"Goal!"
"Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh!"
"Cao Baiming's long-range direct free kick has once again breached the German team's goal!"
"Heroes always emerge at the most critical moments! Today, Cao Baiming is Tangguo's greatest hero!"
On the field, the man was magnificent. After scoring, he seemed to be radiating light. Yet, Cao Baiming, as always, calmly turned and high-fived his rushing teammates.
"For him, this goal seems unsurprising, but we, the spectators, are stunned!"
"A 45-meter shot from afar! Who else in the world can do this today?!"
As the commentator poured out all the praise in his mind, the match returned to calm.
The German team remained fully focused, their hearts filled with unwillingness!
This scoreline change was undoubtedly an unexpected bombshell for football fans worldwide watching the game.
Those who had bet on Tangguo to win were already quietly celebrating, fantasizing about living in a seaside villa, sipping cocktails while looking out at the ocean through a massive floor-to-ceiling window!
With odds of over five to one, coupled with their doubled bets, if Tangguo truly won, this was no longer an unrealistic dream.
At this very moment, those who had bet on Germany began to feel a chill, as if a biting wind was blowing through their hearts, unleashing a blizzard within.
If nothing unexpected happened, they might even have to queue to jump off a building.
These people dared to underestimate the Tangguo team's strength, which was simply asking for trouble. Losing money was deserved!
One cannot judge a team's future by its past! Such ingrained stereotypes would ultimately lead them to their own doom and an endless abyss.
Although Flick had seen the strength of the Tangguo team that others had missed, and even felt the odds were too high and was tempted to bet on the opponent!
However, as the head coach of the German team, he wouldn't dare, even with two hundred times the courage. If this were discovered, losing his coaching position would be the least of his worries; he might even lose his nationality!
At this moment, though he hadn't underestimated them, the Tangguo team's performance on the field still far exceeded his expectations, leading to his current state of frantic helplessness on the sidelines.
The muscles in his brow seemed to have merged, as if cut by a knife, and had not separated since the beginning.
On the bench sat two trump cards, which would be his final resort.
He had originally planned to compete with this Tangguo team and at least avoid losing. But saying that now would be laughable. His trump cards had to be played.
If he delayed any longer, it would be too late, just like before.
In the final minutes of the first half, the two teams grappled in the midfield. With frequent changes of possession, neither team managed to create any significant chances.
Both Cao Baiming and Gündoğan had several brilliant through balls that threatened the opponent's goal, but they were ultimately thwarted.
Until the very last second, Germany was desperately attacking!
Conversely, the Tangguo team, under Cao Baiming's direction, had become much calmer.
The current situation was to rest and control possession until halftime; there was no need to fight desperately anymore.
With the psychological advantage of a two-goal lead, they could afford to be so nonchalant.
The opposing players were becoming frantic like mad dogs, desperately fighting for possession and organizing attacks in the final moments, but they still found it difficult to get past Cao Baiming alone.
The few breakthroughs they managed were immediately contained by three converging defenders, leaving them with no opportunities!
As star players within the German team, they had never experienced such a frustrating match!
Just then, the referee blew his whistle!
"The first half has ended! The score remains two to zero, with the Tangguo team securing two points thanks to Cao Baiming's two miraculous long-range shots!!"
The voice echoed across Tangguo, and fans cheered and rejoiced, dancing with joy, kissing and hugging their friends passionately, regardless of whether they were men, women, or lamp posts!
Emotionally charged, the Tangguo people had never felt so proud and honored!
"That's right! The more outsiders look down on us, the more excited we get!"
"We have to teach these ignorant foreign 'experts' a lesson and make them remember our strength!"
"They haven't even fielded their full starting lineup. Flick is a fool, how pathetic!"
Amidst their excitement, the fans didn't forget to check their betting slips.
Tonight, they could not only slap the faces of foreigners but also make a profit for themselves! True fans who believed in the Tangguo team deserved this reward!
The players gradually began to leave the field.
The German team looked dejected, seemingly having suffered a significant blow.
They had all experienced losing two-nil before, but losing two-nil to a team they completely looked down upon felt like eating a mouthful of excrement.
Flick shook his head helplessly. He knew he had a lot to do during this halftime break!
He had to calm his players' emotions and rally them, as well as completely overturn the original plan and quickly find a viable strategy for the second half.
Although this was still the group stage, losing one match would not directly eliminate them from the World Cup.
However, losing to the Tangguo team here would put immense pressure on their subsequent matches.
Their most formidable opponent, analyzed before the tournament, was Spain, a team that seemed unstoppable and without weakness!
Unacceptable! Absolutely unacceptable!
This was certain, without a doubt!
The entire German team's senior management, players, and coaching staff gathered together.
They shared one common thought: they did not accept this scoreline and would do everything to equalize in the second half!
Regardless of the means, using their final trump cards was not an issue, even employing unconventional methods was acceptable!
Despite this, Flick was still extremely troubled, as even with all this, he couldn't guarantee they could turn the tide in the second half!
He began to regret not fielding his strongest lineup from the start. In the end, even he had to admit now that he had underestimated them.
In their desperation, after discussions with the coaching team, they decided to adopt a backup strategy, even borrowing strength intended for their match against Spain.
Regardless, they had to get past this hurdle first. The consequences of losing to Tangguo would likely be the complete despair of all German fans towards their national team!
Meanwhile, in the Tangguo team's locker room, it was a scene of joy and camaraderie, with Cao Baiming at its center!