead 1-0.
Portugal's early goal drastically changed the dynamics of the game.
The Spanish players were clearly affected, eager to equalize and playing a bit too hurriedly.
Portugal seized this chance to launch several counterattacks, almost scoring again.
But Lin Quan stepped up for Spain, taking control of the game and deliberately slowing the pace, keeping possession to neutralize Portugal's counterattacks.
Lin Quan's leadership brought calm to Spain's younger players, allowing them to regain composure.
Spain began to play their trademark possession-based football, regaining control of the match.
Seeing Spain stabilize and deny Portugal further chances to counterattack, Portugal's coach sighed. That Spanish number 10 was just too experienced. Normally, this kind of game management only comes from veterans who've spent years in midfield. But for it to appear in a 22-year-old was extraordinary.
Once Spain returned to their familiar rhythm, their attacks became more threatening.
In the 10th minute, Jordi Alba crossed from the left, and Lin Quan attempted a side volley, but it went wide.
In the 17th minute, Lin Quan played a one-two with Isco and broke into the box without being offside. Unfortunately, Isco's pass had too much power, and Portugal's goalkeeper collected the ball, denying Spain a clear scoring chance.
Two minutes later, Spain was back on the attack. Lin Quan dribbled down the right side and sent a lofted pass into the box. Diego Costa's header was saved by the Portuguese keeper.
From the resulting corner, Sergio Ramos won the aerial duel, but his header smashed against the crossbar and bounced out.
During this period, Spain's attacks were relentless, suffocating Portugal. The Portuguese fans in the stands were so nervous they barely dared to breathe, even though their team was still leading. Oddly enough, they felt more pressure than the opposition.
As the saying goes, "the more you defend, the more likely you are to concede." After holding out for a while, Portugal's defense finally cracked under Spain's continuous pressure.
In the 23rd minute, noticing how crowded Portugal's defense was, Lin Quan dropped back a little after receiving the ball, luring Portugal's players out. He then gently passed the ball to Busquets, signaling to him as he did so.
Busquets saw Lin Quan's signal, took a quick glance at Diego Costa's position, and launched a long pass.
Portugal's defenders were stepping out of the box just as the ball flew back in, catching them completely off guard.
Diego Costa had also noticed Lin Quan's signal, and as soon as Lin Quan passed to Busquets, Costa began his run in the opposite direction.
Costa's run was perfect, allowing him to easily lose his marker and receive Busquets' pass near the edge of the box.
Portugal's goalkeeper came out to close him down, but Costa faked a shot, dribbled past him, and smashed the ball into the net.
The score was now 1-1.
After scoring, Costa ran to the sidelines, celebrating in a bold and confident manner, as if to say, "Who else but me?"
On the sidelines, Portugal's coach shook his head, frustrated by his team's defensive mistake.
How could they have been so easily fooled?
Did they think that just because Spain had been playing short passes, they wouldn't try a long ball?
Too naïve!
But the play had been brilliantly orchestrated. Lin Quan had cleverly dropped back, pretending to ease the pressure, only to suddenly switch tactics and catch Portugal off guard.
That little fox is too cunning.
"Great pass, Professor Busquets!"
Seeing Costa score, Lin Quan smiled and high-fived Busquets.
Though Lin Quan had come up with the idea for the play, the final pass had been executed perfectly by Busquets.
"Playing with your brain like that is my kind of game. If you've got any more tricks up your sleeve, let me know!" Busquets chuckled.
Busquets was known for his football IQ, excelling at coordinating complex attacking plays with his teammates.
For example, in that famous assist to Messi years ago, Busquets appeared to do nothing more than act as a wall, passing the ball back to Messi. But in reality, he had perfectly blocked the opposing defensive midfielder, allowing Messi to charge at Real Madrid's defense without having to slow down.
Busquets' contributions often went unnoticed by casual fans, but those who understood the game knew just how important his role was. That's why he was often referred to as the "casual fan filter"—those who appreciated him were true football connoisseurs, while those who didn't thought he was useless.
…
After equalizing, Spain's morale soared, and they continued their attacking onslaught.
In the 26th minute, Lin Quan shook off the Portuguese defensive midfielders and played a through ball to Isco, who unleashed a powerful shot that hit the crossbar.
The rebound fell inside the box, and Spain's left-back Jordi Alba sprinted in for a follow-up shot.
Unfortunately, it was hit straight at the keeper, who made an easy save.
In the 35th minute, after a series of passes down the left, Spain suddenly accelerated and sent a cross into the box.
Iniesta received the ball and aimed for the far post but narrowly missed.
Portugal seized this opportunity to launch a fast counterattack. Ronaldo carried the ball forward and passed to Gonçalo Guedes in the middle, but Guedes hesitated and missed the chance to shoot.
Two minutes later, Bernardo Silva beat his man on the flank and crossed the ball into the middle. Ronaldo took the shot, but it hit a defender.
As Portugal gradually adapted to Spain's attacking rhythm, they began to create more chances and were no longer pinned down as they had been earlier.
Still, the overall situation favored Spain, with them managing two shots for every one that Portugal took.
At this point, it was a battle of efficiency—who could capitalize on their chances better.
In the 42nd minute, Lin Quan sent another through ball to Isco on the right. Isco initially wanted to shoot but was quickly closed down by the Portuguese defenders, so he passed to Diego Costa in the box.
Costa fired a powerful shot into the net, making it 2-1. Spain had turned the game around.
With his second goal of the match, Diego Costa blew kisses to the Spanish fans in the stands, overjoyed.
Having a top-class midfield behind you really makes a difference!
On the sidelines, Spain's coach Del Bosque was equally pleased with his team's performance, standing to applaud his players while also shouting instructions to stay wary of Portugal's counterattack.
With only a few minutes left in the half, Del Bosque knew Portugal would go all out to score before the break.
Sure enough, Portugal came out of their defensive shell and launched a fierce attack.
In the 44th minute, Bernardo Silva sent another cross from the right side into the box.
Portugal's forward Gonçalo Guedes received the ball but didn't shoot, instead passing to his senior teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo took the shot from the edge of the box, firing a low, fast ball that skimmed along the ground.
Spain's goalkeeper, David de Gea, misjudged the shot, and the ball deflected off his knee and into the net.
The score was now 2-2, with Ronaldo also scoring a brace.
Since his debut in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Ronaldo had struggled in the tournament, managing only one goal in each edition.
But now, in just one match, he had already doubled that tally.
At 33 years old, Ronaldo silenced the critics who had claimed he was past his prime with these two goals.
The Portuguese fans in the stands were ecstatic, waving their flags and chanting Ronaldo's name.
At this moment, Ronaldo was the pride of the entire nation.
On the sidelines, Del Bosque could only shake his head in disbelief. He had just warned his players to stay alert, yet moments later, the ball was in their net.
The blame for the goal lay squarely on De Gea. Making such an error in such a crucial match was unacceptable.
Del Bosque couldn't help but miss Iker Casillas. In the previous two World Cups, with Casillas guarding the goal, he had always felt reassured.
De Gea, deeply regretting his mistake, quickly apologized to his teammates:
"My bad, guys. That was on me. I'm sorry!"
Though his teammates didn't blame him, their disappointment was clear.
By the time Portugal finished celebrating, the first half was almost over.
The two teams went into halftime with the score tied at 2-2.
For both sets of fans, this was a nerve-wracking result.
But for neutral fans watching the match, this had been an incredibly exciting first half, likely the most thrilling match of the World Cup so far.
No wonder it was labeled the "match of the day"—it certainly lived up to the hype!
"Haha, Ronaldo is on fire today! Two goals in one half—do you think he'll get a World Cup hat-trick?"
"Judging by his form, I'd say it's very possible!"
"Yeah, CR7 looks hungry for goals today. He's got that killer instinct!"
During halftime, Ronaldo's fans flooded social media, discussing his form.
Despite his age, Ronaldo had been in excellent form all season, both in the league and in the Champions League.
Even though he hadn't won any trophies, no one could deny his outstanding performances.
What more could you ask from a 33-year-old veteran?
"Let's hope Portugal can go far in this World Cup!"
"Hey, don't get ahead of yourself. Let's focus on winning this game first!"
"True, Spain isn't an easy team to beat. I'm not too optimistic about Portugal's chances!"
"Yeah, Spain is playing so well as a team, and Lin hasn't even unleashed his full power yet!"
Those with a sharp eye could see that Lin Quan hadn't taken many shots in this match.
Though he was playing as a midfielder, he had plenty of opportunities to shoot, as he had control of the ball for much of the game.
But he had been suppressing his attacking instincts, focusing instead on creating chances for his teammates.
However, no one knew if this would continue in the second half. If Lin decided to "unlock" his full potential and go all out, Portugal would be in real trouble.
This match had also drawn a large Asian audience, even though neither of the teams was from Asia. Both teams had numerous globally recognized stars, and the high quality of the match meant that no football fan, regardless of nationality, would want to miss it.
"Sigh, look at the way these top European teams play, and then look at our Asian teams… It makes you wonder if we're even playing the same sport!"
"Let's focus on improving our domestic leagues first. Without a solid foundation at home, there's no way we can expect to succeed on the world stage!"
The AFC Champions League, which represents the pinnacle of club football in Asia, was still several levels below the UEFA Champions League.
Moreover, many of Asia's top players were being lured away by Europe's "big five" leagues, further weakening the domestic competitions.
As a result, the AFC Champions League struggled to attract attention and lacked the same level of excitement, not to mention the peculiar zonal system that often created strange matchups.
Without strong domestic leagues, it was hard for Asian national teams to perform well internationally.
Of course, there was always the hope that overseas-based players could make a difference, but the reality was that only a few managed to break through to the top level abroad.
(End of Chapter)