Chapter 145: The More You Resist, The Worse It Gets?

Less than three hours before the match began, Escrivá stepped out of the press room, his brow furrowed.

He was under immense pressure now!

Just now, during the interview, a Dutch reporter reminded him again that Ajax had lost all their matches against Utrecht last season.

The reporter's meaning was clear.

Tang Ye could beat Ajax while at Utrecht; he was Ajax's nemesis.

Now that Tang Ye had come to Villarreal, if the Yellow Submarine lost to Ajax...

He suddenly shook his head. He dared not imagine what the fans would say if they lost this match.

Was Villarreal inferior to Utrecht?

Or was Escrivá inferior to Ten Hag?

He would be pushed to the center of the storm because of this!

"Ferran!"

At the corner of the stadium's circular corridor, Marti walked over to Escrivá: "Ferran, do you want to hear some new news?"

Hmm?

Escrivá squinted his eyes; he was under a bit of pressure now, so he asked, "Actually, I don't really want to talk right now, but... will this news of yours affect the match?"

"This..."

Marti looked to the side, thinking carefully: "It might?"

"Then say it quickly."

"I just saw the news and realized, do you know Bos, Ajax's new head coach?"

"I know him, what's wrong?"

"He was previously the head coach of Eredivisie side Vitesse, but later got fired. After getting fired, he went to Ajax."

What Marti said sparked Escrivá's interest.

"Why did he get fired at Vitesse?"

"Last season, Vitesse got crushed by Utrecht; Tom scored four goals and provided four assists in two matches. Bos was fired by Tom."

"..."

Escrivá fell silent.

Good heavens!

The opposing team had once been crushed by Tang Ye.

The opposing team's head coach had also once been crushed by Tang Ye!

Now Escrivá was about to lead Tang Ye to face them again.

Clearly, this was a public opinion trap.

The center of the public opinion storm was none other than Villarreal's head coach, Escrivá!

Could he guide the Eredivisie genius youth in the correct way?

Check Dongqiu Di Pinned Post: Europa League Group L, Round 3, Ajax vs. Villarreal, Tang Ye and De Ligt lead the starting lineup!

Match Highlights:

1. Ajax lost twice to Utrecht last season; Tang Ye started in both matches.

2. The Ajax starting midfielder, Ye He, played for Twente last season, which was brutally beaten by Utrecht; Tang Ye started in that match.

3. Ajax head coach Bos was the former head coach of Vitesse Club; after losing to Utrecht for the second time, Bos was fired by the club, and Tang Ye started in that match.

Although Ale played a key role in these few matches, Chinese fans did not recognize Ale.

Tang Ye was the key factor!

【Good heavens, the match hasn't even started and it's already 1 > 3, right? How is Ajax supposed to play this?】

【Although my Tang Tang Qiuwang is indeed great, Ajax also has strength; they beat Inter Milan.】

【Villarreal also beat Inter Milan, so what's the big deal?】

【Holy crap, the pressure on the Villarreal head coach is directly maxed out...】

【Rivalry battle, Tang Tang Qiuwang punishes Ajax for the third time!】

"China Central Television! This is the live broadcast for you..."

"We can see that players from both sides are walking out of the player tunnel!"

The on-site director understood the highlights of today's match very well; as soon as Tang Ye walked out of the player tunnel, the on-site reporters pointed their cameras directly at his head.

Heard you single-handedly destroyed an opposing club, a midfielder, and a head coach?

Look at that strength!

"Come on!"

"Come on!"

Tang Ye and his teammates encouraged each other; at this moment, he did not yet know he had fallen into the "1 > 3" public opinion trap.

He focused on this match, focused on achieving victory in the match!

"The match has begun!"

"Now I will introduce the starting lineups for both teams; first, the home team, Ajax!"

Ajax (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Onana

Defenders: Veltman, Davinson Sanchez, De Ligt, Riedewald

Midfielders: Klaassen, Schöne, Ye He

Forwards: Traoré, Dolberg, Younis

Head Coach: Bosz

"And now for the away team, Villarreal..."

"Yes, this match is full of highlights, and most importantly, the total market value gap between the starting lineups of these two teams is less than 2 million euros!"

"Indeed, the total market value of Ajax's starting lineup is 2 million euros higher than Villarreal's."

The match had already begun; not long after drinking 【Valdi's Red Bull】, Tang Ye immediately felt the effects kick in.

He ran to the left side together with Rodri to help Bruno clear the ball.

Villarreal's veteran captain was being targeted by Ajax's pressing!

Tang Ye sprinted over quickly, only to find Klaassen turning around to glare at him furiously.

"You take him!"

Huh?

Rodri paused for a moment; after confirming that Tang Ye had said "You take him" and not "I'll take him," he accelerated and ran over.

Rodri marked Klaassen tightly, while Tang Ye stayed on the side to cover Schöne's position.

Tang Ye had great confidence in Rodri's one-on-one abilities, so he only needed to keep an eye on Schöne.

On Villarreal's left flank, Rodri and Klaassen were locked in a struggle; unable to find a passing option, Bruno had no choice but to dribble toward the center himself.

At this moment, Tang Ye finished scanning his surroundings and began his maneuver.

Keep running to the left!

!

Bruno had excellent vision, but upon seeing Tang Ye actively pulling wide, he played a through ball with a loud "Bang!"

Tang Ye prepared to receive the ball, but Schöne immediately rushed over, pressing against Tang Ye's back and preventing him from turning.

"Oh!"

The collision-fans erupted in cheers.

In the eyes of Ajax fans, Ten Hag's championship was stolen, illegally stolen.

And as the underage player hired by Ten Hag for labor, Tang Ye naturally faced resentment from Ajax supporters.

He is guilty!

He is Ten Hag's accomplice!

The scene was noisy, yet Tang Ye's focus remained sharp.

Bump Schöne with his buttocks!

Pretend he wants to engage in physical contact!

Just as Schöne planted his feet firmly, preparing to clash with Tang Ye, Tang Ye suddenly extended his right foot, tapping the ball to instantly change its trajectory.

He had nutmegged Schöne!

"Oh! Tang Ye! Beautiful!"

"That's a nutmeg!"

"The match has only just reached the 6th minute, and Tang Ye has already treated the fans on-site to a nutmeg!"

"Can you imagine? This is actually a midfielder!"

The CCTV commentator proceeded to lavish excessive praise upon Tang Ye.

Tang Ye dribbled forward, advancing with the ball!

Villarreal's three starting forwards today—Sansone, Pato, and Bakambu—all sprinted forward simultaneously!

The pancake master's first pancake was about to be ready; now the customers needed to fight for positions.

Whoever could grab the best spot would be the one to eat this first pancake!

Slap!

【De Bruyne 45-Degree Cross Lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 31/500

The cross was delivered; Pato made a forward run from the top of the arc.

He ran through the gap between De Ligt and Sánchez!

Jump up!

Boom!

Under the gaze of the fans, Pato's header flew straight over the crossbar.

"Ah!"

"Damn!"

Pato scraped his studs against the turf; having missed the scoring opportunity, he was now furious with himself!

Damn it!

The pancake master had already made the pancake and handed it to you, yet you slipped up, dropped it on the ground, and now it's inedible!

Wasting food!

"Oh!"

Escribá clasped his hands over his head.

Recently during matches, Escribá had developed a habit: sitting on the substitutes' bench from the very start of the game until the final whistle.

But in today's match, the Spaniard did not do that.

The reason was simple: he was simply too nervous!

He couldn't sit still!

The away team's head coach was extremely tense, and naturally, the home team's head coach was in the exact same state.

Because Tang Ye was in the opposing starting lineup, Bos was absolutely determined to secure victory in today's match!

This was a battle of revenge!

He not only wanted to avenge Ajax, but also to avenge Vitesse!

The gap in strength between both sides was not large; after Pato missed an excellent scoring opportunity, neither side created any good chances for a long time.

Ajax's coach and players knew Tang Ye all too well.

This guy was most afraid of physical confrontation.

What if Tang Ye tries to play a threatening pass?

Simple: rush up and engage him physically, and he will definitely dodge!

As long as Tang Ye dodges, the threatening pass ceases to exist!

"Attack is the best defense"—this saying is not without reason!

Attack!

Launch an attack against Villarreal's attacking midfielder!

The 21st minute!

"Ye He!"

"Ye He's long pass and layoff was executed very well!"

"Traoré! Beautiful! He stops the ball right at his feet!"

"Ajax is very clever; they used these expansive long passes to bypass Villarreal's greatest strength: possession play!"

After receiving the ball, Traoré immediately cut inside and ran toward Villarreal's penalty area.

"Hurry back, hurry back!"

Bruno shouted urgently.

Damn it!

Tang Ye gritted his teeth and sprinted back.

He had just turned around; how had the opposition already gained control near the baseline!

Rush back immediately!

However, given Tang Ye's current position, there was little he could do in this defensive situation.

Slap!

Traoré played a cut-back pass to Dolberg.

Facing Musacchio's pressing charge, Dolberg quickly passed the ball to Younes, who was positioned to his left rear.

Younes curled a shot!

Slap!

Asenjo leaped to his right, reaching out to touch the ball.

He did touch the ball, yes, but the ball brushed by Asenjo's fingertips struck the post, rebounded, and flew into the net.

"GOOOOO——AAAAAA——LLLLL!!!"

"Goal!"

"Younes!"

"Younes scores!"

1:0!

The home team, Ajax, takes the lead!

"Younes has not performed well in the league since the start of this season; he even lost his place as the starting striker for a time!"

"But Younes' goal today is extremely crucial!"

Just as the CCTV commentator said.

Although the match has only proceeded for over twenty minutes and many variables remain.

When two teams of similar strength clash, any goal could be fatal.

Younes scored first; this goal will set the momentum for Ajax in this match!

Watching the Ajax players run toward the sideline, Bruno and Tang Ye made the exact same gesture.

Hands on hips, expressions filled with helplessness.

For midfielders, this kind of goal is the most frustrating; they didn't even have a chance to touch the ball.

It was simply too late to track back!

"Roar——!!!"

Younes and Ye He roared together at the stands.

The broadcast camera showed a replay of the goal; after Traoré played the cut-back, Rodrigo and Musacchio almost simultaneously ran toward Dolberg.

But Dolberg was very clever; he distributed the ball to Younes behind him!

Younes' position was completely open!

Bang!

A long-range shot, and the Villarreal goal defended by Asenjo was brutally breached.

Besides the slow-motion replay of the goal, the broadcaster also showed the reactions of both head coaches after the goal.

Escrivá held his head in his hands, while Bos jumped up on the spot.

Last season, Vitesse felt utterly helpless against Tang Ye's long balls over the defense; now, Bos has completed his revenge!

As an attacking midfielder, Tang Ye was powerless to stop this wave of attack from Ajax!

"Wow, Ajax is truly fierce!"

"I told you, Ajax doesn't joke around; this season's Ajax is even stronger than last season's."

"This is unbearable; how can we win this match if my Tang Tang Qiuwang doesn't get a touch on the ball?"

"Brother Meng is most afraid of teams with such intense pressing."

"Ten Hag, save Tang Ye!"

"Run forward! Run forward!"

"Move, move! Pass it! Hurry up and pass!"

Escrivá was now under immense pressure; whenever he saw anything that didn't align with his tactical philosophy, he would point it out immediately.

His nervous state made him forget what he had steadfastly upheld for over a month!

"Give it to me, give it to me!"

Tang Ye finished his observation early, then reached out his hand toward Rodri.

Slap!

Rodri's pass came through; Tang Ye made a yielding movement, and the ball rolled to in front of him.

Facing the goal!

The distance was far; he directly curled it with the outside of his foot!

Slap!

The ball flew out; it wasn't very high, but the speed was extremely fast; before Sánchez could even complete his turn, the ball was already behind him.

It suddenly curved behind Sánchez!

Sansone rushed forward and controlled the ball!

"Ohh!!"

A very good chance!

Sansone dribbled diagonally into the penalty area!

Slap!

A pushed shot was struck!

It should have gone in, but for some reason, at the moment of shooting, Sansone stumbled over his own feet.

His center of gravity was unstable, so the resulting shot lacked power, and Onana jumped out to pin the ball to the ground!

That fellow Onana was also quite cunning; knowing his side was leading, he deliberately hugged the ball and lay on the ground for a while, showing off his large, round buttocks to the fans in the live broadcast.

Onana's buttocks were large and round; this was his most prominent advantage!

"Damn!"

Escrivá violently swung his right hand.

Another scoring chance missed!

That's the second time!

Among Villarreal's forwards, Haller had the most stable finishing.

Not only was Haller steady with pushed shots in front of goal, but his heading was also reliable.

But the problem was that Haller's ankle had not yet fully recovered.

He couldn't play!

"Hiss—"

In the camera shot, Tang Ye first clasped his head with both hands, then slowly retreated to defend.

As a 38-year-old veteran, playing alongside the team's young lads was truly no easy task!

"Villarreal's forwards are really no good; if you ask me, it has to be Haller."

"No choice; my Tang Tang Qiuwang has too good a temper; if it were any other forward messing up like this, they'd probably be scolded to death."

"Tang Tang Qiuwang is like this; he shows mercy to all living beings; back when he played in the Eredivisie, he saved me many times."

"Has Ajax become fiercer?"

"Passing crazily but just can't score; I feel like after this match ends, Escrivá is going to get roasted to death."

"E-Hi: Loaning Tang Ye was my achievement; do you understand the gold content behind this?"

As the first half reached its final moments, Ajax launched an attack down the left flank.

This attack was initiated by Ziyech in combination with Schöne.

It was clear that Ziyech wanted to exact revenge for his former club, Twente!

He wanted to defeat Villarreal, where Tang Ye played!

The ball was passed to Traoré on the right wing; Traoré began cutting inside!

A through-ball was sent into the penalty area!

Dolberg shot directly!

Goal!

However, Dolberg was clearly offside when receiving the ball, so the goal did not count.

"Phew..."

Letting out a long breath, Escrivá had not sat back down in his chair since the start of the first half.

Haller's absence indeed had a huge impact on the Yellow Submarine; coincidentally, Ajax was also very familiar with Tang Ye's techniques, allowing them to impose very effective restrictions on him.

He glanced at the large screen hanging above the stands.

At the 42nd minute, the away team, the Yellow Submarine, trailed by one goal.

And they were trailing to an Eredivisie team!

Escrivá had always been an extremely arrogant man; apart from Utrecht, where Ten Hag was based, he looked down on every other Eredivisie team.

Because the Eredivisie was not one of the Big Five leagues!

But the problem they now faced was that they were about to lose to Ajax!

Escrivá needed to fight back!

"Keep passing! Keep the ball moving!"

"Left! Try the left side!"

Villarreal launched a counterattack at tremendous speed, even managing to pull their possession rate back up.

Statistics showed that over the last ten-plus minutes, Villarreal's possession rate had been superior to Ajax's.

Why had Villarreal's possession rate increased?

Because Tang Ye's frequency of touching the ball had decreased!

The match continued into the first minute of stoppage time when Bacambou was dispossessed in the attacking third, allowing Ajax to launch another attack.

"Drop back! Drop back!"

Escrivá desperately directed the players on the field.

Bacambou prepared to press immediately where he stood, but Riedewald opted for a long pass directly to Klaassen on the right, who then lofted the ball into the center.

This attack materialized, but Villarreal's defense in their own half held up reasonably well; in the end, Ye He's long-range shot was blocked straight out by Ruiz's knee.

Escrivá gradually fell silent.

The defense was okay, no doubt about that, but what about the attack?

Villarreal was currently trailing; they couldn't afford to lack an offensive threat!

Minutes ago he had been shouting instructions to the field nonstop, but now Escrivá felt only one thing.

That the more they resisted, the fiercer Ajax's attacks became.

The more they resisted, the more uncomfortable Villarreal played!

The more they resisted, the more uncomfortable it became?

Why was this happening!

With his hands stuffed in his pockets, Escrivá took a deep breath.

Undoubtedly, this was an extremely difficult match!

……

(End of Chapter)