Ma Fanshu's question instantly sparked heated discussions among netizens in the live broadcast room. Many netizens gave their opinions, but Huang Xiaotian suddenly slammed his hand on the table and said: "First of all, I think Lei Ming will definitely be able to play in this game. As for whether he can start, that is still uncertain. But I think that the fans are getting closer and closer to seeing him play in the World Cup. I suppose Santos does not want to see their team stop in the round of 16!"
Chen Xin retorted, "Brother Huang, Portugal is also very strong, okay? They have their idol, Cristiano Ronaldo. Even if Lei Ming doesn't play, he will definitely lead the team to victory."
Huang Xiaotian smiled and said, "Your idol is great, but it's uncertain whether he can seize the opportunity in such a big competition. If the team's defense is as fragile as paper, even if he is a top striker, he probably can't save Portugal! After all, Uruguay's two strikers are not just for show."
Chen Xin had almost no way to refute these words. She had been involved in football for quite some time now and naturally knew how important the defense was to the team.
"Lei Ming absolutely has to play! Sister Fan Shu, please announce the starting lineup soon! I'm so anxious!"
Ma Fanshu smiled and said, "Okay, now let's announce the starting players for both teams."
Uruguay's lineup is as follows: goalkeeper is number 1 Muslera; the four defenders are number 17 Laxalt, number 3 Godin, number 2 Gimenez, and number 22 Cáceres; and the midfielders are number 8 Nanitánz, number 14 Torreira, and number 15 Matías Vecino.
The attacking front line consists of Rodrigo Bentancur (No. 6), Suarez (No. 9), and Cavani (No. 21), the top scorer in Ligue 1.
Portugal fielded a 4-4-2 formation, with their forwards being Gonzalo Guedes (number 17) and Cristiano Ronaldo (number 7).
The midfielders are Adrian Silva (No. 23), Bernardo Silva (No. 23), William Carvalho (No. 14), and João Mário (No. 10).
The defenders are: Pereira (No. 15), Pepe (No. 3), José Fonte (No. 6), and Rafael Guerrero (No. 5).
"Here they come! Next up is the position we've been most interested in. The Portuguese goalkeeper is none other than our Lei Ming! It's been a long time coming, Lei Ming is finally starting in this match!"
When Lei Ming was introduced, Ma Fanshu couldn't help but raise his voice by eight octaves, almost shouting himself hoarse with excitement.
The other two people at the scene were not much better off, and they almost couldn't help but raise their fists.
It was really disappointing not to see the starting lineup!
Now, I feel a very good feeling.
Huang Xiaotian laughed and said, "Hahaha, that old man Santos is interesting. He threw such a big smokescreen at us. It seems he knows that Uruguay is not easy to deal with!"
Chen Xin laughed and said, "That's right. If you had kept hiding it, you would have been cursed to death. Fortunately, it was all an illusion."
The moment Lei Ming appeared, everyone who had previously criticized Santos instantly understood him.
If they weren't on good terms, why would Lei Ming be starting?
It must be some kind of open conspiracy by that old man!
I was happy, I laughed, and my heart was filled with hope.
This feeling wasn't just shared by fans watching on television; the Portuguese fans who traveled from afar to cheer them on also felt the same way.
In the player tunnel, Lei Ming had just come out when he saw Cavani across from him. He smiled and waved to him: "Hello, Edinson, long time no see. How have you been lately?"
Despite Lei Ming's enthusiastic smile, Cavani wore a wry smile.
"You bastard, really, I don't want to see you at all. I knew you were lying to us." Cavani's mood instantly worsened.
If this guy comes on as a substitute, he still has time to fight for it, but if the opponent starts, then their chances in this game are really slim, because he knows the opponent's strength all too well.
"Hey, what's going on? Shouldn't we be all teary-eyed when old friends meet again? Look at you, your face looks as bitter as a bitter gourd! And I'm not lying to you, the head coach really told me to get some rest."
Cavani: "..."
"Hey, you're Lei Ming, the Premier League Golden Glove winner, right? I'm really looking forward to our duel and seeing what kind of level the Premier League Golden Glove is at!"
Just as Lei Ming and Cavani were chatting, a guy suddenly came over to help Cavani.
Upon closer inspection, Lei Ming recognized the man; his name seemed to be Suarez, Barcelona's star striker, nicknamed "Suarez" because of his prominent buck teeth.
"Oh, I'm really looking forward to facing you. Believe me, the Premier League Golden Glove is worth a lot."
Suarez smiled and nodded to Ronaldo as he approached, but did not speak to him. The two quickly entered the pre-battle state and slowly walked towards the field.
Outside the players' tunnel, countless fans from all over the world waited for the players to come out, and when they did, the scene was filled with the sounds of drums and gongs, creating a lively and exciting atmosphere.
Especially when Ronaldo first came on, the cheers were even louder and louder, with screams, whistles and shouts filling every space of the Fisht Olympic Stadium.
It has to be said that Cristiano Ronaldo now has the most fans in the world, and most of the people who come here are here for him.
He also waved to the fans in the stands with great affection to show his respect.
After the two sides completed their pre-match handshake ceremony, the Uruguay vs. Portugal match officially kicked off.
Despite this being Lei Ming's World Cup debut, he didn't feel nervous at all. The moment he stepped onto the pitch, he wasn't even as excited as when he first stepped onto the Emirates Stadium.
Perhaps this is enough to show that he has grown a lot and can remain calm and composed in the face of various circumstances.
After seeing the two teams kick off from the center line, he quickly focused his attention on the court.
...
CCTV: "Okay, we see that the match has started. Uruguay has the first possession of the ball. As you can see, the midfield is a bit chaotic at the beginning. Portugal obviously doesn't want Uruguay's midfielders to be too comfortable, and they start with all kinds of pressing."
"Okay, let's see if this combination can create an opportunity. Uruguay first pulled back, and then full-back Caceros made a quick pass. The ball flew directly across the halfway line to midfielder Torreira's feet. Let's see how he handles it."
"Oh, it's a pass to Suarez. He easily dribbled past Guerrero, who came up to defend, and quickly reached the edge of the six-yard box. Dangerous!..."
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