Chapter 242: Five Consecutive Goals Chased; Tom Doesn't Want to Meet Manchester United in the Final (Requesting Monthly Tickets!)

"I thought we wouldn't score in the first half."

Loosening his shoelaces to relax his feet, Tang Ye shouted.

"Tom, that feint of yours was great; I really thought you were going to shoot for the far corner,"

Aleix said loudly.

Tang Ye's feint of shooting for the far corner was so convincing that Aleix, his teammate waiting inside the penalty area, even crouched down, afraid of blocking Tang Ye's shot.

"Of course it was; I only changed my mind at the very last instant. Mainly because the goalkeeper had already started moving toward the far corner, and I felt I couldn't score there."

"They played so disgustingly; I barely touched the ball a few times in the first half."

Just as Tang Ye and Aleix wanted to continue discussing that goal from the first half, Escrivá walked in.

"Didn't touch the ball many times in the first half? It's fine; you'll have more chances in the second half."

Escrivá walked to the very center and, with Matí's help, adjusted the magnetic flags on the tactical board.

"Our opponent restricted us through high pressing in the first half, so I know some players didn't feel comfortable out there. Tom, don't forget to tie your shoelaces."

Escrivá pointed with the hand holding the magnetic flag at Tang Ye, who was sitting in the corner.

"I know, I know."

"But that only applies to the first half. Those few forwards sitting on their substitute bench don't have strong pressing abilities, and their starting forwards are out of stamina."

Escrivá shared his speculation with the players.

In the second half, Ajax would most likely play defensively to protect their current one-goal advantage.

If the 2:1 scoreline held until the end, Ajax could secure victory in the first leg!

"This is absolutely unacceptable."

Escrivá's expression was serious: "We are stronger than our opponents, so we should be the ones winning!"

"Full-backs must pay attention to pushing forward to support the attack. Costa, you are a very important part of our offensive duties..."

Escrivá analyzed tactics for a long time, but Tang Ye only listened for the first three or four minutes.

He didn't hear everything, but he roughly understood that the new tactics for the second half could help him gain more possession.

This was very important to him!

In the player tunnel, Tang Ye jumped up and touched the advertising board hanging from the ceiling: "Rod, I haven't consumed much stamina in the first half; just watch my performance in the second half!"

"There's only half a minute left before we go on!"

Rodri reminded him.

"Of course I know that; Rod, you don't need to remind me."

"What I mean is... you should tie your shoelaces."

Rodri pointed at Tang Ye's feet; the laces on both pairs of football boots were untied.

Tang Ye had been thinking about how to play the second half and ended up neglecting the most basic thing.

"Oh, Rod, block the photographer for me."

"The second half is about to begin!"

"You can see Tang Ye and Rodri running out at the back of the line. The expressions on the Yellow Submarine players' faces look quite good; they must be confident about equalizing the score in the second half!"

Slap!

Asenjo launched a precise long kick from the backfield, finding Aleix up front!

"To me!"

Tang Ye ran in front of Aleix, who headed the ball down onto the grass right in front of Tang Ye!

Then he quickly made a forward run!

Tang Ye had originally intended to send a through ball to Aleix, but De Ligt tracked back so quickly that Tang Ye helplessly had to control the ball first.

Schöne still wanted to come up and challenge!

Tang Ye pushed the ball from his right foot to his left!

A half Cruyff turn directly bypassed Schöne!

Running toward the baseline on the left wing!

Passing forward to Sansone!

After Sansone controlled the ball, Tang Ye ran past in front of him.

Sansone then pushed the ball back in front of Tang Ye!

A very fluid one-two combination!

Ready to cross directly!

【De Bruyne Bottom-Line Cross Lv3: Simulation】

Proficiency: 260/400

Rodri charged from the arc of the penalty area into the box and scored with a poke shot!

"Goal!"

"Villarreal has equalized the score!"

Although the goal was scored less than ten minutes into the second half, the Yellow Submarine players did not celebrate extravagantly; Aleix and Rodri directly bypassed Onana to fish the ball out of the net.

Drawing 2:2 with Ajax away from home seemed like an acceptable scoreline.

But Villarreal's form this season absolutely deserved a better result!

"..."

"Take the corner kick!"

"Tang Ye!"

"Header!"

"Tang Ye's header hits the post!"

With a *duang*, Tang Ye's shot strikes the post and rebounds straight out.

By sheer coincidence, it rebounds directly back in front of Tang Ye.

At this moment, there is no need to hesitate.

Shoot directly!

"Goooooaaaaallllll!!!!"

【You have gained 15 Counterattack Points】

【Brace achieved; you have gained an additional 30 Counterattack Points】

Villarreal did not celebrate when equalizing, but after taking the lead, they finally began their celebrations.

"Here I come!"

Bang!

After his run-up, Tang Ye jumped onto Haller's back, experiencing the world from 1.90 meters up.

After conceding three goals in a row, the Ajax fans finally quieted down.

Now, only the voices of Villarreal could be heard in the stands!

"Hiss..."

Taking a deep breath, Bos's heartbeat gradually accelerated.

His design for this match was to establish an advantage in the first half, then defend in the second half to maintain that lead.

The first-half objective was achieved, with Ajax leading Villarreal by one goal.

But the second half did not seem to be following Bos's script...

They had already conceded three equalizing goals, yet Villarreal showed no sign of slowing their offensive momentum?

He glanced at Escrivá on the adjacent sideline.

"Jaume (Costa), watch for the forward run; you need to join the attack, you are crucial to our offense!"

Escrivá was in high spirits.

If this were a single-leg match, ending 3-2 would have been sufficient, but the problem was that the semi-finals were two-legged ties.

Since Villarreal had found their offensive rhythm in the first leg, they had to find a way to score even more goals in this first leg.

That way, they would face far less pressure in the second leg!

【Villarreal is sprinting!】

【I told you Ajax's style of play was flawed; they shouldn't be this aggressive】

【It feels like this match has only just begun; in fifteen minutes, Tang Tang Qiuwang has touched the ball more times than in the entire first half】

When the score was 2-0, the fans were completely bewildered, their minds foggy and unable to figure it out for a long time.

But after the score became 2-3, the fans immediately understood.

Bos actually had no real skill; he just wanted to show off during those thirty minutes of the first half!

And Escrivá, Saint Escri!

This man truly possesses ability!

"Go!"

"Go, go!"

"Beat him, dribble past him, just dribble straight past him!"

Receiving the ball near the right touchline, the away fans cheered loudly.

Seize the opportunity!

Snap!

【De Bruyne crosses from a 45-degree angle】!

A Level 4 cross from a 45-degree angle!

Inside the penalty area, Haller jumped up!

He failed to reach it!

"Ah!"

Haller covered his face, letting out a roar of regret.

He had missed a nearly perfect scoring opportunity!

Haller thought the ball must go out of bounds, but suddenly Costa charged in from the left side of the box, dove, and headed the ball into the net.

Uh...

Alright!

So Tang Ye's 45-degree cross wasn't intended for him after all!

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: What's happening? Costa makes a forward run and scores with a header; Villarreal has now scored four consecutive goals!

"Damn!"

"How could you miss such a big person? Mark his position and don't let him enter the penalty area!"

Bos was now truly panicked; his carefully laid plans had completely fallen apart by the end.

"They can still score! They can keep scoring!"

The 78th minute!

"Tang Ye blocks Van de Beek's position!" "He controls Ruiz's long pass!"

"He passes directly to Rodrigo on the wing!"

Tang Ye's pass remained incredibly decisive; Fan De and Beek didn't even have a chance to stretch out a foot to intercept.

"..."

Reaching the left-byline, Cheryshev cut the ball back diagonally to Tang Ye!

Facing the Ajax goal before him, Tang Ye simply pulled the ball behind his own body.

At the same time, he shouted one phrase.

"Shoot it directly!"

Then he leaped away quickly!

Boom!

Musacchio unleashed a long-range shot from the center!

"Goal!"

"Another one!

"That's Villarreal's fifth goal of the match!"

!

Coming back from a 0:2 deficit to lead 5:2, while Ajax's tactics did contain some errors, one cannot thereby deny the Yellow Submarine's exaggerated attacking prowess.

【You have obtained 10 Counterattack Points】

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

Back in late April during the league match against Atlético, Tang Ye had recorded an assist hat-trick; he had thought that would be his last hat-trick of the season.

He never expected that, with May just beginning, Tang Ye would secure another assist hat-trick!

"Vamos Tom!"

The Villarreal players approached beneath the stands; Tang Ye raised his thumb toward the fans in the stands.

"Viva Tom Tom~ (Long live Tom)"

"Viva Tom Tom~"

Walking toward their own half alongside Bruno, Tang Ye said, "What a pity it isn't a home game today."

"Why?"

The venue was noisy; Tang Ye leaned his head close to Bruno's ear and shouted loudly, "If it were a home game, this sound would be even louder!"

"Haha!"

Bruno pushed Tang Ye forward, saying, "The match isn't over yet!"

The three assists had greatly boosted Tang Ye's confidence; just as he was considering whether there might be a chance to secure a fourth assist, Escrivá substituted him off the field.

It was a bit of a pity, but considering Villarreal would be facing Barcelona in a few days, Escrivá's substitution was quite reasonable.

"Well done!"

Escrivá and Tang Ye exchanged a high-five.

As the match entered its final moments, Ajax, seemingly feeling too humiliated to have conceded five consecutive goals at home, played extremely aggressively after Tang Ye was substituted off.

Van de Beek's shot was parried away by Asenjo.

Ziyech followed up with an extra kick!

Smack!

"Brilliant, Asenjo!"

"The match is over! Villarreal has held the 5:2 scoreline until the final whistle!"

The clock on the stadium's large screen froze; Tang Ye and Castillejo leaped up from their seats on the substitutes' bench.

"Vamos!"

Click-click!

As the undisputed MVP of the match, Tang Ye attended the post-match press conference alongside Escrivá.

Due to Escrivá's special regulations, Tang Ye had not appeared in the press room for some time; his sudden appearance this time stirred some excitement among the reporters below.

Of course, by convention, they needed to interview Escrivá, the team's head coach, first.

"In the first half, you found yourselves trailing 0:2, yet after adjustments you scored five consecutive goals. When you were two goals down, did you ever imagine the team would go on to score five straight goals?"

"To be honest, no."

Escrivá shook his head: "Ajax is absolutely a very formidable team; scoring five consecutive goals is an extremely difficult feat. Before the match began, no one could have anticipated how things would unfold."

"However, I quickly accepted this reality because I believe in the players in the team; they are capable of achieving anything."

The reporter nodded: "This is your first season coaching Villarreal, and your results in this debut season have already broken the club's history."

"Mm... I believe a capable head coach can completely transform a team even in their very first season."

Click-click!

Tang Ye tilted his head, pondering the events of the first half.

How could Ajax's high press be broken?

This was a question very much worth pondering!

Tomorrow, after returning to the apartment, he would play a few rounds of FIFA with Dembélé.

It wasn't that Tang Ye had a severe gaming addiction; purely, Tom simply wished to help the team by playing games.

Mm... he might also play a bit of Dying Light; Tang Ye's favorite thing to do was to fight zombies together with Dembélé.

He just didn't know whether Neymar would go to a nightclub tomorrow; if Neymar didn't go, Tang Ye could invite Neymar to join them as well.

"Tom?"

Huh?

"Oh, sorry."

Bringing his attention back, Tang Ye finally realized that all the reporters in the room were looking at him.

"Tom, you seem distracted; is it because today's match was quite tiring?"

"Oh, no, I was just thinking about some other things."

Tang Ye shook his head.

If he encountered something boring, his attention simply couldn't focus; this was precisely why Tang Ye's grades had been poor during elementary school.

This problem had troubled Tang Ye for some time, yet he had never thought to resolve it.

"You have most likely already advanced to the Europa League final; your opponent in the final will be either Celta or Manchester United..."

"We haven't advanced yet."

Tang Ye reminded the reporter in a low voice.

"Let's just assume you have advanced."

"Can... can one really make such an assumption..."

Tang Ye scratched his nose: "Alright, then continue."

"Your opponent in the final will be decided between Celta and Manchester United; which team would you prefer to face in the final?"

Hiss—

Taking a light breath, Tang Ye replied: "Celta."

Previously, Tang Ye had already been asked which team he hoped to encounter in the Europa League knockout stages.

Tang Ye had a principle for answering such questions: if Manchester United was an option, he would not choose Manchester United.

The reporter raised an eyebrow, while Escrivá quickly turned his head over.

Tang Ye's answer seemed somewhat beyond their expectations.

"Why Celta? Is it because you are about to go to Manchester United?"

A smile played on the reporter's face; the instant these words were heard, Escrivá immediately stepped on Tang Ye's foot.

The reporter was fishing for a reaction; Escrivá felt it necessary to remind Tang Ye.

Tang Ye turned his head to exchange a glance with Escrivá, then looked back at the camera.

"Because I feel Celta will be slightly easier to play against than Manchester United."

A smile remained on Tang Ye's face: "I am very familiar with Celta, but Manchester United is not like that; we haven't played against any Premier League teams this season."

"Are you not planning to go to Manchester United? What about Barcelona? It seems Utrecht is pushing for your transfer to Barcelona?"

Tang Ye held up four fingers: "We still have four matches to play; if we advance to the final, that makes five matches."

Thinking of this, Tang Ye extended his thumb as well, thus showing all five fingers.

"The transfer window only opens after the season ends; that is when we should discuss transfers."

Manchester Evening News front-page headline: Away victory 2:1 against Celta; Manchester United seizes the initiative in the first leg of the semi-finals.

The Sun front-page headline: After the semi-finals, the hashtag #ManUtdYellowSubmarine shows exponential growth in popularity. According to media company assessments, if both Manchester United and the Yellow Submarine advance to the final, the popularity of this season's Europa League final could potentially surpass that of the Champions League semi-finals. "Fans want to see a direct confrontation between Ten Hag and Tom."

Check Dongqiu Di hot discussion: With both the Yellow Submarine and Manchester United in a strong position to advance, is a master-disciple showdown in the Europa League final now inevitable?

【Saint Ten playing against Tang Tang Qiuwang, damn, I dare not imagine how high the final's popularity will be then.】

【Saint vs. King, does anyone know which of these two is more formidable?】

【Manchester United's match against Celta was very tense; what if they get eliminated directly in the second half?】

【UEFA will push Manchester United into the final for the sake of popularity; I feel Celta is in trouble.】

【Looking down on my Saint Ten, are you?】

【I think it would be better for Celta to advance; Ten Hag knows Tang Ye too well; if he locks Tang Ye down then, the Yellow Submarine will simply explode on the spot.】

The second leg of the semi-finals is still a week and a half away, yet fans have already begun discussing the final.

In truth, the current state of mind among Chinese fans is rather complex.

They very much want to see Tang Ye and Ten Hag face off directly in the final; without needing to think, everyone knows this will be an extremely wonderful match.

But on the other hand, Ten Hag is simply too formidable!

Tang Ye has just begun to make his mark on the Iberian Peninsula, and Chinese fans are very afraid!

Afraid that the great hand of the Dutch Sage will descend from the heavens and press Tang Ye straight into the ground!

It may sound somewhat absurd, but fans familiar with Ten Hag know.

Erik truly possesses this level of capability!

PS: Happy Chinese New Year, brothers!

Seeking monthly tickets!

(End of chapter)