"Don't put too much pressure on yourselves, we've already achieved great results, and everyone has done wonderfully!"
In the lounge, the coaching staff did their best to console everyone.
But time flew by, and before they could even get comfortable, it was time to return to the field.
The fans in the stadium had also used this break to calm themselves down, and now their prevailing sentiment was pessimism.
Indeed, if one thought about it carefully, it was already an incredible feat for the Tang national team to reach the finals. Their ancestors would never have imagined their football team reaching this point; this was the World Cup final!
Their opponents were the French team, the strongest in the world, and their squad in this World Cup was more terrifying than ever before!
Perhaps, if they had fielded a lineup similar to the previous World Cup, the Tang national team might have already won by now and be in the midst of the awards ceremony!
The players emerged from the locker room one by one. Through the dimly lit players' tunnel, they could see the distant stadium, dazzling under the sunlight, a path that seemed to lead from hell to heaven.
Cao Baming also walked out with them, heading towards the field. However, he didn't intend to go onto the pitch; instead, he turned directly towards the sidelines.
At this moment, every player on the Tang team wished this person could remain their teammate. With Cao Baming on the field, their mindset would be entirely different.
Each player shook hands and embraced Cao Baming in turn, taking his good luck, even touching his so-called divine power, before rushing onto the field without hesitation.
Glancing to the side, as expected, Deschamps had chosen to make a substitution.
Who would receive the final substitution slot? This was a question no one could quite fathom, yet almost everyone could guess that they would weaken their attacking power somewhat and reinforce their defense. This was the conventional thinking.
However, when they saw the bearded man, everyone was stunned into silence.
"Benzema???"
No one could have anticipated that he would use the last substitution to bring on a tall center-forward. Wasn't this clearly a waste?
So, who was replaced? Everyone eagerly looked towards the field. On the sidelines, they soon noticed that one player was no longer on the pitch!
Looking left and right, the missing figure was the great Henry!
"Replacing Henry with Benzema!? What a bizarre strategy!!"
"This is… almost a like-for-like substitution. Is the French team really going to use their last substitution on him? Henry doesn't look particularly fatigued!"
"Their defense is still a makeshift three-man backline, and their midfield lacks interception!"
"Is this a clever tactic, or has Deschamps lost his mind? We don't know, but it seems heaven is giving our Tang national team one last chance!"
Having come this far, they had to press on.
As the assistant referee raised the substitution board high, everyone was relieved; this meant it was confirmed.
A substitution that was utterly perplexing!
The Tang national team, however, chose not to make a substitution at the start of the match and continued to wait.
Cao Baming stood beside head coach Li Gang, acting as a temporary tactical advisor. The fans quickly noticed this.
At first, they didn't quite understand, but then they thought about it: this guy was a freak of nature; it wasn't surprising he understood tactics.
And indeed, Li Gang truly needed him right now!
Considering the current predicament rationally, the Tang national team's chances of winning were less than thirty percent.
The match resumed.
The players were still breathing heavily, appearing to be at the end of their stamina.
But there was no alternative. Li Gang's only remaining substitution slot was to be saved for an unforeseen emergency. After all, everyone looked exhausted, but he could only replace one person.
Unless the person being substituted was Cao Baming, it was unlikely to have an immediate impact, regardless of who was swapped.
The fans continued to cheer as much as they could, many having accepted their fate.
Even if they didn't win this final, a runner-up finish would still make them happy; it was already something to be immensely proud of.
After Benzema came on, the French team didn't change much, apart from more crosses and lofted balls.
Despite the Tang national team's significant disadvantage in height and jumping ability, they weren't particularly weak in defending aerial balls.
For aerial balls, the attacking team needed to head the ball precisely into the goal. The defense, on the other hand, had a relatively simpler task: they just needed to physically prevent the attacker from getting a comfortable header.
Under these circumstances, the Tang national team continued their tenacious defense. However, following Cao Baming's suggestion, they kept their flanks somewhat protected, with the wingers positioned higher up, ready for a counterattack.
Even though the opportunity never truly materialized, their positioning alone exerted some pressure on the French attack, as the French themselves knew how vulnerable their defense was.
In fact, from a defensive perspective, such an arrangement had its advantages.
The regular fifteen minutes of the first half ended, and the score remained unchanged.
At this point, everyone had already started thinking about a penalty shootout. Finals often went to penalties; it seemed this one wouldn't escape that fate either.
During the short break, they weren't even allowed back to the locker room; they simply rested by the sidelines and took a few sips of water.
This rule seemed to directly imply that extra time was a battle of endurance, a test of who had more stamina to last longer.
At this moment, Mbappé seemed completely unfazed by fatigue. He had made several sprints. At twenty-two years old, he didn't seem to be hampered by extra time at all.
But the Tang national team was different. There was no choice; everyone looked exhausted, sweating profusely.
Cao Baming could only encourage them as much as possible. He also desperately wanted to win, but this was proving to be too arduous!
The hero, Benzema, was the player who had the most shots during the first half of extra time: two headers and one ground shot, but unfortunately, none resulted in a goal.
However, it still indicated that the substitution might have had some effect.