Cao Baming's relentless pressing, tackles, and dangerous passes left the Samba superstars feeling extremely uncomfortable!
Even players of Kaka's and Casemiro's caliber were unable to showcase their true abilities in front of Cao Baming!
Cao Baming had no intention of stopping there! He had one last use of his "Flying Bird" skill remaining, and the regular time of the match was rapidly approaching its end.
He knew that the added time in this match would be very long, perfect for him to utilize this opportunity!
Score another goal!
His previous two shots had been blocked by the opposing goalkeeper and the crossbar. Two more attempts, at most, and he would score.
At this very moment, his teammates were already hyped up. The adrenaline coursing through their veins made them feel no fatigue at all, but instead, they were filled with spirit and energy.
Assisting a goal wouldn't be difficult either, as his observation revealed that the Samba team's defense had significant problems exposed, and they were in disarray.
Indeed, two minutes later, the assistant referee on the sidelines announced the total duration of added time for this match: an unprecedented twelve minutes!
The moment this number appeared before the fans, everyone was startled. World Cups in previous years had rarely seen such long added time, and this match hadn't even featured a penalty kick!
The surprise lingered for a long time. The situation on the field was essentially a battle of wits between the two teams.
Under the coach's instructions, the Tang Kingdom team adopted a steady defensive strategy, while the Samba team was naturally not satisfied with the current score and did not want to compete for third place!
After Tite used his last substitution, the Samba team fully unleashed their offensive formation!
Vinícius replaced Militão, and instantly, the Samba team's formation shifted to a 3-2-5. Five attackers spearheaded the front line, five world-class superstars in the front looking like tigers with gaping jaws.
"With this, I refuse to believe we can't break through the Tang Kingdom's defense!"
Cao Baming, however, was secretly delighted. He had been hoping for the Samba team to go all out like this; it seemed they had lost all reason.
They assumed the Tang Kingdom team was satisfied and would bunker down, not attacking anymore. Even their remaining three defenders started pushing forward!
After successfully repelling the opponent's strongest waves of attack, Cao Baming's eyes flickered, and he signaled his entire team!
"My turn!"
The Tang Kingdom team seized the final two minutes of added time to launch a swift counter-attack!
Although the Samba team now understood that there was absolutely no hope of equalizing, they still didn't want to concede another goal at this point!
Cao Baming was at the forefront, the ball glued to his feet, never leaving his body by more than half a meter. Defenders had no chance to even extend their legs to tackle him.
Soon, Cao Baming brought the ball to the heart of the Samba team's formation, near the edge of the penalty area. He could have taken a long shot directly, but seeing the 86% probability, Cao Baming decided to wait a little longer!
The Samba team mistakenly thought he was going to shoot and instinctively stepped back, avoiding contact!
Only then did they realize their mistake, a deeply embarrassing one!
When a teammate on the flank made a supporting run, Cao Baming continued dribbling forward. By this point, at least four players had converged around him.
The commentator immediately uttered a sentence that stunned the audience.
"This is it!"
"Are they trying to defend Cao Baming with only four players? Their brains are fried!"
The Tang Kingdom player on the flank also put immense pressure on the Samba team's defense. Even if they didn't prioritize it, they couldn't completely ignore it!
They knew how strong Cao Baming's passes were. Even a Pelé of this age would easily score if given the chance.
Therefore, they dared not relax, absolutely dared not!
When his teammate made the overlapping run, only these four defenders were left to mark Cao Baming. He looked ahead and saw a vast, empty space, which, however, was located directly behind these four players.
Cao Baming's eyes glinted. Before Neymar could close in from behind to tackle, he nudged the ball to the left with a swift movement, then executed a rainbow flick, sending the ball high above his head!
The four players in front of him were completely bewildered. None of them had anticipated Cao Baming using such a move!
By the time they reacted, the ball had already flown over all of their heads, and Cao Baming had easily slipped through their bodies!
Neymar stood frozen on the spot, utterly stunned!
This was his signature move, yet someone else was performing it seemingly even better!
Cao Baming had reached the open space he had spotted earlier. Although his teammates were making runs, he had no intention of passing. This wait, however, fooled quite a few Samba players.
If they hadn't needed to guard against the threat on the flanks, he wouldn't have been surrounded by just four players!
After Cao Baming moved past them, he controlled the ball with his chest. The moment his body made contact with the ball, he quickly saw a beautiful golden line before him!
Just then, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his left leg!
Cao Baming's brow furrowed, and he almost lost his balance. The pain was excruciating!
It turned out that Casemiro and another player behind him had simultaneously chosen to tackle Cao Baming!
They cared for nothing else at this point; their minds couldn't process anything, only pure instinct took over.
Coincidentally, both of them aimed for Cao Baming's already injured left leg!
In an instant, the pain felt like a wound tearing open, as if ten thousand tons of gears were grinding over his leg!
Yet, even with this, Cao Baming didn't fall!
The referee watched with a pounding heart. A yellow card for each player for this tackle might have been too lenient, as there was no one behind them anymore!
Cao Baming closed his eyes, temporarily forgetting the sensation in his body, and poured all his strength into kicking the ball!
...
"GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
When he opened his eyes again, the entire stadium was in a frenzy. The coaching staff on the sidelines couldn't wait any longer and rushed onto the field.
At this moment, Tang Kingdom not only won, but they had completely crushed their opponents!
The Samba team's fighting spirit had completely vanished!
They had lost miserably, in a truly pathetic manner!
The referee soon blew the final whistle, signaling the end of the match.
"Six to three! The Tang Kingdom team has won the semi-final of this World Cup!"