Chapter 496: The Japanese Team's Bond and Memories: Reality and [Something] Indistinguishable

"Beep beep!!"

"Beep!!!"

A car honked its horn.

At midnight in the center of HZ City, there was actually a traffic jam; this was truly unexpected.

Even the shopping mall next door was still lit up, with over a hundred people gathered in front of its main entrance.

The car moved forward slowly, and the driver finally saw the source of the light.

The camera focused on Tang Ye's face; before him stood the Japanese team's wall.

79'23"

1:2.

"Aren't these people going to sleep?"

His wife in the passenger seat widened her eyes: "It wasn't like this during last year's World Cup, was it?"

"Don't speak yet."

The husband interrupted his speaking wife, then steered the car to the roadside and bit down on his own finger.

"Hoo..."

Peeep!!!

The referee's whistle sounded.

The previously noisy crowd fell silent in an instant.

On the screen, Tang Ye spat a mouthful of saliva onto the grass, then began his run-up.

Three, two, one...

On the final step, he extended his left hand, his entire body fully stretched out.

At the same time, Zhang Zhang Linpeng and Gao Lin used their bodies to vigorously disrupt the opponent's wall.

Pa!

His right foot struck the ball, after which his whole body tilted left and he crashed to the ground.

The ball speed was absurdly fast; it threaded through the gap between Tomiyasu Takehiro and Shibasaki Gaku, then curved slightly inward before rolling into the goal.

Gonda Shuichi dropped directly to his knees.

"Goooo——aaaaa——llll!!!"

"Tang Ye!"

"Goal!"

"Tang Ye's free kick goes straight in; China equalizes the score!"

The CCTV commentator accidentally cracked his voice.

But it didn't matter, because the fans' attention was not on him right now.

"Roar!!"

Tang Ye sprinted toward the corner flag at his fastest speed, executed a short slide on his knees, then rose from the grass.

"Tang Ye!!!"

"Holy crap, awesome!"

"Ahhhh!!!!"

The stadium instantly erupted, and so did the Chinese fans watching the live broadcast on television far away in China.

"Aaaah!!!!"

Madaloni rushed onto the pitch with the Chinese team's substitutes, but before he could run two steps, Wei Wei Shihao knocked him down.

"Damn!"

"Wait for me, wait for me!"

Near the corner flag, the Chinese players formed a human pyramid.

"A master like you~ must have incredible skills!"

"Horizontal, vertical, hook, dot, and bend—all come naturally!"

"Master, my master, strike a fighting pose!"

"I admire you so much, so much admiration!"

"Haha!"

"Awesome, Tang Ye!"

The referee chased away Madaloni and the Chinese team's substitutes; Tang Ye walked together with his teammates.

Although it was awarded as a direct free kick rather than a penalty, it still went in.

So what difference does that make?

The current score is...

Tang Ye faced the stands, raised both hands, and extended his index and middle fingers on each.

This was the victory sign.

It also represented the score at this moment.

2:2!

"Tang Ye!"

Bang bang!

"Tang Ye!"

Boom! Boom!

The Japanese team players were now completely stunned.

Even Yoshida Maya, with over a decade of match experience, had never encountered a situation where two free kicks in a single match forcibly leveled the score.

Minamino Takumi's face was deathly pale; standing beside him was Doan Ritsu.

"In... in the end, we still cannot win..."

After the score became 2:2, the Japanese team grew anxious, desperately wanting to pull the score apart again.

But Lippi remained extremely calm, directing the defensive players to adjust their positions to counter Japan's attacks.

"Watch out, watch out!"

"Behind!"

Minamino Takumi surged down the flank; it was clear the Japanese forwards were now struggling to run.

Liu Liu Yiming!

Boom!

A sliding tackle cleared the ball out of bounds, and Liu Liu Yiming roared toward the stands.

"Beautiful!"

"Yes, just like that!"

"The Chinese team must now focus on defense, giving Japan no chance to enter the penalty area!"

"......"

"Doan Ritsu crosses into the center!"

"Shibasaki Gaku!"

Boom!

A long-range shot was fired, but goalkeeper Wang Wang Dalei punched the ball away.

Haraguchi Genki!

Boom!

Another long-range shot followed.

Zhang Zhang Linpeng and Shi Ke both dove to complete the block!

"Hiss!"

It was evident that the Japanese team players were growing somewhat anxious.

As the dominant side, they had naturally planned to finish the match within regular time.

But the actual course of the match seemed to diverge somewhat from the Japanese team's plan.

Moriyasu Hajime was an excellent coach.

But even the most excellent coach would never have expected that damn it, a player could score two direct free kicks in a single match.

Considering the one substitution slot his team still had left, and looking at the less than two minutes of match time remaining, Moriyasu Hajime ultimately chose to save that substitution.

Check Dongqiu Di pinned post: Regular time ends in a 2:2 draw between China and Japan; Tang Ye forces extra time with two consecutive free-kick snipes in the first and second halves.

【The descendants of heroes are truly heroes】

【Can they still play in extra time? I feel Tang Ye's stamina might not hold up; he's been running for so long】

【I think we should worry about the other players; no matter how poor Tang Ye's endurance is, he was forged in the Premier League】

【Damn it, this match is going to last until tomorrow morning】

【Sleep my ass, get up and cheer! Go China!!!】

The match time was late January, with only one week left until the 2019 Spring Festival.

This timing worked out perfectly; fans did not need to worry about going to work the next morning and could watch the entire extra time to their heart's content.

No one spoke in the player tunnel; all that could be heard was the heavy panting of players from both sides.

Having played to this point, everyone's stamina was nearly exhausted; Tang Ye supported Hao Hao Junmin.

Come to think of it, Tang Ye was lucky; if the Asian Cup had been held last January, he probably would not be able to hold on now either.

Last January, Tang Ye did not possess such abundant stamina as he did now!

"Brother Hao, are you holding up?"

Tang Ye helped Hao Hao Junmin sit down on the bench.

At this moment, the Chinese team's coaching staff was already prepared.

"We now have only one substitution slot left; my plan is to use it on a full-back, but if any of you cannot persist, you can tell me."

Tang Ye looked up at Lippi.

Mr. Marcello suddenly started speaking faster.

Was he nervous?

Tang Ye did not know whether Lippi was currently nervous.

He only knew that he himself was extremely nervous, and his teammates were the same.

One could only say this was truly not an easy match!

Meanwhile, in the Japanese team's locker room.

Japan was the side that had been forced to concede the equalizer, so the players were all dejected, their faces devoid of spirit.

Endo Wataru sat alone in a corner, his expression so despondent he seemed about to cry.

Yoshida Maya walked over; Endo Wataru lifted his head, guilt-ridden, his face ashen: "S-senior..."

"Are we... about to lose now..."

Yoshida Maya said nothing, instead placing a hand on Endo Wataru's shoulder: "You remind me of myself as a child; back then, I too was terrified of failure."

The Japanese team's locker room was very quiet; the players were all listening silently to Yoshida Maya speak.

Even Moriyasu Hajime was.

When players are exhausted, some inspiring words might prove more useful than tactics.

Noticing his teammates' gazes, Yoshida Maya stood up again and moved to the center of the locker room.

"Our momentum has been crushed; even if we sit here foolishly, in the end, we'll only be defeated and eliminated by China."

"But we must stand up, pull ourselves together, and then face our fear."

"But..."

Gonda Shuichi's face was covered in sweat.

This wasn't from running; it stemmed from fear and despair.

The Japanese team's goalkeeper had been somewhat stunned by the beating.

"W-we're going to lose anyway. No matter what, even if we fight hard and still lose, it's meaningless, right..."

In Gonda Shuichi's mind floated the image of Tang Ye's direct free kick from the second half.

"You're right; it's completely meaningless."

Yoshida Maya's words made the Japanese players in the locker room suddenly lift their heads.

"No matter what dreams and hopes you hold, no matter what arduous training you've undergone, once eliminated, it's all the same; the match will ultimately be lost."

Yoshida Maya looked at the Japanese players in the locker room, from Endo Wataru to Gonda Shuichi, to Osako Okazaki Yuya, and then to Minamino Takumi.

"Then is playing football meaningless? Was our Asian Cup dream meaningless from the start? Were the achievements fought for by our seniors useless?"

"No, they are not!"

Yoshida Maya's pupils suddenly dilated.

"Only we can give meaning to our effort and sweat!"

!!!

After Yoshida Maya's speech ended, the Japanese team's locker room became strangely quiet, without even the slightest sound.

The players lifted their heads to look at the ceiling.

Osako Okazaki Yuya said softly: "If we finish this match, perhaps we'll have no regrets in life..."

All 23 players of the Japanese team had dilated pupils, as if entering a strange state.

In Moriyasu Hajime's eyes, it seemed as though a deep blue thread connected the 23 players of the Japanese team.

Though they were different individuals, the scene now floating in their minds was exactly the same.

Parents at home, an immature older brother.

The lack of understanding from parents and teachers, being ostracized by classmates in school for liking football, and the girl he liked most going to a different university than him.

"You should still choose football; perhaps ending things like this between us is for the best," the girl had said.

The 23 players of the Japanese team suddenly opened their eyes wide.

Isn't what lies before us the very stadium we longed for!

This deafening roar, this is—

"Go for it, kid! Isn't this exactly what you pursued? Don't give up so easily, Minamino-san!"

"Osako-san, Tomiyasu-san..."

The names of the Japanese team players rang out one by one like echoes, reverberating in the minds of the players on the field.

The match had restarted; the Japanese team players had entered a marvelous state.

Their opponents seemed to be playing exactly as they wished.

Bang!

Minamino Takumi snatched the ball from under Hao Hao Junmin's feet, then accelerated toward the front field.

In the distance stood Wang Wang Dalei!

In the eyes of the Japanese players, the Chinese team's goalkeeper wore an expression full of provocation.

"Ho ho, so you haven't run away but are coming toward me instead?"

Wang Wang Dalei said in Japanese.

"Even so, there's no way you can breach the goal behind me!"

Faced with the provocation, Minamino Takumi merely wore an expression of disdain.

How could they understand!

How could they understand the suffering we have endured!

"Don't underestimate this shot; what it condenses... is the conviction of me and the one I love most!"

Bang!

Minamino Takumi unleashed a long-range shot; the leather ball was flattened by immense force, roaring out with a blue light.

At this moment, the speed of time's flow in the entire world slowed down.

The ball, trailing blue light, flew past Zhang Zhang Linpeng's ear.

"M-masaka... (Could it be...)"

Zhang Zhang Linpeng's expression was terrified; sweat born of fear beaded on his forehead.

Bang!

"goooo——aaaaa——llllll"

Goal!

3:2!

Takumi Minamino led the Japanese players in a rapid charge outward.

The figure running at dawn, the mockery of classmates, his father drinking wearily at night, his elder brother's face, the girl he liked boarding a plane and leaving right before his eyes...

"We, we did it!!!"

The Japanese players hugged each other tightly.

Senior, did you see that!

We did it!

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: 98th minute of the match, Takumi Minamino scores a worldie, Japan leads 3:2.

Time resumed its normal flow.

Whoosh!

Tang Ye scraped the turf with his cleats.

"Their striker ran all the way from the wing to the center, why didn't anyone stop him?"

"Brother Hao, weren't you right there?"

The score shifting from 2:2 to 2:3 left the Chinese players completely numb.

No one knew why the Japanese team could play extra time even more fiercely than regular time.

There seemed to be light in the eyes of the eleven opposing players!

"Fuck, fuck!"

Madaloni was flying into a rage; the next second, Lippi substituted Wei Wei Shihao on for Hao Hao Junmin.

The last substitution slot had originally been reserved for the penalty shootout.

But now the Chinese team could not wait!

If no goal was scored in the next 20 minutes, the Chinese team would become the losers of this match!

The Blue Samurai would sing triumphantly before them!

"Tang Ye!"

Wei Wei Shihao ran over to high-five Tang Ye, then relayed Lippi's tactics.

While trailing, Lippi signaled for Tang Ye to abandon the defensive midfielder position and return to the attacking midfielder role.

Gao Lin, Wu Lei, and Wei Wei Shihao would serve as the three forwards!

"Come on, come on!!!"

After Zheng Zhi left the field, the captain's armband went to Zhang Zhang Linpeng; this was the loudest the national team defender had ever shouted since birth.

"Let's equalize the score, let's equalize!"

The players gathered to clap each other's hands, then scattered again.

Extra time continued!

"We can see the Chinese team has made a substitution."

"Only the final 20 minutes remain; if the Chinese team cannot equalize within these next 20 minutes, Japan will claim victory in this match!"

"Go China!"

The CCTV commentators also began shouting along with the fans.

Official commentators must remain neutral!

"Tang Ye!"

Shouting Tang Ye's name loudly, Wang Wang Dalei threw the ball out with his hands, delivering it precisely to Tang Ye in the forward position.

Gaku Shibasaki was right beside him; Tang Ye glanced back.

He stepped on the ball, then tapped it backward with his heel!

Tang Ye completed a nutmeg on Gaku Shibasaki!

"Ohhh!!!"

The live spectators had not sat down since extra time began.

It was now the 108th minute of extra time!

Gao Lin accelerated forward, preparing to receive the ball at the left baseline, but unexpectedly, Tang Ye passed immediately.

Ritsu Doan ran alongside Gao Lin.

Gao Lin had the positional advantage!

Gao Lin stretched out his foot to control the ball!

The two tangled together, and in the end, Ritsu Doan simply shoved Gao Lin aside.

Beep!!

Although Gao Lin did not fall, Ritsu Doan's foul was extremely obvious, so the referee decisively blew the whistle.

"This is already the Chinese team's 7th direct free kick of the match."

"But..."

The commentators and fans alike frowned: "The position for this free kick is a bit poor..."

The ball was too close to the left wing, and still quite far from the goal.

But it didn't matter; taking a direct free kick as an indirect one was also an option.

Tang Ye and Wei Wei Shihao both approached the spot where the referee had drawn the white line; Wei Wei Shihao covered his mouth: "I'll create a screen for you, pass to the far post, they will definitely mark Gao Lin, so you pass to Wu Lei or..."

"I'm shooting directly."

"Huh?"

Wei Wei Shihao seemed not to have heard Tang Ye clearly, so Tang Ye said it again.

"This position isn't good, but I just calculated it; shooting directly should yield the highest success rate."

Wei Wei Shihao lifted his head to look at the Japanese team's goal.

It wasn't that the distance was far, it was just that the ball's position was too angled...

"You... are you sure?"

"Brother Hao, if I don't score, you guys won't blame me, right?"

Tang Ye bit the nail of his right thumb: "It's hard to score, but my free-kick form is very good today... Hu, I want to try."

"..."

Wei Wei Shihao clenched his right fist and punched Tang Ye's chest: "Awesome!"

Wei Wei Shihao ran toward the penalty area; in the camera frame, Tang Ye began backing up.

"Let's look at the Chinese team's wall formation: Gao Lin is at the near post, Wu Lei and Zhang Zhang Linpeng at the far post. If Zhang Zhang Yuning were here, the success rate of this ball probably wouldn't be lower, but the Chinese team has no more substitution slots left."

"Mm... actually, since it's a cross, Wei Wei Shihao could have taken it, with Tang Ye positioning himself at the arc, because we all know this kid Tang Ye has very good long-range shooting ability..."

As the commentators chatted, the live camera cut again to the very top of the home team's substitute bench.

Tang Tang Zhengxiong and several Chinese fans were still holding up the memorial portrait of Tang Tang Xianmin; in the black-and-white photo, Tang Tang Xianmin wore a smile on his face.

"Beep!!!"

"The Chinese team's set piece..."

"Tang Ye"

Accelerating quickly in his run-up, Tang Ye tightened his core, then swung his right foot with great force.

It looked like a volley technique, but in reality, Tang Ye's point of contact was the outside instep of his right foot.

Crack!

Grass shards flew up; the ball shot straight toward the camera hanging above the goal.

"Eh, what is Tang Ye doing!"

There was an arc veering left; after reaching its highest point and beginning to drop, it started changing direction to the right.

Accelerating downward!

The ball entered the net from the dead angle at the upper right of the goal.

(End of chapter)