As the final whistle of injury time blew, Morocco looked as if they had heard a life-saving bell, relief filling their faces.
The Samba legion was not a threat from one individual, but the pressure exerted by the entire team was suffocating them, a truly agonizing feeling!
Cao Baming trained, listening to the system's match updates, the smile on his face gradually fading.
How could this Samba legion feel even stronger than imagined? Were they cheating with an invincibility cheat?
Most importantly, it was their unity. Each of them held the World Cup trophy in their hearts. They hadn't won it in '06, and this year, they were determined to win it no matter what!
And such a terrifying monster was the next opponent for the Tang Country team!?
Looking at his teammates on the field, their scrawny frames, even failing to control the ball without any buffs, how could they possibly fight against this seemingly invincible Samba legion.
He felt a sense of powerlessness.
Soon, the second half began. The Moroccan team no longer attempted any desperate measures, instead, they steadily reinforced their defense.
For them, all hope for this match was lost. At 2-0, they were almost despairing, and now, they had completely accepted their fate.
Losing was not shameful, after all, it was at the feet of the Samba. It was not shameful because every team eventually met the same destiny.
Yes, every player on the field was now resolute. This Samba legion would win the World Cup this year. Although they had played football for many years, they had never experienced anything like this.
This overwhelming, suffocating pressure, this perfect team coordination, and the individual talent capable of taking on five opponents – when they united, they were devastating.
They couldn't imagine any team having the ability to surpass them, not even France led by Zidane, and Tang Country's team was even less likely!
In the second half, Morocco began to defend with all their might, not even attempting counter-attacks, just hoping for the match to end quickly.
Brazilian players were frequently fouled, but their astonishing physique could withstand it all. On the other hand, the Moroccan side was desperately defending, having already accumulated six yellow cards.
Among these six yellow cards was one for the head coach off the field, who couldn't sit still from frustration and shouted at the players, attracting the referee's attention.
Under such tight defense, the Samba legion's offense finally showed signs of fatigue. For over 10 minutes, they couldn't score a single goal.
Although their shots remained astronomically high, they couldn't break through the dense 11-man defense within and around the penalty area.
Most of the shots were blocked by the defenders' bodies.
The match reached the 59th minute, with only one minute left until the 60-minute mark. Everyone knew that 60 minutes was a typical substitution point, and at this very moment, three players from the Samba legion were already warming up on the track beside the substitutes' bench.
While the superstars on the field shone brightly, the Samba legion's bench remained unfathomably deep. The three players about to be substituted, Antony, Rodrygo, and Militão, were all top-tier cores from the top five European leagues.
But at this moment, Neymar suddenly cut inside from outside the penalty area and shot, catching everyone off guard!
This was countless attempts within 10 minutes, but this time, something unexpected happened. Neymar's shot was not blocked by the goalkeeper's body, but hit the arm of a defensive midfielder for Morocco!
Although it didn't look intentional, players in the penalty area instinctively extend their arms to block shots. If it weren't for his hand, Neymar's shot would have gone directly into the bottom left corner of the goal, and the goalkeeper would have had no chance.
After a collective protest from the Samba legion players, the referee awarded a penalty!
Even the referee felt some sympathy for Morocco. They were already down 4-0, and now they faced a fifth penalty!
Who would take the penalty became a heated topic among the fans. The Brazilian team had Ronaldo, Neymar, Kaka, Jesus, Carlos, all excellent penalty takers!
The Samba legion was clearly prepared. After a brief exchange of words, the decision was made on who would take the penalty.
Under the eager gaze of the entire stadium, one player slowly walked out from the crowd of Brazilian players, heading towards the penalty spot near the goal.
It wasn't the Phenomenon Ronaldo, nor Prince Kaka, but Neymar!
At this moment, the confidence radiating from Neymar's face was something fans had never seen before, as if he had 160% certainty in this penalty.
There was no problem with Neymar taking the penalty. As everyone knows, Neymar had never truly lost at penalties. It wasn't just because of his excellent ball control and feel for the game, but more importantly, he was adept at psychological warfare!
The fans erupted in thunderous cheers from the sidelines. In the previous season, Neymar's outstanding performance had earned him the recognition of all fans. In terms of looks, he completely overshadowed Kaka, becoming the most attractive star in the eyes of new-generation football fans.
After a few seconds of silence, Neymar took small side steps and suddenly unleashed a shot!
The goalkeeper was indeed deceived, diving in the opposite direction!
"This shot wasn't fast, nor was the angle particularly sharp, but Neymar, with his subtle movements before kicking, successfully fooled the goalkeeper and read his diving direction before taking the shot. It was the ultimate insult to the goalkeeper!"
The commentator exclaimed excitedly, himself deeply impressed by Neymar's penalty-taking ability.
His teammates then rushed over to embrace Neymar, celebrating the team's fifth goal!
At this point, the Moroccan players on the field wore blank expressions. They were no longer hurt or angry because they had long since accepted their fate.
These players had already called their friends during halftime and booked their return flights.
What they were probably thinking about now was what to have for dinner.
However, with over 30 minutes remaining in the match, the Samba legion finally made substitutions, bringing on Antony and the other two who had been warming up.