Chapter 246: Europa League Final, Here We Come! (Requesting Monthly Votes!)

"I feel I've grown stronger again, Mr. Ferran."

On the training ground, while the Yellow Submarine players were resting, Tang Ye shared his joy with Escrivá beside him.

Escrivá, dressed in the team's training kit, squatted on the ground: "I know you've always been getting stronger; I've watched you grow stronger."

Pointing at the B-team practicing rondo on the training ground, he said: "Last summer, you even struggled with the rondo."

Thinking of something, Escrivá added: "I'm not talking about one-touch rondo; I mean the kind used in normal training."

"That was all a long time ago; I've already forgotten it."

Tang Ye shook his head.

"Haha, just because you've forgotten doesn't mean it never happened."

Escrivá tapped Tang Ye's thigh with his notebook: "I've always remembered; whenever you start thinking you're very powerful, I'll bring this up again."

"I really do think I'm very powerful right now."

Gaining 4 attribute points in a single night, with his overall rating increasing by 1 as well, Tang Ye hadn't experienced such rapid improvement in a long time!

"However..."

For some reason, the smile on Tang Ye's face suddenly vanished: "Mr. Ferran, tell me, if I had been this strong when I first arrived here, could we have defeated Real Madrid and won the championship this season? Yes, I mean the La Liga title."

"Wow, that question of yours..."

Escrivá licked his lips, momentarily at a loss for words.

"Well, Tom, first of all, that's impossible; as you know, without a full season of grooming by Martí and me, how could you possibly be this strong now?"

"Haha!"

Tang Ye and Escrivá fist-bumped, then listened as the latter continued speaking.

Because Escrivá's expression was gradually becoming serious.

Tang Ye knew Escrivá very well; Mr. Ferran was exactly that kind of person—usually very approachable.

But when seriousness was required, such as during pre-match talks, Mr. Ferran could often ignite passion in his players!

"This isn't a question that needs thinking about; I know you want to do a lot for the team, you don't need to explain, and I'm certain what I'm saying is correct."

Escrivá stopped Tang Ye, who was about to speak.

"This season, everyone has done what they should for the team; Bruno, Mateo, and Bacambu—they are all the same, and so are you; we have all done our best, even exceeding our own best. Hmm... then I feel there's no need to speak of any regrets."

Tang Ye nodded, the gum in his mouth unchewed for quite some time.

"Hmm... I just want to win more championships."

Tang Ye pointed at the empty space in front of him.

"When we won the Copa del Rey, I sat with Bruno and Aleix right there in the presidential box, just below the podium, with countless fans above us."

"At that time, I placed the Copa del Rey trophy and the Final MVP trophy in front of me; I didn't know which was on the left and which on the right, but both trophies were right in front of me."

"Haha."

Tang Ye's words made Escrivá laugh out loud.

"Then I propped my hands behind me, just like this."

Tang Ye mimicked the gesture he had made back then: "The grass was covered in confetti, and in front, the fans in the stands were chanting our team's name, and my name."

"I really loved that feeling, that relaxed feeling; I want to experience it again."

Escrivá nodded thoughtfully: "You're only 18; your career will see many more championships."

"But every championship is different."

Tang Ye looked into Escrivá's eyes; the latter spread his hands: "How is it different?"

"The people winning the championship together will change; even if we win next season, the person standing beside me might not be you anymore, Mr. Ferran. It's a very simple logic."

"..."

Quickly adjusting his breathing, Escrivá stood up from the grass and reached out to pat Tang Ye's head.

"We still have one championship left; we will have another championship."

"I promise you, I promise you."

In an instant, Escrivá made a decision.

After defeating Ajax in the second leg, he would lead Tom and the Yellow Submarine players to face Manchester United.

Ten Hag was Escrivá's idol; he was supposed to be invincible.

But now Escrivá had to stand up!

He had to defeat his own idol!

Defeat him with his own hands!

Check Dongqiu Di Top Story: In the semi-final second leg, the Yellow Submarine hosts Ajax at home; having lost the first leg 2:5, can the Ajax club create a miracle?

The Yellow Submarine hosting Ajax is a match between the current second-place team in La Liga and the current second-place team in the Eredivisie.

Influenced by the hype surrounding the Yellow Submarine vs. Manchester United final, the popularity of this semi-final is incredibly exaggerated; at least within China, the Europa League semi-final has surpassed the Champions League semi-final in attention!

To increase attention for the match, UEFA specially customized a promotional poster for this game.

In the poster, Tang Ye and Ajax manager Bos stand facing each other; Tang Ye wears a smile, while Bos looks terrifyingly serious.

Kol, editor-in-chief of De Telegraaf Amsterdam: "The 2-5 scoreline from the first leg has made the atmosphere within the Ajax team extremely heavy; to advance, they must wait for a miracle."

They must wait for a miracle!

This is exactly what Ajax fans are currently expecting!

"China Central Television! Here we are, broadcasting live for you..."

"The match has begun!"

Dolberg kicked the ball from the center circle to Onana; after controlling and adjusting the ball, the Ajax goalkeeper launched a long kick!

Trailing by three goals and still hoping to reach the final, Ajax must find a way to establish momentum right from the start of the match.

This is the moment to utilize goalkeeper Onana's exceptional long-passing ability!

Slap!

Onana's long pass thudded onto the ground, pinpointing Traoré making a forward run!

"Oh!"

"Ajax has suddenly picked up the pace!"

"But it seems Villarreal hasn't entered the game yet!"

Slap!

Traoré kicked the ball passed by Onana forward, using pure speed to breeze past Rodri and Musacchio.

"Get back! Get back!"

Realizing something was wrong, Escribá shouted loudly as the Yellow Submarine players on the field rushed back toward their defensive positions.

Ruiz charged forward to steal the ball!

Ruiz was fast, but at that moment Traoré suddenly used his body to bump him, knocking Ruiz aside.

From a god's-eye view.

Hmm...

This f***ing looks like a one-on-one breakaway?

Bang!

Traoré fired a low shot, and the ball rolled steadily into the net.

"Goal!"

"Goal!"

"Oh my god, a goal for Ajax!"

"What is this situation!"

"Ajax opened up Villarreal's goal before the first minute of the match was even over!"

After scoring, Traoré slid on his knees toward the sideline, with Dolberg following close behind.

Younes remained very rational, abandoning the celebration to run straight into Villarreal's goal and fish the ball out.

At this moment, the comment section on Check Dongqiu Di was filled entirely with question marks.

What the f*** is this?

As for what this was, the app's staff soon provided the answer.

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: Only one minute into the match, Ajax goalkeeper Onana assisted with a long pass from the back, and Traoré scored. Ajax leads by one goal in the second leg, but still trails by two goals on aggregate!

"Damn..."

Just reacting to the situation, Tang Ye turned his head to look toward the opposite goal, where Onana, who had just completed the assist, was embracing De Ligt.

Is it really this fierce?

Ajax's lightning-fast goal caused some panic among the home fans, and Escribá hurriedly called his players over to the sideline.

"Focus, focus!"

"I said they would ramp up the tempo in the first half, so we must stay focused, understand?"

Escribá grabbed Tang Ye's shoulders with both hands and shook him relentlessly.

To be honest, this goal had basically nothing to do with Tang Ye, but Escribá just wanted to shake him anyway.

"I know, I know."

The match continued!

The lightning strike goal boosted the morale of the Ajax players, who continuously attempted to create scoring opportunities over the next ten-plus minutes.

However, Villarreal had already learned their lesson from Xiqule Sect, so Ajax's attempts did not bring them any more significant goals.

Instead, it was Villarreal!

"Rodri!"

"A very smart choice!"

"He found Haller up front!"

"Haller passes back to Tang Ye!"

After receiving the ball, Tang Ye suddenly accelerated and ran toward the penalty area!

De Ligt tried to step up and tackle, but at that moment Tang Ye directly employed his signature dribbling skill.

Zidane's rhythm control combined with half a Cruyff turn!

He bypassed De Ligt completely!

A push shot!

"Goooooaaaaal!!!!"

"Goal!"

"Tang Ye! Beautiful!"

"A very calm finish in front of the goal!"

"Villarreal has equalized the score!"

Tang Ye ran with Rodri toward the corner flag.

Knee slide!

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Jump up!

"Vamos!!!"

What do we do if the opponent scores with a flash attack right at the start?

It doesn't matter!

Villarreal's super Number 10 will step up at a time like this!

【You have obtained Counterattack Points *15】

Tang Ye waved to the fans in the stands and took this opportunity to glance at the system.

Account Balance: Counterattack Points *585

His current Counterattack Points were already sufficient to upgrade 【Ronaldo Chicken Breast +2】 to +3.

However, after careful consideration, Tang Ye did not do so.

The reason was simple: chicken breast was a training buff item, and such things were very important for Tang Ye's improvement.

But now it was already the late stage of the season; what Tang Ye needed was to maintain his own form and then fight for the championship together with his teammates.

At this time, saving up points to buy things like 【Hot Chocolate Milk】, 【Red Bull】, and 【Draft Beer】 would be a better choice!

"Go, go!"

"Tom, keep it up!" The fans were extremely enthusiastic.

As the weather slowly warmed up, some fans in the lowest rows of the stands directly took off their clothes and threw them to Tang Ye.

"Haha!"

Tang Ye picked up the jersey from the ground and threw it back to that fan.

Arriving at the 42nd minute, Yellow Submarine earned a direct free-kick opportunity in the attacking third.

"Tang Ye!"

"Shooting directly!"

"The quality of this shot is quite good, but he just didn't keep it down!"

Whoosh...

Shaking his hand, Tang Ye held the back of his head.

This was the first time Tang Ye had used the 【Tomahawk Free-Kick Template】 in an official match.

!

This template was indeed fierce, it was just that the success rate was truly too low.

Perhaps when his shooting attribute and physical confrontation attribute both reached 80+, the success rate of free kicks could be much higher?

After a series of attacks by the Yellow Submarine players, the referee blew the whistle signaling the end of the first half.

Currently, Ajax still trailed by a total of three goals.

"They basically have no hope left, but we still need to play a bit more steadily,"

Escrivá said slowly.

Now the scales of victory had begun to tilt toward Yellow Submarine's side.

And all Yellow Submarine needed to do was maintain their current form!

Then they could secure the match!

"Your long passes are amazing,"

Tang Ye said to Onana beside him in the player tunnel.

With the pressure on Ajax players mounting due to being behind, Onana was momentarily stunned before replying, "Haha! Yours are even more amazing!"

"You pass farther than I do."

Tang Ye said seriously, after which his attention was involuntarily drawn to Onana's buttocks.

The fitness coach Kyle had told Tang Ye that his buttocks weren't big enough, which was why he couldn't outrun fast players.

But Onana was different.

Onana's buttocks were big and round.

According to Kyle's theory, Onana's speed must be very fast!

Hmm...

It's just unknown what use a goalkeeper has for such speed.

Perhaps Onana could run out of the penalty area to participate in the attack?

So strong!

The second half begins!

Yellow Submarine carried their first-half tactics into the second half.

"Villarreal!"

Bang bang!

"Villarreal!"

Bang bang!

The home fans were exerting their power!

At this moment, a data box suddenly popped up at the bottom center of the live broadcast screen.

Vs Ajax, Villarreal's historical record: 5 matches, 4 wins, 1 loss, win rate 80%.

Vs Ajax, Tang Ye's historical record: 5 matches, 5 wins, win rate 100%.

【"5 Matches, 5 Wins, Win Rate 100%"】

【"Hahaha, trailing by 3 goals, the opponent has a 100% historical win rate, what the hell can Ajax even play for?"】

【"Actually, Ajax this season is still quite strong; the problem is that my Tang Tang Qiuwang completely counters Ajax."】

【The Eredivisie hegemon you thought of: PSV, Ajax, Feyenoord; the actual Eredivisie hegemon: Tang Ye】

The fans have already started celebrating early!

And Yellow Submarine did not disappoint the fans' hopes, gradually taking control of the match from the second half onward.

The current possession rate is... 65%!

70th minute of the match!

Still a chance for Tang Ye!

He reaches the baseline on the left flank!

Pa!

【De Bruyne Bottom Cross Lv3: Simulation】

Proficiency: 288/400

Directly to the far post!

Bacca controls the ball down with his chest.

The ball is controlled at his feet!

A defender from inside the penalty area rushes over to block!

Bacca shoots directly!

Goal!

Villarreal has overturned the second-leg scoreline!

"Goooooaaaaalllll!!!!"

The live commentator shouts loudly as the Yellow Submarine players rush toward the corner flag.

"That one, that one!"

Tang Ye shouts loudly.

Yes!

At Tang Ye's reminder, Bacca stands still and makes a fishing gesture; at this moment, Ruiz, running over from behind, falls directly to the ground and hops toward Bacca's position with a trembling motion.

"Together!"

The players lift up the "big fish" Musacchio, while Tang Ye kneels on the grass making a photo-taking gesture.

Click click!

"Wowhoo!"

【You have obtained Counterattack Points *10】

"Yellow submarine, yellow submarine~"

Leading by four goals on aggregate, the Yellow Submarine fans in the stands have already started celebrating early.

Raising his head to glance at the pitch before him, Bosch lowers his head.

He lets out a sigh.

He shakes his head.

The Ajax head coach uttered the same words as Enrique.

"It's over..."

Following Barcelona being kicked off second place in the standings by Yellow Submarine, Ajax has now been slain by Yellow Submarine at the doorway to the final.

The Eredivisie giant is the second team eliminated by Yellow Submarine in May!

As the match enters its final moments, Escriba substitutes Tang Ye off the field.

After exchanging a high-five with Rodri, Tang Ye walks toward the substitute bench.

Clap clap clap clap clap!

Clap clap clap clap clap!

The applause from the stands is thunderous; Tang Ye raises his hand to greet the fans.

"Viva Tom Tom~"

"Viva Tom Tom~"

Waving both hands above his head, Tang Ye, walking off the pitch, high-fives Castillejo and then shares a hug with Escriba.

Returning to his seat on the substitute bench, Tang Ye chews gum with his two feet resting on the backrest of the empty seat in front of him.

Simply too comfortable!

Check Dongqiu Di Match Report: Villarreal defeats Ajax 2:1 at home, advancing to the Europa League final with an aggregate score of 7:3.

"You must wait quietly, wait again, even if failure comes, you must still hold on~"

"In the future~ try your best not to let today's tears flow in vain~"

"Leave behind the stones that hurt you~ absorb lessons from mistakes~"

With an earphone stuffed in one ear, Tang Ye leans against the cabinet listening to music.

"You seem very happy."

Ma Ti walks over to speak with Tang Ye.

"What?"

Tang Ye removes the earphone and holds it in his hand.

Bruno has turned up the locker room stereo very loud; Ma Ti leans close to Tang Ye's face: "I said! You seem very happy!"

Tang Ye gives a thumbs-up, then holds up three fingers: "Before this match ends, we still have three matches to play; after this match ends, we still have three matches to play!"

Advancing to the Europa League final gives Tang Ye a feeling that the time of his departure from the team has been postponed.

"Haha!"

Marti patted Tang Ye on the shoulder: "What a pity; you were just one step away from being the MVP of this match."

Because he was substituted off too early, Tang Ye missed out on the MVP award for this match.

"It doesn't matter."

Tang Ye handed Marti a piece of chewing gum: "Because we are about to fight for the championship trophy!"

In the tunnel, Marti took a reporter's camera and used it to snap a group photo of the players.

He posted the photo on Villarreal's Twitter account.

It needed a caption.

What should the caption be...

While Marti hesitated, Tang Ye took the phone and typed quickly.

【The final, here we come!】

"The match between Manchester United and Celta hasn't kicked off yet; can you make a prediction? Who do you think will be your opponent in the final?"

The reporter's first question made Escrivá laugh.

"That's hard to say. Manchester United is strong, but I don't think Celta is weak either; both have a chance to advance. Hmm... if I absolutely had to choose between these two teams, I would choose Celta."

"May I ask why?"

"Tom was asked this question during an earlier interview, and my view aligns with Tom's."

Escrivá smiled: "Compared to Manchester United, we are more familiar with Celta."

Check Dongqiu Di pinned post: Manchester United drew 1–1 with Celta, advancing to the UEFA Europa League final with an aggregate score of 3–2 (12,318 comments).

(End of chapter)