Chapter 500: Showdown at the Peak of Asia: The Powerful Qatar Paired with Strength

No. 1: The Asian Cup Final.

No. 2: China vs. Qatar.

"The opponent will most likely employ a high press; we need to be mentally prepared. Then, regarding counterattacks, pay attention—we must get through the midfield quickly."

"Tom, I'm leaving this to you to handle."

Tang Ye nodded to indicate he understood.

Getting through the midfield quickly, in simple terms, meant playing long penetrating passes; this was something he was exceptionally skilled at.

"Everyone get ready!"

Zheng Zhi delivered his final speech: "Today, everyone must raise their spirits and bring out their best form."

"Because today is when we will make history!"

"Wow!!"

Clap, clap, clap!

Applause rang out in the locker room as the players stood up one after another.

"Make history!"

Tang Ye shouted loudly.

However, whether he could truly comprehend the meaning of those words like Zheng Zhi did remained unclear.

"Tang Ye, you come!"

Zheng Zhi yielded the central position, and Tang Ye rubbed his hands together.

"Three, two, one!"

"Champions!"

"Champions!!!"

The players ran out of the locker room, while Mardaloni's voice came from behind: "Keep your minds calm."

"Calm my ass; let's just go straight at them!" Tang Ye yelled.

"..."

Mardaloni placed a hand on his head: "Hmm... well, that works too."

As expected, the stadium was packed today; after the national anthems were sung, the Chinese national team players gathered in a circle.

"This is the last match, brothers!"

"Let's do it!"

Beep, beep, beep!!!

"China Media Group! We are bringing you the live broadcast of the 2019 UAE Asian Cup Final, the match between the Chinese National Team and the Qatari National Team."

"Now, allow me to introduce the starting lineups for both teams!"

"First, for the Chinese team: today China has deployed a 4-4-2 formation. This is quite rare, because since Tang Ye first joined the national team in 2017, the Chinese men's football team has consistently played a 4-2-3-1..."

They played a 5-3-2 in the semi-finals and a 4-2-3-1 in the final; the formations used in these two matches showed a very significant change.

Lippi had burned himself out.

He probably never imagined that his capabilities would be pushed to the extreme in an Asian Cup match.

"And now, Qatar!"

Qatar (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Saib

Forwards: Afif, Ali, Ravi

Head Coach: Sanchez

The match has begun!

With the 4-4-2 formation, Zhang Zhang Yuning kicked off, finding Zhang Zhang Linpeng in the backfield.

Under normal circumstances, Zhang Zhang Linpeng should have launched a long ball forward or played a through pass, but instead, he chose to pass horizontally to Shi Ke beside him.

This action by the Chinese team right at the start of the match indicated their attitude for today's game.

Defense first!

The camera cut to Lippi on the sidelines; the Italian manager's face was wrinkled into a tight knot.

Even as an old coach who had experienced a World Cup final, Lippi could still feel the pressure of the current match.

"Go, go!"

Afif, Ali, and Ravi all pressed forward together; Tang Ye, from his position, constantly observed the opponents' positioning.

China's defense was not particularly strong; to ensure the goal remained safe, Tang Ye would have to take on the responsibility of directing play.

"Watch that number 11!"

Tang Ye signaled Wu Xi to move over, while he himself went to mark Qatar's center forward.

The Chinese team was still passing the ball around in their own half.

Slap!

Zhang Zhang Linpeng passed the ball to Liu Liu Yiming on the right, who then ran forward.

This was the key tactic for the Chinese team in this match: widen the defensive line in the backfield, and use that to launch attacks.

Liu Liu Yiming played a long pass to Wu Lei.

Wu Lei received the ball and shook off his marker!

Run forward!

"Wow!"

Wu Lei shook off the defender beside him the moment he received the ball.

It was the 4th minute of the first half, and this was the first time China had kicked the ball into the opponent's half in this match.

"Get them, get them!"

"Run faster, King Wu!"

At this moment, Chinese fans were already picturing Wu Lei cutting inside toward the center, then delivering a through-pass into the box to finish with a shot.

Unfortunately, Wu Lei was not Hazard; he did not have a habit of eating hamburgers.

Slap!

He passed horizontally to Zhang Zhang Yuning in the center.

Zhang Zhang Yuning stopped the ball dead in his tracks as Tang Ye ran up from behind.

Tang Ye had gotten the ball!

"Center, center!"

Signaling for Wu Lei to drift toward the middle, Tang Ye took two touches to adjust before playing a direct through-ball.

It went to Wu Lei, who was cutting inside!

"Beautiful!"

"China's counterattack is on!"

"This must be China's tactic for this match: utilizing Tang Ye's ability to play long through-balls to launch an attack."

Qatar's midfield defense looked impenetrable, but that was only how it appeared to the average person.

No joke—a master spotted the flaw in the defensive line at a glance!

China was pushing forward!

"To the left!"

At Tang Ye's request, Wu Lei passed the ball back to Zhang Zhang Yuning on the left flank before continuing his forward run.

China's attacking line had now formed an inverted triangle in the front field.

Zhang Zhang Yuning and Wu Lei were up front, with Tang Ye positioned behind them in the mid-rear.

It was just like a fighter jet formation: the two in front were escort planes, used for reconnaissance.

Then came the plane behind them.

What kind of plane was this?

It was a bomber!

Zhang Zhang Yuning was blocked by a defender; after pressing forward a few more steps, he suddenly passed back.

The pass went to Tang Ye, who was advancing through the center.

A setup pass from Zhang Zhang Yuning!

Boom!

A long-range shot was struck, sending the ball soaring upward from the ground.

It aimed to skim past the post and into the goal, but the goalkeeper, Saib, managed to punch it away at the very limit of his reach.

"Ooh!"

"Tang Ye's form in recent matches has truly been quite excellent..."

"Yes, the very first shot of the opening successfully threatened the opponent's goal."

The Chinese players began preparing for the corner kick, while the camera focused on Lippi, who was standing nearby.

The Italian coach's tactic had succeeded.

After kickoff, Qatar played very aggressively, yet it was China that first created a scoring chance!

A corner kick opportunity...

Slap!

Wu Xi took the corner, aiming for Zhang Zhang Linpeng at the far post!

Boom!

A header flicked the ball to Wu Lei, but Wu Lei was immediately blocked by a Qatari player the moment he controlled it.

At this point, there was no chance left to take a shot.

Qatar seized the ball!

【Not bad, brothers.】

【I'm under huge pressure right now, but I've got my quick-acting heart-saving pills ready!】

【Better play it safe; if China concedes even one goal, we're done for.】

Having watched so many of Tang Ye's matches, many viewers had now transformed from novices into seasoned veterans.

If China played defensively, neither side would find it easy to score.

In that case, scoring the first goal became extremely important; it could directly establish the team's advantage in this match!

The 18th minute.

China's current possession rate was 38%.

The situation did not look very optimistic, but this possession rate was indeed within Lippi's expectations.

Lippi actually did not care much about possession rate; what he cared about was the number of effective attacks.

By the 18th minute, Qatar had already launched five effective attacks, two of which directly threatened China's goal.

A 40% conversion rate for attacks—this was what Lippi was most worried about right now.

"Spread the defensive line wider!"

"Midfielders, drop back; don't leave anyone up front."

A simple tactical adjustment.

Originally, to play for counterattacks, the Chinese team would have left Zhang Zhang Yuning as the lone striker up front; now, to increase defensive solidity, Lippi is pulling Zhang Zhang Yuning back as well.

The initial formation was 4-4-2, but in actual play they were using a 5-3-2, where those "2" were not strikers but attacking midfielders.

"Fuck!"

The Qatar head coach cursed when no one was paying attention.

The Chinese team was playing far too steadily!

"Cough, cough."

Chewing on a throat lozenge, Madaloni sat on the substitutes' bench, smiling.

Marcello simply understood the opposing head coach's psychology all too well.

As long as Qatar failed to score, their players would only grow more anxious with each passing minute.

Conversely, the Chinese side was comfortable; as long as they could maintain the 0-0 stalemate, China's probability of victory would slowly increase as time went on.

Tang Ye and Ali clashed head-on down the left flank.

Ali bumped into Tang Ye, and Tang Ye bumped right back; the result was Ali collapsing directly to the ground, clutching his head and crying out in pain.

Beep!

"Hey!"

Tang Ye, of course, did not believe he had committed a foul; he immediately spread his hands and signaled to the referee: "That's a dive, isn't it a dive? Did you see me use any force?"

Tang Ye hadn't even pushed off the ground, so the force generated was naturally insufficient to knock Ali down.

But the referee wasn't willing to listen to him!

At the AFC Asian Cup in the UAE, Qatar could still enjoy half the benefits of a home refereeing bias!

Watching Ali climb up from the grass, Tang Ye shot him a disdainful glance.

Whoosh!

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: Referee bias? Ali's suspected dive leads to a foul call against Tang Ye.

"Beep beep beep!!!"

Spectators were unleashing their fury on Check Dongqiu Di, while fans at the stadium were cursing aloud with their own mouths.

Damn thing, how many barrels of oil did the Qataris use to buy you off?

In the 26th minute, Qatar earned a corner kick opportunity.

"Get in there, get in there!"

Pushing Zheng Zhi into the penalty area, Tang Ye pointed at Qatar's midfielder and full-back: "Just leave these two to me."

Defending a corner one-versus-two was, frankly, a bit of showing off; but since Tang Ye's stance was resolute, Zheng Zhi said nothing more.

Smack!

The corner kick was delivered!

Colliding with a Qatari player, it was Tang Ye who headed the ball clear first.

It fell to Afif, positioned outside the arc at the top of the box!

Boom!

A long-range shot was unleashed, striking Zheng Zhi directly.

"To me!"

Tang Ye gained control of the ball!

A defending player stretched out a leg to challenge.

But Tang Ye was not the least bit flustered!

He pulled the ball beneath his body, waited for the defender's center of gravity to shift, then pushed it out; Tang Ye successfully completed his first evasion.

Another Qatari player approached; Tang Ye dragged the ball and spun, a series of moves that successfully completed his second evasion.

"Beautiful play, Tang Ye!"

"An absolutely perfect dribbling evasion!"

After displaying a level of ball control akin to striking from a higher dimension, Tang Ye immediately drove forward with the ball himself.

Unfortunately, Tang Ye was not De Jong; otherwise, he probably could have easily carried the ball all the way to the halfway line.

Smack!

A long pass was sent out to Wang Wang Shenchao, who was sprinting down the left flank; the Chinese team launched a counterattack.

"Slow down, slow down!"

Tang Ye signaled Wang Wang Shenchao not to rush, then moved forward together with his teammates.

"Wu Lei, cut inside to the center!"

Ptui!

Commanding required constant shouting, so Tang Ye was forced to spit out the chewing gum in his mouth.

Both the attacking line and the defensive line pushed forward together.

After advancing several dozen meters, they encountered defenders; Wang Wang Shenchao's speed finally began to slow.

Tang Ye and Zhang Zhang Yuning both ran over.

Tang Ye very cunningly chose a position behind Zhang Zhang Yuning, his intention being to use his teammate's body to create some opportunities.

He patted Zhang Zhang Yuning on the back; the national team striker suddenly turned and cut inside, while Tang Ye continued moving to the left to provide support.

The crossing runs in the attacking third left the Qatari players feeling somewhat panicked and at a loss.

Wang Wang Shenchao played a low pass across!

Facing the defender before him, Tang Ye feinted a forward press to receive the ball, but actually lifted his leg to let it roll beneath his body.

Then he cut diagonally toward the penalty area!

Boom!

A through pass from Zhang Zhang Yuning landed in a position that could only be described as perfect.

Boom-boom!

Knocking the ball back and forth between his right and left feet, Tang Ye then leaped up, successfully bypassing the center-back to enter the penalty area.

The remaining center-back stuck tight to Tang Ye.

Get ready to shoot!

At the exact moment he swung his leg to strike, the Qatari defender grabbed Tang Ye's chest, causing the latter's center of gravity to shift.

Eh!

The erratic shot went straight into the goalkeeper's hands, and Tang Ye collapsed to the ground.

"Beep-beep-beep-beep!!!"

Okay, the atmosphere at the venue reached a climax.

"Penalty!"

"It's a penalty!"

The referee immediately spread both arms, indicating no foul; Qatar instantly launched a counterattack.

"Beep-beep-beep!!"

"Idiot!"

"The ref is an idiot!"

Since the referee didn't blow the whistle, the Chinese team players had no choice but to retreat and defend first.

"There's a controversial call here; from our angle, that should definitely be a penalty..."

"The referee didn't signal immediately, so the Chinese team can only focus on defending this play for now."

Qatar's subsequent attack lasted nearly two minutes until Liu Liu Yiming finally cleared the ball out of bounds for a dead ball.

The Chinese team players rushed quickly toward the referee.

"That was a foul, a foul inside the box!"

"It's a penalty!"

Zheng Zhi and Wu Lei looked as if they wanted to beat up the referee standing before them, though fortunately, both still retained their reason.

"No penalty! No penalty!"

The referee held his hands across his chest, rejecting the Chinese team's protest.

"VAR!"

"Check VAR!"

Tang Ye pointed at a camera off the field.

Quarter-final matches all have VAR; if a potential penalty occurs, the referee can confirm it by reviewing the footage.

But the result!

"Huh? The referee chose not to check VAR."

"He seems convinced this wasn't a foul."

The commentators and fans widened their eyes together.

At this moment, the director cut to a replay.

After knocking the ball past his marker, Tang Ye engaged in physical contact with the Qatari center-back.

Preparing to shoot...

It was clearly visible that the defender's hand had grabbed Tang Ye's chest, serving to disrupt the attacker's center of gravity.

Even an idiot would know Qatar gained an advantage through a violation.

But the referee didn't know!

Tang Ye waved his hand, his upper molars biting fiercely into his lower molars.

"Referee!"

"Bastard!"

The Iranian referee officiating the Qatar match quickly became the target of universal condemnation.

The match continued!

【Damn, is this blatant cheating?】

【Referee, give us back the Asian Cup championship!】

【UAE Asian Cup? More like Qatar Asian Cup!】

【Can't some bro go up and slide-tackle this ref?】

Netizens were too active; the hashtag #AsianCupFinalBlackRef entered the top 50 on Weibo's trending list just five minutes after the incident.

In the photos, besides the detestable Iranian main referee, there was also the pitiful Tang Ye.

With the camera focused, faint red marks could be seen on Tang Ye's neck.

These were scratches left by the nails of the Qatari defender when he grabbed Tang Ye's chest.

(End of Chapter)