"Brother Gao, you're unbelievable! Taking a shot straight to the face—respect!"
"Yeah, that was incredible, Brother Gao!"
"This is going to be headline stuff tonight, for sure!"
The Chinese players surrounded him, all giving back pats.
Among this generation, Gao Leiliang was considered one of the true veterans.
In terms of seniority, he even preceded Wang Yi, yet he'd always maintained a low profile. He kept himself in excellent shape year after year, which was why he remained a regular in the national team.
Within the squad, Gao Leiliang was well-loved—something even Kai had to acknowledge.
Wang Yi might wear the captain's armband, but it was this seasoned figure one of the people who held the team together.
"Brothers," Gao Leiliang raised his voice, "this might be my last World Cup. And I don't want it to end without leaving anything behind."
He swept his eyes across the group. "We've been knocking on the knockout stages for some time. Isn't it about time we were the ones sailing through? I'm not asking for anything else—just something to brag about when I'm done."
"I know a lot of you are already pushing your physical limits," he continued. "But listen—if you don't give everything now, then when?"
"We're up by one. Captain Wang scored his goal. He did what a striker should do. Now it's our turn—defenders show what we're made of. We can't be the ones dragging everyone down. That'd be embarrassing, wouldn't it?"
"So lift your heads, stay sharp, and fight the Netherlands to the end!"
Gao Leiliang clenched his fist. "I'm betting on this match. If they collapse, then let them collapse! Go all in!"
His words lit a fire in the squad.
Yeah.
If not now—when?
Time to flip the script.
Morale is a strange thing—intangible, invisible, yet undeniably real.
On the famous night in Istanbul, Liverpool pulled off a miracle comeback.
In the 2012 Euro qualifiers, Sweden trailed Germany by four at halftime, only to score four in the second half to level the match.
Of course, China wasn't at that level.
They couldn't stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those giants.
But at the very least, they could defend.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
A thunderous drumbeat echoed across the stadium.
Chinese fans couldn't bring big drums inside, but thousands of small drums beating together created a roar that shook the arena.
Soon, the entire stadium was filled with their chants.
Thump thump!!! —
Defense!!!
Thump thump!!! —
Defense!!!
Thump thump!!! —
Defense!!!
Fueled by the crowd, the Chinese players fought with extraordinary resolve.
Even foreign commentators were stunned.
" Right now, they've got the Netherlands on the edge of losing first place in this group!"
Xi, serving as commentator, spoke solemnly.
"This is unbelievable!" an English commentator shouted. "They're still fighting like crazy! Twenty minutes left—no—nineteen! The Netherlands are in real trouble!"
"I can't believe what I'm seeing," a French commentator exclaimed. "The Dutch are being pushed to the brink. If they lose this, China goes on top of Group B. This is madness!"
People love an underdog. And right now was no exception.
Watching the match, fans around the world suddenly found themselves hoping—praying—for China to pull it off. It would throw Group B's qualification into absolute chaos.
The match pressed on, and China kept countering with grit.
At the 70-minute mark, both teams made substitutions.
China strengthened the back line; the Netherlands reinforced its attack.
Even so, the Chinese wall held firm, making the Dutch increasingly anxious.
Each failed dribble added weight to their frustration.
Finally—90 minutes.
The Chinese team survived wave after wave of attack, defending with everything they had.
The entire world was in uproar.
This—this might be one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history.
At this moment, countless people held their breath.
The Dutch attack grew sharper and more desperate by the second, throwing everything forward in an attempt to break into the box.
Meanwhile, the Chinese team dug into the very last of their reserves. Even as fatigue weighed heavily on their legs, they pushed on, arms pumping, teeth clenched.
If you can't run anymore, then crash into someone—whatever it takes.
They must not score.
Inside the stadium—and in countless living rooms—Chinese fans fell silent. No one dared breathe too loudly. Their eyes flicked between the pitch and the clock.
Too slow… time is moving way too slow…
Finally, the fourth official raised the substitution board.
Three minutes of added time.
Just three minutes left for the Netherlands.
But those three minutes changed everything.
Robben burst down the left flank, cutting into the area as he always does. Instantly, the Chinese back line surged toward him.
Gao Leiliang stepped up decisively, shadowing him tightly and blocking any shooting angle.
Robben shifted the ball left. Gao instinctively stretched out his leg—
—and Robben collapsed before Gao even made contact.
A collective gasp tore through the stadium.
For a second, everyone froze.
Kai's heart lurched. He sprinted over.
Robben rolled theatrically on the ground as the referee arrived. Gao tried explaining, visibly anxious.
A moment later, the referee brandished a yellow card and pointed straight to the spot.
"What?! That's never a penalty! That's a dive!" Kai shouted in disbelief.
But the Dutch players ignored him completely as more Chinese players surrounded the referee. The official squinted, hand drifting toward his pocket again.
Captain Wang Yi immediately pulled his teammates back.
"This is not a penalty! Absolutely not! This is a terrible call—an outright mistake!" Huang Jianxiang roared from the commentary booth. "Haimoudi, are you blind?!"
Even the usually composed Zhang Lu couldn't hold back. "A clear misjudgment. Gao Leiliang barely extended his foot—it was a pure dive."
The slow-motion replay soon followed.
There was zero contact. Robben went down on his own.
Chinese fans exploded in fury.
Sky Sports' Andy Gray shook his head. "That's a dreadful decision. Djamel Haimoudi got this completely wrong—and now he and Robben have upset a fifth of the planet."
On the pitch, Robben calmly placed the ball for the penalty.
Chinese fans thundered chants of "Robbery!" and "Diving!", but Robben remained unfazed.
He ran up and struck the ball cleanly. It slipped inside the left post. Tong Lei guessed wrong.
In the 90+2 minute, the Netherlands equalized.
Kai kicked at the turf in frustration, anger burning in his chest.
They had it. They had the win in their hands—until the referee took it away.
The match restarted, but moments later, the referee blew for full-time. Without hesitation, Haimoudi sprinted off the pitch, unwilling to face the furious Chinese supporters any longer.
Kai exhaled heavily, shaking his head. This one hurt.
Still, he joined his teammates and bowed toward the stands.
Instantly, the fans' anger softened, turning into applause and heartfelt cheers.
"You've already won!"
"That decision was outrageous! You played brilliantly!"
"Keep fighting!"
"We're behind you!"
Moved by the outpouring of support, the players made their way back to the dressing room.
In the second round of the 2014 Brazil World Cup group stage, China held the Netherlands to a dramatic 1–1 draw.
...
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