In football, there are often unexpected moments and plot reversals. Just in the most recent Chinese Super League match, we witnessed such a scene: naturalized player Alan missed a penalty at a crucial moment, which made people sigh.
The match took place when Qingdao West Coast challenged Zhejiang away from home. In the opening stage, Qingdao West Coast performed well, and with the main lineup coming from afar, they gradually gained the upper hand. By the end of the first half, Qingdao West Coast had a 2-1 lead over Zhejiang. The home team clearly struggled to accept the result and fought back from the start of the second half.
Zhejiang's attack did put a lot of pressure on the west coast of Qingdao. At this juncture, Qingdao West Coast captain Qian Jie made a low-level mistake and was wasted an obvious opportunity to dye yellow. Fortunately, the referee appropriately awarded a penalty to Qingdao West Coast, creating a great opportunity for them to pull one back.
At this point, all eyes were on Alain. As the top scorer on the west coast of Qingdao, Alan stood on the penalty spot. If he can score the penalty, the score will be 3-1 and Qingdao West Coast will be too late to seal the win. Unfortunately, under heavy pressure, Alain's performance was far inferior to his own strength level. His penalty was of average quality and was easily blocked by Zhejiang goalkeeper Zhao Bo.
Alain's missed penalty was undoubtedly a big disappointment. As a naturalized player, Alan should have been calm and risky at critical moments. But his performance has raised doubts about whether he has returned to his best. Fortunately, Qingdao West Coast finally held on to the 2-1 victory, otherwise Alan Ke would have to bear the burden of "sinner".
After this game, the coach of the national football team, Ivankovic, will definitely be disappointed. As we all know, he has always been in love with Alain and has repeatedly invited him to join the national team. However, out of consideration for his own state, Alain politely declined Ivankovic's invitation, and the latter also expressed understanding. Ivankovic believes that Alain, as a top goalscorer, only needs a while to adapt before he will be able to break out again.
But now it seems that Alain's form has not fully recovered. In the first four rounds of the Chinese Super League of the new season, he still did not find the best feeling. If Alan fails to regain his peak form ahead of the upcoming national football team against Thailand, he is likely to miss the national team training squad again. At that time, he didn't want to replace Wu Lei as the center.
As a naturalised player, Alain's future is indeed in the spotlight. His talent is undoubtedly top-notch, and it's hard to judge his overall form by missing a penalty alone. But there is no denying that this low-level mistake will have a negative impact on his confidence and reputation in the short term. More importantly, he must speak with his performance on the field, and win the trust of the national team manager with strength and determination, otherwise it will be difficult to get a chance to play.
The winner of the game is often the more prepared and determined side. For Alain, it is not enough to rely on past honours and skills, he must always remain highly focused and surpass himself in every moment. Once distracted or complacent, it's easy to make mistakes at critical moments.
For the west coast of Qingdao and the national team, Alan is still an important force. His past success in the European scoring charts and his desire to win are invaluable. Qingdao West Coast and the national football team only need to give Alan enough trust and support, and believe that he will one day show his peak form again.
There are so many uncertainties in football that everything can turn around. Perhaps, in a seemingly ordinary moment, Alain will suddenly burst out and bring the dawn of victory to the team with his goal. And all this is our indelible expectation and love for football.
In short, Alain's "penalty sin is just an episode", and there are still too many opportunities for him to prove himself in the future. As fans and spectators, we wish the naturalized player a return to his best as soon as possible and continue to write a wonderful story on the pitch.