Chapter 123: Half Sea, Half Flame (Part Two)

After concluding the match against Syria, the Chinese team did not immediately depart for their next away game in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The squad remained in Xi'an for a day of recovery, and Dai Zhiwei finally overcame his jet lag, allowing him to return to normal training with the team.

The day after the match, no ball-related training was scheduled; instead, the afternoon was dedicated to a strength training session in the hotel gym. More important than the training itself was the restoration of the players' confidence. After dinner, some players chose to visit the hotel's indoor golf course to clear their minds, while Dai Zhiwei met with Jin Chang to discuss matters regarding his domestic endorsements.

On the afternoon of the 8th, the entire team departed via a chartered flight to Uzbekistan. Zhang Linpeng, who was suspended for the upcoming match, was still among those traveling. Having received two consecutive yellow cards in the previous two games, he was forced to watch from the sidelines, but the coaching staff brought him along to serve as a practice player.

During this training camp, the Chinese team had already lost center-back Li Xuepeng to injury, and Feng Xiaoting had missed several days of training due to a fever while the team was in Wuhan. Consequently, the center-back position in training was often filled by Cai Huikang, Zhang Xiaobin, and others. Even though Zhang Linpeng could not play in the match, his presence as a practice player helped simulate the opponent's defensive line and elevated the quality of the team's training sessions. Additionally, Jiang Zhipeng, who was injured in the previous match, was also on the trip, his condition having improved significantly.

What made Dai Zhiwei feel ashamed was learning from the Dragon Team fan club that, due to cumbersome visa procedures and other reasons, fewer fans were traveling to the away game compared to the previous trip to South Korea. Nevertheless, including local Chinese expatriates, there would still be over a thousand fans in Tashkent to cheer for the Chinese team. Despite the frustrating loss in Xi'an, the Chinese fans remained steadfast in their support.

"A group of fans we organized will head to Tashkent on the 9th. We hope the team can play with authority and not let down the Chinese fans who traveled thousands of miles to support them!"

Even though Dai Zhiwei was a member of the Chinese team, he had to admit that while the team was currently not even a third-rate squad on the world stage, the domestic fans were absolutely world-class.

In Tashkent that October, the temperature hovered between 5 and 20 degrees Celsius, and Dai Zhiwei felt very comfortable during the warm-up. For this match, the Chinese team made seven changes to the starting lineup compared to the last game: Yang Zhi, Du Wei, Cai Huikang, Dai Zhiwei, Wu Lei, Sun Ke, and Zhang Chengdong replaced Gu Chao, Zhang Linpeng, Yu Hai, Huang Bowen, Zhang Xizhe, Zhang Yuning, and Gao Lin. Zhang Linpeng was suspended due to the accumulation of two yellow cards.

Uzbekistan made three changes, with Khashimov, Odil Ahmedov, and Bikmaev replacing Ismailov, Shukurov, and Rashidov. Ismailov and Geynrikh were both suspended due to yellow card accumulation.

As the match began, both sides played cautiously, neither willing to commit to an aggressive attack. As part of the former Soviet football sphere, the Uzbekistan team possessed all the hallmarks of Soviet style: a fierce, aggressive approach, disciplined like a mechanized unit, fast movement, and a consistently organized formation. While their individual technical skills were not outstanding, they executed their head coach’s instructions with great determination. They excelled at exploiting gaps between the opponent’s flat defensive line with straight through-balls, allowing their fast-starting strikers to burst behind the center-backs and charge straight into the penalty area, often creating one-on-one opportunities in the most direct manner.

After the kickoff, Uzbekistan held a slight advantage, and while the Chinese team earned two corner kicks, neither resulted in a shot. In the 14th minute, Sun Ke collided with Khashimov on the left side of the backfield and was injured, requiring the team doctor to carry him back to the locker room. Four minutes later, China was forced into a substitution, with Jiang Zhipeng coming on for Sun Ke.

"Pathetic!" Dai Zhiwei didn't really want to criticize Sun Ke, but such physical collisions were commonplace not only in the high-intensity Premier League but even in the technical La Liga. Sun Ke lacked both the experience to protect himself during physical contact and the discipline to train for strength, crumbling at the slightest bump. While the Chinese Super League sometimes featured rough play and dangerous tackles, that did not equate to being skilled at physical duels. It was the difference between petty fouls in basketball and being unafraid of contact. "Sigh, too much 'pampered play' back home," Dai Zhiwei sighed. This was the current state of domestic football; the nickname "White-Cut Chicken" was not just a joke.

Following this, Uzbekistan created several more scoring opportunities, completely overwhelming the visiting Chinese team. Within five minutes of the previous shot, danger loomed constantly in front of the Chinese goal. First, Du Wei’s header clearance fell short, and Bikmaev’s left-footed volley from the edge of the penalty area sailed just over the near corner of the crossbar.

In the 21st minute, Uzbekistan took the lead. Assunção sent a through-ball into the right side of the penalty area; a mix-up between Du Wei and Yang Zhi allowed Shomurodov to use his speed to bypass Du Wei. He poked the ball past the rushing Yang Zhi, who had no choice but to commit a foul, leading the referee to immediately award a penalty. Djeparov took the spot-kick, using a subtle feint with his ankle to deceive Yang Zhi before firing the ball into the center of the net. 0-1, a poor start for the Chinese team.

However, ten minutes later, the Chinese team successfully equalized. After receiving a long pass from the back, Dai Zhiwei surged toward the Uzbekistan penalty area through the middle but was tripped by defender Krimets, earning a free kick on the left side of the attacking half. The distance was quite far, nearly 40 meters out. Even though Dai Zhiwei had recently shone with his free kicks, the Uzbekistan players still assumed it would be an indirect set-piece. While goalkeeper Lobanov was busy directing his teammates to mark the Chinese players in the box, Dai Zhiwei curled a shot that traced an "S" trajectory in the air, sneaking into the near corner of the net! 1-1! To the stunned expressions of the Uzbekistan players, the two teams were back on equal footing.

After the equalizer, Uzbekistan resumed their suffocating pressure, committing far more personnel to the attack than the visitors. Their aggressive offensive forced the Chinese team to defend desperately, incurring yellow cards in the process. In the 37th minute, as Bikmaev broke through with the ball again, Jiang Zhipeng—already warned by the referee—tackled him, making a yellow card unavoidable. The remainder of the half saw back-and-forth action, but neither side found a good opportunity, and they headed into halftime tied.

Although the Chinese team was on the back foot, Perrin was clearly satisfied with the 1-1 scoreline, merely emphasizing stronger defense and sharper counterattacks for the second half. Securing a point away from home was the goal for this match. While Dai Zhiwei felt unwilling to settle, this was the reality of the team’s strength.

After the restart, both teams struggled to break the deadlock. Dai Zhiwei could barely receive a pass in the attacking third and had no choice but to watch this "clumsy chickens pecking at each other" display. Early in the second half, Bikmaev made several sharp cuts on the right flank before launching a shot high into the stands, more standard than a defender’s clearance. Six minutes later, Dai Zhiwei intercepted the ball during a counterattack and sent a brilliant pass to Wu Lei, but the latter once again displayed his "god-tier positioning but rookie finishing," delivering a soft, weak shot that looked more like a pass back to the goalkeeper.

Dai Zhiwei was left speechless by his forward partner. If he couldn't find space, that would be one thing, but Wu Lei possessed the movement and speed of a La Liga striker; yet, whenever the ball was delivered to him, he simply couldn't score—he was more "Heskey" than Heskey himself.

Subsequently, urged on by Perrin, the Chinese team focused entirely on defense, leaving only Dai Zhiwei up top. Uzbekistan lacked the ability to break down a packed defense, maintaining possession without scoring. To fortify the defense, Perrin substituted Wu Lei for Huang Bowen in the 64th minute, effectively signaling to the opponent: "I am going to park the bus."

The game remained one-sided, yet Uzbekistan struggled to create a lethal threat. After 70 minutes, Uzbekistan besieged the goal with three consecutive corners, but they could not send the ball into the net guarded by Yang Zhi. After weathering that storm, China faced another wave—Uzbekistan’s attacking patterns were limited, but they persisted while the Chinese team refused to attack. During a defensive sequence, Dai Zhiwei received a yellow card for an overly aggressive challenge, a testament to how deep the team had retreated, with even their lone forward dropping back to participate in defense.

As Dai Zhiwei collected his "yellow gemstone," the Chinese team made their second substitution, with Perrin bringing on defensive midfielder Zhang Xiaobin for Jiang Ning to further bolster the backline. With Zhang Xiaobin on, alongside Cai Huikang and Hao Junmin, the team shifted into a 4-3-2-1 "Christmas tree" formation, with Jiang Zhipeng and Zhang Chengdong acting as the wide players. Fortunately, Perrin maintained some dignity and did not substitute Dai Zhiwei.

Perrin’s intent to preserve the draw was communicated through these changes, and Dai Zhiwei frequently dropped back to help defend. Though his defensive skills were amateurish, his speed still posed a threat, and the Uzbekistan players relied little on technical dribbling anyway. "Sigh," Dai Zhiwei felt more and more disinterested. Uzbekistan’s quality was truly average; they weren't even a top-tier team in Asia, and in La Liga, they would be a bottom-feeder confirmed for relegation long before the season ended. Yet, facing such a second-tier Asian opponent, the Chinese team could only choose to defend for their lives. How could Dai Zhiwei, who had always been proud throughout his professional career, accept this?

Uzbekistan dominated the match but found it impossible to penetrate the penalty area, their long-range shots outside the box wasting chance after chance. As Dai Zhiwei had judged, Uzbekistan was not a powerhouse; they relied on quick counterattacks and set-pieces to open up games. However, with China’s full retreat, there was no space for counters, leaving them to rely solely on set-pieces.

In the 92nd minute, Uzbekistan launched one final wave of attacks. Odil Ahmedov’s breakthrough was halted by a foul from Zhang Chengdong, earning a free kick on the right side of the box. With less than a minute left, every player except for goalkeeper Lobanov rushed into the Chinese half, with at least 15 players crowded into the penalty area. The free kick was sent to the far post, where former Asian Footballer of the Year and Uzbekistan captain Djeparov rose for the crucial header. He directed an arc that bypassed Yang Zhi’s reach, but fortunately, Jiang Zhipeng was positioned on the goal line and headed the ball over the bar just as it was about to cross the line.

The Chinese team survived! Shortly after, an Uzbekistan corner was cleared by Feng Xiaoting, and the referee finally blew the long-awaited final whistle. The match ended 1-1, and the Chinese team secured the point they had come for.

After the match, Dai Zhiwei did not return to China on the chartered flight. Instead, he took his own flight back to Spain—partly because Tashkent was closer to Spain, and partly because he felt unable to face the domestic fans. After a dream start to the final round of qualifiers with a win and a draw against South Korea and Iran, the Chinese team had stumbled against Syria. Following the failure to beat Uzbekistan, they had only earned 5 points in 4 matches, and their qualification prospects had taken a sharp turn for the worse.

Upon returning to Villarreal, he vented all his frustration on their 8th-round league opponents, Celta Vigo. Just three minutes into the match, Trigueros sent a through-ball, and Dai Zhiwei beat the offside trap to sweep the ball into the net: 1-0! In the 12th minute, Celta goalkeeper Sergio Álvarez made a blunder while clearing, and Dai Zhiwei curled a shot into the net from the left side of the box to complete his brace: 2-0! In the 38th minute, Dai Zhiwei intercepted the ball in midfield, broke through, and sent a through-ball to Bakambu, who fired home to make it 3-0! In the 48th minute, a corner kick resulted in an own goal by Wass, extending Villarreal's lead to 4-0! In the 92nd minute, Mario Gaspar crossed from the right, and substitute Pato’s header hit the post before Trigueros tapped in the rebound to make it 5-0!

With this 5-0 thrashing, the "Yellow Submarine" stayed in pursuit of the top four in the standings, maintaining their proud, undefeated record in the league!