Chapter Ten: Warm-Up

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As the match reached the twenty-fifth minute, Bora Milutinović decided to substitute Qu Bo for Sun Jihai. Sun Jihai’s left leg injury was severe, making it difficult for him to move on the field; this substitution was forced.

“As you can see, with Sun Jihai off, our attacking options have diminished. The situation remains deadlocked, but the fighting spirit and determination shown by our players give me great confidence.”

Sun Jihai’s departure did not cause the Chinese team on the field to shrink back. They continued to fight bravely, refusing to retreat, holding their ground as both sides battled for advantage. Now, it was a contest of endurance.

Mo Mo watched the Chinese players on the field, fearless in blocking shots, sliding tackles, collisions, and fighting for possession, and couldn’t help but sigh. Such tireless effort and struggle, even in defeat, should not be blamed! Mo Mo was absolutely certain that every player on the field was giving their all.

Meanwhile, Chinese fans at the sidelines shouted encouragement. Although there were moments of attack, passes were often too long, or players lacked pace. Costa Rica, too, failed to find a clear path to goal, leaving both teams locked in stalemate.

Mo Mo’s gaze alternated between the field and Bora Milutinović, wishing fervently that, at any moment, the coach might turn to him and say, “Come! Warm up, get ready to go on!”

“Costa Rica takes possession, a player lunges for a tackle, but the ball remains with Costa Rica. A cross! Number 9 Wanchope! Wanchope heads the ball at the goal! Fan Zhiyi disrupts him! The ball goes wide!”

Just now, Costa Rica took possession in midfield; a Chinese player, despite the distance, slid in for the tackle, but Costa Rica retained control. A diagonal pass was sent into the middle, number 9 Wanchope positioned himself for a header, but under Fan Zhiyi’s interference, failed to connect cleanly or with power.

“Number 3 defender Marin and Li Tie go for the ball! Their feet collide! Marin uses his hands, shoving Li Tie! Li Tie falls to the ground!”

Chen Nu’s voice was tinged with indignation, and the stadium erupted in commotion! Bora Milutinović looked extremely anxious; after all, Li Tie’s position had no suitable replacement. If Li Tie were injured and forced off, China’s chances would dwindle further!

A crowd gathered around Li Tie; his foot had taken a hit, and his body was struck as well. Mo Mo’s expression showed concern—the Chinese players were fighting fiercely, but the risk of injury was significant.

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“After treatment at the sideline, Li Tie returned to the field. At this moment, I suddenly hope Mo Mo doesn’t go on. He’s only seventeen; in such intense competition, it’s easy to get hurt and suffer psychological scars.”

No one argued with Chen Nu’s words; in fact, they couldn’t, for he was the commentator, while everyone else listened. Bora Milutinović likely shared the same worries, his eyes darting between Mo Mo and Su Maozhen as if pondering something.

In the subsequent match, Qu Bo and Hao Haidong each found decent opportunities in the opponent’s penalty area, but none materialized into truly threatening shots. On defense, number 14 Li Weifeng fulfilled the tasks assigned by Coach Bora Milutinović.

Costa Rica’s attacks began to show improvement, but under Fan Zhiyi’s command, breaking into China’s penalty area proved difficult. Ultimately, their attacks ended with low-quality long-range shots from outside the box.

Hao Haidong had several chances but came up short in aerial duels. Sun Jihai, leading in fouls suffered, had already left injured. Yang Chen was still in good form; whenever he had the ball, two or three Costa Rican players would swarm to dispossess him.

As the first half drew to a close, China attempted a long-range shot from outside the box, the ball veering wide. Thus, the first half ended with the score between China and Costa Rica still at 0:0.

At halftime, Bora Milutinović began arranging strategy, instructing Qu Bo to use his speed to gain advantage. Mo Mo stood to the side, somewhat dazed, unsure whether he would have the chance to play.

Bora Milutinović gave instructions to everyone, except Mo Mo. Mo Mo tried to comfort himself—perhaps Yang Chen and Hao Haidong’s performance was satisfactory, so there was no thought of changing strikers?

Time passed quickly; after exchanging words of encouragement, everyone returned to the field. Loud chants of “Go China!” echoed all around. Fans wrapped in national flags, their faces painted with the national colors, were everywhere.

Mo Mo realized that China’s current approach was flawed. The issue was not a lack of seriousness, but an excess of it.

Though this Chinese team belonged to the golden generation, most starters were no longer young and lacked distinctive traits, with only a few players showing individual flair. Teammates were often at a disadvantage physically, and their longing for victory made them hesitant.

Previously, Bora Milutinović had taught them the philosophy of joyful football, encouraging them to express their own style and ideas. But now? The players seemed restricted. Though courageous in defense, their attacks were focused on avoiding mistakes—lacking adventurous spirit and creativity.

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More than half of Costa Rica’s players on the field were black, boasting superior physicality, tactical awareness, and technical skills compared to most of the Chinese squad. Hao Haidong, Yang Chen, and the injured Sun Jihai could attempt breakthroughs, using ball control and dribbling skills.

The others, though, merely passed the ball simply, not daring to make bold attacking moves. As Mo Mo pondered this, Bora Milutinović sat beside him, clearly troubled by the lack of effective offense.

Despite a few passes reaching the defensive line, genuine threats—true opportunities—were rare. Bora Milutinović also sensed the gap between the two teams; China was fighting fiercely, matching Costa Rica’s relentless defense, but their attack was monotonous, lacking in variation and overly cautious.

After the first half, Costa Rica was still somewhat nervous, but as they relaxed, Bora Milutinović keenly observed that the gap between the teams was significant.

He scanned the substitutes; their expressions were tense. Though Bora Milutinović was not one to shy away, he did not see in their eyes the spirit of “Let me on! I can do it! I can change the game!”

Just then, Bora Milutinović seemed to notice something: Mo Mo’s brows were tightly knit, seemingly lost in thought. His eyes were bright, his whole demeanor sharp and ready to strike, yet Bora Milutinović still felt uncertain.

When Bora Milutinović turned his attention to Su Maozhen, he sighed. On the field, Yang Chen was no longer making an impact, while Hao Haidong remained lively. Given this, it was time to consider substituting Yang Chen.

Mo Mo noticed Bora Milutinović’s gaze upon him, feeling a surge of excitement. As expected, the coach asked Mo Mo and Su Maozhen to stand and warm up. Two forwards?

Mo Mo did not believe Bora Milutinović would use a three-striker formation. This meant only one thing: the coach had not yet decided, and just then, a wave of cheers erupted from the field.

Mo Mo turned his head to see the scoreboard had changed—the score now read 1:0.