The World Cup team has advanced to the quarterfinals!
Such momentous good news quickly spread throughout every street and alley of Tangguo.
Although the live broadcast of the match was in the early morning, a majority of people chose to stay up late to watch, and at this time, they were generally at their most excited.
"National viewing of the ball" was not just talk. The peak online viewership exceeded three hundred million, and many more watched the match together on large screens offline.
The very next morning, even the beggars on the street and the grandmas and grandpas selling vegetables were spreading the news, because this was indeed a completely unprecedented, groundbreaking first in history!
The Tangguo team had finally proven themselves!
They had defeated the previous runner-up, the Croatian team, and would soon have the opportunity to compete against Cristiano Ronaldo!
Many fans, though they themselves couldn't play football and rarely watched matches, had still heard of Cristiano Ronaldo's name.
Tangguo football seemed to have become several times stronger overnight, directly gaining the opportunity to contend on the same field as Cristiano Ronaldo, which meant they had reached the same level!
If this wasn't exciting, then what was?
In an instant, the internet, newspapers, magazines, and people's conversations were filled with fervent discussion. The idea of the Tangguo team winning the championship was brought up again.
Previously, anyone who said this would be scolded for being delusional, but now, more and more people recognized that if they gave it their all, it was indeed possible!
The entire football world was also shocked by this news.
The Tangguo team was truly a dark horse! And a super dark horse at that!
In past World Cups, there had been dark horses that made everyone look at them with admiration as they advanced, but generally, they would reveal their true selves by the Round of 16.
Once they encountered truly strong teams, luck would no longer be enough to sustain them.
But the Tangguo team appeared to be playing with ease against the Croatian team, still managing to score five goals, as effortlessly as if playing against a weaker opponent. This was almost terrifying!
It was no longer a matter of luck; this group of people truly had the ability, and at least Cao Baming was currently completely unstoppable.
...
Cao Baming also diligently participated in training, ensuring he did everything he could to the best of his ability.
As for the many issues with his teammates, they were beyond his control and could only be treated as variables. After all, while the aura of talent had a beneficial effect on his teammates, its impact wasn't particularly significant.
After a night's rest, the fatigue from the previous match was largely gone.
Everyone appeared very spirited as they returned to the training ground. They knew that the coach would undoubtedly analyze the strengths and weaknesses of their next opponent, the Portuguese team, today.
Now that they had reached the knockout stage, the matches became more frequent, with little time for extensive training. Having ample time for practice was unrealistic.
After a major match, the players would rest briefly before going into earlier rest to prepare for the next, even more crucial match.
For now, the next match was in two days!
As expected, Li Tie and the coaching staff, who had been discussing matters elsewhere, suddenly turned around and beckoned everyone over.
Cao Baming also turned his head, observed for a moment, and then followed behind his teammates.
"Is everyone here today? Has everyone arrived?"
Soon, the crowd gathered, all wearing red training kits, near a small terrace beside the football field.
Several umbrellas were set up there to provide shade from the summer sun.
Cao Baming stood at the back. Although he wasn't the tallest, he could clearly see Li Gang's face through the gaps in the crowd, and his voice was perfectly audible.
Before Li Gang could even speak, Cao Baming had already guessed what he was going to say.
As anticipated, he first praised the various strengths of the Portuguese team, and everyone listened attentively.
However, Li Gang always said this, and they had grown accustomed to it, so it didn't have much of an effect.
The strength of the Portuguese team was indeed considerable, a fact Cao Baming firmly believed. Cristiano Ronaldo's resurgence was also a terrifying prospect. Other teams might exploit his lack of stamina as a weakness, but they couldn't.
The reason was simple: their stamina wasn't particularly great either. Engaging in such tactics would be like lifting a rock only to drop it on their own feet, or harming the enemy by eight hundred while damaging themselves by a thousand – a losing proposition.
Li Gang spoke at length, and after praising them, he began to discuss their weaknesses.
This approach of building up expectations before revealing flaws was to prevent the team from becoming overly complacent. At least in Cao Baming's opinion, his teammates had been feeling a bit too confident lately.
Clearly, the majority of the success was due to him, yet they all seemed so self-assured, believing themselves to be the most crucial players!
He found it rather amusing.
"...During the match, pay attention to the overlapping runs on the left flank. When breaking through from this position, you must be mindful of the opponent's..."
Li Gang held a tactical board, which had been brought out from the room by the assistant coaches during their intense discussions just moments before.
"Cristiano Ronaldo will undoubtedly be the offensive core of their attack. As long as he is on the field, the ball will be passed towards him, and what you need to do is..."
"Cao Baming, Wang Gang, the two of you are responsible for restricting Cristiano Ronaldo in the penalty area during aerial duels. Prevent him from receiving passes, especially during corners..."
"And when defending open spaces..."
...
Half of the afternoon passed in the blink of an eye.
After listening to the tactical arrangements, the players then took to the training ground, starting with their regular drills.
On the field, Cao Baming was everywhere, organizing play and making invaluable contributions.
Watching these players train and play, the coaching staff clearly understood what had brought the team this far: it was essentially relying on Cao Baming, their powerhouse.
It was just that this powerhouse was incredibly formidable.
As the players gradually got into their rhythm, Li Gang, on the sidelines, began to ponder. The World Cup journey had now passed its halfway point.
The further they progressed, the more difficult the matches would become. The few teams that played like gods, such as the Samba Boys, England, and France, with their constellations of stars, were still a nightmare.
With each match played and each stage advanced, the difficulty increased exponentially!
However, diligently preparing for each pre-match training and thoroughly understanding the opponent's weaknesses were crucial for victory.