Chapter 490: A Master Like You Must Have Incredible Skills, Right?

"Tang Ye!"

"It's Tang Ye again!"

2:1, the Chinese team successfully completed a score reversal before the end of the first half.

Sliding on his knees to deliver the pass, Tang Ye jumped up and collided with Yu Yu Hanchao.

This was roughly the most difficult match the Chinese team had played in this Asian Cup so far; fortunately, they now held the lead.

"Huff, huff."

Gasping quickly twice, Tang Ye embraced his teammates.

Tang Ye had scored this goal, yet he was not actually the happiest one.

"Wo!"

Yan Yan Junling clenched his right fist.

It was because of his mistake that the team had fallen behind.

He dared not imagine what kind of verbal barrage he would face if they lost this match.

Fortunately!

Fortunately, Tang Ye still performed steadily!

So powerful, Ball King!

Dancing along the touchline, China's great Number 10 had once again asserted dominance over the match.

Gulp!

Lippi returned to the substitutes' bench, took a small sip of water, and appeared to show no change in expression.

But not everyone could remain as calm as Mr. Marcello.

"Tom! Tom!"

Maddaloni kept jumping on the spot, leaping up again immediately after landing, his upper-body shirt becoming completely disheveled.

The 42nd minute!

After making it 2:1, the Chinese team decisively switched to defense, and Tang Ye seized this opportunity to showcase his exceptional tackling ability.

But Iran remained vigilant, consistently preventing Tang Ye from approaching their ball carriers.

"Back! Back!"

Signaling Hao Hao Junmin to retreat for defense, Tang Ye actively ran toward Taremi.

Iran decisively abandoned Taremi as a receiving option.

Jahanbakhsh immediately sought out Azmoun at the very front.

Azmoun received the ball and headed straight into the penalty area!

Playing somewhat aggressively, the Chinese team players also began to retreat.

Bang!

Azmoun suddenly unleashed a long-range shot.

Duang!

It struck the post and rebounded out!

Seizing the opportunity, the Chinese defensive line rushed out quickly.

Tang Ye rushed to challenge for the ball together with Wu Lei.

Hajsafi reached the first point.

Expecting Iran to continue their slow, penetrating passing play as before, everyone was surprised when Hajsafidirectly played a through ball instead.

Bang!

Unbelievably accurate, the low pass threaded between Shi Ke and Feng Feng Xiaoting, targeting Azmoun who had just charged into the penalty area.

"It's a one-on-one!"

The commentator clutching his head.

Under the gaze of tens of millions, Azmoun suddenly collapsed at the edge of the penalty arc.

"!!!"

"Eh!"

Sensing something was wrong, Tang Ye suddenly accelerated, rushing forward to block the referee directly.

"Mr. Referee, Mr. Referee, listen to me, listen to me, this isn't a direct foul. We had positional advantage..."

"Beep!"

The referee blew his whistle, then pulled a red card from his pocket.

"Oh!!!"

"Beep beep beep beep!!!"

The Chinese fans panicked.

The players, of course, did too!

Feng Feng Xiaoting covered his face with both hands, his gaze somewhat vacant.

He had made a mistake.

"This shouldn't have happened!"

"The captain of the Chinese team has committed a super, super, super massive mistake!"

"The first half isn't even over yet; even if you give the opponent a one-on-one, you can't get a red card!"

The Chinese team players surrounded Tang Ye in a tight circle.

"Can't it be a yellow card? Just a yellow card?"

Tang Ye was haggling on Feng Feng Xiaoting's behalf.

In terms of hard strength, the Chinese team was only slightly stronger than Iran; if they truly played with one man down, the second half would become extremely difficult.

"We have a positional advantage; if our player falls, he can block the ball away. So this isn't actually a one-on-one situation."

Shi Ke was also speaking up for Feng Feng Xiaoting.

What he said had some merit, but not entirely.

It was true that Feng Feng Xiaoting could block the ball away.

But Iran's through-ball was incredibly fast; a normal center-back wouldn't be able to react in time.

"Mr.!"

Tang Ye spread his hands; in the end, the referee did not change his decision.

redcard: xiaotfeng

Dongqiu Di live match report: 43rd minute of the match, Feng Feng Xiaoting cleared Iran's one-on-one ball, then was sent off with a red card.

【...】

【Damn! Is this referee an idiot?】

【Feng Feng Xiaoting, don't mess things up at the critical moment, damn it!】

【Well now, 10 against 11, invincible.】

"Beep beep beep beep!!!"

The Chinese fans on site used fake whistles to express their dissatisfaction with the referee; in the camera shot, Feng Feng Xiaoting walked off dejectedly.

"Hmm..."

Lippi and Feng Feng Xiaoting clapped hands; there was no exchange of words between the two.

The camera then cut to Gao Lin; after Feng Feng Xiaoting left the field, the national team's striker temporarily assumed the role of on-field captain.

"If that's the case, then the Chinese team must make a substitution early."

"Yes, this red card for Feng Feng Xiaoting was indeed somewhat unnecessary, but this is an established fact; what we should be thinking about next is how to deal with it."

Playing with three defenders in this match was definitely not feasible, and moreover, the Chinese team did not know how to play with three defenders, so Lippi would definitely have to make a substitution.

Fortunately, the first half was about to end, giving the Chinese team's coaching staff time to think things over carefully.

"Beep, beep beep!!!"

"Phew..."

Tang Ye squatted on the ground.

The first half was finally over!

After Feng Feng Xiaoting was sent off with a red card, Tang Ye felt as though the passage of time had slowed down.

Defending with one man less was just so difficult!

"Come on!"

Gao Lin pulled Tang Ye up from the ground.

"Beep beep beep beep!!"

"It's fine, we can win!"

"Come on! Tang Ye! Come on!"

"Wu Tang Qiuwang!"

"..."

The Chinese team's locker room was unusually quiet; not a single person spoke, and Feng Feng Xiaoting sat huddled in the corner, filled with guilt.

He felt he had to say something.

"Um, I, I... I shouldn't have taken that red card. But the situation was too urgent then, I..."

"It's fine, it's fine, Brother Ting, it's fine!"

Wang Wang Shenchao and Zhang Zhang Linpeng tried to comfort him.

To tell the truth, this red card had come a bit suddenly; the Chinese team had made no preparations for such a scenario.

"Brother Ting."

Tang Ye raised his hand and signaled to Feng Feng Xiaoting: "Minor issue; anyway, we'll definitely win in the end, playing with one man less is no problem."

"..."

Feng Feng Xiaoting was speechless.

Madaloni seemed unable to endure this atmosphere.

"OK, OK!"

Madaloni walked over to Feng Feng Xiaoting: "The red card has already been given, so let's leave this matter here, alright? I don't understand what you're saying, but I can roughly guess; now is not the time to comfort teammates, we need to figure out a solution."

"In the second half, we will be one man short; this is the problem we need to solve."

"When someone makes a mistake, we need to bear it together. If you want to comfort your teammate, then damn well win the match; talking with your mouths won't work!"

Madaloni was ruthless enough; with just a few sentences, he had scolded everyone in the locker room.

But shortly after, he realized his tone had been a bit too harsh.

"Sorry, what I meant... you know, I didn't mean it, sorry."

"It's fine, it's fine."

Zhang Zhang Linpeng reached out and touched Madaloni's arm; just then, Lippi had also finished organizing his thoughts.

"The second half, the second half of the match will be quite critical. First, three defenders are definitely not an option; I will not allow us to play with three defenders. So I will substitute Chao (Yu Yu Hanchao) off, using a forward's slot to fill the gap in defense."

"Zheng Zhi replaces CD (Cheng Dong); that makes it roughly a 4-3-2 formation. Handling it this way will be better; as for why it's better, time is short, so I won't explain."

Lippi spoke slowly, and at that moment Tang Ye thought of something, saying in English, "So do I play as an attacking midfielder, or what?"

"Defensive midfielder, switch directly to defensive midfielder."

Lippi gave a definite answer: "In the second half, we will have three defensive midfielders and two attacking midfielders. There is a striker, but he ceases to exist during defense; since we are a man down, other positions must cover for the defense."

Tang Ye could clearly see sweat on Lippi's forehead, and Madaloni was the same.

Playing with one man fewer, then attempting three defensive midfielders for the first time in actual combat.

In the second half, the Chinese team was no different from burning their boats.

Reaching into his backpack, Tang Ye fished out a small pile of chewing gum.

He took one, unwrapped the packaging, and put it in his mouth.

He took another, again unwrapping the packaging and putting it in his mouth.

After eating a total of five pieces of chewing gum and feeling the strong mint flavor in his mouth, Tang Ye finally stopped.

Wu Lei watched all this from the sidelines but said nothing.

Gao Lin handed the captain's armband to Zheng Zhi, who was about to come on as a substitute, and Zheng Zhi signaled for all the players in the room to stand up.

"In the second half, each of us must press a bit more and produce a bit better performance. Count Feng Xiaoting's share as well!"

"Although we are a man down, we are still leading now, and we will continue to lead throughout the second half. Can we do it!"

"Roar!!!"

Pumped full of adrenaline, the Chinese team players were ready to welcome the second half of the match.

Tang Ye stood in the middle of the locker room stretching his calf muscles.

He glanced at Feng Feng Xiaoting, wanting to go over and say a few words, but recalling Madaloni's remarks just now, Tang Ye gave up the idea.

After hesitating for about half a minute, Tang Ye finally went over to Feng Feng Xiaoting.

"Brother Ting."

"It's fine, just watch me take on two of them by myself."

Tang Ye and Feng Feng Xiaoting bumped fists.

Walking out of the locker room, Tang Ye's expression was terrifyingly serious.

At the most critical moment, the Villain King must exert his strength.

Having gained so much power from the Evil Altar before, now was the time to use it!

Dry them out!

"Tom."

Iran's Taremi came before Tang Ye, rubbing the back of his head: "Um... after the match, can I have your jersey? My youngest son is your fan."

"Oh, haha, of course, no problem."

Tang Ye hugged Taremi: "Remember to remind me, because I tend to forget things easily."

"Thanks, Tom!"

The second half of the match began.

Iran made no adjustments, while the Chinese team made two substitutions in a row.

"Currently, the Chinese team should be in a 4-3-2 formation; unsurprisingly, Lippi has not attempted a three-defender setup."

The Chinese team's substitutions were actually quite easy to guess.

Because they could not possibly play with three defenders.

"Taremi..."

"Hmm, very fast speed."

Zheng Zhi went to intercept, but Taremi decisively transferred the ball to the right flank.

The fullback dribbled the ball and charged!

Slap!

Before Wang Wang Shenchao could get into position, Iran's cross from the baseline was delivered directly.

Azmoun!

Bang!

A header was flicked out, landing straight into Yan Yan Junling's arms.

Right at the start of the second half, Iran played fiercely, making Chinese fans extremely nervous.

If the score really gets overturned, wouldn't the Chinese team have to stop at the quarter-finals?

Don't mess around, damn it!

Tang Ye walked slowly to adjust his position, then suddenly accelerated forward after Yan Yan Junling threw the ball out.

Slap!

Zheng Zhi sent a long pass directly toward the front field.

The pass wasn't very accurate; the several players up front would need to struggle a bit to win it.

"Look at him!"

After assigning tasks to Gao Lin, Tang Ye charged straight toward his target.

Bang!

Colliding with Iran's defensive midfielder, in the end, the great GGBond proved superior.

He flicked the ball up with one kick, then flicked it again before it could hit the ground.

Juggling a few high balls, Zheng Zhi's long pass had not yet touched the ground, but Tang Ye was already carrying the ball forward.

Completing the dribble past the opponent, the ball landed in front of Tang Ye.

OK, this time it finally hit the ground.

Into the penalty area!

"Wow!!!"

Tang Ye prepared to make his move.

Three Iranian defenders charged out of their penalty box, enclosing Tang Ye from three completely different directions.

With no other choice, he had to secure possession of the ball first.

After a careful observation, Tang Ye ultimately chose to pass backward.

There was truly no other way, brother; the number of people inside the penalty area was absurdly high.

The second half reached the 60th minute!

Iran substituted on a forward, determined to equalize the score.

They were a powerhouse of the Asian Cup; how could a powerhouse fall in the quarter-finals?

Jahanbakhsh moved to the wing, where Zheng Zhi and Liu Liu Yiming combined to clear the ball out for a throw-in.

"Although our Chinese team's defense indeed had many errors, from the group stage up to these quarter-finals, the Chinese team has genuinely made some progress."

"Yes. The Chinese team is slowly growing, but today they encountered unfortunate events; now we just have to see if they can survive this calamity!"

Feng Feng Xiaoting's red card had summoned heavenly thunder.

The remaining ten players on the field needed to combine their strength to withstand this bolt of heavenly thunder, and only then could they ascend together with Feng Feng Xiaoting!

Bang!

He completed a sliding tackle near the baseline, stood up, and immediately dribbled the ball forward.

Tang Ye's advance!

Let's check the position...

Slap!

【De Bruyne Curved Through Ball Lv5: Replication (Transcendent State)】

Proficiency: 758/3500

He sent out a long pass directly.

"What is this!"

A through ball from the baseline position, and it was rolling along the ground.

For this ball, Tang Ye could be said to have exerted full force; even as the leather sphere scraped against the turf, it maintained tremendous speed.

"Does Tang Ye's distribution seem a bit too casual?"

Under the gaze of the fans, the through ball arrived directly at the Iranian defensive line, where a center-back stepped up attempting to collect it.

It seemed like he was handing possession to the opposition, but at that moment, the ball in the camera frame suddenly curved with a slight arc.

And then...

It arrived at Wu Lei's feet!

!

Wu Lei naturally knew this was a great opportunity; he pulled the ball with his right foot and pushed it through, nutmegging an Iranian defender.

Then came the shot!

"Goal!"

"Wu Lei!"

"3:1!"

"With one man down, the Chinese team has scored again!"

The Chinese players on the substitute bench rushed out excitedly, while the players on the field began their celebration.

The replay showed the fans witnessing Tang Ye's super-long through ball once more.

It was approximately...

Hmm, 60 meters?

No need for fans to estimate; the broadcaster directly provided the precise length of Tang Ye's ground-level through ball.

Bang!

Tang Ye collided with Wu Lei, sat down heavily on his buttocks, and lay flat on the ground.

"A master like you must be~ very good at drinking!"

"Take a big gulp~"

"Churning rivers and overturning seas~~"

No one knew who started it, but the Chinese fans began singing a song.

It felt somewhat familiar, yet they simply couldn't recall where it came from.

"A master like you must have~ very skilled techniques!"

"Horizontal, vertical, hook, dot, and turn, all done with ease~~"

Who was this master that the Chinese fans spoke of as being great at drinking and also great at technique?

It was...

"Master! Master!"

Maldoni shouted loudly in the Chinese he had just learned, ran over, knelt on the ground, and kissed Tang Ye's forehead.

"Oh, Mr.!"

Lying on the grass, Tang Ye raised both hands upward, looking like a zombie in an open coffin ready to jump out.

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: Tang Ye's 60-meter super through ball assisted Wu Lei's goal; 10-man China leads Iran 3:1.

(End of Chapter)