On the way, Cao Baiming finally had a chance to see how the previous match had played out.
Cao Baiming was quite confident in his judgment. The new technology recently introduced by this hospital was undoubtedly revolutionary. Within a week, it would become globally renowned, potentially adopted by every hospital.
And his treatment results, analyzed by Cao Baiming himself, were absolutely foolproof.
Coupled with the omnipotent system, recovering from the leg injury within three days was not a pipe dream, but highly probable.
Even if a complete recovery wasn't possible, as long as he could reach the level of the halftime break during the current match, the final game would be entirely without issue!
Cao Baiming's confidence had never been baseless; it stemmed from deep consideration of all possible outcomes, leaving no room for worry.
He was currently lying on a makeshift hospital bed in the back of the car. The doctor had just administered some pain relief, and now he felt as though he were floating on clouds.
Opening his familiar player, he quickly found the score.
"The Gallic Roosters Continue to Soar! A 5:4 Victory Over Argentina! Into the Finals!"
At first glance, Cao Baiming was stunned! Such a high score?
"Messi's Dream Fades! Defeated by France in a Penalty Shootout! A Heartbreaking Moment!"
"Oh, a penalty shootout, then it makes sense."
He then found the full match highlights and began watching, specifically selecting a super-long replay that lasted twenty-nine minutes.
If he were to watch the entire replay now, he wouldn't have the time. A condensed highlight reel was more efficient, as it should capture all the important details.
And a twenty-nine-minute highlight reel was quite substantial, packed with a lot of content.
Before watching, Cao Baiming sent his condolences to his teammates.
For Messi, this World Cup was indeed incredibly important, and his mood after being eliminated must have been extremely painful.
It turned out that the match lasted a total of one hundred and twenty minutes. Including injury time, the players were on the field for over one hundred and forty minutes!
Messi, at thirty-five years old, had played the entire match without a single minute off!
From the very beginning of the game, Cao Baiming clearly saw the differing tactics.
The French team was clearly allowing space on Mbappé's flank to draw the opponent in, but Zidane was waiting nearby. If the attack failed, they would have even more threatening opportunities.
However, unexpectedly, in the fourth minute of the match, Messi played a perfectly timed through ball that sliced through France's defense!
Lautaro, following up, unleashed a powerful shot that found the back of the net! Lloris could only watch helplessly!
Cao Baiming immediately paused the playback, a cold smile on his face.
"France is playing with fire, aren't they? They tried to create a weakness, set a trap, and got broken through directly, haha!"
"The opponent is Messi, not just anyone!"
Soon after, France became more cautious, no longer deliberately exposing weaknesses. Because in Messi's eyes, their defense was already full of holes, and there was no need for them to actively set anything up!
Although Messi created several such opportunities, Lautaro wasn't as clinical, missing most of them.
In the fifteenth minute of the match, France was awarded a clear penalty in the box after Henry's solo run!
De Paul, who committed the foul, showed no expression. It was initially expected that Griezmann, Mbappé, or Henry would take the penalty, but surprisingly, it was Zidane!
The excitement of the fans could be felt even through the screen!
Sixteen years ago, in Zidane's career-ending match, at a very similar time, against the then-powerful defending champions Italy, he scored a Panenka penalty that amazed the world!
Could he be planning to replicate that iconic moment?
As Zidane slowly approached the penalty spot, his eyes filled with a cold, sharp killer instinct, even Cao Baiming felt his heart race!
At that moment, no one dared to make a sound; all eyes were fixed on the unfolding drama.
Zidane was facing Argentina's penalty-saving specialist, Martínez, known for his formidable psychological warfare and incredibly accurate predictions.
Facing Zidane for this penalty, he was flustered, having not expected it at all!
Would he attempt a Panenka penalty like last time?
This thought haunted Martínez's mind, and the more he thought about it, the more his mind raced and the more nervous he became.
"Zidane taking this penalty naturally puts him at a psychological advantage!"
"Brilliant! Truly brilliant!"
Zidane's expression showed no difference from usual, and his body gave no indication of any premature movement to signal his intent.
Martínez had to choose left or right. If he accounted for the center, too much attention would be diverted, making a save almost impossible!
"He wouldn't try another Panenka, would he? The whole world knows!"
"He knows I know he won't do a Panenka, but he does it anyway. What then!"
"If I predict he'll do a Panenka, then both the left and right sides are his chances, making it even harder to defend. So, he definitely won't do a Panenka, right?"
"But..."
Martínez's mind was a chaotic mess of frantic calculations.
Just then, the referee blew the whistle!
Bang!
"A Panenka penalty!!!"
"The entire stadium stands!"
Martínez was ultimately wrong! Zidane had pulled off another Panenka!
Visibly, despair flooded Martínez's eyes, almost spilling out!
He kicked the goalpost three times in frustration, but it offered no solace.
Zidane's face was beaming as he awaited his teammates' celebratory charge.
Cao Baiming was grateful to have witnessed this moment; it was like a historical masterpiece!
Zidane, sixteen years later, in a World Cup semi-final, managed to execute an identical Panenka penalty!
Last time, the outcome was failure, but that shot still stunned everyone. Today, he repeated it, and this time, it was successful!
In a sense, this was also a form of redemption, a redemption he achieved through his own ability. He had done it!
France had equalized!
This goal thrilled the fans for a long time, and it thrilled Cao Baiming for just as long.