Chapter 248: Final Round of La Liga: Does Yellow Submarine Have Hope to Fight for Second Place

"China Media Group! This is the live broadcast coming to you..."

"As you can see, players from both sides are already in position on the field!"

"The match begins!"

Alai kicked the ball back to the defensive half, and the commentators began introducing the starting lineups for this match.

Valencia (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Domènech

Defenders: Montoya, Santos, Mangala, Gayà

Midfielders: Parejo, Rodrigo, Soler

Forwards: Cancelo, Zaza, Nani

Head Coach: Voro

"Let's see what's happening."

Escrivá leaned his head over toward Martí's computer screen.

You might think Escrivá wanted to see the heat map for this match, but that wasn't the case.

He was watching the neighboring match between Barcelona and Eibar.

Barcelona's final league round had kicked off thirty minutes ago, and the result of this match would directly affect Yellow Submarine's final ranking.

For Yellow Submarine to challenge for second place in the league, one prerequisite had to be met.

That was: Barcelona must not defeat Eibar!

Snap!

The laptop screen switched.

33'56''

Barcelona 1:1 Eibar!

"Phew..."

He let out a long sigh of relief.

Eibar was really coming through!

"Tell me immediately if anything changes."

Patting Martí on the shoulder, Escrivá walked over to the sideline.

"Tom, pick up the pace!"

"Faster rhythm!"

Valencia was employing a standard 4-2-3-1 attacking tactic; at this moment, Yellow Submarine had to speed up the tempo.

A slow tempo was unsuitable for Yellow Submarine this season!

The 12th minute of the match!

After a series of quick, short-range combinations, Tang Ye, who had drifted to the left flank, gained control of the ball.

He glanced toward the penalty area.

Unfortunately, Alai was already surrounded by Valencia's defenders.

Then there was Bakambu; the space around Bakambu was open, but his positioning wasn't ideal.

Making a judgment in an instant, Tang Ye slipped the ball to Sansone, who was sprinting toward the left baseline!

Then he immediately surged forward to support!

Supporting the attack from behind the official striker was something Tang Ye loved to do.

Rodrigo reacted quickly, making a central run to occupy the exact position Tang Ye had just vacated.

A very fluid combination!

Sansone took the ball and went one-on-one against Montoya!

"Behind! Behind!"

Hearing Tang Ye's voice, Sansone quickly flicked the ball behind his own back.

Tang Ye received the ball!

He ran straight toward the penalty area!

Hmm?

Sansone had thought Tang Ye would pass immediately, never expecting him to be so bold!

What Sansone didn't know was that Tang Ye actually very much wanted to test the effects of the 【Hazard Self-Sacrifice Ball Protection Template】.

He wanted to know if this template could turn him into a dribbling master inside the penalty area.

This was something he had always pursued!

Tang Ye's confidence was maxed out, yet when the Valencia defenders charged at him, he ultimately didn't dare to drive forward himself.

Bakambu at the far post!

He passed directly!

Snap!

【De Bruyne Low Cross Lv3: Simulation】

Proficiency: 294/400

"This was a feint by Tang Ye!"

"The Valencia defenders thought Tang Ye was going to dribble past them, but in reality, he had already spotted Bakambu at the far post!"

"Shot!"

"Gooooooaaaaalllllll!!!!"

Tang Ye assists Bacca to score!

Yellow Submarine opens the scoring!

【You have obtained 10 Counterattack Points】

The familiar voice of the System echoed in Tang Ye's mind as he stood still, waiting for Sansone, who was running toward him.

And Aleix!

Tang Ye saw clearly; the two of them were running over together!

"Haha!"

Placing an arm on Bacca's shoulder, Tang Ye and Bacca rushed together to the corner flag.

"Vamos!!!"

With that roar, Tang Ye instantly regained the form he had shown in previous matches.

In the last match, Yellow Submarine's rhythm had been thrown off by Deportivo La Coruña.

Today was different.

Tom had found his own rhythm again.

Deportivo La Coruña's rhythm was dangerous for Yellow Submarine, but Tom's rhythm was something else entirely.

His rhythm was very, very safe for Yellow Submarine; his teammates could follow his lead with complete confidence!

That was...

The rhythm of victory!

【Charge, charge, charge!!!】

【There's meaning to this, there's meaning to this! Our neighbors Barcelona are trailing!】

【Eibar is awesome!】

【Haha, my Tang Tang Qiuwang shattered Barcelona's Dao heart; Eibar couldn't handle them】

【Second in the league, a Yellow Submarine miracle!】

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: Barcelona 1:2 trailing Eibar.

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: Valencia 0:1 trailing Yellow Submarine.

La Liga standings (if scores hold until the end)

2. Villarreal, 87 points.

3. Barcelona, 85 points.

The traditional art of La Liga teams helping each other had begun.

Deportivo La Coruña helped trip up Yellow Submarine for Barcelona.

Now Eibar had helped Yellow Submarine take down Barcelona.

Villarreal was truly going to overtake Barcelona in the final round of the league!

"Come on, come on!"

Escriba clapped on the sidelines: "Barcelona is trailing, Barcelona is trailing!"

The match had reached the 29th minute of the first half!

The Valencia forward sprinted down the wing with the ball, just about to pass, when Bruno and Gaspar immediately blocked his path.

Yellow Submarine had won back possession!

Gaspar played a through ball to Bruno!

Bruno ran forward while lifting his head to scan the field.

Searching for the position of the strongest man, Tom!

"Ahead!"

Pa!

Tang Ye ran past the opposing defensive midfielder and directly received the pass from Bruno.

He controlled the ball!

Soler, chasing back, reached out trying to pull Tang Ye down!

Tang Ye knew this was a crucial attacking opportunity for the team.

Therefore, he absolutely would not fall at this moment!

With a flash of inspiration, Tang Ye stepped on the ball to stop it.

Since his speed wasn't fast to begin with, coming to a halt took only an instant.

Precisely because of this pause, Soler ran past him!

"Beautiful!"

"Tang Ye completed a sudden stop and change of direction to shake off Soler!"

After being shaken off, Soler still wanted to stick to Tang Ye, but of course, Tang Ye would not give him that chance.

He kicked the ball straight forward!

【De Bruyne-style standard long pass】!

The Level 4 Standard Long Pass, combined with Tom's bright eyes, delivered a precise pass that found Aleix inside the penalty area.

The defending players in the box blocked Aleix!

Aleix had no chance to shoot!

"Sansone!"

Tang Ye gave a reminder; Aleix turned and decisively headed the ball to Sansone on his right.

When unsure how to handle the ball, following the commands of commander Tom was absolutely the right choice.

Sansone reacted quickly.

Dribbling the ball, he charged straight toward the baseline!

Sansone's decisive forward run tore open Valencia's defensive line in their own half.

Soler ran up to Tang Ye, but at that moment Tang Ye suddenly stepped forward, shifting sideways to block Soler's path once again.

Sansone passed back!

Crack!

【De Bruyne Long-Range Curled Shot Lv5: Replication】

Proficiency: 0

"This one's going in!"

"Tang Ye, a curled shot from outside the box!"

"Goal!"

"What a worldie!"

Barring any surprises, this should be the longest-range curled shot Tang Ye had ever taken; at the moment he swung his leg, he was still three or four meters away from the arc.

Yet the shot remained incredibly steady!

This was the benefit brought by the increase in his Strength and Shooting attributes!

【You have obtained 15 Counterattack Points】

"Perfect!"

Escrivá raised one hand, then quickly returned to the substitutes' bench.

"How is it?"

Martí shrugged. "Not very good."

Hiss—

Martí delivered some bad news to Escrivá: Barcelona, playing in the adjacent match, had equalized!

Moreover, the momentum was now tilting in Barcelona's favor!

"I reckon it won't take them much longer to take the lead."

Martí watched the Barcelona match intently; after Messi scored his second goal, Barcelona's attacking rhythm became absurdly intense, leaving the Eibar defenders feeling dizzy and disoriented.

Sitting down on a chair, Escrivá covered his nose with both hands, breathing deeply and heavily.

Before knowing for certain whether they could win the Europa League title, he still very much hoped the team could fight for a higher league ranking.

Just as he had said during a previous press interview.

Finishing second and third in La Liga are completely different things. Securing second place means you must have defeated at least one of Real Madrid or Barcelona.

That is a symbol of honor!

The 43rd minute of the first half!

Cancelo!

A 45-degree cross straight into the box, looking for Zaza!

Zaza leaped into the air!

He headed the ball toward the goal!

Asenjo got a touch on Zaza's header, but the ball deflected off the post and bounced back into the net.

Valencia pulled one back!

Check Dongqiu Di Halftime Report: Yellow Submarine leading Valencia 2-1 away from home; Tang Ye scores a super-long-range worldie through the center.

While Tang Ye was drinking water in the player tunnel, Bruno walked in from outside. "There are many support signs for you in the away stand; did you see them?"

"That happens every match, doesn't it? Everyone gets them."

As the two walked toward the tunnel, Tang Ye rinsed the mud off his hands with water.

"Today is different. Today, the stands are filled entirely with your support signs; there aren't any for anyone else."

!

Bruno told Tang Ye something he didn't know.

"Wow? Should I go out and take a look now?"

"Look now? We're almost there."

Bruno pushed open the locker room door. "Just take a look when we go out later; they're right beside our goal, all support signs for you."

Although today was an away match for the Yellow Submarine, a huge number of their fans had still turned up.

The reason was simple: this was most likely the last time Tang Ye would play a match in Spain as a Yellow Submarine player!

This was the 38th round of La Liga this season!

As the players filed in one after another, Tang Ye suddenly thought of something and reached into his locker to pull out his phone.

Just as Tang Ye was about to check the score of the adjacent Barcelona versus Eibar match, Escrivá took the phone from his hand.

"Ah..."

Tang Ye looked up, not quite understanding Escrivá's intention.

"Everyone, put your phones away for now; no one look at their phones."

Escrivá stuffed Tang Ye's phone directly into his own pocket. "Stop paying attention to the Barcelona and Eibar match; we should focus all our attention on this game."

"But if Barcelona wins, we won't have a chance."

Tang Ye said quietly.

"So let's assume Barcelona will lose; do you understand what I mean?"

"... Okay, alright."

Tang Ye shook his head, skillfully untied his shoelaces, and relaxed the instep of his foot that had been pressed down by the upper of his soccer cleats.

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"Villarreal, advance!"

Bruno led the players charging out of the locker room; Escrivá put Tang Ye's phone back into his cabinet, then took out his own phone.

Barcelona 3:2 Eibar.

The situation...

didn't seem too good?

"Welcome back, dear audience friends, the second half has begun!"

"As we can see, Valencia has made the first substitution adjustment."

"They are extremely eager to secure victory in this final match of the season!"

"Villarreal, of course, feels the same; currently, Villarreal is competing with Barcelona for second place in the standings."

"At present, Barcelona leads their opponent Eibar by one goal; if Barcelona can maintain this lead, then Villarreal will have no chance at finishing second in La Liga this season!"

【Where can we watch Barcelona's match? Isn't CCTV broadcasting it?】

【With only one channel, do you expect them to broadcast two matches simultaneously? Villarreal's match definitely takes priority.】

【Drop a link; I'm going to cheer for Eibar!】

【Villarreal gifted Eibar three points back then; it's time for Eibar to repay the kindness!】

Just as CCTV was broadcasting Villarreal's match live, Wang Chao was livestreaming the match between Barcelona and Eibar.

"Suárez! Fall, fall, can you fall or not!"

"Damn it, is the away team's defender made of wood? Don't let Suárez get into the penalty area!"

"He's going to pass to Messi!"

"Beautiful!"

"A perfect tackle; this Eibar number 5 has the potential to be the world's best defender—that's how you must play!"

"Wait, let me check the neighboring match!"

"OK, Tang Tang Qiuwang is still very steady; Villarreal is still leading 2:1!"

In the 55th minute of the second half, Escrivá could clearly feel the Villarreal players' condition declining.

Especially those two guys, Bruno and Musacchio!

"Focus on this match, focus on this match!"

"Don't think about anything else!"

Bruno was too eager for the team to secure second place in the league, but the more he thought like that, the more likely problems were to arise!

His attention was no longer on this match!

Valencia was advancing from the backfield!

Slap!

Seizing the opportunity, Sánchez sent a low driven through-ball from the backfield.

Get back to defend immediately!

Taking a quick look at the trajectory of this low driven through-ball, Bruno made his judgment in an instant.

This ball was passed to Nani ahead of him!

The distance was a bit far; he would slide directly to intercept!

Bang!

Bruno slid forward to tackle, attempting to use his foot to block Sánchez's through-ball.

But he missed by less than half a meter!

Bruno failed to touch Sánchez's through-ball!

"Nani has the ball!"

"Gayà is making an overlapping run on the wing!"

"A very quick one-two combination; Nani charges into the penalty area with the ball!"

"He shoots directly!"

A precise shot found the far corner; Nani successfully opened Villarreal's goal.

2:2!

The home team, Valencia, had equalized the score!

The goal-scorer Nani turned around and embraced Gayà, who had provided the assist.

Bruno stood rooted to the spot, unable to utter a single word.

Tang Ye ran over from behind and patted Bruno's hand: "It's alright, it's alright."

The Valencia defender's through-ball was indeed a bit too precise; Villarreal had completely failed to anticipate this issue.

Exhaling a long breath, Escrivá returned to the substitutes' bench.

He checked the score of the neighboring match.

Barcelona was still leading Eibar 3:2.

It seemed God was not on Villarreal's side today!

"Valencia!"

Bang bang!

"Valencia!"

Bang! Bang!

The home fans are incredibly passionate.

They can feel that their team is about to overtake the score!

"Villarreal!"

"Xuuuu!!!"

The second half's second kick-off; Bruno, having adjusted his mindset, tries to focus his attention.

The dense schedule in April and May has taken a considerable toll on his body; Bruno knows very well that his form in May has been somewhat poor.

But he knows even more clearly that in this match, Villarreal absolutely cannot slip up!

The 56th minute!

"I've got it, I've got it!"

Tang Ye charges up from behind, launching a long-range shot straight toward the goal.

Bang!

The ball grazes the crossbar and flies out.

"Damn!"

Just a hair's breadth away!

Escrivá pants heavily on the sidelines.

Pacing back and forth, he ultimately returns to his favorite spot: the substitutes' bench.

Martí knows what Escrivá wants to see and immediately switches the feed to the match between Barcelona and Eibar.

Barcelona 3:2 Eibar.

The match time is the 87th minute.

Escrivá shakes his head, when suddenly Martí grabs his arm.

Hm?

Glancing at the laptop screen, they see Eibar's forward Kike García running past Umtiti.

Then receiving a pass from a teammate!

Umtiti immediately brings García down!

"Mm..."

Escrivá's breathing pauses in that instant.

Eibar has earned a penalty kick opportunity!

"Wow!!!"

The away stand suddenly erupts in cheers, leaving the Yellow Submarine players on the field somewhat bewildered.

Wait...

They just lost possession, yet the away fans in the stands start cheering.

Musacchio seems to realize something and glances toward the substitutes' bench.

Escrivá and the substitute players are huddled in a circle, staring intently at Martí's laptop.

Good heavens, with the score at 2:2, the Villarreal players have lost their coach!

Mr. Ferran, look at the pitch!

Valencia takes the corner kick; Asenjo, in front of the goal line, leaps up and catches the ball.

At this moment, the away substitutes' bench suddenly explodes; Escrivá rushes to the sideline.

"It's tied!"

"They've tied it!"

PS: Begging for monthly tickets; only 2 days left before they expire!

Big brothers, help me break into the top 50 on the overall rankings!

(End of Chapter)