Chapter 404: In China's Opening Match Featuring Tang Ye, the Chinese Team Has Two Match Balls

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NO. 1: China vs Senegal.

NO. 2: Men's National Team's Second World Cup Match.

Bang!

After completing the steal, Senegal quickly moved the ball to the front court.

Gueye slid a diagonal pass to find Mané!

"Oh!!"

"Senegal is advancing very quickly; the Chinese team needs to be careful here."

The commentator's words had barely left his mouth when Mané created space and delivered a low, driven through-ball straight into the penalty area.

Niang got to the ball!

He swung his leg!

Lifting his right foot for a feint first, he sent Feng Feng Xiaoting tumbling, while goalkeeper Zeng Cheng was also poorly positioned.

Strike again!

It was a simple push shot, but Niang's control over the angle was excellent.

Under the gaze of over 60,000 spectators on site, the ball brushed the post and found the net.

"Goal!"

"Oh my god, after sustained pressure, Senegal has finally breached the Chinese team's goal!"

Zhan Jun's tone carried obvious frustration.

"Senegal's attack achieved the effect they wanted; this is not good news for the Chinese team!"

There was no hint of offside on this goal, and after finishing his shot, Niang quickly sprinted toward the sideline.

"Roar!!!!"

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: Mané with a exquisite through-ball, Niang scores with a push shot, China trails by one goal!

【The black brothers are still fierce】

【Hiss, feels like we have no solution against teams that run this fast?】

【Although it's normal, my heart is broken, fam】

【What do you say, Lippi, set up a five-defender formation】

【Don't play five defenders; we'll still concede with five defenders, plus Tang Ye won't get possession in a five-defender setup】

"Beep beep beep!!!"

"Xuuu—!!!!"

The home fans issued sounds of mockery toward the Senegalese players who had scored.

Tang Ye, panting, walked step by step within the camera frame.

Behind him was an advertising board reading: "China Mengniu; innate strength must naturally be superior."

Every time the Chinese team made a mistake or conceded a goal, the director always locked the camera on him; Tang Ye had grown accustomed to being filmed like this.

Being filmed didn't matter; the issue now was what they needed to do in the remaining time to equalize the score.

"Steady, steady, handle the ball properly in the back first!"

Lippi, accompanied by his translator, issued commands.

Having experienced major battles, the Italian remained relatively calm.

This goal by Senegal had disrupted the Chinese team's momentum; at this moment, they absolutely could not act rashly, or the team might pay a terrible price.

Ptui!

Spitting a mouthful of saliva onto the grass, Tang Ye found Wu Lei and Zheng Zhi: "You two come over to receive more often; their pressing rhythm is too fast, we need to pass it around."

Wu Lei and Zheng Zhi also looked grim; clearly, they too understood just how difficult this match would be.

The match entered the 30th minute!

"Here!"

Gesturing with his hand for a pass from his teammate, Zhang Zhang Linpeng lofted the ball to Tang Ye.

"Wow!"

He hadn't expected Zhang Zhang Linpeng to pass it this way, but it didn't matter anymore.

With his back to Gueye, Tang Ye prepared to cushion the ball with his chest.

However, having assessed the situation up front moments before, a quick calculation revealed this was actually an excellent shooting opportunity.

Got it!

"Go, go, go!"

Signaling his teammates to make forward runs, Tang Ye dragged Gueye as he ran toward the ball.

Gueye kept pawing at Tang Ye's shoulder to prevent him from getting past, so Tang Ye simply extended his foot.

Slap!

Passing long behind him without controlling the ball first!

"What was that!"

"Eh, Tang Ye's back-to-goal long pass!"

"It's found Yu Yu Hanchao up front!"

Remembering the positions of the forwards and then delivering a long pass with his back turned—fans had nearly forgotten this was a signature move Tang Ye excelled at.

Yu Yu Hanchao controlled the ball!

A decent control!

Stopping abruptly while dribbling, Wang Wang Shenchao surged down the left flank along the touchline!

Boom!

A through-ball was pushed forward!

Wang Wang Shenchao gained control of the ball!

As his teammates exchanged passes, Tang Ye gradually made his way into the attacking third.

The area near the arc of the penalty box was a very comfortable position for him.

Tang Ye desperately wanted the ball, but the Senegalese players were marking him specifically, leaving him unable to find an opening to receive a pass for quite some time.

If this were a club match, Tang Ye could easily break the marking through coordinated runs with his teammates, but this was the national team.

Teammates in the national team simply could not achieve the same level of tacit understanding as club teammates.

Tang Ye was trapped!

Damn!

Realizing this approach wouldn't work, Tang Ye charged straight between Gueye and Sarr, forcibly creating space for himself.

There was a brief receiving opportunity lasting about half a second!

Wang Wang Shenchao certainly knew Tang Ye could receive the ball, but the window was so small that he didn't dare to make the pass.

Soon, as the Senegalese players retreated to defend, Tang Ye lost the chance to regain possession.

"..."

The Chinese attacking players hovered near the Senegalese penalty area, passing back to the defensive third, then gradually shifting possession to the right flank through buildup play from the back.

They were playing quite steadily, yet they simply couldn't find any suitable opportunities.

Senegal pressed high up the pitch, and eventually Mané completed a tackle against Zheng Zhi.

Chinese fans suddenly grew tense.

Senegal had one very obvious characteristic: their counterattacks were incredibly fast.

If China failed to handle their attacks properly, they would have to face the consequences of being caught by Senegal's counterattacks.

Just as the clock hit the 30-minute mark, China had slowly raised their possession rate to 35% through back-field passing, but after several Senegalese counterattacks, China's possession rate dropped back down.

"I think China needs to figure out a way now—how to break through Senegal's targeted defensive setup against Tang Ye."

"Yes, exactly. Tang Ye is China's playmaker in the attacking third; if China wants to generate good attacks, they must rely on Tang Ye to orchestrate the ball."

The commentators began discussing.

Lippi and Madalloni were now under immense pressure.

They certainly knew they needed to find a way to get the ball to Tang Ye, but the problem was that the Senegalese defenders' tight-marking tactics were simply too mature.

China was now in a very difficult situation!

"..."

Madalloni glanced in Lippi's direction.

Madalloni was very familiar with this expression on Lippi's face; he knew Lippi had already come up with a fairly good solution.

But it seemed Lippi himself held a very uncertain attitude toward his own idea...

"Come on, come on!"

Turning sideways to receive the ball, Tang Ye lifted his right foot and instantly cut the ball to the left.

The Cruyff Turn!

First creating space, then changing rhythm to drive straight into the penalty box.

It was a rare opportunity, so Tang Ye handled it with extreme caution.

Sané attempted to stretch out his foot, but Tang Ye saw through his intention.

Tang Ye planted his left foot directly in front of the ball, using his body to shield it.

Tang Ye was now inside the penalty area, so naturally Sané didn't dare to extend his foot.

Now was about the right time!

Leaning his body toward the far post, Tang Ye prepared himself.

Shooting for the near post!

The goalkeeper didn't react in time!

But!

Tang Ye's low shot toward the near post grazed the post and rolled out across the goal line.

"Oh!"

The goalkeeper let out a huge sigh of relief, while Tang Ye, having lost the weight of his balance, sat helplessly on the ground.

Just a little bit off!

Really just a little bit!

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

Zhang Zhang Linpeng pulled Tang Ye up from the ground: "It's okay, it's okay..."

Sigh.

After exchanging a high-five with his teammate, Tang Ye began tracking back to defend.

As time approached the 40-minute mark, entering the final moments of the first half, the attacking momentum from both sides gradually slowed down.

China had already resigned themselves to entering halftime trailing by one goal.

Crack!

A long pass was sent forward; Mané controlled the ball and dribbled forward in one fluid motion.

The speed was incredibly fast; Zhang Zhang Linpeng hurriedly retreated to mark him.

The situation was a bit off; there was no choice but to commit a tactical foul.

Beep!

Zhang Zhang Linpeng was shown a yellow card, and Senegal was awarded a set piece in the attacking third.

"The loopholes in China's set-piece defense are still quite obvious..."

"Senegal..."

Crack!

The set piece was lofted into the penalty area.

The center-back!

Boom!

A fierce header smashed onto the grass, and after the ball rebounded, it flew into the net.

"GOOO——AAAA——LLLLL!!!"

Goal!

Whose goal was it!

The live camera focused on Koulibaly; clearly, he was the one who made that header.

As the live clock hit the first second of the 41st minute, Senegal expanded their advantage to two goals at this moment.

"Beep beep beep!"

"Beep beep beep beep!"

Fake whistles rang in his ears; Tang Ye placed both hands on his hips, then lowered his head.

The stadium was sweltering, and the sun was fierce; after sweat flowed down, it nearly obscured all of Tang Ye's vision.

With no other choice, he pulled up his already soaked jersey and used the fabric to wipe the sweat around his eyes.

"It's okay, it's okay! We can still play!"

Feng Feng Xiaoting was encouraging his teammates.

He didn't know himself whether what he said was right, but right now, restoring the team's momentum was the most important thing.

The 43rd minute!

Tang Ye received the ball in the center!

Boom!

Sarr came up from behind and kneeed the back of Tang Ye's thigh.

Tang Ye was knocked straight to the ground!

"Hiss!!"

Intense pain shot up to his brain; Tang Ye rolled back and forth on the grass.

Sarr was shown a yellow card, and players from both sides quickly began arguing with each other.

But both captains, Feng Feng Xiaoting and Mané, remained relatively calm and did not let the conflict escalate further.

"Are you alright?"

Zhang Zhang Yuning knelt on the ground, wanting to check on Tang Ye's condition.

"Damn it!"

Tang Ye lay on the ground and sighed.

The Chinese team's medical staff entered the field!

"Given the current situation, China probably won't have any more chances in the first half; by the time treatment ends, the first half will be nearly over."

"We can only hope Tang Ye's injury isn't too severe."

In the camera shot, the Chinese team doctor held a bottle and sprayed Tang Ye's thigh repeatedly with puffs; it looked like pain relief was being administered.

"Come on!"

"Go Tang Tang Qiuwang, go!"

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: Tang Ye was fouled from behind and fell; Chinese team medical staff entered the field. (Comments: 22,723)

【So it really is just using the match ball, huh.】

【There's only one star player like this; everyone is targeting Tang Ye.】

【Can he still hold on?】

After Tang Ye was fouled and fell unable to get up, the odds for a China solo win on betting sites rose rapidly in a diagonal line; clearly, many fans had placed additional bets on Senegal at this moment.

Good news: after being helped off the field by the medical staff, Tang Ye tied his shoelaces and then returned to the pitch.

His footsteps were somewhat unsteady, but it was evident he could continue playing.

Clap clap clap!

Clap clap clap clap!

"Come on, come on! Go China!"

"..."

Check Dongqiu Di halftime report: In Group F, Round 2, China trails Senegal 0:2; Tang Ye's cold shot to the near corner missed by a hair's breadth. (Comments: 41,238)

On the way back to the player tunnel, Tang Ye did not greet the fans in the stands as usual; instead, he stared fixedly with his eyes at the opposing Senegalese players.

Two consecutive matches had made him understand one truth: in this World Cup, not a single match of his would be easy.

Just as he had worried before.

In every match where Tang Ye started, China possessed two "match balls."

Tang Ye was already preparing to return to the field when shouts suddenly erupted from the stands; Tang Ye quickly looked behind him.

No one knew what had happened, but a large crowd had gathered on the pitch, including players from both sides and stadium staff.

"Do you think your officiating standards are appropriate?"

China's assistant coach Madaloni blocked the referee: "No, didn't you see that, Ref? Our players were fouled seven times in the first half alone, yet they've only received two yellow cards, same as us. Why should they be the same as us?"

Madaloni was about to shove the head referee's chest when Zhang Zhang Yuning stopped him.

Wei Wei Shihao stood watching from the sidelines.

To be honest, Tang Ye was also quite annoyed at being pushed around, but this wasn't the match itself.

Getting a yellow card now would leave no room for maneuver once the official game resumed!

"No, no, no, forget it, forget it!"

Tang Ye tried to pull Madaloni back, but it was too late; the China assistant coach was shown a yellow card by the head referee.

"Suit yourself!"

Madaloni's attitude was extremely arrogant because he knew his yellow card would have no impact on the team.

He simply wanted to use this confrontation to force the referee to reconsider his officiating standards.

"Let's go, let's go, back we go, back we go!"

The players from both sides finally separated.

……

In the halftime locker room, Tang Ye lay face down on the treatment table while the team physician massaged and relaxed his thighs.

Tang Ye's expression was somewhat pained, which made Madaloni feel uneasy, as if he wanted to rush out and argue with the head referee again.

"Calm down."

Lippi placed his hand on Madaloni's shoulder.

"Let's discuss the rest of the match. In the first half, we were heavily restricted, so we never found any good opportunities."

Lippi slowly adjusted the tactical board, glancing sideways at Tang Ye lying on the bed as he spoke.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but during our attacks, we always had fewer players than their defenders, and not just by one; sometimes it was two or even three."

"I've thought about it carefully, and asking you to master forward runs from the defensive line in such a short time is indeed a bit difficult, so in the second half, in the second half, we will increase the number of attacking players."

!

As soon as Lippi spoke those final crucial words, every player in the locker room turned their gaze toward him.

This included Tang Ye; GGBond pressed both hands onto the pillow, staring at Lippi with wide eyes: "What, what's happening?"

"I know you're all surprised, and that's normal, because we are already behind, and not by one goal, but by two. We need to try something."

Having said this, Lippi moved the magnetic flags on the tactical board under the players' watchful eyes.

Zhang Zhang Yuning was removed.

Was it a 4-3-1-2?

No, it was a 4-2-2-2.

Lippi chose to substitute out the striker Zhang Zhang Yuning, replacing him with the midfielder Hao Hao Junmin.

Like in the first half, they would play with two defensive midfielders, but the difference in the second half was that the number of Chinese national team forwards would drop from three to two, while the number of attacking midfielders would increase from one to two.

"……"

Tang Ye said nothing, his brain racing with thoughts.

By removing Zhang Zhang Yuning, who served as the focal point up front, Lippi's objective was to increase the number of players who could make direct connections with Tang Ye.

"Without Zhang (Zhang Zhang Yuning), we might not be able to execute good aerial attacks, but after thinking it over, I believe the primary objective must be to get Tom more possession, so we must add another receiving point in the attacking third."

Tang Ye and Lippi locked eyes.

If they played according to Lippi's line of thought, the second half would severely test the short-range passing coordination between Tang Ye and his attacking teammates.

"Help me hold this."

Tang Ye asked the team physician to hold the bottle of mineral water for him, then drank directly while still lying face down on the bed.

"Work on my calves too, yes, they feel like they're about to cramp."

……

PS: One more update before 1 AM; I'm rushing.

The next few days will also have three updates; I'm working hard to pay off my debt.

(End of Chapter)