Chapter 38: Helping a Player Score Is Difficult, But I Am Willing to Make the Effort (4k)

Fuck no!

Seeing the danger, the on-field captain Ramsey rushed straight to the referee:

"This shouldn't be a red card, right?"

"He showed his studs!"

Referee Semak's stance was clear; he immediately sent away the Utrecht player who had come up to defend his teammate.

Van der Mareel's foot had landed on Marinus's chest.

Moreover, his studs were pointing diagonally upward.

This was an indisputable red-card offense.

"Mark."

Tang Ye walked over and placed his hand on Van der Mareel's shoulder.

This was the first time Tang Ye had personally witnessed a teammate being sent off on the pitch.

Although it wasn't himself who was sent off, Tang Ye could feel Van der Mareel's current emotions.

He must be devastated!

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry..."

Van der Mareel pressed his hand against his chest, repeatedly apologizing to Tang Ye and Di Di Bala beside him.

Utrecht was currently leading by one goal.

Their advantage was very likely to vanish completely due to Van der Mareel's straight red card and subsequent dismissal!

Because from now on, Utrecht would have only ten players on the field!

Tang Ye and Di Di Bala followed Van der Mareel to the sideline; Ten Hag grabbed Van der Mareel's hand to offer brief comfort, then called Tang Ye over.

"Play safely, don't drag us down; we still have a chance, understand?"

Tang Ye nodded.

He knew the situation was urgent!

At this moment, he absolutely, absolutely could not drag the team down!

Bad news came in succession: Zwolle was awarded a direct free kick at the spot where Van der Mareel committed the foul.

This free kick was taken by Brammer.

He did not shoot directly but passed the ball to the far post, where Becker was positioned.

Becker scored with a header.

In just three minutes, Utrecht fell from heaven to hell.

Watching this scene on television from the locker room, Van der Mareel's heart turned ice cold.

If this continued, Zwolle would score again.

Three points turning into zero; Van der Mareel had directly become the culprit of defeat!

【Damn, this chain reaction from the red card, we're finished.】

【Shit, the betting odds have reversed; quickly bet on a Zwolle solo win now, otherwise after this match we'll lose even our underwear.】

【I'm so f***ing angry, what was that defender doing rushing forward for no reason???】

【Idiotic streamer, still predicting a 3-0 away win for Utrecht; I'm unfollowing immediately!】

"No, no, I'm just a small streamer, how could I know Utrecht would get a red card in this match? Don't blame me, okay?"

Wang Chao was currently the one feeling the worst.

He was the leader.

If the leader heads in the wrong direction, he will be blasted with criticism!

In the camera shot, Veldwijk ran toward the center circle holding the ball.

They refused to celebrate.

They wanted to use the remaining time of the match to complete a comeback against Utrecht!

"It's okay, it's okay, keep it up, keep it up!"

Ramsey clapped and shouted encouragement.

He was the on-field captain.

At this moment, he had to step up and inspire his teammates!

"Don't drag us down, don't drag us down..."

Tang Ye kept Ten Hag's words firmly in mind, moving while thinking about what to do next.

He wanted to provide an assist, and he wanted to score.

Even more, he wanted to win!

Actually, Tang Ye originally didn't have such a deep obsession with winning or losing the match, but today's game was somewhat different in nature.

Having just seen Van der Mareel's heartbroken appearance, Tang Ye truly felt extremely distressed in his heart.

Before Tang Ye could think further, Zwolle launched their attack; forward Ryan Thomas dribbled the ball down the left flank at super speed.

Ramsey began his one-on-one defense against Thomas.

"Cover! Cover!"

Ten Hag shouted at Tang Ye.

Ramsey might not be able to stop Thomas; Ten Hag needed Tang Ye to move to the flank!

However, Tang Ye did not do that.

His intuition told him that Thomas was about to pass the ball; if Tang Ye ran over now, not only would he be too late, but he would also be toyed with like a dog in the middle by Zwolle's players.

Tang Ye gave up on covering and instead moved toward Marinus's position.

Tang Ye was gambling, betting that Thomas would pass the ball to Marinus.

The fact was he had guessed right; Thomas shook off Ramseelaar and played a square pass to Marinus in the center.

The instant the pass was made, Tang Ye accelerated, slid sideways, and directly tackled the ball to Stried's feet.

Wow!

Stried hurriedly ran up.

Looking ahead, Di Di Bala was reaching out to him!

With a sharp "Crack!", Stried's long pass flew out, aiming straight for the right-wing byline.

Di Di Bala was fast; like Thomas, upon receiving the ball on the wing, he immediately launched an assault on the opponent's defensive line.

The man tasked with defending him was Brahma!

Tang Ye spat out the grass he had chewed in his mouth and accelerated toward the attacking third.

Can't be a drag on the team!

Di Di Bala reached the byline, his attention shifting to Ale on the left flank.

Ale raised his left hand and pointed with his right toward the position at the top of the arc.

This was one of his secret signals.

Di Di Bala understood his signal!

"A cutback triangle pass, give it to Tang Ye!"

"Tang Ye! Receiving the ball at the top of the arc, a good passing angle, and Ale is already nearing the six-yard box!"

"Tang Ye, pass... direct shot!"

"Holy shit..."

"Goal! Goal!"

"A goal from Tang Ye!"

"Utrecht retakes the lead!"

"The scorer is... Tang Ye!"

【At 37, you are tenacious and indomitable, helping the team regain the scoring advantage while playing with one man down.】

【Reward: Counterattack Points *10】

【Portuguese Low-Tier Chest → Portuguese Mid-Tier Chest】

"Hahaha!"

Ten Counterattack Points and taking the lead in the score; a double joy surged through Tang Ye's brain.

Now there was nothing in his mind.

Except roaring in celebration!

In the locker room, Fan De Mareel, who had already prepared himself to be the scapegoat, suddenly jumped up from his bench.

A sliding tackle interception launching a counterattack, followed by a push-shot from the top of the arc to seal the victory with one strike.

It really has to be Tang Ye!

Damn it, if he hadn't been dragging Tang Ye down in this match, Utrecht might already be leading 3-0!

The two Dutch coaches on Utrecht's substitute bench both swung their arms in celebration.

Playing with 10 men against 11, any player would be nervous in such a situation.

But Tang Ye would not be.

Tang Ye's super-heart played its role at this moment.

Playing with one man fewer yet not panicking in the slightest.

This is the basic requirement for a slacker!

"Ayoub, come back for now."

Ten Hag raised his hand to recall Ayoub, who was warming up in a bib, signaling the midfielder to return to the bench and rest first.

Although you, Ayoub, have seen countless battles.

But in times like these, we still need the Lazy Pig with the steadier mindset!

The match continued; suddenly conceding a goal to Tang Ye, the Zwolle players, who already had a desire to win, began to feel somewhat nervous.

Not everyone possesses a Ball King-level heart!

"Come on, give it to me." Tang Ye ran to the left wing and actively took the ball from Nganioni's hands.

Turning and looking up, he saw that Zwolle, having learned from previous lessons, had not left Ale and Di Di Bala unmarked.

Passing in this situation would just be giving the ball away.

Tang Ye was a Lazy Pig, not a Fierce Pig; he would not make that kind of pass.

After careful consideration, Tang Ye distributed the ball to Ramseelaar on his right.

He was running out of steam, so he needed his teammates to do the running for him.

"Ramseelaar carries the ball forward under pressure!"

"Holy crap, even while playing with one man down, it's still Utrecht attacking!"

"Ten Hag's tactics are completely crushing the opposing head coach!"

"Ramseelaar, there's an opportunity ahead!"

Ramseelaar coordinated with Di Di Bala, advancing with the ball for about 30 meters or so.

!

At this point, trying to move further forward would mean encountering pressing from multiple Zwolle defenders.

If advancement was impossible, then the only option was to switch play to the wing.

Looking up, Ramsey noticed Ale at the bottom of the left flank.

However, his current position wasn't ideal, so he could only pass the ball to Tang Ye first.

"To the left!"

Ramsey whispered, hoping Tang Ye would deliver a brilliant pass.

Instead, after receiving the ball, Tang Ye ran straight forward.

Oh no!

Ramsey thought inwardly that this was bad.

It seemed Tang Ye hadn't heard him speak!

"Here it comes, here it comes!"

Tang Ye stared at the Zwolle goal, drool practically dripping from his mouth.

Ramsey must have poor eyesight.

How could he not see such a huge shooting space?

Tang Ye dribbled forward, not giving the opposing defenders a chance to step out and mark him, then flicked the ball out directly with the outside of his foot.

The ball soared straight into the top-left corner of the net, an unsaveable spot.

Hehe.

Another one in!

【At 37 years old, you made your first Eredivisie start and scored two goals; you are extremely satisfied with your performance in today's match because you know you didn't drag your teammates down.】

【Reward: Counterattack Points *10】

【Brace Bonus Reward: Counterattack Points *10】

Tang Ye's brain was forcefully flooded by the system's 20 Counterattack Points, so much so that he didn't even notice Ramsey and Ale running toward him.

"Woww!!!"

"Tom!"

"Tom!"

"Tom!"

"What is this?"

"What is this!"

"Damn, Tang Ye! A brace!"

"Utrecht 3:1 Zwolle, what the f*** did I just see!"

"A direct strike into the top corner with the outside of the foot!"

【Wait, is he really this fierce? Two goals in his first start at 16, are you sure he's pure-blooded Chinese?】

【Baidu Baike says he's from the Guangdong area, definitely pure-blooded.】

【Holy crap, did he luck into that again? Awesome! We're taking off, we're taking off!】

【He's scored more in one match than the strikers; isn't this guy supposed to be a possession-style midfielder?】

【Hiss, Ten Hag really ought to kowtow twice to Tang Ye; if Tang Ye hadn't started this match, Utrecht would have been crushed.】

While the away team celebrated, the broadcast director cut to the home team's coach, Ormond.

There was not a trace of expression on Ormond's face.

Before the match, he had thought Ten Hag starting Tang Ye was a sign of underestimating them.

Now he realized he was wrong.

This was Saint Ten's respect for Zwolle!

Precisely because Ten Hag respected Zwolle enough did he start Tang Ye.

Although this Chinese kid plays somewhat unreasonably, he truly seizes opportunities when they arise!

Tang Ye hugged his teammates by the sideline to celebrate, and his system sent a notification.

Thanks to this brace, his Portugal Chest had successfully upgraded to 【Advanced】.

This meant that after the match ended, Tang Ye could obtain the skill of a player valued between 30 million and 70 million Euros.

But Tang Ye's performance in this match was truly awesome, giving him a second option.

【At 37 years old, you are experienced and steady; you may temporarily postpone claiming this reward. If you score or assist in your next match, the chest may upgrade further. If you are not involved in any goals in your next match, the chest will downgrade one level. (Limited to the next match only)】

"Limited to the next match only" meant the system was giving Tang Ye one extra match to upgrade his chest.

Wasn't this just financial management?

As a financial tycoon who had taken out a one-time loan of 100,000 Counterattack Points via Huabei, Tang Ye naturally knew this was profitable.

He chose financial management immediately!

The second option was triggered.

Tang Ye voluntarily forfeited claiming the Advanced Portugal Chest after today's match.

His goal was to obtain that damn Superstar Chest in the next match!

A superstar valued between 70 million and 100 million Euros.

This was fundamentally different from a star player valued between 30 million and 70 million Euros!

"Tom!"

"Tom!"

"Jerry!"

Someone in the away stands shouted "Jerry," but his voice was immediately drowned out.

The match ended; thanks to Tang Ye's two goals, ten-man Utrecht defeated Zwolle 3:1 away from home.

The Zwolle players were dumbfounded, and the Utrecht players were just as stunned.

Playing with one man less yet still leading by two goals.

The great God stood on their side today!

After the match, in the press room, Ten Hag faced ten reporters alone, without a trace of panic on his face.

"Mr. Sitting Like, congratulations on your victory in today's match; judging from both the process and the result, this was a very difficult game."

The first to stand up was a female reporter, who praised the Utrecht players' outstanding performance today.

She then asked some questions regarding Fan De Marell's red card: "When Mark was shown the red card, as the team's head coach, what were your feelings at that moment?"

"No particular feelings, or rather, completely unruffled."

Ten Hag shrugged indifferently, looking as if he had known the match result all along.

"Completely unruffled? Do you mean you believed ten-man Utrecht could defeat a full-strength Zwolle?"

"More or less."

Ten Hag simply stretched his neck: "My decision to start Tang in this match drew considerable doubt from many fans, but the fact is, Tang's inclusion in the starting lineup was specially designed by me."

"Specially designed? What does that mean..."

"I knew Tang would score those two goals; that is precisely why I put him in the starting lineup. His task was to go out there and solve our scoring problems."

Ten Hag spoke slowly: "However, to be honest, Tang's performance today can only be described as average. He should have scored three goals, not two, because in my plan, we were supposed to defeat our opponent 4–1, or even 4–0."

"..."

"So you anticipated long ago that Tang would score, which is why you placed him in the starting position?"

"You could say that," Ten Hag nodded.

The female reporter widened her eyes.

Oh my God!

This Ten Hag...

He's too incredible!

"Then will you continue to start Tang in future matches, given his decent performance in today's game?"

"We cannot rush this; I need to consider it."

Ten Hag shared his experience with the reporters in the press room: "A player's on-field performance is largely influenced by the coach's tactical arrangements, just like with Tang today. Although his talent may not be that outstanding, I will help him; this is my duty as head coach."

"When the next opportunity arises, I will still start him."

Ten Hag wore a smile.

"Helping a player score goals is difficult, but I am willing to put in the effort."

(End of Chapter)