Chapter 213: Tom Turns 18: Do Birthday Stars Score Goals?

Time arrived on March 4th, the very day of the La Liga Round 26 match between Villarreal and Espanyol.

Tang Ye had long anticipated this day, though not for the match itself, but for the special date of March 4th.

Today was his birthday!

Hmm... based on last year's experience, Tang Ye should be receiving a mission related to the Ultimate Treasure Chest around this time.

But it seemed the exact time had not yet arrived, so Tang Ye had not received any message from the system so far.

"Our opponent today is quite strong, but I think you will score a goal."

On the team bus, Rodri, sitting beside Tang Ye, suddenly spoke; at that moment, Tang Ye was lifting a corner of the curtain to peek at the fans outside.

"Why do you say that?"

Tang Ye turned his head around.

Rodri did not answer; instead, Bruno in front spoke the reason first.

"Because birthday stars always score goals."

"Haha, I hope I can score too."

Tang Ye opened his phone, browsing the blessing messages friends had sent him on WhatsApp.

Among them, Ten Hag's message was rather strange; he had sent his blessings to Tang Ye last night.

The Dutchman was extremely rigorous; he insisted on sending the birthday blessing message at dawn on March 4th China time, because he believed that was when Tang Ye's true birthday occurred.

Frequently dealing with times from different regions made calculating time zones a troublesome matter; Tang Ye now did not even know whether his birthday was March 3rd or March 4th.

Dongqiu Di Match Preview: 1:30 AM, La Liga Round 26, Yellow Submarine hosts Espanyol, Tang Ye's first match after turning 18!

【18 > 17, today Tang Tang Qiuwang should undergo a qualitative change.】

【Ggbond is 18 this year; tell a ghost story: in ten years Ggbond will be 28, and this still isn't his peak period!】

【Ten Hag really suffered a loss; if Tang Ye had turned 18 last year, he wouldn't have ended up in prison.】

【It doesn't matter; my Saint Ten will hide in Manchester and not return to the Netherlands.】

Speaking of Tang Ye's birthday, fans naturally thought of that Dutchman who suffered due to Tang Ye's age.

Ten Hag actually possessed considerable strength; so far this season, Manchester United ranked fifth in the league, only one step away from Champions League qualification.

However...

Ranking fifth in the league was indeed impressive, but Manchester United always gave a feeling that Ten Hag had not brought out his full strength.

Saint Ten's capability during his Utrecht period was far more than this!

Setting Ten Hag's matters aside for now, the fans shifted their attention to the match.

Tang Tang Qiuwang!

Can he secure victory in his first match after turning 18!

Inside the locker room, Tang Ye frowned, wearing a look of deep contemplation.

A birthday should be a happy occasion, yet at this moment Tang Ye was troubled by something in his mind.

He could not find the answer.

"What's wrong, Tom?"

Aleix in front noticed Tang Ye's condition.

"Nothing, I just feel like there's something, but I simply cannot recall it..."

Just as Tang Ye was about to give up thinking, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"I remember now, Espanyol!"

"What does Espanyol have to do with anything?"

Aleix did not quite understand Tang Ye's overreaction.

"Three!"

Tang Ye held up three fingers: "They have three people with exactly the same name."

"China Central Television! This is..."

"The match has begun; we can see that the player wearing the yellow number 10 jersey for Villarreal is Tang Ye; today is his 18th birthday."

"Yes, indeed; while we are often amazed by Tang Ye's performance, we frequently overlook Tang Ye's age. The current assist leader in La Liga, the current top scorer and assist leader in the Europa League; it is hard to imagine that Tang Ye had not yet turned 18 yesterday."

"And today is Tang Ye's first match after turning 18; let us see what kind of performance he can deliver."

"Now let me introduce the starting lineup for the away team, Espanyol, currently ranked 9th in the La Liga standings!"

Espanyol (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Diego Lopez

Defenders: Aaron Martin, Diego Lei Yesi, Oscar Duarte, Javi Lopez

Midfielders: Marc Roca, Jurado, David Lopez

Forwards: Piatti, Moreno, Melendo

Head Coach: Flores

Villarreal had four La Liga matches to play in March, and Espanyol was the strongest among these four teams.

Tom faced a challenge on his birthday!

From the start of the match until the 15th minute, neither team had scored a goal yet, and Tang Ye had hardly appeared on the live broadcast screen.

However, at this moment, Dongqiu Di had already exploded.

【Awesome!】

【I feel Barcelona should have found the answer for next season; just sign Tang Tang Qiuwang directly!】

"Wait, what are you guys talking about?"

"Tang Ye is the most crucial link for Barcelona right now; the Copa del Rey in a few days will test the goods, okay?"

The live stream suddenly erupted with a flood of bullet comments, and fans hurriedly switched screens to enter Check Dongqiu Di.

Check Dongqiu Di pinned post: Villarreal vs. Espanyol, the coming-of-age baptism of the Little Goat Tang Ye is underway...

Reposting from *Marca*—After watching the match between Real Madrid and the Yellow Submarine, Barcelona head coach Enrique has requested the club to increase their offer for Tang Ye. "They hope to leverage Tom to counter the Ceremonial Midfield Trio."

Leverage Tom to counter the Ceremonial Midfield Trio?

Regardless of why Enrique came up with this idea, fans only know one thing: Barcelona truly wants to buy Tang Ye, and that's what matters.

Then isn't Tang Ye's destination for next season already decided? What player is there that Barcelona cannot acquire?

Real Madrid beat reporter Cortegana (reposted by Check Dongqiu Di): Zidane has shown great interest in Tang Ye.

Uh, well!

Whether Barcelona can actually get Tom is really hard to say!

"How about this: Tang Ye transfers to Real Madrid, Tom transfers to Barcelona, one hundred million each, Utrecht nets two hundred million."

"Tang~~ Ye! A 3 million loan contract, Real Madrid and Barcelona fighting over him, next season ↑ gone without a trace~~~"

"Seventeen-year-old Tang Ye is worth 75 million; eighteen-year-old Tang Ye should logically be 75 million × 18/17 = 80 million euros."

"Villarreal: Only 80 million euros? Then I'll buy him first."

"If it's 80 million euros, ES would wake up laughing in his sleep; push for a top-four finish in the Europa League, sell a few more players in the summer window, and the Yellow Submarine might actually be able to raise 80 million euros."

As the fans chatted, Villarreal's attack suddenly materialized.

Quickly toss the phone aside.

Watch the TV!

"Tang Ye, beautiful! A precise through ball finds Sansone near the baseline on the left!"

"Combined with excellent vision, Tang Ye's long-passing ability is top-tier across the entire La Liga."

"Let's look at Villarreal's attack here!"

After completing the long pass, Tang Ye began drifting toward the position near the left baseline.

A familiar flavor!

The procedure of a Tom-style advance: first pass the ball to the winger's feet, then run behind the ball-holding winger.

A winger plus a fake striker—two forwards near the baseline.

Just ask if you're scared or not!

Anyway, Espanyol is scared!

"Up, up!"

Goalkeeper Lopez shouted loudly; at this moment, defender Lopez actively ran out of the penalty area to first block Sansone's position.

"Look at him!"

Defender Lopez assigned midfielder Lopez to mark Tang Ye.

A defensive line composed of three Lopezes; let's see how the Yellow Submarine handles this!

Sansone first did a few step-overs before moving into the penalty area, applying slight pressure on the opposing defense.

At this moment, Sansone still wanted to pass the ball back to Tang Ye behind him, but Tang Ye ran off directly.

Sansone:?

"You come, you come!"

Tang Ye ran toward the center, yielding the receiving position on the left baseline to Costa, who was making an overlapping run from the wing.

The sudden position swap left the opposing defenders somewhat at a loss; at this moment, Villarreal began their maneuver.

Executing exactly as Tang Ye's brain had calculated.

Due to the positioning of the defenders, Sansone had no way to pass the ball directly to Tang Ye.

At this moment, Costa needed to play his role.

Sansone passes to Costa first!

Costa passes to Tang Ye next!

Perfect!

Tang Ye flicked the ball behind himself; just as Lei Yesi rushed up to challenge, Tang Ye's body suddenly paused.

Lei Yesi:?

Tang Ye's sudden feint forced Lei Yesi to stand rooted to the spot; at this moment, Tang Ye used his right foot to flick the ball further to the right.

Shooting directly!

Slap!

【De Bruyne Far-Corner Curling Shot Lv5: Replication】

Proficiency: 0

The ball flew out, shooting straight toward the goal.

However, this curling shot was somewhat rushed; Tang Ye's foot did not fully wrap around the ball.

The angle is mediocre!

Coincidentally, goalkeeper Lopez leaped out with all his might.

Damn!

Tang Ye covered his face; it seemed this shot had little chance.

Lopez's fingertips touched Tang Ye's ball, sending it flying outward to the side.

Duang!

It struck the goalpost!

After rebounding, it flew into the net!

"ggggg——oooooo——lllllll!!!!"

Goal!

"Haha!"

A sudden surge of joy rushed to his brain; Tang Ye spread his arms and ran out alongside Bruno.

Bruno had just said the birthday boy was bound to score, and sure enough, Tang Ye had scored.

"Bruno, you were right!"

Tang Ye shouted, then remembered something and looked up at the stadium's big screen.

Damn it, the referee had actually credited the goal to Lopez!

This was an own goal by Lopez!

"Haha, Tom!"

Bruno shrugged at Tang Ye, who responded with a helpless expression.

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: 34th minute, Tang Ye's curled shot forces an own goal by the goalkeeper; Villarreal leads by one goal.

"Yellow Submarine!"

"Yellow Submarine!"

The cheers from the stands grew louder and louder.

The voice of the fans is the best reflection of a team's current momentum; Villarreal was about to secure their second consecutive league victory in March.

The fans are currently in anticipation of this!

Tang Ye, of course, was also anticipating it!

Besides winning the match, Tang Ye had another personal objective.

That was to score a goal in today's match, just as Bruno had said.

Own goals didn't count!

The match continued; after scoring a goal, the Yellow Submarine did not lessen their offensive pressure.

This was because Tang Ye wanted to score, and Tang Ye's rhythm directly influenced the entire team.

Tang Ye wanting to score equaled the Yellow Submarine wanting to score!

"Wow."

Escrivá, feeling relaxed, nodded unconsciously.

The Yellow Submarine was slowly adapting to Tom's...

Oh, rather, Tom was slowly integrating into the Yellow Submarine's system.

This was a good thing.

It showed that the current Yellow Submarine was improving!

Time reached the 42nd minute of the first half.

Tang Ye, who had actively dropped back into his own half, received the ball from goalkeeper Asenjo.

He turned and sprinted straight forward!

Currently, Tang Ye's speed stat wasn't even 75, but compared to when he played in the Eredivisie, he had become much stronger.

He could dribble forward a few steps, as long as he didn't show off too much!

He looked up to observe.

Tang Ye had now reached the center circle; this was the position where Tang Ye was strongest. Through continuous observation and photographic memory, Tang Ye could grasp the positioning of every player on the field.

This was the moment for his brain to start thinking.

If he passed the ball to Ale, what would happen next?

If he passed to Bakambu, what would the outcome be?

Of course, this was football, not Go; the thinking time left for Tang Ye was only a few short seconds.

Jurado had already come over to challenge for the ball; Tang Ye had to make a choice right now!

Pass to Bruno running up on the right, then drift left to create space.

Wait for Jurado to chase Bruno, then Tang Ye would call for the ball back.

Bruno passed the ball to Tang Ye!

Having already captured the situation in the attacking third, Tang Ye didn't even look up, launching a direct pass.

【De Bruyne Standard Long Pass Lv3: Simulation】

Proficiency: 451/650

This was a standard through ball behind the defense, aimed at Bakambu!

!

Bakambu headed the ball into the penalty area!

Bang!

Unfortunately, Ale inside the box failed to control the ball; Lopez, who had just scored an own goal, punched it away with both fists.

"Mm, what a pity."

Tang Ye shook his hands.

This attempt hadn't succeeded.

Come to think of it, the proficiency for his 【De Bruyne Standard Long Pass】 growth template was increasing incredibly fast.

With a single long pass threading directly into the rear field like that one just now, Tang Ye could instantly gain 6 points of proficiency for the 【Standard Long Pass】 template.

If it's an assist or a goal, that's 8 proficiency points.

Even with training halved, there would still be 4 proficiency points.

But thinking carefully, during his time in the youth academy he slacked off in training and his movements weren't standard, so it's quite normal that now, with the Growth Template, he's grinding proficiency so quickly.

Putting it this way...

Hmm, it seems he could raise 【Standard Long Pass】 to lv4 before the end of March?

The referee blew the whistle ending the first half; Tang Ye walked toward the substitutes' bench while brushing the mud off his body.

It had rained lightly today, making the pitch somewhat wet.

Coincidentally, Tang Ye was the type of player who often rolled on the ground, so his clothes inevitably picked up some things.

"Actually, it was just a little bit short."

Bruno ran over and placed his hand on Tang Ye's shoulder.

"What was just a little bit short?"

"Scoring a goal, a birthday goal."

Bruno patted Tang Ye's back.

"Oh, right."

Tang Ye realized.

Not counting the goalkeeper's own goal in the first half, he still had one scoring task left to complete today!

"It's fine, there's still time in the second half; I should have a chance."

"Hurry, hurry!"

Marti's voice came through, and Tang Ye and Bruno started running together.

During halftime, Escrivà was explaining the key points for the upcoming match, while Tang Ye hid in a corner, carefully calculating the proficiency for the 【Standard Long Pass】 template.

Although Tang Ye wasn't very good at math, calculating proficiency wasn't too difficult.

According to Tang Ye's very careful calculations, he would most likely be able to raise his 【Standard Long Pass】 to lv4 before March 20th.

His passing attribute had been stuck at 88 for a long time; this month was the best opportunity to break through!

The result of the calculation made the already passionate Tang Ye even more filled with fighting spirit; just then, Escrivà was about to lead the players in a cheer.

"Mr. Ferran, let me lead the cheer."

Tang Ye voluntarily stepped forward; Escrivà naturally wouldn't refuse: "Remember to shout loudly."

"No problem!"

"Come on, Bruno! Sebastian, Rod, Marti, you join in too!"

In the locker room, all the Yellow Submarine players and coaches extended their hands into the center.

Looking around in a circle to confirm everyone was in position, Tang Ye placed his hand on top.

He took a deep breath.

3, 2, 1!

"Vamos Villarreal!!!"

Cough, cough!

After shouting with great effort, Tang Ye coughed twice, then quickly caught up with his teammates' pace once he recovered.

"He's becoming more and more passionate."

With the players all gone out, Marti said to Escrivà beside him.

Compared to when he first joined the team last August, Tang Ye had truly changed a lot.

"This is the change he made for the team."

A smile appeared on Escrivà's face.

"Yes, this time it's real; this is indeed a change Tom made for the team, not a change the team made for Tom."

Escrivà's expression made Marti want to laugh, but he held it back in the end.

"Ferran, actually, there was no need for you to emphasize that specifically..."

"Happy Birthday, Tom!"

"Happy Birthday!"

Fans on both sides of the stands reached out their hands, and Tang Ye, who had just run out of the tunnel, high-fived them one by one.

The birthday itself didn't hold much significance for Tang Ye; being 17 or 18 wouldn't bring him any substantial impact.

But Tang Ye still looked forward to the day his birthday arrived, because whenever that day came, he would receive blessings from his friends.

Teammates who supported him and fans who supported him—hm, and the coach too; these were all his friends.

So today was special; his friends expected him to score a goal on his birthday!

The second half of the match began!

"..."

"Trailing behind, Espanyol needs to pick up the pace; simply following the opponent's rhythm won't work, they need to actively seek opportunities."

"Yes, the away team now feels as if they've been trapped by Tang Ye's rhythm."

"..."

"Hmm, Maffeo, that's a good choice; he shook off Alé's press while bringing the ball out."

"Pass it forward to Jurado first!"

A "Wow" erupted from the stands; Espanyol had found a long-overdue attacking opportunity.

"I got it, I got it!"

Tang Ye reacted quickly, launching a flying tackle against Hurado, who was preparing to dribble forward with the ball.

However, Tang Ye's intention to tackle was a bit too obvious, and Hurado released his pass beforehand.

Damn!

Tang Ye hurriedly scrambled up from the ground and chased back.

Piatti passed the ball into the penalty area to Moreno; after turning, Moreno passed to Melendo on the right, and Melendo crossed from the byline.

To Piatti!

Bang!

A driven shot; inside the penalty area, Musacchio dropped straight onto his butt, blocking the ball directly, then immediately cleared it away with a kick.

"Beautiful!"

Asenjo and Musacchio chest-bumped!

"A perfect interception from Musacchio; Villarreal has preserved their current advantage!"

Head coach Flores angrily pumped his fist on the sideline.

Damn, they were just one step away from equalizing the score!

Musacchio's god-tier performance made Espanyol feel somewhat uncomfortable.

However, this also proved one point.

Actually, for Espanyol, Villarreal was not completely unbeatable.

All they needed was an opportunity.

A tiny, little opportunity.

And then it would be 1:1.

"Felipe, Ruben, go warm up!"

"We are going to secure that damn point at the Madrigal... oh, the Ceramic Stadium!"

At the 70th minute, Flores made his substitution.

The original 4-2-3-1 formation switched back to a more offensive 3-4-3!

"They shouldn't have done that."

Seeing the change made by Espanyol, Escrivá, sitting in his chair, said softly.

"A three-defender setup cannot handle Tom's long passes."

76th minute!

"I got it, I got it!"

Tang Ye gained possession of the ball in the center, his favorite position.

A feint in rhythm shook David López!

Tang Ye focused on López's center of gravity; the instant López's balance shifted, Tang Ye changed his rhythm again, accelerated, and boldly surged forward.

"Pull him!"

The defender shouted loudly.

Given Tang Ye's passing ability, they absolutely could not let him reach the position at the top of the arc at this moment!

López decisively stuck out his foot, and Tang Ye instinctively jumped up.

But he was still tripped.

"This is a tactical foul by Espanyol in their own half; López didn't let Tang Ye continue his breakthrough."

"Villarreal has won a set-piece opportunity in the attacking third."

"The position for this ball is very good; barring any surprises, it should be taken by Tang Ye."

Pah!

Having fallen to the ground, Tang Ye got half a mouthful of mud; after spitting it out, he shot López a rather unpleasant look.

There were three Lópezes within the Espanyol team, and David López was the most detestable among them.

Tang Ye intended to use this set-piece opportunity to teach him a proper lesson!

Approaching the referee, he watched the white line drawn on the grass, then lifted his head to look at the opposite goal.

Tang Ye bent down and whispered to the main referee Burgos: "Brother, can you draw it a bit further forward? This position is hard to work with."

"This is the location of the foul."

Burgos rejected him sternly.

"Well, where did I fall? Why don't you draw it there instead?"

Tang Ye pointed to the patch of grass ahead, where marks from his teeth biting into the turf were still visible.

"Beep!"

Burgos showed Tang Ye a yellow card.

"... Alright, brother."

The fans in the live stream didn't understand Spanish, but they could deduce what had just happened from Tang Ye's gestures and subtle expressions.

【Hahahaha!】

【Tang Ye must have said something like: Brother, can you draw it a bit further forward?】

What a pity, the referee isn't Tang Tang Qiuwang's friend; this is terrible now.

【Getting a yellow card in anger during his birthday match!】

【I feel like Tang Tang Qiuwang is about to explode; last time he received a yellow card, he also scored a goal.】

【Tang Tang Qiuwang's free-kick crosses are decent, but for direct shooting, I feel it's still a bit lacking.】

Tang Ye stood on the white line drawn by the referee, his eyes fixed on the opposite goal.

Bruno pretended to pass by, but in reality covered his mouth to signal he was providing cover for Tang Ye.

"Villarreal has a set-piece opportunity; from this position, the distance to the goal is relatively close, so a direct shot is a good option."

"However, Tang Ye's long-range shooting ability is slightly weaker; it remains to be seen how he will choose to proceed."

……

(End of Chapter)