Chapter 19: The Supporting Actor Who Stole the Spotlight

When Dai Zhiwei assisted Huang Bowen to equalize the score at 1:1 in the 41st minute, almost every fan believed that the dominant Evergrande would unleash a storm in the second half.

As for the opponent’s opening goal, it was regarded merely as a fluke.

And indeed, the second half unfolded in line with these expectations.

Barely five minutes after the restart, Seongnam FC managed a not particularly threatening shot, which Zeng Cheng collected and quickly delivered to Goulart.

Goulart, receiving the ball, burst forward at full speed. Kim Doo-hyun immediately came charging toward him.

Facing Kim Doo-hyun, Goulart did not slow down in the slightest; with a deft change of direction, he left his marker behind and pressed on toward Seongnam’s penalty area.

Seongnam’s coach had warned his players before the match about the danger Goulart posed. Now, watching Goulart surging toward him, Kim Min-hyuk’s face grew tense with caution.

As Goulart dribbled forward, he noticed Kim Min-hyuk bracing himself defensively. An idea flashed through his mind. He feinted a drive forward, then suddenly stopped the ball dead at his feet. In the next instant, as Kim Min-hyuk stared in surprise, Goulart swung his leg and whipped the ball into the box.

As always, Goulart’s pass was fierce and low, the ball skidding swiftly into the area, aimed straight at Dai Zhiwei.

Thanks to his excellent anticipation, Dai Zhiwei beat Seongnam’s center-back Park Tae-min to the best position. He stretched his arms wide, blocking Park’s attempts to get around him and snatch the ball.

Goulart’s pass hurtled toward Dai Zhiwei in an instant, but standing in front of him was Lim Chae-min, marking Gao Lin. It seemed Goulart’s cross would come to nothing.

Lim Chae-min leaped high, aiming a forceful header at Goulart’s cross, but the ball still flew on its original path—Lim had misjudged it at the crucial moment!

Overjoyed, Dai Zhiwei barely needed to jump. He simply flicked his head, and the ball obediently flew toward the bottom left corner of the goal.

Seongnam’s goalkeeper Park Jun-hyuk dived bravely, but Dai Zhiwei’s header was too quick, the angle too sharp. He could not keep it out.

“Brilliant! Dai Zhiwei—the current top scorer in the Super League—breaks through Seongnam’s goal with a composed header. 2:1, and Evergrande takes the lead!”

Pushed by Park Tae-min, Dai Zhiwei lost his balance and tumbled to the ground, but he climbed up with a grin, not overly excited, merely clenching his fist and strolling in celebration.

Everyone thought the match had fallen into Evergrande’s rhythm, but in the last thirty minutes, the protagonists on the field abruptly changed.

In the 64th minute, the turning point arrived.

Seongnam FC launched a counterattack. Their foreign player Bueno picked up the ball in midfield and began to dribble forward. Li Xuepeng, showing his studs, brought him down.

Evergrande’s players expected, at worst, a yellow card, but Iranian referee Mohsen Torki, without hesitation, pulled out a red.

“This is… rather bizarre,” Dai Zhiwei thought, standing not far from Li Xuepeng and having seen the incident clearly.

Although Li did show his studs, his foot wasn’t high, and it was obviously aimed at the ball. Bueno wasn’t hurt, and in most cases, this would warrant no more than a yellow card.

But at Seongnam’s home ground, the referee’s red card could still be justified by the rules.

And it was hardly surprising coming from Mohsen Torki.

Born in 1973, Torki has officiated for over a decade. In those years, he has been said to have “walked over the corpses of Chinese football”:

In the 2005 AFC Champions League, Shandong Luneng visited Al-Ittihad. With the match nearing its end, Torki sent off Zheng Zhi and Ba Xin in quick succession, leading to Luneng’s 2-7 defeat—a debacle orchestrated by Torki.

In the 2008 Champions League, Beijing Guoan lost 0-1 away to Kashima Antlers, with Torki sending off Guoan’s fullback Zhou Ting in the 34th minute.

In 2009, during Guoan’s home match against Nagoya, Torki again showed his iron-fisted style, sending off Guoan’s Lang Zheng in the dying moments.

For the national team, Torki has officiated several matches involving China.

In the 2008 East Asian Four Nations, when China beat North Korea 3-1, Torki issued twelve yellow cards and two reds, sending off Du Zhenyu and Xu Yunlong.

After a string of decisions unfavorable to the Chinese team, the media nicknamed him "China's Nemesis."

In the 2009 Asian Cup qualifiers, China lost 2-3 to Syria in Aleppo, with Torki awarding two penalties to Syria.

On June 23, 2011, in the London Olympic qualifiers in Oman, China’s U23 lost 1-4. In 90 minutes, Torki sent off the head coach Blazevic, the goalie coach, and Cao Yunding, and, together with the linesman, disallowed a valid Chinese goal for offside in the 93rd minute, overturning the whole match.

In eight matches involving Chinese teams, the Iranian sent off nine Chinese players and coaches.

On April 24, 2013, in the match between Urawa Red Diamonds and Guangzhou Evergrande, Torki awarded two penalties to the home team—both controversial, even in the eyes of the Japanese media. In the 72nd minute, Evergrande’s coach Lippi was sent to the stands for kicking a water bottle. In the 87th minute, Evergrande’s goal was first disallowed for offside, then allowed after reconsideration, causing outrage among Urawa’s players. Urawa eventually won 3-2.

On May 23, 2013, in the second leg of the AFC Champions League round of sixteen, Beijing Guoan visited FC Seoul. Torki showed Seoul’s Anderson three yellow cards before finally sending him off. Guoan was infuriated, and the club immediately drafted a complaint, reporting this “old nemesis” to the AFC.

In 2014, Torki finally suffered the consequences: the AFC Referees Committee introduced a new evaluation system, removing “unmotivated” or incompetent referees from Asian competitions, including the “Grim Reaper” and “enemy of Chinese football” himself—Torki.

However, Torki was only excluded from national team matches; he could still officiate club competitions like the Champions League, continuing to haunt Chinese teams.

Li Xuepeng’s sending off left Evergrande extremely passive, the balance of the match shifting as Seongnam, with a man advantage, gradually found their rhythm.

“Beep!”

In the 83rd minute, after Dai Zhiwei’s sprint to intercept a Seongnam cross sent the ball out for a throw-in, the fourth official raised the substitution board:

Number 24, off;
Number 17, on.

“Phew, it’s me.” Dai Zhiwei exhaled deeply. Since Li Xuepeng’s exit, Evergrande had relied entirely on him to cover the left flank for over twenty minutes. By now, he was truly exhausted.

Moreover, Dai Zhiwei’s defensive abilities were only average—barely above amateur level. With Cannavaro preparing to defend the lead at all costs, Dai’s usefulness had waned.

He ambled off the field, utterly ignoring the jeers of the Korean fans.

“We’re rivals—why should I care about your boos?” he thought, deliberately dragging his feet to waste time and give his teammates a breather.

Although it was his first time being substituted under such circumstances, he had long wanted to try these little tricks—if not for concerns about his image, he would have feigned cramp and gone down.

Just as Torki was reaching for a yellow card for time-wasting, Dai Zhiwei finally reached the touchline. After embracing Liu Jian, he made his way to the bench.

“Well done!” Cannavaro hugged him too. “Go, get some rest.”

It had taken Dai Zhiwei almost a full minute to leave the field. With the fresh legs of Liu Jian shoring up the defense, Evergrande looked set to pocket a hard-earned victory.

The seconds ticked away. With only a minute left, Seongnam FC won a free kick.

Kim Doo-hyun whipped it into the box from the left. Zeng Cheng came out and claimed the ball, but at that very moment—

“Beep!”

The referee’s whistle blew again!

“What? Is this even possible?” Dai Zhiwei and his teammates on the bench sprang to their feet, incredulous.

The replay showed that Liu Jian had pulled Bueno’s shirt during the scramble, and Bueno’s theatrical fall caught the referee’s eye. Torki, once again merciless, pointed to the spot—penalty!

“Come on, Zeng!” Dai Zhiwei clasped his hands, hoping for a miracle.

But Kim Doo-hyun calmly converted the penalty, allowing Seongnam FC to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat.

Even though Dai Zhiwei had mentally prepared himself upon learning Torki would officiate, he was still left utterly helpless in this moment.

A red card and a penalty in the dying seconds—Torki’s audacity left Dai Zhiwei grudgingly impressed.

As for anger?

Dai Zhiwei truly felt none.

Does a lion care about the scraps in a barking dog’s mouth?

Let them bark; with a single swipe, they can be silenced forever.