[{"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-63":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},2300033,4499,"Chapter 63: The Three Giants of the Eredivisie: Ajax!","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-63",63,"\u003Cp>December 6, Utrecht played away against Graafschap in Round 15 of the Eredivisie, winning 1-0 thanks to a long-range shot by Ramselaar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to this victory, the Utrecht players’ gloomy moods vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wuhu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the locker room, Tang Ye, Amrabat, and Barazite hugged each other, arms around shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang, you didn’t score today!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aale pointed at Tang Ye and laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a matter of luck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye gestured for Aale not to rush: “That shot in the second half—you saw it, right? My long-range attempt? It was just a hair off!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s ‘just a hair off’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amrabat removed his hand from Tang Ye’s shoulder: “Your shot flew straight into the stands. Come on, you’re not seriously trying to replicate that training ground ball—outside-of-the-foot strike?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That wasn’t an outside-of-the-foot strike.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye’s expression turned serious: “It was just a long-range shot—but it was a hair off. You know, the goalkeeper kept blinking at me—he was terrified!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aale leaned forward: “I don’t know if the opposing keeper was scared, but I was completely freaked out. Holy shit, sixteen years old, insane long-range shot!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You really don’t understand anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye waved his hand and walked over to sit on the bench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would football be interesting if played honestly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How do you make football interesting?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long-range shots!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they must be world-class bangers!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, Tang Ye’s current shooting stat is only 61!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, alright, quiet down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag returned to the locker room after exchanging pleasantries with the opposing manager.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked around the chaotic locker room—clearly, a wild celebration had just taken place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After this match, you’ll get two days off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag was thrilled after the win; the victory solidified their second-place position in the league.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were only level on points and four goals behind PSV Eindhoven at the top!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing about the break, Tang Ye shot up from his bench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, don’t get ahead of yourselves—I see some of you already celebrating, even jumping off your seats. Don’t look away, Tang—I’m talking to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag pointed at Tang Ye in the corner; under the coach’s gaze, every player’s eyes turned to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rubbed the back of his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ssshh—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So awkward!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um… I stood up to show you respect, Mr. Eric.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then that’s perfect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag nodded: “Winning is great—I know, because I’m happy too—but I need to tell you some bad news: after the break, the pressure will be enormous!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because our next opponent is… Ajax!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye took a deep breath, then pulled out his phone to check the standings: “Ajax is third in the league—they have fewer points than us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who taught you to judge a team’s strength by points alone?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag walked toward Tang Ye, speaking as he moved: “Ajax is an extremely difficult opponent—their passing rhythm may even be faster than Eindhoven’s…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye didn’t know how strong Ajax was, but hearing Ten Hag say this, he felt a bad premonition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two-day break passed quickly; the first-team players resumed training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before training, assistant coach Fan Dejia briefly introduced Ajax’s tactical characteristics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ultra-fast short-passing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they especially love keeping possession in the opponent’s half!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simply put, playing against this team would put enormous pressure on Utrecht’s players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because passing and possession are Utrecht’s weaknesses—Ajax excels at both; they’ll likely crush Utrecht on the ground!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye shook his head—he didn’t fully agree with Fan Dejia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Possession?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He and captain Ramselaar were absolute masters of ball control!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they truly engaged Ajax in a passing battle, Utrecht might still have a chance!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, Tang—I know what you’re thinking. You think your ball control is amazing, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Dejia noticed Tang Ye’s slight smile. The assistant coach wasn’t a psychologist, but Tang Ye’s thoughts were painfully transparent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye sheepishly bit his fingernails: “Not bad, I guess.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, we won’t play them head-on. The key is the flanks—we’ll play three forwards and attack down the wings!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Fan Dejia’s guidance, the first-team players began training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Circle drills, 3v3 scrimmages, then direct simulation matches to practice the three-forward formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were the main drills; additionally, Tang Ye and Ramselaar received set-piece training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During training, Ten Hag observed both Tang Ye and Ramselaar and noticed a crucial difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramselaar’s set pieces were extremely consistent—he could reliably deliver the ball to the right spot—but his technique lacked finesse; forwards found his headers uncomfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye’s set pieces were unpredictable—he often missed the target, but when he hit it, the chance of scoring was very high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After weighing both traits, Ten Hag established the team’s set-piece rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramselaar and Tang Ye would stand together; Ramselaar held the final decision on set pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if Tang Ye judged the position favorable, he could request possession from Ramselaar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye was excited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt like a true set-piece specialist now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The day of the match arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a clash between second and third in the Eredivisie; nearly twenty reporters gathered at the Goffert Stadium.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click-click!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first journalist stood up and asked: “Mr. Eric, you won October’s Coach of the Month award, but missed November’s—what do you have to say about that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, I think I lost because of win rate—last month we lost one, drew one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag analyzed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coach of the Month is judged by tactics and team win rate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag’s tactics could never be flawed—never in a million years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the problem must be win rate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Ten Hag had told reporters after the Eindhoven match:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utrecht should have won that game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had they won, their stellar win rate combined with Ten Hag’s near-perfect tactics would have prevented Eindhoven’s manager from winning November’s award!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And about this match—facing league giants Ajax, are you under pressure?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re under pressure, but I believe the opponent is under even more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag smiled: “We’re second in the table, they’re third. Second is stronger than third—they should fear us more than we fear them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the match even began, Ten Hag had already scored the first goal!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ajax was completely on the back foot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn, I got the broadcast time wrong—I thought the match was at 8:30, but it’s at 7:30. Still on time—the game just started!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chao skillfully opened his livestream page; the familiar 480p resolution appeared before the audience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A 7:30 match time was very friendly for Chinese fans!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, let me introduce both teams’ lineups. Utrecht made a slight formation change, but their main striker is still Tang Ye—unchanged.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now, Ajax!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ajax (3-4-3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Goalkeeper: Cillessen\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Defenders: Reijnders, Veltman, Tete\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Midfield: Sailoro, Krause, Van de Beek, Bazol\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forwards: Yunes, Milik, El-Ghazi\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s take a look at both teams’ market values.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ajax’s starting lineup has a total market value four times that of Utrecht; the highest-valued player is midfielder Krause, worth a staggering 10 million euros!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for Utrecht, it’s awkward—the highest-valued players are Ale and Barazite at 2.5 million euros each, while the lowest is No. 99 Tang Ye, valued at exactly 0 euros!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The German transfer market still lacks appreciation for young players; Tang Ye played a full five minutes last season in the Dutch second division and still had no market value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Germans haven’t done as well as the Americans—this summer, Tang Ye was already online in the FIFA game!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【So what if he’s 0 euros? Tang the King, in one match, our tens of thousands together have made at least a few million in net profit!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【A few million? Fuck, you’re underestimating me, Mengge! Watch out—I’ll skip the winning goal next match and bankrupt you!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【I’m sorry, Mengge, sob sob】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Ajax is strong—any insights, Mengge?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Why is Tang Ye called Mengge? Can someone explain?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Are you a real fan upstairs? Go learn about Happy Beans first—then you’ll understand what Mengge means.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chao’s livestream viewership surged to 50,000, many of whom came after hearing of Tang Ye on Dongqiu Di.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s no official livestream for the Eredivisie in China—Wang Chao’s stream was completely flooded!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, here it comes! Lechelt kicks straight to Tang Ye!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Smart!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now Tang Ye has the ball! Okay, let’s see how our Tang King performs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t rush—Tang Ye is moving slowly, observing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pass to the flank—Ram Saierer !”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beautiful! Perfect decision—this pass is worth at least 5 million euros!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On his first touch, Tang Ye’s livestream market value surged by 5 million euros.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is because fans observed that Tang Ye’s first touch in a starting appearance usually comes after three minutes—this time, he touched the ball before three minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good form!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ram Saierer  dribbles down the flank!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sailoro and defending Yunes double-team Ram Saierer !\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag is under psychological pressure—he can see Ajax’s formation was deliberately designed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew Utrecht would attack down the wings, so they played 3-4-3, fielding four midfielders!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here I am!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye jogs over, and Ram Saierer  quickly passes the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utrecht’s two midfielders execute a combination, and Tang Ye retrieves the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Excellent—top-class coordination!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye is observing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Left flank—Ale’s position is perfect!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pass it now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just minutes into the match, Utrecht immediately launches a long-ball attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coach said before the game that the opponent’s passing and control are excellent—so Tang Ye must play long balls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The long ball flies toward the left baseline; Tang Ye uses a trick—he applies the topspin technique from Ward-Prowse’s free kicks to this pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball arcs toward Ale, drops sharply, and slows—Ale receives it comfortably with his chest!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here it comes—only Tang Ye can do this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not perfectly accurate, but the speed control is perfect—Ale! Start your run down the line!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ajax moves fast—Tate!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ale, come on, Ale!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Push forward—I swear, he didn’t bump him! Ale is 1.9 meters tall—what’s going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t rush, don’t rush—press the defensive line, clear strategy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pass back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utrecht executes a classic tactical maneuver—Ale, pretending to be a winger, dribbles to force Ajax’s defense to contract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Ajax’s defense pulls back, he passes back!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jansen’s position is now open!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fires a shot—the ball whizzes past Veltman’s ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Goalkeeper Sillesen saves it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shit!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This Ajax goalkeeper is that good? Fuck, seriously!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a pity!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chao and Ten Hag make the same gesture—raising their hands in regret over Jansen’s long-range shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it, Jansen wasted Tang King’s perfect pass!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But no matter—Utrecht’s home advantage still gives them strong momentum.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Wang Chao said, though Jansen’s shot didn’t score, it ignited the fans in the stands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing the powerhouse Ajax, Utrecht was the first to shoot—this is excellent!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ajax, as a traditional Eredivisie giant, is no pushover—after being shot at, their players didn’t panic; they followed the coach’s instructions to counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Top-tier discipline—even Ten Hag was envious!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the 25th minute, neither side has scored, but Ajax is gradually gaining momentum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>65% possession—Milik and Yunes treat Utrecht’s half like their own backyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sustained possession creates chances—Krause, Goudel, and Milik execute a series of short passes in Utrecht’s half, leaving Ram Saierer  and Jansen overwhelmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Krause seizes the opportunity and sprints toward the penalty arc.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s incredibly confident—he shoots before even reaching the arc.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Danger!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at that moment, a red-and-white-clad player lunges out with a sliding tackle from Krause’s left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thwack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krause’s low drive hits him squarely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye, who cleared the ball, crashes his head into Krause’s stomach, sending Krause sliding nearly half a meter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Amazing, Tang Ye!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who the hell says Tang Ye only knows how to tackle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tackles the man himself! Tang King—ruthless!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1917,"2026-06-20T06:50:08.245Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8fb6f10be384711ccce1e7ba2ee6fcc8d47b2b5a69506568f921b7d67213c54d","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-64","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-62",918,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffootball-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-cover.jpg"]