Chapter 324: A Fully Charged EFL Championship Team, Manchester United Advances to the EFL Cup Semi-Finals!

【Wang Chao's QQ Fan Group 2 (1,823 members)】

【Match: Bristol City vs Manchester United】

【Prediction: Away Team Win】

【Analysis: The home team is in good form this season; their 4-4-1-1 formation is perfected, and with tall center-backs, they boast a high win rate in the EFL Championship. But Tang Ye is also in great form recently, so the home team stands no chance whatsoever.】

The match hadn't even started yet, but the fans were already making preparations.

【Doing analysis just for an EFL Championship team? Aren't you being a bit too timid? Just go all-in on Manchester United and be done with it.】

【Steady does it, steady does it; Bristol City actually has some substance—they've taken down several Premier League teams in a row.】

【I won't place a bet until I see whether Tang Ye is in the starting lineup.】

【Laughable; if Tang Ye is in the starting lineup once it's released, the odds will drop immediately. If you don't buy now, when will you?】

【What if Tang Ye ends up on the bench?】

【It's already the quarter-finals; how could he possibly be benched?】

"OK, brothers, welcome back!"

In the familiar Huandle Bean livestream room, after finding the stream source, Wang Chao turned on his camera.

Actually, most Huandle Bean streamers don't turn on their cameras.

But Wang Chao was different; he was the first streamer to broadcast Tang Ye's matches, and after several seasons, he had become something of a celebrity himself.

There were even people who skipped the CCTV commentators just to come to Wang Chao's livestream room.

"A pig on the windfall... Wait, brother, what do you mean by that? Mods, ban him! This guy is clearly a competitor here to sabotage me."

"Tang Ye's simp... Ban this one too."

It was classic to ban a few people right at the start of the broadcast, and coincidentally, the match was about to begin.

"Today I'm livestreaming the EFL Cup quarter-final for you brothers: Manchester United playing away against Bristol City. Since the opposition is an EFL Championship team, I won't bother introducing their starting lineup."

"Let's look at Manchester United's side!"

"Number 10, Tang Ye, is in the starting lineup today as well!"

"Can Manchester United win the EFL Cup trophy... Hiss—based on current conditions, they probably can, but I'm worried about encountering strong teams later on, since Chelsea and Arsenal haven't been eliminated yet."

Dongqiu Di Live Match Report: In the 11th minute of the match, a Bristol City defender suddenly made a forward run, but his subsequent shot was saved by Romero.

"Damn!"

Tang Ye on the field was startled.

Nathan Baker's forward run was something absolutely no one had expected.

It was too sudden!

Exchanging a glance with Rodri beside him, Tang Ye suddenly felt tense.

It was just as the fans online had warned.

Even though they were an EFL Championship team, the opposition was truly formidable!

Hmm... let me carefully recall the situation I encountered while playing the game yesterday.

Compared to Bristol City, Manchester United's greatest advantage lay in their players.

Simply put, Manchester United's players had higher stats.

Players with higher stats found it easier to play at a fast pace.

So what needed to be done next was already quite obvious.

"We need to pick up the pace."

As a top-tier league team, Manchester United needed to suppress their opponent with a Premier League rhythm!

Having made his decision, Tang Ye began his maneuvers.

"Damn, this defender is kinda scary, holy crap."

"But it's fine; let's take a look at Manchester United's side..."

"Ooh! King Tang! So fast!"

Slap!

Tang Ye played a precise through-ball to find Rashford making a forward run, then started sprinting forward himself.

Ibrahimović was calling for the ball, but Rashford didn't pass it!

Ooh!

Tang Ye's eyes lit up.

This was a great scoring opportunity!

Go get 'em, Marcus!

Rashford charged into the penalty area on his own.

Facing the defender's mark, Rashford began cutting inside!

Shot!

"Goal!"

"Coach Rashford!"

"1-0!"

Just now, when the Bristol City defender took that shot, Wang Chao felt like his soul had been scared right out of his body.

Fortunately, the Manchester United players were up to the task; within a few minutes, they found an opportunity and scored.

"Woohoo!"

Tang Ye ran toward Rashford, who had scored the goal.

【You have gained 5 Counterattack Points.】

Although this was a quarter-final, it still fell under the EFL Cup category, so an assist still rewarded 5 Counterattack Points.

The match continues!

"Bristol! (Bristol City)"

"Bristol!"

Although they had conceded a goal, the home fans in the stands remained extremely passionate.

Their opponent was the powerful second-place team in the Premier League; falling behind was nothing to be ashamed of.

Moreover, their deficit was only temporary!

The Bristol City players quickly regained their rhythm!

Pa-pa!

A series of passing combinations ended with the ball reaching attacking midfielder Paterson!

Paterson struck the ball directly!

Pa!

The ball was saved by Manchester United's backup goalkeeper Romero, but the play was not over yet.

Smalling botched his clearance!

Possession went back to Bristol City!

Look at Shi Misi's position!

"Damn, he's going to shoot!"

"Shit, he actually f***ing scored!"

Wang Chao let out a roar of frustration, while the goal-scorer Shi Misi rushed out to celebrate.

【Damn, is the opposition this fierce?】

【Manchester United's defense hasn't woken up】

【If it were De Gea, this ball would never have gone in】

【We're done for, time to jump off the bridge, brothers】

"Done for my ass; this was clearly a Manchester United mistake; can you guys be a bit more confident?"

"Tang Ye hasn't even touched the ball much; no need to panic, just keep watching."

Although he said this out loud, Wang Chao was actually quite panicked now.

Bristol City's wing attacks were very strange, to the point that every Manchester United fan watching the match felt uneasy!

After the score was leveled, Ten Hag called the nearby Manchester United players to the sideline, specifically singling out Tang Ye to emphasize certain points.

"Pick up the pace."

"Mr. Erik, I am already picking up the pace, but they are playing very strangely,"

Tang Ye said quietly.

The opposing defenders kept making all sorts of bizarre moves, causing Tang Ye's calculations to go awry many times during this match, which made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

Tom liked to control the match, but the opponent seemed unwilling to let him do so!

Hiss—

Ten Hag took a deep breath.

"Then go even faster; we must suppress the opponent!"

"Okay, okay, Mr. Erik."

After the match entered the 40th minute!

"Rashford!"

"Rashford, pass quickly!"

"To Tang Ye!"

"OK, he's got the ball in the center; let's see what Tang Tang Qiuwang does!"

After controlling the ball, he changed the rhythm, first shaking off the opposing defender, then began looking for an opening.

Bristol City always played outside the usual patterns, so Tang Ye had to think of other methods as well.

The positions of Ibrahimovic and Mkhitaryan were both quite good.

But Tang Ye decided to do it himself!

Waiting for the opposing defender to step up and challenge...

OK, now is the moment!

He pulled the ball back with his right foot, then pushed it forward.

His body followed upward as well.

Although the movement was not fast, Tang Ye managed to give people a feeling of extreme lightness and agility.

The defender wanted to intercept, but Tang Ye stepped into the penalty area with one foot.

If he was taken down now, it would be a penalty kick!

A great opportunity!

He swung his right leg out!

"Shoot..."

"A fake shot!"

"Awesome, Tang Tang Qiuwang! First he shook off an opposing defender"

"Again!"

"Still a feint!"

"Switching to the left foot!"

This was Tang Ye's third leg swing inside the penalty area; this time, it was real.

A pushed shot sent the ball grazing the post and into the goal.

"Tang Ye!"

"Ball King!"

"It's 2:1!"

The DouWarriors familiar with Wang Chao quickly lowered the volume.

As expected, the sound of keyboard smashing immediately rang out from the livestream room.

【When Dad scores, he has to smash a keyboard to celebrate】

【Hahaha】

【Tang Ye is so calm; 18 years old? I'd say 38!】

【That's just how ggbond is; a cool, aloof god!】

After scoring, Tang Ye immediately ran toward Rashford, but was quickly caught by Mata, who had run up ahead of him.

Seeing Mata, Tang Ye realized: "So we can't celebrate even this? The opposition is very strong."

"No, no, no!"

Uncle Mata ultimately stopped Tom's celebration.

【You have obtained 10 Counterattack Points】

What a pity!

Shaking his head, Tang Ye scratched his hair.

In truth, the level Bristol City played today could easily be called Premier League standard.

But precisely because of their identity as a Championship team, Tang Ye could not celebrate! Tang Ye didn't know why either.

Anyway, that's what Mata said!

Check Dongqiu Di Halftime Report: EFL Cup Quarterfinal, Manchester United leads Bristol City 2:1 away; Tang Ye deceived the goalkeeper with consecutive fake shots inside the box before scoring.

"Rodri, wasn't that fake shot of mine pretty good?"

Walking back toward the player tunnel, Tang Ye showed off his super goal from the first half to Rodri beside him.

Just as Rodri was about to say something, Bristol City defender Flint suddenly approached: "Tom!"

"Hello, brother."

Tang Ye shook hands with Flint, who then asked if Tang Ye could give him his jersey after the match.

"You want my jersey?"

Tang Ye pointed at his shirt, and upon realizing, nodded rapidly: "Of course, of course."

"Thank you."

!

"Haha, it's nothing."

After fist-bumping Flint, Tang Ye continued his unfinished chat with Rodri.

"Actually, I initially planned to shoot directly, but that goalkeeper kept staring at me; I felt a direct shot would be saved."

Rodri laughed heartily: "I didn't expect you to fake the shot either; that defender was even shaken off his feet."

Rodri pointed at Flint, who was already walking away.

"Yes, but his offense is formidable; a few minutes ago, a defender from the other side suddenly made a forward run—I remember clearly, it was that guy."

During halftime, Ten Hag briefly outlined the second-half arrangements to the players.

The original plan was to substitute Tang Ye off around the 60-minute mark, but the actual situation did not allow Ten Hag to do so.

Bristol City was playing better than imagined!

"Marcus!"

Ten Hag called out Rashford's name, startling him; he quickly lifted his head.

"Focus on tracking back, defend actively; you failed to do so again in the first half!"

Though his expression was somewhat pained, Rashford still nodded.

"..."

Seeing this expression on Rashford's face, Tang Ye felt somewhat distressed in his heart, yet he didn't know what to do.

He hoped Marcus could properly execute Mr. Erik's requirements; that way, Mr. Erik probably wouldn't target him anymore.

The players made simple adjustments in the locker room, and soon the second half began.

The home team's anthem rang out on the pitch, but it could not be heard in the livestream room.

This was because Wang Chao's voice was so loud, completely drowning out the background noise.

"Streamer, can you turn up the match audio?" "It's already very high, it's already very high... Forget it, let me adjust it again."

"Damn it, I'm not adjusting it anymore; screw you!"

"..."

"Oh! Here it comes!"

"Mata! Down the right wing!"

"Although Tang Ye isn't in the frame right now, he must have already started making a forward run; I bet he'll touch the ball any second."

"Mata!"

"Holy crap, awesome!"

"Individual skill eats through the main team's defense, continuing forward!"

"Cutback!"

"To Tang Ye!"

"OK!"

After stopping the ball and pausing for a moment, waiting for the opposing defender to change running direction, Tang Ye moved laterally toward the penalty area.

"Smack!"

A curled shot toward the far corner!

But the goalkeeper parried it away!

Bristol City's form is truly excellent; from forwards to defenders to the goalkeeper, everyone is on point, causing no small trouble for Manchester United.

But it doesn't matter; Manchester United quickly found a new opportunity.

"Mata takes the corner..."

"To Rodri at the edge of the arc!"

"Little brother Tang Ye is quite talented; let's see how Rodri chooses."

"The high ball is lofted into the penalty area!"

"Ibrahimović lays it off!"

"Smack!"

Ibrahimović's header smashed onto the grass, bouncing up right in front of Tang Ye.

"Wow!"

Eyes lighting up, Tang Ye quickly brought the ball down to the grass, tapping it with his right foot to his left.

Immediately followed by a toe-poke shot!

Goal!

"The scorer is..."

"Tang Ye!"

3:1!

"Smack!"

Tang Ye raised his hand to high-five Ibrahimović, then offered no further celebration.

Mata had said it many times, and he remembered Mata's words!

After the 75th minute, Ten Hag substituted Tang Ye off, which naturally earned him a scolding from Wang Chao.

However, Ten Hag's substitution decision was very reasonable.

Manchester United still has three matches to play this month; they must preserve the stamina of their key players!

Entering the final moments, Bristol City launched rapid counterattacks against Manchester United.

The home fans were also shouting loudly, hoping that with the opponents' key players substituted, Bristol City could create a miracle.

But it was useless!

"Beep, beep-beep—!!!"

The full-time whistle has blown!

"We won!"

Carrick stood up from the bench, while Rodri shook the dazed Tang Ye awake: "We won, Tom, we won!"

Check Dongqiu Di match report: Manchester United defeated Bristol City 3:1 away to advance to the EFL Cup semifinals; the semifinal opponent is Leicester City.

After the match, Ten Hag led the Manchester United players to the area below the away team's bench to thank the fans.

During the match, celebration wasn't possible since the opponent was a lower-league team, but now that the match is over and they've advanced to the semifinals, Tang Ye can finally celebrate to his heart's content.

An uppercut with the right hand!

"Wow!"

The Manchester United fans in the stands echoed the sound.

Again!

"Wow!"

"Haha!"

Patting Rodri's arm: "What a pity; at this moment I should be holding a trophy, holding the trophy and then swinging it, just like during last season's Copa del Rey. Rod, do you remember when we won the Copa del Rey last season? That trophy Bruno and I swung together."

"Of course."

Rodri and Tang Ye walked together toward the lower section of the stands.

Picking up jerseys and marker pens from the ground, Tang Ye and his teammates began giving out their autographs.

"Tom, can I have your jersey?"

A chubby young fan wearing the home red jersey shouted loudly.

"Oh, sure I ca..."

"Tom!"

Rodri interrupted Tang Ye: "That defender already reserved your jersey!"

"Huh?"

Standing still to think for a moment, Tang Ye quickly remembered.

"Oh right, bro, sorry, my shirt is already promised to someone else."

Scratching his head, Tang Ye looked slightly embarrassed: "How about this: tell me whose jersey you want, and I'll help you strip it off him."

"You want Zlatan's? No, no, no, he's too fierce; pick someone else."

"Mata? OK, that's too easy; wait here for me."

Tang Ye signaled to the fans in the stands not to leave, then ran toward Mata.

He ran over empty-handed, but returned holding a Mata jersey: "Here you go, hmm."

At Tang Ye's reminder, Rodri and Rashford stepped back a few paces and saw the banner unfurled by the Manchester United fans in the stands.

【We Need a Trophy!】

"I want a trophy too."

Looking up at the banner, Tang Ye blinked rapidly: "The League Cup is a chance; we've already reached the semifinals."

"United! United! United!"

After the home fans departed, the away fans took over the stadium.

Tang Ye loved this atmosphere, but he also needed to go home and rest; he couldn't stay in the stadium forever.

Arriving at the tunnel, he came face-to-face with the opposing defender, Flint.

Though Flint stood nearly two meters tall, he looked somewhat shy: "Tom, your jersey..."

"Oh, wait a moment."

Tang Ye lifted his shirt.

It was a bit tight; after tugging at it a few times, he finally managed to pull it off.

"Here."

Holding Tang Ye's jersey, Flint felt somewhat excited.

Then, noticing Tang Ye staring steadily at him, Flint wore a puzzled expression: "Wh-what's wrong?"

"Um..."

Tang Ye scratched his hair: "Shouldn't you give me your jersey too?"

Tang Ye wasn't entirely sure himself, but he had seen other teammates do exactly this.

"You want my jersey?"

Flint pointed at his own nose, his mouth slightly agape.

Asking for a jersey unilaterally expresses admiration.

But exchanging jerseys means mutual appreciation!

So Tom is...

"Um, could you give it to me? Of course, if you don't want to, that's fine too."

"Yes, I'll give it, I'll give it!"

Flint hurriedly tugged at the jersey on his body, took it off, and handed it to Tang Ye.

"Can we take a photo together?"

"Of course!"

Holding Tang Ye's jersey, Flint found the nearest on-site photographer.

Tang Ye and Flint stood side by side; mimicking Flint, Tang Ye also held up the jersey he had just received.

Click!

Manchester United Official: Tang Ye voted Man of the Match by fans in the Bristol City fixture.

(End of Chapter)