"The game ends! With Zhou Yi's assist and a goal, the Chinese team defeated Australia 2:1 in overtime and entered the finals!" Liu Hong shouted. "But Zhou Yi, the core of the team, was sent off by a red card in the last moment because he blocked Australia's attack... He will definitely miss the finals between the Chinese and Japanese teams..."

Logically speaking, after the game, the Chinese players who reached the finals must celebrate on the court.

But they didn't.

After the whistle sounded, the Chinese team players returned to the locker room as fast as possible and did not stay on the court. Gao Lin, who scored the goal, waved his hand and refused the request for interviews by several reporters.

After politely shaking hands with the Australian head coach, Gao Hongbo quickly entered the player channel.

Every Chinese player and coach left the court in a very short time, as if they were the shameful side who lost the game.

Without celebration, the players could not see any joyful expressions of advance to the finals.

They went straight back to the locker room.

They came back so quickly that Zhou Yi had just taken off his shirt and was about to take off his pants.

"Why are you back so early?" Zhou Yi, who was facing the upper body, was surprised, and at the same time he lifted his waist with his hands.

No one answered his question, or didn't know how to answer, and the teammates who flocked to the locker room just looked at him after they came in.

Looking at everyone's appearance, Zhou Yi couldn't help laughing: "What are you doing? You're here to attend my memorial service. Hello. I'm not dead yet!"

He told a joke, but no one laughed.

"Okay, or are you all worried that you can't beat the Japanese team without me?"

"How is that possible?!" Gao Lin blurted out.

Zhou Yi looked at him and smiled.

"But you helped us reach the finals, but you..." Gao Lin said.

"No, it's not me who helps you." Zhou Yi shook his head and interrupted his words, correcting him. "We are a whole, we are all players of the Chinese team. Going to the finals is the result of everyone's joint efforts, not me alone. Don't think that I'm so important. I will be proud!"

"You are indeed very important, Zhou Yi." Gao Hongbo said as he walked out from behind the crowd.

"High fingers?"

"I'm telling the truth, and I believe other players can understand it."

The national team players behind Gao Hongbo all nodded.

"So you don't have to be too modest, Zhou Yi."

After saying that, Gao Hongbo turned around and said to the players behind him: "But we will not have Zhou Yi for the first time in the finals. What should we do? Should we surrender in advance? The opponent is a very powerful Japan. No, of course we cannot surrender. No matter what the final result is, I think we must do our best. Losing to the opponent can only be because of the skills that are not as good as others. We cannot be inferior to others because of our hearts. Compared to the desire for victory, you should not lose to anyone. Just like Zhou Yi."

After saying that, he turned around and looked at Zhou Yi.

"I'm so proud if you praise me like this!" Zhou Yi scratched his head embarrassedly.

"I'm not afraid of you being proud." Gao Hongbo smiled.

The conversation between the two also amused the others. The air in the locker room that seemed frozen before was flowing again, and the atmosphere became much more lively.

"Okay. Let's take a shower. We'll have a good rest next time. There is still a game waiting for us." Gao Hongbo said, and turned around and went out to attend the post-match press conference.

※※※

At the post-match press conference, Gao Hongbo answered the reporters' questions, and the reporters' most concerned about how the Chinese team without Zhou Yi will face the Japanese team in the finals and whether they can still compete with the Japanese team.

"I don't know what the finals will look like before the game is really played. But whether there is Zhou Yi or not, we will do our best." Gao Hongbo said.

This sounds a bit tragic to everyone. In fact, everyone knows the huge gap in strength between the Chinese and Japanese teams. With Zhou Yi, it can make up for this gap.

Now that Zhou Yi is gone, the big gap in strength between the two sides has made the final lose its suspense.

So Gao Hongbo said this now. In everyone's opinion, it is nothing more than expressing a posture and conveying a message.

After Zhou Yi came out of the locker room and was about to go to the bus, he was surrounded by reporters.

"What did you think at that time?"

"I didn't think much about it, just don't let him break through."

"Do you regret that foul?"

"No, don't regret it, why do you regret it? I just did what I should do."

"But in this way, you won't be able to compete in the final..."

"The Asian Cup will be held every four years, right? I will participate in it in four years. I'm only nineteen years old anyway."

Everyone was surprised to see that Zhou Yi answered so easily. While the reporters were stunned, Zhou Yi had already floated away and boarded the bus.

After getting in the car and sitting down, he had not forgotten to wave to the reporters below.

Seeing Zhou Yi’s appearance, it’s really hard to believe that he used a suicide foul in the game to stop Australia and also asked himself to say goodbye to the Asian Cup in advance.

The reporters were waiting outside, just waiting for Zhou Yi. They thought they would wait for a painful and depressed person, but they might pretend to be strong in front of the camera.

But unexpectedly, what they saw was a Zhou Yi who didn't seem to care about.

Not being able to participate in the finals is a lifelong regret for many players, but why does Zhou Yi not have such an emotion?

Everyone suddenly recalled the last sentence Zhou Yi said.

"Add to participate in four years."

I didn't notice this at that time, but now they think back... I'm afraid that it's not the Asian Cup to participate again in four years?

Instead... participate in the Asian Cup finals again?

He has booked a finals in advance four years?

Thinking of this, his relaxedness and indifference seemed to be able to explain it...

The Chinese journalists followed Zhou Yi's words and suddenly became a little excited.

Zhou Yi was only nineteen years old, and the month was only over, and four years later, it was only less than twenty-four.

At that time, we might have new international players like Sun Pan and He Ying.

By then, maybe... can we really reach the finals again?

Thinking of this, many Chinese journalists are not so disappointed.

Because the Zhouyi represents the future, and the future has infinite possibilities.

※※※

Sun Pan said in the group: "I must join the national team as soon as possible!"

"Well, I don't want to be an audience anymore," said Yang Muge. "But first I will play in Schalke 04 first team."

"So too, I want to be in Inter Milan's first team..." Guo Nu said. "Then the national team!"

"So much, I." He Ying said.

"Then guys, let's work hard together! We will gather in the national team then!" Sun Pan said excitedly.

"Be careful, let's make an agreement. Let's meet in the national team." Yang Muge agreed.

"good!"

"Yes, yes."

※※※

When the bus started and drove towards the hotel, Zhou Yi, who was sitting on the chair, stuffed his headphones into his ears and turned on the music player on his phone.

He closed his eyes amid the music.

As soon as he closed his eyes, his mind was replaying the scene of his foul on Cahill.

From every angle, what he should see and what he should not see is like a multi-angle slow motion of a movie.

Do he regret it?

Actually, it was still a bit... It would have been great if he could not foul while stopping him, or support him with a yellow card...

Then he can participate in the finals, meet Shinji Kagawa in the finals, lead the Chinese team to defeat the Japanese team, and avenge a revenge for the 2004 Asian Cup final.

This is the script in Zhou Yi's mind.

If that foul does not exist, you can continue like this.

But if that foul did not exist, maybe the Chinese team would be out of the qualification to advance to the finals?

There is no if in football, and there is no if in life.

So the most important thing at this time is not to regret what has happened, but to look forward.

Football is like life, it cannot be perfect, there are always regrets and imperfections. Zhou Yi has had times when his condition is ups and downs, and there have been times when the first team cannot play games for several consecutive months. Just as waiting is part of football, failure is part of football, and regret is part of football. And these are all part of life.

It doesn’t make any sense to regret what happened in the past, but looking at the future is the most important thing.

Because everything in the past has been concluded, while the future has infinite possibilities, nothing has happened, and nothing can happen.

Thinking of this, Zhou Yi's regret was diluted a lot. He felt tired and rushed into his heart, his eyelids became extremely heavy, and his heart gradually fell into peace.

Zhou Yi just closed his eyes and leaned on the back of the chair, and was already asleep.

He was really too tired in this game today, so no one came up to disturb him, and no one even sat next to him, so that he could enjoy the tranquility alone.

A vague singing voice leaked from his headphones.

"...I still remember the youth declaration at that time; the brilliant fireworks are my world... No matter how heavy the rain is, dreams can never be defeated; no matter how strong the wind is, it cannot stop the young man from getting ready... Come on, I must run forward bravely! The track of life, never forget to smile when I fall! Youth is a high fever, crazy burning, and life is not disappointing the young."

※※※

ps, the last song is the theme song "Youthful" of "The Heir of Green Field". In fact, it hasn't come out in 2011... But I feel it's quite appropriate to use it here.
Chapter completed!