[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back":3,"chapter-football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-112":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Football: At 16, Let Me Retire and Come Back?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2300082,4499,"Chapter 112","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-112",112,"\u003Cp>In the locker room, Escrivá emphasized several points regarding today’s match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The core point was simply to play according to the tactics—today’s opponent, like Villarreal, also comes from La Liga, and the two sides are old rivals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá told the players he had already contacted Leganés’s head coach; both teams would give their all in this match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is not an important pre-match warm-up!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá pulled Tang Ye up from the bench; the latter was still in a dazed state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just before the last match ended, Escrivá had specifically warned him about on-field discipline, and now he was being started today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang, are you under a lot of pressure right now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá smiled at Tang Ye, who stood there with his laces still untied: “Huh? Why haven’t you tied your laces?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye pointed to the timer hanging by the locker room door: “There’s still five minutes until kickoff—no rush, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t seem stressed at all?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá sized Tang Ye up and down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, Tang Ye didn’t look like a 17-year-old youngster at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might as well be a 37-year-old superstar who’s experienced every major tournament?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his coach say that, Tang Ye crouched down, tied his laces, then stood back up: “Mr. Ferran, I’m under a lot of pressure right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Alright, alright, get ready to go out, get ready to go out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kickoff! Today, Huang Qian’s opponent is Leganés—a team considered pretty weak in La Liga, but even the weakest La Liga side can’t be that bad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A lot of people doubt whether Tang the King can play in La Liga—after today’s match, you’ll see whether Tang the King can play in La Liga.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye had too many haters; as his most loyal fan, streamer Wang Chao had to speak up for his idol now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One goal and one assist against Porto couldn’t prove Tang Ye had the ability to play in La Liga—surely this match between two La Liga teams could prove something?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of instep strikes echoed constantly on the pitch as both La Liga teams displayed their excellent passing and control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye struggled to keep up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he had little role in this passing system, if he paid attention and moved intelligently, Tang Ye could still follow some of the rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the 20th minute, Huang Qian led with 62% possession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good! That’s it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá gave a thumbs-up to the pitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the team’s current form, securing a top-six finish this season shouldn’t be a problem!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether they can overtake Atlético to claim third place depends on a bit of luck!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their passing game was steady, and since both teams knew each other well, their defense was also solid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the 30th minute, the score was still 0-0.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone needed to break this balance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that man was Leganés’s striker, Guerrero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guerrero, move to the right baseline!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shoot directly!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Goal!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn! The home team takes the lead!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chao clutched his head with both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it really the weaker Leganés who scored first?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell was going on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The director showed a slow-motion replay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that Guerrero shot well—it was a fatal passing error by Huang Qian’s defender Álvaro González.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He passed the ball straight into Guerrero’s feet!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine, it’s fine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Captain Bruno comforted the players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá’s expression wasn’t good—this kind of mistake might be acceptable in a friendly, but in an official La Liga match, Villarreal could lose three points because of González’s error!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Falling behind was painful; Escrivá quickly instructed the players to adjust their rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half-time ended with Huang Qian trailing by one goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stay focused! You need to stay focused!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the locker room, head coach Escrivá was in a bad mood: “Our opponent is clearly weaker, yet they still managed to capitalize on our mistakes. Why? Because they’re fully focused. You need to understand your role—we’re a professional team, a professional team! You can’t zone out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the locker room, head coach Escrivà was in a foul mood: “Our opponent is clearly the weaker side, yet they keep capitalizing on our mistakes. Why? Because their focus is razor-sharp. You need to understand your roles—we’re a professional team, a professional team! We can’t afford to lose concentration!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Tang Ye’s perspective, he had found the first half excruciating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only was the team losing, but he himself was utterly exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was already regretting it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he’d known, he’d have stayed in the Eredivisie for a few more seasons before coming to La Liga!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second half began; both teams, per their coaches’ agreement, made no major substitutions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá brought Ale on as center forward—a tactical adjustment based on the match situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone said to treat this friendly like a real league match—then they had to give their all!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone says to treat this friendly as if it were a league match—then you must give your full strength!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ale ran up to Tang Ye and handed him a note.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alé, who had just come on, ran up and handed Tang Ye a note.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá was completely stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t give Ale any note!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye opened the note—it read in Dutch: “Pass to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly written by Ale himself; Tang Ye immediately understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ale wanted him to pass to him like he did in Utrecht!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alé wants me to pass to him the way I did when we were at Utrecht!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye gave a thumbs-up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was damn tired of this passing game!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huang Qian brought on Ale—I swear, I feel the away team’s about to explode.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Eredivisie’s top scorer and top assist provider are both on the pitch—let’s see how Huang Qian will operate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here it comes! Just like the last friendly, Huang Qian suddenly abandoned their passing game!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Their style is becoming more aggressive—their possession rate is dropping!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Their play is becoming more aggressive, and their possession rate is dropping!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang Ye, send it straight into the box—a 45-degree cross!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ale, head it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did he get it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn! So close!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ale’s header clipped the post and flew out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a pity!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Extremely unfortunate!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Villarreal missed their best chance of the match so far!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Villarreal failed to capitalize on their best opportunity of the match so far!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After watching for a few minutes, Escrivá’s patience was about to snap—the team’s overall tone had shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye’s playing style clashed completely with Villarreal’s and with La Liga’s norms!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye’s style on the pitch clashes completely with Villarreal’s and with La Liga as a whole!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá threw his hands up, then slumped back into his substitute bench chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to substitute Tang Ye, but the bench had no usable players left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the pitch, at the 72nd minute, Villarreal won a free kick on the left flank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Captain Bruno prepared to take it—when Tang Ye walked over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can we do this together? Can you cover for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can we link up on this? Can you cover for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bruno knew Tang Ye had good free-kick crossing ability, so he readily agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, he was left-footed, so they could stand apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Tang Ye was strange—he stood behind Bruno.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since getting Zhou Botong’s template, he’d only used it for dribbling and outside-of-the-foot shots—he’d never tried a left-footed free kick!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to give it a shot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to try!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bruno glanced at Tang Ye behind him, assuming the kid had some special run-up pattern to ensure his right foot struck the ball, so he didn’t ask further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Villarreal’s free kick opportunity—Captain Bruno and Tang Ye stand one in front of the other!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beep!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The referee blows the whistle—Bruno sprints forward first!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He misses the ball!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Run up from behind and strike with your left foot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá: ?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s the [Ward-Prowse Free Kick Template]—a standard topspin cross!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it’s slightly different from Tang Ye’s previous kicks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, he used his left foot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball flies over the defenders in the box and lands precisely at Alem’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect positioning!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Head it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Goal!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Goal!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alem scores!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Holy shit, King Tang, free kick assist—perfect!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chao shouts excitedly; the director cuts to a replay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The live director, clearly a regular football viewer, zoomed in specifically when Tang Ye touched the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye’s left foot struck the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Is this a mirror image?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait, what the hell is going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chao squinted, leaning his head close to the computer screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first glance, it looked like a mirror image.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But on second glance, it didn’t seem like one?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【My King Tang is a right-footer—what’s this left-foot free kick?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Obviously the director turned on the mirror—don’t know why, but that pass was dead accurate】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Didn’t Tang Ye also use his left foot to pass last match? Wasn’t that outside-of-the-foot with the left?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Was that a mirror too?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What mirror? He moved from the right flank to the center—that curve is unmistakably from a left-foot outside-of-the-foot strike. Haven’t you watched the video?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【My King Tang actually trained his left-foot outside-of-the-foot and free kicks? Nice—very disciplined.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell, is this real? Left foot? That can’t be right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chao argued intensely with fans in the livestream for a long time, but eventually accepted the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye really did strike the free kick with his left foot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Left foot—aside from a slight difference in curve, the landing point, speed, and spin were nearly identical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Wang Chao hadn’t watched Tang Ye’s matches regularly, he might have thought Tang Ye was equally skilled with both feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye stood in place and twisted his waist a few times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, Zhou Botong’s Left-Right Combat technique really felt comfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he used his left foot, Tang Ye didn’t feel like he was kicking with his non-dominant foot at all!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait a second?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye suddenly noticed a serious problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked down at his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which side was left again…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the bench, head coach Escrivá turned to his assistant coach Ma Di.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked a very serious question: which foot was Tang Ye’s dominant one?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right foot!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Di answered quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you sure? Why would a right-footed player use his left foot for free kicks? He used his left foot for that cross last match too—don’t you remember?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ferran, you’re making me doubt myself…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Di scratched his head, checked his phone for the registration data he’d filed for Tang Ye, then gave his final answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s definitely the right foot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá stared at him: “So he’s a right-footed player, but can use his left foot for free kicks—and even for outside-of-the-foot crosses?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Escrivá’s lips slowly curled upward: “We rented a non-dominant-footed midfielder for three million euros?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, does he have a buyout clause?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá leaned his head toward Ma Di, who checked his phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No buyout clause, Ferran—you were there when the contract was signed. Utrecht refused to include one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escrivá stopped smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1831,"2026-06-20T06:50:08.245Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ea1f2e7be0134354b40c37a74b74922d3798ad6266ef33acc99aa04a58affc9b","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-113","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-111",918,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffootball-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-cover.jpg"]