Chapter 578: Bissaka's Shoot Button Was Removed, Kevin's Through Ball

【"Streamer, are you Manchester United's number 10? You're so good!"】

【"The streamer isn't Tang Ye; the streamer is the commentator."】

【"So full of himself, I thought he was a player on the field."】

【"..."】

【"Damn it!"】

Wang Chao had a minor conflict with the fans in the livestream room, but it was no big deal.

Because for fans like Wang Chao, as long as the situation on the field went according to their expectations, their mood was impeccable.

【"You need to press up! If you lose possession, press up immediately!"】

Guardiola quickly made hand gestures: "Do you know why we conceded? Because the ball was in their hands, in TY's hands."

"Losing possession is normal, I know that, but after you lose it, you must win it back."

Guardiola clapped his right hand into his left palm, producing a crisp "Slap!" sound.

"Possession is defense!"

Possession equals defense; this was the key defensive point in Guardiola's possession-based football.

If Mancheng wanted to suppress their opponent, increasing possession rate was obviously the simplest method.

Under Guardiola's tactical system, the team's defensive line needed to push up as a whole to compress the opponent's space.

As for Manchester United's long-ball counterattacks, one player within the Mancheng squad was crucial at this moment.

Kyle Walker!

His tracking back would be key for Mancheng to deal with Manchester United's defense!

Clap clap!

【"Come on, come on!"】

Guardiola patted De Bruyne's neck, using this special method to fire up his player.

Time entered the 28th minute of the first half, and players from both sides on the field were shouting louder and louder.

After conceding one goal, Mancheng fans realized their team had already adjusted its state.

Stones played a long pass, and Mahrez up front controlled the ball.

Standing still without moving, Mahrez laid the ball off to Walker.

While running, Walker took control of the ball, then immediately sprinted at full speed toward the byline.

"Wow!!!"

Mancheng's attack down the right flank was very successful!

【"Rodri! Rodri!"】

【"Get up there, Rodri!"】

Wang Chao wanted Rodri to mark Kyle Walker, but Rodri couldn't do that.

Tang Ye hadn't tracked back yet; if Rodri went to the flank now, the center would be empty!

Just like that, Walker kept going until he reached the byline, forming a one-on-one situation with Luke Shaw.

It was fine; Walker wanting to get past Luke Shaw probably wouldn't be that easy.

Slap!

He passed back to Mahrez!

Mahrez diagonally cut inward from the left toward the top of the arc, forcing Rodri to retreat continuously.

Adjusting with small steps, he feinted with a change of rhythm.

Bang!

Mahrez played a through ball.

De Ligt kicked the ball away in one go.

【"Holy crap!"】

【"Mahrez is acting a bit full of himself; isn't this impersonating Tang Ye?"】

【"Brothers, I've figured it out: Mancheng can only attack through the middle. De Bruyne's form is terrible today; he's been playing defense the whole time."】

【"Actually, Manchester United could also have their full-backs push up, just like Walker. I remember last season—um... last season, and also the first half of this season—Manchester United often had their full-backs making forward runs, but now they suddenly stopped. Is Ten Hag thinking the full-backs are too useless?"】

【"I feel like both Luke Shaw and Wan-Bissaka are doing okay."】

The camera cut to Wan-Bissaka on the field; the Manchester United full-back wore a serious expression, his dark skin knotted into a frown.

【"Bissaka!"】

【"Can you practice your shooting a bit!"】

Time quickly advanced by five minutes.

At this moment, Mancheng encountered a problem: their possession rate was as high as 70%, yet their number of attacks was still lower than Manchester United's counterattacks.

Guardiola's head was throbbing; Manchester United had two defensive midfielders which was absurdly excessive, plus a Wan-Bissaka who tackled anyone he saw, making it extremely difficult for attacking players to go either down the flanks or through the center.

The most frustrating part was that Tang Ye kept shouting on the field, telling his teammates how Mancheng would pass the ball.

【"Haha, brothers."】

【"De Bruyne and Gundogan have been completely seen through by Tang Ye, haha!"】

Every time Tang Ye pointed to a spot, a Mancheng player would pass the ball there.

Viewed from a god's-eye perspective, this situation was somewhat comical; it felt as though Tang Ye was directing the Mancheng players.

What should they do!

【"Push up!"】

With that shout, the Mancheng goalkeeper launched the counterattack ball.

Slap!

A powerful big foot precisely hit Sterling on the left flank near the byline.

He controlled the ball with his chest, adjusted his position, and then ran toward the byline.

It was still the familiar sight; as Sterling ran, he raised both his hands.

The next second!

Boom!

"Beautiful, Wan-Bissaka!"

"Man United is awesome!"

Sterling sat on the ground sighing while Rodri pulled him up.

"Beep beep beep!!!"

Wan-Bissaka, who made the tackle, faced the wrath of the home fans, but to tell the truth, Wan-Bissaka was not the type of player who cared about Qiu Mi Kan Fa; he was quite laid-back.

In the 42nd minute of the first half, Mancheng still controlled the ball.

Slap!

Slap slap!

The leather ball passed back and forth among the players wearing blue jerseys, a sight that was mesmerizing to watch.

"Left, left, press him directly!"

Tang Ye shouted loudly, and Wan-Bissaka decisively pressed Sterling.

"Middle!"

De Jong and Rodri marked De Bruyne.

Unable to find a passing lane, Sterling unsurprisingly lost possession.

A counterattack from Man United was initiated by Wan-Bissaka, who was advancing with the ball at a very high speed.

Unleash all his speed capabilities!

Wan-Bissaka had no Qiu De Xiang Fa, forcing Tang Ye to shout for the ball.

"Pass it!"

Wan-Bissaka drifted toward the center, closing the distance between himself and Tang Ye.

Slap!

Okay, this time there was finally a pass.

And it seemed like a pretty good pass too!

Stopping in place, Tang Ye turned sideways to face the incoming ball.

Walker was right beside him!

Tang Ye used his peripheral vision to check the opponent's position.

Lift the right leg!

Boom!

Taking advantage of controlling the ball, he kicked it onto Walker, and the rebounding ball hit his own body.

!

Just as Walker prepared to tackle, Tang Ye executed a right-footed "V" drag to shift the ball to his left foot.

It was an urgent situation; he had to deal with it quickly.

Slap!

"Tang Ye!"

"A toe-poke shot! It's gone to Rashford!"

"Master Rashford, it's on you! Master Rashford..."

The biggest threat had already been drawn away by Tang Ye; if Rashford didn't unleash his abilities now, he wouldn't deserve his valuation of 90 million euros.

Rashford dribbled with long, striding steps, quickly reaching a position near the penalty area.

Otamendi, defending in the center, was already in position.

The moment to test Rashford's ability to handle the ball in front of the goal had arrived!

"A battle of wits."

"I feel like he can cut inside and shoot directly."

Boom!

As soon as the words were spoken, Rashford had already taken the shot.

He did not cut inside.

He chose to force a shot!

The ball smashed heavily against the crossbar, rebounded onto the ground, and then crossed the goal line.

Goal!

"Damn!"

"Rashford!"

A goal making the score 2:0, and also Tang Ye's second assist of the match.

The moment the goal was scored, Rashford turned and ran toward the left touchline.

Boom!

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Rashford spread his arms wide and performed a knee slide at the Etihad.

"Hiss..."

Guardiola clasped his head with both hands.

This time, he did not directly seek out the Mancheng players to scold them, but fell into silence instead.

He still needed some time to accept what was happening on the pitch.

Mancheng was trailing by two goals at home!

"Marcus!" Tang Ye and Rodri embraced Rashford together, after which Tang Ye lifted Rashford's hand, pried open his fingers, and pointed them at the Manchester United striker's temple.

"Don't forget the celebration move!"

"..."

The final moments of the first half arrived.

The referee added two minutes of stoppage time; everyone expected Mancheng to intensify their attack to try and score one goal, yet unexpectedly, Guardiola directly ordered his players to switch to defense.

Guardiola was a very rational coach; since his team had already fallen behind, it was better to stabilize first.

As long as they didn't concede a third goal, everything else was acceptable for Mancheng.

"There's still a chance, there's still a chance..."

Guardiola muttered, placing his right hand on his head and vigorously scratching his scalp.

"It's okay, Pep!"

Voices came from the stands among the Mancheng fans: "Don't rush, we can still win!"

Guardiola turned around and gave the fans a thumbs-up.

The fans were right to comfort Guardiola not to rush, but appending the three words "we can still win" made Guardiola feel immense pressure.

Don't rush.

But we must win.

Aren't these two things contradictory?

Halftime report: Manchester United leads Mancheng 2:0 away from home; Rashford scores a worldie, De Bruyne's form is worrying.

"Ole! Ole! Oleola..."

"City!"

"We are City! (We are Mancheng)"

As they walked off the pitch, Tang Ye and Dembélé received special treatment from the Mancheng fans.

"Boooo!!!"

Facing the boos from the opposing fans, Tang Ye shook his head helplessly, then covered his mouth and said to Dembélé: "They probably think they can still win; they're thinking too simply."

The first leg was 2:1, and now another 2:0; Manchester United was already leading 4:1!

"Everyone sit down, nobody speak."

The home team's locker room was very quiet, with only the sound of cleats stepping on the floor.

The Mancheng players were extremely nervous, partly due to the current match situation, and partly due to the pressure from Guardiola.

"We've encountered problems, okay, no problem, I think it's fine; encountering problems is normal."

Clap!

He clapped his hands: "But we need to think about how to handle them; otherwise, do you want to give up the EFL Cup? Give up the EFL Cup championship?"

"..."

The players remained silent.

"So we need to adjust; your passing intentions have been guessed. If we continue like this, we cannot win, so we must change our mindset and feed the ball to the wings."

Placing his hand on the tactical board, Guardiola quickly moved the magnetic flags: "From left to right, or vice versa; jump back and forth between both sides, and we can bypass TY. This will increase your running distance, but I think it's feasible; we need to do this."

"Last chance, last chance!"

Guardiola shouted at the players: "Win the semi-final, and we can win the final!"

Manchester United was the biggest challenge Mancheng currently faced, and a major obstacle on their road to the EFL Cup championship.

"Brothers, hurry up and log in, brothers; some people haven't returned yet. If they don't come back soon, it'll be too late."

"The match has started!"

"With a 2:0 advantage, what do you say, Saint Teng? How are you planning to operate in the second half..."

Many people on both substitute benches were warming up, but neither Guardiola nor Ten Hag had made their substitution choices yet.

"Is Guardiola still not making substitutions? Could De Bruyne and Gündoğan swap positions? Don't let De Bruyne play defense."

"..."

"Holy crap, Wan-Bissaka!"

Wan-Bissaka dribbled from the right-wing baseline toward the penalty area; his speed and rhythm were both excellent.

Subsequently, this Manchester United full-back showed the players his super-strong dribbling ability, solo ball-carrying for nearly seven seconds.

"Shoot!"

"Shoot, damn it!"

Wan-Bissaka glanced at the goal but still didn't shoot.

In the end, Otamendi inside the penalty area cleared the ball.

"..."

Tang Ye held his head with both hands; coincidentally, Dembélé was standing right beside him: "Damn, Ousmane, Wan-Bissaka's shoot button has been removed."

"Damn!"

Ten Hag clenched his right fist and thrust it out.

Wan-Bissaka was no longer simply bad at shooting.

This guy had absolutely no desire to shoot!

"Hiss... I get it now, brothers. Wan-Bissaka is the type of defender who maxes out his defense stats but can't attack at all, the exact opposite of Alexander-Arnold."

"So funny, just like Tang Ye back when he was at Utrecht."

Wang Chao was meticulous; while analyzing player characteristics, he even showed off a bit about his past acquaintance with Tang Ye.

Just like the sign hanging above his livestream room.

【The First Streamer on the Entire Internet to Broadcast Tang Ye's Matches】!

A counter-attack opportunity emerged, and Walker carried the ball forward rapidly.

Walker's current role was just like De Jong's, but because the space was wide, Walker was running much faster than De Jong.

"Hey!"

De Bruyne pointed to the empty space ahead, and Walker delivered the pass.

De Bruyne!

Switching to the offensive end, De Bruyne was obviously much more confident; he dribbled the ball alone for several meters, rendering the double-team by Rodri and Luke Shaw ineffective.

"Forget it, forget it!"

De Ligt shouted a warning, and soon Wan-Bissaka arrived.

!

De Bruyne raised an eyebrow, and the next second, he was taken down cleanly by Wan-Bissaka.

"Wan-Bissaka!"

"But this time it seems he hit the person first..."

Wan-Bissaka committed a defensive foul, so Mancheng was awarded a set piece.

It was given as a direct free kick!

Tang Ye glanced at Sterling and De Bruyne, thought carefully for a moment, then ran over beside the wall, covered his mouth, and said, "They're probably going to shoot directly," before running back to his own position.

Then he ran back to his own position.

"We are City!"

Bang bang!

"We are City!"

Bang bang!

The Mancheng fans were eagerly anticipating their first goal.

"It's already the 60th minute, brothers. Mancheng is still trailing by three goals. Based on my experience, if they don't score now, Mancheng is done."

"Sterling and De Bruyne!"

"I think they're going to shoot directly."

"Let's see..."

Beep!!!

De Bruyne began his run-up first, swinging his right leg back.

Bang!

A shot was fired, piercing straight through the gap between De Ligt and Rodri.

"Goooo——aaaaa——lllll!"

"Kevin De Bruyne!"

"What a goal from Mancheng!"

The ball went in, and what's more, it was the most difficult kind of goal: a direct free kick.

"Fuck!"

Rodri shouted loudly as Aguero ran past him and scooped the ball out of the net.

The score changed from 0:2 to 1:2!

"I think Mancheng might be about to seize their counter-attack opportunity."

The commentator favoring Mancheng became filled with anticipation.

"No, no, no, that won't happen. Manchester United needs to adjust; Guardiola has no way to break through Manchester United's defense through open play."

"So I think we can let Sterling and Mahrez look for set pieces and penalties; that's a very good method, and it holds completely true when the opponent is Manchester United."

"City!"

Bang bang bang!

"City!"

Bang bang bang!

The Etihad Stadium welcomed its most critical moment; the Mancheng fans now had to stand united.

Pull off a shocking victory against Manchester United!

Then advance to the final!

(End of Chapter)