Chapter 3: I Was Guessing

"Wooww!!!"

Utrecht scored the equalizing goal, and suddenly the stands erupted in noise.

Unlike Utrecht II, a perennial Eerste Divisie team, Go Ahead Eagles have spent years bouncing back and forth between the Eredivisie and the Eerste Divisie.

Due to the gap in strength, no one expected Utrecht to manage a draw before the match began!

"Jesus!"

Melent touched his bald head, the wrinkles on his forehead knitting together.

Karen, the assistant coach standing nearby, shrugged his shoulders: "Well... the boss's suggestion is never wrong."

"Why? He didn't tell me he could do this!"

Melent spread his hands, expressing his bewilderment.

According to his memory, Tang Ye shouldn't have this skill point!

Melent said nothing, continuing to watch the field. Tang Ye, having completed the assist, spread his arms wide to welcome his teammates' embraces.

【Holy crap, what was that?】

【Wait, bro, you can do this too?】

【Hold on, hold on, whoever said Tang Ye was a slacker, step forward now! Damn it, it's because of you that Laozi didn't bet on the 1:1 draw!】

【Isn't that outside-of-the-foot pass a bit too exaggerated? Are you sure Tang Ye is only 16?】

【I finally understand why Utrecht spent 50,000 euros to buy a slacker back then; it turns out Tang Ye actually has talent.】

Seeing Tang Ye deliver a pass of such caliber, whether it was the Happy Bean players in the live stream or the home fans at the stadium, everyone fell into a state of stunned confusion.

Wait, if you have this level of skill, why did you ride the bench for the entire last season?

The match continued; in the time that followed, the director began giving Tang Ye more screen time, though Tang Ye didn't produce any notable performances.

"Beep, beep-beep!"

The referee blew the whistle ending the match; ultimately, the home team, Utrecht II, defeated the strong opponent Go Ahead Eagles, securing their second victory in this season's friendly matches.

"Tang, what was that? Come on!"

Zaka ran over and hugged Tang Ye tightly.

Nearly ten minutes had passed since Tang Ye delivered that outside-of-the-foot pass, yet recalling it now, Zaka still couldn't believe it.

The pass was so precise, so delicate, that Zaka only needed to gently stretch his foot forward to create a one-on-one breakaway!

【You have completed your first pre-season match since coming out of retirement.】

【Reward obtained: Counterattack Points * 15】

Counterattack Points?

Tang Ye frowned, somewhat confused by the voice he suddenly heard, but he had no time to investigate these things as Head Coach Mr. Me lent was walking toward him.

"Coach."

Tang Ye said this, thinking Me lent wanted to embrace him, but unexpectedly, Me lent walked right past him toward Zaka.

"Well done, Isaac; thanks to your goal!"

"..."

Tang Ye shrugged; Me lent's action made him feel a bit uncomfortable, but considering his own slacking off throughout the last season, Me lent's behavior was understandable.

The fact was, no coach likes a player who consistently slacks off.

In the team locker room.

Me lent stood in the center, summarizing the day's friendly match and praising the excellent performances of players like Amrabat and Zaka.

Tang Ye did not receive praise from Me lent, but after Me lent had praised all the players, he was taken aside alone.

"Why? What is this? Tang, tell me what this is?"

"What?"

Tang Ye didn't quite understand the meaning of Me lent's words.

"You can make outside-of-the-foot passes! You can deliver passes like that; you should have told me. Why didn't you tell me?"

Me lent was now very angry.

Because he felt Tang Ye was playing him!

Last season, Utrecht II always lacked a usable midfielder; if Tang Ye had been able to deliver passes of this caliber back then, Me lent would have had no reason to leave him on the substitute bench.

After today's match ended, unsurprisingly, many Utrecht fans would likely criticize Me lent, the reason being that there was such a genius in the team who had never been given Shang Shang Zhongyong.

Was this Me lent not using him?

No, it was damn Tang Ye who had been playing him all along!

"Sorry, sorry."

Scolded by Me lent like this, Tang Ye was also a bit panicked.

To be honest, because that ball was produced with the system's help, Tang Ye himself didn't know why he was able to execute such a beautiful outside-of-the-foot pass.

"Um..."

Tang Ye hesitated for a moment, then finally said.

"I guessed it."

"Guessed it? Who the hell are you trying to fool!?"

Me lent stared into Tang Ye's eyes. As a senior coach, he knew clearly which balls could be guessed and which could not.

How could a pass of Tang Ye's caliber possibly be a lucky guess?

"I'm really not lying to you; believe me, Mr.!"

Tang Ye's expression was sincere; Me lent frowned: "Are you sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure!"

"..."

Merent said nothing; based on his understanding of Tang Ye, if the play had been a lucky guess, that ball would indeed have made more sense.

"Tang Ye's Incredible Outside-of-the-Foot Pass Leads Utrecht II to a Last-Minute Equalizer Against Go Ahead Eagles in Friendly"

"The Fallen Genius Finally Awakens: Scores a Breakaway Goal in Friendly, Fulfilling His Talent"

After leaving the locker room and boarding the team bus back to the dormitory, Tang Ye looked at his newly appeared panel and fell into deep thought.

Tang Ye (37 years, 4 months)

【Ball Control: 69; Passing: 70】

【Shooting: 44; Heading: 38; Set Pieces: 55】

【Speed: 48; Stamina: 55; Physical Strength: 40】

【Defense: 40; Vision: 91】

Overall Rating: 58

After seeing this panel, Tang Ye finally understood why Merent had kept him on the bench throughout last season.

Apart from his passing, which had been enhanced by the template, Tang Ye had only three attributes exceeding 60: Ball Control at 69, Passing at 70, and Vision at 91.

Speaking of his vision, when Tang Ye had first seen his scout report, he discovered that Utrecht's scouts highly valued his vision talent, though Tang Ye himself couldn't quite feel it.

Then there was this Counterattack Point; after winning the friendly match, Tang Ye received one Counterattack Point as a system reward.

The system did not explicitly state the function of the Counterattack Point; it simply gave Tang Ye a mission.

【Having just completed your first match since returning, you are extremely excited, and your determination to make a comeback has reached an unprecedented high.】

【Score 1 goal in a friendly match. Reward: Bone Density Increase Capsule x1】

"Phew..."

In the dormitory, Tang Ye lay on his bed board, staring at the ceiling.

He had already prepared himself to rot away, only to suddenly receive such a system.

So now, should he rot or not?

Tang Ye didn't know; he only knew that he was feeling a bit sleepy now.

When sleepy, one needs to sleep.

The next day, the players of Utrecht II gathered at the training base.

Like other clubs, Utrecht shared a single training base between its first team and reserve team; on his way to the training ground, Tang Ye saw players from the first team, among whom the striker Haller actively walked over to him.

"Tang, that's how I should call you, right?"

"I saw the news; that outside-of-the-foot pass of yours was truly spectacular."

Hm?

A first-team striker had seen news about him; Tang Ye was somewhat surprised: "I made the news?"

"Of course; a goal of that caliber must make the news."

The voice came from behind; it belonged to a bald man wearing a black Nike jacket.

Erik ten Hag, the head coach of Utrecht's first team.

(End of Chapter)