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Chapter 119 Pressure
In fact, in the first half, both the fans of Portel FC and the supporters of Sofo United were already in despair.

In the first half of the game, Tyne led Portel FC by two goals away from home.

At that time, many people felt that the game was over.

In the second half, the players of Portel FC finally seemed to realize that they were a relegation team and should now fight for relegation.

There was a dramatic change in performance, and at one point Tyne was in a panic and couldn't even organize a normal attack.

In the 62nd minute of the game, Portel FC finally scored a goal.

Reduce the score difference to one goal.

At this time, there was about half an hour left in the game, and the fans of Portel FC saw hope.

The high-spirited Portel FC also bombarded the Tyne goal.

But there was no goal. Instead, in the 75th minute, Tyne seized the opportunity and launched a counterattack, widening the gap to two goals again.

The players of Portel FC who were fighting for survival never gave up, and instead fought more courageously after losing the ball.

Finally, in the 80th minute, they scored from a corner kick, narrowing the gap to one goal again.

The score between the two sides also came to 2:3.

Including injury time, there were still more than ten minutes left in the game. The morale of Portel FC was boosted, and it seemed that if they continued playing like this, they would definitely equalize at the last moment!
For Portel FC, which is in the relegation zone, even one more point would be good.

If you can't win, never lose, a draw is a perfectly acceptable outcome.

So after scoring the goal, the Porter FC players didn't even celebrate. Two of them rushed into the goal, picked up the ball before Tyne goalkeeper Goetz, and turned to run towards the center circle.

Finally, he considerately placed the football for Tyne and signaled them to kick off quickly and not waste time.

Facing such enthusiastic opponents, Wang Lie certainly did not disappoint their expectations.

So just one minute later, he received Dean's cross in front of the goal and scored with a header.

The score was changed to 4:2, helping Tyne to lead by two goals again.

After this goal, the entire Portel Stadium fell silent.

Lindsay in front of the computer screen also fell silent.

In the last round of the league, Wang Lie did not score a goal and all the limelight was stolen by Vitini.

As a result, he scored twice in this league game.

And this second goal was so crucial.

This ability to score goals in a short period of time reminded him of Wang Lie at his peak.

He had a bad feeling.

That means Wang Lie has entered the rhythm he is best at...

And in the next round of the league, there will be a match between Sofia United and Tyne.

Lindsay believed that Wang Lie would never show mercy just because he had played for Sofia United for ten years.

He might even be more ruthless...

He had little confidence in Helden and felt that this stubborn Swedish coach would have a hard time standing up to the furious Wang Lie.

He now only hopes that Sofia United can maintain their winning streak before meeting Tyne, so that they will at least have a seven-point advantage by then.

Even if they really lose to Tyne away, they can still lead by four points. As long as they win the remaining three league games, they can still maintain their lead over Tyne in the league standings.

※※※

When Lindsay finished filming, he met with head coach Helden, who asked him, "Is the game over?"

Lindsay nodded grimly, "Yeah."

"Let me guess... Tyne won again?" Seeing Lindsay's expression, Helden knew the answer in his mind.

Lindsay nodded again: "4:2, Tayne wins. Wang scored twice in the game."

After hearing his words, Heldon was silent for about ten seconds, and then he suddenly chuckled and said, "This is also a good thing for us..."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Lindsay frowned behind him, and he didn't understand what was a good thing.

Could it be that Helden just didn't want to lose his composure in front of him, so he was pretending to be tough?
※※※

In the visiting team's locker room before the game, Danilo Lindsay finally knew what Helden meant by "good news."

He saw Helden standing in the locker room, looking around at his teammates, and said to them with a confident smile on his face:
"The result of the other match has come out, and I believe many people already know it. Yes, Tyne beat Portal FC 4:2 away from home."

This remark caused a small commotion in the locker room.

Lindsay stared at Helden's back with his eyes wide open, wondering why he was bringing up such irrelevant issues. Wouldn't this just add pressure to the players?

Helden looked around at the players with different expressions and nodded with satisfaction. This was exactly the effect he wanted.

"Our opponents have finished their game. Now the test paper has been handed to us. It's our turn to answer. So what kind of answer do you want to give to the outside world? Are you panicking because of being chased by Tyne? Or use a victory to tell them that the reason why Sofo United is Sofo United is because each of us can withstand the pressure and win! At the critical moment, we never give up! The opponent thinks that this can force us to lose our composure, so let them see! Don't even think about it! They won't get what they want! Now go out and tell them! What a wealthy team is!"

※※※

“…In a league match that ended in the afternoon, Porter FC lost 2:4 to Tyne at home. The latter continued their winning streak since the th round of the league. They are constantly breaking the club’s winning streak record.

"At the same time, they have 54 points. With one more game to play, they are only four points behind Sofia United! Now the ball has been kicked to Sofia United. They must beat Waltham in this game to widen the gap again..."

The match between Waltham and Sofia United at home has just started.

Commentator Connor Cowley is in the studio at the back explaining the game and analyzing the current situation.

The game had been going on for six minutes.

"I don't know if it was inspired by the victory in Tyne, but Sofia United played very actively after the start, which was not like an away game at all... Waltham certainly didn't expect Sofia United to be able to take the lead in their home court, and the situation was a bit passive..."

As they were talking, Sofia United hit the ball in front of Waltham's goal, and their starting center forward Richie Weddell jumped high and headed the ball!

However, due to interference from Waltham's central defender Thomas Sulita, he failed to head the ball towards the goal and instead it hit the back post.

Stanley Harris appeared there and shot directly!
He kicked the football into the goal!
"Stanley Harris! Harris!! He scored the first goal for Sofo United! Oh my God! The game had only started for seven minutes and Sofo United took the lead! Perfect start!"

Stanley Harris was very excited after scoring the goal. He got up, turned around and ran towards the corner flag area, then slid on his knees passionately.

His teammates also caught up from behind and pressed forward to celebrate with him.

Helden also stood up from the coaching booth and rushed to the sidelines excitedly waving his fists.

At last his dead face had a more vivid expression.

Both he and the players of Sofo United were under a lot of pressure during this period.

After all, Tyne was really catching up point by point.

At first, when Wang Lie publicly announced on the "Focus News" program that he would lead Tyne to qualify for the Champions League next season, most of the Sofia United players did not actually take it seriously.

They all thought that Wang Lie said this because he had a personal grudge against Lawrence Dadomo, not because he really thought Tyne could go to the Champions League.

And even if we fail to make it to the Champions League in the end, being able to qualify for the Europa League would be very remarkable.

You have to know that the team's goal before Wang Lie joined was just to avoid relegation.

Therefore, if in the end they only qualified for the Europa League, not many people would laugh at him. This result is already a success enough for Tyne.

Even those Sofia United players who had a good relationship with Wang Lie were only happy that Wang Lie had found his form again in Tyne, but they did not think that Wang Lie could really threaten them.

But in the next four rounds of the league, they watched Wang Lie lead Tyne to win one game after another, until now.

In an away game against a relegation team like Portel FC, they even scored four goals.

So the players of Sofo United really felt the pressure.

The "possibility" that they had never thought of before did not seem to be something incredible - when they met Tyne, they might not have left Tyne behind, and then they would have a direct confrontation!
They want to confront Wang Lie directly!

They had all been teammates with Wang Lie, and were very familiar with his personality and temper. They all knew what it meant to be regarded as an opponent by him.

For a moment, I was really a little panicked, and the terrible thought of "what if I can't win this game" emerged in my mind...

Now Stanley Harris' goal is like a pressure relief valve, releasing all the huge pressure within the team.

After relieving the pressure, Sofia United played better and better. In the first half, they almost completely suppressed Waltham and took over the rhythm of the game.

Then in the 44th minute, just as the first half was about to end, attacking midfielder Aaron Schouten assisted Adel Degert to score.

※※※"2:0! Sofia United led by two goals in the first half! Whether it was the score or the process of the first half, it was hard to believe that this was Sofia United's away game! They were as relaxed as if they were back home, playing the way they wanted! And Waltham had no way to deal with them! In this first half, Heldon's team showed great control! Facing huge pressure, they showed top performance! This was almost the best half of Sofia United's game in the second half of the season!"

Commentator Connor Cowley was thrilled.

The Tyne players in the blue bus sighed.

"Damn it! Trash from North London!"

"Wasn't Waltham very fierce when they played against us? They chased us for two goals in a row. Can they chase us for two goals in a row this time?"

"Sofo United played really well in the first half. They were so dominant. Sigh..."

On the bus returning to Newcastle from Liverpool, Tyne players watched the live broadcast of the match between Sofia United and Waltham on their mobile phones.

But all they got was bad news.

Seven minutes into the game, Sofia took the lead.

Throughout the first half, Waltham was beaten without any chance to fight back, which made people wonder whether this game was played at Waltham's home ground or at Sofia United's home ground...

As the first half was coming to an end, the Tyne players felt that if Waltham only conceded one goal in the first half, it would be a good result.

Just as they were thinking this, Sofo United scored again!
There was a sudden burst of cursing in the carriage.

Hearing this, assistant coach Valo glanced at head coach McNeill and asked, "Don't care?"

McNeill waved his phone and said, "How can I care? I'm watching! The match with Sofia is getting closer and it's normal for the players to be concerned about the opponent's situation."

“Aren’t you worried that Sofia’s win will increase the pressure on the players?”

McNeill shook his head. "Even if they don't watch the live broadcast of the game now, they will know the final result. Will there be no pressure then? The pressure is always there, Cesar. Every time we win a game, the pressure will accumulate quickly. There is no way but to face the pressure and try to win before we are overwhelmed."

Then he pointed behind him and said, "Look at Wang, he has a very good attitude."

Varro looked back.

Wang Lie was seen several rows behind. He was also apparently watching the live match on his phone, but his expression looked normal, not as depressed or unhappy as his teammates.

※※※

After DeGette scored, Helden cheered on the sidelines, then turned around and hugged and high-fived the coaches around him.

As he high-fived Lindsay, he laughed and said, "How's it going, Danilo? Am I right? It's good for us that Tyne wins!"

Lindsay smiled bitterly and nodded: "Indeed, you are right..."

He also had to admit that Helden was quite capable and had turned an unfavorable situation into their advantage.

The broadcaster's cameraman came over with a camera and took a close-up shot of Helden.

In the camera, he was applauding the players on the field with a smile on his face.

※※※

When Tyne's bus arrived at Northumberland Football City, the second half of the game had already been played for a while.

After adjustments during the halftime break, Waltham scored a goal eleven minutes into the second half.

However, with Helden's continuous substitutions starting in the 60th minute, Sofia stabilized the situation again.

It was at this time that the Tyne players had to drive home from the training base.

When leaving, many people no longer had any hope for the outcome of this game.

In their minds, Sofia United should win this game.

So the gap between them and Sofia is still seven points and that won't change.

We can only pin our hopes on Sofia United’s opponent in the next round, Witton Hill.

Some people feel that no one else can be relied upon and they have to rely on themselves.

Just wait for the 35th round of the league and defeat Sofia United head-on.

Although this will not allow them to surpass Sofia United in the standings and become fourth in the league.

But at least they have made every effort, and even if they fail to qualify for the Champions League in the end, they can have a clear conscience.

On the way home, Vitini was still very unwilling.

He felt that if he tried his best but couldn't win, what was there to be "clear conscience" about?
If you can’t win, all your previous efforts will be in vain!
Meaningless!

He drove very fast along the way, madly testing the edge of speeding, as if he wanted to vent all the frustration and unhappiness in his heart.

※※※

Lindsay looked at the field nervously.

Although Sofia still controlled the tempo and situation of the game during this period, they were unable to score another goal.

The score was still 2:1 ahead of Waltham.

Just five minutes earlier, Stanley Harris had wasted a good scoring opportunity.

Lindsay always felt that this was a bad sign.

He glanced at the game time on the big screen:

78:50
It’s almost seventy-nine minutes…

Sofia United should still score a goal. This one-goal lead is like a delicious bait, tempting Waltham to fight hard.

He turned his head and glanced at Helden.

Then she covered her mouth and reminded him: "We still have one substitution..."

Does that mean we should use it or not?
Helden shook his head, "Not for now. Wait until eighty-five minutes later."

When Lindsay heard this, he knew that Helden intended to use this last substitution to delay time during injury time.

Seeing that the head coach had his own arrangements, Lindsay stopped talking.

Originally he was the second assistant coach, and his words were certainly not as effective as those of the first assistant coach Norbert Demos.

Heldon and Demos were partners when they coached in the Portuguese Super League, so they are more familiar with and trust each other.

Since Demos didn't remind Helden to make a substitution, there was no need for him to say anything more.

He turned his attention back to the court.

Sofo United still controlled the ball on the field.

They first passed the ball back and forth in the backcourt to attract Waltham players to press forward.

The Waltham players, who were only one goal behind, did follow up and press high, trying to get a chance to directly threaten the Sofia United goal.

Lindsay was a little excited watching from the sidelines - play forward, there are open spaces behind!

Perhaps he heard his thoughts, and Sofa United center back Pablo Vitali, who was holding the ball on the field, chose to pass the ball forward to find substitute attacking midfielder Bastin Alatorre.

But his through ball was intercepted by Waltham players!

After intercepting the ball, Waltham immediately passed the ball forward and launched a counterattack on the spot!
Danilo Godwin received the ball from his teammates in an empty space, then he cut inside and shot!
Sofia United goalkeeper Jimmy Dogg dived sideways and stretched out his arms hard, but it was out of reach!
In the air, he watched the football fly into the goal he was guarding from the back corner!

"Aaaaaah! Godwin!! Danilo Godwin!! Wow! He tied the score for Waltham!!"

※※※

As soon as Vitini opened the door of his house, he heard the commentator Connor Cowley's exclamation and a huge noise coming from the living room:

"Danilo Godwin! He equalized the score for Waltham! Unbelievable! In the 81st minute of the game, Godwin scored! Sofo United's three points turned into one point!"

The TV speakers were turned up very loud, and a huge noisy sound came out of the speakers, as if you were at the game!

"Ahahahaha!"

Dad was dancing and laughing in front of the TV.

As he was laughing, he glanced back and saw his son Vitini standing outside the living room, staring blankly at the TV screen.

In it, the Waltham players chased Godwin like crazy and celebrated the goal with him.

The camera was shaking and the cheers were thunderous.

(End of this chapter)