[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back":3,"chapter-football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-54":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Football: At 16, Let Me Retire and Come Back?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2300024,4499,"Chapter 54: Eindhoven","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-54",54,"\u003Cp>In the away team locker room at Philips Stadium, Utrecht’s players sat in a circle, with Ten Hag speaking at the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything that needed to be said had already been covered in training; Ten Hag’s pre-match focus was simply to reemphasize key points and boost the players’ morale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone over here, everyone over here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag gestured, and the players, already wearing their cleats, stood and walked to the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s all I have to say. Remember: don’t lower your expectations before this match. Our only goal is to win. The opponent is never as strong as you imagine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag placed his hand in the center; Ramselaar pressed his on top.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“3!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“2!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“1!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Utrecht forward!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slap! Slap! Slap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wuhu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The players clapped; Ten Hag was truly an artist—his speech had lifted the team’s spirits considerably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye stayed put; his keen observation noticed Ten Hag’s trembling hand hidden behind his back, so he walked over: “Mr. Eric, no need to be nervous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Th-thanks, bastard, get lost—why the hell are you comforting me?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag stepped back, glaring at Tang Ye: “You’re the player. I should be comforting you, understand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sized Tang Ye up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chewing mint gum, left hand holding a towel, feet… a pair of slippers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where are your cleats?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Over there. I tied my laces too tight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye pointed to a pair of cleats on the ground: “Last time I laced them too tight—I can’t undo them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it! Untie them now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag rushed over, snatched Tang Ye’s cleats from the floor, and struggled to find the knot: “Six minutes until kickoff—why didn’t you say your laces were tied earlier?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Vooruit nu Rood-Witten!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Forward, PSV!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Watteens d’Oude Glorie”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“aanroem heeft gebracht”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they stepped onto the pitch, the home fans chanted their anthem to pressure the visitors; the commentator’s rough voice loudly announced the home team’s players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time a home player’s name was called, the stands erupted with “woww!”—but when the commentator introduced Utrecht’s starters, the stands drowned in endless boos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn, that’s intense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye looked at the sea of people and flags in the stands, feeling a quiet awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eindhoven truly was one of the Eredivisie’s top three—this fan base was unmatched by any ordinary club!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, everyone in the livestream, good evening!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today’s still Utrecht’s match, but today’s opponent is tough—PSV Eindhoven.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m quite familiar with this team—let me introduce the starting lineup to my brothers!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PSV Eindhoven (4-3-3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Goalkeeper: Zout\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Defenders: Santiago Arias, Jeffrey Bruma, Hector Moreno, Brener\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Midfielders: Proppe, Mahe, Guardado\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forwards: Narsingh, Luc de Jong, Locadia\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Head coach: Koek\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need to introduce Utrecht—you just need to know who their core is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“4-3-1-2—the man in the center is No. 99, Tang Ye!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kickoff! I predict Eindhoven will win by 1 to 2 goals—folks in the stream, bet however you like!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【When will Xiao Chao learn to name every player on the pitch?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Fun fact: the streamer is an Eindhoven fan—isn’t it normal to know one team’s name?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Tang Ye starts again—haha, even against Eindhoven? Looks like Meng Ge’s spot is secure!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【I said it: Ten Hag will rise to greatness under Tang Ye’s leadership】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You back Eindhoven? Why don’t you believe in Tang Ye?!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Their combined market value is ten times higher—Utrecht will suffer badly today. Bet on home win outright!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【I’m betting on Utrecht draw—I don’t care, I’m a diehard Tang Ye fan. I’ll take draw, not away win!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Ten times the value? Where’s the difference?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Fun fact: Tang Ye’s market value is still zero】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You’re bold, guy—dissing my Meng Ge? Try me—I’ll get you banned to the black room!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The match had begun, just as Ten Hag emphasized: Eindhoven loved exploiting wide attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 4th minute, Mahe stole the ball from Ramselaar and swiftly passed it to Locadia ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locadia dodged Tang Ye and surged down the flank!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shit…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Utrecht’s midfield line so easily bypassed, Ten Hag clutched his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fall back, fall back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramselaar interrupted Tang Ye’s attempt to tackle Locadia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew Tang Ye couldn’t stop Locadia—better to have him retreat to cover defensive space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his teammate’s command, Tang Ye didn’t hesitate—he sprinted back, glancing over his shoulder constantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye aimed to intercept the ball the instant Locadia passed—but Locadia lofted it high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Locadia to Narsingh—perfect layoff!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Narsingh, take it wide—Jansen is under heavy pressure, Jansen is chasing back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hold position—Narsingh and de Jong link up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“De Jong returns to Narsingh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eindhoven executed a textbook one-two on the flank; Jansen and Stried were overwhelmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both of them were beaten!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narsingh reached the byline!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narsingh versus Kang Boyi—one-on-one!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kang Boyi’s tackling ability was among the weakest of all defenders—he knew his weakness well, so he didn’t dare to lunge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narsingh pressed Utrecht’s defensive line!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Middle!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye shouted; Stried reacted and sprinted toward the arc—but too late. Narsingh’s cut-back found de Jong perfectly at the arc.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riëuw was not going to let de Jong shoot—he sprinted forward decisively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>De Jong flicked the ball wide to Arias, who had surged up to support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arias struck on the volley!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lechert and Riëuw both collapsed in the box, trying to block Arias’s long-range shot—but failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Goalkeeper Ruiter made a save—but his view was blocked by Riëuw and de Jong; he didn’t spot Arias’s shot until it was too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Goal!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Goal!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Incredible, Arias—world-class strike! Sixth minute, Eindhoven takes the lead!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Follow my rhythm, folks—Eindhoven will lead by at least one goal. Two or three? Not impossible!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chao clapped enthusiastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of Utrecht’s last ten matches, this was the only one Wang Chao didn’t back them to win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simple reason: Wang Chao was an Eindhoven fan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A PSV Eindhoven fan!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The streamer defected!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, damn!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Arias score, Ten Hag scowled, turned, and sat back down on the bench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eindhoven’s overall strength was indeed superior to Utrecht’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But was this goal coming too early?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The home fans erupted in celebration; Ten Hag sat on his chair, thinking—something felt off. He quickly stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fall back! Defensive line fall back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eindhoven’s wide attacks were terrifyingly strong. To counter such a team that exploited width, Ten Hag’s solution was to have Stried, the central midfielder, drop back into the center-back position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four defenders became five!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag’s decision was actually something the Dutchman had just thought up on the spot, and he wasn’t even sure if it would work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’ll just have to try it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first goal had been scored; now it was Utrecht’s turn to restart, with Aale kicking off from the center circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He passed it straight back to Jansen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye began moving forward; Eindhoven applied heavy pressure—by the time Aale kicked off, all three of their forwards had already crossed the halfway line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jansen launched a long pass, aiming directly for Barazite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye had originally planned to move into the central area, but before he ran, he took a quick glance and noticed Mah making a run toward Barazite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Tang Ye followed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barazite was preparing to receive the ball!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up—Jansen’s pass was too fast; he couldn’t be sure he could control it cleanly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked for Ramselaar on the right, but Ramselaar was already tightly marked by Guardado.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d have to control it himself!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give it to me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barazite had already raised his foot to receive it, when Tang Ye suddenly sprinted in to demand the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Barazite turned and used his chest to cushion the ball, sending it to Tang Ye on his right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball was still in midair when Mah spun and charged toward Tang Ye, giving him no chance to settle it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Turn and shield the ball!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aale shouted, but Tang Ye did something flashy—he raised his right leg, didn’t even look, and kicked the half-volley toward the left baseline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>wow！？\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing he was holding up his teammate’s momentum, Aale immediately turned and sprinted toward the baseline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Tang Ye’s pass wasn’t precise, because he’d observed ahead of time, the general positioning was still solid—Aale stretched out his foot and controlled the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang Ye, holy shit, a blind pass! Tang Ye’s got guts!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now it’s Aale versus Arias!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aale, beat Arias, keep driving into the box—Bruema’s coming!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye kept watching—when he saw Bruema move to mark Aale, he quietly slipped behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bruema stuck out his foot and poked the ball away from Aale’s control—right onto Tang Ye’s foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ha ha!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t a lucky steal!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was pure skill!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flicked the ball with the outside of his foot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up at the goal!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He curled it toward the far corner!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【De Bruyne far-corner curler, Lv1: Imitate】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Proficiency: 27\u002F50\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Level 1 far-corner curler might seem weak, but Tang Ye already had half the proficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looks like Level 1, but it’s really Level 1.5!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Long shot—not very fast!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zot! The goalkeeper Zot didn’t reach it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell is going on?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chao clutched his head, helplessly watching the ball fly into the net.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How the hell did he not save that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell?! Why?! Zot, when did you become this bad?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Hahaha, watching the streamer lose his mind is so satisfying】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Corner shot, awesome!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The home team just scored, and the away team equalized immediately? That’s insane!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The streamer’s exploded—this is the price of not believing in Tang, the King of Balls!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Don’t you get it? Zot never expected Tang to shoot—he was blocked from view by Bruema and Aale, both 1.9 meters tall, so he couldn’t see the 1.7-meter Tang behind them.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Fuck you, 1.7 meters? Mongol is at least 175 cm, don’t lie, little brat!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beautiful!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utrecht’s players sprinted across the pitch as Ten Hag raised his arms triumphantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although they fell behind early, it didn’t matter—Utrecht had equalized right away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did Utrecht manage to equalize?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because after conceding, Ten Hag adjusted tactics, stretching the team’s defensive width!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was why Utrecht’s attack succeeded!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stay calm, stay focused!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag shouted to his players: “Follow my instructions—we can still get a point!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The match continued; after being equalized, Cocu’s expression didn’t change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Utrecht had suddenly shown strong long-ball attacking ability, Cocu still felt this was within his control, so there was no need to panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Eindhoven had possession; head coach Cocu’s gaze fixed on Tang Ye, who was strolling through the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cocu had long heard of this 16-year-old prodigy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, Tang Ye’s impression on Cocu rested on three points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>1. He doesn’t run much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>2. He avoids physical challenges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>3. His first touch is extremely solid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assistant coach looked at Cocu beside him—he knew the Eindhoven manager was deeply interested in Tang Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cocu shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As a midfielder, No. 99 lacks sufficient coverage. Midfielders like him rarely make it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assistant nodded: “But…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But we just got scored on by him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「……」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the 30th minute, the backend displayed the teams’ possession statistics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PSV：68%\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>UTR：32%\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright guys, from possession stats, Eindhoven still looks solid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s 1-1 now; my advice is to bet on Eindhoven to win by a large margin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey hey, don’t jump on me—I’m not betraying you, I’m stating facts. Aside from Tang’s curler, Utrecht hasn’t created any real chances.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the streamer said, Utrecht had only three shots on target so far, one of which came from Tang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s genuinely underwhelming!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Listen to me—before halftime, Eindhoven will score again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think it’ll be a forward—Narsingh, De Jong, or Lokka…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here it comes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mah and Guardado! Another one-two combination—Jansen can’t handle it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang Ye, run back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry about him—Tang King won’t make it back to that position.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1954,"2026-06-20T06:50:08.245Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","04ab240a1b74d2e88dc097a791bb4a72b6cf0b8fbf106a96736d84b8a562902e","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-55","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-53",918,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffootball-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-cover.jpg"]