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"Xinhua News Agency, Salvador, Brazil, June 27th."
"The group stage of the 2014 Brazil World Cup concluded on June 26th local time, with all 16 teams advancing to the knockout stage being determined."
"The 48 group stage matches were spectacular and full of upsets. World-class stars like Robin van Persie and Cristiano Ronaldo shone brightly, and new stars like the Chinese young player Lance amazed the world."
"The following is a summary of the final qualification situation for the eight groups in this tournament:"
"Group A—The host achieved its wish, Mexico followed closely."
"The host Brazil showed championship potential, advancing as group leader with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 7 points. Mexico performed steadily, also with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 7 points, only placing second in the group due to an inferior goal difference. Croatia and Cameroon were unfortunately eliminated."
"Group B—The Orange Army was strong, the Bullfighters were eliminated."
"This group saw one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. In the first round, Netherlands decisively defeated the defending champion Spain with a huge score of 5:1, avenging their loss in the last final."
"Ultimately, the 'Tulip Army' Netherlands won all three matches with 9 points, strongly advancing as group leader. The South American powerhouse Chile obtained second place in the group with 2 wins, 1 loss, and 6 points."
"Former World Cup champion and two-time European Championship winner Spain only accumulated 3 points with 1 win and 2 losses, sadly bidding farewell to the World Cup stage. Australia finished last."
"Group C—Two South American powerhouses successfully broke through."
"Colombia became one of the most eye-catching teams in the group stage, with their attacking football being delightful to watch. Led by their midfield maestro James Rodríguez, they topped the group with 3 wins, 0 losses, and 9 points."
"Côte d'Ivoire, relying on experience, secured second place in the group with 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss, and 4 points. Japan and Greece failed to qualify."
"Group D—Costa Rica wrote a dark horse legend."
"The competition in this group was fierce, earning it the title of 'Group of Death.' Costa Rica, not favored before the tournament, unleashed astonishing energy, defeating two World Cup champions, Uruguay and Italy, and securing first place in the group one round early (2 wins, 1 draw, and 7 points)."
"Uruguay, a semi-finalist in the last World Cup, defeated Italy in a crucial battle, snatching second place in the group with 2 wins, 1 loss, and 6 points."
"The 'Azzurri' Italy (1 win, 2 losses, 3 points) and England (1 draw, 2 losses, 1 point) were both eliminated, which was regrettable."
"Group E—The Gallic Rooster took first place, Switzerland narrowly advanced."
"France displayed powerful attacking firepower, securing first place in the group with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 7 points."
"Ecuador and Switzerland fiercely competed for the other qualification spot in the final round. Ultimately, Switzerland, thanks to a crucial victory, advanced with 2 wins, 1 loss, and 6 points, overcoming their opponent (1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss, 4 points). Honduras finished last."
"Group F—The South American champion led, the African Eagles soared."
"The South American champion Argentina, thanks to Lionel Messi's excellent performance, secured first place in the group without much trouble, with a record of 3 wins, 0 losses, and 9 points."
"Nigeria successfully broke through in a chaotic group, obtaining second place with 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss, and 4 points. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iran ranked third and fourth respectively."
"Group G—The German war machine advanced steadily, Cristiano Ronaldo turned the tide."
"The qualification situation in this group was full of twists and turns. Germany showed championship pedigree, advancing as group leader with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 7 points."
"In a focal match, Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, after a devastating loss to Germany in the first match, showed strong leadership and decisive influence: he scored a free-kick winner against the United States in the second round; in the final round against Ghana, Portugal was on the verge of elimination, and it was again Cristiano Ronaldo who scored a dramatic equalizer in the 91st minute, pulling the team back from the brink. Relying on Cristiano Ronaldo's crucial goals in two matches, Portugal ultimately advanced as the second-place team with a thrilling 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss, and 4 points."
"The United States ranked third, and Ghana finished last. Cristiano Ronaldo's performance in the knockout stage is highly anticipated."
"Group H—The European Red Devils advanced perfectly, Lance's stunning performance made history."
"The young European Red Devils, Belgium, displayed strong strength and squad depth. With the powerful assistance of the 17-year-old Chinese prodigy Lance, the team achieved an impressive record of 3 wins, 0 losses, and 9 points in the group stage, topping the group and proudly advancing to the Round of 16."
"Lance's World Cup debut was nothing short of a dream: he came on as a substitute in the first match and contributed 1 goal and 1 assist in just 10 minutes, helping the team overturn Algeria. In the second match, starting against South Korea, he even scored a hat-trick, becoming the youngest hat-trick scorer in World Cup history, shining throughout the match and igniting the passion of Chinese-speaking football fans. With 4 goals and 1 assist in the first two matches, Lance displayed a maturity and efficiency beyond his age."
"Belgium's group opponent, Algeria, followed closely behind Belgium with a record of 2 wins, 1 loss, and 6 points, historically advancing to the Round of 16."
"Russia and South Korea were eliminated. Lance's sudden emergence was undoubtedly one of the biggest highlights and surprises of the group stage, making people look forward to this Chinese young player's performance in the World Cup knockout stage."
"As the group stage concluded, the Round of 16 matchups were also announced:"
"— — — —"
"Brazil vs Chile"
"Colombia vs Uruguay"
"Netherlands vs Mexico"
"Costa Rica vs Greece"
"France vs Nigeria"
"Germany vs Algeria"
"Argentina vs Switzerland"
"Belgium vs Portugal"
"— — — —"
"Among them, the match between Belgium and Portugal captured the hearts of hundreds of millions of Chinese fans."
"One is a long-established Ballon d'Or winner, one is a suddenly emerging Chinese prodigy, what kind of sparks will their clash ignite?"
"At that time, please tune in to CCTV-1 General Channel and CCTV-5 Sports Channel to follow the match updates."
"The knockout stage matches will kick off at dawn on June 29th Beijing time. Who will ultimately lift the World Cup? Let's wait and see…"
…
In late June 2014, the World Cup was undoubtedly the hottest event in China recently, undeniably a top trend.
During the same period, the TV series "Swords of Legends" was about to air, and the movie "The Breakup Guru" was released.
Traditional media and internet media were aggressively promoting, and news about Li Yifeng, Yang Mi, and Deng Chao was everywhere on the hot searches.
With the popularity accumulated from works like "Palace" and "Tiny Times," Yang Mi was undoubtedly the queen of Weibo topics at the time, topping the Baidu Hot List.
In addition, the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival opened, with Fan Bingbing appearing on the red carpet in an exaggerated "dragon robe" outfit, and Kuroda Erika's sheer dress attracting attention, quickly dominating the hot search list and becoming a hot topic at the time.
The screenwriter of "My Own Swordsman," Ning Caishen, was also arrested due to scandalous behavior, causing controversy in the entertainment industry.
During the World Cup, actress Qi Wei and Korean actor Lee Seung-gi passionately kissed at the World Cup venue, leading to continuous controversy.
#FanBingbingDragonRobe
#KurodaErikaSheerDress
#NingCaishenScandal
#QiWeiLeeSeungGiRomance
Similar entries dominated the top ten hot search list for many days, with continuous major entertainment industry news.
Even so, the immense popularity of the World Cup, coupled with Lance's Chinese identity and his excellent performance, Lance also became a top Chinese celebrity during this period, leading by a wide margin!
Lance firmly occupied the top three hot searches.
#LanceAdvancesToKnockoutStage
#LanceTopScorer
#CristianoRonaldoVsLance
Lance had already made Harry Kane and Jorge Mendes reject most commercial promotions.
However, the enthusiastic domestic companies couldn't be stopped; cooperation requests poured down like a storm.
There was no other way. During the one-week break between the group stage and the knockout stage, a period of brief rest and preparation, besides training, Lance was shooting commercials.
Thankfully, there was no cooperation with Golden Throat Lozenges; Lance didn't want to be like Ronaldo and Kaká, smiling foolishly on TV.
However, at the LeTV Super TV event, Lance still inevitably encountered a rather awkward situation.
Besides Lance, LeTV's spokesperson was also his upcoming opponent, Cristiano Ronaldo.
"Lance? How could you… Damn it!"
"Long time no see, Aveiro."
"Don't call me that, please call me Ronaldo, thank you!"
"Okay, Aveiro."
"Ah ah ah… Annoying!"
When Cristiano Ronaldo signed the cooperation agreement, he forgot one fact: he and Lance were both players under Jorge Mendes.
It was easy for them to meet when signing commercial collaborations!
For a moment, Cristiano Ronaldo wished he could leave Jorge Mendes.
He was clearly the winner who eliminated Lance in the Champions League, yet Cristiano Ronaldo attributed all the Champions League Final defeat to Lance.
Lance felt the same way.
Losing narrowly to Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals, ultimately by Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty shootout winner, had always been a pain in his heart.
How could enemies meet without their eyes turning red?
Seeing the two at loggerheads, their agent's assistant Harry Kane helplessly covered his face.
"They're already this tense before the match; when they meet on the field, it'll be like Mars colliding with Earth!"