[{"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-73":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},2300043,4499,"Chapter 73: All Elements in Place, Formula Valid—Time to Rest","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-73",73,"\u003Cp>Philips Stadion, the Dutch Cup quarterfinal match between PSV Eindhoven and Utrecht kicks off at PSV’s home ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye stood on the player tunnel and exhaled a long breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After missing two league matches due to injury, suddenly standing on the player tunnel filled Tang Ye with a complex feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That feeling was something like… uh… retiring in middle age and then making a comeback?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You look excited!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aale said, because he saw Tang Ye pacing aimlessly in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right, Aale, do you know why I’m excited?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I feel like I’m going to score today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye swung his fist, radiating lethal intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The match begins!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t criticize Ten Hag anymore today, because he’s put Tang Ye in the starting lineup!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Starting him straight after returning from injury shows Ten Hag’s high regard for Tang Ye—it’s his way of atoning!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chao regained his earlier excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The previous two matches against Roda JC and Twente left Wang Chao with massive losses, directly turning him into a hater of Ten Hag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it doesn’t matter—Ten Hag clearly knew he was wrong and quickly moved Tang Ye into the starting XI.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s match is the Dutch people’s day of atonement!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“OK, let’s first introduce the starting lineups of both teams, starting with the home side, PSV Eindhoven.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PSV Eindhoven (4-3-3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Goalkeeper: Pasveer\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Defenders: Brener, Jeffrey Bruma, Hector Moreno, Williams\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Midfielders: Prop, Hendrix, Van Ginkel\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forwards: Narsingh, Luuk de Jong, Locadia\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Head coach: Koeman\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The match has begun!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Has Mong’s ankle healed?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Yes yes, the fans are celebrating like it’s New Year!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【??? Started straight after returning from injury? Is Ten Hag that bold?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【That’s why Ten Hag’s got talent—that’s the kind of decision a true master coach makes!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Ten Hag knows he’s doomed, so he’s pulling Mong out to save him, haha!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【F*** Utrecht, refund my money!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Calm down, calm down—haven’t you seen the People’s King return?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The livestream chat was lively, and many Dou Warriors carried heavy hostility—they’d clearly lost a lot of money recently following Wang Chao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were waiting for redemption!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Redemption from Utrecht’s No. 99!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go, go straight ahead!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramselaar directed Tang Ye forward, then dropped back to receive the ball from Van der Maarel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utrecht’s wing attack was initiated by Ramselaar!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Van Ginkel and Hendrix rushed over to defend!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramselaar dribbled forward himself!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his teammate under pressure, Tang Ye glanced left and right, then sprinted to the right sideline—right in front of Ramselaar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Got it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spotting a breakthrough opportunity, Ramselaar’s eyes lit up and quickly passed the ball to Tang Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye controlled the ball, then signaled Barazite to run to the byline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye originally intended to pass to Barazite, but PSV’s defenders closed in too fast—before he could turn, the passing lane between him and Barazite was already cut off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No choice—Tang Ye had to find another option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced left: Aale was sprinting forward!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye bit down on his gum, used the outside of his right foot to flick the ball straight ahead, then executed a dummy pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a Modric-style outside-foot pass—Tang Ye inherited Modric’s mastery of it, but added his own twist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paf!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball flew over the heads of PSV’s two center-backs, hit the ground, bounced, and landed perfectly at Aale’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wow!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the feeling!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The long-absent perfect pass thrilled Aale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered his head and smashed the ball into the ground!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Keep pushing forward!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait for the right moment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shoot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gooooo——aaaaa——llllll!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Goal! Goal! Perfect!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aale! Utrecht leads 1-0 away… wait a minute!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chao suddenly fell silent mid-sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d seen the assistant referee raise his flag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an offside pass!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ssshh—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye grabbed his head with both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>F***!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine, it’s fine—keep playing like this! Keep playing like this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag clapped enthusiastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d watched clearly from the sideline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exactly like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somehow, the ball just ended up in the net.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Utrecht’s strongest state!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden offside goal made Koeman’s heart leap—he immediately signaled PSV’s players to stick to their marking assignments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d drawn once with Utrecht in the league—a humiliation for PSV, one of the Big Three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Koeman wouldn’t accept a second draw!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Vooruit, nurood-witten!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Vooruit, PSV!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wateens d’oude glorie!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aale’s long-range shot didn’t score, but it fired up the home fans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PSV supporters began singing their team anthem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like coach Koeman, they didn’t want another draw against Utrecht!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The match reached the 23rd minute!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll take it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bruma slid in and blocked Josten’s long shot—the ball flew out and landed right at the feet of midfielder Prop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trouble!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramselaar sensed danger and shouted for his teammates to retreat, but PSV’s players were clever—Prop, with Utrecht’s backline thin, launched a precise ground-long pass to Luuk de Jong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luuk de Jong played a horizontal pass to Narsingh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narsingh slotted it in!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Goal!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Narsingh! Beautiful!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing PSV score, Wang Chao excitedly punched the air—but he quickly realized something was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d bet on Utrecht.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was it offside?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Referee, shouldn’t you check that? I think that’s offside!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? No offside!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn! Nalsin, I’ve been your fan for three years—why did you score right now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Nalsin scored, the stands of Philips Stadium erupted in cheers; Nalsin and De Jong sprinted together toward the stands to celebrate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye stood with his hands on his hips, sighing alongside Ramselaar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eintracht’s counterattack was simply too fast!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first half resumed; with a one-goal lead, Cocu gave his players new instructions: choke off Utrecht’s midfield!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of Eintracht’s new tactic, Tang Ye, playing as an attacking midfielder in the center, immediately felt immense pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had just received the ball when his teammate shouted out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone on the right!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye turned and saw Locadia sprinting toward him at full speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fuck!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled, Tang Ye spun around and played a direct through-ball to Aale, who then passed to Josten. Utrecht’s front-line combination was actually quite fluid—but the problem was, neither Aale nor Josten had any real movement ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball kept shifting among the forwards, but there was no real progression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Eintracht, riding the momentum of their lead, nearly extended the score to 2-0.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The match reached the halfway point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Man, these three Utrecht forwards are terrible—they’re completely wasting my Mong’s potential】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【What’s so great about Tang Ye? A midfielder who can’t control the ball?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bro, you better turn off your DMs—I feel you’re about to get overwhelmed\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Ten Hag is a dumbass! Can’t you come up with any useful tactics?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the locker room, Ten Hag’s expression was grim. During the first half, he and Van der Gaag had discussed playing a five-back system, but ultimately decided against it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple: if they played five defenders, Utrecht would be giving up any chance of beating Eintracht.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Proud as he was, Ten Hag would never do such a thing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag scanned the entire locker room; the players’ expressions were grim under the deficit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm… except for one person: Tang Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye’s eyes blinked slowly, as if lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I checked the data—we still need to penetrate through the center. The wingers must drift inside. Hendriks and Bruma defend well, but you can target their weaker foot—Hendriks’s weak foot is terrible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, which foot is his strong one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Left foot!” Tang Ye answered immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“OK, OK—and the center-back, Bruma—his weak foot is also weak. We can exploit that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag turned to Van der Gaag: “Which foot is his strong one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right foot!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Van der Gaag could finish, Tang Ye blurted out the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag turned his gaze to Tang Ye and walked over step by step: “You have such a good memory?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not really—it’s all searchable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye pulled out his phone and showed Ten Hag what he’d done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d typed “psveindhoven” into FIFA—over thirty player cards appeared, each filled with detailed notes on the player’s traits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bruma’s weak foot is rated 3 stars, Hendriks’s is only 2 stars!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ramselaar laughed uncontrollably beside him; Ten Hag covered his head with his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How the hell are you this smart?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cough, cough—just remember this: when attacking through the center in the second half, deliberately dribble toward the opponent’s weak foot. Many players’ weak feet are terrible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye put his phone back in the locker and winked repeatedly at Aale: “Wait for my pass!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uh…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aale nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked… kind of unreliable?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Will this even work?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second half was about to begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The referee hadn’t blown the whistle yet, so Tang Ye wasn’t in a rush—he popped a fresh piece of gum into his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>OK, let the second-half performance begin!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the team kicking off, Eintracht launched an attack on Utrecht.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still playing down the flanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, they had full confidence in their wingers!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opposition attacked quickly, but Tang Ye didn’t stand still—he sprinted back immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His job was to get to the arc before De Jong did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Williams, take a few touches!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Long ball straight to Nalsin!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Again Nalsin! Jansen is marking him one-on-one!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn! Eintracht’s wing one-two is lightning-fast—Jansen’s been completely bypassed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pass to the center—Locadia!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Goal!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eintracht has extended their lead!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang bang bang bang bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chao’s furious pounding on a mechanical keyboard echoed through the livestream chat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along with his own helpless rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the previous round, Utrecht and Eintracht drew; head coach Cocu clearly learned from that match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, beating Utrecht wasn’t as hard as imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just one flank attack was enough!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ten Hag, what are you doing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s the other coach doing? What are you doing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fuck, Ten Hag, what good are you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second goal of the second half was kicked off; the match reached the 50th minute. Ten Hag stood motionless on the sideline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, he was feeling uneasy too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, the stadium screen displayed the match’s possession statistics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utrecht: 37%\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PSV: 63%\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With possession so far ahead, Cocu was extremely happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Eintracht’s new head coach, Cocu was under pressure to be fired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he didn’t win the league this season, he’d likely be sacked—but he’d done well; Eintracht was now top of the league!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike Ten Hag…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced over at Ten Hag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cocu’s expression froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seeing his team’s lower possession rate, Ten Hag suddenly smiled!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag’s smile gave Cocu a bad feeling—but since Eintracht was leading 2-0, Cocu felt no real pressure and simply sat back down on the bench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On camera, Ten Hag had his hands in his pockets—he, like Cocu, sat down on the substitute bench!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second half. Possession behind. Tang Ye starting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All three factors present—the formula was complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t this guaranteed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let’s take a break for now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second half reached the 62nd minute; Locadia dribbled inside toward the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Showing off like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye couldn’t take it anymore—he sneaked over quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone’s behind you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hendriks shouted, and Lokadia spotted Tang Ye beside him, so he quickly passed the ball; Tang Ye immediately turned and sprinted forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the tackle failed, Tang Ye had already achieved his goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just now, Lokadia had cut inside alone, which meant he had few teammates nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he passed hastily, the chance of losing possession would be very high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, Lechelt suddenly sprinted forward and intercepted Lokadia’s pass to Narsingh, then sent it upfield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow? Utrecht’s counterattack!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Utrecht’s counterattack isn’t as fast as Eintracht’s, but I still feel there’s some opportunity!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jostein, get back and take the ball!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pass to Tang Ye!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beautiful! Jostein is incredibly smart! He made a very wise choice!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang Ye!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wide to Barazite!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Utrecht’s counterattack is extremely fluid!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Goal!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang Ye’s deflection was brilliant, setting up Jostein for the goal!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“2:1! Utrecht has pulled one back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>???\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cocu stood up from his substitute bench chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at Ten Hag beside him — Ten Hag was still sitting in his chair!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, something seems off?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2004,"2026-06-20T06:50:08.245Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e4d786d704665cf2c81e5978d5292584d518d9102b12d400876c25ee6eff566c","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-74","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-72",918,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffootball-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-cover.jpg"]