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Let's rewind a few months. At that time, Lance was still leading his team in the Champions League Round of 16 against strong Premier League opponent Arsenal.
To prepare for the upcoming 2014 Brazil World Cup, the Belgium Football Association had already begun the final round of World Cup squad selection! At the Football Association office, Belgium coach Marc Wilmots, assistant coach Jean-Luc, forward coach Thierry Henry, team manager Philippe De Wilde, FA President Koersmark...
A group of people crowded into a small conference room. Smoke filled the air, and the conference table was piled with empty coffee cups. Even in an age of comprehensive digitalization, the table was still cluttered with many printed forms and lists, which were full of scribbles and marks, indicating intense discussion.
"The goalkeepers are finalized, right? I hope we don't discuss this anymore."
Coach Wilmots looked visibly exhausted.
"Don't worry, Thibaut Courtois and Simon Mignolet are undisputed, and the third goalkeeper isn't important. Just pick one between Silvio Proto and Koen Casteels."
"Very good. We've already discussed the defense, so we won't discuss it here for now. The main focus is the midfield and attack. What about Radja Nainggolan? Should he be included?"
AS Roma's core midfielder, Nainggolan, had been performing excellently in Serie A, and the media and fans were calling for his inclusion in the 23-man World Cup squad. However, the team's assistant coach and tactical analysts largely disagreed.
Coach Wilmots felt that Nainggolan was not suitable. He was good at everything, but not particularly outstanding in any one area, making him a jack-of-all-trades. The Belgium National Team now needed players with distinct characteristics, such as the tall Marouane Fellaini and the strong defender Vincent Kompany.
The overall squad was luxurious enough that they didn't need to choose a jack-of-all-trades. Seeing that no one else could offer an opinion, Coach Wilmots frowned:
"Then he's temporarily excluded from the list. We need to focus on clarifying the choices for forwards."
The Belgium National Team primarily played a 4-3-3 system. Forward candidates included: Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Divock Origi, Nacer Chadli, Dries Mertens, Kevin Mirallas, Christian Benteke, Michy Batshuayi, and the 19-year-old talented winger, Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj.
Of course, there was also Lance, who had been performing exceptionally well in the Bundesliga recently. However, Lance had not yet led his team to eliminate Arsenal, or FC Barcelona, nor had he played an epic match against Real Madrid.
In February, Lance had not yet reached the heights he would achieve three months later. He was just a 16-year-old newcomer who had only trained with the national team once. For the 23-man World Cup squad, Lance was unlikely to be within the coaching staff's consideration.
"I think we can really consider keeping Lance."
As everyone fell silent, Koersmark, the President of the Belgium Football Association, who held significant influence, was the first to speak. Even in the West, personal connections are unavoidable, and Jorge Mendes had done some groundwork in advance.
Therefore, Koersmark was very willing to recommend Lance. Another point was that Lance was indeed very promising and excellent. What if he was young? As long as he was useful, it was fine.
This was also a point of contention for the coaching staff; he was too young, and they feared he wouldn't perform well in the World Cup, which could negatively impact his club development. On the other hand, Lance's performance in training was evident for all to see, and the coaching staff was reluctant to easily give him up.
The most difficult decision currently was that forwards Lukaku, Hazard, and Mertens were definitely guaranteed starters. Origi, Batshuayi, Steven Defour, and others were completely excluded from the list.
Ultimately, they needed to choose two players to keep from Benteke, Januzaj, and Lance. Januzaj, being a winger, naturally secured one spot. For the striker position, most of the coaching staff leaned towards keeping Benteke.
"He is Aston Villa's main striker and the team's top scorer. He's also adapted to the Premier League's intensity, good at running, poaching, and has excellent finishing skills."
"While Lance is excellent, his playing style is a bit soft, and his physical confrontation ability is insufficient, which could easily put him at a disadvantage in the World Cup. Anyway, he's still young and can wait four more years. In the 2018 World Cup, Lance will be at his prime."
With the coaching staff chattering away, Coach Wilmots also hesitated a bit. After much deliberation, he finally made a firm decision.
"Then it's confirmed, Benteke it is."
After this meeting of the Belgium Football Association, the media exposed the 23-man squad for the 2014 Belgium Team. Seeing that he wasn't included, Lance gave up on the World Cup, so he put all his energy into club matches, never thinking he would play in the World Cup.
The turning point occurred in May 2014. When Bayer Leverkusen had just won the Bundesliga, Lance won the Bundesliga Golden Boot with an astonishing record of 42 goals, breaking Gerd Müller's record, and leading his team to their first-ever championship.
An accident occurred during the Belgium National Team's final training session in Europe.
"Daily Mail reports that on the afternoon of May 11th, local time, Christian Benteke experienced an emergency during Aston Villa's team training and was immediately sent to the hospital by the team doctor for examination. After a comprehensive MRI scan, Villa officially confirmed the worst news: Benteke suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon and will undergo surgery immediately."
"It is reported that Benteke will face at least eight months of treatment and recovery, completely missing the 2014 World Cup and the remaining matches in 2014. The fastest recovery is expected to be in the second half of the 2015 Premier League season."
"The Belgium Football Association, which just announced its 23-man squad for the 2014 World Cup, is holding an emergency meeting to discuss the roster. A new player is needed to replace Benteke for the trip to Brazil..."
When the news of Benteke missing the World Cup broke, Lance was still considering where to go for his vacation. Now that he was on holiday, should he go to Munich to help out at his family's restaurant for free? Or go back to his hometown in China to visit relatives? Or perhaps invite the cute girl Chloe out for a trip?
Lance was still unsure whether Chloe was interested in him personally or just a fan, so he had not made a move. After much thought, he was about to call Chloe, when he suddenly received a call from Belgium coach Wilmots.
"Lance, want to go to Brazil?"
Brazil, outside São Paulo. Paradise Golf Lake View Resort. The scenery here was beautiful, and the environment was quiet and undisturbed, making it perfect for the Belgium National Team to train and prepare for the upcoming World Cup.
At the entrance of the resort, a Toyota Alphard minivan slowly drove in and stopped at the main building of the resort—Paradise Hotel. A white-gloved attendant came forward to open the car door and took out luggage from the trunk.
Lance, like a celebrity, got out of the car wearing sunglasses. Three people were already waiting at the entrance. One was Belgium National Team coach Marc Wilmots, another was Belgium Team manager Philippe De Wilde, responsible for daily operations, logistics, media, administration, and many other matters.
And the third was an old acquaintance who had grown up with him, Kevin De Bruyne.
"Welcome to Brazil, Lance!"
"Hey! Lance, ready to play in the World Cup together?"