Chapter 417: After Tang Ye Lost the 1v3 Match, Would He Recall His Own

Check Dongqiu Di pinned post: China vs. Brazil Round of 16 match in progress, current score 0:3, China trailing.

Actually, this year's Brazilian team isn't considered particularly strong, but as the saying goes, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse, so Brazil still isn't an opponent China can realistically face.

"Go, go, go, I'm here, I'm here!"

Signaling his teammates to make bold runs, Tang Ye sliced diagonally into the center, successfully completing his support run for Zhang Zhang Xizhe.

He secured the ball!

Behind him was Casemiro, marking him.

However, Tang Ye had long since devised a plan to deal with Casemiro.

A feint step, pretending to turn left but actually darting right.

This was the 【Modric Back-to-Goal Escape Template】, though Tang Ye had made some simple adjustments to the template based on his own characteristics.

Temporarily evading Casemiro, Tang Ye chose to dribble forward himself.

Coutinho was right nearby.

Logically, Coutinho should have dropped back now, but a three-goal lead had made the Brazilian players bold; Coutinho chose to charge forward directly to combine with Casemiro.

Coutinho wanted to execute a pincer move with Casemiro, thereby stopping Tang Ye's forward run!

Damn!

Realizing the situation was off, Tang Ye stopped and first shielded the ball.

"Here!"

He passed back to Hao Hao Junmin.

Then had Hao Hao Junmin pass the ball back to him!

With his back to Casemiro, Tang Ye jumped on the spot, flicking the through-ball from Hao Hao Junmin behind him.

Landing and turning, he then ran straight through the gap between Casemiro and Coutinho!

"!!!"

Casemiro prepared to take Tang Ye down, but remembering he already had a yellow card, he ultimately didn't do it.

"Beautiful!"

"Tang Ye completed a one-two against two defenders in the center!"

The fans suddenly became excited as Tang Ye dribbled to the edge of the penalty arc.

Paulinho, rushing over to provide defensive cover, had also arrived; Tang Ye pulled the ball to his left.

Suddenly, Tang Ye knocked the ball inward with his left foot, directly slotting it past Paulinho's feet.

Inside the penalty area, a ball inexplicably appeared in front of Zhang Zhang Yuning.

!

He extended his right foot!

Bang!

"Goal!"

"Goal!"

"Zhang Zhang Yuning's goal!"

"China pulls one back!"

Alisson stood still, shrugging his hands at his teammates, while Zhang Zhang Yuning, confirming his goal, sprinted away immediately.

"Haha!"

The Chinese players began their celebration.

"China!"

Bang bang!

"China!"

Bang bang!

Tang Ye jumped onto Zhang Zhang Yuning, raising his right hand high.

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: Tang Ye single-handedly broke through Brazil's three midfielders to deliver a precise through-ball; Zhang Zhang Yuning scored with a first-time push shot, China pulls one back!

The score changed from 0:3 to 1:3, and Chinese fans in front of their TVs finally broke into smiles.

Damn, that was f***ing hard!

【You obtained Counterattack Points *30】

The livestream replayed the footage of China's recent goal.

Tang Ye used the ball control opportunity to simultaneously bypass two Brazilian players.

Then there was poor Paulinho, who didn't even get a chance to challenge before the ball rushed past his feet.

"Hmm, Tang Ye's form is indeed very good..."

"Yes, across the three matches of this World Cup, Tang Ye's performance can only be described as exaggerated."

"Although we say the average ability of Chinese players differs greatly from Brazil's, Tang Ye has shown through his actual performance that he can confront three Brazilian midfielders alone."

"Haha."

It sounded a bit like bragging, but at least judging from the goal just now, the statement held true for the moment.

Tang Ye had indeed consumed Brazil's three midfielders.

GGBond King opened his mouth wide!

"Steady, steady!"

The teammates encouraged each other.

At least their dignity was preserved; as for what came next, they would just have to see.

"Casemiro! Get Casemiro!"

Madaloni called the players to the sideline and reminded them, "He already has a yellow card; force a red card out of him!"

Making Brazil play with one man fewer would reduce the pressure on the Chinese team for the remaining time.

However...

Tang Ye had already prepared to attack through the center, but a few minutes later, Tite directly substituted Casemiro off.

"..."

Brazil was playing too steadily!

They gave the Chinese team no chance whatsoever to expand their offensive momentum!

【Come on, come on!】

【It's okay if we lose, keep going, play with feeling!】

【Awesome, they can actually score. I declare Zhang Zhang Yuning is now the number one domestic striker.】

The match continues!

After the Chinese team pulled one goal back, Brazil suddenly became steady.

But this did not mean their attack had weakened.

After slowing down the tempo, the Brazilian team switched to a different style of attack.

Slap!

The corner kick is taken!

At the near post...

Jesus heads the ball back.

Neymar!

Controlling the ball, Neymar charged straight at the goal, practically dribbling the ball into the Chinese team's net.

The score becomes 1:4!

During the previous friendly matches, China and Brazil had ended with this exact score; never did anyone expect that in the knockout stage, the two sides would meet and produce the same result.

Of course, considering that Brazil gave the Chinese team no opportunities, a 1:4 scoreline was already quite acceptable for China.

The match continues!

Arriving at the 80th minute, near the center circle, Tang Ye was directly fouled by Fernandinho, who had just come on as a substitute.

"Damn!"

Tang Ye punched the grass, feeling a brief pain shoot through his ankle.

Feng Feng Xiaoting helped Tang Ye up from the ground, then prepared to take the set piece from the defensive half.

Tang Ye stumbled a few steps, looked at the ball on the ground, and then glanced toward the attacking end.

"Give me this ball, Brother Ting; yes, you just go up front."

"Are you sure?"

Feng Feng Xiaoting confirmed with Tang Ye.

"Yes, in a moment, tell them..."

Covering his mouth, Tang Ye quickly explained his tactic to Feng Feng Xiaoting.

Subsequently, a surprising scene unfolded on the pitch: Tang Ye stood at the center circle ready to take the set piece, while all nine Chinese players except the goalkeeper moved up to the attacking end.

"Tang Ye is, very confident..."

"Let's see how he's going to handle this..."

With hands on his hips, Tang Ye slowly adjusted his breathing.

The stands were filled with noisy fans.

"China is awesome!"

"Tang Ye!"

"Tang Ye!"

He bit down on his chewing gum.

Run-up!

Slap!

A long pass was struck out.

The speed was faster than imagined!

The camera panned horizontally as Tang Ye's long pass flew into the penalty area.

Alisson rushed out from the goal, preparing to punch Tang Ye's long pass away, but the ball's descent speed suddenly slowed down.

Alisson:?

Rush back immediately!

Alisson had made a fatal mistake, and the Brazilian team would have to pay the price for it.

Feng Feng Xiaoting made a run from the left, entering the six-yard box.

His teammates blocked positions for him!

Boom!

A header was delivered; the ball spun rapidly before finally hitting the back of the net.

"GOO——AAAA——LLLLL!!"

"Whose goal is it!"

"Oh my god, look! It's Feng Feng Xiaoting!"

"Feng Feng Xiaoting, the second goal for the Chinese team!"

The live broadcast room and the fans in the stadium began to celebrate. Tang Ye stood near the center circle, letting out a sigh of relief.

【You have obtained 30 Counterattack Points】

【Assist for a brace, you have obtained an additional 60 Counterattack Points】

"Damn..."

"..."

The stoppage time for this match reached 5 minutes, but Tang Ye was completely unable to run anymore, so Lippi chose to substitute him.

Tang Ye tilted his head and walked dejectedly toward the sideline.

Clap clap clap clap!

"Tang Ye is awesome!"

"Tang Ye is awesome!!!"

The fans were very enthusiastic; they felt that a 2:4 scoreline was already quite good.

But Tang Ye had his own Ji De Xiang Fa.

No matter how strong the opponent is, losing a match is always painful.

"Mr...."

After clapping hands with Lippi, Tang Ye returned to the bench and sat down.

Beep, beep beep—!!!

The match ended. The Brazilian team miraculously scored a goal in the final minute of stoppage time, ultimately defeating the Chinese team with a score of 5:2.

On the field, the Brazilian players gathered to celebrate their victory today, while the Chinese players sat or squatted on the grass.

"Olêolê, olêolá Olêolê, olêolá Olêolê~"

"When the going gets tough (When encountering obstacles)"

"One love, one life (The same passion, the same life)"

"One world, one fight (The same world, the same battle)"

"..."

This was a song sung by Brazilian fans; as victors, they had seized control of the Maracanã Stadium.

The camera focused on Neymar. After a simple celebration, the Brazilian star looked toward the Chinese team's bench.

The camera instantly shifted. Tang Ye was sitting on the bench chair, staring blankly at the field.

He was looking at the Brazilian players celebrating on the field.

Tang Ye always had a great thirst for victory; he also hoped to become part of the celebration.

However, unfortunately, this matter was destined to have nothing to do with him today.

Check Dongqiu Di match report: Tang Ye's brace of assists failed to save the team; China lost 2:5 to Brazil and stopped at the Round of 16, achieving the best World Cup result in team history with 2 wins and 2 losses. (192,384 comments)

Above the poster on the homepage were Chinese national team players bowing their heads and sighing; in the very center was a close-up shot of Tang Ye sitting on a chair.

【Stopped at the Round of 16】

Thump thump!

Walking down the steps of the player tunnel, Tang Ye and his teammates gradually returned to the locker room.

The Chinese team's locker room was very quiet.

However, it seemed that because they had foreseen the match result, the Chinese national team players' hearts were relatively calm after the loss.

They just needed some time to think by themselves.

Gulp gulp.

Tang Ye drank a large mouthful of water, sat on the stool, lifted his legs, and wrapped both arms around his knees.

"Tom"

Mataloni walked toward Tang Ye, but after taking just one step, he was stopped by Lippi.

Seeing Lippi shake his head, Mataloni ultimately did not walk over and instead chose to remain silent along with the players.

"Actually, it's fine."

Feng Feng Xiaoting suddenly said: "We have all done enough. I don't think 2:5 is shameful. Of course, I know we could have played better, but this matter cannot be rushed; we cannot become strong all at once and just beat Brazil."

Winning against Germany and Sweden led the Chinese team players to develop a mistaken assessment of their own strength.

In the players' view, they could have ended this match with a better scoreline; however, the fact is that 2:5 against China, at least for the current China, was already a decent scoreline.

After Feng Feng Xiaoting broke the ice, the players slowly began to talk.

At this moment, the locker room door knocked.

"Is there anyone who hasn't returned yet?"

Zhang Zhang Yuning glanced at the locker room, then went over to open the door.

The one who entered was Neymar.

Seeming to feel it awkward to come alone, Neymar also brought Casemiro and Willian; the Real Madrid midfielder and the Chelsea winger were both known to Tang Ye.

"We... may we come in?"

Neymar pointed to himself and the teammates beside him, speaking in simple English.

Lippi had no objection, and the players in the locker room didn't mind either, so Neymar entered quite easily.

He found Tang Ye sitting on the stool; Tang Ye was still hugging his knees.

"Tom, hey"

The three Brazilian players sat down beside Tang Ye, and Neymar embraced his head.

"It's fine, I know what kind of mood you're in right now; I've been eliminated too. But what I mean is, it's okay, you played very well."

Neymar didn't seem very good at comforting people, so Casemiro pushed him aside.

"Although we lost, and 2:5 isn't great, you're still young. Four years isn't long for you; just two years ago we played together, and now nearly two years have passed."

"Four years is two sets of two years; wait another two sets of two years, and it'll be the next World Cup. Securing a spot from Asia will be too easy for you, Tom, am I right? So after two sets of two years, you'll be back. By then, both you and your teammates will be playing at an even higher level."

"..."

Tang Ye looked up at Casemiro, then glanced at Neymar and Willian.

"I'm not sad, I just need some time to think."

"But I feel your state isn't very good."

Neymar said.

"No, no, that's just how it looks; I'm very calm right now."

Tang Ye was speaking the truth.

His mindset had already collapsed once after losing to Senegal; the good mood he had rebuilt wouldn't shatter so easily.

"To be honest, I knew we were going to lose even before the match started."

Tang Ye shook his head, then scanned his teammates with a smile.

"But I think we played quite well today."

Neymar squeezed Tang Ye's shoulder with his hand, while the latter put his foot back on the ground.

"Good luck in the quarter-finals, Junior. If I have time, I'll watch the live broadcast, but as you know, I'm quite busy and don't always have free time."

"Haha."

That familiar way of speaking made Neymar and Casemiro breathe a sigh of relief.

The strong Tom had already walked out of the terrible mood caused by his World Cup elimination!

FIFA Official: Top five player ratings for the Brazil vs. China match.

1. Willian, 8.6 points. (MVP)

2. Tang Ye, 8.2 points.

3. Neymar, 8.1 points.

4. Jesus, 7.3 points.

5. Coutinho, 7.2 points.

FIFA Official: Brazil advances to the quarter-finals; their opponent will be the winner of Belgium vs. Japan.

Click!

Click-click!

After the match ended, the Chinese national team's coaching staff and players accepted interviews from reporters.

Although this loss meant China's elimination, head coach Lippi still highly praised the national team's performance in this World Cup.

"When we started training camp in May, I didn't expect we could make it this far because the training situation was quite poor at the time; our strikers struggled to form any synergy with Tom. However... after adjustments through training and friendly matches, we improved our strength, which is why we made it to now, the Round of 16."

"..."

Reporters then interviewed the Chinese national team captain, Feng Feng Xiaoting.

"Hmm, we feel quite sorry; anyway, this is the first time I've felt so guilty towards a teammate. Tang Ye's ability shouldn't be limited to the Round of 16; he should have reached the semi-finals, or even the final, but we didn't have enough strength to support him in accomplishing what he should have accomplished..."

"Hey!"

Tang Ye interrupted Feng Feng Xiaoting, snatching the microphone directly.

The reporters quickly shifted all their attention back to Tang Ye.

"Tang Ye, just now Feng Feng Xiaoting also said that stopping at the Round of 16 doesn't match your ability, so do you feel this World Cup is regrettable?"

"Uh... I feel regret, that's the truth, I'm not lying to you. But I won't say that the Round of 16 doesn't match my ability, because that statement is wrong."

Tang Ye's expression was serious as he struggled to organize his words.

"I'm very grateful to my teammates and the coach; I worked hard with my teammates to reach this step. Originally, we were already headed home, but the match against Sweden kept us here."

"Losing the match proves we weren't ready yet; this has nothing to do with any single player, but it concerns all of us. Uh, what I'm saying might not be very clear; the meaning is that this is everyone's responsibility, something like that..."

As Tang Ye spoke, fans could see feelings of guilt in the eyes of other Chinese national team players nearby.

"After four matches so far, your average rating is the highest among all participating players, but due to such an early elimination, you might miss out on the Best Young Player award..."

"I know that."

Tang Ye had certainly thought about winning the Best Young Player award, but without reaching the semi-finals, it basically had nothing to do with him, so it was just a thought.

"I feel this award should go to Kylian, because I watched the match between France and Argentina; he deserves this reward the most, at least more than I do..."

As he spoke, Tang Ye found it hard to continue, struggling hard to keep his tears from falling.

Zheng Zhi and Feng Feng Xiaoting placed their hands on Tang Ye's back.

"Can you talk about your upcoming arrangements?"

"Arrangements? What exactly do you mean?"

"Any arrangements, for example, what kind of results you plan to achieve next season. Hmm, Tang Ye, I'm talking about the club."

"Haha."

Tang Ye laughed.

"Take a rest, and continue working hard next season."

Speaking of the club, Tang Ye's eyes suddenly lit up.

The World Cup elimination was over, but the new club season hadn't started yet; everything was new.

Zero wins, zero draws, zero losses; this represents possibility.

Anything is possible.

Just like when the Chinese team was still preparing for the World Cup.

At that time, Tang Ye did not yet know what the outcome would be.

"Fans say Mancheng is better than Manchester United, but I don't think so, so I believe we need to compare again next season. I know Mancheng is formidable, but I have always felt that we are stronger than Mancheng."

……

The Sun: The Chinese team officially released a summary of this World Cup's results; Tang Ye liked the post and replied, "See you next tournament (sunglasses) (sunglasses) (sunglasses)."

"Although eliminated in the Round of 16, the Chinese fans in the comments section appear very excited, as this is their best result in history. Additionally, Tom's current stats stand at 4 goals and 5 assists, involved in all 9 goals scored by the Chinese team; if the World Cup ended now, Tom would have a chance to directly win the World Cup Golden Ball," said a reporter from The Sun.

After the Chinese team lost, The Sun published two news articles in succession, placing the article commenting on the loss right next to "Summary of Tom's World Cup Commercial Earnings."

Tom's pockets were stuffed with pounds and dollars; after the World Cup matches concluded, Tom would be a millionaire, and The Sun wanted to get some donations from the wealthy Tom.

The Guardian: After the match ended, Neymar brought two players from the Brazilian team to visit the Chinese team's locker room and comforted Tom, who had lost the game.

"Tom's mood seemed relatively good, at least much better than his state after the match against Senegal. He appears to have anticipated the result long ago," the reporter said.

People's Daily commentary: Though defeated, yet honored; departing with heads held high.

……

(End of Chapter)