Chapter 487: Move

The Sun reporter: The FA will investigate the hidden cameras in the Etihad home team's locker room; players have currently been ruled out.

London Football—The situation has changed dramatically! After their first defeat of the season, can Manchester United still guard their top spot in the Premier League? Has Guardiola's prophecy come true?

Attached is the Premier League standings table (Round 23 in progress):

1. Manchester United, 60 points.

2. Liwupu, 59 points.

2. Mancheng, 57 points. (One match fewer played)

4. Chelsea, 44 points.

5. Arsenal, 43 points.

Despite losing unexpectedly to Brighton, Manchester United currently remains first in the Premier League.

But you must note that Mancheng has played one fewer match.

Moreover, they hold the advantage in goal difference!

Let's see who Mancheng's opponent is in their next match.

Hmm... never mind, actually, it seems there's no need to look.

Given Mancheng's league win rate this season, there are only a handful of teams capable of beating them.

Alright, Manchester United is about to be in deep trouble!

Click-click!

The press room at Old Trafford Stadium was filled with flashing lights.

Whether due to the excessive flashing lights or not, Ten Hag's complexion today seemed somewhat poor.

"Erik, do you think you will lose your top position after Round 23 concludes? Mancheng begins their match tomorrow."

"I know, I know, okay? That doesn't need reminding."

Ten Hag shook his head quickly: "Firstly, Mancheng is an excellent team; I have always agreed with this view. If Mancheng wins, they will surpass us, but that would only be temporary."

"That is how top-tier leagues work; positions shift back and forth, allowing everyone to experience being number one."

Ten Hag placed his left hand below and his right hand above, seemingly ranking the Premier League.

"But this season consists of 38 matches in total; being temporarily first is not being truly first."

"Then who is truly first?" a reporter pressed.

"The team with superior hard strength will be the ultimate champion."

Ten Hag's statement was masterfully crafted; it appeared to be a bold declaration, making reporters and fans feel that Manchester United was stronger than Mancheng.

In reality, he never specified which team possessed superior hard strength, leaving ample room for fans to draw their own conclusions.

"Then..."

"Do you hope Tom achieves good results in the Asian Cup?"

The reporter asked an extremely tricky question.

The Asian Cup has now entered the knockout stage; if the Chinese team loses, Tang Ye can return to his club.

"Of course, Tang will achieve good results in the Asian Cup."

No one expected Ten Hag to answer so quickly, and his tone was quite brisk, giving an impression of carefree confidence.

Creak—

Stepping out of the room, Ten Hag encountered Fan Fan Dejiahe waiting outside the door.

"You came... hmm?"

Fan Fan Dejiahe approached to greet him, but Ten Hag merely raised his hand in a simple gesture before heading to the restroom.

Fan Fan Dejiahe followed him.

Painful sobs echoed from the men's restroom at Old Trafford Stadium.

"Erik..."

The fact is simply this.

When a son loses his father's protection, his vulnerable side is inevitably revealed.

The stall partitions in the restroom cannot block the sound of crying.

When will little Erik understand this principle?

January 20, before the start of the Asian Cup Round of 16 match between China and Thailand.

"Our players are excellent, so I believe we will achieve victory."

Lippi spoke somewhat slowly.

"Coach Mr., we noticed you positioned Tom as a left winger in the matches against the Philippines and South Korea. Is this a new tactic you have devised? Making the world's best midfielder play... as a forward?"

After switching Tang Ye to the forward position during the group stage, the Chinese team struggled, so the UAE reporter couldn't help but criticize Lippi on this matter.

"This was merely an experiment; certain things require validation through actual matches."

"But Tom only just arrived in Abu Dhabi in January. From the Philippines match until he rejoined the team for training, excluding time for jet lag adjustment, there were at most 12 days available for training..."

Holding his small notebook, the reporter slowly posed his question: "So you had Tom train as a forward for less than two weeks, then directly deployed him in actual combat in a major tournament like the Asian Cup? Without conducting any practice matches?"

Lippi glanced away briefly; it was evident he was somewhat dissatisfied with the reporter.

"Hmm, I trust every player in the squad. When I feel a player has demonstrated abilities in training that can be applied in matches, I will do so. I have always offered Tom the highest degree of support. This isn't just me; every coach would choose to do the same."

"As for your mention of the Asian Cup being a major tournament. Perhaps from his perspective, the Asian Cup cannot be considered a major tournament. Hmm, I am referring to the intensity of the matches."

Lippi's words seemed to be about Tang Ye, but in reality, they were also about himself.

Young man, I am a World Cup-winning coach; do you think I cannot control the tactics for the Asian Cup?

"Then, Mr., I wish you good luck."

With just over an hour before kickoff, Tang Ye sat in the locker room, having just changed into his cleats.

While his teammates chatted about the match to ease their nerves, Tang Ye was the only one glued to his phone.

Zhang Zhang Yuning leaned in: "Can I take a look?"

"Of course."

Tang Ye held his phone flat, showing Zhang Zhang Yuning what he was viewing.

"Huddersfield, Mancheng... hmm, so you're watching this."

Mancheng's 23rd Premier League round and the Chinese national team's Asian Cup Round of 16 were scheduled around the same time; Tang Ye was currently looking at both starting lineups.

"Do you think Mancheng might lose, or perhaps draw?"

Zhang Zhang Yuning looked into Tang Ye's eyes; the latter shook his head.

"There's no way they'll lose."

"If there's no way they'll lose, then why are you still checking the starting lineup?"

"Haha."

Finding Zhang Zhang Yuning's point valid, Tang Ye let go of his wishful thinking and redirected his attention back to the locker room.

Today, their opponent was the Durian King, Thailand!

"2019 AFC Asian Cup Round of 16..."

"2019asiancup..."

Warming up on the pitch, Tang Ye waved to the Chinese fans in the stands.

One, two, three, four...

He was counting; since he had spotted many of the Chinese fans in the stands more than once, Tang Ye wanted to know exactly how many people he recognized.

54, 55, 56...

Damn, I can't finish counting; there are too many!

So many of them are part of ggbond's loyal fan club!

Tang Ye was standing right by the player tunnel when a man dressed in a yellow brocade robe emerged, followed by a group of bodyguards.

The guy's attire was a bit strange, so Tang Ye sized him up from head to toe before continuing to greet his beloved fans.

Perform a moonwalk!

Just as Tang Ye started dancing, a group of Thai fans suddenly knelt down beside him.

The stadium announcer began his introduction.

"Let us welcome His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn of the Kingdom of Thailand!"

"Holy crap!"

Startled by the Thai players kneeling around him, Tang Ye quickly scrambled away.

It wasn't just the players; the Thai fans in the stands had also knelt. Tang Ye stood off to the side, watching the King of Thailand with a bizarre expression.

"So... should we do it too?"

The Chinese team staff were somewhat bewildered, and the few players who had just walked out didn't know what to do either.

Humans are social creatures; if many people perform an action, it influences those who aren't doing it.

The Chinese team now found themselves in an awkward position.

While Tang Ye counted the buttons on the Thai King's robe, he heard the staff member beside him speak.

"Uh, probably not necessary, right?"

"Oh, we definitely don't need to."

Thinking of something, Tang Ye quickly gave his answer.

"It might be hard to say regarding the leadership; I seem to recall we're supposed to follow along."

"No need, no need, I'm sure of it."

Tang Ye directly led his teammates away.

"Don't we often sing the national anthem? Have you all forgotten the first line?"

The good student ggbond excelled at applying the knowledge he had learned to real-life situations.

Converting theory into practice is a major distinction between smart students and average ones.

"That makes sense."

Originally wavering, the teammates suddenly gained confidence thanks to Tang Ye's reminder and walked straight past the King of Thailand onto the field.

"Haha, but isn't it a bit improper to just walk straight past?"

Zhang Zhang Yuning followed alongside Tang Ye.

Kneeling was definitely out of the question, but walking directly past a foreign head of state seemed a bit inappropriate.

"Tang Ye, weren't you extremely nervous when high-ranking officials visited your home before? Haha."

"This is completely different."

Tang Ye had his own reasoning: "I feel like the King of Thailand probably isn't as big a deal as our high-ranking officials."

"Holy crap."

"That makes sense!"

Tang Ye's words brought sudden enlightenment to Zhang Zhang Yuning and Wu Lei.

That makes so much damn sense!

Master!

"Korean Football"—In the Round of 16, China faces Thailand; can Thailand exact revenge on behalf of South Korea?

"Gooo——aaaa——lllll!!!"

"Beautiful!"

"What an easy goal!"

"Yes, for Tang Ye, Thailand's defensive line seems a bit too weak."

The replay shows Tang Ye cutting in from the left flank, performing step-overs before entering the penalty area, then slotting the ball home to give his team the lead.

"Thailand's defenders are practically dragging and pulling at Tang Ye, haha."

"Actually, they should have been more decisive; if you don't disrupt Tang Ye's balance immediately, you'll have little chance afterward."

"In the 9th minute of the match, China leads by one goal!"

During training, Madaloni had said Thailand was worse than South Korea.

Now it seems they aren't just worse; they are much worse.

There is a whole Philippines separating Thailand and South Korea.

Tang Ye jumped onto the advertising boards, exuding immense arrogance.

The 26th minute.

Currently, China's possession rate stands at 56%, holding a temporary lead.

Actually, logically speaking, Thailand's possession isn't too bad.

But Tang Ye's early goal completely threw the Thai players into disarray.

He dribbles horizontally, cutting into the penalty area!

"Here!"

He exchanges a pass with Zhang Zhang Xizhe, then looks for Zhang Zhang Yuning!

Zhang Zhang Yuning shields the ball with his back to goal, holding his position, and lays it off to Tang Ye.

OK!

He prepares to shoot, but an unknown force from behind knocks Tang Ye flat.

"Hey!"

Feng Feng Xiaoting and Wang Wang Shenchao appeal to the referee, but the whistle blows before they even reach the spot.

A penalty kick for China.

"I give up."

Standing up from the ground, he flicks the ball up with his heel and hands it to Zhang Zhang Yuning: "Brother Zhang Yuning, why don't you..."

"..."

"I, I, uh..."

Zhang Zhang Yuning steps forward, but thinking of the current 1:0 scoreline and fearing he might miss, he decides against it.

It's steadier to let Tang Ye take it.

OK, Tang Ye carries the ball to the penalty spot.

"Tang Ye is ready. Look! The Thai goalkeeper is visibly nervous!"

"Yes, facing a penalty taker of Premier League elite caliber, feeling immense pressure is a normal reaction."

"Beep!!!"

"Run-up!"

"Tang Ye!"

"Eh!"

Duang!

A driven shot smashes against the crossbar; Tang Ye tries to follow up on the rebound, but fails.

【Great!】

【Let the white fans speak!】

【Brother, can you give Thailand some face?】

【Must be an issue with the turf; can it be heavy?】

【He touched the ball, so a retake? No matter, wait until my GGBond earns another penalty.】

The camera cuts to China's substitute bench.

Lippi stands still, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Madaloni squats down directly, one hand resting on his head.

A penalty kick that makes one see black before their eyes.

"Beautiful, Zheng Zhi!"

China launches a counter-attack.

At this moment, only two minutes have passed since Tang Ye missed the penalty, and the great GGBond has the ball again.

Turning sideways to receive Zheng Zhi's pass, Tang Ye hesitates not and sends the ball straight into the penalty area.

It is aimed at Gao Lin, who is making a run down the right flank.

Goal!

Missing the penalty doesn't matter; China will find scoring opportunities through open play.

The score becomes 2:0!

"China team!"

"Let's go!"

"Team China!"

"Let's go!"

The first half ended; Team China had conceded one penalty and had two goals disallowed for offside, with the score temporarily fixed at 2:0.

"No way, my damn luck is just bad today."

Coming off the field, the first thing Tang Ye did was grab water to wash his hands.

"King Tang, stop staying up late playing games!"

Voices from the Chinese fans rang out in the stands; Tang Ye immediately spread his hands to defend himself: "It has nothing to do with games; I haven't played in three days!"

"Booooo!!!!"

"Booooooo!!"

"..."

Tang Ye scraped a finger across his cheek, feeling a bit awkward.

He had actually been booed by his own fans!

The second half began quickly, with Team China maintaining the dominance they had shown in the first half.

Facts proved that washing hands at halftime was indeed useful; Tang Ye's first pass of the second half was not offside.

It was still delivered to Gao Lin.

The national team's striker controlled the ball and lingered near the Thai penalty area while Tang Ye rushed over.

Get ready.

Take the ball!

As the defender approached, Tang Ye shifted his center of gravity laterally.

He knocked the ball forward to the right.

Get ready.

Pass to Zhang Zhang Yuning!

Zhang Zhang Yuning stopped the ball but mishandled it, sending it flying into the air.

!

With the situation urgent, Zhang Zhang Yuning could only hurriedly return the ball to Tang Ye.

The ball hit the ground and bounced back up.

Not easy to handle...

Tang Ye glanced back, spotted a defender right beside him, and decisively lifted his right foot.

Bang!

The leather ball smashed into the six-yard box, rebounded, and flew into the net.

"A brace!"

"A brace from Tang Ye; Team China leads 3:0!"

Wow!

Zhang Zhang Yuning quickly hugged Tang Ye.

He had nearly become a burden in the attack, never expecting Tang Ye to have such a volley shot in his arsenal.

GG King is omnipotent!

"Roar!!!!"

In the live camera feed, the muscles all over Tang Ye's body seemed to explode outward, looking somewhat terrifying.

It was hard to imagine what kind of mental state the Thai players were in while playing this match.

"Tang Ye!"

"Tang Ye!"

"Tang Ye!"

Although there was joking at halftime, the Chinese fans were still incredibly supportive during the actual match.

Using their cheers to inject super energy into the GG King!

Defeat the opponent!

In the 65th minute, Team China finally made their substitution.

Wei Wei Shihao replaced Zhang Zhang Yuning to make his Asian Cup debut, while Gao Lin returned to his position as center forward.

"Brother Hao."

Tang Ye and Wei Wei Shihao bumped fists.

The 72nd minute!

Recently, Thailand had been the ones launching attacks; to be honest, their offense was quite threatening.

Tang Ye forced his way from the front field all the way back to his own half's baseline, coordinating with Zhang Zhang Linpeng to execute some defensive maneuvers.

The Thai player in possession tried to dribble past him, but Tang Ye caught him with a well-timed foot extension to complete the tackle.

Seriously, this guy doesn't know how to control the ball at all!

Slap!

A long pass was sent directly to Wei Wei Shihao in the front field; Team China switched from defense to offense.

In a spot no one noticed, the eyes of the national team's head coach suddenly lit up.

Did that recent transition from defense to offense give Lippi a new tactical idea?

"It is clearly visible that from the first match of the group stage until now, Team China has been playing better and better."

"Yes, barring accidents, the national team at this Asian Cup should be the strongest in recent decades; not only are the players' abilities at their peak, but their form is also excellent..."

With this scoreline and situation, Thailand basically had no chance of a comeback, so the two commentators on CCTV-5 directly started discussing the upcoming fixtures.

"If the Chinese team can maintain this form, then I think the probability of defeating Iran to advance to the semi-finals should be more than 50%."

Semi-finals!

This is the Chinese team's goal!

Check Dongqiu Di Match Report: Maintaining dominance! China 3:0 shuts out Thailand to advance to the quarter-finals, Tang Ye scores twice + misses a penalty. (81,293 comments)

"Actually, Tang Ye's performance in this match was relatively his worst among the four Asian Cup games, but the Thai team failed to seize this opportunity."

It was a bit awkward, but what was said was indeed correct; Tang Ye's official ratings for the last four matches were as follows:

1. Against Kyrgyzstan, 9.6 points.

2. Against the Philippines, 10.0 points.

3. Against South Korea, 9.2 points.

4. Against Thailand, 8.7 points.

This was the only match in this Asian Cup where Tang Ye failed to achieve a rating above 9.0.

"442" Asian Cup Special Issue—The Chinese team gave Thailand plenty of opportunities, but Thailand seemed to lack the ability required to seize them.

For Thai fans, this was naturally a pity, but Chinese fans didn't care about that.

【Hurry "Thai" away, the next "I" is coming】

This was the red banner hung up by the fans at the scene.

Thailand has already been carried away; could Iran be far behind?

"I! Stand! In the fierce wind!"

"Hating that I cannot~ sweep away the endless heartache!"

"Gazing at the blue sky! Clouds stir in all directions! Sword in hand, I ask the heavens: who is the hero~~~"

His teammates sang "Farewell My Concubine"; Tang Ye knew how to sing this song, but he did not rush to join in, instead retrieving his phone from his locker.

He opened Check Dongqiu Di.

2018-19 Premier League Standings:

1. Mancheng, 60 points.

2. Manchester United, 60 points.

3. Liwupu, 59 points.

4. Chelsea, 44 points.

5. Arsenal, 43 points.

"..."

Mr. Sitting Like...

Rod...

And Marcus.

Are you all doing well...

PS: More today!

(End of Chapter)