Chapter 309: Facing Brighton: Did the Manchester United Players Forget Their Shooting Boots?

The red Manchester United team bus slowly pulled into Old Trafford!

"And the great Christ group take the powers of this beat~ (Past hardships have made us rise again)"

"And the Reds go marching on! (The Red Devils march forward bravely)"

"Glory~ Glory~ Man United!"

"Glory~ Glory~ Man United!"

Glory Glory Man United...

Tang Ye softly sang along with the fans' chorus.

Ever since the Europa League final last season, Tang Ye would hear this song from time to time on the pitch.

Although he hadn't deliberately tried to memorize it, he could now sing the entire song!

Tom's memory was excellent; after all, he was a top student!

When Tang Ye told Rodri that he could recite the team anthem, the latter shook his head with a smile: "Manchester United has many cheering songs."

"And that other one... 'We'll Never Die'."

Rodri made a strenuous attempt to sing another team song.

It lacked any sense of melody, but his enunciation was extremely clear.

To Tang Ye, it felt like...

Hmm, stiff?

"I think I've heard this one; Manchester United really does have many team songs."

Tang Ye nodded.

Manchester United had many team songs, but he had plenty of time.

He would just learn them slowly.

He had spent a long time learning the previous one, "Yellow Submarine."

Putting the matter of learning team songs aside for now, Tang Ye noticed something new.

He tapped Rodri's arm: "Rod, your sense of rhythm in singing is terrible; you need to listen to more music."

"By the way, Rod, we arrived at roughly the same time, so why do you know so much more than I do?"

Tang Ye suddenly realized something.

Even though he and Rodri had joined Manchester United at roughly the same time (strictly speaking, Tang Ye had arrived a week earlier than Rodri), Rodri knew far more about Manchester United than Tang Ye did.

"It's simple; I read it online."

Rodri took out the phone from his pocket: "The internet is very useful; perhaps you could do some research too?"

"I've always used the internet."

"Come on, Tom, playing matches with Manchester United on FIFA isn't going to increase your understanding of Manchester United, haha!"

Pinning: Manchester United vs. Brighton Starting Lineup, Rashford and Stephens lead the way, Tang Ye faces off against Gross.

"China Central Television! Here is the live broadcast coming to you..."

"The referee is checking his watch!"

"The match has begun; now let me introduce the starting lineups for both sides in this game!"

"First, for Manchester United: after being a substitute in the Champions League, Tang Ye has returned to the starting lineup..."

"And now for the away team, Brighton!"

After the match started, the director cut to a shot of Ibrahimović in the stands.

Although there was no official news yet, English football reporters had already photographed Ibrahimović appearing near the Carrington Base.

"Ibrahimović looks in good spirits; after getting out of the car, he even jogged a few steps, indicating he should be recovering well," were the exact words of The Sun reporter.

He should have recovered, but exactly when he would be able to play remained unknown.

Initially, it had taken Luke Shaw a full half-month to go from resuming training to entering the match squad.

However... considering Manchester United was currently short on strikers, the time Ibrahimović needed might be less.

The fans were already somewhat expectant.

As everyone knew, Tang Ye's greatest strength was partnering with target men!

The match reached the 18th minute!

It was Brighton's attack; Tang Ye, having dropped back to the defensive midfield line, was observing.

The opposing attacker's passing speed was not fast, giving Tang Ye ample time to think.

Propper, Stephens, and also Gross...

After a brief calculation, Tang Ye chose to run toward Saltor.

Block Saltor's position!

The main reason Tang Ye made this choice was that if Gross passed back to Stephens, then Saltor would be the only supporting point.

Slap!

Gross really did pass back!

Stephens, now in possession, faced pressure from Rodri and Mata.

He wanted to find a passing outlet but couldn't find one.

A hurried pass!

Stephens' pass went straight to Tang Ye's feet!

Mm!

Knowing this was an opportunity, Tang Ye shielded the ball with his back.

He stepped on the ball with his right foot and pulled it back.

Turn!

Salto seemed somewhat anxious and directly rammed his body into Tang Ye.

Damn!

Feeling the sudden impact from behind, Tang Ye realized the situation was dire.

Pass back to Luke Shaw immediately!

Then run forward!

Luke Shaw first trapped the ball, waiting until Tang Ye reached a suitable position before playing a through pass.

Tang Ye received the ball again!

"A one-two combination between Manchester United's left-sided midfielder and defender."

"Tang Ye is advancing with the ball at great speed!"

Dribbling quickly forward while simultaneously observing the situation in the penalty area.

Slap!

【De Bruyne 45-Degree Cross Lv5: Replication (Transcendent State)】

Proficiency: 68/3500

It was a 45-degree cross, but unlike previous ones, Tang Ye's pass was delivered quite low.

A Brighton defender stretched out his leg but failed to reach the ball!

Tang Ye's pass struck the outer edge of the penalty area, rebounded, and flew into the box.

Right at the penalty spot!

Martial!

The Manchester United striker lifted his right foot, attempting to drive the ball into the goal.

But falling short by less than 20 centimeters, Martial failed to make contact with Tang Ye's pass.

"Phew!"

Head coach Hughton let out a long breath, first turning to walk toward the substitutes' bench, then walking back again.

Hiss—

Inside the penalty area, Martial gave Tang Ye a thumbs-up, filled with regret over his previous action.

If he had started half a second earlier, he definitely would have reached the ball!

"It's fine, it's fine."

Tang Ye responded with a thumbs-up, then quickly retreated.

In truth, Martial had missed touching the ball by only a hair's breadth.

It was indeed a great pity.

But it didn't matter.

Back in their own half, Tang Ye walked while observing his surroundings.

Manchester United had now seized the initiative on the field; a goal was only a matter of time!

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: 32nd minute, Valencia found Tang Ye with a cross, but Tang Ye's long-range shot was saved by the goalkeeper.

【Tang Tang Qiuwang's shooting still needs more practice.】

【It's not just Tang Ye; Manchester United's shooting feel has been generally poor today. Martial has already wasted three chances.】

【So when will Ibrahimović return? I want to see the combination between my Tang Tang Qiuwang and a target man.】

【I'm done, damn it! Is this Brighton goalkeeper's reaction speed really this fast?】

Manchester United launched continuous attacks in the front field, but Brighton's defenders neutralized them one by one.

This made the fans somewhat anxious.

Manchester United was currently ranked 2nd in the Premier League, while Brighton was ranked merely 14th.

In Ten Hag's words, teams ranked higher in the league should defeat teams ranked lower.

But the situation displayed in this match seemed otherwise; so far, the most threatening shot had come from Brighton's striker Glenn Murray!

Ten Hag paced back and forth on the sideline, hands in his pockets, remaining silent.

If there were problems with the team's tactics, he could still shout from the sidelines for the players on the field to adjust.

But according to Ten Hag's judgment, Manchester United's tactical execution in this match had been quite excellent.

The biggest problem was their shooting form.

Rashford and Martial were truly terrible with their finishing today!

As time approached the 40-minute mark, Manchester United remained on the attack.

"Push forward, push forward!"

"Get him, get him!"

"Faster, wow!"

The fans directed Rodrigo, who was dribbling forward on the right wing; the Manchester United defensive midfielder first executed a combination play with Mata against the defense.

Brighton's wide marking was done very well; Tang Ye looked and prepared to drop back to provide support.

However, just as Tang Ye started his run, Mata executed a highly imaginative heel flick, achieving Ke Qiu Cheng Gong to pass to Mkhitaryan.

Manchester United broke through Brighton's defensive line!

Move forward quickly!

This was Tang Ye's immediate reaction.

Mkhitaryan would definitely go down the line; Tang Ye had to create more passing options for his teammate.

"Mkhitaryan runs toward the baseline!"

"Let's check Tang Ye's position..."

"Tang Ye has already started making a forward run!"

Tang Ye's reaction was still very quick, but he was immediately blocked out of position by Brighton's defenders.

With no other choice, Mkhitaryan could only rely on himself.

Moving closer bit by bit... changing direction and slowing down!

Mkhitaryan wanted to use his ability to enter the penalty area, but he was quickly brought down by Brighton's defenders.

"Is it a penalty?"

"Dunk did indeed trip Mkhitaryan, but the location where Mkhitaryan fell is not entirely certain..."

"The referee has awarded a free kick!"

When he fell, Mkhitaryan had not yet fully entered the penalty area; one can only say it was a pity.

Adjusting his breathing, Tang Ye walked over, pulled the fallen Mkhitaryan to his feet, and then picked up the ball from the ground.

Rashford quickly ran over.

Tang Ye and Rashford were the two players in the Manchester United squad with the highest level of direct free-kick ability.

Tang Ye quickly spun the ball twice in his hands, then placed it on the white line marked by the referee.

Slowly backing away.

Checking the situation inside the penalty area, the wall was set up on the right side, while the goalkeeper was guarding the left.

The best option for this ball should be a direct shot!

Beep!

The referee blew the whistle, and Tang Ye gave a thumbs-up.

Shaking his hands, he then began his run-up!

Using his left foot!

Bang!

【Ronaldo's Knuckleball Free Kick】!

The launched soccer ball soared over the wall.

Still without any rotation, it began to descend after reaching its highest point.

The target was the dead corner at the top right of the goal!

The goalkeeper stood rooted to the spot; there was definitely no time to save this ball.

There was no sound, because Tang Ye's free kick had struck the top netting of the goal.

"Damn it!"

Clutching his head, Tang Ye shouted loudly.

"Hmm, the quality of this free kick can be said to be very high, and he even used his left foot."

Tang Ye's direct free-kick level had improved significantly compared to last season in La Liga, and this shot was indeed quite good.

But the position of this set piece was simply too close to the goal, forcing Tang Ye to loft the ball very high in order to clear the wall.

It cleared the wall, but it also cleared the goal.

"Brighton! Brighton!"

The away fans cheered loudly.

Fans would not analyze in detail exactly where Tang Ye's free kick went wrong; they only knew that Tang Ye had failed to score.

This was absolutely good news for Brighton.

"Beep, beep beep!!!"

The first half of the match had ended!

Hands on his hips, exhaling a long breath, then shaking his head, Tang Ye high-fived Rodri, who was walking toward him.

"I shouldn't have taken that elevator shot just now."

Tang Ye's tone was somewhat disappointed: "The wall was too close to me; I should have taken a tactical free kick."

"It's fine, it's fine."

Rodri placed his hand on Tang Ye's shoulder: "Don't think about that free kick anymore; the match isn't over yet, just focus on the second half."

Tang Ye felt that what Rodri said made a lot of sense, so he took a few deep breaths and temporarily put the matters of the first half out of his mind.

Walking toward the player tunnel, Tang Ye heard the fans in the stands shouting his name.

"Go Tom!"

"Go, go, go!"

Check Dongqiu Di Halftime Report: Manchester United with 8 unsuccessful shots in the first half, temporarily drawing 0:0 with Brighton; Tang Ye created 11 attacking opportunities + a free kick that missed by a hair's breadth.

【"11 Attacking Opportunities Created"】

【"The entire Brighton team didn't create as many attacking opportunities as I, GGBond, did alone"】

【"But it's useless if you can't score"】

【"Wasting our Tom's scoring chances; Rashford and Martial are probably going to be glued to the bench by Saint Teng"】

Because they wasted the opportunities created by Tang Ye, they would have to sit on the bench?

This was, of course, just fans joking.

Ten Hag was not that kind of petty person!

"We didn't score in the first half, but we created many opportunities; we created very, very many opportunities, which shows that we are the side holding an absolute advantage."

In the center of the home team's locker room, Ten Hag delivered a passionate speech.

Tang Ye listened with great seriousness.

Compared to tactical analysis, he actually preferred listening to Ten Hag's inspiring speeches.

It was a magical feeling.

Whenever the team's momentum was low, the respected Mr. Sitting Like could always use his speeches to make the players brimming with confidence!

Walking slowly through the locker room, Ten Hag's gaze landed on Tang Ye.

Hm?

Tang Ye suddenly became nervous.

Then Ten Hag shifted his gaze to Rashford beside Tang Ye, which made Tang Ye breathe a sigh of relief.

"Marcus, you wasted many chances; you might feel your shooting touch isn't good today, but you absolutely cannot carry that feeling into the second half."

"We will score, because we have almost controlled the match."

Ten Hag spread his hands; Rashford, sitting in his spot, wore a serious expression.

With less than four minutes until the second half began, Ten Hag had all the Manchester United players gather in the center of the locker room.

"We will definitely win; that is simply the way it is."

Looking at Tang Ye, the latter got ready.

Take a deep breath!

"3, 2, 1!"

"Manchester!"

"Forward!"

In the player tunnel, Tang Ye shook hands one by one with the Brighton players who greeted him.

Although the first half had been somewhat uncomfortable to play, the opposing players were very friendly, which put Tang Ye in a good mood.

Noticing Rashford beside him remaining silent, Tang Ye patted the Manchester United winger on the back: "Cheer up, Marcus; I'll pass to you."

"Mm, let's go."

The second half began!

The home team, Manchester United, made no personnel changes, and neither did Brighton.

Both coaches felt their first-half tactics were sound; now it was a matter of who would have the last laugh.

The 52nd minute!

Crack!

De Gea launched a long kick, and the front field instantly descended into chaos.

There were many Brighton players ahead; Tang Ye ran forward alone.

Feeling a bit panicked, he glanced back and discovered Rodri right behind him, immediately feeling much more at ease.

Moving forward together with Rodri!

Looking up to track De Gea's pass, Tang Ye jumped.

He couldn't reach it!

The ball hit the chest of Brighton's attacking midfielder, who then controlled it with his foot.

"Over there!"

Tang Ye pointed at Saltor, signaling Rodri to press, before running toward the player in possession himself.

Manchester United blocked almost all passing lanes for the Brighton player with the ball!

Tang Ye focused his attention!

At the exact moment Gross prepared to pass!

Crack!

Tang Ye quickly dropped to the ground, and Gross's pass struck his body.

"Beautiful! Tang Ye!"

The commentator exclaimed in surprise, but this was clearly not the end; Tang Ye, lying on the ground, quickly got back up.

Without looking, he played a direct through-ball straight to the front field!

To Martial!

Martial passed again to Rashford!

"Manchester United has launched an attack, but Brighton's defense in their own half is still quite solid."

"It will be rather difficult for Manchester United to find an opportunity..."

"Rashford has charged directly into the penalty area!"

Cheers erupted from the stands as Rashford dribbled alone into the box, then sent a pass to Martial making a run up the middle.

Martial struck the ball on the volley!

"GOOO——AAAAA——LLLLLL!!!!"

Goal!

A goal by Anthony Martial!

(End of Chapter)