Chapter 890: China

【FIFA Club World Cup】

【semi-final】

Manchester United (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: De Gea

Defenders: Wan-Bissaka, De Ligt, Lisandro Martínez, Dalot

Midfielders: B. Fernandes, Tang Ye, De Jong

Forwards: Dembélé, Kane, Ziyech

Head coach: Ten Hag

“Man United’s lineup is still insane, guys—if I were a Cairo FC fan, I’d be shaking right now.”

“…”

“Beautiful, Ziyech!”

“Passed!”

“Kane! Kane!”

He collected the ball just outside the box, and with Tang Ye’s cover, Kane slid it easily into the penalty area.

Maitwal tried to defend, but it was clearly futile.

Plop!

“Goooo—aaa—llll!!!”

“Goal!”

“Guys! Harry Kane has scored!”

“1-0! Manchester United leads!”

“Nice nice!”

“Feels like Man United are still holding back a bit—they only took the lead after 30 minutes.”

“Kane will never win a trophy… haha, don’t joke—Kane not winning trophies was back at Spurs’ time. Can Man United even be compared to Spurs?”

As UEFA Champions League champions, Manchester United is unquestionably the top favorite for this World Cup.

The only question is Kane.

Due to this English striker’s “title-less” reputation, Man United faced heavy pressure when they signed him.

But it doesn’t matter!

The title race hasn’t truly begun yet, but based on his performance over the past half-season, Kane has shown zero issues.

“…”

“B. Fernandes, pass to Tang Ye.”

“Tang Ye, do it again!”

“Incredible, that move!”

“Shoot!”

“B. Fernandes!!!!”

“Goal!”

“2-0!”

“2-0!!!”

“…”

“Beep, beeeep—!!!”

After a 2-0 clean sheet over Cairo FC, the final whistle blew. Tang Ye, substituted early, clapped from the bench and celebrated the win with his teammates.

For Cairo FC, an Egyptian side, Man United felt absolutely no pressure. Ten Hag remarked, “In my memory, nearly every Club World Cup champion has been the previous season’s UEFA Champions League winner. Europe is the most developed football region globally, so it’s only natural that the Champions League champion wins the Club World Cup—there’s no surprise here.”

It’s true—the top five league teams can easily dominate others, let alone a fully revived Man United.

According to this English journalist, the current Man United is more terrifying than any previous era; as long as most players are in normal form and Ten Hag’s tactics remain sound, Man United has virtually no chance of losing in this Club World Cup.

“Your final opponent will be Al Hilal, Tom. What do you think of this team?”

The journalist squinted, eyes shrewd, clearly trying to extract a comment from Tang Ye.

Al Hilal has long wanted Tang Ye—it’s not a new rumor. It feels like how Barcelona once desperately chased him but never got him.

“They’re strong. Though their total market value is low, Hilal are last season’s AFC Champions League winners—they have the potential to beat us. But I’m still confident about winning the Club World Cup. Hilal won’t have much of a chance.”

“Hmm.”

The journalist nodded: “This winter window, Hilal signed Mitrović from Fulham for 55 million euros—a move seen as the start of Saudi Arabia’s golden era of football, following Al Nassr. We’ve learned Hilal have a total transfer budget exceeding 600 million U.S. dollars over the next three years, not including player salaries.”

“Are you one of the players in this 600-million-dollar plan?”

“Haha!”

Tang Ye shook his head: “They’ll sign many strong players, but I’m not one of them. I’ve never said I’d transfer to Hilal.”

…

Dongqiu Di report: Kane scores, Tang Ye assists then is subbed off instantly—Man United defeats Cairo FC 2-0 to advance to the Club World Cup final, opponent: AFC Champions League winners Al Hilal (comments: 569,346)

Al Hilal head coach: Saudi football has just begun; we value this match against Man United. We very much hope TY will join Hilal, but I know some things are impossible. I am a man who knows contentment.

【Physicality: 92→93】

【Defense: 85→86】

Tang Ye (23 years old)

【Ball control: 94; Passing: 98】

【Shooting: 94; Heading: 62; Set pieces: 95】

【Speed: 87; Stamina: 88; Physicality: 93】

【Defense: 85; Vision: 100】

Overall rating: 98

The final against Al Hilal is three days away. Over these days, Man United’s players have been living very comfortably.

From the Man United players’ perspective, they feel zero pressure from Al Hilal. The Club World Cup, sandwiched between the Premier League and Champions League, feels like a mini-vacation.

“Get serious! If you keep this up, we’ll get upset!”

Ten Hag was dissatisfied with his players’ current state.

“You know that’s impossible.”

Dembélé replied: “I’ll show them what cruelty means.”

“Hahaha!”

Dembélé’s words drew laughter from Tang Ye and Kane: “So, Ousmane, what’s cruelty?”

“Maybe 5-0, or 6-0. We only won 2-0 in the semi-final—fans now think we can only manage that. So funny.”

“Ok ok, we’ll see what you do then.”