Leeds United's first match upon arriving in Doha, Qatar, was held at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Their opponent was Monterrey from Mexico.
This team was quite strong, and both sides played at a fast pace right from the start.
Leeds United took the lead thanks to an assist from Sancho. His through ball split Monterrey's defense, and Vardy slotted it home from near the penalty spot to open the scoring.
But not long after, Monterrey caused chaos in the Leeds United penalty area during a free kick, and their striker pounced on the rebound to equalize.
Just as predicted before the season, defending high balls has indeed become a major issue for Leeds United this year.
It's manageable during open play, but the problems become much more significant when defending set pieces.
Especially when Saliba is on the pitch.
Although Leeds United have provided targeted support for Saliba, it will still take time.
Defenders, after all, grow through real-world experience.
While the media and fans were growing impatient, Gao Shen and the coaching staff remained calm and patient.
The first half ended in a 1-1 draw, but at the start of the second half, Leeds United launched a series of attacks. Vinicius broke through on the left and crossed the ball. Vardy laid it off, and Alphonso Davies struck a powerful shot that was tipped over the bar by the goalkeeper.
From the resulting corner, Declan Rice headed the ball across goal, and Vinicius Jr. poked it in from the edge of the six-yard box, making it 2-1!
Three minutes later, another pass from Declan Rice set up Bruno Fernandes, who unleashed a powerful shot to score again.
3-1!
Just before the final whistle, substitute Rodrygo received the ball on the right side of the box, dribbled past two defenders, and squared it to Vardy, who easily tapped it in to make it 4-1!
In the end, Leeds United defeated Mexico's Monterrey 4-1 to advance to the final.
...
The day after Leeds United secured their place in the final, the Qatar World Cup Organizing Committee held a grand signing ceremony in Doha.
This event was organized alongside the Club World Cup promotions, serving as a warm-up for the Qatar World Cup and gathering many industry figures.
Several prominent guests attended, including England manager Gareth Southgate, Arsène Wenger, and David Beckham.
At the event, the Qatari organizers signed a three-year sponsorship deal with Gao Shen, appointing him as the global ambassador for Qatar's tourism and cultural promotion. The specific contract amount was not disclosed.
However, according to Al Jazeera, this sponsorship is the most significant of its kind to date, even surpassing the endorsement deal signed with Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar.
Gao Shen also participated in a promotional photoshoot, including one in which he held a jersey bearing the theme "See You in 2022."
This was the highlight of Qatar's sponsorship announcement.
Later, Gao Shen also held talks with local political figures.
Among the attendees, one person was especially noteworthy: Norman Foster, Gao Shen's close friend and the architect of Leeds United's Amazon Stadium, who also designed the stadium for the World Cup final in Qatar.
Since the design of the Amazon Stadium had incorporated many of Gao Shen's suggestions and received highly positive feedback, they specifically invited him to visit the World Cup final stadium construction site, hoping he would provide valuable input.
...
The Club World Cup final was also held at the Khalifa International Stadium.
This time, Leeds United's opponent was Flamengo, the Copa Libertadores champions from Brazil.
Many fans were familiar with this team, as it featured several well-known players.
The goalkeeper was Diego Alves, a veteran of La Liga. The right-back was former Bayern Munich player Rafinha, while the left-back was Gao Shen's former favorite, ex-Manchester City player Filipe Luis.
Their midfield was also impressive, with Diego, who once shone in the Bundesliga and was considered one of Brazil's twin stars alongside Robinho. Up front was Gabriel Barbosa, currently on loan from Inter Milan, once a highly touted young talent.
But the most talked-about player on this Flamengo side was actually 17-year-old attacking midfielder Reinier.
This player operated as a number 10, and his height and technical style were very similar to Kaká at his peak.
Leeds United had actually been monitoring him for quite some time. It was Filipe Luis who first recommended him to Gao Shen. He called Gao Shen and sent him a video, telling him to take a close look.
From then on, Leeds United started paying attention to Reinier. At the time, the Brazilian youngster was valued at only 3 million euros.
As the season progressed, Reinier's market value rose to 5 million euros and started attracting more and more interest. With further promotion from Flamengo and his agent, his value skyrocketed.
Currently, Transfermarkt values him at 25 million euros.
In just six months, his valuation had increased multiple times.
By now, Reinier was no longer a suitable target for Leeds United.
Due to the number of players with experience in European leagues, Flamengo's overall strength was solid. They were also very familiar with Leeds United. Head coach Jorge Jesus had a long coaching history in the Portuguese league and naturally understood how to counter Leeds United.
From the beginning of the match, Flamengo applied intense high pressing against Leeds United. However, contrary to their usual style, Leeds United sat back and looked for counter-attacking opportunities on the right flank.
Achraf Hakimi sprinted forward to receive a pass from Sancho and delivered a long diagonal ball behind Flamengo's defensive line.
Vardy timed his run, chested the ball into the penalty area, chased after it, and finished one-on-one near the six-yard box. 1-0!
After that, both sides settled into a stalemate.
At the start of the second half, Leeds United seized another chance.
Bruno Fernandes intercepted a pass in midfield and immediately sent a through ball forward. Vardy made a run between the two center-backs, broke into the box, took control of the ball, and fired another shot to beat Flamengo's goalkeeper. 2-0!
This season, Leeds United's captain has been getting better with age. Not only is he the top scorer in the Premier League, but he's also delivering outstanding performances across all competitions.
Except for the Champions League.
...
"This kid is so English!"
Watching Vardy score twice, Wenger, sitting beside Gao Shen in the stands, couldn't help but praise him.
Vardy has truly showcased his enduring ability this season, delivering consistently excellent performances. And with more experience, his game has become increasingly smart and cunning.
That's why, even at nearly 33 years old, he's still the main striker for Leeds United and comfortably leading the Premier League scoring charts.
"He's extremely self-disciplined, which is very rare," Gao Shen also praised Vardy.
Once, when he met Vardy privately, Gao Shen had said with deep feeling that even if he hadn't joined Leeds United, he would still have succeeded elsewhere.
To that, Vardy responded without hesitation, saying that if it weren't for Gao Shen and Leeds United, he would still be working on an assembly line.
The Leicester miracle from the past life never happened. Instead, it was replaced by the Leeds United miracle.
Everyone believes that Leeds United's rise is nothing short of a miracle, and Vardy is the legendary captain at its heart.
However, Vardy's early days at Leeds United weren't easy.
When he first joined, he was promoted too quickly and struggled to adapt to the Championship. At the time, Benteke was still on the team, which meant Vardy had very few chances to play.
Once he began to adapt, the team was promoted to the Premier League, and he had to readjust again. With Icardi, Martial, and Harry Kane all at the club, Vardy's playing time was mostly limited to the reserves.
But he persisted with determination.
One by one, Leeds United parted ways with Icardi, Martial, and Harry Kane...
Vardy's playing time gradually increased, and his opportunities grew. Eventually, after Harry Kane left, he became the main striker, forming a front three with Mbappe and Dembélé.
Last season, Vardy finished second in the Premier League scoring charts, leading all homegrown players, second only to Mbappe.
This season, with Mbappe's departure, Vardy became the team's top scorer.
Even so, he still had to compete with players like Haaland, Rashford, and Julian Alvarez.
"He once told me that the competition at Leeds United was intense, giving him no time to breathe. So he never dared to let up. Every training session and every minute on the pitch, he had to give it his all, because he knew he wasn't as naturally gifted as others. If he didn't work hard, everything he had could be taken away in an instant."
When Gao Shen said this, he was clearly emotional.
Was he under pressure?
A lot. It was immense.
Professional football doesn't exist without pressure.
But even under such intense pressure, Vardy has persevered to this day, and his performances have continued to improve. He's already earned far more titles and accolades than in his previous life.
And he's about to turn 33.
Vardy may be old, but he can still score goals!
...
On the pitch, with a 2-goal lead, Leeds United slowed the tempo and controlled possession.
Flamengo tried to fight back, but after several failed attacks, they realized they had no effective way to deal with Leeds United. In fact, they were almost caught on the counter a few times, so they gradually accepted the situation.
To the disappointment of both Gao Shen and Wenger, 17-year-old Reinier never came off the bench.
Barring any surprises, the rising Brazilian star is expected to join Real Madrid for a transfer fee of 30 million euros.
Real Madrid had commissioned a professional agency to conduct a comprehensive analysis report on Reinier, and the results were very positive.
In his previous life, Reinier failed to make an impact at Real Madrid for various reasons, but as a player, he was genuinely talented.
Sometimes, this is how young players develop.
They perform poorly at one club and never get a chance, but after moving to a new team with a different style, they suddenly blossom.
Just like Coutinho back then, who soared after joining Leeds United.
(To be continued.)