Chapter 195: Creating an Attacking Opportunity: The Upgrade Quest for the French Legendary Chest!

The clock hits the 31st minute!

"Let's look at the current stats for both sides... Villarreal still holds a significant advantage in the objective data, especially in scoring opportunities; so far, Villarreal has created eight decent chances."

"Hmm... half of those were created by Tang Ye."

"In terms of possession, Villarreal is also leading, though not by a large margin."

Wang Chao and the livestream audience briefly analyzed the stats for both teams.

Currently, Villarreal leads in every statistical category, which is reflected in the scoreline.

Villarreal leads Celta 1–0, which is good news for both Villarreal's players and fans.

However, despite being ahead, Villarreal continues to maintain its own attacking rhythm.

A major reason for this is Tang Ye!

Tang Ye's lateral movements and his feints as a striker cutting to the baseline have inadvertently accelerated the pace of the match.

Because they are quite familiar with it, Villarreal's players are accustomed to this rhythm.

But Celta is different; Tom's continuous distribution from the edge of the box has placed immense pressure on them!

Head coach Berizzo needs to figure something out!

The 37th minute!

"Go, go, go! Push forward a bit!"

"You can pass now, you can pass now!"

"Drop back, drop back!"

Under Escrivá's rapid commands, Villarreal's players found an attacking opportunity in the central area of the final third.

Tang Ye trapped the ball passed back by Bacambu under his foot.

From his observations just now, Tang Ye hadn't found a suitable passing option.

Obviously, due to the earlier goal, Celta's defenders had become much more cautious.

Unable to find a direct assist target, Tang Ye could only pass the ball to Rodri on the left.

But just as Tang Ye lifted his foot to pass, Radoja charged straight up from who-knows-where.

Damn!

Tang Ye was startled; he quickly turned his body sideways and knocked the ball to Rodri on the left.

Boom!

Radoja collided with Tang Ye; the sudden impact caused Tang Ye to lose his balance and fall straight to the ground.

This was clearly a foul by Radoja, but since Villarreal retained possession, the referee did not blow his whistle.

Advantage played!

After rolling a quarter turn, Tang Ye scrambled up from the ground and immediately sprinted toward the front field.

At that moment, Rodri made his passing choice, threading a through ball to Sansone on the left baseline.

Sansone controlled the ball!

He dribbled toward the penalty area using the outside of his foot!

Sansone was compressing Celta's defensive line in their own half.

At this moment, the position at the edge of the box became crucial!

"Edge of the box!"

Goalkeeper Álvarez shouted a warning; center-back Roncaglia wanted to cover the edge of the box, but Ale's run into the penalty area put too much pressure on him.

To prevent Sansone from crossing directly for Ale to score, Roncaglia absolutely could not leave the penalty area!

Sansone!

No rush; first, he performed a few step-overs outside the box to intimidate the opposing defenders.

At this moment, he looked toward the far post and the edge of the box.

Tang Ye had shaken off Díaz's marking and was now cutting inside toward the edge of the box!

This was an opportunity!

Snap!

Sansone decisively played a cutback!

The pass was a bit high, so Tang Ye actively slowed his pace.

Leaning his upper body backward, he controlled the ball with his chest!

After breaking through the 80 mark in his ball-control attribute, Tang Ye handled such mid-to-high balls with complete ease.

He chested the ball down into an open space right in front of him!

Here lay a system bug.

Touches with the head and chest were not counted within the 【Fernández First-Touch Module】.

In other words, Tang Ye's shot would still enjoy the 10% accuracy bonus!

What was there to hesitate about!

He swung his left leg!

He had to let Celta's goalkeeper witness the power of his Level 5 Far-Corner Curling Shot!

"Block it!"

Álvarez shouted loudly.

Before the match, Celta's coaching staff had specifically given the players an analysis class focused on Villarreal.

Analyzing Villarreal meant, above all, analyzing Tom.

Álvarez had watched match footage of Tang Ye; he knew just how strong Tang Ye's curling shot from distance was!

Absolutely cannot let him shoot!

Boom!

Tang Ye's foot struck the ball; just as it popped up from the grass, Gomez suddenly charged forward, blocking the shot with his body while knocking Tang Ye down.

"Damn it!"

Tang Ye stumbled back a few steps, then plopped down on the ground.

"..."

The referee blew the whistle to signal a foul, but Tang Ye didn't rush to stand up; he was feeling a bit sore.

The moment he struck the ball, he had a premonition it would go in, only for Gomez to suddenly appear and knock him flying.

This was simply a case of being too eager.

He should have observed the situation first!

"Tom!"

Rodri ran over and yanked Tang Ye up from the ground.

Taking the ball handed over by the opposing goalkeeper, Tang Ye held it and surveyed the spot where Gomez had committed the foul.

Having a nearly certain long-range shot blocked by an opposing defender was not a happy occasion.

But the good news was that the spot where Gomez had knocked Tang Ye down was an excellent position for a free kick.

If handled properly from this position, one could even shoot directly!

Bruno walked over.

The Yellow Submarine captain said nothing, merely patting Tang Ye's arm.

This was a habitual signal between the two.

Bruno would provide cover for Tang Ye!

"That number 20 on the other side is truly f***ing disgusting."

"But I feel the Yellow Submarine actually gained an advantage this time; the position of this set piece is simply perfect!"

"Tang Tang Qiuwang!"

"What's the call!"

Hoo, hoo, hoo...

Stepping onto the white line just drawn by the referee, Tang Ye quickly adjusted his breathing.

Boos and fake whistles from the home fans echoed from the stands.

They wanted to interfere with the Yellow Submarine's set-piece taker as much as possible.

This kind of interference could effectively affect the opposing passer's mindset, but what the Celta fans didn't know was that Tang Ye wasn't really susceptible to such tactics.

For Tang Ye, if he felt nervous, he just needed to bite down on the gum in his mouth.

The boos and fake whistles from the stands wouldn't have much of an impact on him.

Tang Ye and Bruno simultaneously raised their left hands.

Bruno ran out first, while Tang Ye stared intently into the penalty area.

As soon as Bruno made his run, chaos erupted in the Celta penalty area, causing many players to change their positions.

After scanning the situation inside the box, Tang Ye began his run-up.

"Boom!"

It was an instep drive; the ball struck by Tang Ye flew through the gap between Musacchio and Roncaglia.

Then it shot straight into the goal.

It wasn't aimed at a corner, but the goalkeeper clearly hadn't expected Tang Ye to shoot directly, standing rooted to the spot without moving.

Alvarez failed to notice the gap between Musacchio and Roncaglia.

But Tang Ye noticed it!

"Haha!"

Tang Ye stood in place, spreading his arms wide.

He didn't need to run to the stands; his friends were all inside the penalty area.

Soon his friends would emerge from the box and embrace him tightly.

Just like now!

"Vamos Tom!"

Bruno pulled Tang Ye into his embrace, while Ale and Sansone were also rushing over.

【You have obtained 15 Counterattack Points】

【Times Creating Offensive Opportunities: 7/18】

Scoring directly from a set piece also counted as creating an offensive opportunity.

With less than 40 minutes played in the first half, Tang Ye had already created seven offensive opportunities according to the system records.

There's a chance!

Completing the Legendary Chest upgrade mission in today's match was indeed possible!

"Villarreal!"

"Villarreal!"

As Tang Ye walked back to his position, faint cheers came from the away section of the stands.

So Tang Ye turned toward the away stands and raised both his hands.

"Oh!!!"

"Tom!!!"

Haha!

Hearing his name, Tang Ye was delighted and reached for his pocket.

Tang Ye really wanted to give the chewing gum in his pocket to the fans in the stands, but the moment he took it out, his hand froze.

He was currently about thirty or forty meters away from the stands.

There was no way he could throw it that far...

With no other choice, Tang Ye could only put the gum back and give the stands a thumbs-up.

Giving gifts could wait; right now, Tang Ye needed to play this match well so the fans would be happy.

After securing victory in this match, Tang Ye would definitely run down to the away section to celebrate with the fans!

The match had reached the 45th minute!

There were two minutes of stoppage time in the first half; barring any surprises, Yellow Submarine would have very few chances to launch attacks!

Tang Ye dribbled quickly to the right flank of the pitch and shouted loudly.

"Cut inside a bit!"

!!!

Understanding the signal, Allé and Bruno immediately ran toward the penalty area.

Okay, that should be about right!

He dribbled forward a few simple steps.

Then passed directly!

Slap!

【De Bruyne 45-Degree Cross Lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 138/500

He had indeed used the 45-Degree Cross skill, but instead of sending the ball into the central penalty area, Tang Ye delivered it to Sansone on the left baseline.

Sansone extended his foot and easily trapped the pass from Tang Ye at his feet.

He drove the ball forward, pressing into the penalty area!

He saw the opportunity!

He passed directly into the six-yard box!

Sansone's square pass found the penalty area, and Allé, charging forward, seized the chance to dive.

Allé had actually intended to execute a sliding shot, but Sansone's cross was slightly too fast, and in the end, Allé failed to make contact with the ball.

Center-back Roncaglia immediately cleared the ball out for a corner!

"Hmm..."

Tang Ye shook his hand.

A bit of a pity.

Sansone should have delivered that pass higher...

However, it wasn't all bad news.

【Chances Created: 9/18】

Nine chances created in the first half.

Nine in just one half!

Doing a quick calculation, wouldn't that mean eighteen for the full match?

"Beep——!!!"

Check Dongqiu Di Halftime Report: Yellow Submarine leading Celta 2:0 away; Tang Ye with an assist and a direct free-kick goal.

【ggbond is in peak form today; the opposition is probably done for!】

【ggbond is in peak form every single match, obviously】

【Celta reaching the semifinals was purely luck, honestly】

【Yellow Submarine got lucky too; if Barcelona wants to reach the final, they'll have to beat Atlético Madrid first】

【Just wait until Yellow Submarine crushes Barcelona, then they'll behave】

Yellow Submarine crushing Barcelona?

That was certainly what the fans wanted to see.

But it was just wishful thinking.

Due to tactical matchups, for Yellow Submarine, playing against Barcelona was far more difficult than playing against Real Madrid!

At halftime, the away dressing room was lively.

Escribá had not yet returned; Tang Ye and Bruno stood right in the center.

"Look, look, Bruno, I did exactly this just now; I saw the gap between those two of theirs."

Tang Ye reenacted for Bruno his direct free-kick goal from the first half.

Slap!

Tang Ye kicked a mineral water bottle on the ground, sending it flying, then shook his head.

"The level of control is a bit tricky, but anyway, it was something like this; the goalkeeper simply couldn't react in time."

"Alright, alright!"

Escribá entered from outside, pushing Tang Ye's back toward the interior of the dressing room: "I know your free-kicks are formidable, but Tom, sit down first; I still have many things to say."

"Okay, okay." Tang Ye sat down on the bench; Escribá gently patted his head twice before returning to the side of the tactical board in the center.

"We played very well in the first half; the momentum is with us, but I won't say we've already won this match."

The marker in Escribá's hand moved rapidly across the tactical board, and soon a simple tactical diagram took shape.

"Although our opponents are not in good condition, their thinking is very clear: they intend to attack through our center. Do you understand what I'm saying? Penetrating offense—that is what our opponents are pursuing."

Celta and Alavés play very similarly, so Tang Ye carefully recalled the words Escrivá had spoken before the match against Alavés.

"Therefore, our positioning should be deeper; that way, even if they manage to pass the ball out, it will be useless."

Tang Ye spoke softly, as he was addressing Rodri beside him.

But for some reason, Escrivá heard what Tang Ye had just said.

"The positioning does need to be deeper, but Tom, your position remains unchanged; you just focus on receiving and passing the ball up front."

Ah...

Tang Ye lifted his head: "Mr. Ferran, I am also very skilled at defense; if an opposing player receives a through ball in front of me, I will find a way to tackle it away."

!

"Your defense is fine—uh, Tom, I don't mean to look down on your defending; your defense is formidable, but we don't need it for now, just for now, okay? Every player has their own task; Tom, your task is to attack, to find ways to pass the ball to suitable attacking positions, and that is enough."

Escrivá explained quickly.

The Escrivá of now was no longer the Escrivá of before.

He knew how to maximize Tang Ye's role.

Ma Ti, standing nearby, listened to Escrivá's words and slowly began to smile.

With the restrictions from the upper management lifted, Yellow Submarine's two coaches could finally use Tang Ye without any limits.

Chairman Roig had already stated that there was no need to worry about what would happen after Tang Ye left.

The upper management demanded that Yellow Submarine burn with all its might this season.

Then let it burn with all its might!

Use Tom's desire to attack to completely ignite the Submarine!

Thinking thus, Ma Ti unconsciously clenched his fists.

He seemed to see the future!

The Submarine was about to surface!

Eh, wait...

For some unknown reason, the excited expression on Ma Ti's face suddenly froze.

Just then, the players in the locker room were preparing to return to the pitch, and Ma Ti stopped Escrivá at the doorway.

"What's wrong, Ma Ti?"

Escrivá felt that Ma Ti's current state was somewhat strange.

"We are already leading by two goals, yet there is no smile on your face."

"I know, but this has nothing to do with the lead."

Ma Ti shook his head quickly, then asked Escrivá a question.

"Ferran, do you think... I've been poisoned?"

"You haven't been poisoned; just like me, I haven't been poisoned either; neither of us has been poisoned."

Escrivá patted Ma Ti's arm, then quickly ran toward the player tunnel.

The second half was about to begin!

"Celta!"

Boom! Boom!

"Celta!"

Boom! Boom!

The King's Cup was extremely important for Yellow Submarine, and naturally, it was just as important for Celta.

This was precisely why the fans onsite were so passionate.

They had made it past Real Madrid, only to fall at Yellow Submarine's feet on the road to the final.

Was this appropriate?

It was not appropriate!

Celta ought to defeat both Real Madrid and Yellow Submarine consecutively to charge into the King's Cup final!

After the second half began, Tang Ye could clearly feel the opponent's offense intensifying.

This played exactly right into his hands.

After all, Tom was also going to keep attacking relentlessly in the second half!

"Up front, up front!"

Tang Ye pointed toward the right flank near the baseline, played a through ball that bypassed Díaz, and delivered it precisely to Gaspar, who was making a run down the line.

【Attacks Created +1】

The stat 'Attacks Created' was a strange thing; when trailing, one could not farm it no matter how hard one tried, but when momentum was built while leading, it became easy to accumulate.

Tang Ye increasingly felt that he could achieve his goal of eighteen attacks before this match ended!

"Gaspar! Run toward the baseline!"

"OK, the speed is quite good, Tang Ye!"

"Cut inside toward the center!"

After reaching the baseline, Gaspar saw no opportunity, so he did not pass the ball immediately but kept it under control at his feet.

Tang Ye suddenly felt a bit regretful.

Just now, he should have also helped Gaspar find a passing position!

But it didn't matter; there was still a decent opportunity now.

Slap!

Gaspar passes the ball back to Bruno with an inverted triangle pass.

Tang Ye watched Bruno receive the ball, then quickly glanced back at the penalty area.

Then he reached out his hand toward Bruno!

Bruno did not pass the ball directly to Tang Ye's feet.

He knew Tang Ye's habits, playing a direct through-ball to a spot one and a half steps in front of Tang Ye.

Okay, a very comfortable position!

Roncaglia was very clever; at this moment, he ran toward Tang Ye.

Although he would definitely receive the ball a step later than Tang Ye, Roncaglia's goal was never to control it.

As long as he pressed forward, Tang Ye would be forced to either cut inside and turn or drag the ball back.

He wouldn't be able to pass forward anymore!

However, Roncaglia was still a bit too naive...

Tang Ye extended his right foot and, right in front of Roncaglia, quickly poked the ball forward with his toe.

Shooting or passing both have a wind-up, but poking with the toe eliminates that!

The ball rolled quickly past Roncaglia's right side into the large penalty area, and after reaching a position near the small penalty area, it was hooked by Ale, who was waiting sideways.

Turn!

Shoot directly!

Alvarez sat down on the spot, hoping to get lucky and block the shot.

But Ale's push was simply too fast; before Alvarez's butt even hit the ground, the ball was already in the net.

"Goal! Goal!"

"Ale!"

"Damn, Tang Ye's toe-poke pass found Ale right near the penalty spot!"

"3-0!"

Wang Chao stood up from his chair and pointed at the camera: "Damn it, that idiot who said Yellow Submarine would concede two goals in the second half at halftime, come out now; I've lifted your ban."

"Account deleted, haha!"

【You obtained 10 Counterattack Points】

【Assist brace achieved; you obtained an additional 20 Counterattack Points】

In the camera frame, the Yellow Submarine players gathered together near the corner flag.

"Come on, come on, Tom, let's do it together!"

Ale pulled Tang Ye to his side, and the latter immediately roared, "Vamos!"

Then he turned to look at Ale: "Sebastian, why aren't you shouting..."

"Wait, wait, I'll count 3-2-1."

"Okay, okay!"

"3, 2, 1!"

"VAMOS!!!!!"

The few Celta fans in the lowest row of the home stand were nearly scared to death by the duo's roar.

"Beep!"

The striker Rossi kicked off the second goal of the second half, and the match continued.

【I've already got the script for this match: Yellow Submarine wins the first leg 3-0, the second leg 3-0, advancing to the final with an aggregate score of 6-0.】

【Then in the final, Tang Ye scores five goals and utterly crushes Barca, right?】

【No need for five goals; if Tang Ye scores four, Barca is done for.】

【Calm down, brothers, this match isn't over yet.】

Being shut out at home was definitely unacceptable, so Celta kept searching for attacking opportunities.

This aligned perfectly with what Tang Ye was currently doing.

Taking advantage of the throw-in time, Tang Ye quickly checked his system.

【Times creating attacking opportunities: 13/18】

Indeed, not much left to go!

72nd minute!

Center channel!

Turning to receive the pass from Rodri, he first looked back to assess the situation in the penalty area while running.

He sidestepped to avoid, letting the ball roll behind him.

After turning, he immediately played a direct through-ball!

Because Tang Ye had already memorized the situation in the penalty area behind him while running to receive, this pass was extremely fast.

Ale controlled the ball inside the penalty area!

【Times creating attacking opportunities: 14/18】

Ale controlled the ball inside the penalty area.

Unfortunately, the Celta defenders reacted quickly; the moment Ale received the ball, Roncaglia and Gomez had already blocked the positioning.

Ale's panicked shot went wildly off target.

"It's okay, it's okay!"

Tang Ye raised his hand to signal, then quickly retreated.

Still 4 times short!

The 81st minute!

On the left flank!

This should be a chance!

【De Bruyne 45-Degree Cross Lv4: Deceptive】

Proficiency: 140/600

Sent straight into the penalty area!

【Offensive Chances Created: 15/18】

Celta was now clearly much more cautious; after Bacambu held onto Tang Ye's cross, there were no good opportunities left.

He glanced at the timer on the sideline.

Including stoppage time, there should be a little over 10 minutes remaining until the end of the match.

Creating three offensive chances in this timeframe was slightly tight.

Under pressure, Tang Ye began attempting more passes.

But he soon discovered the problem.

Simply passing the ball to teammates in the front field didn't count unless it created an opportunity to dribble into the penalty area or take a direct shot.

Alright.

Tang Ye exhaled.

He still had to honestly seek out opportunities!

Escribá sat on the substitutes' bench.

Watching Tang Ye send cross after cross forward made his heart race with anxiety.

"How is he finding those opportunities?"

Martí turned and asked.

As an assistant coach, he couldn't understand it.

Then he might as well ask the head coach.

However, this question was indeed somewhat difficult for Escribá.

"If I knew how he finds opportunities, I might already be managing Manchester United."

As a coach for a La Liga team, Escribá had always understood one truth.

There were gaps between coaches as well.

And he, Ferrán Escribá...

He still had a long way to go before becoming a top-tier coach!

(End of Chapter)