Chapter 177: Assisting a Hat-Trick, Did He Become Fierce After Changing Numbers

"Feeling it, brothers! Can we pin them down and crush them?"

"This goal had a lot of luck; Tang Ye actually didn't control the ball on the spot for seven seconds, which is a bit of a pity."

"Nanbo Tian! Tang~~Ye!"

"Villarreal!"

Boom! Boom!

"Villarreal!"

Boom! Boom!

Less than 20 minutes in, the away side Villarreal scored first.

The away fans seized this chance, screaming their team's name wildly, but the Real Sociedad fans were no pushovers; within just a few seconds, they immediately reasserted their sovereignty over the stadium.

Escrivá strolled back and forth on the sidelines.

Since returning from the Christmas break, the Villarreal players' training form has been very average; this is exactly why Escrivá put Tang Ye in the starting lineup.

This is a special situation!

To be honest, Escrivá was a bit nervous about today's match, but now it seems he actually didn't need to be so nervous.

The Villarreal players returned from the Christmas break, and of course, Real Sociedad did too.

Up to this point in the match, Escrivá had a feeling: both sides' players seemed to be sleepwalking.

Obviously, this is the problem exposed by too few training sessions recently.

At this moment, Villarreal actually had the advantage.

Because Escrivá knew that Tang Ye's form had basically nothing to do with training.

As long as he didn't stay up late playing games, GG Bond was at full strength!

The opponents' eleven are sleepwalking; our ten are sleepwalking.

10 is less than 11; the advantage is mine!

"Come on, come on!"

Bruno and Musacchio clapped together to encourage their teammates.

Tang Ye copied the gesture and started clapping too, because he felt doing so would make the team more imposing.

Anoeta Stadium is huge, and today the home fans generated a lot of momentum.

As the away team, Villarreal also has to pull its weight!

"Pay attention to the center; huddle closer when defending!"

Coach Eusebio issued tactical instructions.

Just as remembered from the last encounter, Villarreal's Golden Boy attacking midfielder possessed an incredibly astonishing ability to penetrate the defensive line.

However, the situation was not exactly the same as the last encounter.

Now, that number 10's passing ability seems to have gotten stronger again?

Thinking of this, Eusebio felt uncomfortable all over.

It's only been three months since the two teams last met; how could Tang Ye's level show a growth visible to the naked eye?

Is this reasonable?

Soon, Tang Ye received the ball in the center; while waiting for his teammates, he spun around twice on the spot, and his outstanding ball-control technique made Eusebio's eyes gleam.

Yes!

During the last encounter, Tang Ye didn't know how to spin!

But now he knows how to spin!

If a 17-year-old player suddenly acquires many new skills, then the reason must be attributed to the coach.

Eusebio pretended to be very calm, pacing back and forth on the sidelines, but in reality, his peripheral vision kept glancing at Escrivá.

Hands in the pockets of his down jacket, he shouted a couple of reminders at appropriate moments whenever a player on the field made a decision error.

At this moment, Escrivá gave Eusebio a certain feeling.

That was calmness!

Very, very calm!

Then the answer was about to reveal itself.

Escrivá controlled Tang Ye's training!

Just then, Escrivá turned his head, scaring Eusebio into quickly turning his head away.

Hiss—

He's lost confidence!

When facing Escrivá, Eusebio was no longer able to maintain his confidence!

The match reached the 35th minute.

"OK, let's look at the possession rate; Villarreal's possession rate is 52%, Real Sociedad is 48%; this possession rate is okay, Villarreal has the advantage."

"... If they don't pass to Tang Ye, the possession rate could reach 60%?"

"Room manager, ban this person."

"..."

"OK, here we go, brothers!"

"Rodrigo is running super fast; damn, truly worthy of being Tang Tang Qiuwang's little brother!"

"Straight ahead, a long pass to Bruno on the right, who is in a more advanced position!"

This was a steal in the backfield, so the counterattack absolutely had to be very fast!

Ignoring Bruno on the side, Tang Ye himself ran first toward the forward position.

Move forward as much as possible!

Crack!

Bruno's pass finds Bacca.

This position is excellent now!

Tang Ye said nothing; while Bacca and Zurutuza engaged in a one-on-one, he sprinted straight to the right flank's byline.

"There he is!"

"Tang Ye's second on-field position!"

"Striker!"

"Let's see how he plays it!"

After running ahead of Bacca, Tang Ye began to slow down; just then, Berchiche shifted over and planted himself right beside Tang Ye.

Bacca decisively passed, then accelerated toward the byline; Tang Ye actively ran toward the ball, then sharply knocked it back with his heel, successfully delivering Pi Qiu Cheng Gong to Bacca, who was making his run down the line.

"Damn!"

Berchiche was furious!

Because he felt he had been toyed with!

There were no defenders left at the byline; he had to get there quickly!

Berchiche chased after Bacca, while Tang Ye simply stood still on the spot.

"What's wrong?"

Bruno shouted at Tang Ye; at that moment, Bacca suddenly played the ball back.

Tang Ye actively ran toward the rolling ball.

Controlling the ball was out of the question!

Crack!

【De Bruyne 45-Degree Cross Lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 117/500

A 45-degree cross!

But not a standard 45-degree cross; Tang Ye's pass was not lofted high.

【Pass↑Overhead ball, the ball didn't even clear the near post~~】

Indeed, it didn't clear the near post, because Tang Ye's pass was aimed straight for the six-yard box.

Crack!

The ball struck the ground behind the two opposing defenders, bounced up, and was already inside the six-yard box.

Unquestionably, it was Ale, the center forward positioned furthest forward, who reached the spot first.

He crouched low and immediately headed the ball!

Goal!

【You have gained 10 Counterattack Points】

【Assist brace achieved; you have gained an additional 10 Counterattack Points】

"Vamos!"

Ale roared fiercely at the goalkeeper, Rulli, then turned and began searching for Tang Ye's location.

He shook his head rapidly.

Found him!

Ale charged quickly toward Tang Ye, a fierce expression plastered on his face.

Oh shit...

Tang Ye stood frozen for a moment, too afraid to move; once he snapped out of it, he took off running.

Ale:?

"To... Tom?"

Ale slowed down, his expression returning to normal.

"Don't go, over here!"

Bruno pushed Tang Ye from behind, running him toward where Ale was standing.

"Vamos!!!"

The first half ended, with the visiting Yellow Submarine carrying a 2-0 advantage into the second half.

Leading by two goals was excellent, but facing an opponent of Real Sociedad's caliber, Escrivá did not dare let his guard down; he picked up a marker and began scribbling "scratch scratch" on the tactical whiteboard.

Sitting in his seat, Tang Ye lightly tapped the chewing gum in his hand as if counting banknotes, with Rodri sitting right beside him.

"Rode, I feel like I might be about to complete an assist hat-trick."

Tang Ye put the counted gum into his pocket and suddenly said.

Rodri turned his head: "Feel like you're about to complete an assist hat-trick?"

"What kind of feeling is that?"

Rodri widened his eyes; both he and Tang Ye were midfielders, so why had he never felt the sensation Tang Ye was describing?

"Eh, I don't know how to explain it either."

Tang Ye rubbed his hand: "It's just a very strange feeling, a sense that I'll have another assist in the second half."

"Alright..."

Rodri nodded, his face showing a thoughtful expression.

A strange feeling.

He felt he would still have an assist in the second half.

This...

Although they had known each other for nearly half a year, Rodri still found it somewhat difficult to understand the guy living opposite him.

If Rodri, as Tang Ye's good friend, couldn't understand Tang Ye, then there was even less hope for the Real Sociedad group in the home team's locker room.

Eusebio was probably already babbling incoherently in the locker room by now!

"Do you want some chewing gum?"

Noticing Rodri staring at him, Tang Ye thought Rodri wanted his chewing gum.

"Oh, thanks."

Rodri reached out and took the chewing gum Tang Ye offered.

"It's fine, Rod. I keep the chewing gum in the middle compartment of my backpack; if you want some, just take it directly without asking me. I have lots and lots."

The second half was about to begin, and Tang Ye stepped onto the pitch carrying that peculiar feeling about assists.

"Booo—!!!"

The home fans on both sides of the stands booed the Yellow Submarine players just emerging from the tunnel.

Damn it!

Tang Ye felt somewhat angry, so angry he wanted to trade insults with the fans in the stands.

Thus.

"They're too arrogant!"

Tang Ye covered his mouth and whispered to Bruno beside him.

"It doesn't matter."

Bruno clapped forcefully, forcing himself to get excited.

"They won't be able to shout in a moment!"

Only five minutes into the second half, head coach Eusebio immediately made a substitution.

Oyarzabal, who had performed poorly in the first half, was substituted off.

Soon, Eusebio's substitution paid off; the newly entered Concha created an excellent opportunity for the team with a bursting run down the wing, and the striker Hu Hu Anmi did not waste the chance created by his teammate, scoring after receiving Concha's low cross from the byline.

Real Sociedad successfully leveled the score to 1:2!

"Mark your man!"

Asenjo roared at Ruiz: "I just told you he ran in!"

Hu Hu Anmi's goal helped Real Sociedad regain their momentum!

Escriba called González and Rodri to the sideline.

"Watch the offside line! If you keep an eye on the offside line, this won't happen!"

"Tell Mateo (Musacchio) and the others to pay attention!"

Time quickly moved to the 70th minute.

At this moment, the score on the pitch was still 1:2, with the away team, the Yellow Submarine, leading by one goal.

Leading was a good thing, no doubt, but Tang Ye soon received bad news.

The feeling of assisting that had arisen in his mind during halftime was slowly fading away.

He had to seize the time! Tang Ye very much wanted to achieve a hat-trick in his first match wearing the number 10 jersey, so his mindset inevitably became anxious.

Moreover, Tang Ye's position was rather special, which directly caused the rhythm of all 11 Yellow Submarine players on the pitch to speed up.

Escriba shouted a few times from the sideline at first, but he soon realized the root of the problem.

If he asked Bruno and González to slow down the pace, those two would become disconnected from the other nine teammates on the pitch.

Therefore, to solve the team's rhythm problem, one had to cut straight to the heart of the team.

Tang Ye!

Eyes turned to Tang Ye on the pitch; the guy spun halfway around right in front of the opposing defensive midfielder. The defender, getting anxious, attempted a tackle, but at that moment, Tang Ye directly flicked the ball up with his toe.

He broke free directly!

"..."

Scratching his head, the gambler's mentality made Escriba decide to observe a little longer first.

If the situation went wrong, it wouldn't be too late for him, as head coach, to make a move then!

!

The 79th minute.

"Damn, I'm here!"

Tang Ye shouted loudly as he ran to the position at the top of the arc, just as Sansone's cutback pass arrived.

OK!

Tang Ye decisively moved out of the way, letting the ball roll past him to a spot slightly to his right.

He took a step forward and to the right.

Pa!

【De Bruyne Far-Corner Curling Shot Lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 68/400

Tom chose to shoot directly!

The leather ball flew off the grass, kicking up a spray of turf fragments.

It looked incredibly cool, but Tang Ye had messed up this damn shot; he struck it a bit too low, and it smashed straight into Martinez's face.

"Damn!"

Tang Ye clutched the back of his head in regret, only for the ball, rebounding off Martinez's face, to roll right back to his feet.

Hm?

"Through!"

Tang Ye shouted, swung his thigh, and gently tapped the ball with the instep of his foot, sending the airborne sphere into a low, driven through-pass.

Tang Ye could have played a high ball, but the instinct of a striker...

No, the instinct of a midfielder!

A midfielder's instinct told Tang Ye that a low through-pass would be much easier for the striker to handle.

The ball slipped between Martinez and Navas; Aleix helped hold his position to block Navas from tracking back, just as Sansone charged up from the left flank.

A driven shot!

"Gooooaaallll!!!!"

"Goal!"

"Holy crap! Nice one, Sansone, you didn't waste my, Tang Tang Qiuwang's, brilliant pass!"

Wang Chao threw both hands up, then suddenly something clicked.

"Wait!"

"Wait!"

"Damn, did Tang Ye just complete an assist hat-trick!"

"Awesome!"

Bang bang bang!

The mechanical keyboard slammed violently against the desk, keycaps flying into the camera like exploding fireworks.

This was Wang Chao's unique way of celebrating!

【You have obtained 10 Counterattack Points】

【Assist hat-trick achieved; you have obtained an additional 40 Counterattack Points】

【First-ever Copa del Rey assist hat-trick; you have obtained an additional 40 Counterattack Points】

Ninety yuan per goal!

That's exactly how you make money!

In his excitement, Tang Ye didn't rush out immediately; instead, he jogged in small steps to the area below the home stands and slowly spread his arms wide.

Bruno ran up from behind.

"Vamos!"

The camera cut to the home team's bench, where Eusebio had, at some unknown point, returned to his seat.

As the head coach of Real Sociedad, he had analyzed the match situation very clearly.

Under the current circumstances, his team basically had no chance left.

Even playing at home was useless!

Watching Tang Ye celebrate right in front of him, Eusebio didn't know how to describe his current state of mind.

Tom decided this match; Tom decided everything!

No, that's wrong!

It was Escribá!

Actually, the person controlling everything behind the scenes was Escribá!

Thinking of this, Eusebio secretly glanced at Escribá, who was standing in the distance.

Then.

He shamefully lowered his head.

To be fair, what Real Sociedad actually lost to wasn't the players, nor the team itself.

They lost because of the coach.

Escribá had completely crushed Eusebio!

【What's going on, did the opposing coach just shut down?】

【Eusebio, pull yourself together, Eusebio!】

【Leading 3:1 after the first leg, I'm officially declaring Yellow Submarine has advanced to the quarter-finals.】

【Here's a scary story: after the Copa del Rey ends, Yellow Submarine plays Barcelona in the league.】

【!!!!】

【Don't be afraid, brothers, don't be afraid! With my Tang Tang Qiuwang here, nobody needs to fear!】

【The moment Barcelona is mentioned, you start trembling; you're just embarrassing Tang Ye's fans!】

Check Dongqiu Di Match Report: Villarreal defeated Real Sociedad 3:1 to secure victory in the first leg; the second leg will kick off at 2:00 AM on January 12.

Check Dongqiu Di Match Preview: At 3:45 AM on January 9 (Beijing Time), in Round 17 of La Liga, Villarreal will host Barcelona.

After smoothly securing the first leg of the Copa del Rey, the fans' attention immediately shifted to Yellow Submarine's next match.

Round 17 of the league, and the opponent is Barcelona, currently top of the league standings!

A forward line composed of Messi, Neymar, and Suárez!

Just thinking about Tang Ye facing Messi made many fans so excited they couldn't sleep, chatting endlessly in the comments section.

As for Tang Ye, putting aside the matter of the next match for now, as the MVP of this game, he was invited by reporters to join Escribá in the press conference room.

It was time to accept an interview!

Click-clack! Click-clack!

Upon entering the room, the rapid clicking of reporters' camera shutters erupted; feeling considerable pressure, Tang Ye quickened his pace, arriving on stage a step ahead of Escrivá.

There were five seats, and Tang Ye casually chose one.

The one right in the center.

After briefly adjusting his sitting posture, Tang Ye looked at the reporters before him.

He then discovered the reporters were staring at him in a daze.

Hmm?

What's wrong?

Click!

Click-clack! Click-clack!

The camera shutter sounds made Tang Ye unconsciously raise a hand to shield his eyes; at that moment, Aleix, who was also participating in the interview, hurried over, pretending nothing was amiss while secretly patting Tang Ye on the back.

Tang Ye turned his head to look at Aleix, who had sat down at the far edge, closed his mouth, and pondered carefully for a moment.

Oh, right!

Tang Ye stood up, yielding the central seat to Escrivá; the Spanish head coach, who had slowly entered from behind, sat in the spot Tang Ye had just occupied.

The reporters on site began to buzz noisily; since they had many things to ask today, they were inevitably somewhat anxious.

Soon, the first reporter stood up; between Escrivá and Tang Ye, he chose to interview Tang Ye first.

"Tom."

Called by name by the reporter, Tang Ye turned his head to look at the standing reporter wearing glasses.

"During the summer window, you registered in La Liga with the number 99 jersey under the identity of a youth team player, temporarily assisting the first team in matches; was this method of registration your own idea?"

Escrivá wanted to remind Tang Ye, but this kind of question was still manageable for him.

"I used number 99 when I was at Utrecht, so I chose number 99 when I came here; it just so happened that, being under 19, I registered with the B team."

The reporter nodded.

"So, are you actually a first-team player or a youth team player?"

"..."

In the lens, Tang Ye's expression suddenly froze into stagnation.

A first-team player or a youth team player?

Good question!

Tang Ye needed to think about this.

Click-clack! Click-clack!

Click-clack-click-clack-click!

Originally, Tang Ye was already feeling considerable pressure thinking about this problem; the incessant clicking of camera shutters on site felt like they were urging him on, causing him to struggle for a long time to figure out what was originally a very simple question.

"I suppose I count as a first-team player."

Tang Ye lifted his head to look at the reporter who had just asked the question.

"Suppose?"

The reporter frowned.

"Suppose..."

"... maybe?"

Tang Ye blinked his eyes, then looked toward Escrivá on his left; the latter was staring at Tang Ye with wide eyes.

Did Mr. Ferran seem rather displeased with this answer?

Tang Ye was thrown into some confusion; mainly, he remembered that he had indeed signed the youth team registration form at the time, so strictly speaking, he could not be considered a standard first-team player.

Forget it; no need to dwell too much on this issue.

The reporter posed his second question to Tang Ye.

It concerned the jersey number.

How did Tang Ye feel about wearing the number 10 jersey, and why, after switching to the number 10 jersey, did he achieve a hat-trick of assists in his very first match?

"I think number 10 is a very good number; just like the previous number 99, both numbers hold significant meaning for me."

Tang Ye spoke slowly: "As for my feelings about this number... hmm, I feel that wearing the number 10 jersey brings somewhat greater pressure, because this number makes me feel like I am a first-team player."

?

The reporter raised an eyebrow; Tang Ye had not yet noticed the problem in his wording, but the reporter did not interrupt him.

Tang Ye tugged at the clothes on his body, then looked back at the reporter: "Wearing this jersey gives me a sense of responsibility; it should be this sense of responsibility that allowed me to perform better in the match; I will put in even more effort."

Click-clack! Click-clack!

The reporter's attention shifted to Escrivá.

"Ferran, in the next match you will face Barcelona; do you have anything to say about the upcoming game? Do you think the team can win against Barcelona?"

As expected, the reporters were definitely going to hammer away at the question of the next match against Barça.

Back in the locker room, Escrivá had already guessed the reporters would ask this question, but now that he was actually being asked, he still hadn't come up with a suitable way to answer.

"Barça is very strong; currently, they are in first place. If we are to compete against Barça, we need to bring our very best form, otherwise there will be no chance. However, I believe our current form is excellent, so we can go toe-to-toe with Barça."

"But Barça has very formidable players, which is what fans are very concerned about; currently, your most notable star player is Tom, but there is still a huge gap between Tom and Messi, Neymar, and Suárez."

"..."

The reporter had struck hard at Escrivá, directly making him somewhat flustered.

Everyone knows that Yellow Submarine is a strong team of commoners; unlike other La Liga powerhouses that possess star players valued at 50 million, 60 million, or even nearly 100 million euros, so bringing up star players when interviewing Yellow Submarine is indeed somewhat unreasonable.

"This..."

Escrivá flung his hands upward, his expression far from pleasant.

"I know Messi, I know Neymar, and I know Suárez, but they cannot decide the victory of a match."

"I suggest you open the assist leaderboard and see how many assists Messi, Neymar, and Suárez have combined; then look at Tom and see how many assists he has. The sum of their three assist totals does not even exceed Tom's. I know this is cruel, but it is the fact. It is a very cruel fact."

?

Tang Ye whipped his head around to look at Escrivá beside him.

Wait, Mr. Ferran?

I... damn it...

The pressure of the number 10 jersey is already immense, yet Mr. Ferran wants to heap even more pressure on him!

(End of Chapter)