章 405: Chapter 405: Shattering the Japanese Dream
Chapter 405: Shattering the Japanese Dream
Lin Quan was supportive of sending young Chinese players with potential abroad. However, he chose not to get involved in the specifics to avoid unnecessary trouble. After all, ZTE would be handling the arrangements, which would inevitably involve negotiations with the players' current clubs over ownership rights. The domestic league had long been plagued by dual contracts, a complex issue Lin Quan neither understood nor wanted to delve into.
He gave Wang the contact information for the City Football Group, which owns several teams in Europe. If they could reach an agreement, sending a few players abroad wouldn't be a problem. If not, Wang could always buy a team himself. In recent years, Chinese capital had been making significant overseas investments, including in football. Wang's Wanda Group had already acquired a 20% stake in Atlético Madrid. Other Chinese enterprises, like Suning Group, were in talks to buy the Italian club Inter Milan. There were also investments in other European clubs like Wolverhampton Wanderers by Fosun Group, Espanyol by Rastar Group, and stakes in various other teams.
After finishing the match against China, the Spanish team initially planned to head home. However, the Japanese team, having learned that Spain was training in Asia, immediately contacted them for a friendly match. The previous year's World Cup failure had shaken Japan to its core. They didn't win a single match and were eliminated at the bottom of their group, bringing shame to the Japanese Football Association.
Japan had been undergoing reforms for many years, hoping to see results by now. However, their World Cup defeat made them question their approach. Consequently, the Japanese Football Association began major reforms, increasing support for young players to go abroad for training and high-level matches. They also invited many strong teams for friendly matches to gauge their level against the world's best.
As two-time World Cup champions, Spain was a top-tier team, and Japan saw this as a rare opportunity. The Japanese Football Association promptly submitted their request. Bosque, who had given his players a three-day break, was initially hesitant. They had planned to play one friendly match, earn some extra money, and then return for the European Championship qualifiers. But the generous offer from the Japanese, matching the Chinese sponsors, convinced him to accept the invitation.
Thus, the day after the match against China, the Spanish team ended their break and flew to Tokyo. Despite the short notice and lack of promotion, the number of fans at the airport exceeded their expectations. The airport was filled with Japanese fans holding various support signs, with Lin Quan's name prominently featured. Many of these fans were women.
"Ah, it's Lin-san!" "Lin-san is so handsome!" "Lin-san, marry me!"
Seeing Lin Quan, the female fans screamed and rushed forward, leaving even the well-traveled Spanish players stunned.
"Wow, Lin, you're more popular in Japan than in China!" his teammates teased.
Lin Quan smiled and said, "Since they're so welcoming, we should give our best performance to repay their warm welcome, right?"
Seeing his mischievous smile, his teammates couldn't help but worry for the Japanese team, understanding exactly what Lin Quan meant by "repay."
Compared to China, Japan's team was stronger and had many players playing in Europe. Therefore, their tactics for the match were not as conservative. Being on home turf, Japan couldn't resort to a defensive strategy like China. They wisely chose a counter-attacking approach based on their strengths and Spain's tactics. This strategy was commonly used against Spain, given their strong offensive and ball control capabilities. Facing such a powerful team, counter-attacking was the only viable option.
Despite the disparity in strength, many Japanese fans had high hopes for their national team. Japan was a second-tier team globally, stronger than China but not on par with Spain. The gap was expected to be one or two goals, not a double-digit difference. Additionally, with many players having experience in Europe, there was a chance they could perform well and possibly pull off an upset.
In contrast to Japan's confidence, Bosque did not regard them as a significant threat. Japan's poor performance in the previous World Cup and their recent results against teams like Uruguay and Brazil, where they lost 2-0 and 4-0 respectively, didn't inspire confidence. Even against weaker teams like Venezuela, they struggled to a 2-2 draw. Such results made it hard to believe Japan could pose any real threat to Spain.
Thus, Bosque started with a lineup similar to the one against China, featuring many substitutes and young players, including leaving Lin Quan on the bench. He planned to test a 4-4-2 formation with Morata and Negredo as the forwards, hoping not to win by too large a margin.
However, Bosque didn't realize that the Japanese were furious when they saw Spain's lineup.
This was an insult! Sending out so many substitutes was one thing, but not even fielding Lin Quan? They were treating Japan worse than China! In fact, Japan owed this treatment to the Chinese team. If it weren't for China's utterly disgraceful performance, Bosque wouldn't have questioned the strength of East Asian teams and fielded such a starting lineup.
Feeling humiliated, the Japanese team played very aggressively in the first half. They tried to overpower the Spanish team with their attacks to prove their strength. To be fair, Japan's ground attack was indeed stronger than China's. Their players had better individual skills, more refined techniques, and better small-area coordination.
In the first half, Japan managed to push forward several times, reaching the edge of Spain's penalty area and threatening their goal. Seeing this, Bosque immediately took them more seriously. Japan seemed to have some strength, at least more than China. However, this level of strength still did not pose a real threat to Spain. Until the score changed, Bosque had no plans to adjust his lineup.
On the bench, Lin Quan and his teammates watched the match, chatting and laughing.
"Japan's ground coordination is quite good!" "Yeah, their small-area plays are pretty solid, and the match pace isn't slow!" "But their physical confrontations are weak. Morata is bulldozing through their defense in the penalty area; they can't stop him!"
Morata was smart; not only was he technically skilled, but he was also physically strong. Noticing the weak physicality of the Japanese players, he frequently used his physical advantage to bully them. However, Japan's defense was good, and Morata's shots were blocked several times, failing to threaten the goal.
In the 22nd minute, Spain got a golden opportunity. Koke's precise pass found Morata, who attempted a flashy volley but sent the ball flying high into the stands. Seeing Morata miss such a great chance, everyone on the bench facepalmed.
"He actually missed that? Unbelievable!" "If Lin had taken that shot, it would've definitely gone in!"
Having witnessed Lin Quan's terrifying scoring efficiency, the Spanish players had high standards and couldn't tolerate such wasted opportunities.
"Morata is trying too hard to show off. If he had taken his time, he might have scored."
With the team's main players off the field, Morata was the center of attention. With many female fans in the stands, he naturally wanted to shine. Wasting chances, however, has its consequences. As soon as Spain missed their chance, Japan launched a counterattack. Keisuke Honda's long pass found Shinji Okazaki, who was brought down by Ramos in the box. The referee showed Ramos a yellow card and awarded Japan a penalty!
The Japanese fans erupted in cheers. This penalty could mean leading the world champions! If they scored and held onto the lead, they might break Spain's undefeated record. Defeating a two-time World Cup champion and the current top-ranked team would be a huge morale boost, wiping away the gloom from their previous losses.
There were few Spanish fans at the stadium, mainly expatriates. They couldn't believe what they saw. Japan leading mighty Spain? Impossible, this had to be a dream!
Bosque, too, was incredulous. He stood up from his seat, unable to stay calm. What was Ramos thinking? Tackling in such a position? Ramos' rashness and lack of calmness were still issues. If only he could learn from Lin Quan and use his brain more while playing.
Sighing, Bosque called Lin Quan and several other main players to warm up and prepare to enter the game. It seemed likely Japan would score. Being scored against wasn't a big deal, but losing to Japan was unacceptable, even in a friendly. Losing without a proper fight would be too frustrating!
Seeing Lin Quan, Iniesta, and others warming up, the Japanese fans gasped. Before the match, they had hoped Spain would field their main players to provide a better challenge. Now, they hoped Spain would stick with their substitutes, giving Japan a chance to win. But clearly, Spain wouldn't oblige. Bosque was decisive in making substitutions, preparing to change players before half-time.
Feeling the pressure of Spain's main players about to enter, Keisuke Honda, tasked with taking the penalty, aimed a half-height shot at De Gea. De Gea saved it.
Japanese fans were stunned, unable to believe their eyes. A penalty, missed? Impossible!
In that moment, Japan's dream was shattered. (End of Chapter)
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