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Time rewound to one day ago.
In São Paulo, Brazil, at the Palm Hotel in Espinas.
The atmosphere at Portugal's base was quite heavy.
After the first match of Group G in the 2014 Brazil World Cup, Germany swept Portugal 4-0.
The United States narrowly defeated Ghana 2-1.
This resulted in Germany and the United States both having 3 points, ranking first and second in the group respectively.
Portugal, on whom countless fans had placed high hopes, boasting many star players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, João Moutinho, Raul Meireles, Pepe, and Fábio Coentrão, was actually at the bottom of the group!
The opening debacle cast a shadow over their chances of qualifying.
In the second match against direct competitor United States, Portugal could only win.
A loss or a draw would lead to the embarrassing situation of being eliminated from the group stage.
For the so-called "favorites to win the World Cup," the team with "the world's number one superstar Cristiano Ronaldo," it would be ridiculous if they couldn't even get out of the group.
The problem was, while the United States might seem to be on the fringes of soccer, in reality, they almost always had a chance to reach the knockout stage in every World Cup, and their FIFA ranking once approached the top 10; they were not a weak team.
With stars like Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones, and Michael Bradley, who play in top leagues, Portugal would not have such an easy win.
Originally, Portugal's morale was low, even the team's big brother Cristiano Ronaldo was silent, and the locker room atmosphere was incredibly oppressive.
Just then, the TV was still broadcasting highlights of recent matches.
Cristiano Ronaldo looked up and saw a familiar Chinese man.
The man who had made Real Madrid quite miserable in the Champions League semi-finals, almost causing them to be eliminated!
It was him again!
When Belgium was on the verge of defeat in their first match, Lance came on as a substitute and saved the team with one assist and one goal.
His scorpion kick assist left Cristiano Ronaldo stunned.
The unyielding Cristiano Ronaldo suddenly felt a fire ignite within him.
A 17-year-old kid could lead Belgium to turn the tide.
How could I, a Ballon d'Or winner and Champions League runner-up, lose to an Asian person?
I can also lead Portugal to a comeback victory!
Moreover, Cristiano Ronaldo had always held a grudge against Lance.
It was Lance's desperate resistance that almost eliminated Real Madrid, ultimately making Real Madrid burn everything in the semi-finals, barely advancing.
In the final, Real Madrid lost several key players, and their Champions League trophy was snatched by their cross-town rival, Atlético Madrid.
From a rational perspective, this matter was still his own fault for not trying his best, but emotionally, Cristiano Ronaldo couldn't help but blame Lance for this!
You made us lose the championship, I must enter the knockout stage to get revenge!
If Belgium finishes first in their group and Portugal can secure the second-place spot, they will meet directly in the knockout stage!
Cristiano Ronaldo's "Cosmo" instantly ignited, his whole body, apart from muscles, was brimming with fighting spirit!
On the field, the United States, who should have drawn 2-2, felt endless pressure.
Cristiano Ronaldo was like a superman, charging left and right in the front field.
First, he assisted Nani for a goal, Clint Dempsey and Jermaine Jones of the United States scored two consecutive goals to equalize the score, leading 2-1 against Portugal.
As the 90-minute match was about to end, Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up again, scoring a header in the box to equalize!
He pulled Portugal back from adversity!
That was not all; even with the United States drawing 2-2, they would still likely qualify.
As the last minute of injury time approached, Cristiano Ronaldo forced a breakthrough, creating a free-kick opportunity.
Standing in front of the ball, Cristiano Ronaldo showed his resolute eyes to the world through the camera, he took a run-up and blasted a knuckleball shot!
The ball curved past United States goalkeeper Tim Howard's hands and flew into the goal!
3-2!
No one would have thought that Cristiano Ronaldo, driven by his vengeful anger towards Lance, would forcefully change the timeline, scoring a last-minute free-kick winner against the United States!
Now, Germany drew 2-2 with Ghana, securing first place in the group with 4 points.
The United States and Portugal both had 3 points, Ghana was at the bottom with 1 point.
The situation became very delicate; if Germany defeats the United States and Portugal defeats Ghana in the next matches, Portugal will have a chance to qualify!
Facing the camera, Cristiano Ronaldo stated in an interview:
"To be honest, for this last free-kick today, I had a reason to win, and I'm very happy that I succeeded."
"What is the reason?"
"There's a team, or a person, whom I hope to meet in the knockout stage and eliminate with my own hands."
Cristiano Ronaldo simply said that and then ended the interview.
He thought he was being enigmatic, but in minutes, he was fully deciphered by the media.
"Cristiano Ronaldo Points to Knockout Stage, Hopes for Showdown with Lance"
"Cristiano Ronaldo and Lance's Personal Grudge? Likely Related to Champions League Semi-Finals"
"Lance: Hopes to Meet Portugal in Knockout Stage"
"The opponent I hope to meet is actually Germany. Germany is very strong, and they look like champions in this World Cup. Facing strong teams has always been my long-cherished wish."
In the interview, Lance was also looking ahead to opponents.
Everyone thought he was being humble, but in reality, he was just showing off to the media.
"It's a pity that we performed very well in the group stage, winning both matches, so we will likely qualify as group winners. This means we won't meet Germany; we can only choose an opponent from the United States and Portugal."
"I prefer Portugal, because in the Champions League semi-finals, Cristiano Ronaldo eliminated us, so I want revenge."
Lance was originally joking, but his words were quickly taken out of context by the media, creating a sense of head-to-head conflict.
"17-Year-Old Chinese Prodigy: I Want Revenge on Cristiano Ronaldo"
With both sides carrying grudges, the third match of the World Cup group stage officially began!
…
Belgium and Russia clashed.
With 6 points in hand, Belgium was carefree.
Russia drew 1-1 with South Korea in their first match, in the second match, they were originally leading Algeria 1-0, but who would have thought that Algeria would score two consecutive goals in the last 10 minutes to turn the game around!
Originally, they had a chance to be second in the group, but now they suddenly fell to 3rd place.
Belgium had 6 points, Algeria had 3 points, and Russia and South Korea both had 1 point.
In this match, Russia could only fight hard against Belgium.
Algeria could calmly face South Korea.
Logically speaking, Russia had a bit of a chance.
Belgium was completely using it as practice! They didn't take them seriously!
Lance, the hero of the two previous matches, sat on the bench.
Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Vincent Kompany… not a single starter was playing!
Look at who was in the starting lineup: Nacer Chadli, Adnan Januzaj, Kevin Mirallas…
However, Russia was no longer the powerhouse of the 2008 European Championship.
Six years had passed, Andrey Arshavin had returned from a top league to the Russian Premier League for retirement, and Roman Pavlyuchenko had faded from mainstream view.
Their midfield and front line were suffering from a lack of new talent, with old players fading away.
Their most notable player was the former Chelsea player, 31-year-old Yuri Zhirkov.
Even against a "Belgium B," Russia couldn't gain an advantage.
On the other side, Algeria was already leading South Korea 3-0 in the first half.
Russia's morale dropped significantly, eventually, young Adnan Januzaj found an opportunity, breaking through on the wing and scoring with a left-footed curling shot.
The Belgium B lineup, used for practice, easily won 1-0.
Three wins out of three, 9 points, and a strong first-place finish in the group!
Group H ultimately saw Belgium and Algeria advance together.
South Korea still scored 2 goals in the end, Son Heung-min tried his best, but they lost 2-4 to Algeria and were eliminated from the group stage.
After the match, Son Heung-min's eyes were very dim:
"In the second match, our morale was too damaged. We were easily defeated by Belgium, completely helpless. Lance is my club teammate, and I know his strength very well."
"His true potential might be even greater than everyone imagines. Losing to Belgium is very reasonable, and I hope that in four years, we will have a chance to come back and get revenge on Belgium."
"Of course, it's very comfortable to return to the club and be teammates with Lance. When he's on the field, he can lead us to win…"
While Son Heung-min was being interviewed, Lance was still in the locker room, following the other match.
Portugal's game was scheduled after theirs, and it was still ongoing!
Germany defeated the United States 1-0.
Portugal was trailing Ghana 0-1, and the match had entered injury time.
If this score held, Ghana would qualify!
Portugal and the United States would be eliminated together!
If they could just draw, Portugal, with one win, one draw, and one loss, would also qualify as second in the group with 4 points.
At the critical moment, Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up again.
In the 91st minute of injury time, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a last-minute winner with a header from a corner kick!
"Oh? Interesting."
"What's up, Lance? How's the match going?"
Kevin De Bruyne, who had just finished a sauna and was wrapped in a towel, found Lance still watching the match.
"Our opponent is confirmed: Portugal!"
World Cup Round of 16!
Belgium vs. Portugal
Lance and Cristiano Ronaldo's rematch!