Time ticked away, with both sides approaching their physical limits.
Messi's steps were no longer as light as at the start, and every command and reposition by Chen Zhong felt unusually heavy, his jersey soaked in sweat, breathing heavily. Yet the fire in their eyes, the souls of their respective teams, never extinguished.
In the final minute of regulation, China gained a free-kick opportunity on the right side of the front field. This might be the last attack!
Zhao Mingzhe stood over the ball, taking a deep breath. In the box, high-positioned players like Chen Zhong, Shi Hai, and Li Ji were ready, while Rooney and Sun Fei positioned near the penalty spot for any loose balls. Argentina's penalty area was in chaos, people falling and colliding.
The whistle blew! Zhao Mingzhe ran up, chose not to go for goal directly, but instead struck a highly arcing cross! The ball spun rapidly, finding the far post with precision!
