Faycal Fajr froze in place. He had only just come on, and already he understood exactly what Ahmadi had been going through.
Ahmadi quickly walked over, reached down to pull Faycal Fajr up from the ground, and wrapped him in a hug.
"No need to say anything."
"My brother, I get it."
"I get it all."
The rest of the Spanish players rushed toward Leo Lin, who was still celebrating in style. Diego Costa stood off to the side, watching Lin's carefree celebration, his eyes fixed on those loose strands of hair, his face full of excitement.
At this moment, even the strikingly handsome Diego Costa had to admit defeat. Whether it was style, celebration, or even goal scoring, he was completely outshone by the young man in front of him.
"Leo Lin scores his second goal. The score is now 2-0!"
"Over in the other match, Portugal and Iran are still tied at 0-0. If things stay this way, Group B will finish with Spain first, Portugal second, Morocco third, and Iran fourth. Spain and Portugal will advance!"
Across the live streams.
"If I could score a goal like that at the World Cup, I'd even be willing to be as handsome as Leo Lin!"
"I think I'm falling for Lin. How can a guy be this good-looking?!!"
"This is basically dream material for everyone watching tonight!"
"Lin, it's time to tell our story."
"This proves that even without their elegant ball control style, Spain can still be incredibly dangerous!"
Casillas kept his eyes locked on Leo Lin. He was thrilled. This match had been far tougher than anyone expected, and at 2-0, Spain had all but secured the win.
"The most obvious change Lin has brought to Spain is the variety in their play."
"They're no longer limited to ball control. They can Counterattack, push forward, or exploit transitions."
"Their long-range shooting and forward passing threat have improved significantly, and their midfield has become much tougher!"
On the touchline, Hierro and Zakaria were deep in discussion. Xavi soon joined them, and Spain immediately made substitutions.
"Spain make a change."
"Iniesta comes on for Isco, and Saúl replaces Asensio."
After Saúl came on, David Silva shifted to right Wide Midfielder, Iniesta took the left side, and Saúl paired with Busquets as the double defensive midfielders.
Play resumed, and Spain returned to their trademark ball control, dictating the tempo of the match.
Achraf tried to launch attacks down the left, targeting Carvajal.
But with David Silva now operating on the right, Spain's control in the attacking third became extremely stable. They rarely lost possession, which gave Carvajal much more breathing room behind him.
In the 82nd minute, Hierro made another substitution.
Nacho came on for Carvajal, further strengthening the right side defensively.
"It's fair to say that throughout the group stage, Spain's coaching staff has performed far better than fans expected."
"Hierro, Xavi, Raúl, David Villa, and Zakaria, the defensive coach brought in from Athletic Bilbao."
"Zakaria has extensive experience in both the Premier League and La Liga. He's arguably the most experienced and tactically sharp member of this staff."
"He's played a crucial role in shaping this team."
With these clear tactical adjustments, Spain firmly took control of the match.
As time ticked away, Morocco's effort and intensity couldn't translate into real chances or goals.
Finally, the referee blew the whistle three times. Spain's substitutes rushed onto the pitch in celebration.
The tension in the hearts of Spanish fans finally eased.
Derek Rae watched Leo Lin drop to his knees in celebration and smiled with relief.
"With that, the group stage of this World Cup comes to an end!"
"Sixteen teams have advanced and will now battle it out in the Round of 16!"
"There are no losers here. Even the team that finishes last is among the top 32 in the world. Every team deserves respect!"
"But there have been some major upsets. Germany barely kept their hopes alive in the second match thanks to Toni Kroos's late winner, only to lose 0-2 to an Asian team in the third match and be eliminated. The German machine is out!"
"The Round of 16 matchups are now set, split into two halves of the bracket."
"The winners from each half will meet in the final to compete for the World Cup trophy!"
"In the right half, Belgium's Red Devils face the host nation, Russia!"
"Croatia take on France!"
"Sweden face Switzerland in a battle of the 'two Swedens'!"
"Colombia, known for their physical style, take on Uruguay!"
"In the left half, England's Three Lions face Portugal from the Iberian Peninsula!"
"Denmark take on Argentina!"
"Five-time champions Brazil face the tournament's dark horse, Mexico!"
"And from Asia, Japan, who advanced from the group stage, will face Spain, the Matadors!!"
...
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