Chapter 212: The Advanced Chest Upgrades Directly: The Hazard Self-Sacrificing Ball Shield Template?

【You have placed the Real Madrid Chest·Advanced into the Wealth Management Jar; the wealth management task has begun.】

【Wealth Management Goal: Real Madrid Chest·Advanced → Real Madrid Chest·Superstar】

【Task: Score one goal in this season's match against Barcelona.】

A goal against Barca!

As expected of a task to upgrade an Advanced Chest to a Superstar Chest, the difficulty is quite significant.

However, the task deadline is this season.

Wait!

Tang Ye suddenly remembered that he seemed to have already scored a goal when playing against Barcelona in the first half of the league season?

His mind's attention withdrew from the system, then refocused on it.

【Task: Score one goal in this season's match against Barcelona (Completed)】

【Your wealth management was successful; you have obtained the Real Madrid Chest·Superstar.】

This...

The sudden surprise nearly left Tang Ye unable to react.

It upgraded just like that?

Hiss—

He took a deep breath; he had originally thought he would have to wait until the King's Cup to complete his task.

But now, it seemed there was absolutely no need to wait.

Tonight, Tang Ye could open his chest!

Hmm, better go wash my face first.

Wiping his face clean with a face towel, Tang Ye sat back down in his gaming chair.

【Open Real Madrid Chest·Superstar?】

【You have obtained... the Hazard Self-Sacrificing Ball Shield Template (Superstar).】

"Damn!"

Tang Ye screamed directly from his chair.

A ball-shielding template!

And it's Hazard's!

Although he didn't know what relationship Hazard had with Real Madrid, that wasn't a problem Tang Ye needed to consider.

Tang Ye only needed to know that he had obtained Hazard's template.

The template of Eden Hazard, the Chelsea Heavenly King!

That was enough!

Breathing rapidly to calm his excited emotions, Tang Ye felt the infusion of effort and sweat.

Memories regarding the ball-shielding template flooded Tang Ye's brain.

After briefly experiencing it, Tang Ye realized the core of this 【Hazard Self-Sacrificing Ball Shield】 template was to step on the side of the ball with one foot when an opposing player came to defend.

Self-sacrificing ball shielding, as the name suggests, means using your own lower leg to protect your possession; this method of shielding is extremely useful in 1-vs-2 or 1-vs-3 situations and can be called Hazard's signature move.

Tang Ye cherished his body very much, but since this was Hazard's super template, and moreover the ball-shielding template he desired most...

Let it be self-sacrifice then!

The brain memory infusion was complete; next came muscle memory.

But just at that moment, the system's activity came to an abrupt halt.

"Hm?"

Tang Ye looked down at his feet.

No, why did it stop?

It felt like he hadn't fully learned it yet!

【Your ball control attribute is 80; the Hazard Self-Sacrificing Ball Shield Template requires a minimum ball control attribute of 83.】

"..."

This...

Does this mean he's too weak?

Slapping his own head, Tang Ye sat up straight.

Damn it!

Because his ball control attribute was too low, Tang Ye couldn't shield the ball while changing direction like Hazard.

The infusion of effort and sweat had failed!

He took another look at his current system status.

【Hazard Self-Sacrificing Ball Shield Template (Superstar)】

Status: Not Activated

"Phew..."

Exhaling a long breath, Tang Ye opened his drawer and took out an unopened pack of chewing gum.

Tearing the wrapper with one hand, he felt depressed in his heart.

He had already prepared himself to become a ball-control master.

Slowly placing the chewing gum into his mouth, Tang Ye began to think.

Still short by 3 points in ball control attribute; how should he handle this...

Of course, no solution could be found right now; Tang Ye flopped onto his bed.

【You purchased Hazard's Tartar Sauce Burger】

……

Time passed quickly, and the La Liga matches for March began.

Villarreal's La Liga schedule in March was not difficult, a point Escrivá also made when accepting interviews from reporters.

They needed to seize the opportunities in March to close the gap with the top two teams in the standings!

The first day of March.

"China Media Group! Here is the live broadcast of Round 25 of La Liga, the match between Osasuna at home and Villarreal."

"We can see that players from both sides are ready on the pitch!"

"The referee is checking his watch!"

"Alright, the match has begun!"

"Now, let me introduce the starting lineups for both teams in this match..."

【Charge, charge, charge, the first victory of March!】

【To be honest, Osasuna playing against Villarreal should concede at least three goals; three would even be an underestimate.】

【Yesterday at 4 AM, King Ball Tang broke into the top 500 of FIFA; it must have been evening in Spain. Tang Ye is still formidable.】

【The problem is that games are games and matches are matches; King Ball Tang's good form in the game does not represent good form in the actual match.】

The opponent Osasuna did not have high popularity, but with Villarreal involved, regardless of who the opponent was, it was defined as a marquee match.

The 8th minute!

Receiving the ball in the center, he immediately flicked it to the left to Cheryshev, who was moving up to support.

García wanted to step up and intercept, but Tang Ye certainly would not give him that chance.

Although he was a top-tier possession midfielder, off-ball movement was also extremely important!

"Villarreal is advancing very quickly."

"Tang Ye is pulling wide!"

"He passes directly!"

Slap!

【De Bruyne Bottom Cross Lv3: Simulation】

Proficiency: 127/400

The ball went straight into the penalty area; Aleix's shot first hit goalkeeper Sirigu's ankle, rebounded out, and fell to Bruno, who was positioned outside the box ready to pounce.

Facing this gifted opportunity, Villarreal's veteran captain showed no hesitation, striking the ball directly with a driven shot.

"This one's in!"

"1:0!"

Escrivá raised his right fist in the air.

They had scored a goal before even reaching the 10-minute mark.

Most crucially, Tang Ye's touch count had already reached five, indicating that Osasuna's poor marking had basically achieved no effective result.

Today's match was most likely secured!

The 21st minute!

It was once again an opportunity created by Tang Ye!

Slap!

【De Bruyne 45-Degree Cross: Realistic】

Proficiency: 167/500

The 45-degree cross smashed directly into the penalty area!

"This ball seems like it's going out of bounds—oh, my mistake!"

"Goal!"

Although it bypassed the jumping Aleix, Cheryshev, positioned at the far post, seized the opportunity; after controlling the ball, his Tui She Cheng Gong successfully opened the scoring.

2:0!

An assist from Tang Ye!

Tang Ye was in peak form, while the Osasuna goalkeeper was particularly terrible today.

It could be said that the outcome was already decided!

The first half ended 2:0; Escrivá briefly discussed the first-half issues with the players in the locker room, then let them rest on their own.

Usually, Escrivá would use the entire halftime to discuss tactics, but today his tactical analysis lasted only five minutes.

Obviously, in the eyes of the Spanish head coach, Osasuna could no longer stir up any waves.

Sitting on the bench, Tang Ye rubbed his fingernails; at this moment, Escrivá walked over and said, "If we remain leading in the second half, I will substitute you off early to rest."

After the match against Osasuna, Villarreal still had to play against Espanyol.

Espanyol was definitely more difficult to deal with than Osasuna, so Escrivá wanted to substitute some key players off early to ensure Villarreal would be at full strength when facing Espanyol.

Tang Ye patted Escrivá's arm to indicate that he understood.

The second half of the match began!

Osasuna's counterattacks were still quite capable; at the 51st minute, forward Sergio León scored a goal.

Unfortunately, before the midfielders could pass, a Villarreal defender ran forward proactively, directly creating an offside situation.

The score remained 2:0!

Arriving at the 64th minute!

Osasuna made a substitution adjustment, but this change did not help them create any good opportunities.

Instead, it was Yellow Submarine who capitalized on Osasuna's mistake.

Bang!

This was a sudden tackle from Rodri.

Beautiful, Rodri!

Tang Ye knew this was a scoring opportunity, so he immediately sprinted forward.

Now was the best time to utilize his observational skills.

He actively ran toward the right side.

If Tang Ye ran alone, the opposing defensive midfielder would surely mark him closely, so Tang Ye also called Bakambu over.

Garcia had to choose between Tang Ye and Bakambu.

He ultimately chose Tang Ye!

It was a bit uncomfortable, but no matter; Tang Ye immediately turned to run toward the edge of the penalty area, and Bakambu, now in possession, instantly passed the ball over.

Still an opportunity for Tang Ye!

A through ball into the penalty box!

Cheryshev!

Bang!

"Gooooooaaaaallllll!!!!"

"Goal scored!"

"Beautiful, Villarreal leads by three goals!"

【Assist brace achieved; you receive an extra Counterattack Point *20】

The camera cut to the home fans in the stands; the supporters had been silenced into speechlessness.

Before the match, they thought mastering a counter-attacking tactic would allow them to go head-to-head with Yellow Submarine, but once the game actually started, they realized:

Counter-attacking is not that easy to play!

Osasuna's budget-version tactic had instead plunged them into even greater passivity!

【Invincible; I told you they'd score three】

【The opponents in March aren't strong; feels like Barcelona won't be able to hold onto second place】

【Barcelona has to face Real Madrid, Yellow Submarine has to crush Barcelona, so may I ask, what will Yellow Submarine's final league ranking be?】

【Osasuna is truly terrible, damn it】

【Are you sure it's Osasuna that's terrible? Actually, it's just that Yellow Submarine is f***ing too strong】

In February, Yellow Submarine played against both Roma and Real Madrid.

Roma and Real Madrid are both top-tier horses, so Yellow Submarine's matches against them were extremely grueling.

!

This led many fans to misjudge Yellow Submarine's strength.

After Escrivá's training, Yellow Submarine was actually even stronger than the fans imagined.

Just as the TA reporter said, Escrivá's tactical adjustments and correct player usage would lead Yellow Submarine down the most correct path!

In the 72nd minute, substitute midfielders Soriano and Trigueros came to the sideline.

"Villarreal has prepared to make a substitution; it looks like they're going to change midfielders?"

"Yes, Tang Ye might be substituted off, because Villarreal needs to face Espanyol and Lyon consecutively next, and the upcoming matches will be more critical than today's."

"That's right, let's see if the substitution is going to be..."

"Hey, Tang Ye!"

"Beautiful!"

【De Bruyne Standard Long Pass Lv3: Simulation】

Proficiency: 437/650

Tang Ye's long pass accurately found Cheryshev at the bottom of the left flank.

Cheryshev again!

Cheryshev already had two goals on his record; one more would complete a hat-trick.

However, as the team's veteran striker, Cheryshev remained extremely calm at this moment.

No rush; first, offer a prayer to God.

Then control the ball!

Dribbling little by little toward the penalty area, once in a suitable position, he suddenly passed back to find Costa making a run down the wing.

"Far post!"

The considerate Tom had already found the most suitable passing position for his teammate at this moment.

It is the far post!

Pa!

A 45-degree cross from Jaume Costa!

To be honest, this pass wasn't very accurate, but Osasuna's defense was collapsing; Bakambu had created a two-second gap, yet no one came to mark him.

Jump up!

Header!

"Goal scored!"

"Beautiful! Villarreal's defenders and forwards have formed a connection!"

"4:0!"

It looked like coordination between the defender and the forward, but this play couldn't have been executed with only a defender and a forward.

When Bacambu made his run, he didn't raise his hand to signal, so Costa couldn't discern his intention.

But Tang Ye completed the observation for him.

Costa couldn't see the subtle movement Bacambu made attempting to make a forward run.

But Tang Ye could see it!

His dynamic vision was excellent!

"Clap clap clap clap!"

After offering applause, Escrivá substituted Tang Ye off the field.

"Tom!"

"Tom!"

The away stand fans shouted Tang Ye's name; walking off the pitch, Tang Ye first high-fived Escrivá, then waved to the away stand.

"Tom"

Sansone on the bench extended his hand to fist-bump Tang Ye, who, after sitting down on the chair, quickly untied his shoelaces.

Although shoelaces needed to be tied very tight during matches, Tang Ye actually didn't much like that feeling.

"How was it, not bad right?"

Tang Ye looked at Sansone beside him.

Speaking of which, Sansone felt somewhat regretful today; Yellow Submarine had deliberately targeted the left flank, and if he had played, he might have scored two or three goals.

But today Sansone was on the bench.

"Awesome."

Pulling out the remaining two pieces of gum from his pocket, Sansone took one for himself and gave one to Tang Ye.

Chewing, Tang Ye said, "I feel our form is very good right now; we should have many victories this month."

Watching the match still ongoing on the field, Sansone narrowed his eyes slightly.

Then he suddenly asked, "Including the King's Cup final?"

"Of course it includes that!"

Tang Ye answered very decisively.

Finals are different from semifinals, quarterfinals, and so on.

Finals are special.

Winning a final means you get to lift the trophy!

Check Dongqiu Di Match Report: 4:0 crushing victory over Osasuna, Tang Ye with two assists, Villarreal secures their first win in March.

After the match, the Yellow Submarine players needed to take a plane plus a train to return to Villarreal city; waking up on the train, Tang Ye felt bored and started watching an American drama at his seat.

"Aren't you going to play games?"

Bruno pointed at Tang Ye's tablet screen and said with a smile.

"Huh?"

Tang Ye took off his earphones.

"I said, aren't you going to play games? At a time like this you should be playing games; you are Tom, after all."

"Oh, I usually don't play right after waking up."

Tang Ye explained.

His consciousness had awakened, but his reaction speed hadn't yet; playing games at such a time was absolutely not advisable, being bad for both himself and his teammates in the game.

This was Tang Ye's experience.

"By the way."

Something suddenly occurred to Tang Ye; he muted the video, turned to Bruno, and asked, "Bruno, are you good at shielding the ball?"

"Shielding the ball? Why do you ask about that?"

Bruno chewed the gum Tang Ye had given him.

The train still had over two hours to go, and he was quite willing to chat with Tang Ye.

"Uh, I just want to train that skill; I feel that if I need to control the match more, ball-shielding ability is essential; I need to dribble past people."

In La Liga, Tang Ye had witnessed too many forwards with outstanding dribbling skills, from his teammate Bacambu to his compatriot Neymar; their flexible dribbling made Tang Ye extremely envious.

Of course, most importantly, Tang Ye needed to quickly increase his ball control attributes by three points to activate his still-dormant 【Hazard Self-Sacrifice Ball Shield】 template.

"Haha."

Bruno laughed: "That kind of thing isn't easy to train, is it?"

"Then... should I go ask Mr. Ferran?"

Tang Ye said.

"If it's about asking that, I suggest you ask Martí."

Bruno pointed to assistant coach Martí, who was sitting alone in the back reviewing data.

Compared to Escrivá, who managed the players overall, Martí's responsibilities were slightly more detailed; if Tang Ye wanted to receive more ball control training, asking Martí would be a good choice.

That was excellent news.

Martí was a very approachable person, and Tang Ye was quite happy to chat with him.

"Mm, ball shielding requires long-term training; intensifying your ball shielding training now won't help the team too much. However, if you want to train it, I can incorporate it into the upcoming training sessions."

Martí carefully considered Tang Ye's proposal.

Considering that Tang Ye could switch between attacking midfielder and a false nine, combined with his eerie rhythm-changing ability, extra training in ball shielding would definitely be beneficial for his professional career.

While Ma Ti and Tang Ye were communicating, Escrivá's voice came from the front.

"This is a very good start; we have all done very well."

After finalizing his draft notes, Escrivá held a meeting with the players on the train.

It concerned the team's match schedule for March.

In March, the Yellow Submarine had a total of 4+1+2 matches: four league games, one King's Cup final, and two Europa League Round of 16 ties.

According to Escrivá, the Yellow Submarine would field a half-reserve lineup in the first leg against Lyon, with the aim of laying the groundwork for the upcoming King's Cup final.

"Although the opponent is Barcelona, this is a final; we must make some attempts."

"We failed once against Barcelona before, but I feel we can succeed this time."

As Escrivá spoke bit by bit, Tang Ye, sitting in the back row, listened very attentively.

Yet after hearing it all, he hesitated again.

"Ma Ti, I think we should forget it for now; this matter can be put aside."

"Wow? Why?"

"Let's just train in the normal way; that will be of the greatest help to the team."

Tang Ye had a possession dream, a great possession dream.

But with the Yellow Submarine about to face Barcelona, Tang Ye needed to temporarily set aside his pursuit of possession for the sake of the team.

They still needed to practice passing more, because practicing passing was what could help the team to the greatest extent.

Just as Escrivá had said.

They had failed once when facing Barcelona before.

But this time, Villarreal's tactics had been optimized.

If they met Barcelona again, they were not completely without a chance!

……

PS: The monthly ticket lucky draw ends at 12 a. m. on the 20th; a single chapter will be posted then to announce the winning monthly ticket stubs, so brothers, feel free to participate.

Thanks!

Also, someone asked about the national team matches; the matches are after March 20th, that is, after the King's Cup final.

GG Bond, a hero in a fairy tale.

(End of Chapter)