Chapter 384: There Is Still a Gap Between Former and Current Premier League Players

In the locker room, head coach Lippi and translator Wen Wen Qianshi stood on opposite sides.

The players were extremely quiet, because everyone knew the gravity of the situation.

Entering the World Cup in such form, the national team would not achieve good results!

Let alone Germany; Senegal and Sweden would tear the national team apart first!

"I don't understand; during training we clearly did very well. Full-backs making forward runs, strikers making crossing runs—you could execute all of these during training, and do so quickly. Why can't you do it when it comes to the match?"

Speaking entirely in Italian, Lippi spread his hands toward the players in every direction as he talked.

The translator worked extremely hard, striving to mimic Lippi's tone.

"Wu Lei moves from the left to the center; we need to join the attack. And then? Zhang Zhang Xizhe and Gao Lin, one of you two must go to the left flank to fill Wu Lei's position. Our tactics are primarily based on wing attacks—wing attacks!"

"Applying the tactics from training to the match is the very purpose of training; otherwise, why do we train at all? I gathered you all together half a month in advance because I hoped you would play well."

Lippi paced back and forth continuously as he spoke.

For this World Cup, the Football Association had assigned him a task.

At minimum, they must secure one draw.

If they failed to achieve that, what awaited Lippi was dismissal.

The Italian would thereby lose a job with an annual salary of 20 million euros!

Judging by the current situation, let alone securing a single draw, it would already be considered good if the national team wasn't hammered for five goals by the other teams in their group.

Slap, slap, slap!

Maddaloni adjusted the magnetic flags on the tactical board, while Tang Ye sat in his own chair.

His attention was not on the tactics; Tang Ye was focused on his teammates' emotions.

Yesterday during training everyone was still quite cheerful, but after playing the first 45 minutes of the first half today, the situation had become somewhat off.

"Actually, we just need to play slightly faster."

Tang Ye said quietly.

Actually, he had originally intended to speak only to Wu Lei beside him, but because the locker room was relatively quiet, half the people heard what he said.

"I do not wish for anyone to..."

Lippi turned around and discovered the speaker was Tang Ye: "I hope you will not act like mutes; if there are any problems, you must raise them immediately."

Lippi asked Wen Wen Qianshi for a translation of what Tang Ye had just said.

"Uh, I was just making a suggestion... I feel that playing a bit faster would suffice."

The gaze of his teammates made Tang Ye feel somewhat awkward.

"Their main advantage is better coordination than ours, but they are a club, so their coordination is naturally better. We just need to play a bit rougher; use Brother Lei's runs to charge their baseline, and if we make mistakes, we'll switch directly to defense."

Upon learning from Wen Wen Qianshi what Tang Ye had said, Lippi's expression turned serious.

Playing a bit rougher.

This was indeed a very good method.

"If we increase the speed, we will make many mistakes."

"Exactly, that..."

Tang Ye spat his chewing gum into a piece of paper: "I'm going on in the second half. Brother Lei and the others, please look toward my position more often then; if you're under too much pressure with the ball, just pass it directly to me—I'm very skilled at ball control."

"..."

Lippi fell silent.

Tang Ye was attempting to single-handedly assume responsibility for midfield ball control.

He knew Tang Ye was extraordinary, but honestly, this approach was a bit too frightening.

After exchanging a glance with Maddaloni, Lippi ultimately decided to let Tang Ye try.

"Mm, thank you, Mr. Marcello."

Tang Ye wanted to fist-bump Lippi, but Lippi always gave him a sense of being unapproachable, so he simply fist-bumped Wu Lei beside him instead.

I'm feeling it!

"China!"

"China!"

"Tang Ye!"

"Tang Ye!"

The second half was about to begin; standing in the player tunnel, Tang Ye could clearly hear the fans outside chanting his name.

He had enjoyed this treatment at Old Trafford and at the Ceramic Stadium.

But Tom and Tang Ye were, after all, different.

"Hey, Tom!"

Oscar patted Tang Ye on the back: "Can we swap jerseys after the match?"

"Mm, of course."

"Haha."

Oscar shook hands with Tang Ye: "If I had left Chelsea two seasons later, perhaps I would have been your opponent. I'd really like to see what 30 assists in a single season looks like."

Tang Ye rubbed his head with his right hand: "Haha, thanks; actually, it wasn't that impressive. Mainly, my teammates were quite good at seizing opportunities, so I just kept passing the ball to them."

"Mm, good luck."

Oscar fist-bumped Tang Ye, then walked out.

"The second half has begun, and the Chinese team is making a substitution adjustment!"

On the sidelines, Tang Ye removed the fluorescent vest he was wearing, waiting for the fans in the stands to chant his name.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!"

"Don't act tough in front of him~"

"Once all the evildoers see him~~~"

"They scatter to the side~~~~"

"……"

Uh...

Turning his head, Tang Ye wanted to say something to the fans in the stands.

Evildoers scatter to the side when they see him?

The fans didn't know that GGBond was actually the true villain king behind the scenes.

He was hidden too deep!

Tang Ye wanted to explain his villain identity to the fans, but he was already about to enter the field.

Slap!

The Shanghai SIPG players had already prepared to go easy, but Tang Ye's substitution made them excited.

Because, barring any surprises, this was their only chance to play alongside the Hundred-Million-Yuan Mr.!

The 52nd minute of the second half!

Tang Ye's entry was like suddenly clearing the blood clots from the Chinese national team's body.

Slap!

Receiving Feng Feng Xiaoting's grounded pass, Tang Ye dragged the ball, turned, and moved forward.

Shanghai SIPG's midfielders wanted to stop Tang Ye, so they reached out their hands.

But Tang Ye dodged them.

Haha!

Tang Ye laughed heartily; looking at the frustrated Cai Cai Huikang, he played a long pass directly to Wu Lei.

"Wow!!"

The Chinese team pushed forward in force, while the Shanghai SIPG players retreated quickly.

"Get to the byline, get to the byline!"

Letting Wu Lei continue his forward run, Tang Ye then found Zheng Zhi on the flank: "Come closer!"

"Move to the center!"

Zheng Zhi and Zhang Zhang Yuning both moved closer together.

Slap!

Receiving Wu Lei's cutback pass, Tang Ye and Zheng Zhi executed a one-two combination, successfully gaining possession at the edge of the penalty area.

"Wow!!!"

"Not long after the second half began, the Chinese team has launched their attack."

"How will Tang Ye handle this..."

Pretending to pass to Wu Lei on the left byline, Tang Ye suddenly shifted horizontally to the right.

Slap!

【De Bruyne Far-Corner Curled Shot Lv5: Replication】

Shooting directly into the dead corner at the top right!

"Goal!"

"Tang Ye!"

The score suddenly became 1:2, and the stadium stands suddenly erupted in noise.

The Shanghai SIPG fans shouted loudly: "China is awesome!"

"Shanghai SIPG!"

"Xuuu!!!"

The Shanghai SIPG players on the field felt a strange sense of betrayal for some reason.

But there was nothing they could do.

After all, the opponent was the national team; the buffs were fully stacked.

After the goal, Tang Ye high-fived Zheng Zhi and Wu Lei in sequence.

"See, didn't I say that if you just pass boldly, it would work out?"

Tang Ye spread his hands.

Clap clap clap!

Lippi clapped while sitting back down on the bench chair.

Wen Wen Qianshi gaped: "I feel like scoring goals is so easy for him."

Lippi exhaled a long breath: "Because his rhythm is on a completely different level from everyone else on the field."

After Tang Ye entered the game, the IQ of the eleven Chinese national team players on the field seemed to suddenly skyrocket, becoming terrifyingly smart.

It was just like...

An old computer suddenly getting the latest model CPU installed?

Dongqiu Di live match report: Tang Ye scores with a curled shot from the edge of the box into the far corner; the Chinese team pulls one back.

【This is the flavor】

【As expected, the Chinese national team needs someone on the field to direct play】

【Lippi's directing is just for fun; real directing still depends on my Tang Tang Qiuwang】

Tang Ye slotted one in, and the Chinese team's morale soared — the tempo on the pitch quickened.

But SIPG's midfield was outstanding; Ai Haweidou and Oscar linked up and instantly pierced the Chinese team's defense.

Hulk has the ball!

Bang!

A push shot into the net.

3:1!

SIPG have once again extended the lead to two goals!

"Holy sh*t!"

The national team's defenders looked at one another, their expressions a little awkward.

"No worries, no worries!"

Tang Ye sprinted back and high-fived Feng Feng Xiaoting: "Just keep the tempo, they can't outplay us, they can't outplay us."

Because he was playing as an attacking midfielder, Tang Ye was extremely sensitive to the flow of the match.

Even though they'd conceded, the situation still favored the national team.

What they needed to do now was control the tempo!

Clap!

He high-fived Deng Deng Hanwen: "You can find me directly, I'll come back to receive it, I'll come back to receive it."

The match continues!

"China team!"

Bang bang!

"China team!"

Bang bang!

The fans in the stadium, including the SIPG supporters, were all cheering for the national team.

Now the SIPG fans only hoped for one thing.

That their home side would get crushed by the Chinese team!

Only by crushing SIPG could the national team get a good result at the World Cup.

Of course, that was only a small probability.

Bang!

Zhang Zhang Linpeng drove a low long ball straight to Zheng Zhi, who decisively laid it off to Tang Ye beside him.

OK!

Tang Ye took the ball, paused his body for a beat, and immediately shook off Cai Cai Huikang.

"Wow!"

Then came Oscar!

Oscar wasn't as easy to get past, so Tang Ye prepared to link up with a teammate.

But out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flaw in Oscar's stance!

Feinting a pass, Tang Ye flicked his toe and knocked the ball straight through Oscar's legs.

!!!

This was GGBond's signature nutmeg!

Oscar reacted and tried to bring Tang Ye down, but Tang We sidestepped him.

"Forward, forward!"

Signaling his teammate to make a forward run, Tang Ye got ready.

Clap!

A through ball found Wu Lei making the run.

The national team's attack was on!

The players pushed forward in force, and Tang Ye drifted straight toward Wu Lei's side.

"Come on, come on, give it to me, give it to me!"

Tang Ye got the ball, gave Wu Lei a hand signal; Wu Lei read it and immediately cut laterally into the box.

Here it comes!

Bang!

Tang Ye let fly a long shot that struck Wu Lei; by the time Wu Lei reacted, the ball was already dropping at his feet.

With only the keeper to beat, Wu Lei finished.

Goal!

2:3!

China pulled one back!

After scoring, Wu Lei turned around — waiting for him was Tang Ye's embrace.

"Perfect, perfect, just like that, just like that."

Teammates are friends, and GGBond doesn't lie to his friends.

If he says they can play it, then they can play it!

"Come on, come on!"

Feng Feng Xiaoting encouraged the national team players on the pitch, while Tang Ye pulled out a fresh piece of gum.

Switching to a new piece of gum meant Tang Ye had entered a new state.

Moving to the right flank to receive the ball!

Shanghai Port had clearly arranged specific tactics against Tang Ye; the moment he received the ball, both Oscar and Cai Cai Huikang rushed over.

Glancing back, he instantly memorized the positions of his teammates and the players up front.

Passing back to Zhang Zhang Linpeng!

Turning and sprinting forward!

Zhang Zhang Linpeng understood Tang Ye's intent, so he delivered a long pass over the top.

Stretching out his foot!

Under the gaze of the home fans, the ball seemed to suddenly stick to Tang Ye's foot.

Trapping the ball and stopping abruptly to trick Oscar into slowing down!

Oscar was still very formidable, but perhaps due to playing in the Chinese Super League for so long, Tang Ye always felt Oscar's movements were a bit slow.

Whoosh!

A feint followed by a La Croqueta!

Cutting inside from the wing!

Thwack!

A 45-degree cross finding Gao Lin at the top of the arc!

Boom!

Gao Lin connects with a header.

Unfortunately, Yan Yan Junling made the save.

Tang Ye gave his teammate a thumbs-up, then shook his head.

As a striker, Gao Lin was a bit too short; this was a significant problem.

But it didn't matter; remembering this issue, Tang Ye could simply deliver fewer high balls in the future.

After the match entered the 70th minute, the Chinese national team's substitute bench was crowded with standing players.

Lippi was preparing to make six to eight substitutions.

Testing the practical viability of tactics was one of the objectives of this friendly match.

Ensuring all 23 national team players remained in peak competitive condition was the second objective.

"Beep!!!"

A direct free-kick opportunity for Shanghai Port.

Handed to Oscar to take!

"Oscar..."

"Eh, just a little off!"

Oscar's free-kick shot went wide of the post; Shanghai Port failed to seize this chance to extend their lead.

Running forward while observing the other players on the field, Tang Ye pondered his next move.

Lippi had already brought on some substitutes, so the intensity of the national team's attacks would certainly decrease.

The head coach's intention was that losing this friendly match didn't matter; it was of no consequence.

But from Tang Ye's perspective, this was his first match back in China in 2018, so he genuinely wanted to perform well.

The Chinese fans' chants of "Tang Tang Qiuwang" couldn't be in vain!

Actively drifting to the left flank, under Tang Ye's direction, the national team players executed several one-two combinations in succession.

Finally, Wu Lei received the ball and drove down the baseline!

"Go get it, go get it!"

Instructing Zhang Zhang Xizhe to run alongside Wu Lei, Tang Ye sprinted directly toward the top of the arc.

Wu Lei prepared to play a cutback pass, but seeing Oscar marking Tang Ye, he hesitated to release the ball immediately.

"Pass, pass, pass!"

Tang Ye was urging him!

With no other choice, Wu Lei finally played the pass.

Glancing sideways at Oscar!

Trapping the ball!

Leaning his body forward!

Then pausing briefly!

Pulling the ball back with his left foot before pushing it out to the right, Tang Ye easily shook off Oscar.

Raising his right foot like a drawn bow.

Boom!

"Long-range shot!"

"Goal!"

"It's Tang Ye again!"

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: Shaking off Oscar before scoring with a long-range shot, Tang Ye has been directly involved in three goals in his 32 minutes on the pitch.

The statistics were quite impressive, but alas, since it was only a friendly match, Tang Ye would not receive any Counterattack Points rewards.

"Tang Ye!"

Boom boom!

"Tang Ye!"

Boom boom!

Fans in the stands held up support signs bearing Tang Ye's name.

The fourth official also held up a board.

Lippi chose to substitute Tang Ye off!

"Don't sub, don't sub!"

"Hey, Marcello! Damn it!"

"Marcello, don't make the substitution!"

The fans felt somewhat dissatisfied with Lippi's substitution.

Tang Ye had played for less than 40 minutes.

They hadn't seen enough!

"Hmm, I'm coming off."

Reminded by his teammates, Tang Ye finally realized he had been substituted off and began walking toward the bench.

In the camera shot, Oscar ran over from a distance and high-fived Tang Ye, who was leaving the pitch.

"Tom!"

"Mm, good luck!"

Walking off the pitch, Tang Ye high-fived Wei Wei Shihao and then Lippi in succession; the Italian head coach placed his hand on Tang Ye's back.

Currently, the players on the field were mostly substitutes for the national team, yet Shanghai Port still had not made any substitutions.

The purpose of the Football Association arranging this training match between the national team and Shanghai Port was to experience a fast-paced game in advance, so Shanghai Port had to field their strongest lineup.

The lineup was the strongest, but exactly how to play still depended on the players on the field.

After Tang Ye was substituted off, the Shanghai Port players looked at each other.

Their offense and defense still played well, but the Shanghai Port players seemed to have taken off their shooting boots; every single shot went astray.

"Beep, beep-beep!!!"

The match is over!

3:3, this was the final score of the match!

Clap, clap, clap!

The stadium was filled with applause.

The fans were very happy to see the national team draw with Shanghai Port, the top team in the Chinese Super League.

However, as the head coach of the national team, Lippi could not smile now.

If the national team played in the World Cup with the form they showed in today's match, they probably wouldn't even be able to secure a single draw.

Just as Lippi was high-fiving the players, assistant coach Madaloni used a pen to record some key points in his notebook.

1. In the World Cup finals, Tang Ye must play every minute of every match.

2. Gao Lin's form is very poor.

3. Strengthen Wu Lei's tactical status.

4. Defenders need to make more long passes to initiate play.

This match helped the national team summarize a lot of experience, and these four points were the most important among them.

Check Dongqiu Di Match Report: Friendly, China 3:3 Draw with Shanghai Port, Tang Ye drills Oscar with both forehand and backhand. (Comment count: 37,312)

The national team's popularity has not diminished since previous years; a friendly match actually garnered nearly 40,000 comments, while simultaneously trending on Baidu and Weibo.

With the World Cup approaching, the sport of football is beginning to slowly break out of its circle.

Now, those watching national team matches are not just veteran fans, but also many Chinese people who do not frequently watch football.

Hupu Community: Post-match player ratings for China vs. Shanghai Port.

China Team.

【Tang Ye, 9.9 points】

Top comment: Can't criticize this one; this guy is truly awesome.

【Wu Lei, 9.8 points】

Top comment: Rapid improvement over half a season in La Liga; I declare that Wu Lei is now China's number one striker!

【Feng Feng Xiaoting, 9.8 points】

Top comment: Initiating play from the back was cool; it would be even better if the passes were more accurate.

Shanghai Port.

【Hulk, 5.5 points】

Top comment: I'm a Shanghai Port fan, but today I stand with the national team.

【Oscar, 2.2 points】

Top comment: There is still a huge gap between a former Premier League player and a current Premier League player; be careful next time not to get drilled by Tang Ye.

The ratings on Hupu Community are given by netizens based on their mood, so the scores do not necessarily represent the players' performance in the match.

It is evident that Chinese fans still have great confidence in this '18 national team.

However, a small number of relatively objective fans spotted the problems.

If it is only like this, then it is not enough!

(End of Chapter)